On October 13, 1884 Pope Leo XIII, just after celebrating Mass, turned pale and collapsed as though dead. Those standing nearby rushed to his side. They found him alive but the pontiff looked frightened. He then recounted having a vision of Satan approaching the throne of God, boasting that he could destroy the Church.
According to Pope Leo XIII the Lord reminded him that his Church was imperishable. Satan then replied, “Grant me one century and more power of those who will serve...
Theology of the Body, as it has been taught in recent years, has capitalized on the sexual dimension of the body and its spiritual significance. This, no doubt, has contributed to its widespread popularity. Within this context, the person – both body and soul – is viewed as a gift to God, as a gift to one’s spouse and even as a gift in the communion of persons at large.
Also, the very anatomy of the body – in its in male and female form – symbolizes, not only the mystical...
On Jan. 9, Episcopalian leaders of the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. announced that it will honor same-sex weddings. In fact, the Voice of America website reported that the “church recently approved a special marriage rite that specifically blesses same-sex marriage.”
With this new development and three new states legalizing same-sex marriage in the Nov. 2012 elections, an impartial observer cannot deny the gay-rights agenda has the momentum. But with this momentum, an...
Up to the time of St. John the Baptist's first appearance, the sons and daughters of Abraham were the chosen people of God by virtue of their ethnic heritage and religious affiliation. But all that would change with the New Covenant Church.
As Jesus himself would later say, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in...
Survival and the Eucharist
As it pertained to this valley of death, Roberto Canessa said, “(L)ife is an accident in which the only real thing is that you’re going to die…” The survivors were in an atmosphere of not only death but also of God and eternity. Nevertheless, the instinct for survival and their quest to live remained strong.
About a week into their accident, they were running out of food. As such, they were beginning to starve. Not only that, their friends and family...
Dashed Hopes
For the next three days there were signs of hope that they would be rescued immediately. A few search planes flew over the crash site. One plane in particular, it seemed, tipped its wings to indicate that the pilot spotted the survivors. With great joy and jubilation, they thought were going home.
Throwing caution to the wind, some even ate more food than they should have. But the much anticipated rescue was not to be. The food that was set aside to be rationed was...
'Close, O God, to You'
December 23, 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most famous rescues in recent history. Two days before Christmas in 1972, two survivors of the plane crash from Flight 571 made a ten day journey out of the Andes Mountains in order to find help. Their story is one of drama, tragedy and hope.
The Age-old Question: Why?
The plane crash of Flight 571 in the Andes Mountains on October 13, 1972 involved one of the greatest miracles of aviation history. Out of 45...
If the Holy Family is prototype of what every family should be like under God’s guidance, then the trials and the arduous circumstances in which they worked out their salvation ought to be content for our mediation. And what we find with the events surrounding the birth of Christ – before and after – is a series of gut-wrenching trials that rendered the next day – and even the next moment – ever so uncertain for that young holy couple.
Due to the Roman census, St. Joseph not only...
Introduction
Catholics, and Christians at large, can learn a great deal from the success of the private sector. Invariably, good and honest success in the market place is but the result of the sustained practice of Christian virtues and the implementation of sound work ethics. All that is good in the success of one’s career and of any given company comes from God. As such, it can be traced- directly or indirectly – to his work of sanctification which is found in the life of the...
On a daily basis Rush Limbaugh talks about the decline of America and how conservatives are losing the country. On both counts he happens to be right. As a conservative commentator, Rush provides some good insight into political issues. But he, like many conservative media commentators and political operatives, suffers from a certain disadvantage due to current blind spots. Because of this disadvantage, I would argue that conservatives cannot save America. There are three reasons why:
The...
