Bishop Gerard Bergie: The Joy in Christ of following the example of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Today November 25 is the Memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. As the early Church was persecuted in the first 3 centuries, many Christians suffered and were put to death since they refused to worship the Roman emperor but only Christ they worshiped. Catherine who lived in Alexandria, Egypt was terrorized for her faith but remained faithful. When she was 18 years old, during the persecution of Maximinus, she offered to debate the pagan philosophers. Many were converted by her arguments, and immediately martyred. Maximinus had her scourged and imprisoned. The empress and the leader of the army of Maximinus were amazed by the stories, went to see Catherine in prison. They converted and were martyred. Maximinus ordered her broken on the wheel, but she touched it and the wheel was destroyed. She was beheaded, and her body whisked away by angels. She is buried in Mount Sinai in the Monastery that belongs to Greek Orthodox Christians. Bishop Gerard Bergie is Bishop of St. Catherine's in Canada. He celebrated Mass today and prayed for her intercession. In his homily, he spoke about the desire of everyone to live, especially in these hard times of COVID-19. Most of this applies to old and sick people. However, the fact that we can watch the Mass online means that we participate in the Mass spiritually even if we do not receive physically the Eucharist. He thanked everyone who helped prepare for the Mass and everyone who watched for their participation."Even though you do not come to church, the church comes to you" he said.St. Catherine is a model for us today, he said, since she kept her faith and trusted in God. This was an extraordinary welcoming message - Beautiful for every Cnristian who participate in the on-line Mass. The prayer for unity of the Cburch sounded beautiful. And above all, I could feel that I was participant in the Eucharist. Years ago, Fr. Henri Boulad, S.J. said this "Jesus is a revelation. Jesus is a revolution" says the Jesuit scholar Henri Boulad. But what kind of revolution? "Jesus empties heaven and moves the [Divine presence] to be among us: Emmanuel." and continues "Is it possible that God makes such a radical move? I have a response here to our Muslim brothers who think it is impossible. For them God cannot descend from heaven without losing his honor and dignity." This was a homily by Fr. Boulad on Christmas in 2014 Now listen carefully because here Henri Boulad summarizes the Christian Mystery in as simple language as possible "If Jesus Christ is an illusion...If Christianity is a sheer mystification...If God did not come to us and did not descend from his heaven...If he did not take the radical and seemingly impossible leap of the incarnation, then he ceases being credible - he ceases being love - he ceases being God." Let us reflect. Here is the message: "The scandal of the Incarnation, which means that we cannot believe that God could debase himself , becomes the key and the supreme proof that this is the truth" "But a God in heaven well served who looks to me and says 'You suffer. Have courage. Perhaps one day you will be with me in my heaven' is not God. A God who says 'Patience. I am fine here but you over there can suffer' is not God. This is the false God that we, often, figure that he sends us prophets from time to time to console us' . NO, NO. NO. This God who looks to me with a telescope is not my God. I do not want him." "If there is a phenomenon of atheism today in the West as well as in Egypt, it is precisely because men say we are in fact better than God. The walk that I walk to help when I see a hungry person or a thirsty one or a person without faith, can't God do it? Has he no choice regarding his honor?" "No. He did it. This is the supreme proof of the Christian Mystery. Do not look somewhere else. 'Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down...' He descended. No more seventh heaven..." "The only God I can believe, love and worship is the God Jesus Christ because he descended to me." "'Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down...' " And the great preacher and Jesuit scholar Henri Boulad finished here his homily.

Pope Francis: Jesus Christ the King of the Universe - Holy Mass 22.11.2020

We have just heard the page of Matthew’s Gospel that comes immediately before the account of Christ’s Passion. Before pouring out his love for us on the cross, Jesus shares his final wishes. He tells us that the good we do to one of our least brothers and sisters – whether hungry or thirsty, a stranger, in need, sick or in prison – we do to him (cf. Mt 25:37-40). In this way, the Lord gives us his “gift list” for the eternal wedding feast he will share with us in heaven. Those gifts are the works of mercy that make our life eternal. Each of us can ask: Do I put these works into practice? Do I do anything for someone in need? Or do I do good only for my loved ones and my friends? Do I help someone who cannot give anything back to me? Am I the friend of a poor person? And there are many other similar questions we can ask ourselves. “There I am”, Jesus says to you, “I am waiting for you there, where you least think and perhaps may not even want to look: there, in the poor”. I am there, where the dominant thought, according to which life is going well if it goes well for me, does not find interesting. I am there. Jesus also says these words to you, young people, as you strive to realize your dreams in life. I am there. Jesus spoke these words centuries ago, to a young soldier. He was eighteen years old and not yet baptized. One day he saw a poor man who was begging people for help but received none, since “everyone walked by”. That young man, “seeing that others were not moved to compassion, understood that the poor person was there for him. However, he had nothing with him, only his uniform. He cut his cloak in two and gave half to the poor person, and was met with mocking laughter from some of the bystanders. The following night he had a dream: he saw Jesus, wearing the half of the cloak he had wrapped around the poor person, and he heard him say: ‘Martin, you covered me with this cloak’” (cf. Sulpicius Severus, Vita Martini, III). Saint Martin was that young man. He had that dream because, without knowing it, he had acted like the righteous in today’s Gospel. Dear young people, dear brothers and sisters, let us not give up on great dreams. Let us not settle only for what is necessary. The Lord does not want us to narrow our horizons or to remain parked on the roadside of life. He wants us to race boldly and joyfully towards lofty goals. We were not created to dream about vacations or the weekend, but to make God’s dreams come true in this world. God made us capable of dreaming, so that we could embrace the beauty of life. The works of mercy are the most beautiful works in life. They go right to the heart of our great dreams. If you are dreaming about real glory, not the glory of this passing world but the glory of God, this is the path to follow. Read today’s Gospel passage again and reflect on it. For the works of mercy give glory to God more than anything else. Listen carefully: the works of mercy give glory to God more than anything else. In the end we will be judged on the works of mercy. Yet how do we begin to make great dreams come true? With great choices. Today’s Gospel speaks to us about this as well. Indeed, at the last judgement, the Lord will judge us on the choices we have made. He seems almost not to judge, but merely to separate the sheep from the goats, whereas being good or evil depends on us. He only draws out the consequences of our choices, brings them to light and respects them. Life, we come to see, is a time for making robust, decisive, eternal choices. Trivial choices lead to a trivial life; great choices to a life of greatness. Indeed, we become what we choose, for better or for worse. If we choose to steal, we become thieves. If we choose to think of ourselves, we become self-centred. If we choose to hate, we become angry. If we choose to spend hours on a cell phone, we become addicted. Yet if we choose God, daily we grow in his love, and if we choose to love others, we find true happiness. Because the beauty of our choices depends on love. Remember this because it is true: the beauty of our choices depends on love. Jesus knows that if we are self-absorbed and indifferent, we remain paralyzed, but if we give ourselves to others, we become free. The Lord of life wants us to be full of life, and he tells us the secret of life: we come to possess it only by giving it away. This is a rule of life: we come to possess life, now and in eternity, only by giving it away. It is true that there are obstacles that can make our choices difficult: fear, insecurity, so many unanswered questions… Love, however, demands that we move beyond these, and not keep wondering why life is the way it is, and expecting answers to fall down from heaven. The answer has come: it is the gaze of the Father who loves us and who has sent us his Son. No, love pushes us to go beyond the why, and instead to ask for whom, to pass from asking, “Why am I alive?” to “For whom am I living?” From “Why is this happening to me?” to “Whom can I help?” For whom? Not just for myself! Life is already full of choices we make for ourselves: what to study, which friends to have, what home to buy, what interests or hobbies to pursue. We can waste years thinking about ourselves, without ever actually starting to love. Alessandro Manzoni offered a good piece of advice: “We ought to aim rather at doing well than being well: and thus we should come, in the end, to be even better” (I Promessi Sposi [The Betrothed], Chapter XXXVIII - 78). Not only doubts and questions can undermine great and generous choices, but many other obstacles as well every day. Feverish consumerism can overwhelm our hearts with superfluous things. An obsession with pleasure may seem the only way to escape problems, yet it simply postpones them. A fixation with our rights can lead us to neglect our responsibilities to others. Then, there is the great misunderstanding about love, which is more than powerful emotions, but primarily a gift, a choice and a sacrifice. The art of choosing well, especially today, means not seeking approval, not plunging into a consumerist mentality that discourages originality, and not giving into the cult of appearances. Choosing life means resisting the “throwaway culture” and the desire to have “everything now”, in order to direct our lives towards the goal of heaven, towards God’s dreams. To choose life is to live, and we were born to live, not just get by. A young man like yourselves, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, said this: “I want to live, not just get by”. Each day, in our heart, we face many choices. I would like to give you one last piece of advice to help train you to choose well. If we look within ourselves, we can see two very different questions arising. One asks, “What do I feel like doing?” This question often proves misleading, since it suggests that what really counts is thinking about ourselves and indulging in our wishes and impulses. The question that the Holy Spirit plants in our hearts is a very different one: not “What do you feel like doing?” but “What is best for you?” That is the choice we have to make daily: what do I feel like doing or what is best for me? This interior discernment can result either in frivolous choices or in decisions that shape our lives – it depends on us. Let us look to Jesus and ask him for the courage to choose what is best for us, to enable us to follow him in the way of love. And in this way to discover joy. To live, and not just get by. At the end of this Eucharistic celebration, I cordially greet all of you present and all those who join us through the media. A special greeting goes to the Panamanian and Portuguese young people, represented by the two delegations that will shortly take part in the significant ceremony of the passage of the Cross and the icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani, the symbols of the World Youth Days. This is an important step in the pilgrimage that will lead us to Lisbon in 2023. And as we prepare for the next intercontinental edition of WYD, I would also like to renew its celebration in the local Churches. Thirty-five years after the establishment of WYD, after listening to various opinions and consulting the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, which is responsible for youth ministry, I have decided, beginning next year, to transfer the diocesan celebration of WYD from Palm Sunday to Christ the King Sunday. The centre of the celebration remains the Mystery of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of Man, as Saint John Paul II, the initiator and patron of WYD, always emphasized. Dear young people, cry out with your life that Christ lives, that Christ reigns, that Christ is the Lord! If you keep silent, I tell you the very stones will cry out! (cf. Lk 19:40).

Daniel Callam - "The banners of the king come forth"

Fr. Daniel Callam; CSB responded to the post "Christian Hymns" with another traditional hymn Vexilla Regis Prodeunt ~ The banners of the king come forth - here. Quite a few other readers loved the traditional "Christian Hymns" including the pastor of a Lutheran congrgation in Toronto and her spouse Anita and Ivars Gaide as well as a dear reader.Since we are close to Advent which leads us to Christmas, it reminds us of the event of the Incarnation of the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary (John 1:1, Luke 2:6-14). To the Virgin Mary, Simeon said that her child would be set for the fall and rising of many in Israel (Luke 2:34) which indicated that the same Jews who celebrated Jesus entrance to Jerusalem would turn against him and crucify him. The Holy Week starts after the jubilation of Palm Sunday. In his commentary/sermon on a past Palm Sunday, Fr. Callam wrote: "VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS was an Italian who finished his life as bishop of Poitiers, France, having earlier served as chaplain to Queen Radegunde. She had retired from the world to live as a nun in a monastery near Poitiers. In A.D. 569 she obtained for the convent a fragment of the true cross, and Venantius Fortunatus wrote his famous hymn, Vexilla Regis, to welcome the relic. The hymn was in constant and ever-wider use for many centuries, but—although it can still be found in the Latin text of the liturgy—it has now been everywhere superseded by vernacular songs. There is always a price to be paid for a change, even one that many would consider an improvement, and we must regret the loss of this important fragment of our Tradition. It’s impossible to translate anything from one language to another, all the more so when Latin is to be rendered into English. Simply look at the different appearance of the two. The Latin is sober, majestic, lapidary, while the English looks fussy, with too many small words. It’s as if an oracle had given forth its solemn proclamation in Latin, and afterwards a nervous spokesman desperately searched for ways to convey the sublime message to the chattering devotees at the shrine. The reason for the difference is simple. Latin does not use definite or indefinite articles; there is no word for “the” or “a.” It also largely dispenses with prepositions; there is not one in the entire hymn. Consider the opening word, for instance. Vexilla is plural. It could be translated as “the banners” or merely “banners.” Similarly, “regis” means “of the king,” or perhaps “of a king.” The person listening to the hymn would have recognized an initial ambiguity in the wording. Was it “the banners of the king,” i.e., referring to a particular monarch, or “banners of a king,” i.e., any king? Of course, the second line resolves the matter, for we see that these banners adorn the cross. They have been unfurled to honour Christ, the King. That vexilla is a plural noun is also significant, and the connotations of this fact, again, defy translation. The singular—vexillum—was used of the standard that led a troop of the Roman army into battle, somewhat as regimental colours once functioned. The vexillum could also have been a red flag that was hoisted on the general’s tent as a signal for battle. By extension, vexillum came to signify the troop of soldiers that were fighting under that standard. That our King employs many standards—all those vexilla!—indicates not only that he has many troops, but also that warfare will be extensive and protracted. We are soldiers fighting under those banners, joined to our fellow Christians of the past and future. In the first verse the splendour of the opening two lines is contrasted with the grim reality of the following two. Fortunatus was here inspired by Saint John’s Gospel, in which Jesus says that he will be glorified by his ignominious death of the cross. “Now is the Son of Man glorified. . . . and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” The Latin word for “flesh” is caro, which here assumes two different forms: “carne,” which means “in the flesh” and carnis,” which means “of the flesh.” Hence carne carnis conditor is translated “the creator of flesh in the flesh,” certainly a cumbersome version of the elegant Latin alliterative phrase. “Flesh” here means, in the biblical usage, the human person—“My flesh will dwell in hope” —and is frequently used of man as corrupted by sin and in need of redemption—“God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.” With typical compression, the Latin expresses in three words the fact that Jesus, as the pre-existent Word, was the agent of creation—“All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made” —including, of course, human beings and that he came in the likeness of sinful man to redeem him from his state of alienation from God. The second verse continues to contrast between the brutality of the crucifixion and its glorious effect. Christ’s body, pierced by the lance, release a flood that can clean the whole world of its sinfulness. Then we move into a poetic mode, in which the cross—made of course of wood—is compared to a tree bearing a wonderful burden. It is beautiful; it is special; it is blessed. We find here an echo of the messianic prophecy of Isaiah: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.” Our poet then compares the arms of the cross to the arms of a balance. It’s what is called a steelyard, i.e., a balance with a long arm by which a single counterweight can balance a heavy load. The heavy weight in this case would be the countless sins of mankind which have accumulated in what would seem to be a load so ponderous that nothing could lift it. But the single act of the God man on that long arm reaching across the centuries can easily raise the crushing burden off the shoulders of the human race. Verse five, which is the final one of the original hymn, presents the Gospel paradox in a fashion that has never ceased to move the hearts of believers across the ages, viz., that death is the source of life, and that death conquers death; the Prince of life now dead reigns alive. This is a sentiment that occurs and reoccurs in the solemn liturgies of Holy Week and Easter." Notes: Fr. Daniel Callam, C.S.B., was born in Amherstburg, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a honors B.A. in mathematics and physics, and later received an M.A. in mathematics from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He studied for the priesthood at Saint Basil’s Seminary in Toronto, obtaining an M.A. in theology at the time of his ordination. Later he pursued graduate studies at Oxford University, graduating with a D.Phil in theology. For twenty years he was an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Saskatchewan, before moving to the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, where he taught theology and also served as chaplain of the University. For fifteen years he edited The Canadian Catholic Review which is published from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. On returning to Canada, he assumed the post of curate at Holy Rosary Parish in Toronto. Fr. Callam lives today at Presentation Manor in Toronto. 

Christian Hymns

Here are some of the top Christian hymns that I encountered online... Gregorian chant - Te Deum - Very impressive hymn to the Trinity in one God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_gcJc1MmCQ VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS - Giovanni Vianini - Very impressive hymn to the Holy Spirit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33XotuYs-io&t=43s Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Hymns (with Lyrics) - A great hymn in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament where Christ is present inm his humanity and Divinity under the Eucharistic form. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-xJOGEcRLc Ave Maris Stella - A hymn to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TacNIbmDZ4s The Litany of the Saints - A hymn that reminds us of the saints whose prayers help us... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb23Z5X3uhA&t=304s

A Christian Perspective on the Results of the American Presidential Elections

In early November 2020, EWTN published a report on the 10th anniversary of the visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Britain in which he beatified John Henry Newman; now a saint. My readers may wish to see the visit here. Both Benedict XVI and Saint John Henry Newman remind me of Christian Tradition and the "Development of Christian Doctrine" written by Saint John Henry Newman. Bishop Robert Barron spoke about the great work of Saint John Henry Newman here. There is a reason for thinking of Christian Tradition today since the American presidential elections have so far awarded the American presidency to the Democrat Joe Biden. The resutls are not final until the current Republican President Donald Trump announces acceptance of his defeat. However, Trump continues to challenge the official election results. His opponent Joe Biden was denied communion Sunday November 1st at a Catholic church in South Carolina over his support for abortion rights.Father Robert Morey, the pastor at Saint Anthony Catholic Church in Florence, told the Florence Morning News that he had denied Biden communion because "any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching." "Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that," Morey said in an email to the newspaper. He said that "as a priest, it is my responsibility to minister to those souls entrusted to my care, and I must do so even in the most difficult situations. I will keep Mr. Biden in my prayers." Trump, on the other hand, is credited for appointing pro-life Judge Amy Coney Barret to the Supreme Court in October 2020. His views are pro-life since he promised to act on it in the 2016 presidential elections. He effectively made abortion illegal in the United States. Melania, his devout Catholic wife, has influenced him in the way she regularly attends Mass, and prays the Rosary. Publicly she said the Lord's Prayer while he watched her and applauded the Catholic Church. While he did not allow Muslims from some Islamic countries to enter the United States, Trump claimed that he continued to assist Christian minorities and persecuted Christians in the Middle East. See this video here. On the political front: Accoring to the Associated Press, "The Trump administration threw the presidential transition into tumult, with President Donald Trump blocking government officials from cooperating with President-elect Joe Biden’s team and Attorney General William Barr authorizing the Justice Department to probe unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud. Some Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, rallied behind Trump’s efforts to fight the election results. Few in the GOP acknowledged Biden’s victory or condemned Trump’s other concerning move on Monday: his firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper. The developments cast doubt on whether the nation would witness the same kind of smooth transition of power that has long anchored its democracy. The Electoral College is slated to formally confirm Biden’s victory on Dec. 14, and the Democrat will be sworn into office in late January. On Monday, Barr authorized U.S. attorneys to probe “substantial” allegations of voter irregularities and election fraud... The North Korea Deal: Retrieved from the "RAND Corporation" article by Bruce Bennett published September 28, 2020 "The President viewed North Korea's nuclear weapons with their ballistic missile delivery means as a clear threat to the United States and its regional allies. The feverish pace of North Korean ballistic missile and nuclear weapon tests in 2017 demonstrated the North Korean capabilities, creating great regional anxiety. Throughout 2017, President Trump was clear that he would apply “maximum pressure” on North Korea, not even ruling out military action. Many in Northeast Asia and beyond feared that President Trump's actions could even lead to war. They recognized that North Korea had been very clear: for years the North had stated repeatedly that it would never give up its nuclear weapons. It was a surprise then in March 2018 when Kim Jong Un offered to negotiate the dismantlement of his nuclear weapons program. President Trump accepted this offer and held two summit meetings with Kim Jong Un. The President has chosen to emphasize a peaceful, personal relationship with Kim rather than resolving the North's mid- to long-term nuclear weapon threat.Which is to say that there has been no North Korean denuclearization. Quite the opposite: the North continues building nuclear weapons and has increased its capacity to do so. Satellite images indicate Pyongyang has been consistently developing its ballistic missile delivery capabilities, as well as the Kim regime's continued sanctions-skirting illicit activities to fund its weapons of mass destruction programs, and Pyongyang's statements articulating its resolve to bolster its nuclear deterrent. This is shocking in light of the April 2018 Panmunjom Declaration by Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon, part of which says that North and South Korea will fully implement all of their previous agreements and declarations. The previous 1992 South/North Denuclearization Declaration (PDF) is clear: “South and North Korea shall not test, manufacture, produce, receive, possess, store, deploy, or use nuclear weapons. South and North Korea shall use nuclear energy solely for peaceful purposes. South and North Korea shall not possess nuclear reprocessing and uranium enrichment facilities.…” Should there be any question, Kim said in his 2019 New Year's Address: “Accordingly, we declared at home and abroad that we would neither make and test nuclear weapons any longer nor use and proliferate them…” In the Middle East, there has been a few developments in pushing the U.S. interests... According to BBC, published on October 9 here, "The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on 18 "major" Iranian banks in one of the most extensive such moves by Washington against Tehran in months. The order will also penalise non-Iranian institutions trading with them, effectively cutting the banks off from the international financial system. The US says it is seeking to choke off Iran's access to funds to pursue what it regards as aggressive activities. Iran's UN ambassador accused the US of committing "economic terrorism". The latest punitive measure comes weeks after the US declared the return - or "snapback" - of UN sanctions on Iran that were lifted under a 2015 international deal over Iran's nuclear programme, accusing Tehran of having breached that agreement. Other members of the UN Security Council, however, are not in agreement with the US, saying Washington cannot trigger the snapback mechanism because it abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018." Trump also supported Egypt in its claims against Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam (read it in BBC's report here). As for China, after an intial cordial personal relationship between the U.S. Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping, both countries descended in a war of trade sanctions which culminated in the blame game over the coronavirus pandemic with President Trump calling it "The Chinese Virus" (see here). Despite Trump's childish tantrums, his pro-life stance making abortion illegal in America, the influence of his Catholic devout wife and his appreciation of the Church add to his credibility as a good Christian and president of the Superpower, the most important economic and political country in the world. Between Donald Trump and nominally-Catholic Joe Biden, I would choose Trump.