How well do we really know what Jesus would do if we don't get to know Him?

      In his column today, Pat Ludwa addresses the recent fad of bracelets, t-shirts, sweat shirts, etc. that proclaim "WWJD" meaning "What would Jesus do?" but he questions if they really know what He would do because they misjudge Who He really is. He points out that it is difficult to guage what a person might do if one doesn't know that person. Such is the case with Our Lord and He recommends they go to the source - Sacred Scripture to discover Who this Man truly is. Then one can better understand what Jesus would do and what we should do. For Pat's column WWJD?, click on VIEW FROM THE PEW

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We must all be on our guard: Ready to forgive and be forgiven

      That is the lesson Our Lady imparts in her meditation of Lesson 9: THE ISCARIOT IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE BETRAYAL. She admonishes us to be on our guard at all times for satan is cunning and can harden our hearts if we are not open to God's graces and loving Mercy. That mercy we must also extend to our fellow man if we expect the same from God. These meditative lessons, imparted by Our Lady to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart during Lent of 1993, are meant to inspire and prompt a greater understanding of the season of Lent in helping us all prepare for His Passion and Death, and ultimately the glorious Resurrection. For part three of Lesson 9, click on "IT IS CONSUMMATED!"

The true definition of trust depends on our saying "Yes" to God

      On this day when we celebrate the first 2000th anniversary of a celebrated event - the Annunciation of the Lord we present our 100th installment on the Church today as we continue sounding the forty-fourth clarion regarding the credo "In God we trust" found on our currency and courtrooms and whether we really believe that or gloss over it as just shallow rhetoric. More than ever before God is being squeezed out today in our society and culture. More than ever before we need to heed the example set by the Blessed Virgin Mary on this date 2000 years ago today when she gave her fiat to God. For the 100th installment of our on-going megaseries on the Church today, click on WHERE IS HOLY MOTHER CHURCH HEADING AS WE NEAR THE MILLENNIUM?

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SIMPLY SHEEN:

Planting good seed

     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".

"A man plants a tree in order that it might bring forth fruit. The tree in the Gospel which bore no fruit was ordered cut down because it only cumbered the ground. God expects returns for His great and wonderful investments in us."

      On this date 2000 years ago the Angel of the Lord Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary informing her of God's will that she be the Mother of God. What if she had said "no?" It's something to ponder as we prepare for the glorious Jubilee 2000 year and pray that God's will will be fulfilled. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES

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"The moment comes swiftly. Be alert and watchful, for I solemnly tell you the time of fulfillment is at hand."

      Those words were conveyed by Our Lord to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart on the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul on January 14, 1994. In His two Messages, He reinforces the need to call upon His Mercy and reassures all that the Justice will come but there is still time for all to drink deeply of the Font of Divine Mercy. He asks again for the implementation of the Order of Divine Mercy which became a reality with the Institute of Divine Mercy less than a year and a half after He imparted these words. For Messages #449 and #450, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."

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WORLDWIDE NEWS & VIEWS
with a Catholic slant

provided by
Catholic World News Service
and Noticias Eclesiales Church News

HEADLINES:

Pope makes final impassioned plea for peace in Kosovo prior to NATO strikes

      The Holy Father knows its inevitable but implored one more time for peace in Kosovo hours before the NATO bombers were about to strafe Yugoslav military points in Kosovo and Serbia. The Pope made another impassioned plea to avert war and for the leaders to understand and appreciate the sanctity of life which war snuffs out. For more, click on Final plea for peace.

More details outlined for planting the seeds of vocations with special seminary planned for Denver

      A week after Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap announced plans to build a major seminary in Denver with special ties to Rome through the Pontifical Lateran University there, more details have been released in a special article by Molly Mulqueen for Catholic World News. The seminary , called Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary is to be part of Our Lady of the New Advent Theological Institute as a project of the John Paul II Center that was begun by Cardinal James Francis Stafford, now head of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and carried out by Archbishop Chaput. For more, click on Planting the seeds of vocations

Arab-American Roman Catholic web site to broadcast Mass live today from Holy Land

      A site we featured as our SITE OF THE DAY on February 9th this year is hosting a special event early this morning. By clicking on Al Bushra.org one can view live the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of the Annunciation of the Lord where it all began in Nazareth at the Church of the Annunciation. Concelebrating the Mass will be the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, President of the Jubilee 2000 committee and whom we will feature in our College of Cardinals tomorrow. For more, click on Live telecast from the Holy Land.

Pope to host youth of the world in special Annunciation audience in preparation for World Youth Day Sunday

      Twenty-two thousand young people will have the opportunity to see and hear the Holy Father today for the Solemnity of the Annunciation in a special message to the youth to kick off the 14th Annual World Youth Day on Palm Sunday in dioceses the world over in anticipation of the massive World Youth Day meeting next August in Rome during Jubilee 2000. For more, click on Youth Audience.

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.

Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church:

      This feast was first instituted around 431 at the Council of Ephesus, the Third Ecumenical Council. Sixty years later Pope Gelasius made mention of this feast and early in the seventh century it was found in the Sacramentarium of St. Gregory as being a universal feast of the Church. The 10th Synod of Toledo in 656 in which the Spanish Church adopted December 18 for the feast and the Synod of Trullan in 692 set the date for the Greek Church as March 25. Both synods showed that this feast was universally celebrated throughout the Church as well The date in the Roman Church of Jesus conception has always been considered March 25th, though in the Spanish Church and other Eastern Churches it has varied according to their estimation of Christmas in the nine-month gestation period for carrying full term. When Spain accepted the Roman Liturgy they abandoned the December date and adopted the traditional March 25th date. The feast used to be a holy day of obligation but in 1802 France and her territories were absolved of observing it as a holy day and after a while it was grandfathered in as merely a solemnity of the first class, which was also adopted by the US at the Third Council of Baltimore in 1884. Various alternate dates are assigned if the Annunciation falls in Holy Week, transferring the feast to the Monday after Divine Mercy Sunday. For a more detailed background on the Annunciation, we recommend NEW ADVENT CATHOLIC SUPERSITE (sources: Cabinet of Catholic Information, Duggan Publishing Co.; 1999 Catholic Almanac, Our Sunday Visitor; Catholic Dictionary, Fr. John Hardon, SJ, Doubleday; Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson Publishers).