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   Dear children! Also today I rejoice with you and I call you all to prayer with the heart. I call all of you, little children, to give thanks to God here with me for the graces which He gives to you through me. I desire for you to comprehend that I want to realize here, not only a place of prayer but also a meeting of hearts. I desire for my, Jesus' and your heart to become one heart of love and peace. That is why, little children, pray and rejoice over everything that God does here, despite that satan provokes quarrels and unrest. I am with you and I lead you all on the way of love. Thank you for having responded to my call.

For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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Events Today in Church History

      On this date 528 years ago, Pope Paul II died. As the 211th successor of Peter, this Venetian-born pontiff decided that only cardinals should wear the red berretta. So that each generation could receive the benefit of a special pardon, he reduced the interval between the Holy Years to 25 years. He was elected on September 16, 1464. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

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DAILY LITURGY

      Today is the Feast of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary while tomorrow is the Seventeenth Tuesday in Ordinary Time. For the readings, liturgies and meditations, click on DAILY LITURGY.

Monday, July 26, 1999

Monday July 26:
Feast of Saint Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

White vestments

First Reading: Exodus 32: 15-24, 30-34
Psalms: Psalm 106: 1, 19-23
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: 31-35

     The apocryphal Protoevangelium of St. James claims that the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne were sterile, yet an angel predicted Mary's birth to Joachim after he had spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying. Anne was too old by biological standards to give birth, but God in His Providence miraculously allowed Anne to be impregnated with the wondrous Immaculate Conception. At Mary's birth she was given the name Miriam which was shortened to Mary and, at a very early age, Joachim and Anne consecrated her to God sending her off to the Temple to study and live her Hebrew faith. St. Anne or Ann, which means "grace," was, along with Joachim, given special graces for their faithfulness, and the greatest grace was that they were chosen to be the parents of the Mother of God and the grandparents of Jesus, Son of God. St. Anne is considered the patron of mothers and of special importance to children and she is greatly venerated in Canada, specifically at the massive St. Anne Beaupre Basilica in Quebec. At first St. Anne was the only one recognized in the Church dating back to the crusades, but St. Joachim was added in 1584 by Pope Gregory XIII and the two feasts were combined into one day; originally this was March 20, the day after the feast of St. Joseph, but in 1969 the Church, through recommendation of the Second Vatican Council, moved the date to July 26th.

Tuesday July 27:
Seventeen Tuesday in Ordinary Time

Green vestments

First Reading: Exodus 33: 7-11; 34: 5-9, 28
Psalms: Psalm 103: 6-13
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13: 36-43

      In honor of the Feast of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne we present the Preface for the Mass in their honor:

We praise You on this joyful feast of Saints Joachim and Ann, adoring the loving plan by which in Your Mercy You effected the redemption of the human race. With singular predilection You selected a chosen people so that they would be Your people and from ancient times You established with them a covenant, prefiguring the new and perfect covenant to be offered to all the peoples of the earth. And when the fullness of time came, You gave to the couple we honor today a most pure and holy daughter, the Virgin Mary, who by Your grace would give birth to the Savior of fallen humanity.

SIMPLY SHEEN: We must be humbled to be exalted!

      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".

"Our imperfection in the face of God has its immediate compensation in the fact that God Who made us creatures will, with our cooperation, make us His children. Once humbled we become exalted, living no longer on the human level, but enjoying the glorious liberty of the children of God."

Cardinal Arinze hopes to help prepare the path for Pope's Journey to Ur in November

      Cardinal Francis Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue spoke hopefully that dialogue between Rome and the Moslems will make it possible for the Holy Father to travel to Iraq in November and retrace the footsteps of the Patriarch Abraham in Ur. He cited increased cooperation between the two faiths as a stepping stone to help reach an agreement where the Arabs would enthusiastically encourage the papal visit. For more, click on Preparing the path.

      VATICAN CITY, JUL 23 (ZENIT).- As part of the Jubilee celebrations, next year John Paul II would very much like to meet with Jews and Moslems in the ancient Ur of the Chaldeans, homeland of Abraham, Father in Faith of the three monotheist religions.

      The Pope's wish was confirmed by Cardinal Francis Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue. During an interview with "Famiglia Cristiana" magazine, the Cardinal said: "I pray that the Pope will be able to realize his wish."

      Not only does the Cardinal pray, but he is also working for this wish to come true. In concert with the Secretariat of State, the Pontifical Council he heads is studying ways to make the Holy Father's pilgrimage possible. The Cardinal chose not to expand on his activities -- an understandable reservation given the delicate diplomatic aspects of the matter. Cardinal Arinze preferred to emphasize the dialogue among the different religious confessions, scheduled to meet at the Vatican from October 24-28.

      The Cardinal felt that much progress has been made over the last 30 years in relations with Islam. "I recall the joint declarations condemning grave acts of violence, such as the attack on New York's World Trade Center and the series of deaths in Algeria; I note the academic exchange between the Pontifical Gregorian University and the University of Ankara in Turkey." Obviously, there are difficulties. "I prefer to speak of challenges, however, as I hope that positive outlets will be found."

      It is hard for the Islamic world to accept the principle of religious liberty as understood in the West. "Last January the Pope reminded the ambassadors to the Holy See that there is a country where possession of the Bible is a crime punishable by law," recalled the Cardinal. "John Paul II did not name Saudi Arabia, but in my country there is a proverb that says: 'If someone looks good in a hat, let him wear it.' " Each State must examine its conduct.

      "In some Moslem countries, Catholics are not allowed to have a church, but there is a mosque in Rome. Religious liberty is an inalienable right," stated Cardinal Arinze. Catholics must also examine their conscience, however. "It was in the year 1650 that the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples gave missionaries in the Far East specific instructions to respect all good customs that were not incompatible with the Gospel. It insisted on spreading the Gospel, not the cultures of Italy, Spain or France." But, the Cardinal concluded, "not all the missionaries and theologians paid sufficient attention to this principle." ZE99072306

Special symposium on "Eucharist, Sanctity and Sanctification" being planned by Rome

      The Congregation for the Causes of Saints can see the unifying theme throughout all those they investigate: a love for the Blessed Sacrament. Therefore, they are preparing a special symposium in preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress to share with all the "secrets" of the saints for all to emulate. For more, click on Essence of life.

      VATICAN CITY, 24 (NE) "Eucharist, Sanctity and Sanctification" is the theme of a symposium to be organized by the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The event will be held as preparation for the International Eucharist Congress, to take place in Rome during the jubilee year.

      The symposium will be held December 6 and 7 at the "Augustinianum" Patristic Institute. It aims to foster the spirit of conversion and devotion to the Blessed Eucharist, following the example of saints. The event seeks as well to help understand and underline the importance of the Eucharist in the Christian life of members of the Church.

Madison Avenue poll reveals more of a need for God among trendsetters than realized

      Has Madison Avenue rediscovered God? They might after a survey by a division of Young & Rubicam found that the demographics ad agencies and advertisers are most interested in have expressed a sincere desire for the sacred and for devotion to God. To help this out in a separate action, various leading U.S. authorities and personalities spoke out strongly to Hollywood to curtail the sex and violence. For more, click on Ad Agencies add it up .

      ROME, JUL 23 (ZENIT).- Research published by Brand Futures Group, an affiliate of the Young & Rubicam advertising agency, has discovered that there is widespread desire to believe and an awakening of the sacred among our contemporaries, stating that it is not just a "Jubilee syndrome."

      The experts questioned a sample of 15,580 "trendsetters" in six countries: the United States, Italy, Great Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Brand Futures Group describes the sample as those who belong to that 10% of the population that the marketing geniuses consider "individuals who are self-assured, pointed to the future, interested, unconventional people, able to pick up the vibes of the time in which they live and, as a result, point to the future trend."

      The survey showed that the trendsetters expressed an interest in religion that was higher than the average in their respective countries.

      To the question, "Does religion play an important part in your life?" 59.4% of those questioned in the United States, and 48.8% of Italians responded positively, as opposed to the Dutch (28.7%), Germans (23.4%), English (19.7%) and French (16.1%). Moreover, many Americans (41.5%) and Italians (36.4%) responded affirmatively to the statement that "The world was literally created in six days, exactly as the Bible states."

      "For many years devotion to organized religion has registered a decline in a great part of the industrialized world; today there are clear proofs that the wave of religious interest is returning," states the report.

      "To profess a religious creed during the 70s and 80s was quite unpopular in many Western countries," the marketing experts assert. For example, Jimmy Carter's devotion damaged his image more than Bill Clinton's sexual adventures have damaged his own.

      Now, however, the report goes on, "it is really possible for a personality to be religious and trendy." This was reflected in English Prime Minister Tony Blair's electoral victory in 1997; he declared his religious belief in public.

      According to Stuart Harris, Assistant Director of Brand Futures Europe, "God has returned, and those involved in marketing should direct their radar to religion."

      Some elements of the media also seem to be aware of a change in regard to religion. Incredibly, the French newspaper "Le Monde," which has not been very sympathetic to the religious world, and much less shared ideas expressed by churches, has decided to publish a series of portraits of good and evil "geniuses of Christianity." Among those included so far are Jesus Christ, Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola and, in today's edition, Teresa of Avila.

      Even though the marketing wizards analysis reveals a change, it may be superficial. Although it is true that there is a return to religion, the phenomenon is full of confusion, as can readily be seen in the widespread proliferation of phenomena like "New Age" and "Next Age." Religion may not be "out," but in its traditional forms, cannot be said to be wholly "in," either. ZE99072307

      Meanwhile, in New York, former Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, and many Congressmen have appealed to Hollywood to reduce the violence and sex in films. The media has been requested to establish a code of conduct. The appeal was made to the American Movie Association, the record industry, radio and television networks, and companies like Walt Disney, Nintendo, Time, Warner and Sony. ZE99072305

Cardinal George answers his culture of death critics

      The Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, OMI didn't back off when criticized for joining a group of praying pro-lifers in front of an abortuary recently. He defended his actions as a necessary ministry and lashed out at those who promote such artificial contraception methods as the pill or patch for they all lead to abortion. For more, click on Pro-life

      CHICAGO (CWNews.com) - Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said he was surprised at the reaction of local media after his participation in a peaceful prayer service at an abortion clinic this month.

      "The Church always accompanies the dying with prayer," said the Cardinal, writing in the archdiocesan newspaper The New World. In his article, the archbishop explained that such a service was a "normal pastoral response." He added, "People die in an abortion clinic, and it is good to pray for them and for the living they leave behind."

      Cardinal George also pointed out the error of those who believe that artificial contraception is a solution for abortion. In the United States, he said, "contraception and abortion go hand in hand."

      "In a culture that believes unwanted children should not be conceived in the first place and have no right to life if they are conceived," said the archbishop, "abortion is necessary as a back up when contraception fails, as it inevitably does at some time."

      "I was there because it must be said again and again that our society cannot indefinitely sustain the playing off of a mother's freedom against the death of her child," he concluded.

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

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July 26, 1999 volume 10, no. 138   DAILY CATHOLIC