March For Life 2011

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It’s been quite amazing how quiet the media has been concerning the recent March For Life in DC, given that approximately 200,000 were in attendance:

Below is the video of someone I’ve mentioned before on this blog, Msgr. Pope, who gave the homily at the Mass that day in the Verizon Centre:

I think I’m going to try and make it to this next year…

“Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants” – Blessed Mother Teresa

A *truly* extraordinary Minister!

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St TarcisiusSince in JP2 we’ve been studying early Christian worship, we’ve been talking a lot about the Eucharist. A story which illustrates the importance of the Eucharist to the Early Church is that of St. Tarsicius.

St. Tarsicius was an acolyte (one of the minor orders of clergy) who was killed by a gang of pagans as he carried a portion of the Eucharist from the Eucharistic liturgy.

It is quite likely that he was taking Holy Communion to someone sick or in prison. At that time it was also the practice for some of the consecrated bread to be taken from the bishop’s Mass to the other Masses around the city as a sign of unity with the bishop.

Here is how Tarsicius’ story is recorded in the Roman Martyrology:

“…the heathen met [him] bearing the sacrament of the Body of Christ and asked him what it was he carried. He judged it a shameful thing to cast pearls before swine, and so was attacked by them for a long time with sticks and stones, until he gave up the ghost. When they turned over his body, the sacrilegious assailants could find no trace of Christ’s sacrament, either in his hands or among his clothing.”
– Roman Martyrology

The Eucharist – a meal worth dying for…

Sunday Lectionary: Oh that today you would listen to His voice…

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4th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 29th January, 2012

Jesus TeachingIn our First Reading, Moses promises that a prophet will come after him, someone who will guide Israel. In the light of the New Testament, we recognize this person to be Jesus Christ who, in this Sunday’s Gospel Reading, not only teaches with authority, but demonstrates that authority by casting out an unclean spirit.

The psalmist in this Sunday’s psalm sings “Oh, that today you would hear his voice…harden not your hearts”. That is our invitation this Sunday. We are invited to come and listen to the voice of the Lord. The word of God is powerful indeed. If we come to the Scriptures with open hearts they have the power to transform our lives….

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Sparrow

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You know, there’s a reason why this blog’s theme tune is a song written by Audrey Assad…

The original lyrics for this song were written by Civilla Martin. The sparrow referred to in the song is a reference to Jesus’ teaching recorded in Matthew’s Gospel:

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?…Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows”- Matthew 6:26; 10:29-31

I came across a moving description by the author concerning the song’s inspiration:

“Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them.

One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience” – Civilla Martin

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