Pope continues Catechism using lessons from Saints

I don't know about you but I am thankful that the Holy Father is bringing up the works of the great saints like John of the Cross and Saint Benedict.

Why?

Because you hardly hear about them anymore! Sunday homilies will be mostly filled with jokes and stories about movie celebrities but hardly any from the lives and words of the saints! You can't even find a book about the writings of the saints in Catholic bookstores like St. Paul's or Catholic Trade anymore!

For those who would want to read the works of the saints, go on over to Free Catholic Ebooks and look for your author. It is a great resource for your "hard-to-find" Catholic literature!

Youngest Pinoy Archbishop to receive pallium

The archbishop (center) after the ordination mass he presided.

37 archbishops will receive their pallium from the hands of the Holy Father during the Mass of the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 29.

Among those who will receive their pallium is Filipino archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen - Dagupan.  He is only 42 years old.

Click here for more details.

Usually the Vatican invites the Patriarch of Constantinople to this event and the patriarch attends dressed in his choir robes.

I will post the video as soon as it is available.

Even the Pope goes on retreat

Courtesy of Zenit

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Benedict XVI entrusted his spiritual exercises that started today to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, asking her to pray that Lent be a time lived "with joy and fruit."


The Pope said this today before praying the midday Angelus with those in St. Peter's Square. It was his last public audience until next weekend, as he began this evening his seven-day spiritual exercises.

The Holy Father's address considered what it means to "enter into the Lenten journey." He said the Gospel from today's liturgy -- detailing Christ's temptations in the desert -- illustrates the meaning.

"It is evident that there is an insistence on the fact that the temptations were no accident but the consequence of Jesus’ choice to carry out the mission entrusted to him by the Father, to embrace completely his reality as beloved Son, who hands himself over entirely to the Father," the Pontiff said. "Christ came into the world to free us from sin and the dangerous fascination of planning our lives without God."  [Beautiful!]

"He did it not with high-sounding proclamations, but by personally struggling against the Tempter, right to the cross. This is an example for all: The world improves beginning with ourselves, changing what is not right in our lives with the grace of God." [The Agony in the Garden scene in "The Passion of the Christ" beautifully illustrates this.]

The Bishop of Rome noted how Christ answered Satan's suggestions with sacred Scripture and God's criteria.

"Jesus answers that God must never be put to the test," he said. "We must never try an experiment in which God is supposed to respond and show himself to be God: We must believe in him! We must not make God 'material' for our 'experiment!' [Oftentimes we try God in our prayers and put Him to the test! If you are God, You'll give me this, You'll give me that!"]

"Referring again to sacred Scripture, Jesus opposes to human criterion the only authentic criterion: obedience, conformity with God’s will, which is the foundation of our being." [I had a chat with a friend who belongs to a religious congregation.  I told him that the laity have their own vows to.  The vows of marriage!  But like the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience which the religious pronounce as vows, the laity too live out these counsels.  Poverty: as professionals, you work on an approved budget and you are always subjected to a financial audit.  As a married person, your salary belongs to your family!  Chastity:  your time, attention and affection belong only to your family.  Obedience:  what the boss says is final:  Your supervisor and your spouse that is!]

Benedict XVI said this is a "basic teaching" for us: "If we carry the Word of God in our heart and in our mind, if it enters into our lives, if we have confidence in God, we can reject any sort of deception of the Tempter."

Thus, the Pope said, Lent can be considered a long retreat, "during which we return to ourselves and listen to God’s voice to overcome the temptations of the Evil One and find the truth of our being. It is a time, we could say, of spiritual 'contest' to live together with Jesus, not with pride and presumption, but using the weapons of faith, that is, prayer, listening to God’s Word and penance."

Following this itinerary, the Holy Father suggested, "we will be able to celebrate Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our baptism."

He concluded: "May the Virgin Mary help us so that, guided by the Holy Spirit, we live this time of grace with joy and fruit. May she especially intercede for me and my co-workers in the Roman Curia since this evening we will begin our retreat."

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For those who are busy at work and do not have the chance to go on a retreat to a "real" retreat house.  You might consider buying this book.

I have a copy of this wonderful book.  It is available via Amazon.com or here in the Philippines at St. Paul bookstores.

If you want to do the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises online, you may go this site:

http://www.iveignatianexercises.org/site/dbpage.asp?page_id=180000223&sec_id=180000384&nc=1216737185312

or

http://www.catholicsoncall.org/programs/onlineRetreat/index.html

Catholic Classics online

If you are looking for an a downloadable copy of Catholic classics, then go to:

http://www.catholicplanet.com/ebooks/

They have a rich collection of Catholic classics every Catholic should read.

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich: The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (762 KB -- PDF format).

This ebook now includes: The Life of Anne Catherine Emmerich

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux
Letters of Saint Therese to Her Sister Celine
Prayers of Saint Therese
Counsels and Reminiscences

Saint Patrick of Ireland: The Confession of Saint Patrick
Saint Catherine of Siena: The Dialogue
Thomas à Kempis: The Imitation of Christ
St. Ignatius of Loyola: The Spiritual Exercises
Saint Theresa of Avila: The Way of Perfection

The Didache (web page) - an ancient Church document from the late first century (or early second century) A.D., also called The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. [printer-friendly version]


I have copies of these. But for those who are looking for other classics like from St. Augustine, St. John of the Cross, St. Louis de Monfort, etc., just send me an email and will send it to you.

Don't worry. I am not a spammer!

The Imitation of Christ

For those who are interested to have a pdf copy of the Imitation of Christ, you may email me at thepinoycatholic@gmail.com. A friend gave me a copy and I am willing to share it. I don't know how to upload it in my blog, so I opted for the email. For those who have any idea how I can upload the file into the blog, would appreciate your help.