CATHOLIC CHURCH MAKES 2,000 YEAR HISTORY!

Are you a saint?

        Mother Teresa gave a surprising answer to a reporter’s question? A news reporter, in a seemingly attempt to embarrass Mother Teresa, asked her:

“Sister, do you consider yourself a saint?”

        Mother Teresa, without a moment’s hesitation answered:

 “Isn’t that what God has called all of us to be?”

        I presume that put an end to this brash reporter’s Q & A!

        This weekend the Church celebrated a very significant event. On Sunday, April 27^th  (at 9:30 am Rome time) the Church recognized and elevated to the title of sainthood two former Popes – and equally unusual is that never before in the 2,000 year history of the Church have there been two popes canonized on the same day and with two living popes present.

        The Catholic Church teaches that all people in heaven are saints, but some are officially declared “canonized,” or recognized as having lived lives of heroic Christian virtue and are worthy of emulating their lives. At a time when society presents to us and our children very few, if any, heroes or genuine role models – these two new saints certainly come at a advantageous time.

St. John XXXIII

        St. John XXXIII had a vision to share with us, a vision of “Peace on Earth” which projected a world where peace would be achieved by governments dedicated to the fulfillment of human rights. St. John XXIII’s vision of peace was not “an impossible dream,” his peacemaking initiatives gave substance to the design for a more peaceful world. St. John was a man of great courage who met many challenges to his leadership as pope, especially when he called for the beginning of the Second Vatican Council.

ST. JOHN XXIII WAS A MAN OF HUMOR.

        Here's a look at some of this saint's funny quips:

         Visiting a hospital he asked a boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. The boy said either a policeman or a pope. "I would go in for the police if I were you," the Holy Father said. "Anyone can become a pope, look at me!"

         "It often happens that I wake up at night and begin to think about the serious problems afflicting the world and I tell myself, I must talk to the pope about it. Then the next day when I wake up I remember that I am the pope."

         In reply to a reporter who asked, "How many people work in the Vatican?” he reportedly said: "About half of them."

        When a cardinal complained that a rise in Vatican salaries meant a particular usher earned as much as the cardinal, the pope remarked: "That usher has 10 children; I hope the cardinal doesn't."

        When he went to visit a friend at the nearby Hospital of the Holy Spirit in the evening, the nun answering the door said: "Holy Father, I'm the mother superior of the Holy Spirit." He replied: "Lucky you! What a job! I'm just the 'servant of the servants of God.'"

         Not long after he was elected pope, Blessed John was walking in the streets of Rome. A woman passed him and said to her friend, "My God, he's so fat!" Overhearing what she said, he turned around and replied, "Madame, I trust you understand that the papal conclave is not exactly a beauty contest."

         He once wrote: "There are three ways to face ruin: women, gambling and farming. My father chose the most boring one."

        When he was cardinal and patriarch of Venice, the future pope was talking with a wealthy city resident and told him, "You and I have one thing in common: money. You have a lot and I have nothing at all. The difference is I don't care about it."

        When a journalist asked the then-patriarch of Venice what he would be if he could live his life all over again, the future pope said, "Journalist." Then he said with a smile, "Now let us see if you have the courage to tell me that, if you could do it all over again, you'd be the patriarch!"

        A Vatican official told the pope it would be "absolutely impossible" to open the Second Vatican Council by 1963. "Fine, we'll open it in 1962," he answered. And he did.

SAINT JOHN PAUL II

       St. John Paul was known for some frequent activities that were unheard of for a pope, such things as Parish visits – joking with and leading a big crowed is singing – sneaking out of the Vatican to go skiing or hiking, but most importantly, he orchestrated the implementation of many of the Vatican II documents into the new life of the Church.

        St. John Paul also instituted World Day of Consecrated Life - World Day of the Sick – and World Youth Day.

 THE CHURCH NEEDS TODAY’S YOUTH

        St. John Paul said: "All young people must sense that the church is accompanying them, being committed to the good of our youth, addressing their worries and concerns, and supporting and encouraging their openness and their hopes.

         The church, which looks to youths with ‘hope and love,’ must help young people by communicating the Gospel truths to them, supporting them as they seek God's plan for their lives and in living their faith.”

         These two new saints have now joined the vast number of saints, and we should rely on them to help us in our times of need.

 WHAT IS Divine Mercy Sunday?

         This day of the canonization is also Divine Mercy Sunday -- an observance that St. John Paul put on the church's universal calendar for the first Sunday after Easter.

         Presiding over the first observance of Divine Mercy Sunday, St. John Paul quoted from his encyclical Rich in Mercy:

 “The cross and resurrection of Christ never ceases to speak of God the Father, who is absolutely faithful to his eternal love for us... believing in this love means believing in mercy."

        As we look around the world today, we may ask ourselves if there has ever been a time for a greater need for God's mercy. Wars, violence, lies, manipulation, and out of control selfishness seem to dominate the world.

        St. Faustina Kowalska has recorded in her diary, conversations with a merciful God:

"My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of my goodness? I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of my mercy."

“I am your strength; I will help you in the struggle.”

“My mercy is greater than your sins.”

“Your misery has disappeared in the depths of my mercy.”

“I shall heap upon you the treasures of my grace.”

“Look at the splendors of my mercy and do not fear the enemies of your salvation.”

“O soul steeped in darkness, do not despair. All is not yet lost. Come and confide in your God, who is love and mercy.”

 THE DIVINE MERCY MESSAGE IS ONE WE CAN CALL TO MIND SIMPLY BY REMEMBERING A.B.C.:

A - Ask for His Mercy.

B - Be merciful.

C - Completely trust in Jesus.

       Pope Francis:

“we cannot forget the great insight and gifts that have been left to the People of God. And Divine Mercy is one of these insights and gifts.”

      LET US PRAY

We praise you and we bless you, good and gracious God,

for giving us Saints John XXIII and John Paul II

to be our brothers on the path of holiness

and examples of hope and light for the world.

Let their courage encourage us,

their missionary zeal for the Gospel inspire us,

and their contagious joy be ours

as we continue their work of proclaiming the good news

to a world in need of your divine mercy and love.

 

Saint John XXIII, pray for us!

Saint John Paul II, pray for us!

Blessed be God, for ever!

Prayer by Diana Macalintal was originally published in Give Us This Day, April, 2014.

 

LEARN MORE . . .

        Additional information regarding Divine Mercy and Divine Mercy Ministries, and obtaining God’s total forgiveness of all sins and punishment; that means each person would go immediately after death to the heaven, without suffering in purgatory – can be found on these web sites:

Divine Mercy Sunday

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Mercy_Sunday

 Divine Mercy Sunday is a Roman Catholic solemnity celebrated on the Sunday after Easter, the Octave of Easter. It is originally based on the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy that Saint Faustina Kowalska reported as part of her encounter with Jesus, and is associated with special promises from Jesus and indulgences issued by the Church.

 Our Apostolate - The Serenellians http://www.pornnomore.com/ourApostolate.htm

 Who We Are - Who we Serve . . .

The Serenellians are an informal group of Catholics, both lay people and religious, who have chosen to dedicate and devote some personal level of effort through prayer, work or exhortation to:

1) Combat and counter the evils of pornography addiction by asking God through prayer to bestow on our society an ever increasing abundance of the graces of Purity, Humility and Love of God – the three virtues dearest to our Blessed Mother, in order to bring about a renewal of these virtues in the world and, thus, hasten the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the kingdom of her Son.

2) Reach out to suffering souls, both individuals and their families who are caught up in the addictive effects and consequences of pornography, in order to bring them hope, encouragement, strength and increased confidence in God’s infinite love, compassion and mercy, for their healing, consolation and, most importantly, for their salvation.

 

HELP NEEDED – PLEASE CONSIDER APPLYING!

 We need saints without cassocks, without veils-we need saints with jeans and tennis shoes.

We need saints that go to the movies that listen to music that hang out with their friends.

We need saints that place God in first place ahead of succeeding in any career.

We need saints that look for time to pray every day and who know how to be in love with purity, chastity and all good things.

We need saints, saints for the 21^st century with a spirituality that is appropriate to our new time.

We need saints that have a commitment to helping the poor and to make the needed social change.

We need saints to live in the world, to sanctify the world and to not be afraid of living in the world by their presence in it.

We need saints that drink sodas or pop that eats hot dogs, that surf the internet and that listen to their iPods.

We need saints that love the Eucharist, that are not afraid or embarrassed to eat a pizza or drink a beer with their friends.

 We need saints who love movies, dance, sports, and theater.

 We need saints that are open, sociable, normal, happy companions.

We need saints who are in this world and who know how to enjoy the best in this world without being callous or mundane.

We need saints.

Author unknown – but loosely attributed to Pope John Paul II and/or Pope Francis.