January 5: Front Page (index.htm)

For best view, decrease font on your web browser 'til double lines below line up horizontally. Netscape works best.

volume 9, no. 3
MONDAY
January 5, 1998

Final day of the Twelve Days of Christmas
Today we complete the Twelfth Day of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" and resume our full docket of features, articles and columns that were on hiatus during Christmas and New Year's week.
The verses of the popular Christmas carol "Twelve Days of Christmas" were, in actuality, a mini-catechism in code for Catholics who were not allowed to practice their faith openly during the time after the Reformation up to the French Revolution. The "True Love" refers to God the Father and each gift is truly a Divine Gift that helped Catholics persevere and perpetuate the tenets of the One, True Faith in the face of great harassment.

Monday, January 5 "On the twelfth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming."

The twelve drummers drumming represented the Twelve Points of Belief in the APOSTLES' CREED It's interesting that Catholics chose drummers for their symbolism for to keep reminding each other of the twelve points of the solid creed known as the Apostles' Creed for this was their profession of faith and there was a constant need to keep hammering home this point or should we say "bang the drum" so fellow Catholics would get the "beat" and get into a rhythm of their religion, encouraged by all Jesus promised and professed in the Creed.

We list all twelve below for the sake of review:

Following is a review of the first eight days of Christmas:

2 two turtle doves =

3 three French hens = FAITH, HOPE & CHARITY

4 Four calling birds = Four Gospels

5 Five golden rings = Five Decades of the Rosary

6 Six geese a-laying = Six Days of Creation

7 Seven swans a-swimming = Seven Sacraments and Gifts

8 Eight maids a-milking = Eight Beatitudes

9 Nine ladies dancing = Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

10 Ten lords a-leaping = Ten Commandments

11 Eleven pipers piping =

12 Twelve drummers drumming = Document of the Apostles' Creed

PROVERB OF THE DAY"A mild answer calms wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15: 1

The 40 hour adoration saint remembered on every campus Today is the feast of Saint John Neumann who is chiefly responsible for bringing Forty Hour Adoration to the United States and establishing the parochial school system at the diocesan level. He is remembered on college campuses everywhere with the Neumann Centers where Catholic students can find an oasis of the faith in the midst of the secular world. Click on LITURGY OF THE DAY

The Church provides answers in a secular world animated gifs courtesy of EWTN

We follow up last month's six-week series on the Instructions to the Laity from the Holy See with a look back at the Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici on the role the laity must play. We begin our first installment of this series, expertly analyzed by Dr. Joseph Bagiackas with the first five of Twenty Questions the laity might ask. Click on THE VICAR OF CHRIST SPEAKS

Jubilee 2000 celebrates the Year of the Holy Spirit The author of Jubilee 2000

Countdown to Official Vatican logo for Jubilee

Golden Chalice Award Jubilee 2000 website logo We begin the Year of the Spirit in the countdown toward the millennium and Jubilee 2000 by reviewing a site dedicated to Jubilee 2000.Click on SIGNIFICANT SITE OF THE WEEK

Remedies for clearing the blockage caused by "Spiritual Cholesterol" Fr. Stephen Valenta, OFM Conv.

We resume our columns this week with Father Stephen Valenta, OFM Conv. and his advice on being better prepared to pray with and from the heart. Today he gives us the cure for eradicating the "spiritual cholesterol" that blocks our ability to pray with all our heart. Click on HEARTS TO HEART TALK

January 5, 1998

Feast of Saint John Neumann

March 28, 1811 - January 5, 1860

WORLDWIDEBR> NEWS
& VIEWS
with a Catholic slant HEADLINES:

Holy Father's Annual New Year's Address stresses Peace and recognition of Family world-wide

Marking the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, Pope John Paul II tied the fact that peace can only be obtained through Jesus Christ. He asked all nations to heed the rights of families and to answer the plights of the less fortunate, calling on world powers to forgive debts to third world countries.Click on New Year to read more.

Media getting snub from Castro, may snub Papal visit as a result

Frustrated with the U.S. restrictions regarding Cuba and price gouging communist dictator Fidel Castro is imposing on U.S. media in preparation of the Holy Father's visit in a few weeks, media network big wigs are complaining outloud and, if they don't get their way they may pass up covering the papal visit. Click on Networks to read more.

Cartoon is not funny to Cardinal and American-Irish descendants

Boston's Cardinal Bernard Law spoke out strongly against an Irish-bashing cartoon which appeared in the Boston Globe a few days ago, demanding an apology. Boston is heavily Irish and Law cited the descendants' long history of struggle with prejudice with this most recent attack setting back progress. Click on Irish-bashing to read more.

Acknowledgment:

To subscribe to Catholic World News Service, available daily by e-mail, click on the CWN icon .

PRAYERS & DEVOTION

Special Prayer to Holy Spirit by Fr. Stephen Valenta
Dear Holy Spirit, please help me to ask for the help which my soul needs most. I do wish to pray with the heart and yet I know that I am offering resistance to you. I ask you sincerely to work on my soul together with Your Spouse, the Virgin Mother, and make of it a place wherein You will feel comfortable to do Your sanctifying work.
Father Stephen Valenta, OFM Conv.

Medjugorje Monthly Message for December 25th

The Gospa Dear children! Also today I rejoice with you and I call you to the good. I desire that each of you reflect and carry peace in your heart and say: I want God in the first place in my life. In this way, little children, each of you will become holy. Little children, tell everyone, I want the good for you and he will respond with the good and, little children, good will come to dwell in the heart of each man. Little children, tonight I bring to you the good of my Son Who gave His life to save you. That is why, little children, rejoice and extend your hands to Jesus Who is only good. Thank you for having responded to my call!

For more on Medjugorje, Click on MEDJUGORJE

To review past articles in text, click on Archives. To read the graphics version of the November issues, click on NOVEMBER ISSUES

To read the graphics version of the December issues, click on

DECEMBER ISSUES

To read the graphics version of the January issues, click on

JANUARY ISSUES

Coming
TUESDAY: Our series on The History of the Mass and Holy Mother Church resumes

THE HIDDEN WAY

Father John Hampsch, C.M.F. resumes his weekly column

Liturgy of the Day

...and much more in our fourth issue for 1998!

To print out today's entire issue in TEXT ONLY, click on the printer icon. To print text of this page Click here

January 5, 1998 volume 9, no. 3
Front Page

January 1998