Ad Maoirem De Gloriam

October 1st is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux. Even though the French saint passed away at the age of 24, her short life continues to have great impact. During a general audience on April 6th 2011, the Pope explained what “The Little Flower” can teach Christians about  spirituality.  BENEDICT XVI (6/04/2012) “Theresa received permission to enter the Carmel of Lisieux at the tender age of fifteen. Her name in religion – Sister Theresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face – expresses the heart of her spirituality, centered on the contemplation of God’s love revealed in the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption.  In imitation of Christ, Theresa sought to be little in all things and to seek the salvation of the world. Taken ill in her twenty-third year, she endured great physical suffering in union with the crucified Lord; she also experienced a painful testing of faith which she offered for the salvation of those who deny God. By striving to embody God’s lo...

Courtesy of: https://www.facebook.com/manilacarmel Dear Devotees and Friends, You are cordially invited to attend and participate on our TRIDUUM EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATIONS In Honour of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face at the Carmelite Monastery Chapel, #4 Gilmore Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines The schedule are as follows: 29 September 2012, Saturday · 6:00PM Presider - Rev. Fr. Genaro O. Diwa Choir - The Sisters of St Paul de Chartres 31 September 2012, Sunday · 6:00PM Presider - Most Rev. Luis Antonio G. Tagle, D.D. Choir - The Optimi Choir of  San Carlos Seminary 01 October 2012, Sunday · 6:00PM Presider - Most Rev. Pablo Virgilio S. David, D.D. Choir - The Seminarians of  San Jose Seminary Please extend this invitation to all your friends. P.S., Due to the scarcity of donated roses to be handed-out on these Triduum Mass, the Priory of Manila Carmel would greatly appreciate everyone's assistance in generating more roses. You may get in touch wit...

+ O St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face,   who during your short life on earth  became a mirror of angelic purity,  of love strong as death,  and of wholehearted abandonment to God,  now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues,  cast a glance of pity on me  as I leave all things in your hands.   Make my troubles your own,  speak a word for me to Our Lady Immaculate,  whose flower of special love you were to that Queen of Heaven  "who smiled on you at the dawn of life." Beg her powerful intercession  the grace I yearn for so ardently at this moment... (State your intention here....) and that she join with it a blessing  that may strengthen me during life,  defend me at the hour of death,  and lead me straight on to a happy eternity.  Amen. + O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love,  the soul of your servant There...

Uruguayan President José Mujica, has earned the nickname of the “poorest,” or the “most generous,” president in the world By  LARA FERNANDEZ Usually presidents are not associated with poverty. Some, like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, are even linked to big spending and generous welfare programs. But the President of Uruguay, José Mujica, has earned the nickname of the “poorest,” or the “most generous,” president in the world — depending on how you see things— after revealing that he donates 90 percent of his earnings, to charitable causes. In a recent interview, Mujica told Spain’s  El Mundo  that he earns a salary of $12,500 a month, but only keeps $1,250 for himself, donating the rest to charity. The president said that the only big item he owns is his  VW  car, valued at $1,945 dollars. The farmhouse in which he lives in Montevideo is under his wife’s name, Lucía Topolansky, a Senator, who also donates part of her salary. “I ...

Pope Benedict XVI is welcomed upon his arrival at Beirut international airport on September 14, 2012 by Lebanon's President Michel Sleiman (2nd L), First Lady Wafa Sleiman, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (2nd R), his wife Randa (C) and Prime Minister Najib Mikati (R). FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/GettyImages  

 --- Image by © Benjamin Hiller/Corbis. 15 Sep 2012, Beirut, Lebanon --- Female Muslim Shia wait on the street towards the Baabda presidantial palace for the arrival of pope Benedict XV. Beirut, Lebanon. The pope meets there memebers of the Lebanese Parliament as well as religious leader to discuss the current situation in the Middle East.

September 10, 2012. Next Sunday the Pope will be in Lebanon, right next door to Syria's civil war. In light of his coming trip, he expressed his closeness to those that are suffering from military conflicts in the Middle East. He also encouraged the international community to continue to work towards a lasting peace. “The effort for dialogue and reconciliation should be prioritized by all parties, and should be supported by the international community, to be increasingly aware of the importance for everyone to achieve a stable and lasting peace throughout the region,” said Benedict XVI. Benedict XVI also called on Colombian officials to look toward forgiveness and reconciliation in their plans to begin negotiations with the FARC rebel group. BENEDICT XVI “It was announced in Colombia, Norway and Cuba, an important dialogue between the Colombian government and representatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, with the participation of delegates from Venezuela and ...

September 10, 2012. (Romereports.com) Benedict XVI received the participants of the International Marian Congress. For one week, this group of Mariologists reflected on the evolution of theology on the Virgin Mary after Vatican II. The Pope asked them to help give more strength to the Christian faith. BENEDICT XVI “As you know, on October 11, to remember that extraordinary event, we will solemnly begin the Year of Faith, that I wanted to orient with the Motu Proprio 'Porta Fidei,' which presents Mary as a model of faith, I invoke your special protection and advocacy on the path of the Church entrusted in her, blessed because she believed, this time of grace.” During the audience, the Pope recalled his own participation in the Second Vatican Council. He described how it was decided that the figure of the Virgin Mary would be studied in one of the main documents. While greeting the pope, some of the participants gave gifts to him, such as this image of the Virgin Mary and th...

September 11, 2012. (Romereports.com) Fifteen years ago John Paul II visited Lebanon. Now his successor will pay a visit. Next week, Benedict XVI will be in the heart of the Middle East, to encourage Christians who are suffering and facing discrimination. The visit will also be a new opportunity to promote co-existence by strengthening ties with Muslim communities. To prepare and keep track of his visit, a website was launched in French, Arabic, English and Italian. The website will also include the Pope's speeches, which without a doubt will focus on the current instability in the Middle East. BENEDICT XVI Angelus 07-29-2012 “It's with great pain and suffering that I'm following the tragic and rising violence in Syria,which has left many dead and others wounded, including civilians. The violence has also left many homeless, forcing them to become refugees in neighboring countries.” The Pope will be in Lebanon for three very intense days. On Friday 14th, he will vi...

(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=25619) LIMA, PERU, September 6 (CNA) .- On the 15th anniversary of her death, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani of Lima said he hopes that the total surrender of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be an example of holiness for all Catholics. The cardinal made his comments during Mass at the Missionaries of Charity "Home for Peace" in Lima on Sept. 5, the memorial of Blessed Mother Teresa and the 15th anniversary of her death. The home provides care for the elderly and homeless. During his homily, Cardinal Cipriani prayed that "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta may help us to persevere in the faith, because she and the saints persevered in the journey of faith, with clarity and joy. They struggled and strived for years," he said. "How could Mother Teresa do that work amidst hardship? The answer is, she didn't do it; God did. That is the holiness to which we are all called," the cardinal said. He also enc...

Canonization Cause Awaits a 2nd Miracle ROME, SEPT. 6, 2012 (Zenit.org).- A Mass on Wednesday in the ancient church of Santa Maria alla Navicella marked the 15th anniversary of Mother Teresa of Calcutta's death. The solemn liturgy was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, in a packed church, and enriched by the polyphonies of the imposing choir of the Diocese of Rome. A photo of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was situated in the sanctuary area. "Mother Teresa has been dead for 15 years, but her memory is very alive because the saints leave a sign," Cardinal Comastri told Zenit. "All false greatness is extinguished. Mother Teresa once said that history is the incinerator of all pride, but she was humble and that is why her memory is still alive and her example is still fascinating." Cardinal Comastri concluded by recalling that "Mother Teresa's example is important in the Church especially today, after...

Mariology Society of America President Reflects on Rosary and Our Lady's Comeback By Ann Schneible ROME, SEPT. 6, 2012 (Zenit.org).- "Through this Year of Faith, in the new evangelization of the Church, Mary is the mother who is also the leader of evangelization" -- these are the words of Father James Phalan, president of the Mariology Society of America, and a participant in this year's conference "Mariology since Vatican II," hosted by the Pontifical Antonianum University and currently under way in Rome. The 23rd International Marian Mariological congress, which was organized by the International Pontifical Marian Academy, runs all this week, exploring the theme of Marian devotion and theological methodology in the years following the Second Vatican Council. In addition to his position as president of the Mariology Society of America, Father Phalan is a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross where he serves as director of Family Rosary In...

VATICAN CITY, September 7 (CNA/EWTN News) .- Pope Benedict XVI says that the most newly evangelized parts of the world now have to pass on the gift of Jesus Christ which they have recently received. "The Church is born of the mission and grows with the mission," the Pope said Sept. 7, adding that "the faith is a gift to be welcomed into our hearts and lives, one for which we must always thank the Lord. "But faith is donated in order to be shared; it is a talent given that it may bear fruit, a light that must not remain hidden," he stressed. Pope Benedict was addressing a group of around 100 recently consecrated bishops from parts of the world which are deemed mission territory by the Vatican. Represented among their number were clerics from Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. The gathering at the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo was organized by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The Pope noted that in the territories where ...

photos credit: http://www.gizmag.com/renault-electric-popemobile/24044/ Renault Donates 2 Eco-sustainable Vehicles By Luca Marcolivio VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 6, 2012 (Zenit.org).- On Wednesday the Holy Father received two Renault battery-powered vehicles, made expressly for the Pontiff and the staff at his service. The gift was explained during a press conference held in the Marconi Room of Vatican Radio. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, recalled some of the salient passages about the commitment of the Catholic Church to care for the environment and renewable energy. In his encyclical "Caritas in Veritate," Benedict XVI spoke about the environment and also addressed the topic in his 2010 World Day of Peace Message, "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation." "The Holy See already has other electric cars. In particular, the Holy Father made use of one during his pastoral visit to Venice and Arezzo, and on t...

    "Martyrdom is the supreme witness given to the truth of the faith: it means bearing witness even unto death. The martyr bears witness to Christ who died and rose, to whom he/she is united by charity. He/she bears witness to the truth of the faith and of Christian doctrine. He/she endures death through an act of fortitude." - CCC n. 2473 Martyrs do not just die for the Catholic faith.  They live the faith before they become martyrs. Blessed Pedro Calungsod was endowed with the Christian virtues needed by saints and martyrs to live and to die for Catholic faith:   Faith by making God the center of his life and his constant reference point. Not only did Pedro firmly believe the truths of the faith taught by the Church, but he also studied them thoroughly.  His knowledge so affected his life that he volunteered to go to the missions with Fr, Diego. Hope  that was rooted in his strong faith in God and fully alive with the enthusiasm of ...

Pedro Calungsod was a 17th century teenage catechist of the Jesuit mission in the Marianas.  On April 2, 1672 he was killed for his faith together with Bl. Diego San Luis Vitoris, SJ in Guam. The canonization process for Pedro Calungsod started on June 25, 1998.  On March 5, 2000 he was declared a "beatus".  On December 19, 2011 a miracle through his intercession was approved.  The Holy Father has decreed that the canonization will be held in Rome on October 21, 2012.** The Life of A Martyr A Very Common Name         "Calungsod" is a very native and descriptive Visayan family name. His family name is variously spelled in the different documents as "Calonsor,"  "Calongsor,"  "Calangsor,"  or "Calansor".  His real family name must have been Calungsod . The variations of the spelling of Pedro's family name in the documents may have been due to the Spanish authors' inability to accurately hear a Filipino n...