Holy Father diffuses doom and gloom
"To the temptation of those who imagine apocalyptic scenes of the Kingdom of God breaking out, and those who close their eyes, heavy with the sleep of indifference, Christ offers the coming, without clamor, of new Heavens and the new earth. Such a coming is similar to the hidden but dynamic germinating of the seed in the earth."
That was the heart of Pope John Paul II's General Papal Audience this past Wednesday in Paul VI Hall as reported by the ZENIT News Agency. Speaking to 4,000 people in the Paul VI Auditorium, CWN also reported that the Pope conveyed the Christian outlook of expressing their hope and trust in God by working actively within "the structures of secular life." They must never be guilty of either
indifference or "fatalist visions," he said. Those, he explained, are the two
temptations that result from "doubt of the presence of God." He also syllogized that,
"If nothing can be changed, hope makes no sense. Yet
the virtue of hope is one of the direct lines that connect man to God. So the
Christian believer should always bear in mind that "God always cares for
him, and leads him step by step, inviting him to collaborate in the quest for
truth, justice, and peace in the world."
For his weekly catechetical message, see THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS
 
Third Day of Special Nine Day Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes
Today is the Third Day of the Nine Day Novena in preparation for Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette that this year is superseded by the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. See LOURDES NOVENA
  
From Prisoner to Prince of the Church
Vietnames Cardinal-designate Van Thuân equates scarlet biretta to meaning of martydom in brief interview
Vietnamese Archbishop François Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân's life might well be summarized by the phrase, "from a Communist prison to a prince of the Church."
In 1975, Pope Paul VI appointed him coadjutor bishop of Saigon. The Communist government described his appointment as a plot and imprisoned him three months later. He remained incarcerated for the next 13 years, nine of which were in solitary confinement.
Once released, Bishop Van Thuân was obliged to leave Vietnam, where he has been unable to return, not even to visit his elderly mother. Today as archbishop he is president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
For more, see News from the Holy See
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After meeting with Catholic Bishops, there's no doubt as to Bush's Pro Life Stance from "off-the-record" remarks
They say you are judged by the company you keep and this past Wednesday evening President George W. Bush was in good company, meeting with Cardinal-designate Edward Egan of New York, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap, the bright issue-impact young orthodox prelate of Denver who is fast becoming a leader in the Church in America, and Archbishop John Favalora of Miami, along with other Catholic leaders. Bush indicated, off the record, that he is very much for ending abortions and that the mindset of the nation needs to change. It begins with the heart and until the "anti" is removed and there is more "pro" there will not be order both moral and natural. "See, this faith-based initiative really ties into a larger cultural issue that we are working on," Bush remarked to the prelates. "Take the life issue," he said. "This issue requires a president and an administration leading our nation to understand the importance of life. When you're talking about welcoming people of faith to help people who are disadvantaged, ... the next logical step is also those babies." For more, see USA News
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Another abortionist to face trial for murder in the womb
Slowly, but surely the tone is changing. More courts are beginning to realize the severity of abortion, the consequences of taking a life - the fact that it is murder. The most recent was revealed in Detroit that a Michigan Court of Appeals says a former southeast
Michigan abortion practitioner can be criminally prosecuted for performing
a late-term abortion in 1994 and falsifying medical documents.
The Court of Appeals
said Michigan law may be applied in cases where the unborn child is
believed to have been viable outside of the womb and the abortion was not
needed to protect the life or health of the woman. For more, see Pro Life News
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Cubans: si, Castro: no!
Catholic Cuban Magazine points blame at government for not heeding Pope's proposals
In assessing the advances made three years after the Holy Father's historic visit to Cuba, the editor of the Diocesan magazine in Havana has sharply criticized Fidel Castro and his government for suppressing the promises agreed to and for failing to follow up on what the Pope asked for the faithful of this tiny island subjected to the hammer and sickle for so many decades without hope or advancement.
The cause of the present marginalization of the Church is rooted in the program of the 1959 Castro revolution, based on the Soviet model, one that has proven it doesn't work. For more, see Universal News
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For More Daily News, we recommend the following available news sources:
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All the above News Agencies are not affiliated with the DAILY CATHOLIC, but the DAILY CATHOLIC provides this service to keep our readers up-to-date with what's truly happening in our world, especially considering all the misinformation the secular media circulates.
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Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
The Sunday Liturgy today focuses on Christ's calling His first disciples, choosing the fishermen James, John and Simon Peter and entreating them to be "fishers of men." Tomorrow we commemorate the marytred virgin Saint Agatha. For more on today and tomorrow's Liturgy, see Daily LITURGY
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Green vestments
SUNDAY February 4:
FIFTH SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
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First Reading: Isaiah 6: 1-8
Psalms: Psalm 138: 1-5, 7-8
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
Gospel Reading: Luke 5: 1-11
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Mark 5: 8-11
"But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying , 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish they had made; and so were also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, 'Do not be afraid; henceforth thou shalt catch men.' And when they had brought their boats to land, they left all and followed Him."
The ugly duckling became a beautiful swan in the Heavenly pond
On this date in 1505, Saint Joan of Valois passed to her Heavenly reward. The physical fact that she was hunch-backed and ugly did not hinder a political marriage, at the age of 9, to Louis, the Duke of Orleans. Though she remained a virgin, she loved her husband but never bedded with him. When Louis appealed to Pope Alexander VI, the notorious pontiff who kept courtiers, for an annulment, Joan did not stand in his way but saw it as an opportunity to become a religious. After time in seclusion she received help from a Franciscan friar to found a contemplative, cloistered order of nuns with the specific purpose of praying for reconciliation for all our enemies and those who did not share the faith. She suffered from a life-long affliction of deformity that caused many to shudder and shun her, but she always expressed kindness and charity, as well as forgiveness for their ignorance and shallowness. She was living proof that beauty indeed is skin-deep for her heart and soul radiated with a beauty that was out of this world. She was canonized in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. For other Time Capsule events that happened Today in Church history, see Daily TIME CAPSULES in Church History
As virtuous landlords we can make a difference
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".
"Evil is not a robber that breaks into our house; it is a tenant to whom the house has been rented. But, on the contrary, if we keep our hearts clean and God-like on the inside, we will change our environment."
Monthly Medjugorje Message for January 2001
NOTE: We respectfully recognize and accept the final authority regarding apparitions, locutions and prophecies presently being reported around the world rests with the Holy See of Rome and the Magisterium of Holy Mother Church to whose judjment we humbly and obediently submit.
For Our Lady's January 25th message for 2001 and more on Medjugorje, see MEDJUGORJE AND MORE
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February 4, 2001 volume 12, no. 35
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