The Work of the Holy Angels (OA) is "a recognized spiritual movement in the Holy Catholic Church which aims at fostering an intimate collaboration with the holy angels for the glorification of God and for the sanctification of souls."

The site offers an in-depth introduction to the organization, its mission, and its work. Of special note is a section which outlines the basic elements of the spirituality of OA; its topics are broad and of general interest as well. This site is replete with resources for spiritual growth.

In 1992 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a Decree on the doctrine and customs of the Association "Opus Angelorum". The Direction and members of the Opus Angelorum have accepted in obedience all the determinations of this decree and the one of 1983. Since 1992, the implementation of the Decree has proceeded in collaboration with and under the guiding authority of the Delegate of the Holy See, Father Benoit Duroux, O.P.

From Catholic Culture

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church eNewsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the eNewsletter, click here.

The Diocese of Richmond will have 400 tickets available for the papal mass which will be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at the Washington Nationals Baseball Park on April 17, 2008 during his visit to the U.S. The tickets will be assigned by lottery.

To enter the lottery for the tickets visit the Diocese of Richmond Web site, print out and fill in the form available there, and send it in to the diocese. Those who are not able to access the form via the Web site, may request a form from the parish office.

One of the requirements for making a good confession is contrition. We must reject the sin which we have committed and have a firm resolution to not commit the sin again. This week's excerpt from the Catechism covers this topic of contrition.

(For more Lenten resources, view the Resources for Lent section of the Web site.)

1451   Among the penitent's acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is "sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again."

1452   When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called "perfect" (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.

1453   The contrition called "imperfect" (or "attrition") is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.

1454   The reception of this sacrament [Penance] ought to be prepared for by an examination of conscience made in the light of the Word of God. the passages best suited to this can be found in the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Via Crucis (Part 2)

This is the second part of a section on the devotion of the Via Crucis or the Way of the Cross. To read the first part, click here.

Note, that every Friday during Lent there is a Way of the Cross at the parish beginning at 7:00 p.m.

The following may prove useful suggestions for a fruitful celebration of the Via Crucis:

• the traditional form of the Via Crucis, with its fourteen stations, is to be retained as the typical form of this pious exercise; from time to time, however, as the occasion warrants, one or other of the traditional stations might possibly be substituted with a reflection on some other aspects of the Gospel account of the journey to Calvary which are traditionally included in the Stations of the Cross;
• alternative forms of the Via Crucis have been approved by Apostolic See(138) or publicly used by the Roman Pontiff(139): these can be regarded as genuine forms of the devotion and may be used as occasion might warrant;
• the Via Crucis is a pious devotion connected with the Passion of Christ; it should conclude, however, in such fashion as to leave the faithful with a sense of expectation of the resurrection in faith and hope; following the example of the Via Crucis in Jerusalem which ends with a station at the Anastasis, the celebration could end with a commemoration of the Lord's resurrection.

Innumerable texts exist for the celebration of the Via Crucis. Many of them were compiled by pastors who were sincerely interested in this pious exercise and convinced of its spiritual effectiveness. Texts have also been provided by lay authors who were known for their exemplary piety, holiness of life, doctrine and literary qualities.

Bearing in mind whatever instructions might have been established by the bishops in the matter, the choice of texts for the Via Crucis should take a count of the condition of those participating in its celebration and the wise pastoral principle of integrating renewal and continuity. It is always preferable to choose texts resonant with the biblical narrative and written in a clear simple style.

The Via Crucis in which hymns, silence, procession and reflective pauses are wisely integrated in a balanced manner, contribute significantly to obtaining the spiritual fruits of the pious exercise.

Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (134-5)

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On Friday, February 22nd, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, who is the preacher of the pontifical household, gave the first in his series of Lenten meditations for the Holy Father and the Roman Curia. The theme for his series of meditations is the Word of God. The first message is entitled "Jesus Began to Preach".

The sacramentality of the word of God is revealed in the fact that sometimes it plainly works beyond the person's understanding, which can be limited and imperfect, it almost works by itself, "ex opera operata," as one says in theology.

When the prophet Elisha told Naaman the Syrian, who had come to him to be cured of leprosy, to wash seven times in the Jordan, Naaman replied indignantly, "Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed" (2 Kings 5:12)? Naaman was right: The rivers of Syria were undoubtedly better, they had more water; and yet, washing in the Jordan he was healed and his flesh became like that of a little child, something that would not have happened if had bathed in the great rivers of his country.

This is how it is with the word of God contained in Scripture. Among the nations and also in the Church there have been and there will be better books than some of the books of the Bible, more refined from a literary standpoint and religiously more edifying (just think of the "Imitation of Christ"), but none of them work as well as the most modest of the inspired books. There is, in the words of Scripture, something that acts beyond every human explanation; there is an evident disproportion between the sign and the reality that it produces, that makes one think, precisely, of the action of the sacraments.

Zenit provides a synopsis of his meditation, and you can read the entire meditation on Fr. Cantalemessa's Web site.

H2ONews also has a video summary of this first message. (Click here, if you are not able to see the video image.)

There is a also a link to Fr. Cantalamessa's First Meditation for Lent in the Resources for Lent section of the Web site.

The Holy Comforter parish Web site offers two eNewsletters. Subscribing to both only takes a few seconds, and, of course, they are both free.

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter
The first subscription is for the weekly eNewsletter. Each week the eNewsletter arrives in your email inbox on Friday morning. The information in the eNewsletter includes:

• The upcoming week's liturgy schedule.
• Highlights from next Sunday's bulletin.
• Next Sunday's parish bulletin attached as a PDF file.
• Prayer intentions for the month.
• Devotions for the current liturgical season.
• An excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
• A short article on Church history.
• The Web link of the week.

For more information, including how to subscribe to the weekly eNewsletter, click here.

Subscribe to the Blog
The second email subscription available is for this Blog. By subscribing to the Blog, you will receive via email all of the information that is posted on the Blog. Each morning an email will be sent to you which includes all of the information which was posted on the Blog on the previous day. If no entries were made the previous day, an email is not sent. To subscribe to the Blog, simply click here and follow the directions to complete your subscription.

All email addresses are kept in the utmost privacy and only used to send the newsletter or the Blog posts.

The bulletin for February 24, 2008 is available by clicking here to view it.

Listed below are a few of the items from this week's bulletin. See the bulletin for more details and to read all of the announcements.

PANTRY: Many people "give up" things of Lent, and they are often things we do not want to have in our lives anyway: smoking, drinking, chocolate, dessert, etc. If we give up those things for 40 days, we will be healthier, but will the world be a better place? Suppose this year, we add something. Add a few items to the weekly grocery cart for the Pantry. You can still give up those negatives that plague your life, but you will also be adding positives to the lives of others.

PORTRAIT APPOINTMENTS: Scheduled portrait appointments continue this week, February 25 - March 1. Portraits are taken at the white Carriage House of First Presbyterian Church on 522 Park Street. Please keep your appointment. If you must cancel call 975-5995.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Throughout Lent there is a weekly Stations of the Cross on Friday at 7:00 p.m. A Cross Bearer, two Candle Bearers, and two Readers are needed. Families are urged to volunteer. Training will be provided. Total time involved is less than one hour. Please sign up in the credenza.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION: Christian Formation classes are in desperate need of volunteers to help set-up and break-down classes on Sunday mornings. It is a ten-minute commitment. Please sign-up in the Commons for any Sunday when you can spare a few minutes to help our youth and catechists.

HAITI TWINNING UPDATE: A Haiti Twinning meeting will be held at 1:00 p.m. this Sunday, February 24th in the fellowship hall downstairs. Come hear the latest news from our parishoners who travelled to our twin parish, St. Michael's in Haiti. Also, learn more about what you can do to help. The committee is still looking for people who would be willing to sponsor students at the St. Michael's school for only $10 per month.

PARISH SURVEY: A survey has been mailed to the homes of all registered parishoners. In the interest of trying to gain a more detailed understanding of the parishoners' opinions, it has been decided to use multiple, narrowly focused surveys rather than one large survey. The first survey which has been mailed focuses on the adult members of the parish. Please return your survey in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Contact the parish office if you have not received your survey.

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February 24th is the Third Sunday in Lent. The first reading from Exodus recounts a story from the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. In this passage, the Israelites grumbled about being thirsty, and they doubted whether the Lord would provide for their needs. The Lord did take care of His people by providing them with water for them from the rock which was struck by Moses. In the reading from St. John's Gospel, Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Jesus offers her water which will forever quench her thirst. She gladly receives His offer, and shares the Good News with her countrymen. From the thirst of our Lord for souls, He shares His living water which fully quenches the thirst of all who will receive His generous offer.

Readings:

Exodus 17:3-7
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9
Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
John 4:5-15,19-26,39-42

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

Finding Eternity - Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa (Courtesy of Zenit)

St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

The Crossroads Initiative

The mission of the Society of Saint Gianna is to promote holiness in the family and respect for the sanctity of all human life by spreading devotion to St. Gianna and the virtues she extolled through presentations, literature distribution, maintenance of the St. Gianna Shrine in Warminster, PA, including the facilitation of pilgrimages to the shrine and by providing opportunities for the veneration of her relics by the faithful. (from the Web site)

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Today is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. It reminds us of the leadership that Christ has provided His Church beginning with St. Peter and continuing to our present Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. This history of this continuous succession of popes has demonstrated our Lord's love for His Church and His promise that He would not let the Church be overcome by evil.

Since early times, the Roman Church has had a special commemoration of the primatial authority of St. Peter. As witness one of the most renowned of the Apostolic Fathers, the Roman See has always held a peculiar place in the affection and obedience of orthodox believers because of its "presiding in love" and service over all the Churches of God.

"We shall find in the Gospel that Jesus Christ, willing to begin the mystery of unity in His Church, among all His disciples chose twelve; but that, willing to consummate the mystery of unity in the same Church, among the twelve He chose one. He called His disciples, said the Gospel; here are all; and among them He chose twelve. Here is the first separation, and the Apostles chosen. And these are the names of the twelve Apostles: the first, Simon, who is called Peter. [Mt. 10, 1-2] Here, in a second separation, St. Peter is set at the head, and called for that reason by the name of Peter, 'which Jesus Christ,' says St. Mark, 'had given him,' in order to prepare, as you will see, the work which He was proposing to raise all His building on that stone.

"All this is yet but a beginning of the mystery of unity. Jesus Christ, in beginning it, still spoke to many: Go, preach; I send you [see Mt. 28, 19]. Now, when He would put the last hand to the mystery of unity, He speaks no longer to many: He marks out Peter personally, and by the new name which He has given him. It is One who speaks to one: Jesus Christ the Son of God to Simon son of Jonas; Jesus Christ, who is the true Stone, strong of Himself, to Simon, who is only the stone by the strength which Jesus Christ imparts to him. It is to him that Christ speaks, and in speaking acts on him, and stamps upon him His own immovableness. And I, He says, say to you, you are Peter; and, He adds, upon this rock I will build my Church, and, He concludes, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [Mt. 16, 18] To prepare him for that honor Jesus Christ, who knows that faith in Himself is the foundation of His Church, inspires Peter with a faith worthy to be the foundation of that admirable building. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. [Mt. 16, 16] By that bold preaching of the faith he draws to himself the inviolable promise which makes him the foundation of the Church.

"It was, then, clearly the design of Jesus Christ to put first in one alone, what afterwards He meant to put in several; but the sequence does not reverse the beginning, nor the first lose his place. That first word, Whatsoever you shall bind, said to one alone, has already ranged under his power each one of those to whom shall be said, Whatsoever you shall remit; for the promises of Jesus Christ, as well as His gift, are without repentance; and what is once given indefinitely and universally is irrevocable. Besides, that power given to several carries its restriction in its division, while power given to one alone, and over all, and without exception, carries with it plenitude, and, not having to be divided with any other, it has no bounds save those which its terms convey."

Excerpted from The See of St. Peter, Jacques Bossuet.

In older missals, each day in Lent and other feasts refer to a "Station" in some church of Rome. Although this practice is not highlighted in our present missals, the Church still honors this tradition of Stational Churches, particularly during the Lenten season (see the Vatican website for the list of the stational churches for Lent).

Stational or station churches are churches in Rome designated to be the special location for worship on a particular day. This practice dates back to the early centuries of the Church. The Pope (or his legate) would celebrate solemn Mass in one after another of the four greater and the three minor basilicas during the 4th and 5th centuries (the seven churches or Sette Chiese -- St. John Lateran, St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major, the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, St. Lawrence, and the Twelve Apostles). Other churches were added to list as needed for various liturgical occasions, bringing the total number of churches to 45, with the last two (Santa Agatha and Santa Maria Nuova, called Santa Franciscan Romana) added by Pope Pius XI on March 5, 1934. When the popes started residing in Avignon, France in 1305, the popularity of this devotion declined until recently.

On the day of the station, the faithful would gather in one church (church of the collecta or gathering) and in procession singing the Litany of the Saints or psalms, they would go to the church where the Mass was to be celebrated: there they met the Pope and his clergy, coming in state from his Patriarchal Palace of the Lateran. This was called "making the station." Such a Mass was a "conventual mass" (or community Mass) of the City and the world, Urbis et Orbis (the visible congregation in Rome and the invisible audience of the entire world). This old custom reminds us that Rome is the center of Christian worship, from which we received our faith and our liturgy.

From Catholic Culture

For more information about the stational churches for Lent, visit the Pontifical North American College Lenten Station Church Web site.

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In following Christ, we are called by Him to a continual conversion of the heart. During Lent, we sharpen our focus on acts of penance which can assist us in the conversion of our hearts. This week's excerpt from the Cathecism addresses the many forms of penance in the Christian life.

(For more Lenten resources, view the Resources for Lent section of the Web site.)

1434   The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of sins: effort at reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity "which covers a multitude of sins."

1435   Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.

1436   Eucharist and Penance. Daily conversion and penance find their source and nourishment in the Eucharist, for in it is made present the sacrifice of Christ which has reconciled us with God. Through the Eucharist those who live from the life of Christ are fed and strengthened. "It is a remedy to free us from our daily faults and to preserve us from mortal sins."

1437   Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our Father - every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of our sins.

1438   The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).

1439   The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father: The fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father's house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father's generous welcome; the father's joy - all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. the beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life - pure worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ Who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Lenten Resources

The parish Web site has been updated to include some Lenten Resources. The resources on the Web site include information on fasting and abstinence, the parish liturgical schedule, and a number of links to aid you in your devotion throughout Lent.

Via Crucis (Part 1)

Of all the pious exercises connected with the veneration of the Cross, none is more popular among the faithful than the Via Crucis. Through this pious exercise, the faithful movingly follow the final earthly journey of Christ: from the Mount of Olives, where the Lord, "in a small estate called Gethsemane" (Mk 14, 32), was taken by anguish (cf. Lk 22, 44), to Calvary where he was crucified between two thieves (cf. Lk 23, 33), to the garden where he was placed in freshly hewn tomb (John 19, 40-42).

The love of the Christian faithful for this devotion is amply attested by the numerous Via Crucis erected in so many churches, shrines, cloisters, in the countryside, and on mountain pathways where the various stations are very evocative.

The Via Crucis is a synthesis of various devotions that have arisen since the high middle ages: the pilgrimage to the Holy Land during which the faithful devoutly visit the places associated with the Lord's Passion; devotion to the three falls of Christ under the weight of the Cross; devotion to "the dolorous journey of Christ" which consisted in processing from one church to another in memory of Christ's Passion; devotion to the stations of Christ, those places where Christ stopped on his journey to Calvary because obliged to do so by his executioners or exhausted by fatigue, or because moved by compassion to dialogue with those who were present at his Passion.

In its present form, the Via Crucis, widely promoted by St. Leonardo da Porto Maurizio (+1751), was approved by the Apostolic See and indulgenced, consists of fourteen stations since the middle of seventeenth century.

The Via Crucis is a journey made in the Holy Spirit, that divine fire which burned in the heart of Jesus (cf. Lk 12, 49-50) and brought him to Calvary. This is a journey well esteemed by the Church since it has retained a living memory of the words and gestures of the final earthly days of her Spouse and Lord.

In the Via Crucis, various strands of Christian piety coalesce: the idea of life being a journey or pilgrimage; as a passage from earthly exile to our true home in Heaven; the deep desire to be conformed to the Passion of Christ; the demands of following Christ, which imply that his disciples must follow behind the Master, daily carrying their own crosses (cf Lk 9, 23).

Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (131-3)

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church eNewsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the eNewsletter, click here.

In observance of Presidents' Day, the parish office will be closed on Monday, February 18th. This does not affect the mass schedule; mass will be celebrated at 8:00 a.m. on Monday. The parish office will again be open on Tuesday, February 19th.

On Wednesday, February 20th at 8:00 p.m, a lecture will be given by Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The lecture entitled How Can the Dream Survive? will be presented at the University in Room 1020 of McLeod Hall.

Free parking is available next to the building. For more information, contact Diane Baltz at diane.gigantino.baltz@gmail.com.

For more information about Dr. Alveda King and her work, click here.

For a map of the University, click here.

The Holy Comforter parish Web site offers two eNewsletters. Subscribing to both only takes a few seconds, and, of course, they are both free.

Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter
The first subscription is for the weekly eNewsletter. Each week the eNewsletter arrives in your email inbox on Friday morning. The information in the eNewsletter includes:

• The upcoming week's liturgy schedule.
• Highlights from next Sunday's bulletin.
• Next Sunday's parish bulletin attached as a PDF file.
• Prayer intentions for the month.
• Devotions for the current liturgical season.
• An excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
• A short article on Church history.
• The Web link of the week.

For more information, including how to subscribe to the weekly eNewsletter, click here.

Subscribe to the Blog
The second email subscription available is for this Blog. By subscribing to the Blog, you will receive via email all of the information that is posted on the Blog. Each morning an email will be sent to you which includes all of the information which was posted on the Blog on the previous day. If no entries were made the previous day, an email is not sent. To subscribe to the Blog, simply click here and follow the directions to complete your subscription.

All email addresses are kept in the utmost privacy and only used to send the newsletter or the Blog posts.

On Wednesday, February 20th, the St. Anselm Institute will present a lecture entitled What Makes Music Sacred? presented by William Mahrt. The lecture will be held at 5:00 p.m. at Monroe Hall, Room 110, on grounds at the University.

William Mahrt is Associate Professor of Music at Stanford University, President of the Church Music Association of America, and editor of Sacred Music. He specializes in the theory and performance of Medieval and Renaissance music and has written on Gregorian chant, Troubadours, Medieval Performance, Machaut, Dufay, Lasso, Dante and English cathedrals.

Professor Mahrt's lecture will be accompanied by a performance by Zephyrus, a local vocal ensemble.

This is the third in a series of lectures to be hosted by the St. Anselm Institute during the 2007-2008 academic year. For more information, about this year's lecture series or the lecture on Wednesday, click here.

For a map of the University, click here.

The bulletin for February 17, 2008 is available by clicking here to view it.

Listed below are a few of the items from this week's bulletin. See the bulletin for more details and to read all of the announcements.

PANTRY: Many people "give up" things of Lent, and they are often things we do not want to have in our lives anyway: smoking, drinking, chocolate, dessert, etc. If we give up those things for 40 days, we will be healthier, but will the world be a better place? Suppose this year, we add something. Add a few items to the weekly grocery cart for the Pantry. You can still give up those negatives that plague your life, but you will also be adding positives to the lives of others.

PORTRAIT APPOINTMENTS: The scheduled portrait appointments are this week, February 18 - 23. Portraits are taken at the white Carriage House of First Presbyterian Church on 522 Park Street. Please keep your appointment. If you must cancel call 975-5995.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Throughout Lent there is a weekly Stations of the Cross on Friday at 7:00 p.m. A Cross Bearer, two Candle Bearers, and two Readers are needed. Families are urged to volunteer. Training will be provided. Total time involved is less than one hour. Please sign up in the credenza.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION: Christian Formation classes are in desperate need of volunteers to help set-up and break-down classes on Sunday mornings. It is a ten-minute commitment. Please sign-up in the Commons for any Sunday when you can spare a few minutes to help our youth and catechists.

PARISH SURVEY: A survey has been mailed to the homes of all registered parishoners. In the interest of trying to gain a more detailed understanding of the parishoners' opinions, it has been decided to use multiple, narrowly focused surveys rather than one large survey. The first survey which has been mailed focuses on the adult members of the parish. Please return your survey in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Contact the parish office if you have not already received your survey.

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

February 17th is the Second Sunday in Lent. The reading from St. Matthew's Gospel teaches us that Jesus is the new and greater Moses. He is transfigured before the eyes of three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, and He speaks with Moses and Elijah who appear beside Him. Like Moses, Jesus is enveloped in a cloud on a mountain, but in order to make Jesus more fully known and reveal His divinity, God the Father proclaims that, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."

Readings:

Genesis 12:1-4
Psalm 33:4-5,18-20, 22
2 Timothy 1:8-10
Matthew 17:1-9

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

Falling in Love with Christ - Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa (Courtesy of Zenit)

St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) is a non-profit, non-partisan research and educational institute focusing on international social policy.

C-FAM's mission is to monitor the evolving international debate on social policy, and to assist governments at the UN and elsewhere to more deeply understand these difficult issues.

C-FAM's mission includes educating the public at large about the pressing issues debated at the UN and at other international institutions. (from the Web site)

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

Novena to St. Peter for the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
Novena Dates February 14-22, Feast Day February 22

O Holy Apostle, because you are the rock upon which Almighty God has built His church, obtain for me I pray you, firm hope and burning love; complete detachment from myself, contempt of the world, patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the will of God and perseverance in the grace of God even unto death; that so, by means of your intercession and your glorious merits, I may be made worthy to appear before the chief and eternal shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever. Amen.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.)

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

During Lent, Holy Mother Church calls us to grow in our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Through these actions we can open ourselves to a conversion of the heart. This week's excerpt from the Cathecism addresses this interior penance.

(For more Lenten resources, view the Resources for Lent section of the Web site.)

1430   Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.

1431   Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart).

1432   The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new heart. Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him: "Restore us to thyself, O LORD, that we may be restored!" God gives us the strength to begin anew. It is in discovering the greatness of God's love that our heart is shaken by the horror and weight of sin and begins to fear offending God by sin and being separated from him. the human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced:

Let us fix our eyes on Christ's blood and understand how precious it is to his Father, for, poured out for our salvation it has brought to the whole world the grace of repentance.

1433   Since Easter, the Holy Spirit has proved "the world wrong about sin," i.e., proved that the world has not believed in him whom the Father has sent. But this same Spirit who brings sin to light is also the Consoler who gives the human heart grace for repentance and conversion.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

The Church exhorts the faithful to frequent personal and community reading of the Word of God. Undoubtedly, the account of the Lord's Passion is among the most important pastoral passages in the New Testament. Hence, for the Christian in his last agony, the Ordo untionis informorum eorumque pastoralis curae suggests the reading of the Lord's Passion either in its entirety, or at least some pericopes from it.

During Lent, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays, love for our Crucified Savior should move the Christian community to read the account of the Lord's Passion. Such reading, which is doctrinally significant, attracts the attention of the faithful because of its content and because of its narrative form, and inspires true devotion: repentance for sins, since the faithful see that Christ died for the sins of the entire human race, including their own; compassion and solidarity for the Innocent who was unjustly condemned; gratitude for the infinite love of Jesus for all the brethren, which was shown by Jesus, the first born Son, in his Passion; commitment to imitating his example of meekness, patience, mercy, forgiveness of offenses, abandonment to the Father, which Jesus did willingly and efficaciously in his Passion.

Outside of the liturgical celebration of the Passion, the Gospel narrative can be "dramatized", giving the various parts of the narrative to different persons; or by interspersing it with hymns or moments of silent reflection.

From Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (130)

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

The IMPACT Rally is tonight at 6:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church on Park Street. At the rally, there will be updates on the two identified issues which IMPACT is addressing this year: increasing the number of affordable housing units for those in the area who earn less than $20,000 per year and assisting the same population in getting much needed dental care. In addition, there will be testimonies given by people from the area whom IMPACT is seeking to help.

Please plan to attend and help us to make a difference in our community by reaching out to assist someone who needs our help.

For more information, visit the IMPACT Web site.

The bulletin for February 10, 2008 is available by clicking here to view it.

Listed below are a few of the items from this week's bulletin. See the bulletin for more details and to read all of the announcements.

PANTRY: It is reverse collection time again. Please purchase as many items from the list as you can afford. There are many people in this area who depend on us to supplement their food budgets. Thank you for your continuing support.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION: Christian Formation classes are in desperate need of volunteers to help set-up and break-down classes on Sunday mornings. It is a ten-minute commitment. Please sign-up in the Commons for any Sunday when you can spare a few minutes to help our youth and catechists.

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Throughout Lent there is a weekly Stations of the Cross on Friday at 7:00 p.m. A Cross Bearer, two Candle Bearers, and two Readers are needed. Families are urged to volunteer. Training will be provided. Total time involved is less than one hour. Please sign up in the credenza.

IMPACT: The recent efforts of IMPACT have included researching options to help provide both dental care and affordable housing for those who earn less than $20,000 per year. At the Rally scheduled for February 11th at 6:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, we will learn what solutions will be proposed by IMPACT. Please plan to attend the Rally and the Nehemiah Assembly which will be held at U-Hall on March 10th at 6:00 p.m.

PORTRAIT APPOINTMENTS: The scheduled portrait appointments begin next week, February 18 - 23. Portraits are taken at the white Carriage House of First Presbyterian Church on 522 Park Street. Please keep your appointment. If you must cancel call 975-5995.

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

February 10th is the First Sunday in Lent. In the Gospel reading from St. Matthew's Gospel, we hear of our Lord's forty day fast and the subsequent temptation He was allowed to undergo after His fast. Three times, the devil tried to have our Lord veer from His appointed mission, and three times our Lord used Sacred Scripture to reply to the temptation. Sin which entered through the disobedience of Adam, as the readings from Genesis and Romans describe, is undone by the obedience of Christ.

Readings:

Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7
Psalm 51:3-6; 12-14,17
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

Satan Exists, and Christ defeated Him - Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa (Courtesy of Zenit)

St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
FOR LENT 2008

"Christ made Himself poor for you" (2 Cor 8,9)

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Each year, Lent offers us a providential opportunity to deepen the meaning and value of our Christian lives, and it stimulates us to rediscover the mercy of God so that we, in turn, become more merciful toward our brothers and sisters. In the Lenten period, the Church makes it her duty to propose some specific tasks that accompany the faithful concretely in this process of interior renewal: these are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. For this year's Lenten Message, I wish to spend some time reflecting on the practice of almsgiving, which represents a specific way to assist those in need and, at the same time, an exercise in self-denial to free us from attachment to worldly goods.

Click here to read the full text of the Holy Father's Message for Lent.

The Holy Father touched on this message at the General Audience on Ash Wednesday. Click the picture below to view highlights from the General Audience.

There is a also a link to the Holy Father's Message for Lent in the Resources for Lent section of the Web site.

Joan's Rome is a daily blog written by Joan Lewis of the Vatican Information Service. She is also the Rome Bureau Chief for EWTN. In her blog, she provides an insider's view of some of the events and activities of the Holy Father, the Roman Curia, and the Vatican.

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

Lent is the liturgical season of prayer and penance that prepares our hearts for the celebration of our Lord's Resurrection. In the Latin Rite, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues for forty days, excluding Sundays, until Holy Saturday.

The beginning of Lent is determined by the date of Easter. Accordingly, Ash Wednesday can begin on any date from February 4 until March 11. This year's beginning date of February 6 is the earliest beginning of Lent since 1913.

On the Web site, you will find some resources for Lent including information on the regulations for fasting and abstinence, links for devotions, the liturgical schedule, and Stations of the Cross. Click here to learn more.

Lent probably originated with the pre-Easter baptismal rituals of catechumens and the number of days set aside for fasting varied according to region. The number forty, hallowed by the fasts of Moses, Elijah, and especially Jesus, probably influenced the later fixed time of 40 days. The Canons of Nicaea (AD 325) were the first to mention 40 days of fasting. Initially Lent began on a Monday, and this is when the Eastern Churches begin Lent to this day. Eventually the West began Lent on Ash Wednesday, and the observance lasted for 40 days. The East has no equivalent to Ash Wednesday.

The earliest fasts of Lent tended to be very strict, allowing one meal a day, and even then meats, eggs, and other indulgences were forbidden. The Eastern Churches follow this today. Now, in the Western Church, only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are enjoined as strict fast days, but Fridays are set aside for abstinence from meat. Sundays are not a part of the Lenten fast, because Sunday is always a feast of the resurrection. However, the Sundays of Lent are still a part of the Lenten liturgical season in the Western Church, and the worship services tend to be more simple and austere than normal. They lack the Gloria, and the joyous "alleluias" of the Easter season. The Western liturgical color of Lent is violet, symbolizing royalty and penitence. Like Sundays, other major solemnities, such as St. Joseph and the Annunciation, take precedence over Lenten observances in the Church calendar. These days provide a break from the Lenten fast. However, at least in the current Western Church, Lent nearly always trumps the observances of minor feast days. Too many festivals take away from the simple and penitential spirit of the Lenten season. Certain devotions and liturgies have developed during the Lenten season, including (in the West), the Stations of the Cross.

From ChurchYear.Net

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

Today, Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of the holy season of Lent which lasts for forty days, excluding Sundays, until Holy Saturday on March 22nd.

Lent precedes and prepares for Easter. It is a time to hear the Word of God, to convert, to prepare for and remember Baptism, to be reconciled with God and one's neighbor, and of more frequent recourse to the "arms of Christian penance"(134): prayer, fasting and good works (cf. Mt 6, 1-6. 16-18).

Popular piety does not easily perceive the mystical aspect of Lent and does not emphasize any of its great themes or values, such a relationship between "the sacrament of forty days" and "the sacraments of Christian initiation", nor the mystery of the "exodus" which is always present in the lenten journey. Popular piety concentrates on the mysteries of Christ's humanity, and during Lent the faithful pay close attention to the Passion and Death of Our Lord.

In the Roman Rite, the beginning of the forty days of penance is marked with the austere symbol of ashes which are used in the Liturgy of Ash Wednesday. The use of ashes is a survival from an ancient rite according to which converted sinners submitted themselves to canonical penance. The act of putting on ashes symbolizes fragility and mortality, and the need to be redeemed by the mercy of God. Far from being a merely external act, the Church has retained the use of ashes to symbolize that attitude of internal penance to which all the baptized are called during Lent. The faithful who come to receive ashes should be assisted in perceiving the implicit internal significance of this act, which disposes them towards conversion and renewed Easter commitment.

Notwithstanding the secularization of contemporary society, the Christian faithful, during Lent, are clearly conscious of the need to turn the mind towards those realities which really count, which require Gospel commitment and integrity of life which, through self denial of those things which are superfluous, are translated into good works and solidarity with the poor and needy.

Those of the faithful who infrequently attend the sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist should be aware of the long ecclesial tradition associating the precept of confessing grave sins and receive Holy Communion at least once during the lenten season, or preferably during Eastertide.

The existing divergence between the liturgical idea of Lent and the outlook of popular piety need not prevent an effective interaction between Liturgy and popular piety during the forty days of Lent.

From Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (124-126)

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Today is the last day in the Haiti Solidarity Week which is sponsored by our diocese. According to the Haiti Outreach office, "This week gives us the opportunity to celebrate our relationships with the people of Haiti; increase our awareness of the people; culture and issues of Haiti; deepen our commitment to our twinning programs; pray for our brothers and sisters who live there; and advocate here for the changes necessary to bring justice to the people of Haiti." (For general information about Haiti click here to view a Haiti fact sheet.)

For many years, Holy Comforter Parish has had a twinning relationship with the parish of St. Michael's in Saltadère, Haiti. Over those years, our parish has had the opportunity of getting to know a little bit more about our brothers and sisters in Saltadère through visits to Haiti as well as visits from the priest of St. Michael's. In addition, we have had the opportunity to help our brothers and sisters through our prayer and monetary support. Very recently, through the generosity of parishoners at Holy Comforter and other parishes, the parish in Saltadère was able to build a much needed new school building.

Another important way that we can help is by sponsoring the children of St. Michael's parish. For only $12 a month, you can help one of the children in Saltadère by supporting his or her education at St. Michael's School. The money goes to cover school costs, such as basic supplies, clothes, teacher pay, and school lunch. You can exchange letters (in French) with your student and learn about your child's life in Haiti. For more information including a FAQ on the sponsorship program, and information about who to contact in order to participate as a sponsor, click here.

February 3rd is the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In the Gospel reading from St. Matthew's Gospel, we hear a portion of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount. In this section, our Lord teaches on the Beatitudes which describe the virtues of the Kingdom of God which everyone who follows Christ should be striving to possess.

Readings:

Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13
Psalm 146:6-10
1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Matthew 5:1-12


Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa (Courtesy of Zenit)

St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)

St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

This year marks the 150th anniversary of our Lady's appearance to St. Bernadette Soubirous near Lourdes, France. Click here for more information about the apparition at Lourdes and the special Jubilee this year to mark the 150th anniversary.

Our Lady of Lourdes Novena
Novena Dates February 2-10, Feast Day February 11

O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfort to the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Deign to cast upon me a look of mercy. By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors; and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.

I come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession. Obtain, O loving Mother, the granting of my requests.

Through gratitude for favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues that I may one day share your glory.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Amen.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.)

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

Egeria, writing around AD 380, attests to a feast of the Presentation in the Jerusalem Church. It was kept on February 14th. The day was kept by a procession to the Constantinian basilica of the Resurrection, with a homily on Luke 2:22-39. However, the feast had no proper name at this point; it was simply called the 40th day after Epiphany. This shows that the Jerusalem church celebrated Jesus' birth on the Epiphany Feast (as is common in some Eastern Churches today).

In regions where Christ's birth was celebrated on December 25th, the feast began to be celebrated on February 2nd, where it is kept in the West today. In 542, the Emperor Justinian introduced the feast to the entire Eastern Roman empire in thanksgiving for the end to a great pestilence afflicting the city of Constantinople. Perhaps this is when Pope Gregory I brought the feast to Rome. Either way, by the 7th century, it is contained in the Gelasianum Sacramentary. Pope Sergius (687-701) introduced the procession to the Candlemas service. The blessing of candles did not come into common use until the 11th century.

While some scholars have asserted that the Candlemas feast was developed in the Middle Ages to counteract the pagan feasts of Imbolc and Lupercalia, many scholars reject this, based on Medieval documents. While the feast does coincide with these two pagan holidays, the origins of the feast are based in Scriptural chronology. Some superstitions developed about Candlemas, including the belief that if one does not take down Christmas decorations by Candlemas, traces of the holly and berries will bring about the death of the person involved. In past times, Candlemas was seen as the end of the Christmas season.

Candlemas Day was also the day when some cultures predicted weather patterns. Farmers believed that the remainder of winter would be the opposite of whatever the weather was like on Candlemas Day. An old English song goes:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,
Go winter, and come not again.

Thus if the sun cast a shadow on Candlemas day, more winter was on the way; if there was no shadow, winter was thought to be ending soon. This practice led to the folklore behind "Groundhog's Day," which falls on Candlemas Day.

Today, the feast is still celebrated on February 14th in some Eastern Churches, including the Armenian Church, where the feast is called, "The Coming of the Son of God into the Temple." Most churches celebrate it on February 2nd.

From ChurchYear.Net

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This post is from the Holy Comforter Catholic Church Bulletin Newsletter which is sent out once a week via email. If you would like to subscribe to the Newsletter, click here.

For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. - St. Thérèrse of Liseaux

The Holy Father's prayer intentions for February are:

General: That the mentally handicapped may not be marginalized but respected and lovingly helped to live in a way worthy of their physical and social condition.

Mission: That Institutes of Consecrated Life, so flourishing in mission countries, may rediscover the missionary dimension and, faithful to the radical choice of Gospel counsels, be generous in bearing witness to Christ and proclaiming Him to the ends of the earth.

Pro-Life Prayer Intention

That Priests for Life may grow in the effectiveness and scope of its ministry.