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      They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".

"Joy is not the same as pleasure or happiness. A wicked and evil man may have pleasure, while any ordinary mortal is capable of being happy. Pleasure generally comes from things, and always through the senses; happiness comes from humans through fellowship. Joy comes from loving God and neighbor."

      Today is the Feast of the early Bishops and Disciples Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, while tomorrow is the Third Wednesday in Ordinary Time as well as the Feast of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin, Religious Educator and Foundress. For the readings, liturgies, meditations and vignette on these saints, click on LITURGY FOR THE DAY.

Tuesday January 26:
Feast of Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, Bishops

White vestments

First Reading: 2 Timothy 1: 1-8 or Titus 1: 1-5
Psalms: Psalm 40: 2, 4, 7-11
Gospel Reading: Mark 3: 31-35

Feast of Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, Bishops and Disciples of the early Church

      The disciple Saint Timothy was a prized pupil of Saint Paul. Timothy's father had been Greek, his mother Eunice Jewish. Both converted to Christianity and Eunice tutored Timothy in the faith. On Paul's first missionary journey Timothy was converted and baptized, accompanying the Apostle on his second and third journeys. As the Acts of the Apostles affirms, Paul sent Timothy to minister to the Greeks in Macedonia, Thessalonica, and Corinth. From all reports Timothy became a bishop in Ephesus and there he died a natural death.

      The other bishop whose feast we celebrate today - Saint Titus was converted with Timothy, but unlike Timothy, was pagan born and not tutored by his parents in the faith. Titus was invited to join Paul and Saint Barnabas to the Council of Jerusalem with the other Apostles. Paul, as is confirmed in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, had great trust in Titus and appointed him bishop of the Church in Crete. There he died at an old age, also a peaceful death. Both, along with Saint John, were a few of the only ones not martyred for their faith. Titus holds a special place in the hearts of Croatians.

Wednesday January 27:
Third Wednesday in Ordinary Time and
Feast of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin, Religious Educator and Foundress

Green or white vestments

First Reading: Hebrews 10: 11-18
Psalms: Psalm 110: 1-4
Gospel Reading: Mark 4: 1-20

Feast of Saint Angela Merici, Virgin, Religious Educator and Foundress

     Born in Lombardy near Desenzano on March 21, 1470, Saint Angela Merici became an orphan at the tender age of ten and was turned over to her uncle who raised her in the village of Salo. At the age of 13 she became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis, beginning a life of sincere austerity. When her uncle died she decided to dedicate her life to educating the children of the poor, specifically the young girls who would grow into motherhood. Angela, guided by private revelation from Jesus, turned down an offer from Pope Clement VII in 1525 to supervise a group of nursing nuns in order to return to Brescia, Italy to train women there to teach. This was the begining of the Ursuline Order of Nuns, so named because the congregation dedicated their work to God through the intercession and protection of Saint Ursula, a tenth century saint whose feast is October 21. The Ursulines became the first teaching Order in the Church, being officially approved by Pope Paul III four years after Angela's death. Angela, since an early age had been a victim-soul and visionary with both Our Lord and Our Lady guiding her every step. Though the early formation of the congregation was rough at first with many naysayers, she, along with the other candidates of the Order, were encouraged by Saint Charles Borromeo (November 4) who made it a point to introduce the nuns throughout the villages of Italy. Unanimously chosen as the Ursulines' first Mother Superior, Angela guided the Order until her death on January 27, 1540 at the Mother House in Brescia. She was 70 years-old when she was called home to God. Her holiness and example led to more vocations and additional convents in France, Germany and Canada in 1636. It was the Ursulines who founded the first school in the United States in New Orleans in 1727 and the rest, as they say, is history. Pope Pius VII canonized her in 1807.

     Today's Prayer is taken from the Preface for the Mass honoring Saint Timothy and Saint Titus:

God, our Father, it is truly right and just to praise You, all-powerful and eternal God. Through the mystery of Your grace, which You have bestowed on us in Christ with infinite mercy, You have called and led us to the kingdom of freedom and of life. You have revealed to us the inscrutable design of Your wisdom in the gospel of salvation, of which Saint Timothy and Saint Titus were the preachers and teachers. Today we unite ourselves to Your blessed servants whom we honor today and the choirs of angels to sing the hymn of Your glory.

NOTE: There are more news stories on the Holy Father's Visit to the Americas as well as Upholding the Sanctity of Life.

Showdown in St. Louis expected to be heated on heals of Vatican's condemnation of US bombing Iraq

      It should be interesting inside the Lambert Field hanger today when Pope John Paul II sits down face to face mano en mano with Bill Clinton because you just know the bombing and embargo of Iraq will be high on the agenda of topics. This was a certainty yesterday when the Vatican released a statement reaffirming the Holy See's condemnation of the US action against the Iraqi people. Stay tuned. For more, click on Face to face encounter

      MEXICO CITY (CWNews.com) -- On the eve of a public meeting between Pope John Paul II and US President Bill Clinton, the Holy See has newly condemned the American bombing of Iraq.

      After reports that American planes had loosed missiles against an Iraqi city on January 25, the Holy See issued a statement saying that the new attack "confirms again what the Holy Father has already said... that military measures do not resolve problems, but on the contrary aggravate them."

      The Holy Father is scheduled to meet President Clinton in St. Louis on Tuesday afternoon, January 26.

From meager, humble log cabin beginnings, great graces and fruits emanate today through the prayers of the faithful

      While so many are making physical preparations in the greater St. Louis area for the Holy Father's arrival today, there are some who are making spiritual preparations through prayer vigils at a very special place - the cradle chapel of the faith in the heartland - St. Francis Xavier church, a 300 year-old log cabin. Adding to the reverence and prayerful preparation the youth have become involved - some 1000 strong college students - took part last night in an evening prayer vigil in preparation of the Pope's visit. For more, click on Seeds of the Faith in St. Louis.

      ST. LOUIS, 25 (NE) While the last preparations are taken care of in order to receive the Holy Father in St. Louis, a great number of Catholics get ready through prayer for such an important encounter. This spiritual preparation is carried out by some at the Holy Family Log Church in Cahokia, oldest temple west of the Mississippi.

      In this temple one of the first three Masses was celebrated by the first evangelizers of these lands. Cradle of the Catholic tradition of this place, the Holy Family Log Church in Cahokia, which celebrates this year its 300th anniversary, will be a central place of pilgrimage during the Supreme Pontiff's visit. Awaiting for the Pope's arrival, a vigil of prayer was held on Saturday night and other liturgical activities will be carried out on the following days as well.

      This same spirit of awaiting in prayer is lived at Saint Francis Xavier Church, where some 1000 Catholic students from area colleges and universities will carry out a vigil today, on the eve of Pope John Paul II's arrival.

Nun killed, priest injured in attempted escape from Sierra Leone rebels

      While Archbishop Joseph Ganda and four missionaries were able to elude their captors last week and flee to freedom from the rebel stronghold, one of Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity was not as fortunate. She was shot to death trying to escape and a priest and another man were under hospital observation from bullet wounds suffered in the attempt. It is evident the rebels are ruthless despite the fact they are swiftly being driven out by peacekeeping troops. For more, click on Murdered Nun.

      ROME (CWNews.com) - A nun being held hostage by rebels in Sierra Leone was shot and killed on Saturday, and a priest and another man were wounded as the rebels fled the capital of Freetown as peacekeeping troops advanced on them.

      The Rome-based MISNA news agency reported that the nun, the priest, and the third hostage were apparently singled out because they would slow their escape. Six more Catholic missionaries who were also being held by the rebels apparently remain in custody. Six Missionary of Charity nuns and five Xaverian Brothers were kidnapped by rebels on January 14 in order to put pressure on the government to release captured rebels leaders.

      The murdered nun was identified as Sister Aloysius Maria of the Indian state of Kerala. Father Girolamo Pistoni, 43, was in a Freetown hospital Saturday with a bullet wound to the chest, but it was not believed to be life-threatening. A third man, an Indian national, was shot in the mouth, but also survived. There was no word on his condition.

      Archbishop Joseph Ganda of Freetown, who had also been held captive by rebels, as well as four of the Xaverian Brothers escaped from the rebels last week. Freetown has been rocked by the running battle between the rebels and West African peacekeeping troops since the beginning of January, leaving more than 1,000 people dead.

Time for Guatamala government to expedite murder investigation of Bishop Gerardi is consensus of International Diplomatic Corp in Guatamala

      It's about time someone else spoke out in joining the Vatican in putting pressure on the Guatamala government for dragging their proverbial feet in not bringing the murderer of Bishop Juan Gerardi, bludgeoned to death last April, to trial. The Vatican nuncio went even further, challenging the government and military to fess up rather than trying to pin the crime on an innocent priest. For more, click on Guatamalan Guavo.

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Members of the international diplomatic corps in Guatemala have called upon President Alvaro Arzu to speed up the investigation into the murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi.

      In their request to the president, the accredited diplomats said that an vigorous effort to "let the truth shine through" would eliminate suspicions and rumors in connection with the death of the bishop, who was found murdered in his home last year shortly after he released a report criticizing the country's military forces for human- rights violations.

      Speaking on behalf of the diplomats, the Vatican's nuncio in Guatemala, Archbishop Ramiro Moliner Ingles, said that "in a young democracy under the rule of law, it is much more serious to accuse and condemn an innocent man than to allow a guilty party to go free." To date, the only suspect being held in connection with the assassination is a priest who was living in the same rectory as Bishop Gerardi. Church officials have repeatedly affirmed their belief that the priest, Father Mario Orantes Najera, is innocent.

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.

    Today we feature a site dedicated to providing the most accurate and comprehensive news from the Vatican as well as events pertaining to Catholics around the world. Their service has been invaluable to readers of the DAILY CATHOLIC. The site is CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS under the auspices of The Catholic World Report editor Phil Lawler and the respected Ignatius Press. Today we debut a special new feature they are providing with a headline ticker at the top of our NEWS TICKER page.

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January 26, 1999 volume 10, no. 17   DAILY CATHOLIC