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Click on your choice of articles below
ON THE
WAY TO
CALVARY
For the Lenten Way of the Cross, click on either the graphics Daily Way of the Cross or the text-only Daily Way of the Cross or the Meditative Lessons on the Way to Calvary
DAILY LITURGY
Today is the Fifth Wednesday of Lent while tomorrow we celebrate the joyous  Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. For the readings, liturgies and meditations, click on DAILY LITURGY.
PRAYER & DEVOTIONS
Below is the second of several increments of the Prayer for Spiritual Renewal during Lent from the Treasury of Novenas booklet:
God, Heavenly Father, without You we can do nothing. By Your Spirit help us to know what is right and to be eager in doing Your will. Teach us to find new life through penance. Keep us from sin, and help us live by Your commandment of love.
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282 and counting,
hoping and praying...
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The DAILY WORD"If you abide in My Word, you shall be My disciples indeed, and you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free." John 8: 31
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Coming
Tomorrow:
The next installment of Forming Disciples for the Third Millennium by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap. in MITERS THAT MATTER
Third installment of Chapter Nine of "IT IS CONSUMMATED!"
A layman's perspective on the Church today in Pat Ludwa's VIEW FROM THE PEW
Time Capsules in Church History with MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES focusing on March 25th.
Messages 459 and 460 in "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."
DAILY LITURGY for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and the Fifth Friday of Lent.
Words of wisdom from Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in SIMPLY SHEEN
Daily Dose of Church tidbits laid out on the CATHOLIC CANVAS
...and much more in our 59th issue for 1999!
 For additional religious and secular headlines from around the world, we refer you to our new up-to-the-minute NEWS ticker billboard by clicking on the ARROW
To review past articles in textonly format, click on Archives.
To read the front page graphics versions click on the desired Year below
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 A home grown Friar keeps the Franciscan connection strong  in Ecuador through the fruits of Cardinal Bernardino Ruiz Echeverria, OFM
Today we feature our thirty-fifth red hat in alphabetical order. He is the 87 year-old Cardinal Bernardino Ruiz Echevveria, OFM of Ecuador who is the Archbishop emeritus of Guayaquil and former Apostolic administrator of Ibarra. For more on Ecuador's only cardinal appointed by Pope John Paul II in the Consistory of November 26, 1994, click on COLLEGE OF CARDINALS COLLECTION
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TODAY'S
HEADLINES:
Italy pushes for face-to-face meeting between Zemin and Pope this week, but Vatican leery
Papal Trip to Israel not set in stone afterall, few things needed to be worked out - like peace pact
Portugal shows its gratitude to Brazil with symbolic presentation of cross images from 500 years ago
Armenia could be on papal docket for visiting later this year
These headlines and more are featured in today's NEWS & VIEWS below.
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Enlightened in Ecuador
 High in the cold and rainy Andes Mountains of Ecuador, the Blessed Mother reportedly appeared in the remote farming village of El Cajas to a former model named Patricia Talbot whom her countrymen affectionately referred to as "Paci". Here, like in her messages to Father Don Stefano Gobbi, Our Lady spoke of the pivotal next ten years and the fact "the third world war is near." For the first installment of the "Ecstasy of Ecuador", click on THE AGE OF MARIAN APPARITIONS
 
You must want forgiveness in order to receive it
That was a lesson that went above the head of Judas Iscariot as we see a vivid description of the betrayer in the depths of inner turmoil and despair. All the while, Jesus and His Blessed Mother continue to pray incessantly that this lost apostle will return to his Master asking forgiveness which would come forth in torrents of love if only Judas realized it. But he is too far gone, too stubborn, too controlled by the evil one to understand the scope of God's love and forgiveness. It brings home an important point that wanting to be forgiven is the first step toward reconciliation. Without that, man will fall into the depths of despair just as Judas found himself in as we see in part two of Lesson 9 THE ISCARIOT IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE BETRAYAL . These meditative lessons, imparted by Our Lady to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart during Lent of 1993, are meant to inspire and prompt a greater understanding of the season of Lent in helping us all prepare for His Passion and Death, and ultimately the glorious Resurrection. For part two of Lesson 9, click on "IT IS CONSUMMATED!"
Quality is better than quantity
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".
"Honesty of intention, purity and sincerity of motives, the cheerfulness with which we address ourselves to our work, all count more before God than the amount of work that we do."
Medjugorje Monthly Message for FEBRUARY 25th
Dear children! Also today I am with you in a special way contemplating and living the passion of Jesus in my heart. Little children, open your hearts and give me everything that is in them: joys, sorrows and each, even the smallest, pain, that I may offer them to Jesus; so that with His immeasurable love, He may burn and transform your sorrows into the joy of His resurrection. That is why, I now call you in a special way, little children, for your hearts to open to prayer, so that through prayer you may become friends of Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.
For more on Medjugorje, click on MEDJUGORJE AND MORE
 " I solemnly tell you all that keeps the Father's Justice from striking is the Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ."
In the Blessed Mother's 457th and 458th Messages to the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart on January 10, 1984, Our Lady implores her children to call upon her Divine Son Jesus' Mercy available to all in torrents of grace. She laments that so few take advantage of this phenomenal opportunity and she warns that if we don't act now, tomorrow could be too late. She invokes the importance of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and reiterates the need for the contemplative, cloistered Order first asked by Christ to Blessed Faustina which became a reality fifteen months after this message was imparted. For these two Messages on Mercy, click on "I SOLEMNLY TELL YOU..."
 WORLDWIDE
NEWS & VIEWSwith a Catholic slant
provided by
Catholic World News Service
and Noticias Eclesiales Church News
HEADLINES:
Italy tries to cajole China into changing mind and meet with Pope, but Vatican wary of great wall China builds to hide human rights violations
 Despite Chinese President Jiang Zemin's insistence he would not meet with the Holy Father or Vatican officials during his five day stay in Rome, Italian officials are working overtime trying to convince him the time is ripe to do so. Meanwhile the Vatican is very wary of China's intent in the face of numerous human rights violations and feels the Chinese demands are a smokescreen to cover up their violations including the unfair imprisonment of two Catholic bishops. For more, click on China's wall of deception.
On again, off again papal trip to Israel still not set in stone according to Cardinal Etchegaray
  Despite the announcement Monday by the Israeli Board of Tourism director, the Vatican would not not deny nor confirm that the Papal Trip next march is definitely set. Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, President of the Committee for the Grand Jubilee of the Holy Year 2000 would only say it is a very good possibility but that a lasting peace pact between Israel and Palestine is essential for the welfare of all. For more, click on Papal Trip to the Holy Land.
Portugal to celebrate 500 years of evangelization in Brazil with presentation of several images of first cross used in Brazilian Mass in 1499.
  
The Portuguese Bishops Conference will inaugurate tomorrow a special ceremony that will designate sixteen images of the cross originally used in the first Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Brazil five-hundred years ago. After meeting in Braga, Portugal tomorrow they will transport the images first to Rome for the Holy Father to bless before distributing them to sixteen Brazilian sees in honor of the sesquitennial celebration. For more, click on Brazil at 500.
Armenia could be on Papal Itinerary later this year
 It seems this year and next the Holy See's focus is definitely on the mid-east, Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia and this became more evident Tuesday when the Vatican confirmed that the Holy Father is considering a visit to Armenia in Asia Minor north of Iraq. Great strides have developed between the Vatican and the Armenian Church which had been in schism from the mid fifth century until just over two years ago when the Pope received Armenian Apostolic Patriarch Catholicos Karekin I and the two signed an historic pact ending the schism. Karekin along with the president of Armenia have both submitted formal invitations to the Holy Father. For more, see Armenia papal trip
For more headlines and articles, we suggest you go to the Catholic World News site at the
CWN home page and Church News at Noticias Eclesiales Both CWN and NE are not affiliated with the Daily CATHOLIC but provides this service via e-mail to the Daily CATHOLIC Monday through Friday.
Events in Church History
On this date in 1455, Pope Nicholas V passed on to his Heavenly reward. As the 208th successor of Peter, this Pope founded the Vatican Library as well as began construction on the magnificent basilica of St. Peter's in Rome as it stands today. Of course, his original design was altered considerably by the many pontiffs and Renaissance masters that came after him, specifically Michelangelo. For other pertinent events throughout the centuries that are memorable in Church history today, click on MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
Daily Dose of curious contents of the Church:
The Armenian Rite
 With the announcement of the Pope possibly traveling to Armenia later this year, the question comes up as to what is the Armenian Rite. Used by the Armenian Catholic Church, it leans heavily on the Syriac language, Byzantine and ancient Armenian with some reference to Jerusalem as well as a Latin influence from the middle ages. You might say it is a "Heinz 57" variety regarding its liturgy which is what the Mass is called. The latter is composed of five parts: 1. preparatory prayers in the sacristy prior;
2. Preparatory prayers in the choir area;
3. Preparation of the gifts at the altar of preparation;
4. the Mass of the Catechumens; and
5. the Mass of the Faithful. Like the Byzantine rite, the celebrant goes to the altar beyond the people, hidden from view by a partition. There are over 350,000 who belong to the Armenian Patriarchate in Armenia and in Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraz, Egypt, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Germany and Argentina. There is also the Apostolic Exarchate in the US, and Ordinariates in Greece, Romania and Eastern Europe who belong to this Eastern Catholic Church now fully in accord with Rome. In 300 the Armenian Church embraced Monophysitism in 300 A.D. and 150 some years later the Church, at the Council of Chalcedon (4th Ecumenical Council) called by Pope Saint Leo the Great in 451, condemned this as heresy promoted by Eutychian that claimed Christ had only one nature - divine. Though some within the Armenian Rite repented of their errors, most of the Armenian Church stuck with it and thus separated from Rome. Throughout the centuries there was partial reconciliation but never full compliance with all Rome asked until recently. The Armenian Church remained monophysitists well into this century when finally a reconciliation was made and they were brought back into the good graces of Rome through the pact signed by Pope John Paul II and Armenian Patriarch Catholicos Karekin I. For more details on this we strongly recommend New Advent Catholic Supersite on the history of Armenia and the Armenian Rite. (sources: Catholic Encyclopedia, Thomas Nelson Publishers; 1999 Catholic Almanac, Our Sunday Visitor).
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