The final moments at Lazarus' Home

      Having begun this inspiring Lenten series last week, we complete the Lesson part of Lesson 2 today with part three of FAREWELL TO THE HOLY WOMEN AND THE MOTHER, where Jesus bids adieu to Mary Magdalene and shares some special moments with His Blessed Mother Mary. Click on "IT IS CONSUMMATED!"

The Message of El Escorial is the Message of Lent

      We continue with the eighth installment of the apparitions of El Escorial, Spain which began during the same time frame as Betania and Medjugorje and has received little publicity. Yet, like Medjugorje and Betania, El Escorial is still going on and is as important as the others for Our Lady comes as Nuestra Senora de los Dolores - "Our Lady of Sorrows" to call all her children back to her Divine Son Jesus through Prayer, Penance and Sacrifice in atonement for our own sins and those of the entire world. God's chosen messenger to receive these and impart them to the world is a housewife and mother of seven Luz Amparo Cuevas a visionary who has suffered much producing plentiful fruits. For part eight of The Apparitions at El Escorial, Spain - Messages which explain a theme, click on THE AGE OF MARIAN APPARITIONS.

"I solemnly say to you: Great events are unfolding now to fulfill all I have foretold. "

      Those words set the theme for the two Messages from the Blessed Virgin Mary towards the end of September 1993 to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart. In Our Lady's two messages today she conveyes that the signs are there everyday, but the greatest Sign is the Presence of her Divine Son Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament Which resides in Tabernacles everywhere. She implores us to read Sacred Scripture, pray the Rosary, and return reverence to the Mass for in many places this Holy Sacrifice has become an aberration. She also asks her children to take the Sacraments very, very seriously, especially Confession and Confirmation for we need the strength of the Holy Spirit in these coming times in which she affirms that, "the mind of man cannot conceive of the chastisements yet to come." For messages 407 and 408, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

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The Patriarch of Venice: Cardinal Ce succeeds one Pope and is made Cardinal by his successor

      Today we continue with this new series that we will bring you on a regular basis three times a week. Our twenty-third red hat we feature, in alphabetical order, is the 74 year-old Cardinal Marco Ce who has been Patriarch of Venice ever since Pope John Paul II appointed him in late 1978 to succeed both the Pope's and Archbishop Ce's predecessor Pope John Paul I. For more on this Venetian cardinal appointed by Pope John Paul II back in his Consistory of June 30, 1979, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION

Events Today in Church History

     It was on this date in 1208 that Jesus, in private revelation, communicated to Saint Francis of Assisi at Portiuncula - below Assisi - that God wanted him to devote his life to Him when he told Francis "Rebuild My Church". For more, see CATHOLIC CANVAS below. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

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CATHOLIC CANVAS

Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church

Portiuncula

      Today is the 791st anniversary of the revelation to Saint Francis of Assisi for this Friar-to-be to "Rebuild My Church" - the day known in Franciscan annals as the hour Francis realized his vocation. He didn't necessarily realize his mission for Francis mistook the directive and literally set about building with his own hands a little church from the shell of four walls which is still preserved today inside the vast, cavernous St. Mary of the Angels Basilica in the town of the same name Santa Maria degli Angeli near Assisi and San Damiano. The etymology of the name Portiuncula or Porziuncola can be based on two hypotheses; the first, that it derives from the "small portion" of land upon which the church was built, pertaining as it did to the then vast patrimony of land belonging to the Benedictines; the second, as a long pious tradition would have it, of a "small portion" of stone, from the tomb of the Our Lady, brought by four pilgrims returning from the Holy Land and inserted, as a relic, in the walls. The outer walls of the building itself date back to the 4th century and was passed to the Benedictines in the sixth century. They gave it to Francis but because of the holy friar's penchant for observing the strict principles of absolute poverty, they agreed to "rent" it to him for a basket of fish from the Tescio once a year. This is where the first Franciscan gathering was in 1211 after he had finished the rough hewn chapel, transforming it into a sanctuary of beauty, reverence and awe. It became the center of gathering for prayer in common and for singing the Psalms and other praises to the Lord. For more we recommend you check out Portiuncula from the Encyclopedia at the New Advent Catholic Supersite. (source: Assisi, Art and History in the Centuries, Edizoni Plurigraf)

Religiou leaders express fears over Kosovo crisis

     Authentic fears of an escalation of war that could ignite into World War III over the crisis with the Serbs in Kosovo were expressed this week from Moscow to the Vatican to Belgrade by religious leaders including the Pope. They all call for saner minds and hearts to rule so that war can be averted in this region which triggered the First World War and contributed to the bloodshed of the Second World War. For more, click on Kosovo.

Many fear the worst is yet to come in troubled Sudan

      The situation in the Sudan is about to go from bad to worse as starvation raises its ugly head in the face of civil war and Muslim muscling of Catholics and Christian refugees, driving them into the hot, arid desert as the weather heats up as well as tempers. Human Rights have been thrown out in areas like Wau, Bahr El Ghazal and Khartoum where the government has a stranglehold on controling the military and brainwashing all to Islamism. Experts predict as many as two and a half million people are going to die from famine or force. For more, click on Sadness in the Sudan.

Fear of increased violence prompts Missouri Bishops to condemn concealed gun agendas

     With the Referendum on the ballot in April for Missouri voters, the Missouri Bishops took a united stance against concealed handguns, expressing fears that it would not only increase violence but contribute to violating the Fifth Commandment - "Thou shalt not kill." in a vigilante-like 'Wild West.' For more, click on Cancel Concealed guns.

Voodoo, Zodiac and Witchcraft in school curriculum prompts Catholic families to take court action

     Finally someone is taking on the New Agers and they're hoping it will make a difference. That's the intent of three Catholic families who are taking on the White Plains School District just north of New York City over the mandatory courses that incorporate New Age philosophies, Hindu practices and witchcraft. The District's defense is that this curriculum is commonplace and employed in schools throughout the United States. For that reason let us all hope and pray that this triumverate of Catholic parents are triumphant or we'll all be in worse trouble. For more, see Voodoo curriculum

For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site at the CWN home page and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales. Both CWN and NE are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.