From Goffine's Devout Instructions: ASH WEDNESDAY

Why is this day so called? 

Because on this day the Catholic Church blesses ashes and puts them on the foreheads of the faithful, saying, “Remember, man, that thou art dust, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19)

Why are the ashes blessed?

1. That all who receive them with a contrite heart may be preserved in soul and body.
2. That God may give them contrition, and pardon their sins.
3. That he may grant them all they humbly ask for, particularly the grace to do penance, and the reward promised to the truly penitent (Roman Missal).

Why are the faithful sprinkled with ashes?

The sprinkling with ashes was always a public sign of penance; as such, God enjoined it upon the Israelites (Jeremiah 25:34). David sprinkled ashes on his bread (Psalm 101:10). The Ninevites (Jonas 3:16), Judith (Judith 9:1), Mordecai (Esther 4:1), Job (62:6), and others, did penance in sack cloth and ashes.

How should we receive the blessed ashes?

1. According to the intention with which they are blessed and sprinkled upon the heads of the faithful.
2. In humility, remembering and confessing that we are dust and ashes, and that for our sins we shall return to ashes again.
3. To testify before God and man that we are willing to commence the holy season of Lent, and are not ashamed to follow Christ, doing penance publicly, and bearing the ashes on our foreheads. To show the spirit of penance and to move God to mercy, the Church, at the Introit of the Mass, uses the following words (Wisdom 11:24,25): “Thou hast mercy upon all, Lord, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made, overlook ing the sins of men for the sake of repentance, and sparing them, for thou art the Lord our God. Have mercy on me, God, for my soul trusteth in thee.” Glory be to the Father.

Prayer

Grant to thy faithful, O Lord, that they may begin the venerable solemnities of fasting with becoming piety, and perform them with undisturbed devotion, through Christ.

Epistle

(Joel 2:12-19) Thus saith the Lord: Be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning. And rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, patient and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil. Who knoweth but he will return, and forgive and leave a blessing behind him, sacrifice and libation to the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly Gather together the people, sanctify the church, assemble the ancient, gather together the little ones, and them that suck at the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth from his bed, and the bride out of her bride-chamber. Between the porch and the altar the priests, the Lord’s ministers, shall weep, and shall say: Spare, Lord, spare thy people, and give not thy inheritance to reproach, that the heathens should rule over them. Why should they say among the nations: Where is their God? The Lord hath been zealous for his land, and hath spared his people. And the Lord answered and said to his people: Behold I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and you shall be filled with them, and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations, saith the Lord Almighty.

Explanation

The prophet, in these words, calls upon the Israelites to be converted, reminding them of the great mercy of God, and exhorting them to join true repentance for their sins with their fasting and alms. They should all, without exception, do penance and implore the mercy of God, who would then forgive them, deliver them from their enemies, and bring peace and happiness upon them.

Gospel

(Saint Matthew 6:16-21) At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: When you fast, be not tea the hypocrites, sad. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret, will repay thee. Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.

How do hypocrites receive their reward?

They receive their reward from men, and have nothing else to expect, for only works done for eternity will be eternally rewarded. Such are those that are done for God’s sake, add with his assistance. The true Christian lives in God, and in truth; but to live with the world and for mere appearance, is contrary to the life of Christians. All those persons therefore are to be counted among hypocrites who observe the obligation of fasting merely in order not to be censured by men, and not to appear without faith or religion; so too are those who pretend to be sick that they may be dispensed from fasting.

What did Christ mean when he said, but thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy face?

To anoint the head and wash the face, were, in the East, the tokens of cleanliness and propriety. By these words, there fore, Jesus said as much as, “When you fast appear as usual, and do not make a show of your fasting, by your singularity.”

Why does Christ join contempt for earthly treasures with fasting?

To take away the miserable pretence of those who fast from avarice, and on account of the petty saving. “Let us fast,” says Saint Augustine, “that the savings may be deposited by the hands of the poor in the treasury of Jesus Christ, and not serve as a nourishment for our avarice. Where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.” Wherever that is which thou lovest best, there are thy desires, thy thoughts, thy works. Is thy treasure of the earth, thy desire will be of the earth also, and will perish with it. Is thy treasure in heaven, thy thoughts and works will be there also, and remain forever.

Meditation

Jesus goes with his disciples to Mount Olivet. Be thou also prepared for the combat.

Prayer of the Church over the People

We bow down before thy majesty, O Lord; look upon us in mercy, that, comforted by divine gifts, we may always be nourished by heavenly assistance. Amen.

– Goffine’s Devout Instructions

Prayer to End Abortion

Note: This prayer was written by Father Frank Pavone, National Director Priests for Life.

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,

And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,

Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.

Today I commit myself

Never to be silent,

Never to be passive,

Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,

And never to stop defending life

Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,

And our nation once again becomes

A nation with liberty and justice

Not just for some, but for all,

Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

When I Say No, I Mean 'No'

I recently made a post which you may read here, in which I explained why I would no longer be utilizing GoFundMe in an attempt to raise funds for my cataract surgery.

Now it seems that GoFundMe has deleted yet another campaign. This time for a Christian florist, Arlene’s Flowers, a Washington state flower shop that also faces a fine for refusing to provide flower arrangements for a gay couple’s wedding.

GoFundMe has also changed their terms of service (according to an article on TheWashington Post online) to now exclude “campaigns in defense of formal charges or claims of heinous crimes, violent, hateful, sexual or discriminatory acts”.

As GoFundMe has decided to exclude those Christians who have been persecuted by the elements that GoFundMe apparently fears, I have decided that I will not personally contribute to any fund raising efforts made by any group or individual that chooses to utilize GoFundMe.

If GoFundMe can exclude persecuted Christians, than this Christian will exclude GoFundMe as well.

Our Top Blog Posts of All Time

I thought that the readers of these blogs might be interested in the all-time top blog posts on all of my Faith of the Fathers Blogs. Below is a list of those posts. You may click each post’s title if you’d like to read them.

Favorite Prayers and Scripture

Prayer for a Mother who has died

May 13, 2006,

Views: 15441

Saint Quote of the Day

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha

Aug 28, 2005,

Views: 2838

Daily Catholic Mass Readings

Sunday Catholic Mass Readings For August 18, 2013

Aug 17, 2013,

Views: 1625

Faith of the Fathers Report

Atheist Group Files Lawsuit Against Display of WTC Cross at 9/11 Memorial - FoxNews.com

Jul 27, 2011,

Views: 558

The Pope And Church News

News Vatican Information Service 07/06-08/2013

Jul 8, 2013,

Views: 642

Saints of the Faith

Sister Josefa Menendez-Victim Soul

Mar 15, 2006,

Views: 6284

Faith of the Fathers

The Digital Catholic Bible

Aug 15, 2010,

Views: 862

Church Under Attack

Syria: Aleppo priest advises Christians to leave : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Apr 24, 2013,

Views: 610

Our Lady

Mary's Way Of The Cross - Fifteenth Station: Jesus is Raised from the Dead

Apr 4, 2007,

Views: 975

The Early Church Fathers

Saint Jerome: Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church

Sep 29, 2010,

Views: 1876

Apologetics

Why Do We Suffer? The Theological Answer of St Paul ~ Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor Marshall

Apr 22, 2012,

Views: 4131

Approved Apparitions

Our Lady of Kibeho

Mar 24, 2006,

Views: 17778

Thinking Too Highly of One's Own Righteousness

"The Pharisee and the Publican" -- by James Tissot

If there is one thing that I believe most people can't stand, it's "uppity people" who look down their noses at everyone. You know what I mean. I am talking about those people who are absolutely convinced that no one else is quite as good as them. At least that is they way in which they perceive themselves to be.

Very much like the Pharisees. they see themselves as "above" others, especially in a spiritual sense, and they believe themselves capable of judging just who is, and who is not Christian.

What they don't realize is, that by their judging of others, they tread not just on dangerous ground, but deadly ground. Jesus warned us not to judge others [Matthew 7:1], that we would be judged by the same criteria we use in judging our brothers and sisters [Matthew 7:2-3]

People make the mistake of thinking they can judge someone by how he or she looks, talks or dresses, and once again they fail to heed Jesus' warning about this as well [John 7:24] Jesus also told us we can't read the heart as God can [John 8:15], and that only He can truly judge [John 8:16].

Now when I talk about judging how someone dresses, I am not referring to those who are scantily clad, but those who's manner of dress may come from more modest means. I know of an instance of this.

This was in a church where one farmer attended every Sunday dressed in his bib overalls. Some of the people in that church complained to the pastor that the man was not dressed "good enough" to come before the Lord.

The pastor told them that he was grateful for a God who didn't look at how well they were dressed, but looked at how well they held Him in their hearts. He told them that because he knew how God looked at the heart, that he was sure that all those who held God in their hearts would be more than happy to come the next Sunday dressed in bib overalls, as he, the pastor would also do. God he said, isn't concerned with whether we attend in a $500 suit, or in bib overalls. He just wants His children to love and honor Him.

In essence, when ever you or I attempt to judge someone, we are calling them a fool for not being Christian in our eyes. We must not fail to heed the warning from Jesus about calling our brother or sister a fool [Matthew 5:22], for again we endanger ourselves.

If you or I get to the point of not just thinking, but believing that we are capable of judging another, then we have assigned ourselves the role of God, and we have also become like the pharisee who exalted himself above the publican and other sinners [Luke 18:10-14].

So, the bottom line is, do not fall into the trap of judging others.

Don't feel so smug, and satisfied in your perception of your own sanctity, that you believe you are capable of deciding who is, and who is not Christian. Only God can read the heart, certainly not you nor me.

Sudanese woman facing 'barbaric' death sentence for marrying a Christian will be FREED after U-turn from authorities | Mail Online

The following excerpts are from Daily Mail Online:

• A Sudanese woman facing down a death sentence for marrying a Christian will be freed, it has been reported.
• Meriam Ibrahim, who gave birth in prison this week, was sentenced to death for abandoning Islam, but is now set to be released in a matter of days.
• The news comes after huge international pressure was piled on the Sudanese authorities, with David Cameron, Hillary Clinton and the Archbishop of Canterbury all calling for the sentence to be dropped.
• Abdullahi Alazreg, an under-secretary at the foreign ministry, announced the decision to the BBC, saying that Sudan guaranteed religious freedom and was committed to protecting the woman.
• Mrs Ibrahim, 27, was thrown in jail in September and earlier this month was sentenced to death for apostasy and adultery for marrying Daniel Wani, a Christian Sudanese man with U.S. citizenship who lives in Manchester, New Hampshire.
• She was also sentenced to 100 lashes as the Sudanese court operating under strict Shariah law refused to recognize her 2011 marriage because her father was a Muslim.
• The judge ruled that even though Meriam’s father left her family when she was six and she was raised as a Christian, she should still worship Islam.
• Her Christian marriage was annulled and she was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery and death by hanging for renouncing Islam.

Read more by clicking below:
Sudanese woman facing 'barbaric' death sentence for marrying a Christian will be FREED after U-turn from authorities | Mail Online

International outrage grows for Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy | Fox News

The following excerpts are from FoxNews.com:

• International outrage is mounting over the death sentence a Sudanese judge ordered for the pregnant wife of an American citizen — all because she refuses to renounce her Christian faith.
• Meriam Ibrahim, 26, was sentenced Thursday after being convicted of apostasy. The court in Khartoum ruled that Ibrahim must give birth and nurse her baby before being executed, but must receive 100 lashes immediately after having her baby for adultery — for having relations with her Christian husband. Ibrahim, a physician and the daughter of a Christian mother and a Muslim father who abandoned the family as a child, could have spared herself death by hanging simply by renouncing her faith.
• "We gave you three days to recant but you insist on not returning to Islam," Judge Abbas Khalifa told Ibrahim, according to AFP. "I sentence you to be hanged to death."
• But Ibrahim held firm to her beliefs.
• “I was never a Muslim,” she answered. “I was raised a Christian from the start.”
• Ibrahim was raised in the Christian faith by her mother, an Orthodox Christian from Ethiopia. She is married to Daniel Wani, a Christian from southern Sudan who has U.S. citizenship, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more by clicking below:
International outrage grows for Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy | Fox News

Vatican's doctrinal official gives blunt warning to LCWR : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic World News:

• At a meeting with representatives of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith rebuked the group for giving a top award to a dissident theologian, and pointedly reminded the American women religious that the LCWR is “a canonical entity dependent on the Holy See,” and must comply with Vatican-mandated plans for reform.
• Cardinal Gerhard Müller said that the decision by the LCWR to confer its Outstanding Leadership Award on Sister Elizabeth Johnson, whose writings have drawn a caution from the US bishops’ committee on doctrine, can be “seen as a rather open provocation” in light of the Vatican’s call for reform of the American group.
• Under the terms of the reform ordered by the Vatican in 2012, Cardinal Müller reminded the LCWR, the speakers at LCWR meetings should be cleared by the Vatican’s delegate supervising the reform process, Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle. But Archbishop Sartain was informed about the award for Sister Johnson “only after the decision had been made,” the cardinal observed, in an apparent violation of the Vatican’s directives.

Read more by clicking below:
Vatican's doctrinal official gives blunt warning to LCWR : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Maltese bishop opposes 'melting' bodies as alternative to creation : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic World News:

• In Malta, Bishop Charles Scicluna has voiced his opposition to a proposal to “melt” human corpses, as an alternative to burial or cremation.
• “I don’t think that this is in line with the Church’s views on respecting the body,” said Bishop Scicluna, an auxiliary of the Malta diocese. He said that he would consult with others, noting that his opinion was not a formal ruling of the Church.
• The proposal under discussion would use a chemical process to remove tissue from human bones....

Read more by clicking below:
Maltese bishop opposes 'melting' bodies as alternative to creation : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

From The Dignitatis Humanae Institute: The abandoned Christians of Wenzhou: the Chinese Government steps up the intimidation

Note:The following is a press release from The Dignitatis Humanae Institute

Rome, 28 April 2014

Thousands of Chinese Christians have united in the city of Wenzhou to form a 24-hour human shield around the Sanjiang Christian Church, amidst threats from the Communist authorities to demolish the building. The three-story Church is one of ten places of worship to have been listed for demolition in the Zhejiang province, considered China's most Christian region. This is the second time in two weeks the Christians of Zhejiang have flocked to protect their Church from the machinations of the local Communist party.

Though attempts to close down Christian Churches are nothing new in China, the Sanjiang Church stands as an officially-sanctioned place of worship by the Communist government, and is, in theory, entitled to the legal protection of Article 36 of the Chinese constitution:

"Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion. The state protects normal religious activities."

In spite of a mounting campaign of intimidation and suppression, China's thriving Christian community is growing at an exuberant rate, with research from the University of Purdue foreseeing an estimated 247 million Christians living in China by 2030. Under the rule of Mao Zedong, China was declared an atheist state, and a campaign of violence was waged against the mere one million Christians that then lived in China. When the Cultural Revolution was brought to an end in 1976, a degree of tolerance began to take form. Nevertheless, heavy restrictions remain on Christian worship. Only the state-approved, state-monitored, state-restricted 'Three Self Patriotic Movement' is considered a legal form of Christianity, with non-conformist congregations and underground 'house Churches' subjected to brutal recriminations.

Speaking in support of the Christians defending Sanjiang Church, Luca Volontè, Chairman of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute said:

"All the lessons of history demonstrate to China the futility of forcing Christians to choose between faith and country. The Christian awakening of millions of Chinese citizens is not a form of political process but rather the peaceful desire to learn and to worship Our Lord. After bold statements from Western leaders - including David Cameron and Angela Merkel - on the duty to defend Christians from persecution, the international community cannot abandon the Christians of Whenzou to this very public campaign of coercion and suppression."

The Dignitatis Humanae Instituteaims to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.

Cardinal criticizes Catholic teachers’ union over gay pride parade participation : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• The Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association is sending a delegation to participate in the WorldPride 2014 Parade in Toronto—prompting criticism from Cardinal Thomas Collins.
• “I am always inspired by the thousands of Catholic teachers in classrooms throughout Ontario who know their Catholic faith, and whose faith shapes the loving way in which they care for their students, especially any who are facing personal struggles,” said the Toronto cardinal, as quoted by the Catholic Register.
• “OECTA, however, is not the Catholic teachers; it is a union,” he added. “Its competence is limited to collective bargaining, and the services any union provides to its members. When it goes beyond those areas, it can easily go wrong, as it has in the decision of the OECTA delegates to participate in this event.....

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Cardinal criticizes Catholic teachers’ union over gay pride parade participation : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

New poll underlines divisions among Catholics : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from CWN:

• A new survey of Catholics, conducted by the Spanish-language Univision network, has shown sharp differences among self-identified Catholics, and widespread dissent from Church teachings.
• The poll showed that Catholics in developing countries were more likely than their European and American counterparts to accept Church teachings on controversial issues such as homosexuality and contraception. The poll found, for example, that 99% of African respondents oppose same-sex marriage, while in the US only 40% do. Only 30% of the Catholics in Europe accept the Church teaching that women cannot be ordained to the priesthood, while in Africa 80% accept it.

Read more by clicking below:

New poll underlines divisions among Catholics : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

We must stand up for Middle East's persecuted Christians | Fox News

The following excerpts are from the Opinion section of FoxNews.com:

• Christianity began in the East, not the West, yet today Christians in the East are enduring an all-out-assault by Islamic terrorists, while Christians in the West live their lives largely oblivious to it all. This has to change.
• This is no imaginary persecution; in Syria alone there have been reports of kidnappings, Christian communities intentionally displaced by militants and, worst of all, shootings and beheadings of Christians who refused to convert to Islam. 
• In Egypt radicals have recently destroyed dozens of churches, and the once vibrant Christian population in Iraq has been decimated.
• Christians in the West should stand up for those in the East out of regard for all they have given us over these thousands of years, if for no other reason.

Read more by clicking below:

We must stand up for Middle East's persecuted Christians | Fox News

A True Personal Story

My mom, from a photo taken in 1993

This is just a personal story that I would like to share with all of you.

My mother, passed away in November of 1995, after a long 4 year battle with rectal/colon cancer. She was first diagnosed with this terrible disease in 1991. After what seemed like success against this disease, it reappeared in the spring of 1995, and became worse day by day. When my mother was told that there was nothing else the doctors could do, she asked that we get in touch with Howard Shockley, a Presbyterian minister whom we came to know during my dad's illness due to a malignant brain tumor. Howard himself had been diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was in his late teens, and he had promised God, that if He would heal him, he would go into the ministry. God heard his prayers, and Howard was healed.

So, my brothers and I contacted Howard, and being the good Christian man that he is, he came to visit my mother, and continued to do so on a regular basis, sometimes coming by as many as 5 days a week. On his first visit, he had decided that he was going to give my mother a Bible verse to memorize, and that he would give her a new one to memorize each week. That first, and as it turned out, only Bible verse, was from Philippians 4:13- "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me."

You would not believe the amount of faith my mother placed in that one verse. It became her all purpose verse, if one can claim such a thing for any one Bible verse. She placed so much faith in it, that Howard later said that it became a blessing for him, and he decided there was no need to bring her any others to learn.

One of the last times that she was in the hospital, she was having a very difficult time being helped in and out of bed. She had weakened to the point, that she did not have the strength to get up without help, and she experienced a good bit of pain from being gotten up, and then helped back into bed. She would be literally exhausted afterward. I was in her room, spending the day there with her, and she knew she they would soon be coming to help her out of the chair, and back into bed. She was dreading it, because she knew how tired it made her, and how much it hurt. She looked at me, and she said, "Steve, pray for me. Pray for God to help me. Ask Him to help me, so that it doesn't hurt, and so that I won't be worn out". So, I prayed, and as I prayed, my mother's eyes were closed, her hands stretched over her face, as she repeated over and over again, "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me". Just as we finished our prayer, they came to get her out of the chair, and into bed. They put a strap around her waist, to enable them to help her up. When the time to make the attempt came, she came up out of that chair as if it was nothing at all, and got into that bed with no pain or trouble at all. None! One of her nurses made a comment about how that time it had been so easy, and mom told the nurse, "it was because we prayed".

Just 3 weeks later, my mom had gone into a coma at home, and my two younger brothers, Mike and Randy, were staying at home with us. We would be taking mom to the Solace Center at Mountain Area Hospice the next day, and none of us was looking forward to it as you can imagine, because we all knew mom would be leaving home for the last time.

We had been sitting up talking, sitting up late, in fact. I guess we thought we could ward that time off , keep it from coming too quickly, if we stayed awake rather than sleep. Mike decided he wanted something to read, and he found a book, called “The Bible In My Everyday Life”. It had not been taken down off the bookshelf in many years.

Now, that old book had belonged to an aunt who had died at a very young age. It was written in 1932. She had used it somewhat like a Family Bible, recording births, deaths, and other events in it. Mike handed it to me to show me something that was written in it. After looking at what he wanted me to see, I noticed that in the back of the book, it listed every day of the year, and that it gave a Bible verse for each day. I looked at the Bible verse for each of our family's birthdays, and then decided to look at the verse for the next day, which was November 7. Do you know what that verse was? "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me".

Now, I was a little bit surprised to say the least. I showed it to Mike, and he had a total look of shock on his face as well. I now know, I should not have been surprised. I know that Mike being led to choose this book was no accident, even though some narrow minded people might think it purely coincidence, I know it was purely a blessing. For when we were at a point, when we were sure that all was lost, that it was just us alone, facing this hard time, God was telling us, "I am here. I have not forsaken you. I will be with you, and I will be with your mother".

So, no matter what happens to you, to your loved ones, or to anyone else that you know, remember, God is with us always in everything, and in every way. And remember this verse, "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me". I know He strengthened us.

Assyrian International News Agency: Christians in Middle East Deserve Better

The following excerpts are from Assyrian International News Agency (AINA.org):

• Since the so-called "Arab Spring," there has been a new Middle East Christian leadership that has emerged with policies that are more coherent, intellectual, and courageous in challenging the status quo and bringing into the open the plight of the Middle East Christians in their countries. This positive leadership has brought their various denominations together and has given new confidence to the local Christians in their countries because they all face similar challenges.
• The plight of the Middle East Christians has also brought The Vatican and Arab and Muslim leaders to the understanding that emptying the Middle East of Christians and the rise of religious fundamentalism does not bode well for their governments or religion, and have initiated national and international conferences in the Middle East and abroad.
• Even westernized Muslim leaders, such as Baroness Sayeeda Warsi (the British government minister for faith and the first Muslim member of British cabinet), called on western governments to do more to protect besieged Christian minorities across the world, particularly in the Holy Land where they are now seen as outsiders.....
• However, European and American leaders seem to have reversed roles regarding the preservation of Middle East Christianity, Christians, their rights, and their existence. While President Vladimir Putin is publicly demanding the safeguard of Syrian and Middle East Christians, the American government is seen as doing the opposite by cooperating with politically-religious-minded political groups, such as in Egypt, the Syrian opposition, or by turning a blind eye to Iraqi Christians' dilemma after invading Iraq.
• Pope Francis, like his predecessors, has been eloquent and outspoken regarding the Middle East Christians. Unfortunately, his message has been dimmed by the western press, who has been more interested in his "liberal" view than in his efforts to preserve the Middle East Christians....

Read more by clicking below:

Assyrian International News Agency: Christians in Middle East Deserve Better

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For December 2013

Vatican City, 29 November 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis' general prayer intention for December is: "That children who are victims of abandonment or violence may find the love and protection they need".

His mission intention is: "That Christians, enlightened by the Word incarnate, may prepare humanity for the Saviour's coming".

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

Warmer Rome-Moscow relations produce new talk of Pope- Patriarch 'summit meeting' : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill expressed high hopes for the future of relations between Moscow and Rome after a November 12 meeting with Milan’s Cardinal Angelo Scola.
• The Russian primate expressed his admiration for Pope Francis, and said that “never before have our churches had so many things in common.” He looked forward to a time when ‘our historical disagreements cease to play a critical role.”
• In Rome, meanwhile, after meeting with Pope Francis, Metropolitan Hilarion, the top ecumenical officer of the Moscow Patriarchate disclosed that negotiations have begun to arrange a meeting between the Pope and Patriarch Kirill “in a neutral country.”

Read more by clicking below:
Warmer Rome-Moscow relations produce new talk of Pope- Patriarch 'summit meeting' : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Confirmed: Putin to meet with Pope Francis : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from Catholic Culture's Catholic World News:

• The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month.
• The meeting will take place on November 25, although details are not yet in place and an exact time has not been set.

Read more by clicking below:
Confirmed: Putin to meet with Pope Francis : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Largest massacre of Christians in Syrian conflict : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

The following excerpts are from CatholicCulture's Catholic World News:

• Rebel forces massacred 45 Christians in the west-central Syrian town of Sadad, according to Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh.
• Islamist rebels entered the town on October 21; a week later, it was captured by government forces.
• “What happened in Sadad is the most serious and biggest massacre of Christians in Syria in the past two years and a half,” said the prelate, according to the Fides news service. “45 innocent civilians were martyred for no reason, and among them several women and children, many thrown into mass graves. Other civilians were threatened and terrorized. 30 were wounded and 10 are still missing.”

Read more by clicking below:

Largest massacre of Christians in Syrian conflict : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Catholic News Herald - Former Lutheran pastor converts to Catholicism - Catholic News from around the country and world

The following excerpts are from the Catholic News Herald of Charlotte, N.C. by reporter SueAnn Howell:

HENDERSONVILLE — Dr. Paul Cates is proof that you are never too old to follow your heart and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Cates, now in his 70s, is a doctor and former Lutheran pastor who is an avid reader and researcher. He and his son, Dr. Kirk Cates, are in practice together, working with patients who suffer from attention deficit disorder and learning disabilities.

Cates has also been active in homeschooling initiatives for more than 35 years and runs Faith Christian Ministries, where he is known as "homeschool's education doctor."

He will be the first to tell you that he's not one to shrug off the truth when it stares you in the face.

"I have been a pastor for 50-plus years. I have always believed in the Eucharist, that it is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ," Cates said. "I have always preached that and celebrated it as such."

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