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We need to tap into the family fountain of the Church!

      In his column today, Pat Ludwa debunks the premise offered by non-Catholics that we shouldn't pray to saints because they're dead and pray only to Jesus. Pat reminds all that the Triune Divinity has established the Communion of Saints for us to tap into, both in refilling the font of Mercy for the souls in Purgatory and to draw from that Mercy from those in Heaven. It is to these Christ directs us to take as our examples and lean on them for their prayers and intercession. For his column titled It's good to have friends in high places! , click on VIEW FROM THE PEW

It's good to have friends in high places!

      Here's a couple of things to consider this Lent. Imagine you wanted to get a position in a certain company. You have a relative who works there. He can not only put in a good word for you, he can also help you do what you need to get that job. (It's who you know that gets you the job, it's what you know that keeps it") How foolish would you be to say you don't need, or want, his help?

      Consider you're trying to build a house but you're looking for advice on how to proceed. It would be foolish to reject the person who has 'been there' and 'done that'.

      Or imagine you come home to introduce the person you love and are going to marry to your parents. And when you do, you tell them, "I don't love you any more because I love him/her."

      Or imagine someone telling you that you can't love and honor your mother and father because ALL love and honor are the Lord's! You'd, hopefully, say that it was ridiculous.

      Yet many, essentially do this.

      We often forget to 'tap' the 'family' relationship of the Church of God. Remember, the Church doesn't just mean those of us still here on earth. Like any 'family' we interact with each other.

      St. Paul asked for the prayers of the Church: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving; and pray for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ" (Colossians 4:2-3).

      The entire Church prayed for St. Peter. "So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church" (Acts 12:5).

      Ah!!!, some will note, but this is the 'living' in the Church, not the dead. What dead? "have you not read what was said to you by God, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, but of the living" (Matthew 22:31-32). I am the God of Abraham, not I 'was' the God of Abraham.

      "Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see My day; he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56). Abraham 'saw' His day.

      "And He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him" (Matt. 17:2-3). Moses and Elijah are so 'alive' that Peter even asks whether he should set up a tent for them.

      In fact, this notion of once you're dead, you're dead, is unique to the Sadducees (and other modern 'churches') In fact, Christ's response of "I am the God of Abraham" etc. is directed at the Sadducees. "and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:26).

      If we live in Christ, we are more alive when we shake off this mortal coil than now. In fact, there are those who, though walking about and speaking with us, are deader than a rock.

      When we enter into Heaven, before the Ultimate Love, the Perfect Love, our love is perfected, not diminished. It isn't "I have mine, and I don't care about anything more." That would not be love. So it is logical that those 'alive' with Christ in Heaven are still with us, still 'connected' with us in faith and love.

      "But all honor and love belongs to God and God alone!", some may argue. True, to a point. If we take the statement at face value, then God is a hypocrite since He tells us that all love and honor belong to Him alone (1st Commandment), but then also tells us to "Honor our father and mother"!!!

      Love isn't finite. Nor is it of one type. The love a husband has for his wife (or wife to husband) is different than the love he has toward his parents, and different still from the love he holds for his children.

      Do we dishonor our parents by loving our spouses? Do we dishonor our spouses by loving our children? Do we dishonor God by loving any of them?

      St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that the love and honor we owe to God and God alone is Latria. That honor we owe to the saints by virtue of their being 'friends' of Christ is dulia. And the honor we owe to the Blessed Virgin by virtue of her 'unique' role in God's plan of salvation is hyperdulia.

      That Christ gave us examples of faith to emulate is clearly Scriptural. "I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John (the Baptist)" (Luke 7:28). "When Jesus heard him (the Centurion), He marveled, and said to those who followed Him, 'Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.'" (Matthew 8:10).

      In fact, Scripture is full of people to emulate (from Abraham to St. Stephen) and who to not emulate (from Cain to Judas)

      "But Christ is to be our only 'example', our only role model." True, but often we find it hard to fit Christ's example to our life, so we turn to those who mirror our own life. For example, a lawyer may want to follow Christ, but may find it hard to find a way to do that. (Scribes, I believe were the closest thing to a lawyer in Christ' time and He wasn't too fond of many of them) Yet, he has the 'example' of St. Thomas More, lawyer and statesman, on how he followed Christ. And because they belong to the same Church, St. Thomas More can 'assist' that person by praying for and with him to God. (The relative putting in a good word).

      Whatever one's role in life, whatever one's 'sin', whatever one's characteristic, our Lord has 'friends' with Him in Heaven who can help us. God is the God of the living, not the dead. Just as we are 'in communion' with God by living by His commands and teachings, so we are 'in communion' with those who live with Him in paradise. Hence, we are one Church, Militant, Suffering, and Triumphant, with God as our one head. The Church is a 'Communion of Saints', living and (physically) dead.

Pax Christi, Pat

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Message to the Americas: Our Lady is your patroness, embrace her warmly and learn from her counsel

      Following up a year after the Bishops of North, Central and South America, along with the Caribbean contingent, met for the month-long Synod of the Americas in Rome at the end of 1997, Pope John Paul II officially closed the Synod with his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Mexico City in January. Because of its significance for all Americans, we bring you this important document in several installments over the next few months. For those wanting to read the entire encyclical or check footnotes, go to Ecclesia in America For the third installment on Encountering Christ in the time of the Church , click on THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS.

Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in America

From Pope John Paul II to the Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Men and Women Religious, and all the Lay Faithful on the encounter with the Living Jesus Christ: The Way to Conversion, Communion and Solidarity in America

Encountering Christ in the time of the Church

10. The Church is the place where men and women, by encountering Jesus, can come to know the love of the Father, for whoever has seen Jesus has seen the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). After his Ascension into heaven, Jesus acts through the powerful agency of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (cf. Jn 16:17), who transforms believers by giving them new life. Thus they become capable of loving with God's own love, which “has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). God's grace also enables Christians to work for the transformation of the world, in order to bring about a new civilization, which my Predecessor Paul VI appropriately called “the civilization of love”.(15)

      Indeed, “the Word of God, by taking on our human nature in all things save sin (cf. Heb 4:15), manifests the Father's plan by revealing to each human person the way to realize fully his or her vocation. Thus Jesus not only reconciles man with the Father, but also reconciles man with himself and thus reveals his true nature”.(16) With these words the Synod Fathers, taking up the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, reaffirmed that Jesus is the way which leads to full personal realization, culminating in the definitive and eternal encounter with God. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (Jn 14:6). God has predestined us “to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born of many brethren” (Rom 8:29). Jesus Christ is thus the definitive answer to the question of the meaning of life, and to those fundamental questions which still trouble so many men and women on the American continent.

We encounter Jesus through Mary

11. At the birth of Jesus, the Magi came from the East to Bethlehem and “saw the child with Mary his Mother” (Mt 2:11). At the beginning of his public life, at the marriage of Cana, when the Son of God works the first of his signs, awakening faith in the disciples (cf. Jn 2:11), it is Mary who intervenes and directs the servants towards her Son in these words: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). In this regard I once wrote that “the Mother of Christ presents herself as the spokeswoman of her Son's will, pointing out those things which must be done so that the salvific power of the Messiah may be manifested”.(17) For this reason Mary is the sure path to our meeting with Christ. Devotion to the Mother of the Lord, when it is genuine, is always an impetus to a life guided by the spirit and values of the Gospel.

      How can we fail to emphasize the role which belongs to the Virgin Mary in relation to the pilgrim Church in America journeying towards its encounter with the Lord? Indeed, the Most Blessed Virgin “is linked in a special way to the birth of the Church in the history ... of the peoples of America; through Mary they came to encounter the Lord”.(18)

      Throughout the continent, from the time of the first evangelization, the presence of the Mother of God has been strongly felt, thanks to the efforts of the missionaries. In their preaching, “the Gospel was proclaimed by presenting the Virgin Mary as its highest realization. From the beginning — invoked as Our Lady of Guadalupe — Mary, by her motherly and merciful figure, was a great sign of the closeness of the Father and of Jesus Christ, with whom she invites us to enter into communion”.(19)

      The appearance of Mary to the native Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac in 1531 had a decisive effect on evangelization.(20) Its influence greatly overflows the boundaries of Mexico, spreading to the whole Continent. America, which historically has been, and still is, a melting-pot of peoples, has recognized in the mestiza face of the Virgin of Tepeyac, “in Blessed Mary of Guadalupe, an impressive example of a perfectly inculturated evangelization”.(21) Consequently, not only in Central and South America, but in North America as well, the Virgin of Guadalupe is venerated as Queen of all America.(22)

      With the passage of time, pastors and faithful alike have grown increasingly conscious of the role of the Virgin Mary in the evangelization of America. In the prayer composed for the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of Bishops, Holy Mary of Guadalupe is invoked as “Patroness of all America and Star of the first and new evangelization”. In view of this, I welcome with joy the proposal of the Synod Fathers that the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother and Evangelizer of America, be celebrated throughout the continent on December 12.(23) It is my heartfelt hope that she, whose intercession was responsible for strengthening the faith of the first disciples (cf. Jn 2:11), will by her maternal intercession guide the Church in America, obtaining the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as she once did for the early Church (cf. Acts 1:14), so that the new evangelization may yield a splendid flowering of Christian life.

NEXT MONDAY: Installment Four: Part Three of Chapter One: Encountering Christ in the time of the Church - Places of Encounter with Christ

"I solemnly tell you: Do not let the oil of your lamps run low for you do not comprehend how close is the New Era, the Reign of the Sacred Heart."

      Those words from the Mother of God imparted to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart in Message #433 on the Solemnity of Christ the King in November, 1993 give hope to all if we can all just persevere and keep the faith, striving to live the messages in anticipation of the glorious age Our Lady foretells. She follows this up on November 24, 1993 reminding all of our responsibility before God for those who have been given much, much is expected. (cf. Luke 12: 48). For Messages #433 and #434 from Our Lady, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

Messages 433 and 434

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I give you my Divine Son's Peace.

      On this great feast I desire all of my little ones to be recollected upon their King, Jesus Christ.

      Little children, as the Mother of the Second Advent, I solemnly tell you to prepare for your King. Read Sacred Scripture and seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit.

      Little ones, I solemnly tell you: Do not let the oil of your lamps run low for you do not comprehend how close is the New Era, the Reign of the Sacred Heart.

      Listen to my plea and do all that my Divine Son tells you to do; shake off the world and become little children totally abandoned to God. This alone is sure refuge in the terrible times ahead.

      Proclaim Jesus Christ the King at all times and pray! Pray! Pray!

      I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!

      Beloved Hidden Flower, I bless you and ask you to have great faith.

      On this day my desire is to call all of my children back to God. As each person prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving in your country, I desire you to be mindful that everything you have, God has given you. In your land where much has been given, much is also required. Will you proclaim the Truth and defend the True Faith? Let every tongue give true praise, honor and worship to the Most Blessed Trinity. As carefully as you prepare to celebrate, prepare your soul to give thanks to God by loving obedience to all He asks of you in these end times.

      I love and bless you. Thank you for responding to my Call!

SIMPLY SHEEN:The pressure of pressure!

     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".

"Most neuroses are bulwarks against fear...It is actually not fear that is feared; the enemy is the tension between the conscience and what has happened. Fear is like the gauge on a steam boiler. It merely registers pressure."

   Dear children! Also today I am with you in a special way contemplating and living the passion of Jesus in my heart. Little children, open your hearts and give me everything that is in them: joys, sorrows and each, even the smallest, pain, that I may offer them to Jesus; so that with His immeasurable love, He may burn and transform your sorrows into the joy of His resurrection. That is why, I now call you in a special way, little children, for your hearts to open to prayer, so that through prayer you may become friends of Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.
For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE

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THE DAILY WORD

"Now after two days He departed from that place and went into Galilee, for Jesus Himself bore witness that a prophet receives no honor in his own country. "

John 4: 43-44

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March 15, 1999 volume 10, no. 51   DAILY CATHOLIC