The Pope Said What About Athiests?

Pope Francis Said What? 
by Friar Jim Van Vurst, OFM 
 

You may recall Pope Francis’ statement this past May concerning God’s love. First, the pope said: “The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! Even the atheists. Everyone!”

That statement shook a lot of people up. And it is true: the Church has always taught that Jesus died and redeemed all of God’s children. But a lot of people drew several incorrect conclusions: “Well, if atheists are redeemed, it really doesn’t matter what we do, right? We’re home free.”

No, sorry, that is not only incorrect, but that’s not what Pope Francis meant or said. The pope used the word redeemed and not justified. Only God can redeem, and that redemption takes place because of Jesus’ death on the cross. No human can redeem himself. Only through Jesus do we have a chance at salvation.

That means everyone—including atheists—have the opportunity to reach a perfect union with God.  They just need to go about it the right way.

Bring Me The Head Of Oliver Plunkett

This week’s saintly bishop . . .

St. Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh

Born in Ireland, November 1, 1629, St. Oliver studied and became a priest in Rome. During this time England conquered Ireland, the public practice of Roman Catholicism was banned, and Catholic clergy were executed. St. Oliver finally returned to Ireland 10 years after the start of the Restoration to build schools for children and clergy. Anti-Catholicism resurfaced in the ‘70s forcing St. Oliver into hiding. He was eventually caught, unfairly tried, and found guilty of conspiring against the King of England. In 1681, he was hanged and drawn and quartered. His head is on display at St. Peter's Church in Drogheda, Ireland.

When we reflect on the disarray in today's Catholic Church, we cannot help but pray for a shepherds who will utter these words of St. Oliver's and, more importantly, live them: "we … have acquired the habit of suffering to the extent that it will be less inconvenient in the future…For if the captains fly, it is in vain to exhort the single soldiers to stand in battle."

Martha and the Monster

I drove through Tarascon but didn’t see Martha or the Tarascon Monster . . .

July 29:  Saint Martha

Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She is the middle child of her family with Lazarus being the eldest and her sister Mary the youngest. She was witness to Jesus' resurrection of her brother, Lazarus.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus visits the home of two sisters named Mary and Martha. The two sisters are contrasted: Martha was "cumbered about many things" while Jesus was their guest, while Mary had chosen "the better part", that of listening to the master's discourse.

In the Gospel of John, Martha and Mary appear in connection two incidents: the raising from the dead of her brother Lazarus (John 11) and the anointing of Jesus in Bethany (John 12:3).

Martha appears again in John 12:1-8, where she serves at a meal held in Jesus' honor at which her brother is also a guest. The narrator only mentions that the meal takes place in Bethany, while the apparently parallel accounts in the Gospels of Matthew (Matthew 26:6-13) and Mark (Mark 14:3-9) specify that it takes place at the home of one Simon the Leper.

Martha is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches, and commemorated by the Lutheran Church and the Anglican Communion. Through time, as the cult of Martha developed, the images of maturity, strength, common sense, and concern for others predominated.

According to legend, St Martha left Judea after Jesus' death, around AD 48, and went to Provence with her sister Mary (conflated with Mary Magdalene) and her brother Lazarus. With them, Martha first settled in Avignon (now in France). The Golden Legend, compiled in the 13th century, records the Provençal tradition.

The Tarascon Monster

A further legend relates that Martha then went to Tarascon, where a monster, the Tarasque, was a constant threat to the population. The Golden Legend describes it as a beast from Galicia; a great dragon, half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than an horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent, that dwelt in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon. Holding a cross in her hand, Martha sprinkled the beast with holy water. Placing her sash around its neck, she led the tamed dragon through the village.   There Martha lived, daily occupied in prayers and in fastings. Martha eventually died in Tarascon, where she was buried. Her tomb is located in the crypt of the local Collegiate Church.

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

Martyrs of Milan

Two popular martyrs found in Milan of which little is known.

July 28:  Saints Nazarius and Celsus

Saints Nazarius and Celsus were two martyrs of whom nothing is known except the discovery of their bodies by Saint Ambrose.

According to Paulinus the Deacon's Vita Ambrosii, Ambrose, at some time within the last three years of his life, after the death of the Emperor Theodosius (d. 395), discovered in a garden outside the walls of Milan the body of Saint Nazarius, with severed head. Nazarius's blood was reportedly still liquid and red when his body was exhumed by Ambrose. Ambrose had it carried to the Basilica of the Apostles.

In the same garden Ambrose likewise discovered the body of Saint Celsus, which he had transported to the same place.   Two new churches were built over their tombs, and their cult became popular in Milan.

The Catholic Encyclopedia states: "Obviously a tradition regarding these martyrs was extant in the Christian community of Milan which led to the finding of the two bodies."

Christopher

Was there really ever a Saint Christopher who carried Christ across a river?   There is no such story in the Bible, but here is the legend and some historic facts from wikipedia. . .

July 25:  Saint Christopher

The Legend

According to the legendary account of his life Christopher was a Canaanite 5 cubits (7.5 feet) tall and with a fearsome face who converted to Christianity.  A hermit  suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.

After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished.

Christopher later visited the city of Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before the local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was decapitated.

The Historical Facts

Historical examination of the legends suggests Reprobus (Christopher) lived during the Christian persecutions of the Roman emperor Decius, and that he was captured and martyred by the governor of Antioch.[7] Historian David Woods has proposed that St. Christopher's remains were possibly taken to Alexandria by Peter of Attalia where he may have become identified with the Egyptian martyr Saint Menas.

The legend of Saint Christopher records two important historical facts that identify him with the historical Saint Menas. The first is that the Greek and Latin legends of Saint Christopher identify him as belonging to the Third Valerian Cohort of the Marmantae (Latin: Cohors tertia Valeria, at Marmantarum), a military unit of Northern Africa of Marmarica (between modern day Libya and Egypt), recruited by none other than the Emperor Diocletian. The second is that Saint Christopher was martyred in Antioch.

The martyrdom of Saint Menas corresponds to the details of the legend of Saint Christopher. The theory that identifies the two saints as one and the same concludes that the name "Christopher" meaning "Christ-bearer" was a title given to the name of the valiant Menas who died in Antioch. Since he was not a native of that land, his name was not known and so he was simply revered by his generic title: "Christophoros" or "Christ-Bearer." Saint Menas happens to be the patron of travelers in the Coptic tradition, which further supports an association with Saint Christopher who is the patron of travelers in the Greek and Latin traditions.

Devotions

Medallions with St. Christopher's name and image are commonly worn as pendants, especially by travelers, to show devotion and as a request for his blessing.   St. Christopher is a widely popular saint, especially revered by athletes, mariners, ferrymen, and travelers.  He is revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He holds patronage of things related to travel and travelers — against lightning and pestilence — and patronage for archers; bachelors; boatmen; soldiers; bookbinders; epilepsy; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; a holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers; toothache; mountaineering; and transportation workers.

Flowers, Trees, Shrubs, Sky

"Listen to the sermon preached to you by the flowers, the trees, the shrubs, the sky, and the whole world. 

Notice how they preach to you a sermon full of love, of praise of God, and how they invite you to glorify the sublimity of that sovereign Artist who has given them being."

~ St. Paul of the Cross

Vulgar Tweets From Obama's Son

OBAMA’S SON: 20 Disgusting Tweets from Trayvon

More evidence of what a punk and thug Trayvon was. You see this and realize how easy it would be for someone like this to attack someone.
Check it out:

John Hawkins, of RightWingNews.com, has plowed thru 150 pages of Trayvon’s Twitter account and grabbed twenty tweets from Trayvon that paint him as a misogynistic, weed smoking, thug. Here you go folks. Not quite the sweet little child the lame stream media, Obama and various race-baiters have painted him to be, eh?

* WARNING: Rough language ahead.
Read more: http://conservativebyte.com/2013/07/obamas-son-20-disgusting-tweets-from-trayvon/#ixzz2Zp5yySO3