Building The Culture of Life

In her post on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops blog, Kim Daniels, spokesperson for Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, echoes the words of Blessed John Paul II:

Today I believe the Lord is saying to us all: do not hesitate, do not be afraid to engage the good fight of the faith (cf. I Tim 6:12). When we preach the liberating message of Jesus Christ we are offering the words of life to the world. Our prophetic witness is an urgent and essential service not just to the Catholic community but to the whole human family.

Daniels reflects on the late Holy Father’s call to build a culture of life, and this is especially important to remember as we embark on Respect for Life Month.

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us, that we may build a civilization of love by being people of life. 

At Last, Bone From My Bones And Flesh From My Flesh

When they unite with each other (in the conjugal act) so closely so as to become ‘one flesh,’ man and woman rediscover every time and in a special way the mystery of creation, thus returning to the union in humanity (‘flesh from my flesh and bone from my bones’) that allows them to recognize each other reciprocally and to call each other by name, as they did the first time.

-Theology of the Body, sec. 10.2

Blessed John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is one of the many gifts he gave to the Church during his pontificate. For a deep exploration of his writings, and what they mean for us in contemporary society, check out the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops site, Marriage: Unique for a Reason.

Some New Year’s Resolutions From the USCCB

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is calling all Catholic faithful to prayer, penance, and sacrifice in 2013. This is part of a movement for life, marriage, and religious liberty in America, in response to social and political movements in the past year. This movement begins tomorrow, on the feast of the Holy Family, and lasts until the feast of Christ the King on November 24, 2013.

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordlleone of San Francisco, chairman of the bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, said, “The pastoral strategy is essentially a call and encouragement to prayer and sacrifice - it's meant to be simple. ... Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty are not only foundational to Catholic social teaching but also fundamental to the good of society.”

These simple resolutions include:

1.  Monthly Holy Hour
2. Daily Rosary
3. Intentions for life, marriage, and religious liberty in Prayers of the Faithful
4. Fasting and Abstinence on Fridays
5. Participating in the 2^nd Fortnight for Freedom in Summer 2013

For more information on these resolutions and about the strategy itself, see the USCCB site. 

Praying During the Year of Faith

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops published a list of prayers that can help us strengthen our prayer lives during the Advent season and throughout the Year of Faith. One of these prayers is the Magnificat. The Bishops say, “The Canticle of Mary in the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55) gives a glimpse of the faith of someone who trusted God so much that he entered the world through her.”

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

Deck the Halls and Bookmark This Page

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops posted an Advent calendar on their website, which includes daily inspirations and challenges for those who are looking for a little guidance this Advent season. There’s no candy in this calendar, but rest assured that it will bear much fruit! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

All of us here at the Blessed John Paul II Shrine would like thank you for your support and your prayers so far this year. We have so much to be grateful for as we continue to design, build, and see God’s plan come into fruition.

Today Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day, and we would like to invite you all to pray with us:

Lord, we thank you
for the goodness of our people
and for the spirit of justice
that fills this nation.
We thank you for the beauty and fullness of the
land and the challenge of the cities.

We thank you for our work and our rest,
for one another, and for our homes.
We thank you, Lord:
accept our thanksgiving on this day.
We pray and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

-U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

USCCB on New Evangelization and Marriage

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been very active in the last couple of weeks, sharing reactions to the Synod on the New Evangelization, responding to US election results, and in hosting their annual fall meeting, where many important propositions were discussed and voted on.

Check out this article about USCCB’s new strategic road map for the New Evangelization, called “Journey with Christ: Faith/Worship/Witness.”

Also, this reaction to recent initiatives legalizing same-sex marriage is worth reading. It reports on the November 7 statement published by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage, who said: “In a society marked by increasing poverty and family fragmentation, marriage needs to be strengthened, promoted, and defended, not redefined.”

Pope Benedict XVI’s general intention for the month of November is that “bishops, priests, and all ministers of the Gospel may bear the courageous witness of fidelity to the crucified and risen Lord.” Let us pray for our bishops then, that they may continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit.