 
Party Now or Party Later?
The real Mardi Gras of eternity awaits those who are willing to be martyrs, those who are willing to seek sanctity
In her inspirational column today, Cyndi Cain decries the secular excess of the "mardi gras" mindset and points out that the real party begins in Heaven. It's a reverse of the earthly emphasis where the partying comes first, and then the fast. To attain Heaven we must place priority on the latter in order to gain admittance to the greatest party ever - one that will last forever. To be invited, we must seek to be saints here on earth; not an easy task, but one which is possible because of the saints who went before us and the blueprint Holy Mother Church provides in the Sacraments and graces so abundant to those who seek this sure ticket to success. It doesn't come cheaply, there is a great price to pay in self-sacrifice, but the rewards are beyond comprehension. For her column There are more Saints than you think! see SYMPHONY OF SUFFERING
Let's cast out the Mardi Gras beads and pick up the priceless beads of salvation!
In our commentary today, we share what's ahead for Lent. Beginning tomorrow with our new Java look where you'll discover that the Rosary Beads at the top of the Front Page of each issue will turn into the porthole of your choice. Try it above in the graphic of the six beads in this section. Move your mouse over the first bead and you'll notice the color background changes. Then move it over the far right bead and you'll see the porthole for today's issue. It is a look we have been striving to convey where the Rosary with each Hail Mary is your portal to greater grace and so vital to keeping the Faith. It is a devotion we should all embrace and Lent is the ideal time to take up the beads that truly are our everlasting ticket to priceless Heavenly treasures. While those pursuing the world, the flesh and the devil clamor to horde beads for prurient purposes at Mardi Gras, realize you have a set of beads on you that will conquer anything the forces of evil can sling at us and you don't have to bare your chest, but rather your heart to God. That is the really skinny we need to understand on Fat Tuesday. For our editorial We're better off with Mary's beads! see CATHOLIC PewPOINT
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Holy Father entreats in his Angelus importance of emulating new Cardinals as he announces he will call them all back to Rome in May for an extraordinary Consistory to dialogue on the role of Pope and Bishops
Just a few days after his Eighth Consistory of the elevation of 44 new Cardinals, Pope John Paul II announced at his Sunday Angelus that he's calling another Consistory in May. While it is convene the College of Cardinals to discuss various measures the Holy Father wants to implement as introduced in his end of the Jubilee Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Inuente, no one is putting it past this wise and often-times unpredictable Pontiff to elevate even more Cardinals. The current conclave stands at 134 eligible to vote and many believe he is striving to raise it to 150, which would entail at least 16 more red-hats. While not probable, it is very possible. For the Holy Father's plans and his Sunday Angelus Address, see News from ROME
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Hope springs eternal as survey reveals Catholic youth are very hopeful for the future because of their Faith.
Former ambassador to the Vatican Ray Flynn recalls the Pope telling him on the plane trip back to Rome from Denver in 1993 that "the Church is in good hands. The youth will do fine. Their Faith is strong." That has been reaffirmed in a recent survey taken by a University of Kansas professor in which Catholic students expressed much more optimistic hopes for the future than non-Catholic students. For more, see USA News
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Supreme Court hands pro-aborts another blow by refusing to hear case
South Carolina abortuaries' appeal turned away
Could it be the Supreme Court Justices see the handwriting on the wall? Could it be that they are gaging the barometer of America and that more Americans than not are fed up with the butchering going on in the Holocaust in the Womb? Whatever it is, the highest court in the land turned away a South Carolina abortion mill's appeal that seeks to challenge stricter medical and safety standards imposed by the state. Their main argument was the biggest joke of all: basing their argument on the Constitution and the equality of all! For more, see Pro Life News
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New Syrian Patriarch appointed to replace Cardinal Daoud
Syria has elected a new patriarch to replace His Beatitude Ignace Moussa I Daoud who was elevated to the cardinalate last week and will become the new President of the Pontifical Council for Oriental Churches. In his place the new patriarch will be His Beatitude Ignace Pierre VIII. He will welcome the Holy Father when he travels to Syria in May as an extension of last year's "Jubilee Journey" - with this year the Pope hoping to retrace the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. He is still hoping to be able to travel to Athens. For more, see Universal News
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For more Daily News, we recommend sources we rely on. For these news agencies, see News Sources
Weekday in Ordinary Time on Shrove Tuesday
After today say goodbye to Ordinary Time until June 4th. Tomorrow we begin Lent with Ash Wednesday and it is a day of abstinence which means anyone from 14 to 69 must abstain from meat. While this used to be the norm for all Fridays, there are only two days where fast and abstinence are mandatory. One is Good Friday, the other tomorrow. For today and tomorrow's liturgies, see Daily LITURGY
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Green vestments
TUESDAY February 27:
Shrove Tuesday - Weekday in Ordinary Time
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First Reading: Sirach 35: 1-12
Psalms: Psalm 50: 5-8, 14, 23
Gospel Reading: Mark 10: 28-31
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"But many who are first now will be last, and many who are last now will be first."
Mark 10: 31
A holy mother gives birth to a son destined for greatness
On this date roughly 1,721 years ago around 280 A.D. Saint Helena gave birth to a son whom she and her husband named Constantine. As we know, he would go on to become "Constantine the Great" after experiencing a Paul-like conversion at the sign in the sky - "In hoc signo vinces" which would result in his liberating Christians, proclaiming it the state religion of the Roman empire and contributing much to furthering the faith throughout the vast empire after three centuries of persecutions. His holy mother is also greatly remembered for discovering the true cross of Christ. For other Time Capsule events that happened Today in Church history, see Daily TIME CAPSULES in Church History
Why self-denial is so vital for all who follow Christ
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".
"If pain and suffering were insoluble, the Heavenly Father would never have fitted into the pattern of His Divine Son. The lesson is that perfection is attained through work, sacrifice, and self-denial. Sometimes it is self-imposed, and at other times imposed by others; then it becomes necessary to patiently bear the Cross in love of Him Who died for us."
Monthly Medjugorje Message for February 2001
"Dear children! This is a time of grace. That is why pray, pray, pray until you comprehend God’s love for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
For Our Lady's February 25th message for 2001 and more on Medjugorje, see MEDJUGORJE AND MORE
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February 27, 2001 volume 12, no. 58
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