Catholic News Service: Bringing Catholic News from USA and World to You

You probably already know this, but today I finally understood what the "Catholic News Service" (CNS) is all about.

This agency was founded in 1920 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, yet is financially self sustaining, and editorially independent. Their mission is to bring the good, the bad and ugly to us regarding the Catholic world -- great! You can subscribe to their RSS feed, and they also are probably providing much of the news coverage you hear on your local Catholic radio stations. What a terrific organization!

CNS homepage: http://www.catholicnews.com/

Here's what CNS says about itself:

The mission of Catholic News Service is the mission of the Church itself -- to spread the Gospel through contemporary means of communication. Our mission is to perform this task by reporting the news which affects Catholics in their everyday lives.

Some of that news is good and some is bad, but it is what readers need to know in order to work for salvation. They need to know that there are saints in the making in the Church today and they need to know that there are sinners too.

Our mission is to report fully, fairly and freely about the involvement of the Church in the world today.

International Day of Peace, September 21

Many activities are happening around the country and the world for the International Day of Peace.

This is a day that the whole family can get involved in. For example, observe one minute of silence at noon on September 21st. Hold a city-wide prayer meeting for all faiths, all ethnic groups. Make peace in your own relationships.

For more information, visit: http://internationaldayofpeace.org/

To find an event near you, visit: http://internationaldayofpeace.org/participate/find_an_event.html

Catholic iTunes Apps on My iPod Touch

Here is a list of the Catholic apps that I currently have on my new iPod Touch. I found all of these through the iTunes Apps store by searching on the word "Catholic". These are all free. I believe they are all faithful to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church; they certainly enrich my faith journey! The titles listed below match the titles in iTunes.

Catholic Bible: Yes, the entire Bible!

Catholic Mass Times Church Directory: Awesome! Easily shows the Catholic churches closest to my location with a link to addresses, maps and Mass times.

Divine Mercy Guide: Steps me through the Divine Mercy chaplet, etc.

Evangelizo -- Daily Gospel: Terrific! Automatically loads the Mass readings for the day, and has other prayers for the season.

The Holy Rosary: Nice aid to prayer.

iCatholicRadio - The Station of the Cross: Indispensable! Easy access to 101.7 FM (Buffalo): livestream their radio broadcasts and get their podcasts, etc.

The Lord's Prayer: Meditative music to listen to while contemplating the prayer that Jesus taught us.

Night Prayer, Compline -- FREE Audio Liturgy of the Hours by DivineOffice.org: Automatically downloads the Liturgy of the Hours for the day, the night prayer.

Rosary - Mysteries of the Holy Rosary: Nice prayer aid.

iBooks (this is general app for reading any book, but I downloaded from the Gutenberg Project an ePub format file of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica)

Upon googling Evangelizo to get the art for this blog post, I see that Evangelizo is also available for the Android, and that is probably true for others.

Free Catholic Apps on iTunes!

I got an iPod Touch for my birthday! Yippee!

I immediately loaded it up with all of the free, wonderful Catholic Apps on the iTunes Store!

I now have the entire Bible, St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica, Rosary prayers, Divine Office, etc.

The Station of the Cross (101.7 FM Buffalo) App gives a livestream of their radio station -- Mother Angelica of EWTN fame was on when I fired up the App. Also has easy access to their podcasts (as reviewed earlier in this blog).

In iTunes in the App Store, search on "Catholic".

Podcast Review: "Divine Mercy in My Soul"

Awesome podcast! I have prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet. This past Easter season, I prayed the Divine Mercy Novena and observed Divine Mercy Sunday. I have heard a little bit about the life of St. Faustina.

But until now, I have never studied her writings.

This podcast is by a priest and a layman who are very knowledgeable about the Diary of St. Faustina. Here is your chance to deeply understand the writings, prayers and blessings of St. Faustina, and the great message of His Divine Mercy that Jesus Christ communicated to the world through her.

Great way to learn and grow in your faith! Thanks, Station of the Cross in Buffalo, New York!

http://www.wlof.net/programming/podcasts/

The Station of the Cross
101.7 FM Buffalo, New York
"Proclaiming the fullness of Truth with clarity and charity."

Podcast Review: "The Station of the Cross: Various Talks"

"The Station of the Cross", 101.7 FM Buffalo, New York, USA, is a Catholic radio station. They put some of their programming out on the Internet as podcasts.

I have listened to a couple of episodes of the podcast "The Station of the Cross: Various Talks" and highly recommend it.

The talks range from inspiring lectures on the faith by priests and theologians to recordings of call-in question and answer live radio shows. The episode with Father Corapi (of EWTN renown) was terrific.

The speakers are all very faithful to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, and extremely good public speakers. It looks like most of them are priests. This podcast is a great way for adults to learn and grow in their faith.

iTunes Name: "Various Talks"

Website: http://www.wlof.net/programming/podcasts/

Podcast Review: "Calling All Catholics"

I have listened to three episodes of the Catholic podcast, "Calling All Catholics", and I really like it!

"Calling All Catholics" is the podcast version of a Catholic radio call-in talk show. The host is a Roman Catholic priest who answers questions of faith, prays for people, and discusses Catholic doctrine in an easy to understand and friendly way. A very enjoyable podcast for learning about our faith and its challenges in 21st Century America; I also appreciated the opportunity to pray for people with troubles.

iTunes name: "Calling All Catholics"

Website: http://www.wlof.net/grid/all-shows-list/calling-all-catholics.html

From the radio station: "Station of the Cross", 101.7 FM, Buffalo, New York, USA, http://www.wlof.net/index.php

The Catholic Climate Covenant is Champion for the Poor

The Catholic Climate Covenant is really cool.

http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops fully supports this group who is advocating for people in poverty -- these people would otherwise have no voice in the climate change debate. Also, the poorest among us will be hit the hardest by climate change.

Their website gives great tips on how we can each reduce our own impact, e.g. eat one less meat meal a week, use cloth shopping bags, etc. Their website also has news on current topics, e.g. what are Catholics doing to help the oil spill in the Gulf?

Catholic Climate Covenant is on Twitter (ClimateCovenant), Facebook (Catholic Climate Covenant) and MySpace (Catholic Climate Covenant), too!

iCatholicRadio -- The Station of the Cross!

iCatholicRadio is a mobile service of The Station of the Cross, a not-for-profit Catholic Radio Network that exists in order to effectively evangelize through radio programming.

http://www.icatholicradio.com/index.php

We strive to proclaim
the Truth revealed in the person of Jesus Christ,
handed on by the power of the Holy Spirit,
through the Magisterium of the Catholic Church,
for the past 2,000 years,
and now laid out for us in the Catechism.

I just learned about this today, and at a glance, it looks faithful and informative. They are starting a drive to consecrate the world to Jesus through Mary! Praise God!

Looks like they have three podcasts in iTunes:

• Calling All Catholics
• Divine Mercy in My Soul
• The Station of the Cross: Various Talks

I plan to download these and try them out. If you listen and can recommend them (or not), let me know!

Catholic Church Has a Patron Saint for the Unemployed

Patron Saint of the Unemployed

One of my relatives is out of a job just now, so I googled the patron saint of the unemployed and those seeking employment.

Saint Cajetan is our friend for employment troubles.

SQPN has a good website on this (and other) saints at: http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-cajetan/

Saint Cajetan is also known by other names, e.g. Gaetano.

Why pray to a saint? Saints are currently in heaven and can present our prayers before the Throne of God. Ask them to pray for you, just as you would any friend or family member. They are fully within the will of God, and all grace and power they may have come from Him.

The Communion of Saints as stated in the Nicene Creed consists of the Church Militant (all of us here on Earth), the Church Suffering (those getting purified for heaven in purgatory), and the Church Triumphant (everyone in heaven).

Dear Saint Cajetan, please pray for all who are struggling to find a job that is good for them and their families. Amen.

Why Should a Catholic Care for Creation?

Here's some food for thought that I just submitted as an article to my parish bulletin. I like the blending of care for God's creation with care for God's children in the Pope's encyclical.

Scripture: The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. – Genesis 2:15

Pope Benedict: The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole. -- Caritas in Veritate #48, Pope Benedict XVI

Top Ten Reasons to Care for Creation:
1. God is the Creator of the Universe and maintains its existence through an ongoing creative will.

2. God has blessed and called "very good" all that is created.

3. God's plan for Creation is one of harmony and order. Creation forms a whole, a cosmos.

4. God loves the community of life.

5. God's creatures share a common home.

6. God's presence is discernable in all Creation.

7. God intends the Earth's goods to be equitably shared.

8. Within Creation, the human person enjoys a consummate dignity. Inherent to this dignity is that of exercising a wise and just stewardship over the rest of Creation.

9. Sin brought division into the entire world, but not only within and between human persons. The consequences of sin also affect the Earth.

10. In a mysterious way, Christ's redemptive mission extends to all of Creation.

-- from the Catholic Conservation Center, http://conservation.catholic.org/

"Urge Congress to Extend Jobless Benefits and Promote Long-Term Job Growth" Says Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Charities USA has just sent out an action alert for all of us voting Catholics to write to our Congresspersons now.

The Catholic Charities USA website explains the Church's position in detail, and makes it laughably easy to email your members of Congress with the click of a mouse.

Action Alert website for this topic: http://capwiz.com/catholiccharitiesusa/issues/alert/?alertid=15076796&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

Catholic Charities USA homepage: http://capwiz.com/catholiccharitiesusa/home/

I just wrote my senators and representative. How about you? 67 million Catholics in America can be heard, if we respond to our Bishops when they call us to action.

Simple Things to Do to Care for Planet Earth

The Catholic Coalition for Climate Change has a great website. One of their handy features are lists of things anyone can do to care for God's creation.

Here is a list of 25 "Everyday Approaches" that are great activities for families and individuals: http://www.catholicsandclimatechange.org/pdf/Everyday_Approaches.pdf

The list covers the following topics, giving some details around each one: recycling, washing clothes in cold water, using tupperware, fixing leaks and drips, using energy-efficient light bulbs, buying local, carpooling, walking, eating more veggies and less beef, planting a tree, assessing your home's energy use, turning off lights, and so on. Tips are also given for school and work and parishes.

I work with the Department of Energy in my day job, and many of these things are from the DOE. In other words, these activities really do make a difference, and are the correct things to do.

US Bishops Website on New English Translation of the Mass

http://www.usccb.org/romanmissal/index.shtml

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have rolled out a new website on the new English translation of the Roman Missal.

This new translation into English from the Latin will probably be implemented in all US parishes by Advent 2011.

You will have to relearn (and hopefully study and ponder) most of the memorized responses that you currently say during Mass. (A dozen years ago when I went through RCIA to join the Church, I sweated to learn the Mass: now we can all do it together!).

Check out the sample texts. They are really great -- much, much closer to the intent of the Latin. In my parish, we use bilingual missals, with English on one side and Spanish on the other. The Spanish has always been far closer to the Latin. Interesting.

Make a Difference in Washington, D.C., with the Click of a Mouse

Catholic Charities USA keeps a close eye on legislation passing through Congress, and regularly asks Catholic voters to write to their Congresspersons on time urgent bills.

What can you do? Sign up to receive an email alert, or twice a month visit the CCUSA website to see the latest Action Alerts.

With the click of the mouse and the entry of a few fields of data about yourself, you can send an effective email to your Congressperson. You do need to include your full name and address: your Congressperson needs to know that you are one of their constituents.

At the Catholic Charities USA website, click on “Advocacy” and then “Take Action”: www.catholiccharitiesusa.org

As of this writing, the action alert is: "Urge Congress to Extend Jobless Benefits and Promote Long-Term Job Growth"

Remember: there are tens of millions of Catholic voters in the USA. Working in concert with our Bishops, we can be heard.

"How to Use the Bible" -- verses to read for comfort and guidance

A woman in my Small Christian Community shared this gem. This is a good way to get into the Bible if you are not a regular reader.

When in sorrow: John 14

When men fail you: Psalm 27

When you have sinned: Psalm 51

When you worry: Matthew 6:19-34

When you are in danger: Psalm 91

If you have the blues: Psalm 34

When God seems far away: Psalm 139

If you are discouraged: Isaiah 40

If you are lonely or fearful: Psalm 23

Feeling down and out: Romans 8:39

Need courage: Joshua 1

World is overwhelming: Psalm 90

Rest and peace: Matthew 11:25-30

Going away: Psalm 121, 107

Feeling bitter: 1st Corinthians 13

Return on investment: Mark 10:17-31

A great opportunity: Isaiah 55

Learn the Truth About the Shroud of Turin

A woman in my parish told me about a terrific website dedicated to correct information about the Shroud of Turin:

Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association, Inc. (STERA, Inc.) http://shroud.com/

The secular press seems to be a magnet for misinformation and attacks on the Shroud of Turin, but this STERA website gives us all complete and correct information.

Of course, the main issue is not to debate science experiments per sec, but to reflect on the great Paschal Mystery of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The image in the Shroud is of a man beaten and crucified:

"My Lord and My God!" -- Saint Thomas in the Gospel of John

"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." -- Isaiah 53:5

Catholic Lobby Day 2010 for California: Tuesday, April 27, 9:30am - 4pm

Be a voice for the voiceless.

Exercise your citizenship as a Roman Catholic voter.

On April 27th, the Bishops of California are leading the 12th annual Catholic Lobby Day at the State Capitol.

I went last year and it was amazing!!! Thousands gathered in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. We heard speakers on each of the pieces of pending legislation. We celebrated Mass. We processed two blocks over to the State Capitol building and held a rally on the front steps. Then we had box lunches on the lawn, and then split up into groups of 30-45 to attend appointments with our own representatives. Many youth and young adults were there as well as older folks. Many diocese brought representatives of the very people affected most by the legislation. Very instructive and inspiring day!

Gather at 9:30am at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, 1017 11th St, Sacramento.

For registration and more information, click on “12th Annual Catholic Lobby Day” at the website of the California bishops: http://www.cacatholic.org/

Here are the California issues that will be raised with our representatives with a link to the Bishops' fact sheet so you can understand the issues and the Catholic Church position.

AB 1642 Food Stamps -- simplify the food stamp process by moving the frequency of reports to every six months instead of once a quarter

SB 399 Youth Sentencing -- after between 10 and 25 years of incarceration, allow for the review and resentencing of some youth who were sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed before the age of 18

SB 1460 Dream Act -- allow California high school graduates who have been accepted into a
California college —both U.S. citizens and undocumented “AB 540” students—to apply for state financial aid

State Budget -- Cuts will have to be made, but we and they must remember that those who are most vulnerable, those who are poor and in need in our communities have the greatest moral claim on our attention and resources

Be an informed, Catholic voter: take the time to understand in depth our Bishops' position -- and then decide for yourself how to contact your own representative about the issue. All of these issues are complex and go well beyond the overly simplistic "sound bites" regularly reported by the media.

“The poor you will always have with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them . . .” – Mark 14:7a

Mercy Beyond Borders: A Wonderful Missionary Effort

On American Catholic Radio, I just heard an interview with the founder of Mercy Beyond Borders. Wow! What a wonderful missionary outreach program! Really made me grateful that God helps the poorest of the poor through our wonderful Roman Catholic Church.

Learn all about Mercy Beyond Borders at: http://www.mercybeyondborders.org/

Hear the interview on American Catholic Radio at: http://www.franciscanradio.org/ACRepisode.asp?EpisodeNum=315

Mercy Beyond Borders uses three proven ways to alleviate poverty:

1. Educate women & girls.
2. Provide seed capital to women.
3. Promote maternal & child health.

Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, 2010, and the Extraordinary Grace Promised by Jesus

“Jesus, I trust in you!”

On Friday, I began the Divine Mercy Novena, and am aiming for receiving all of these wonderful graces that Jesus promised in visions to Saint Faustina. In my parish bulletin, here are the simple rules:

“The soul that will go to Confession, and receive Holy Communion [on this day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” Diary #699

Note: Confession within a reasonable time before the Feast is sufficient. One must be in the state of grace to receive the extraordinary grace promised by Our Lord. (Diary§300)

Isn't that easy? Wow!!!

Here is how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet on your Rosary beads: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/dmmap.htm

Here is how to pray the Divine Mercy Novena: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/mercy/novena.htm

For those of you pressed for time, I find that praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet takes less time than praying the Rosary and it is really, really powerful.

Here is some more background on Divine Mercy Sunday:

On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II, in response to the wishes of the Christian Faithful, declared that “the Second Sunday of Easter henceforth throughout the Church will also be called
Divine Mercy Sunday.” The desire for this celebration was expressed by Our Lord to Saint. Faustina, and can be found recorded in her Diary:

“. . . My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy * be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the
very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.”

Our Lord said to Saint Faustina: “Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you… Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death…Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who thrust in My mercy….through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will. Diary #687, 1541, 1731