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Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem A New Journey…The Names of God in The Scriptures Elohim Shophtim Ba-arets - GOD that Judgeth in the Earth(Psalms 58:11) Then men will say, "Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.

My column, “Catholics Defy ObamaCare! What About Fundamentalist Churches and Universities?” caused a stir in some circles. Will Christian leaders decide to fraternize with the enemy by killing innocent babies, or fall on their swords by closing their ministries, or fight to the very end by operating illegally in storefronts or darkened basements? They will do one of the three. The fraternizers will be promoted (but should be pitied); those who fall on their swords (seeking some credibility by not joining the enemy or identifying with the “fighters”) will be praised and those who fight and disobey the law and...

And if one person is vulnerable to attack, two can drive the attacker away. As the saying goes, “A rope made of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12

February 12, 2013   Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time   Reading 1 Gn 1:20—2:4a God said,“Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.”And so it happened:God created the great sea monstersand all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,and all kinds of winged birds.God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,“Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;and let the birds multiply on the earth.”Evening came, and morning followed–the fifth day. Then God said,“Let the earth...

LOS ANGELES -- Nearly two weeks ago, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez announced he had removed Cardinal Roger Mahony from all public duties amid revelations that he plotted to conceal child molestation by priests from law enforcement. But Mahony on Monday found himself back at the center of church business, as one of 117 cardinals who will elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI. Mahony was quick to weigh in on the papal news - posting a statement on his online blog at 8:38 a.m. PDT, two hours before the archdiocese announced that Gomez would issue his own remarks at...

It didn’t take long for news of Pope Benedict XVI’s planned resignation to hit the Internet before haters went to Twitter to flood his account with death threats and harassing messages. A sample of the vile tweets follows (Warning: very graphic language).

On God As Creator of Heaven and Earth "In the work of creation, God is seen as the almighty Father who by his eternal Word brings into existence a universe of goodness, harmony and beauty" Vatican City, February 06, 2013 (Zenit.org). Here is a translation of the general audience Pope Benedict XVI gave today in Paul VI Hall. Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Creed, which begins by describing God as "Almighty Father," as we meditated on last week, then adds that He is the "Creator of heaven and earth," and thus takes up the Bible's opening line. In the first...

On Abraham's Faith "Saying 'I believe in God' means founding my life on Him" Vatican City, January 23, 2013 (Zenit.org). Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in Paul VI Hall. Dear Brothers and Sisters, In this Year of Faith, I would like to start today to reflect with you on the Creed, the solemn profession of faith which accompanies our lives as believers. The Creed begins, "I believe in God." It is a fundamental affirmation, deceptively simple in its essentiality, but one that opens onto the infinite world of the relationship...

On Christ As Mediator Between God and Man "Jesus is Truly God Among Us, 'The Mediator and the Fullness of All Revelation'" Vatican City, January 16, 2013 (Zenit.org). Here is a translation of the general audience Pope Benedict XVI gave today in Paul VI Hall. Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Second Vatican Council, in its Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum, says that the intimate truth of the revelation of God shines for us "in Christ, who is both the mediator and the fullness of all revelation"(no. 2). The Old Testament tells us how God, after the creation, despite...

On the Incarnation "God gives us the greatest gift possible, the gift of himself " Vatican City, January 09, 2013 (Zenit.org). Dear Brothers and Sisters, In this Christmas season we focus once again on the great mystery of God who came down from Heaven to enter into our flesh. In Jesus, God became incarnate, He became man like us, and thus opened for us the door to His Heaven, to full communion with Him. In recent days, the term "incarnation" of God has resounded several times in our churches, to express the reality we celebrate on Christmas: the Son of...

...Cardinal Timothy Dolan, reported to be in the running to replace Pope Benedict XVI as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, is usually described as a “conservative” because he has strongly criticized President Obama’s attacks on religious liberty and federal intrusions into church affairs. But Dolan is also the leader of the campaign to promote Marxist Dorothy Day for Sainthood. One report asks, “Could Timothy Dolan Become The First American Pope?” Dolan, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB,) is considered the voice of U.S. Catholicism. But Carol Byrne, author of "The Catholic Worker Movement (1933-1980):...

On 11 February, the day Pope Benedict announced that he would resign, lightning struck St. Peter’s Basilica.

“I come to you as Bishop of Rome, but also as an old man visiting his peers. It would be superfluous to say that I am well acquainted with the difficulties, problems and limitations of this age and I know that for many these difficulties are more acute due to the economic crisis. At times, at a certain age, one may look back nostalgically at the time of our youth when we were fresh and planning for the future. Thus at times our gaze is veiled by sadness, seeing this phase of life as the time of sunset. This morning,...

Monday, February 11, 2013 Dept of Homeland Security's curiosity piqued over Pope Benedict XVI's retirement and Catholic ProphecyBy Brian Kopp Back in 2011, two posts on the Summorum Pontificum blog garnered multiple visits from multiple office locations and ISPs of the Department of Homeland Security: For fourth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, Pope draws attention to little known prophecies of Venerable Elena Aiello The apocalyptic prophecies of Hildegard of Bingen, the next Doctor of the Church Today, two different computers at the DHS Washington DC offices stopped in once again at the Summorum Pontificum blog: Notice the link that lead them...

Pope Benedict XVI's resignation came like a bolt from the blue overnight. And the weather around the Vatican was eerily appropriate, with lightning striking St Peter's Basilica, one of the holiest Catholic sites, on the same day that Pope Benedict announced he would be stepping down. Global news agency Agence France-Presse published an image of lightning striking the basilica's dome, which it said was taken "on the day the Pope" announced his resignation. AFP said the striking image was captured by photographer Filippo Monteforte, who works for Italian national news and photo agency ANSA. Monteforte's website shows that he has...

Monday, February 11, 2013 Prayers for the Pope This blog post was published last October, but the prayer seems helpful today. nunspeak~ Sr Lisa Marie's Nun Blog   It is a good practice for all of us to pray for the Pope on a regular basis. As we might imagine, he carries a lot on his shoulders as he governs the Universal Church; he continues to reach out to others, building bridges towards unity within the Christian community, and in reaching out to people of other faith traditions.Let us then, hold our Pope in constant prayer, that he may...

It’s difficult to pinpoint a precise moment when the office of the pope began to lose its vast political power, which had long placed the Holy See above even the kings and emperors of Europe, but has since declined to the point that now-retiring Pope Benedict XVI found few political accomplishments in his reign. But one day that stands out is Dec. 2, 1804. A few weeks earlier, French voters had overwhelmingly approved a referendum elevating Napoleon Bonaparte from first consul to emperor, the beginning of the end of France’s democratic revolution. His coronation was to proceed in the manner...

Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign Feb. 28 — the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March.

Pope Benedict venerating St Celestine,  the only Pope Saint to have resigned When I heard Pope Benedict's announcement this morning that he would be retiring from the Chair of St Peter at the end of February 2013, I was sad but not entirely surprised. In fact, here on the blog, we've been following Pope Benedict's devotion to Pope Saint Celestine for over two years now, and wondering whether our beloved Holy Father may be contemplating this decision. Saint Celestine, as you may know, was the last Pope to resign...and he is a canonized saint. Pope Benedict's visits to Saint...

Ever wonder how a free society manages to deteriorate into a totalitarian police state? How do people willingly submit to tyranny after they have known freedom?