John Paul the Great

Tomorrow the Catholic Church will beatify Pope John Paul II. Well-known for his wide influence over the fall of Communism, his indefatiguable trodding of the nations of the world carrying out the message of Christ, his care for the youth that created the World Youth Day, his strong rule of the post-Vatican II Church, and his leadership in everything moral, John Paul II was soon recognized as the greatest pope who ever lived. His many achievements include his elevation of so many men and women to sainthood more than all his predecessors did together, his many encounters with leaders of other Churches and Christian Communions in the hope of restoring full Christian unity, his openness to other religions manifested in the Assisi Prayer for the first time in the history of Christianity, his submission to the will of God in all of his actions, and his adamant support for evangelization. The day John Paul II passed away, the millions who gathered at St. Peter's Square shouted for declaring him a saint. And distinguished theologians gave him the title John Paul the Great! It is another achievement that Pope John Paul II is being declared Blessed by his immediate successor Pope Benedict XVI in only 6 years since his death. May the prayers of John Paul II accompany the entire Church as she faces the challenges of postmodernism and fundamentalism.

A Prayer To God

I pray to you my God and Lord Jesus Christ. The world needs you even though the world does not know you. Above all, many Christians have abandoned you in this part of the world even though their civilization was built on your gospel. And in the Middle East many people are being killed by powers of the world and their blood cries out to you for justice. But I know that your justice is mercy. For this reason, I ask your mercy upon us all. Forgive the tyrants and the revolutionaries for they do not know you. Forgive the atheists here for they do not know you. Forgive me for I am a sinner and do not know you in spite of all you have done for me and my family. To you and your Father and the Holy Spirit be glory for ever. Amen

Democracy?

We call the U.S. and Canada (where I live) democracies. However I wish to show here that we are still living in dictatorships. Here are a few points for your consideration. Anyone is welcome to refute my points. 1. Who determines the appointments of the Supreme Court? 2. Who appoints the Senate? 3. When there are election campaigns as we have now in Canada for a new Federal government, how do ads of parties in the media portray the opponents? Do they adhere to a minimal ethics code? 4. Why is the U.S. divided between only two camps each trying to destroy the other (Liberals and Conservatives)? Why is Obama (or Sarah Palin) ridiculed out of proportion? 5. Why does each party get sponsored by radical groups or organizations that wish to benefit at the expense of its opponents (e.g. feminists, fundamentalists, large corporate elites)? Let's stick to the moral values if we wish to debate and to respect of human dignity if we wish to oppose others' positions. Is not that the basis for democracy?

Pray for Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI needs our prayers as pastor of the Catholic Church. His responsibilities call all of us to pray that he continues to inspire the Church by his leadership in the 21st century. This pope has influenced the development of faith in many areas notably in his insightful books about Jesus of Nazareth and his encyclicals on charity. The pontificate of Pope Benedict has witnessed a great movement of going forward in the proclamation of the Catholic faith. Many Anglican bishops and pastors along with their parishes have chosen to become Catholic as a response to his call in the past two years. Benedict XVI is considered a great theologian who published recently two books on the Saviour of humanity: Christ.

If you can, say a novena tonight for the Holy Father.

May God bless Pope Benedict XVI.

Abraham - Patriarch of Today's Nations

What is so magnificent about Abraham? Why would God want to create a covenant with Abraham? How does the example of this covenant help us today? Abram lived in Ur of the Chalde'ans (Babylon) about 2000 years before Christ. In Babylon, people worshiped a multitude of gods. As Abram exprienced the One true God, he had to flee for his life for he could not live securely in a place that became strange to him. This happens today too when people migrate to new countries for fear for their lives under regimes that impose restrictions on their freedom. Where there are wars people flee for peace. God educates us through the example of this man. You can flee to another country for your life but there is only one place that will satisfy your heart - the place/state chosen for you by your Father God. Abram followed God... God changed his name from Abram to Abraham when he called him out of Ur (See Genesis 11 and 12) – This is the way God deals with his beloved creatures. He named everyone of us because he knows his creatures not like us who know someone by his name or address but like a mother who knows her children affectionately, lovingly and deeply concerned about each of them. We cannot understand how much God loves, but we can only perceive his love as much as his gift/grace and our willful response to his grace allow us. Abraham simply allowed God to penetrate his life and transform him to a great father of many nations. Abraham obeyed God’s voice in his heart and walked with God to the land that God asked him to go to. This can be metaphoric for us as to whether we allow God to guide us in our journey on earth. None of us can be secure by himself/herself. We need a powerful lover. When we were kids we always depended on our parents to secure us psychologically and materially because we perceived and still perceive that they love us . If you read Abraham’s story in Genesis you will be impressed by his actions as a weak human person who is still loved by the Father of all. When Abraham had to go down to Egypt, he knew that his wife Sarah would attract the Egyptian king by her beauty even though she was old so Abraham said to Pharoe that Sarah was his sister. His lie was still forgiven! Dr. Hahn shows that God promised Abraham three things: to make Abraham a great nation (12:1); to give him a great name (12:2); and to make him the source of blessing for all the world (12:3). God later "upgrades" these three promises - turning them into divine covenants. God swears not only to make Abraham a great nation, He makes a covenant in which He promises to deliver Abraham’s descendants from oppression in an alien land and give them a specific territory of land (see Genesis 15:7-21). Not only will his name be great, but God by a covenant oath swears to make Abraham "father of a host of nations," a royal dynasty - "kings shall stem from you" (see Genesis 17:1-21)...God elevates His third promise by swearing to make Abraham’s descendants "as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore." In Abraham’s descendants "All the nations of the earth shall find blessing" (see Genesis 22:16-18). How did Abraham come to be the father of a host of nations? In Genesis, it is written that Sarah was barren yet God's oath made her pregnant from Abraham's seed. The child was named Isaac and grew to be the figure of the Lamb Christ. Isaac was to be sacrificed by his father. This is probably why Christ says that Abraham saw him (see John 8: 50). Abraham saw Christ in his son Isaac who offered himself as a sacrifice in the same way that Christ offered himself as a sacrifice. The meaning of self-sacrifice is love. Today, when we look back at the story of Abraham we ask who are the descendants of Abraham? Those are the great nations of the Middle East and the West. They are Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Yet they are still fighting today even though they come from the same father Abraham. Jerusalem is, for these three monotheist religions, a holy place where everyone of these "cousins" wishes to worship. Jerusalem is the God-given city of peace. The solution to this problem may lie in doing what Abraham did. Walk with God! But this is another huge question, for no one - it seems - is prepared yet to do it. If Christ is the Truth who Abraham foresaw, can we follow him?