Martin, U2 & Neuhaus

Whispers in the Loggia has an interesting post about Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, and the concept of "atonement".

As an historical aside and as evidenced by the above photos, His Grace was instrumental in orchestrating a Papal Audience between Bono and the late, great John Paul II.

Whispers also informs us that U2's "15th U2 album -- No Line on the Horizon -- will roll out late next month."

On another issue, InsideCatholic.com, asks us to pray for the powerful theologian Father Richard John Neuhaus, who is battling a second round of cancer. Please keep him in your devotions and prayers!

Father of Canon Law

Hat Tip: A Catholic Thing

Vatican Radio reports on Pope Benedict XVI's weekly general audience remarks:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the beginning of this New Year, I offer all of you my cordial good wishes! In the coming months, may our minds and hearts be opened ever more fully to Christ, following the example of Saint Paul, whose life and doctrine we have been considering during this Pauline Year. Today we turn to the meaning of “true worship” as highlighted in Paul’s Letter to the Romans. In uniting us to himself, Christ, a temple “not made with human hands”, has made us a “living sacrifice”. Paul thus exhorts us to offer our own “bodies” – meaning our entire selves – as a “spiritual worship”: not in the abstract, but in our concrete daily life. At the same time, this true worship does not come about merely through human effort. Rather, through baptism, we have become “one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28), who took upon himself our human nature and has thus “assumed” us into himself. Only he has the power, by joining us to his body, to unite all people. Thus, the goal of the Church’s missionary activity is to call everyone into this “cosmic liturgy”, in which the world becomes the glory of God: “a pleasing sacrifice, sanctified by the Holy Spirit”.

I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including the groups from Finland and the United States of America. Upon you and your families I willingly invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace throughout the new year!

See H2O video here.

The Epiphany manifestation

Musings from a Catholic Bookstore:

Epiphany is the Christian feast that celebrates the Incarnation and in particular the revelation to mankind that God took on human form. It is curious then that in the West we typically associate January 6th with the three wise men. It is true that these men from the East represent man’s discovery of the Messiah, but they weren’t looking for the Son of God. In fact, the Jewish people had been waiting nearly 2000 years for their savior but they were only expecting a great king, prophet, or priest. It is somewhat ironic that the Magi traveled so great a distance on faith yet they failed to see the greatest mystery before their eyes. Simeon and the prophetess Anna also realized that the prophecies were being fulfilled and that the Messiah had been born when they saw Jesus in the temple, but the full revelation was not made known to them.

The word Epiphany is very vague and implies only “manifestation”. In the early Church, particularly in the East, this feast commemorated the Magi, but it also included other events of manifestation such as the Nativity, the Wedding at Cana and, in particular, the Baptism in the Jordan. It is in this last feast that Jesus’ Divinity is revealed.

Hat Tip: Da Mihi Animas



Hat Tip: Catholic Fire

Finally, I ran across this fascinating and intriguing history of the Catholic Church's roots in Alaska, as cited by CNA:

Anchorage, Jan 5, 2009 / 05:47 pm (CNA)- Nearly 230 years ago, three Roman Catholic priests sailed from Mexico to Alaska where they would celebrate the first Catholic Mass in the state and bring the Body and Blood of Christ to the Last Frontier.

According to the Catholic Anchor, by the year 1779, the race to explore and claim rights to the far north had already reached Alaska. During the previous year, the English Captain Cook had sailed into the inlet that now bears his name, and the Russians were already trading furs with Native Alaskans.

The Spanish were sailing with a two-fold mission: to claim territory for their Catholic king and to spread the faith.

According to Father Richard Tero, a church historian and pastor at Sacred Heart Church in the city of Seward, taking possession of new land involved erecting a cross at each site and, if a priest was present, celebrating Mass.

In 1774, Spain’s first expedition to Alaska fell short – landing in British Columbia’s Queen Charlotte Islands.

The next year, part of a Spanish contingent arrived in what is now Sitka and Bucareli Bay (named after the Spanish Viceroy of Mexico Don Antonio María Bucarelí). But the ship carrying priests was forced to turn back with a crew suffering from scurvy. Those who landed in Alaska claimed territory for Spain and erected crosses. But without a priest, there was no Mass.

Franciscan Father Junípero Serra, the beatified former head of the Californian missions, was undaunted by the challenges of evangelizing Alaska. Desiring to bring the Gospel to Natives in the north, he had been assigning chaplains to travel with the Spanish missions.

After the disappointment of the1775 trip, he wrote to Bucarelí. “There the crosses remain but … there are lacking those who can explain their meaning to those poor natives,” he said.

In 1779, Bucarelí sent another crew north, as he described, to “contain the plans of the Russians to establish themselves” in Alaska. Three chaplains accompanied them: Father Juan Antonió Garcia Riobó and Father Matiás de Santa Catalina Noriega, Franciscans from Mexico, and Father Cristóbal Antonio Díaz, a secular priest from Peru.

Read Entire Article.

Epiphany

"If the Magi had come in search of an earthly King, they would have been disconcerted at finding that they had taken the trouble to come such a long way for nothing. Consequently they would have neither adored nor offered gifts. But since they sought a heavenly King, though they found in Him no signs of royal pre-eminence, yet, content with the testimony of the star alone, they adored: for they saw a man, and they acknowledged a God."

St. John Chrysostom

Hat Tip: Catholic Fire

Gotta love them Czechs!

Ynet.com is reporting that, thankfully, the new EU Presidency is backing Israel:

European Union president, the Czech Republic, said on Saturday an Israeli ground incursion in Gaza was "defensive, not offensive" action.

"At the moment, from the perspective of the last days, we understand this step as a defensive, not offensive, action," Czech EU presidency spokesman Jiri Potuznik said.

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg is leading an EU delegation to the region on Sunday, and Potuznik said the presidency will wait to see the results of that visit.

However, France condemned Israel's move to send ground forces into Gaza.
"France condemns the Israeli ground offensive against Gaza as it condemns the continuation of rocket firing," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Read Full Article.

Hat Tip: Wake Up America

The Jerusalem Post has a story about a surprise visit to Israel by New York City Mayor and his denunciations of the Hamas gang of murderous thugs.

Check out Susan's Wake Up America detailed post on the history of this recent conflagration.

This postest video below is of footage from the Netherlands, a country I visited in February and experienced first hand how Muslim radicals are taking over that embattled country:



Hat Tip: Jihad Watch

Obtain the latest information regarding Operation Cast Lead from the Embassy of Israel in the United States, by clicking here. Also, via the official IDF site.

Contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, in order to show support for the IDF's just cause, like I did yesterday, and received a very complimentary response!

Holy name of Jesus

In the New Testament, St. Paul writes that God the Father “bestowed on him (Christ Jesus) the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phillipians, 2:9)

We give honor to the Holy Name of Jesus, not because we believe in some intrinsic power hidden in the letters composing it, but because the Name of Jesus reminds us of the many blessings we receive through Our Savior, Christ the Lord. To give thanks for these blessings we revere His Holy Name, just as we honor His Passion by honoring His Holy Cross. At the Holy Name of Jesus, we uncover our heads, we bend our knees, and we offer our prayers in His Name.

As our ancestors in faith, the people of the Old Covenant, honored and kept most holy the name of the Lord God, so we, the people of the New Covenant, venerate the Name of Our Redeemer, the second person of the Holy Trinity, who is Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Source: Musings from a Catholic Bookstore

Beautiful Name from Catholic Media House on Vimeo.

Hat Tip: Da Mihi Animas

New Vatican law

The Vatican City State, the world's smallest sovereign state, has decided to divorce itself from Italian law.

Vatican legal experts say there are too many laws in Italian civil and criminal codes, and that they frequently conflict with Church principles.

With effect from New Year's Day, the Pope has decided that the Vatican will no longer automatically adopt laws passed by the Italian parliament.

All Italian laws will be examined one by one before they are adopted.

Under the Lateran treaties signed exactly 80 years ago between Italy and the Pope, and the Italian Parliamentary system, Italian laws were applied automatically.

Read Full Article.

Source: BBC

But I get up again

We’ll be singing
When we’re winning
We’ll be singing

I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never going to keep me down

Pissing the night away
Pissing the night away

He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times:

‘Oh Danny Boy
Danny Boy
Danny Boy…’

I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never going to keep me down

Pissing the night away
Pissing the night away

He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times:

‘Don’t cry for me
Next door neighbour…’

I get knocked down
But I get up again
You’re never going to keep me down

We’ll be singing
When we’re winning
We’ll be singing

Hat Tip: Pat Dollard

Ode to Dr. Garrigo

This post is dedicated to Dr. Jose Ramon Garrigo II, or as I knew him, "Joshe", my deceased brother in law. Unfortunately, he met an untimely death last May at the age of 48.

Joshe was one of the top pulmonologist in America and was a master of his craft. He and I shared not only commonality in music (Stones, The Who, U2, 80's,etc.) but in sports (UM Hurricanes), as well as other issues.

As an Aquarius, his birthday was two days after mine, on the 15th.

Joshe, or "Sledge", his nickname, in regards to the great Peter Gabriel song (Gabriel was born on my birthday) , was invariably the life of the party but also a man who undertook his calling and responsibilities like no other.

He left two fine sons, my nephews, Daniel Joseph, and Gabriel Faustino...who perpetuate his legacy & tradition, without fault, in the aforementioned areas.

Every New Years Day, after a night of hardy reveling, we always awoke to U2's classic hit and carried on the year.

Joshe, my brother in arms, you are gone but NEVER forgotten and your spirit is enmeshed in all of us who loved you.

God Bless you, buddy, and one day soon we will be reunited in Heaven!!!

Long Live Joshe!
Long Live Keith Richards!
Long Live Bono!

Go CANESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Eight days after the feast of the birth of Christ, we remember Mary, Theotokus, which means God - bearer. Today, we look at and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the Mother of God, and also the Mother of the Church.

"Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom."

Hat Tip: Catholic Fire



Source: Apostleship of Prayer