Women protect humanity against evil, Pope Francis says



By Ann Schneible and Mary Rezac

Vatican City, Sep 16, 2015 / 11:19 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Women have a special God-given role in protecting each generation against the evils of its time, Pope Francis said in characteristically off-the-cuff remarks during his weekly Wednesday general audience.
Reflecting on Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis, Pope Francis noted that this first man and woman failed at protecting the creation that had been entrusted to them by God, resulting in the inheritance of original sin for all of mankind.
However, God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve as a “gesture of tenderness,” to show that He did not wish us to be left “naked and abandoned to our destiny as sinners,” Pope Francis said.
Rather than abandoning us to this “disease” of original sin, God set up a woman as a “protective barrier” against the evils of every generation, he added.
“This means that the woman carries a secret and special blessing” for defending us against evil, the pontiff said, recalling the woman from the book of Revelation who hid her son from the dragon.
“Think about that depth which is opened here! There exist many stereotypes – which are often offensive – about the temptress woman who inspires evil.”
“Rather, there is a place for a theology of woman who has the height of this blessing from God for her and for her generation!”
Christ himself was “born of a woman,” the Pope said, and “is the tenderness of God on our wounds, on our mistakes, on our sins. But God loves us as we are, and he wants to carry us forward with this great plan.”
Good families, too, serves as a protection against evil when men and women are in a “conjugal-familial” alliance.
“(The family) saves us from many, many attacks, destruction, colonizations – such as (the colonization) of money,” or those “ideologies which greatly threaten the world,” he said.
The Pope made his off-the-cuff comments in Italian during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 16.
Since last year, the pontiff has been dedicating his Wednesday catechesis on themes of marriage and family as part of the lead-up to the World Meeting of Families in September, as well as October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family.
“Both (of these events) have a global importance, which corresponds to the universal dimension of Christianity, but also to the universal scope of this fundamental and irreplaceable human community which is, precisely, the family,” the Pope said.
At the end of the general audience, Pope Francis asked for prayers ahead of his upcoming trip to Cuba and the United States.
Highlights of his trip, which will span from Sept. 19-28, will include the canonization of Blessed Junipero Serra at Washington D.C.'s National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, his visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York, and the World Meeting of Families in Washington, D.C.
The Pope asked for “light and strength of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary Most Holy, Patroness of Cuba as the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, and Patroness of the United States of America as the Immaculate Conception.”

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Taken from: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/women-protect-humanity-against-evil-pope-francis-says-17279/

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary



BIRTH OF MARY September 8th

A. Valentini

The present Feast forms a link between the New and the Old Testament. It shows that Truth succeeds symbols and figures and that the New Covenant replaces the Old. Hence, all creation sings with joy, exults, and participates in the joy of this day.... This is, in fact, the day on which the Creator of the world constructed His temple; today is the day on which by a stupendous project a creature becomes the preferred dwelling of the Creator" (Saint Andrew of Crete). "Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Virgin Mary, of whom was born the Sun of Justice.... Her birth constitutes the hope and the light of salvation for the whole world.... Her image is light for the whole Christian people" (From the Liturgy). As these texts so clearly indicate, an atmosphere of joy and light pervades the Birth of the Virgin Mary.   1. Historical Details about the Feast The origin of this Feast is sought in Palestine. It goes back to the consecration of a church in Jerusalem, which tradition identifies as that of the present basilica of St. Ann. At Rome the Feast began to be kept toward the end of the 7th century, brought there by Eastern monks. Gradually and in varied ways it spread to the other parts of the West in the centuries that followed. From the 13th century on, the celebration assumed notable importance, becoming a Solemnity with a major Octave and preceded by a Vigil calling for a fast. The Octave was reduced to a simple one during the reform of St. Pius X and was abolished altogether under the reform of Pius XII in 1955. The present Calendar characterizes the Birth of Mary as a "Feast," placing it on the same plane as the Visitation. For some centuries now, the Birth has been assigned to September 8 both in the East and in the West, but in ancient times it was celebrated on different dates from place to place. However, when the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (which has a later origin than that of the Birth) was extended to the whole Church, the Birth little by little became assigned everywhere to September 8: nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.   2. At the Heart of Salvation As we know, the Gospels have not transmitted to us anything about the birth of the Virgin Mary. Their attention is completely centered on the mystery of Christ and His salvific mission. The birth of Mary is recounted by the Protevangelium of James (5:2), an apocryphal writing from the end of the 2nd century. Subsequent tradition is based on this account. The description - although in the manner of an apocryphal document - obviously presents an important historical event: the birth of the Mother of the Lord. But the problem that concerns us here is the significance of this event. In the case of all the Saints, the Church commemorates their birthday on the day of their return to the Lord. However, in the cases of St. John the Baptizer and the Blessed Virgin, it also celebrates the day of their earthly birth. This is a singular fact already emphasized in ancient times, for example, by Paschasius Radbertus (d. about 859). The reason for this fact is not found primarily in the greatness or the privileges of the persons involved but in the singular mission that was theirs in the History of Salvation. In this light, the birth of the Blessed Virgin is considered to be - like that of John the Baptizer - in direct relationship with the coming of the Savior of the world. Thus, the birth and existence of Marysimilar to and even more than those of the Baptizer - take on a significance that transcends her own person. It is explained solely in the context of the History of Salvation, connected with the People of God of the Old Covenant and the New. Mary's birth lies at the confluence of the two Testaments - bringing to an end the stage of expectation and the promises and inaugurating the new times of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. Mary, the Daughter of Zion and ideal personification of Israel, is the last and most worthy representative of the People of the Old Covenant but at the same time she is "the hope and the dawn of the whole world." With her, the elevated Daughter of Zion, after a long expectation of the promises, the times are fulfilled and a new economy is established (LG 55). The birth of Mary is ordained in particular toward her mission as Mother of the Savior. Her existence is indissolubly connected with that of Christ: it partakes of a unique plan of predestination and grace. God's mysterious plan regarding the incarnation of the Word embraces also the Virgin who is His Mother. In this way, the Birth of Mary is inserted at the very heart of the History of Salvation.   3. Christological Orientations The Biblical readings of the Feast have a clear Christological- salvific orientation that forms the backdrop for contemplating the figure of Mary. Micah 5:1-4a. The Prophet announces the coming of the Lord of Israel who will come forth from Bethlehem of Judah. The Mother of the Messiah, presented as one about to give birth, will give life to the prince and pastor of the house of David who will bring justice and peace. She will work with the Messiah to bring forth a new people. Romans 8.28-30. This passage does not speak directly about Mary but about the believer justified by the grace of Christ and gifted with the indwelling of the Spirit. He or she has been chosen and called from all eternity to share Christ's life and glory. This is true in a privileged manner for Mary, Spouse and Temple of the Holy Spirit, Mother of God's Son, and intimately united with Him in a Divine plan of predestination and grace. Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23. The meaning of this seemingly and genealogy is theologically profound: to place Jesus, the MessiahLord, within the dynastic tree of His people. He is a descendant, and in fact "the descendant," of Abraham (cf. Gal 3:16) and the Patriarchs in accord with the promises, and He is the semi-heir of the Prophets. The ring that united Christ with His people is Mary, Daughter of Zion and Mother of the Lord. The virginity stressed by the Gospel text is the sign of the Divine origin of the Son and of the absolute newness that now breaks forth in the history of human beings. The Christological-salvific purpose and tone dominate not only the Bible readings but also the Eucharistic Celebration and the Liturgy of the Hours. It has been observed that, although the texts of this Feast's celebration are less rich than those of other Marian feasts, they do have one outstanding characteristic: "The number of themes is rather restricted, [but] there are extremely numerous invitations to joy" (J. Pascher). Indeed, joy pervades the whole of this Feast's liturgy. If many "will rejoice" at the birth of the precursor (cf. Lk 1:14), a much greater joy is stirred up by the birth of the Mother of the Savior. Hence, this is a Feast that serves as a prelude to the "joy to all people" brought about by the Birth of the Son of God at Christmas and expressed by the singing of hymns and carols. Added to this theme of joy on this Marian Feast is that of light because with Mary's birth the darkness is dispersed and there rises in the world the dawn that announces the Sun of Justice, Christ the Lord. Taken from: Dictionary of Mary (NY: Catholic Book, 1985) Catholic Book Publishing Company 257 W. 17th St. NY 10011 (212)243-4515

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Five First Saturdays for Peace, Salvation

 





By Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC
Spiritual Director of the 13th of the Month Club

Are you sick of turning on the news and seeing nothing but violence and mayhem? Well, there's something we can do to bring about peace.

My fellow Marian Fr. Seraphim Michalenko sometimes tells a story that a priest ministering in Japan shared with him in Rome. This priest was attending an international gathering of Christians from across the world, attended by foreign dignitaries. The ambassador from Japan approached the priest, verified that the priest served in Japan and was a Catholic priest, and then said, "War is your fault."

The priest was surprised and asked what the ambassador meant. The ambassador said, "You Catholics, all of you — we do not have peace in the world. It is your fault."

The priest said, "Ambassador, why do you blame us?"

The ambassador said, "I've read about this. The Lady came to you at Fatima, right? That's what you believe? She told you what to do to secure peace in the world. Well, there's no peace in the world, so obviously you Catholics haven't done it."

The priest had to acknowledge that the ambassador was correct, but still tried to protest, saying, "Isn't peace everyone's responsibility?"

The ambassador was vehement. "No, she came to you Catholics. Not to Buddhists. Not to Hindus. She came to you, and it is your responsibility."

That ambassador had more faith than a lot of Catholics! But he's right — Our Lady came and asked for specific things at Fatima. If we listened to her and did what she asked, there would be peace in the world. Among her requests were for us all to pray the Rosary every day, including peace in the world as one of our intentions; wearing the brown scapular; the consecration of Russia and each of us individually to Mary's Immaculate Heart; doing our daily duties; and making reparation for sins, especially by observing something called the Five First Saturdays of Reparation.

She explained those Five First Saturdays to Sr. Lucia Santos, one of the Fatima visionaries, on Dec. 10, 1925 in the following way:

See, my daughter, my Heart encircled by thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. Do you, at least, strive to console me. Tell them that I promise to assist at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation all those who, in order to make reparation to me, on the First Saturday of five successive months, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter of an hour, meditating on the … mysteries of the Rosary.

The practice of the First Saturdays consists of doing the following elements, performed with the intention of reparation, for five consecutive months:
 

•	Confession (shortly before or after the First Saturday — so long as the person receives Holy Communion in a state of grace);
•	Holy Communion received on the First Saturday;
•	the Holy Rosary, five decades recited sometime during the day; and
•	meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary (one or more).

Now, a lot of people have forgotten about the First Saturday devotion, but it's still relevant today — wars are still going on! We still haven't seen the fulfillment of Our Lady's promise that "In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world." According to Sr. Lucia, Pope John Paul II consecrated Russia to Mary's Immaculate Heart on March 25, 1984. The USSR fell shortly afterwards. And yet there's still not peace in the world — but have most of us been faithful to her requests, especially the First Saturdays of Reparation?

So I call on all Thirteenth of the Month Club members and everyone who loves Mary to start making the Five First Saturdays a regular part of their prayer life. For anyone who visits the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy on the First Saturday of each month, it's easy! Pilgrims can go to Confession, pray the Rosary for Life, and attend the Shrine Mass with the intention of making reparation to Our Lady as she requested. To fulfill the requirement to meditate for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary, you can prayerfully walk the Stations of the Cross on Eden Hill for at least 15 minutes, remaining aware of keeping Our Lady company in spirit throughout her Son's Passion and Death.

Let's make reparation together to the Immaculate Heart by being faithful to the Five First Saturdays, and help Our Lady spread grace, peace, and healing throughout all the world.

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Taken from: http://www.marian.org/13th/firstsaturday.php

Pope Francis asks Catholic priests to pardon women who have undergone abortion

    

Photo: Pope Francis has repeatedly urged the church to show greater compassion. (AFP: Tiziana Fabi)

Related Story: Pope says church should not obsess over homosexuality, abortion

Pope Francis has announced all priests will have the discretion to forgive women who have had an abortion during the forthcoming Jubilee year, which is traditionally associated with forgiveness.

"I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness," he said.

In a message outlining special measures for the Jubilee year starting in December, Pope Francis said he knew that while "abortion is experienced by some with a superficial awareness" many others "believe that they have no other option".

He said he had met many women seeking forgiveness who bore "the scar of this agonising and painful decision".

Pope Francis, who has repeatedly urged the Church to show greater compassion, said priests should use "words of genuine welcome", as well as making sure those involved were aware of "the gravity of the sin committed".

Catholics for Choice, a US-based pro-choice organisation, said this was another positive example of Francis trying to bridge the gulf "between what the hierarchy says and what ordinary Catholics really do".

"However, despite what Pope Francis has said, I do not believe that Catholic women will be queuing up to ask for forgiveness," the organisation's president Jon O'Brien said in a statement.

And limiting the period of forgiveness to one year "suggests that he still has a blind spot when it comes to women and what they want".

Abortion is considered a particularly serious sin that is punishable under Canon law by excommunication, by which those guilty are expelled from the Church and considered to be condemned to hell in the afterlife.

In 2009 the Vatican drew heavy criticism after it supported a bishop who had excommunicated the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old girl who was given an abortion after her stepfather raped her.

Bishops are already able to authorise priests in their dioceses to forgive those who undergo or carry out abortions.

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Taken from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-01/pope-francis-asks-priests-to-pardon-women-who-have-abortions/6742154