November 1 is the solemnity of All Saints. Normally, a Holy Day of Obligation, this year because the solemnity falls on Saturday, the obligation is abrogated.

Christians have been honoring their saints and martyrs since at least the second century AD. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, probably written near the middle of the second century, attests to this reality:

Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more pure than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, so that when being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps.

Initially the calendars of saints and martyrs varied from location to location, and many times local churches honored local saints. However, gradually feast days became more universal. The first reference to a general feast celebrating all saints occurs in St. Ephrem the Syrian (d. AD 373). St. John Chrysostom (d. AD 407) assigned a day to the feast, the first Sunday after Pentecost, where in the Eastern Churches the feast is celebrated to this day. In the West, this date was probably originally used, and then the feast was moved to May 13th. The current observance (November 1) probably originates from the time of Pope Gregory III (d. AD 741), and was likely first observed on November 1st in Germany. This fact makes the connection of the All Saints Feast with the pagan festival Samhain less likely, since Samhain was an Irish pagan feast, rather than German.

The vigil of the Feast (the eve) has grown up in the English speaking countries as a festival in itself, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. While many consider Halloween pagan (and in many instances the celebrations are for many), as far as the Church is concerned the date is simply the eve of the feast of All Saints. Many customs of Halloween reflect the Christian belief that on the feast's vigils we mock evil, because as Christians, it has no real power over us. However, for some Halloween is used for evil purposes, in which many Christians dabble unknowingly. David Morrison explains the proper relationship between Christians and Halloween. Various customs have developed related to Halloween. In the Middle Ages, poor people in the community begged for "soul cakes," and upon receiving these doughnuts, they would agree to pray for departed souls. This is the root of our modern day "trick-or-treat." The custom of masks and costumes developed to mock evil and perhaps confuse the evil spirits by dressing as one of their own. Some Christians visit cemeteries on Halloween, not to practice evil, but to commemorate departed relatives and friends, with picnics and the last flowers of the year. The day after All Saints day is called All Soul's Day, a day to remember and offer prayers up on behalf of all of the faithful departed. In many cultures it seems the two days share many customs.

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EWTN's Web site includes a portion devoted to A Guide to Catholic Teaching and Voting. The site includes links to many documents including Catechetical References. There are also a number of links to audio and video archives of programs related to Catholic teaching and voting which have aired on EWTN television and radio. In addition, the site includes links to other resources related to Catholic teaching and voting including books and DVDs.

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The Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1st. This is part two of two excerpts from the Catechism which focus on the saints. The first excerpt can be read here.

949   In the primitive community of Jerusalem, the disciples "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers."

Communion in the faith. The faith of the faithful is the faith of the Church, received from the apostles. Faith is a treasure of life which is enriched by being shared.

950   Communion of the sacraments. "The fruit of all the sacraments belongs to all the faithful. All the sacraments are sacred links uniting the faithful with one another and binding them to Jesus Christ, and above all Baptism, the gate by which we enter into the Church. the communion of saints must be understood as the communion of the sacraments.... the name 'communion' can be applied to all of them, for they unite us to God.... But this name is better suited to the Eucharist than to any other, because it is primarily the Eucharist that brings this communion about.

951   Communion of charisms. Within the communion of the Church, the Holy Spirit "distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank" for the building up of the Church. Now, "to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

952   "They had everything in common." "Everything the true Christian has is to be regarded as a good possessed in common with everyone else. All Christians should be ready and eager to come to the help of the needy . . . and of their neighbors in want."485 A Christian is a steward of the Lord's goods.

953   Communion in charity. In the sanctorum communio, "None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself." "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." "Charity does not insist on its own way." In this solidarity with all men, living or dead, which is founded on the communion of saints, the least of our acts done in charity redounds to the profit of all. Every sin harms this communion.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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"In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do." – Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, U.S. Catholic Bishops (November 2007)

Election day is a week away. The Virginia Catholic Conference (VCC) has put together a number of resources to assist Catholics in their duty to vote with an informed conscience. These resources include:

• Pre-Election Statement
• Information on the Presidential Candidates
• Information on the Senate Candidates
• Faithful Citizenship Video

For more resources, visit the VCC Web site.

The VCC represents the mutual public-policy interests of the Diocese of Richmond and the Diocese of Arlington.

In order to prepare our hearts to vote and to ask for our Lord to be with our nation during this election, the following prayer can be offered for the nine days up to the election--October 27 - November 4.

O God, we acknowledge you today as Lord,
Not only of individuals, but of nations and governments.

We thank you for the privilege
Of being able to organize ourselves politically
And of knowing that political loyalty
Does not have to mean disloyalty to you.

We thank you for your law,
Which our Founding Fathers acknowledged
And recognized as higher than any human law.

We thank you for the opportunity that this election year puts before us,
To exercise our solemn duty not only to vote,
But to influence countless others to vote,
And to vote correctly.

Lord, we pray that your people may be awakened.
Let them realize that while politics is not their salvation,
Their response to you requires that they be politically active.

Awaken your people to know that they are not called to be a sect fleeing the world
But rather a community of faith renewing the world.

Awaken them that the same hands lifted up to you in prayer
Are the hands that pull the lever in the voting booth;
That the same eyes that read your Word
Are the eyes that read the names on the ballot,
And that they do not cease to be Christians
When they enter the voting booth.

Awaken your people to a commitment to justice
To the sanctity of marriage and the family,
To the dignity of each individual human life,
And to the truth that human rights begin when human lives begin,
And not one moment later.

Lord, we rejoice today
That we are citizens of your kingdom.

May that make us all the more committed
To being faithful citizens on earth.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From Priests for Life

The 2009 Fall Assembly for IMPACT is tonight at 6:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas parish.

Please plan to attend in order to participate in the voting on a new justice issue to be addressed from among the general categories of education, youth, and jobs/wages. Child care is available and carpooling is advised.

Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together (IMPACT) is a grassroots initiative bringing a diverse group of congregations together to live out our religious traditions' call for justice in our local community of Charlottesville & Albemarle County, VA.

Sunday's Readings: Exodus 22:20-26 Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10 Matthew 22:34-40

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Love Commanded (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• The Greatest Commandment from The Crossroads Initiative

"Our faith requires us to oppose abortion on demand and to provide help to mothers facing challenging pregnancies," Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., said in an October 21 statement. The bishops urged Catholics to study the teaching of the Church, rather than rely on statements and materials from outside groups and individuals.

Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Murphy made the joint statement in response to arguments that the Church should accept the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision on abortion as a "permanent fixture of constitutional law" and should concede that the only way to reduce abortions is to provide more government support for pregnant women. At the same time the two bishops also responded to those who argue that the Church's efforts against abortion should focus solely on restoring recognition for unborn children's human rights and that proposals to provide social and economic support for pregnant women distract from that effort.

Cardinal Rigali chairs of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities. Bishop Murphy chairs the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

"Providing support for pregnant women so they choose to have their babies is a necessary but not sufficient response to abortion. Similarly, reversal of Roe is a necessary but not sufficient condition for restoring an order of justice in our society's treatment of defenseless human life," they said.

The bishops also noted that "in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision knocked down laws against abortion in all 50 states, fabricating a constitutional 'right' to abortion that continues to haunt and divide our society....Roe v. Wade is a clear case of an 'intrinsically unjust law' we are morally obliged to oppose. Reversing it is not a mere political tactic, but a moral imperative for Catholics and others who respect human life," they said.

Read the full statement here.

From USCCB Office of Media Relations

Faithful Citizenship is a Web site presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in order to assist U.S. Catholics in exercising their moral obligation to participate in the political life of the United States. The site provides Bishops' statements and additional information to help Catholics in forming a conscience that will enable them to fully participate in political life as a Catholic Christian. The site also includes information to assist pastors, parish leaders, teachers, and parents in their duty to teach Catholics how to apply the truths of the faith to political life.

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The solemnity of All Saints is November 1st. In preparation for this feast, here is a novena to your patron saint.

Novena Prayer to your Patron Saint
Novena Dates October 24 - November 1, Feast Day November 1

Great Saint (name of Patron Saint), at my Baptism you were chosen as a guardian and witness of my obligations, and under your name, I then became an adopted child of God, and solemnly renounced Satan, his works, and his empty promises. Assist me by your powerful intercession in the fulfillment of these sacred promises. You also made them in the days of your earthly pilgrimage, and your fidelity in keeping them to the end has obtained for you an everlasting reward in heaven.

I am called to the same happiness that you enjoy. The same help is offered to me that enabled you to acquire eternal glory. You overcame temptations like those that I experience.

Pray for me, therefore, my Holy Patron, so that, being inspired by your example and assisted by your prayers, I may live a holy life, die a happy death, and reach eternal life to praise and thank God in heaven with you.

I ask you to pray to God for this special request if it be God's holy Will: (Mention your request).

Prayer

Almighty, eternal God, You were pleased to make Your Church illustrious through the varied splendor of the Saints. As we venerate their memory may we also follow such shining examples of virtue on earth and thus obtain merited crowns in heaven. We ask this though Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1st. This is part one of two excerpts from the Catechism which focus on the saints.

946   After confessing "the holy catholic Church," the Apostles' Creed adds "the communion of saints." In a certain sense this article is a further explanation of the preceding: "What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints?" The communion of saints is the Church.

947   "Since all the faithful form one body, the good of each is communicated to the others.... We must therefore believe that there exists a communion of goods in the Church. But the most important member is Christ, since he is the head.... Therefore, the riches of Christ are communicated to all the members, through the sacraments." "As this Church is governed by one and the same Spirit, all the goods she has received necessarily become a common fund."

948   The term "communion of saints" therefore has two closely linked meanings: communion in holy things (sancta)" and "among holy persons (sancti).

"Sancta sancti's! ("God's holy gifts for God's holy people") is proclaimed by the celebrant in most Eastern liturgies during the elevation of the holy Gifts before the distribution of communion. the faithful (sancta) are fed by Christ's holy body and blood (sancta) to grow in the communion of the Holy Spirit (koinonia) and to communicate it to the world.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Election Day in the United States is Tuesday, November 4th which is exactly two weeks away from today. Over the next two weeks, posts will be made which address Catholics and voting.

As Catholics living in the U.S., we are called to participate in the political process in order to promote the common good. In our political system in which we are governed by elected representatives who are elected by popular vote, at a minimum, we must participate by voting. Several paragraphs in the Catechism speak to this duty to be involved in politics:

2239 It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community.

2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country [Rom 13:7]:

Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. [Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners.... They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws.... So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it. [Ad Diognetum 5: 5, 10]

For more information, see the document, Participation of Catholics in Political Life, which was promulgated by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus
Novena Dates October 20 - 28, Feast Day October 28

Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.

Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly - (make your request here)

- and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you.

Amen.

PRAYER

May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen.

May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen

St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen.

Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity.

(say this prayer, followed by the Our Father and the Hail Mary)

Sunday's Readings: Isaiah 45:1,4-6 Psalm 96:1,3-5, 7-10 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 Matthew 22:15-21

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• Profile of a Catholic Politician - Pontifical Household preacher, Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa


• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Caesar and the King (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• Render Unto Caesar from The Crossroads Initiative

Rosary (dot) Prayer is a website that provides features to pray the rosary online. The site encourages you to spend 20 minutes in front of your computer praying the rosary using the meditations for each mystery. From Catholic Culture

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The month of October is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. The following are a number of reasons to pray the Rosary regularly.

• Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary" (Pope Pius IX).


• "Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world" (Our Lady of Fátima).


• "There is no surer means of calling down God's blessings upon the family . . . than the daily recitation of the Rosary" (Pope Pius XII).


• "We do not hesitate to affirm again publicly that we put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times" (Pope Pius XII).


• "No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary" (Bishop Hugh Doyle).


• "The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world" (Pope John XXIII).


• "The Rosary is the compendium of the entire Gospel" (Pope Paul VI quoting Pope Pius XII).


• "Meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary . . . can be an excellent preparation for the celebration of those same mysteries in the liturgical actions [i.e. the Mass] and can also become a continuing echo thereof" (Pope Paul VI).


• "My impression is that the Rosary is of the greatest value not only according to the words of Our Lady at Fátima, but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees throughout history. My impression is that Our Lady wanted to give ordinary people, who might not know how to pray, this simple method of getting closer to God" (Sister Lucia, one of the seers of Fátima).


• "How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening" (Pope John Paul II).


• Pope John Paul II has called the Rosary his "favorite prayer," after the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours.


• St. Louis de Montfort warns us against both the ignorant and scholars who regard the Rosary as something of little importance..."the Rosary is a priceless treasure inspired by God."

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St. Teresa of Jesus was declared the first woman Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. The sixteenth century nun was a reformer of the Carmelite order, a mystic, and a master of prayer. Her feast is celebrated on October 15.

After her profession in the following year [1536] she became very seriously ill, and underwent a prolonged cure and such unskillful medical treatment that she was reduced to a most pitiful state, and even after partial recovery through the intercession of St. Joseph, her health remained permanently impaired. During these years of suffering she began the practice of mental prayer, but fearing that her conversations with some world-minded relatives, frequent visitors at the convent, rendered her unworthy of the graces God bestowed on her in prayer, discontinued it, until she came under the influence, first of the Dominicans, and afterwards of the Jesuits. Meanwhile God had begun to visit her with "intellectual visions and locutions", that is manifestations in which the exterior senses were in no way affected, the things seen and the words heard being directly impressed upon her mind , and giving her wonderful strength in trials, reprimanding her for unfaithfulness, and consoling her in trouble. Unable to reconcile such graces with her shortcomings, which her delicate conscience represented as grievous faults, she had recourse not only to the most spiritual confessors she could find, but also to some saintly laymen, who, never suspecting that the account she gave them of her sins was greatly exaggerated, believed these manifestations to be the work of the evil spirit. The more she endeavored to resist them the more powerfully did God work in her soul. The whole city of Avila was troubled by the reports of the visions of this nun. It was reserved to St. Francis Borgia and St. Peter of Alcantara, and afterwards to a number of Dominicans (particularly Pedro Ibañez and Domingo Bañez), Jesuits, and other religious and secular priests, to discern the work of God and to guide her on a safe road.

The account of her spiritual life contained in the "Life written by herself" (completed in 1565, an earlier version being lost), in the "Relations", and in the "Interior Castle",forms one of the most remarkable spiritual biographies with which only the "Confessions of St. Augustine" can bear comparison. To this period belong also such extraordinary manifestations as the piercing or transverberation of her heart, the spiritual espousals, and the mystical marriage. A vision of the place destined for her in hell in case she should have been unfaithful to grace, determined her to seek a more perfect life. After many troubles and much opposition St. Teresa founded the convent of Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Primitive Rule of St. Joseph at Avila (24 Aug., 1562), and after six months obtained permission to take up her residence there. Four years later she received the visit of the General of the Carmelites, John-Baptist Rubeo (Rossi), who not only approved of what she had done but granted leave for the foundation of other convents of friars as well as nuns. In rapid succession she established her nuns at Medina del Campo (1567), Malagon and Valladolid (1568), Toledo and Pastrana (1569), Salamanca (1570), Alba de Tormes (1571), Segovia (1574), Veas and Seville (1575), and Caravaca (1576). In the "Book of Foundations" she tells the story of these convents, nearly all of which were established in spite of violent opposition but with manifest assistance from above. Everywhere she found souls generous enough to embrace the austerities of the primitive rule of Carmel. Having made the acquaintance of Antonio de Heredia, prior of Medina, and St. John of the Cross, she established her reform among the friars (28 Nov., 1568), the first convents being those of Duruelo (1568), Pastrana (1569), Mancera, and Alcalá de Henares (1570).

St. Teresa's position among writers on mystical theology is unique. In all her writings on this subject she deals with her personal experiences, which a deep insight and analytical gifts enabled her to explain clearly. The Thomistic substratum may be traced to the influence of her confessors and directors, many of whom belonged to the Dominican Order. She herself had no pretension to found a school in the accepted sense of the term, and there is no vestige in her writings of any influence of the Areopagite, the Patristic, or the Scholastic Mystical schools, as represented among others, by the German Dominican Mystics. She is intensely personal, her system going exactly as far as her experiences, but not a step further.

Taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia

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The Church celebrates the Feast of the Archangels on September 29th and the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels on October 2nd. This is the third of a series on excerpts from the Catechism on angels. The first and second parts can be read here and here.

334   In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels.

335   In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the Roman Canon's Supplices te rogamus. . .["Almighty God, we pray that your angel..."]; in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .["May the angels lead you into Paradise. . ."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).

336   From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. "Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life." Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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Today is Columbus Day in the United States. Columbus Day is celebrated to mark the arrival of the Genoese explorer's arrival in the Americas back in 1492.

The first celebration of Columbus Day is considered to be the 1792 New York commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Columbus' initial voyage to the Americas. Other regional efforts were made to celebrate this holiday especially among Italian-Americans who considered the holiday a time to celebrate their cultural heritage. Finally, in 1934, though the efforts of the Knights of Columbus, President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress made Columbus Day a federal holiday. In 1971, Columbus Day was changed from the fixed day of October 12th to be the second Monday in October.

The real Christopher Columbus was a very religious person. In fact, he was a third order Franciscan. Much more information about him can be found here including facts and myths about Columbus.

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th. The first installment of the 2008-2009 St. Anselm Institute lecture series focuses on this very popular saint.

On Wednesday, October 8th at 5:30 p.m., Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P. and UVa Professor of Religious Studies and History will speak on his latest and most luminous work: "In Search of the Historical St. Francis of Assisi." Fr. Thompson is the author of the widely acclaimed Cities of God: The Religion of the Italian Communes, 1125-1325 (2005), numerous articles on medieval Italian history, and the translator of several important medieval texts, including The Medieval Canon Law of Marriage. The talk is open to the public and will be held at Minor Hall Auditorium at the University of Virginia. Please consult the map for the location.

Sunday's Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:9, 12-16, 19-20 Philippians 4:6-9 Matthew 21:33-43

Here are a few commentaries on these readings:

• St. Charles Borromeo Lectionary Site (PDF)


• Living on the Vine (Also available to be heard as an MP3) from St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology


• Walls Come Tumbling Down from The Crossroads Initiative

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th. St. Francis was known for many things including his rapport with animals. One account from his life describes how he saved the people of Gubbio from a wolf who had been terrorizing the villagers. The following rendition of that account is presented from the wolf's perspective. To read the more traditional account from the biography entitled the Little Flowers of St. Francis, click here.

So you want to know about St. Francis of Assisi, huh? Well I'd be more than happy to share the story of my experience with him. I was so fortunate to know him because he was so special. He changed my life.

I guess I should start out telling you a bit about myself. My name is Willis. I live in the forest and I used to be lonely. You see, I was too mean for any of the other animals to like me, even my fellow wolves. They all left me behind years ago because they said I had a short temper and sharp teeth. I guess those don't go so well together. But since I met St. Francis, every thing's changed. My temper has gone away, and I've got lots of friends. I can go door to door and talk to anyone who answers. Let me go back to the beginning....

My area of forest was just outside of the village of Gubbio. I hung out around there because there were lots of little animals that I could eat for snacks. And when I was craving a real feast, I could wander a little closer to the village and snack on a little boy or girl. It was a perfect location. I knew people were scared of me, and I knew the other animals were terrified, but since everyone already hated me, I really didn't care that I was scaring them off. It was eventually so bad that I couldn't get dinner because all of the people of Gubbio were too afraid to come near the forest.

After many lonely days, I finally saw someone leave the gate of the village. A huge crowd of people was surrounding the gate, seemingly trying to keep the man from leaving. As I saw him approach, I got really excited. I felt my mouth start to water and my jaws start to open. It had been a long time since I'd had a feast, and this was a big guy.

Well, he got pretty close, and just as I was ready to pounce, he very calmly raised his arm in the air. He made a sign with his hand, and it kind of looked like a cross. Just as he did it, I wasn't hungry anymore. I can't explain it, but I just felt calm, like he looked.

He said a few words, and I was drawn to him. I walked to his feet, and lay down obediently. He called me Brother Wolf and told me he wanted to make peace. He said I'd done many things wrong, but all he wanted was to make a pact of peace with me, for the sake of the people of Gubbio. I wagged my tail and he reached down, placing my paw in his hand. When I touched him I felt grace, and I knew I could never again attack.

The man, whom everyone called Francis, walked me inside the gates of the village. I didn't know what was wrong with me, because with all those people around, I didn't feel the urge for a snack even once. I had been changed. As the children hid behind their parents, Francis silenced the frightened crowd. He told them they were safe from the wolf as long as they promised to provide food for me every day.

The crowd was relieved and agreed to the deal, and for the rest of my life, I walked from door to door for dinner from the kind people of Gubbio.

By Brianne Webb

This is an unofficial home page for the Legion of Mary, the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over 3 million active members in almost every country of the world. The main purpose of the Legion of Mary is to give glory to God through the sanctification of its members. Along with information about the Legion and its works, the site provides other Legion and spiritual resources.

From Catholic Culture

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In the Commonwealth of Virginia, the last day to register to vote to be eligible for the November 4, 2008 General Election is Close of Business October 6, 2008. Applications must be in the voter registration office or posted marked by that date. Normal processing time is about thirty (30) days.

Reasons to register to vote include:

• You have never registered to vote.


• You relocated to the Commonwealth of Virginia and have not yet registered to vote.


• You have moved within the Commonwealth since you last registered to vote.

For more information, including a voter registration application, visit the Virginia State Board of Elections.

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th.

St. Francis was a great lover of all of God's creation including animals. In honor of St. Francis, traditionally, pets can be brought to the parish to be blessed by the priest.

If you would like to have your pet blessed, bring your pet to the parish at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 4th.

The Church celebrates the Feast of the Archangels on September 29th and the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels on October 2nd. This is the second of a series on excerpts from the Catechism on angels. The first part can be read here.

331   Christ is the center of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him. . " They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him." They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?"

332   Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples. Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself.

333   From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: 'Let all God's angels worship him.'" Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church's praise: "Glory to God in the highest!" They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been. Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection. They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgment.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

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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 October are:

General: That the Synod of Bishops may help bishops and theologians as well as catechists and pastoral workers engaged in the service of the Word of God transmit with courage the truth of the faith in communion with the entire Church.

Mission: That in this month dedicated to the missions, through the promotional activities of the Pontifical Missionary Works and other organisms, the Christian may feel the need to participate in the Church’s universal mission with prayer, sacrifice and concrete help.

Pro-Life Prayer Intention

That voters may be active in the political process and elect pro-life candidates.