Epiphany 2015 - The Real Message of the Three Kings Prayers around the World for Christian Unity More about your Guardian Angel Stop Press: First 2014 Christmas Crib Competition Winners
The message of
The visit of the nonJewish wise men flags up Christ’s role as the King of Kings, who came to save all nations and all peoples inclusively.
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atthew 2: 1-16
fter Jesus had been born, in Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east asking “Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.” When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem.
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He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him “At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.”
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The importance of the Three Kings
Epiphany Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words “Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.” Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold,
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frankincense and myrrh. But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way. After they had left, suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said “Get up, take the child and his mother with you, escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.” So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: I called my son out of Egypt.
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he Catechism says:
The Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as Messiah of Israel, Son of God and Savior of the world. The great feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee. In the magi, representatives of the neighboring pagan religions, the Gospel sees the first-fruits of the nations, who welcome the good news of salvation through the Incarnation. The magi’s coming to Jerusalem, in order to pay homage to the king of the Jews, shows that they seek in Israel, in the messianic light of the star of David, the one who will be king of the nations. Their coming means that pagans can discover Jesus and worship him as Son of God and Savior of the world only by turning towards the Jews and receiving from them the messianic promise as contained
in the Old Testament. The Epiphany shows that “the full number of the nations” now takes its “place in the family of the patriarchs”, and acquires Israelitica dignitas, that is, it is made “worthy of the heritage of Israel”. From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Para. 528
Notes on the artwork
Artist: Sandro Botticelli Date of painting: 1465-1467 Style: Early Renaissance Genre: religious painting Technique: tempera Material: panel Dimensions: 136 cm x 50 cm
The Adoration of the Magi was a common theme in Renaissance Florentine art. This painting was commissioned by a banker connected to the house of Medici, for a chapel at the Santa Maria Novella church. Botticelli painted many members of the Medici family into the scene. Botticelli also included a portrait of himself, in the bottom right corner of the painting.
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Apostolic Letter for ADVENT From Bishop Ralph
Christian Unity around the World
We needed a God
‘with skin on’!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,
By the time you hear or read this message the Advent season will be almost over and the anniversary of the coming of our God at the first Christmas, close at hand. As the feast approaches, I am taking this opportunity to offer a seasonal word and reflection with a story. It is a favourite story of mine so I may have shared it before. If so, I hope it bears repetition!
Prayers for
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It is the story of a young boy being put to bed by his mother. Like many young children the little boy was afraid of the dark. In an attempt to reassure the boy, the mother told him that the arm of God would be around him all night to protect him. The little boy replied, “Yes, I know, but tonight I need a God with skin on.” It often takes a child to reveal the truth to us. For the truth is that, from time to time, we all need “a God with skin on”. At difficult moments in life, in particular, we often seek some kind of reassurance that God is with us and that we have not been abandoned. It is a truth that God knows about us better than we know ourselves. The Good News that we celebrate year by year is that at first Christmas our God entered our world in a way that we can all see, hear and touch in the person of Jesus, his only son. “The Word became flesh, he lived among us and we saw his glory, the glory he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn1:14)
And why? For love – it is as simple as that! In his Christmas carol, still the most popular in Italy today, St Alphonsus describes the meaning and the mystery of the incarnation in these words: “Upon a little straw I see you lying; why suffer thus? Tis all for love of me!”
As you prepare to gather with family and friends on Christmas day another year is rapidly drawing to a close. For some it will have been a difficult year for a variety of reasons – an illness, loss of a job, a family bereavement. Others will be able to look back and feel that they can count their blessings. The message of the first Christmas is that there has been no experience during this last year when God has not been present. In your moments of joy and laughter – God was there. In your moments of sadness and loss – God was there. Our annual celebration the Christmas story is a reminder to us of God’s promise to the same next year. Such is our God’s commitment to be Emmanuel – our “God-with-us”. I wish you and those close to you peace and joy at Christmas and a New Year rich in blessings. You will be remembered with affection at mid-night Mass and Christmas morning in the cathedral here in Sheffield. Yours sincerely in Christ the Redeemer, †Ralph
Apostolic Administrator
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“Jesus said to her: ‘Give me to drink’”
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t least once a year, all round the World, Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (see John 17.21). Hearts are touched and Christians come together to pray for their unity. Congregations and parishes all over the world exchange preachers or arrange special ecumenical celebrations and prayer services. The event that touches off this special experience is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Traditionally the week of prayer is celebrated between 18-25 January, between the feasts of St Peter and St Paul. In the southern hemisphere, where January is a vacation time, churches often find other days to celebrate it, for example around Pentecost, which is also a symbolic date for unity. The theme for the week of prayer in 2015 comes from the gospel of John: “Jesus said to her: ‘Give me to drink’”. It was proposed by a group of Brazilian Christians called together by the National Council of Christian
Churches of Brazil (CONIC). “The biblical gesture of offering water to whomever arrives, as a way of welcoming and sharing, is something that is repeated in all regions of Brazil. The proposed study and meditation on the story, of Jesus meeting a Samaritan woman at the well, is to help people and communities to realize the dialogical dimension of the project of Jesus, which we call the Kingdom of God of the patriarchs”, and acquires Israelitica dignitas, that is, it is made “worthy of the heritage of Israel”. Pope Francis has very often spoken on the subject of interreligious dialogue, most recently he met with representatives of the world’s religions during a meeting at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican on December 2, 2014. The Holy Father joined them in a pledge to end human slavery by 2020, focusing on the tens of millions of people “in chains” due to human trafficking and forced labor. The Holy Father said: “The physical, economic,
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Unity Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue sexual and psychological exploitation of men and women, boys and girls, is chaining tens of millions of persons to inhumanity and humiliation,” the pope said and signed the pledge to do “all in our power, within our faith communities and beyond” to end modern slavery by 2020. But how should we give witness in a multi-religious world? Fortunately the Pontificial Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance came together and agreed guidelines for their members to follow.
Preamble
Mission belongs to the very being of the church. Proclaiming the word of God and witnessing to the world is essential for every Christian. At the same time, it is necessary to do so according to gospel principles, with full respect and love for all human beings. Aware of the tensions between people and communities of different religious convictions and the varied interpretations of
World Council of Churches
World Evangelical Alliance
Photo: The Week of Christian Prayer for Unity 2013.
Christian witness, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID), the World Council of Churches (WCC) and, at the invitation of the WCC, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), met during a period of 5 years to reflect and produce this document to serve as a set of recommendations for conduct on Christian witness around the world. This document does not intend to be a theological statement on mission but to address practical issues associated with Christian witness in a multireligious world. The purpose of this document is to encourage churches, church councils and mission agencies to reflect on their current practices and to use the recommendations in this document to prepare, where appropriate, their own guidelines for their witness and mission among those of different religions and among those who do not profess any particular religion. It is hoped that Christians across the world will study this document in the light of their own practices in witnessing to their faith in Christ, both by word and deed.
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Christian Unity around the World
Working towards
Unity
Pope Francis, who has often spoken about interreligious dialogue, with the world’s leading religious leaders during a meeting at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at the Vatican December 2, 2014.
A Basis for Christian Witness
For Christians, it is a privilege and joy to give an accounting for the hope that is within them, and to do so with gentleness and respect (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). Jesus Christ is the supreme witness (cf. John 18:37). Christian witness is always a sharing in his witness, which takes the form of proclamation of the kingdom, service to neighbour and the total gift of self, even if that act of giving leads to the cross. Just as the Father sent the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit, so believers are sent in mission to witness
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in word and action to the love of the triune God. T h e example and teaching of Jesus Christ, and of the early church, must be the guides for Christian mission. For two millennia Christians have sought to follow Christ’s way by sharing the good news of God’s kingdom (cf. Luke 4:1620). Christian witness in a pluralistic world includes engaging in dialogue with people of different religions and cultures (cf. Acts 17:22-28). In some contexts, living and proclaiming the gospel is difficult, hindered or even prohibited, yet Christians are commissioned by Christ to continue faithfully in solidarity with one another in their witness
to him (cf. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:44-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8). If Christians engage in inappropriate methods of exercising mission by resorting to deception and coercive means, they betray the gospel and may cause suffering to others. Such departures call for repentance and remind us of our need for God’s continuing grace (cf. Romans 3:23). Christians affirm that while it is their responsibility to witness to Christ, conversion is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:7-9; Acts 10:44-47). They recognize that the Spirit blows where the Spirit wills in ways over which no human being has control (cf. John 3:8).
Principles
Christians are called to adhere to the following principles as they seek to fulfil Christ’s commission in an appropriate manner, particularly within interreligious contexts. 1. Acting in God’s love.
Christians believe that God is the source of all love and, accordingly, in their witness they are called to live lives of love and to love their neighbour as themselves (cf. Matthew 22:3440; John 14:15). 2. Imitating Jesus Christ.
In all aspects of life, and especially in their witness, Christians are called to follow the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, sharing his love, giving glory and honour to God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 20:21-23).
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August 26-27, 2014, church leaders from all over the world join all German churches in Berlin to celebrate the third anniversary of the document addressing the conduct of Christian witness around the world as well as the adaption of it by Germany’s Christianity.
3. Christian virtues.
Christians are called to conduct themselves with integrity, charity, compassion and humility, and to overcome all arrogance, condescension and disparagement (cf. Galatians 5:22). 4. Acts of service and justice.
Christians are called to act justly and to love tenderly (cf. Micah 6:8). They are further called to serve others and in so doing to recognize Christ in the least of their sisters and brothers (cf. Matthew 25:45). Acts of service, such as providing education, health care, relief services and acts of justice and advocacy are an integral part of witnessing to the gospel. The exploitation of situations of poverty and need has no place in Christian outreach. Christians should denounce and refrain from offering all forms of allurements, including financial incentives and rewards, in their acts of service.
Recommendations
The Third Consultation organized by the World Council of Churches and the PCID of the Holy See in collaboration with the WEA and with participation from the largest Christian families of faith (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal), having acted in a spirit of ecumenical cooperation to prepare this document for consideration by churches, national and regional confessional bodies and mission organizations, and especially those working in interreligious contexts, recommends that these bodies: 1. Study the issues set out in this document and,
5. Discernment in ministries of healing.
As an integral part of their witness to the gospel, Christians exercise ministries of healing. They are called to exercise discernment as they carry out these ministries, fully respecting human dignity and ensuring that the vulnerability of people and their need for healing are not exploited. 6. Rejection of violence. Christians are called to reject all forms of violence, even psychological or social, including the abuse of power in their witness. They also reject violence, unjust discrimination or repression by any religious or secular authority, including the violation or destruction of places of worship, sacred symbols or texts.
7. Freedom of religion and belief.
Religious freedom including the right to publicly profess, practice, propagate and change one’s religion flows from the very dignity of the human person which is grounded in the creation of all human beings in the image and likeness of God (cf. Genesis 1:26). Thus, all where appropriate, formulate guidelines for conduct regarding Christian witness applicable to their particular contexts. Where possible this should be done ecumenically, and in consultation with representatives of other religions. 2. Build relationships of respect and trust with people of all religions, in particular at institutional levels between churches and other religious communities, engaging in on-going interreligious dialogue as part of their Christian commitment. In certain contexts, where years of tension and conflict have created deep suspicions and breaches of trust between and among communities,
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human beings have equal rights and responsibilities. Where any religion is instrumentalized for political ends, or where religious persecution occurs, Christians are called to engage in a prophetic witness denouncing such actions. 8. Mutual respect and solidarity.
Christians are called to commit themselves to work with all people in mutual respect, promoting together justice, peace and the common good. Interreligious cooperation is an essential dimension of such commitment. 9. Respect for all people.
Christians recognize that the gospel both challenges and enriches cultures. Even when the gospel challenges certain aspects of cultures, Christians are called to respect all people. Christians are also called to discern elements in their own cultures that are challenged by the gospel.
interreligious dialogue can provide new opportunities for resolving conflicts, restoring justice, healing of memories, reconciliation and peacebuilding. 3. Encourage Christians to strengthen their own religious identity and faith while deepening their knowledge and understanding of different religions, and to do so also taking into account the perspectives of the adherents of those religions. Christians should avoid misrepresenting the beliefs and practices of people of different religions. 4. Cooperate with other religious communities engaging in interreligious advocacy towards justice and the common good and, wherever possible,
10. Renouncing false witness.
Christians are to speak sincerely and respectfully; they are to listen in order to learn about and understand others’ beliefs and practices, and are encouraged to acknowledge and appreciate what is true and good in them. Any comment or critical approach should be made in a spirit of mutual respect, making sure not to bear false witness concerning other religions. 11. Ensuring personal discernment.
Christians are to acknowledge that changing one’s religion is a decisive step that must be accompanied by sufficient time for adequate reflection and preparation, through a process ensuring full personal freedom.
12. Building interreligious relationships.
Christians should continue to build relationships of respect and trust with people of different religions so as to facilitate deeper mutual understanding, reconciliation and cooperation for the common good. standing together in solidarity with people who are in situations of conflict. 5. Call on their governments to ensure that freedom of religion is properly and comprehensively respected, recognizing that in many countries, religious institutions and persons are inhibited from exercising their mission. 6. Pray for their neighbours and their well-being, recognizing that prayer is integral to who we
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Christian Unity around the World
Prayers for unity in
A service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be held on Sunday, January 25th, at 4pm in Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Toronto (above).
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oronto is the fifth largest city in North America and more construction takes place in Toronto than in any other city in all of North America. It is very cosmopolitan. Fiftyone percent of Torontonians were not born in Canada and Chinese is the second language. Italian is likely the third. There are hundreds of churches representing most of the various Christian traditions. Many of these parishes cater to one ethnic group or another. As a matter of fact, Mass is said in 38 languages in Toronto, where there are more different languages than in any other city in the world! In conversation with Fr.
Damian MacPherson, the Chairman of Ecumenism and Inter-Faith Relations in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, I understand that a good spirit exists among the various traditions and that helpful cooperation exists among them also. The Toronto Ministerial (similar to the Clergy Fraternal in Gibraltar) meets regularly. Moreover, there is a renewed interest in Christian Unity on the part of the Canadian Council of Churches. Several weeks ago, the Canadian Council of Churches observed its 70th Anniversary at the Roman Catholic Retreat Centre in our suburban City of Mississauga. It was well attended
Toronto
by the 25 member Christian traditions. This is the largest representation of traditions of any Council of Churches in the world! Guest speakers included Archbishop Simard, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Valleyfield, Québec; Dr. Hamilton, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches; Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, CSB, Bishop of R.C. Diocese of London, Ontario; The Very Rev’d Cyprian Hutcheon, Orthodox, and the Rev’d Stephen Kendall, Presbyterian. Each year, of course, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed and one of the larger churches hosts an Ecumenical Service. That service is being hosted on Sunday, January 25th, at 4pm in Yorkminster Park Baptist Church by Dr. Paul Watson, a Minister of the United Church of Canada. Throughout this city of approximately 5 million people, many churches cooperate in various social outreach programs which provide counselling, food, fellowship, medics, foot clinics, and Bible study. For some, it is a weekly event and for others, it is daily. This service is provided
regardless of one’s religious view point. Among other things, St James’ Cathedral, (Anglican/Episcopal), of which I am an Honorary Assistant Priest, has hosted three magnificent, ten day exhibitions. The first of these three recent ones was an amazing display of Christmas Cribs; it was exhibited at the Cathedral and in the Royal York Hotel. However, it was much more than that, it was a conference and it was followed by a splendid ecumenical service in the Cathedral. The second one was an impressive exhibition of vestments. The last one was a representative exhibition of Canadian Military Chaplaincy material, including correspondence, pictures, vestments, uniforms, and medals. In total, upwards of 20,000 people have attended these. They have come from various provinces and territories of Canada, states of the United States, and 11 other countries. In addition to this, many churches and other buildings of interest throughout the Province of Ontario, take part in an event called Open Doors. This takes place annually on a Saturday
continued from previous page are and what we do, as well as to Christ’s mission.
Background to the Document
1. In today’s world there is increasing collaboration among Christians and between Christians and followers of different religions. The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) of the Holy See and the World Council of Churches’ Programme on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation (WCC-IRDC) have a history of such collaboration. This document is a result of their work together. There are increasing interreligious tensions in the world today, including violence and the loss of
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“…that they might all be one, even as my Father and I are one…’’
Oftentimes, whether in private or in offering the intercessions at the Eucharist, I pray that there might be greater understanding, respect, and cooperation among the various religions of the world AND among the various Christian traditions. With respect to presiding at the Eucharist, I always include prayers for Colin, (our Archbishop of Toronto), Fred, (our Primate), Justin, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch, Francis, the Bishop of Rome, and all other Christian leaders. God Bless, Fr William Watson + Precentor of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and Port Chaplain, Gibraltar October 2004, to January 2010.
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and Sunday towards the end of May. These churches offer tours, lectures about the organ, stained glass windows, bells, artefacts, vestments, or whatever else. Countless thousands of people participate each year. For example, just over 4000 people visited St James’ over that two day period last May. Several weeks ago, St James’ hosted a liturgy and discussion in honour of the 50th Vatican Decree on Ecumenism. Cardinal Collins, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Toronto, was among the many clergy taking part. Each of these events and programs, among others, is an attempt to help Christians answer our Lord’s heartfelt prayer,
We invite applications for funding from anyone who wishes to launch an evangelistic initiative or who needs support for an existing Christian missionary activity. Please write to: The Chairman, Christian Mission Trust, 4 South Pavilion Road, Gibraltar.
human life. Politics, economics and other factors play a role in these tensions. Christians too are sometimes involved in these conflicts, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, either as those who are persecuted or as those participating in violence. In response to this, the PCID and IRDC decided to address the issues involved in a joint process towards producing shared recommendations for conduct on Christian witness. The WCC-IRDC invited the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA)
to participate in this process, and they have gladly done so. Initially two consultations were held: the first, in Lariano, Italy, from 12 to 18 May 2006, was entitled “Assessing the Reality” where representatives of different religions shared their views and experiences on the question of conversion. A statement from the consultation reads, in part, “We affirm that, while everyone has a right to invite others to an understanding of their faith, it should not be exercised by violating others’
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rights and religious sensibilities. Freedom of religion enjoins upon all of us the equally nonnegotiable responsibility to respect faiths other than our own, and never to denigrate, vilify or misrepresent them for the purpose of affirming superiority of our faith.” The second, an inter-Christian consultation, was held in Toulouse, France, from 8 to 12 August 2007, to reflect on these same issues. Questions on Family and Community, Respect for Others, Economy, Marketing and Competition, and Violence
and Politics were thoroughly discussed. The pastoral and missionary issues around these topics became the background for theological reflection and for the principles developed in this document. Each issue is important in its own right and deserves more attention that can be given in these recommendations.
The participants of the third (inter-Christian) consultation met in Bangkok, Thailand, from 25 to 28 January 2011 and finalized this document.
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Earlier this year there were over 30 graduates from the 2012 & 2013 Women of Grace Foundational Study Courses, and from those graduates, a few ladies offered to become facilitators for new groups shown above, the ladies are in Gibraltar, La Linea, Pueblo Nuevo, Mexico and California. New courses will be starting in September 2015, places are limited, contact Monique Risso on Mobile 56001313 if interested.
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The Day
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the ‘Fear not, I am the Angel of Peace, pray with me.’
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he was old now. Frail, deaf and blind, for years she had calmly awaited the hour the Blessed Virgin would call her home, to be reunited with her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco, in Heaven. She was the last of the three ‘pastorinhos’, the little shepherds who had witnessed the most astounding and stunning events in Fatima, Portugal, between May 13th and October 13th, 1917. Born Lucia dos Santos in 1907, she had spent the last twenty eight years of her extraordinary life as Sister Maria Lucia of the Immaculate Heart, a Carmelite
nun in Coimbra. The call came on Sunday 13th February 2005, when she was almost ninety eight years old. Portugal staged a state funeral for this once simple shepherdess. The youngest of seven brothers and sisters, she had been known in their village of Aljusteral in Portugal, as a cheerful child with a lively intelligence, popular with the other children. She was the eldest of her cousins, Jacinta and Francesco, and at the time of the apparitions they were aged, respectively, 10, 7 & 9. Very tender years indeed for these children, who, without much education, tended their parents flocks of sheep daily. In 1917 the world was sickened by war and violence, Portugal struggled under a yoke of turmoil. Economic failure, disorder and anarchy had become every day occurrences. The revolution of 1910 had deposed the ruling
monarch, and a republic had been proclaimed. The Church had been banned; all convents, monasteries and religious orders were suppressed.
It was Portugal’s darkest hour.
Many Portuguese people saw this devastation was only worsening, they found recourse in a Rosary Crusade Movement to save their country. The times were indeed evil, but the future outlook was perceived to be an even more sombre one. Their prayers were answered when one fine Spring morning, in 1916, the first event occurred. As usual, the three children had taken their flocks to Chousa Velha, a grazing field. There they played whilst the flocks grazed happily. Without warning, a light whiter than snow appeared and a voice told the startled children “Fear not, I am the angel of Peace, pray with me”. He appeared to them three times and this surely was a sigh that God had heard the anguished
cries of the Portuguese people. He appeared three times and they prayed together. In 1917, Fatima was a ‘no place’ place, an obscure village about seventy miles north of Lisbon, where daily life was concerned with shepherding and agriculture. It was a hard life, with little time given to children’s schooling, but praying and devotions were instilled in everyone. The hamlet of Aljusteral, where the children were born, is only 1km away, and nearby is Loco de Cabeco, a rocky outcrop where the angel appeared. On the day of the 13th May 1917, near midday, the children had pastured their flocks in a hollow called Cova de Iria (Irene’s Cove), on land belonging to Lucia’s father. Here they were about to witness events that would rock Portugal, and the world, for all time. Thinking it was going to rain, the children began to seek cover under an oak tree. Just above the tree they saw a beautiful Lady made of light. “I come from
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Fatima: the back story Heaven,” she told the astonished children “do not be afraid”. As they stood rooted in silent awe, she exhorted them to pray the Rosary everyday, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war. It had begun; six months of unprecedented events unfolded. The apparition told the three children to return to the same place, and meet with her on the 13th day of every month for six months. She promised that on the last visit, October 13th, a sign would be given. However, as the word spread that Our Lady had appeared to the children, the following six months were ones of upheaval and turmoil. Now, children is the operative word here surely, they were young, innocent, without guile. Just three of many, living similar lives of hardship at that time in Portugal. Probably, their simple lives of poverty made them receptive to pray for peace, whereas older people, downtrodden and care laden, might not be so motivated. Francisco Marto, nine years old when the apparitions began, was in robust good health. Yet, he, of the three, could not hear the verbal exchanges between his two companions and the apparition, though he is said to have seen everything. Lucia told him the Lady had said he would go to heaven soon. Like any nine year old he showed little interest in attending classes and would play truant, with a difference it must be said. He would spend his time in prayer. His health broke in the influenza pandemic following the war; he died on the 4th of April 1919. Lucia’s memoirs record “he flew away to heaven in the arms of our heavenly mother”. His sister Jacinta was seven
Anne Mesilio years old at the time of the apparitions. What a tender young age indeed. She is said to have loved dancing, where even in prison, crushed and abandoned, she danced and led the other prisoners in saying the Rosary. She heard and saw all that took place during the apparitions, but never spoke. As a child she suffered dreadfully with exhausting interrogations and insults. Somehow she remained cheerful throughout, “If only I could place in the hearts of everyone the fire which I have in my heart which makes me love the heart of Mary so much”. She too would die in the influenza outbreak after much suffering. Finally, on the night of February 20th, 1920, she was taken to join her brother. Together with Francisco they are buried in the great Basilica of Our lady of Fatima. The children suffered not only the disbelief of their friends, families and neighbours, they were ostracised, ridiculed, insulted, thrown in prison, and threatened with being boiled, one by one in a vat of boiling oil. Their parents must have been distraught and helpless, their suffering on behalf of their children unimaginable to us. The parish priest of Fatima actually called Lucia ‘a little instrument of the devil’, so great was his chagrin. The clergy, police and other must have been suffering terrible fear and jealousy. Why would Our lady appear to three poor and simple children with little education? They were innocents, living a frugal life in isolation from the rest of Portugal, let alone the rest of the world, which was reeling under the brutality of World War one. These three children of that
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time stood steadfast in their belief that it was Our Lady, ‘more brilliant than the sun’ who had appeared to them, and it
was to be with the sun that she would give the promised sign on October 13th 1917. To be continued next month.
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When Mary met Elisabeth: Painting in the church of El Sitio, Suchitoto, El Salvador
Editorial selected by Dr. Monique Risso
Marriage after
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JENNIFER FULWILER talks to LORI MAZZURANA
I recently had the pleasure of getting to know Lori Mazzurana, the marketing consultant for the John Paul II Life Center here in Austin. As part of a conversation discussing the many benefits of NaPro Technology for treating infertility, Lori mentioned that she was interested in this technology because she got married when she was over 40 and hoped to have a family. I
had a great discussion with her about her experience being single longer than she’d hoped to be, as well as the benefits of marrying later in life. When my single friends caught wind of this they wanted to hear all of her insights, so I suggested that we do an interview for me to post (one of the many dangers of starting up a conversation with a blogger). Our correspondence is below:
Tell us a bit about your life before you were married. What did you do? Did you always know you were called to the married life? I was a marketing and advertising professional within the U.S. Hispanic market and tourism fields, the later one which involved quite a bit of traveling. In my 20’s I overvalued having a career and probably missed out on potential relationships. I always felt called to be married and having children, having grown up in a Catholic family with four other siblings and being around many other large Catholic families.
How did you and your husband meet? Paul and I met through the Catholic church. I was hosting a share group at my home and some mutual friends of ours encouraged Paul, an introverted guy, who was attending another Catholic church, to join our group. I was thirty six and he was thirty one years old. We were friends for years before I realized that Paul was a “prince” - a devoted, upright and strong faith-filled man and our relationship was becoming more than friends. It also took many years for me to whittle down the “list of requirements for a
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husband” to realize that Paul was the one. God was pruning me. What was your experience as a single woman in your 30’s? In my thirties, I had reevaluated the importance of my career and God brought me to a Catholic church in Austin, Texas with a very vibrant and faith-seeking young adult group. Of course, I was looking for a husband like all the other single women in the group. It was a wholesome environment where I made longlife friends, but finding the right one within the church group was not happening. During all my thirties I prayed constantly for a husband, and dated a guy who was not a Christian believer for a couple of years. We had to end that relationship because my heart so deeply wanted a faith partner in life. You mentioned that you benefited from NaPro technology when you were trying to have children. Tell us about that. Paul and I started doing NFP as soon as we got married in 2000; I had just turned fortyone. I had warned him before we got married that I may not be able to conceive children and that we needed to start trying right away since my biological clock was ticking. We went to many OB/GYN’s who offered to start me on fertility drugs and treatments, but dismissed seeing my NFP chart. We finally found a wonderful OB/GYN who practiced NaPro Technology. We had one early miscarriage and between him and our NFP counselor, they determined that I needed extra progesterone to help with the implantation of the embryo. This was what helped our pregnancies along and we
now have two beautiful boys that are ages 10 and 8. What are some of the benefits to getting married later in life? The benefits to getting married later in life are numerous. The first one is realizing that my vocation as a wife involves doing everything I can to help Paul get to Heaven, which may not be in sync with the priorities of the world. Secondly, is being more mature to know what relationships are important to cultivate as friends for ourselves, the family and children; and which relationships to stay away from. Thirdly, having more wisdom and conviction to raise children with orthodox Catholic beliefs in this world of relativism. What would you say to women in their 30’s, 40’s, and beyond who feel called to the married life but who haven’t met their spouse yet? Persevere in steadfast prayer. And open yourself to where God may be calling you to changing your requirements in a mate. Some of these requirements were based on worldly values, for example having a husband who was taller than myself and who enjoyed an active social life. I had to let go of some of these and as our marriage has progressed I have seen how fleeting these worldly requirements were in the first place. A big thanks to Lori for taking the time to chat with me! You can follow the great work that she and everyone else are doing at the John Paul II Life Center by visiting their website www. jpiilifecenter.org First published by the National Catholic Register http://www. ncregister.com
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Angels The existence of angels is a dogma of faith, and the existence of guardian angels is clear from Holy Scripture and tradition.
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t. Thomas (Summa Theologica I:108), following St Denis (De Coelesti Hierarchia, VI, VII), divides the angels into three hierarchies, each of which contains three orders. Their proximity to the Supreme Being serves as the basis of this division. In the first hierarchy he places the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones; in the second, the Dominations, Virtues and Powers; in the third, the Principalities, Archangels and Angels. The only scriptural names furnished of individual angels are Raphael, Michael and Gabriel - names which signify their respective attributes. Guardian angels, according to Thomas Aquinas, are from the lowest rank of angels. St. Thomas affirmed that every man receives a guardian angel in his
Summa Theologica (First Part, Question 113) and he provides irrefutable arguments why this must be so. It was the common teaching in his time and no doctor ever questioned it since the thirteenth century. The Scriptures give us no indication of the precise time of the creation of angels; their existence is assumed at the earliest times. The belief in guardian angels has been taught implicitly in Scripture, in both the Old and New Testament. Besides personal guardian angels, all of Israel was thought to have a guardian angel, as is seen in Exodus 23:20-23. Your guardian angel is yours alone. Early letters by St Ambrose: “We should pray to the angels who are given to us as guardians” (De Viduis, IX). That every individual soul has a guardian
angel has never been defined by the Church, and is, consequently, not an article of faith; but it is the ‘mind of the Church’, as St. Jerome expressed it: “The dignity of a soul is so great, that each has a guardian angel from its birth” (Comm. in Matt., XVIII, lib. II). The New Testament quotes this passage, and tells us that mankind – including the Lord Jesus Himself – was made a little lower than the angels, “for the suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9). Angels do not die, but men and women do. Even Jesus, the Son of God, was a mortal man, but has now received the glory and honour which was His due when, as He said after His resurrection “all power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). ANGELIC CHOIRS
seems to indicate that children have an angel ready to help anytime there is a need for one. The Bible gives us many references on the guardian angels, for example, Gen. 19:11 “And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness”; 1 Kings 19:5 “An angel touched him, and said unto him, ‘Arise and eat’”; Ps. 91:11 “He will give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone”; Continued on page 18
Jesus tells us that children have their own guardian angels “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in Heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in Heaven” (Matthew 18:10). This verse
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‘Horror Scopes’
why we should avoid them PART TWO
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ASTROLOGY
Your Horoscope and the New Age Trap. Part 2:
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glance into the ‘harmless’ pastime of reading your ‘stars’.
“Disaster will come upon you, and none of your magic can stop it…” (Isaiah 47.10-15). In nearly every newspaper printed today you will find a section on your horoscope. Here are a few single line sales quotes from one page I noticed: “Astrology gives incredible insight into one’s personality.” “Predictions and suggestions accorded by astrologers often turn out relevant to your life.” “Crucial determinant of your astrological fate happens to be your astrology sign.” Let me throw another quote in here, “…even the hairs of your head are all numbered…” (Luke 12:7). Mammon anyone?
Without getting into a philosophical or theological debate about it, the choice that we have to make is a simple one.
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Do I put my life into the hands of fate as proffered by astrologers and pagan worshipers, or do I live in the heart of a Father God who knows me so intimately and loves me so completely that he has count of every hair of my head? The answer, as Christians, is one or the other, it cannot be both, we must choose. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). The simple meaning of “Mammon” (the word used in the Ignatius Catholic Edition Bible) is basically “money”, but in its purest form which is derived from Mishnaic Hebrew (mmôn) its meaning is joined with money and translates as “that in which one trusts”, to be more real about it, worldliness. In what then or in whom do I put my trust for my everyday life? One of the first discoveries I made about my future was to find out that God has a very specific plan for my life “I alone know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for…” (Jeremiah 29:11). So, do I put my trust in fate, which is a fully worldly notion, and check out what’s in the stars, innocent though that may seem, or do I hand over my whole being to God and say, “Jesus I trust in You”. We must choose. The Trap
If God has a personal plan for you then you can bet your bottom tarot card that Satan has one for you also. One of his traits is mixing a bit of truth, to reel you in, with some lies to steer you onto the rocks. Reading your horoscope is a small but disastrous step on to the downward ladder of the occult. Once you take that step of your own free will, you
personally give permission to whatever demonic spirits that are assigned to that task by Satan to attach themselves to you. You increase their power and influence over your life in direct relation to the level of interest or belief you have, in what your “reading” may say and in the action it directs you to take. This influence of your new demonic accomplices increases as you make your horoscope part of each day. You buy the paper just to read your stars! You phone up your friends to discuss your stars. You listen to a particular radio program all about your stars and spread it around and so on and on it goes. Understand that before long you will be checking your stars every time you see a magazine. You begin actually looking for things to take place that were written and convince yourself that half-truths are whole truths. By now it’s becoming a kind of addiction. You will find more and more of similarly influenced people coming into your circle of acquaintance. These will lead you deeper into your search for more and still more “knowledge” about your life path and your future through the occult, fortune telling, tarot cards, séances, psychics, mediums, etc. The list goes on and bit by bit your trust in God drains quietly from your heart. All the while your guardian angel, whom you have disempowered by freely choosing a dark path, valiantly tries to get your attention. People alter the course of God’s plan for them… “should I marry him/ her?… what do my stars say? … should we have a baby?… what do my stars say?… will I take that job?… what do the tarot cards say?… will I cut that family member out of my life?… what did the fortune teller say…??? It gets more and more invasive, destructive and quietly addictive until you are in a bit of a mess, and not just practically either. While your interest in your horoscope and other occult pastimes increases, so your trust in God continues to fade and your spirit grows weak. How sad that His amazing plan for your precious life will be diminished by all of this “harmless” New
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Age “enlightenment” which is fuelling our endless search for answers to life’s problems, for peace, security and health, love, career, resolving relationships, lifestyle, money…. It is all ultimately based on false hopes and promises, all of it, and you are now so enticed by the bait that you don’t even see that the trap is about to close on you with a bang. Collateral damage!
I have heard testimonies from so many people who get themselves tied into all of this and then wonder why their marriage began to fail, their children became unruly, aggressive and confrontational, they lost their job suddenly, they stopped going to Mass, occasionally at first then less and less, they fell out with a parent or sibling, the expensive holiday was a disaster and their health became affected and everything fell apart… piece by piece. Well, they opened the door and invited these demonic presences into their life and now it’s a train-wreck! That is the reality of it! There is no room
here for semantics or platitudes. This is the reality of it today. What do I do?
Let me ask a simple question, why do we need to consult anything when Jesus has said to us “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). Why would we need to consult anything at all when we have the amazing promises of the Divine Mercy devotion and the Holy Rosary? There is, however, ONE thing you MUST do now if you are or have been involved with any astrological or other psychic practice, yes, even deciding to look up your star
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sign only one time. You must first renounce it all to the Lord, speak to a Roman Catholic priest, make your confession about it and get absolution and deliverance. The reason is simple enough to understand if we consider the first commandment and its full meaning. The First Commandment warns us not to accept a religion or philosophy that teaches that our life and well-being originate with or depend on anything other than the one true God. There is no other source of life or blessings but God. There is no other power that rules over the heavens and the earth… “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’S your God, the earth also, with all that therein is” (Deuteronomy 10:14). He alone created and sustains the universe in which we exist. This is the First Commandment’s powerful message. We are to worship and serve our Creator and miracle working God who led ancient Israel out of Egyptian bondage, and probably from the pagan worship of their god Horus too (see part 1) and to credit our existence and blessings
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to no other source. We are to love, respect and honour Him and to have a genuine personal relationship with Him. “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2-3, King James Bible). What does God say about it all?
God speaks very clearly on this subject and about its dangers, so let’s just pause here for a moment now, and see what the Lord, through His prophet Isaiah, has to say about this seemingly harmless practice. “Disaster will come upon you, and none of your magic can stop it... Keep all your magic spells and charms, you have used them since you were young…You are powerless in spite of the advice you get. Let your astrologers come forward and save you, those people who study the stars, who map out the zones of the heavens and tell you month to month what is going to happen to you. They will be like bits of straw, and a
fire will burn them up! They will not even be able to save themselves... those astrologers, you consulted all your life” (Isaiah 47:10-15). God “abhors” this occult practice while all the New Age proponents herald it as the way to “spiritual” enlightenment. The choice however is ours to make, but my hope for this article is that we may be a bit more “enlightened”, in the best Godly sense of the word of course, and perhaps it may even steer a soul or two away from the rocks of the disaster which is astrology and into the calm peaceful waters of the heart of the Lord. Your horoscope?… just like the mousetrap… and you’re sitting quietly as you nibble at the edges of the bait. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Terry Harley, Craig Lodge, Dalmally, Scotland. First published in ‘The Angels: Messengers of a Loving God’
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continued from page 15 Dan. 3:28 “Who hath sent an angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him”; Dan. 6:22 “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not hurt me”; Acts 5:19 “But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them out, and said...”; Acts 12;11 “And when Peter was come to himself, he said, ‘Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.’” Note in particular, that angels are sent forth to minister to them that shall inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14) also that Michael is the patron angel of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1). In Matt. 28:5-7 “And the angel answered and said unto the women, ‘Fear not ye; for I know that ye seek Jesus, who hath been crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said. Come,
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see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples, He is risen from the dead; and lo, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him; lo, I have told you’”; Acts 8:26 “But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, ‘arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza’”; Acts 27:23,24 “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve, saying, ‘Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God hath granted thee all them that sail with thee.’” In Hebrews it says that believers have a guardian angel “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Also Scripture reminds us that we do not always know when we have seen an angel because of this other passage, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” (Hebrews 13:2). The conversion of a sinner gives great joy to their guardian angel and indeed to all the angels. Our guardian angel encourages us to thank God for the many humiliations we receive daily, however it is most difficult if we have pride. Guardian angels can help to serve as guides in this world. It is much easier, however, if we cooperate with the guardian
angel. We often struggle in our sin, only to be further trapped. We should take advantage of all that God provides for us and call on our guardian angel and St Michael the Archangel, often throughout the day, for help and assistance. These guardian angels do not lose any of the joy they have in beatitude. Guardian angels are spirits, and they have no sense of emotion. Even if their trust is lost they rejoice in the justice of God. They feel no sorrow and certainly no shame for the final fall of their charge. No guardian angel ‘fails’, they all do a good job. When the last guardian angel is sent by God, that will be to protect the last man created by God. We can learn from the saints, many of whom had wonderful relationships with their guardian angels. Padre Pio had an especially tender love and devotion for his guardian angel. From the time that he was five years old, he was able to see and converse with his guardian angel. In his childlike simplicity, he assumed that everyone had the same experience. Enjoying an intimate friendship with his guardian angel, Padre Pio referred to him as the “companion of my childhood.” The loving relationship continued throughout Padre Pio’s life. For Padre Pio, his angel was his support, his protector, his
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teacher, his brother, and his friend. At times, Padre Pio’s guardian angel acted as his secretary as well as his heavenly “postman” carrying messages to his spiritual children. Padre Pio’s guardian angel awakened him in the morning, and together they would join in prayer and praise to God. Padre Pio wrote to Father Agostino “Again at night when I close my eyes, the veil is lifted and I see Paradise open up before me; and gladdened by this vision I sleep with a smile of sweet beatitude on my lips and a perfectly tranquil countenance, waiting for the little companion of my childhood to come to waken me, so that we may sing together the morning praises to the Beloved of our hearts” (Ltr’s) The Feast of the Guardian Angels is a Catholic festival celebrated annually on October 2nd. Paul V was the first Pope, in 1608, to authorise a feast day in honour of guardian angels. Pope Clement X changed the date to 2 October and Pope Leo XIII, in 1883, upgraded the date to a double major feast. In an address to American pilgrims on 3rd October 1958, Pope Pius XII spoke eloquently of the holy angels and said,
“The angels are glorious, pure and splendid. They have been given to us as companions along the way of life. They have the task of watching over you all, so that you do not stray away from Christ, your Lord.” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI used his Sunday Angelus address to remind Christians to call upon their guardian angel for help throughout life. “Dear friends, the Lord is always near and active in human history, and follows us with the unique presence of His angels, that today the Church venerates as ‘Guardian,’ in other words those who minister God’s care for every man” the former Pope told pilgrims gathered in Rome’s St Peter’s Square, 2nd October 2011. Our guardian angel will always be delighted for us to call on him often for help, assistance and protection. From ‘Nine Choirs of Angels’ First published in The Angels, Messengers of Loving God. Vol 4, Issue 2, 2013. Prepared by Noreen Bavister, England. Fr Peter Prusakiewicz CSMA is the Editor of The Angels messengers from a loving God magazine.
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