Category: Inspiration

Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI (click here to order on Amazon.com)

New series, The Catholic View for Women, offers a Catholic alternative to “The View,” and explores the adventure of living as a Catholic woman today. The first of six pilot episodes aired on Friday, March 11.

You can view this first episode on their website at www.TheCatholicViewForWomen.com or on the EWTN YouTube Channel.

Excerpt from Catholicism Project Episode I

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. Nine months from now we’ll commemorate Jesus’s birth. Today we commemorate the conception of Jesus. We also celebrate Mary’s “yes” to the Angel Gabriel, despite her confusion and uncertainty of the angel’s prediction that she would bare a child that would be called the son of the Most High. Together with Jesus, Mary is the link between heaven and earth. She is the human being who best, after Jesus, exemplifies the possibilities of human existence. She shows how an ordinary human being can reflect God in the ordinary circumstances of life. She exemplifies what the Church and every member of the Church is meant to become. She is the ultimate product of the creative and redemptive power of God. She manifests what the Incarnation is meant to accomplish for all of us. Today’s feast reminds us of the wonder of God’s freely given love and God’s design for each of us.

The biblical account of the Annunciation is in the first chapter of the Gospel of Saint Luke, 26-56. Here is recorded the “angelic salutation” of Gabriel to Mary, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Lk 1:28), and Mary’s response to God’s will, “Let it be done to me according to thy word”.

This “angelic salutation” is the origin of the “Hail Mary” prayer of the Rosary and the Angelus (the second part of the prayer comes from the words of salutation of Elizabeth to Mary at the Visitation).

Mortification is Essential by Fr. James Farfaglia

Catholicism is not for soft people. Jesus told us to take up our cross. He did not tell us to take up our Teddy Bear. Mortification is an essential part of the spiritual life. “You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires” (Galatians 5: 24).

The practice of mortification is the way to get rid of our vices and replace them with virtue. Mortification is an act of abnegation or self-denial. Mortification implies detachment and renunciation. It also implies the continual struggle against the evil tendencies of fallen human nature in an effort to curb and eliminate their influence.

As I wrote in my book Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life, the battle never ends until we are dead. The practice of mortification demands a conscious and willful renewal every day of our lives. The struggle may be more or less intense during the different stages of our life journey. Although we may have to deal with different issues, the struggle will always be present. If we want to save our souls, an intense, conscious and dramatic struggle is necessary.

Let us consider briefly some of our most common struggles and the mortification that needs to take place in order that Jesus may take full possession of our lives.

Pride is at the top of the list of the seven deadly sins. Pride is an ugly sin and it must be dealt with seriously and energetically. This sin will be uprooted by replacing it with the virtue of humility. Repeated concrete acts of humility will continue to hammer away at this sin. Obedience to the Magisterium of the Church, flexibility at home and at work, being a team player and openness with your parish priest are all practical ways to gain the virtue of humility.

Greed is another sin that causes many problems. Excellent acts of mortification include establishing a budget, practice the Biblical teaching of tithing, eliminate your debt, limit the use of credit cards, live within your means, and be content with what you already have.

Gluttony is a very addictive sin. If we can control our eating habits and our spending habits, we will then have a greater ability to live the virtue of chastity. Gluttony needs to be mortified by a strict spirit of self-control. Acts of mortification include not snacking between meals, eating smaller portions, eating healthy foods, saving deserts for Sundays and special feast days, and exercising moderation in the use of alcoholic beverages.

Laziness is also a very controlling sin. The lazy person is not so much concerned about the bad that he does, but the good that is left undone. The lazy person has to form and strengthen his will. Getting up on time in the morning, making your bed, cleaning your room, doing your duty with perfection, using your time well, regular physical exercise and personal discipline are very important acts of mortification that will successfully uproot the sin of laziness and replace it with the virtue of diligence.

Lust is another big struggle, if not the biggest for most people. Of all of the sins that have been mentioned thus far, this one is the most addictive. Lust must be dealt with severely. This is something that we cannot fool around with. The best weapon against lust is to run away from the occasions of sin. When we accept our weakness, we will not put ourselves into dangerous situations. If the cable is a problem, then get rid of it. There are a number of pornography free Internet servers that can be used. Living a moral life, modesty in dress, control of our eyes, avoiding sensual movies and television programs, and staying away from dangerous friends are some of the things that we can do to replace lust with the virtue of chastity.

Of course, all of these acts of mortification that I have mentioned presuppose a mature spiritual life. Self-knowledge, a serious battle plan, and the regular use of the Sacrament of Confession are also indispensable tools for spiritual growth and development. Remember, the goal of our spiritual life is to become a new person in Christ. It is not enough just to be a “good person” or to be “nice”. We are called to be saints.

(We received a follow-up email from Priests For Life, asking us to send a quick “thank you” to the hospital who will care for Baby Joseph in the United States. Following is an excerpt from their letter…)

“We at Priests For Life are very grateful to you for being among the tens of thousands of pro-lifers who sent e-mails to the doctors and administrators at the Canadian hospital where Baby Joseph would have been forced to die. This victory just goes to show that when enough good people get involved and work together, miracles happen.

“We’re also extremely grateful that the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital [in St. Louis, MO] — out of dozens of hospitals we contacted—had the intestinal fortitude to stand up to all the political pressure and say, ‘YES! We’ll take Baby Joseph and care for him! That’s what we do!’

“Without them, Baby Joseph had no real hope of survival. Therefore, I’m writing to ask you to send one more e-mail —this time, a “Thank You” e-mail to the officials at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital—and tell them how thrilled you are that they took in Baby Joseph during the most critical hour in his fight for life.

“All you have to do is click here, and use the e-mail form that we’ve provided for your convenience.”

(We received this letter from Priests for Life today as a thanks to all who supported their effort to save Baby Joseph! When we bind together in Christ, we make a difference.)

“I have great news to share with you today. We have had success in getting Baby Joseph out of Canada and bringing him to the United States to receive the health care he needs.

“Last night I arrived in Ontario, Canada, to rescue Baby Joseph Maraachli from the London Health Sciences Centre. For two weeks, doctors at the hospital in London, Ontario, have been delaying the baby’s transfer to a hospital where efforts to save his life will not be officially labeled “futile.” Read more about this at www.priestsforlife.org.

“I flew in a medical jet with Baby Joseph and his father, Moe Maraachli, to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. He is now being evaluated by the staff at this wonderful Catholic facility.

“I want to thank each and every one of you for your help. None of this could have been possible without you. Your prayers and your emails to Canadian officials are what helped us to get Baby Joseph out of Canada.

“This proves that when we all band together united for such an important cause we can make a difference. Let this be incentive for us to continue to work together to protect the most innocent and to truly bring about a culture of life.

“Please keep praying for Baby Joseph and his family. Continue praying and fighting for others like Baby Joseph who are considered by some in the medical profession to be “worthless” and continue to pray and fight for an end to the slaughter of the most innocent still in their mothers’ wombs.

“Keep watching for Baby Joseph developments on our website at www.priestsforlife.org and in special emails and alerts that I will send to you.

“Thanks and God Bless,

“Father Pavone
National Director,
Priests for Life”

“Because man is a composite being, spirit and body, there already exists a certain tension in him; a certain struggle of tendencies between spirit and flesh develops. But in fact, this struggle belongs to the heritage of sin. It is a consequence of sin and at the same time a confirmation of it. It is part of the daily experience of the spiritual battle” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2516).

Proven remedies for temptation:
Prayer
daily Mass
filial devotion to our Lady
reading of the Sacred Scriptures
adoration
frequent reception of Confession