My People

TABLE OF CONTENTS

World Mission Sunday Message Is Parting Gift Of Pope John Paul II
VE Day Anniversary Has Lessons For Peacemakers
In Defense of Life: Pope John Paul II An Advocate for Life
The DaVinci Code Turned To Good
Men Called To Do God's Will
Prison To Praise: Remembering Jesus
Pray the News

World Mission Sunday Message Is Parting Gift Of Pope John Paul II

One of Pope John Paul II's last messages for the Church was that for World Mission Sunday in this Year of the Eucharist. This day is celebrated in October. Traditionally, the message had been issued on Pentecost but this date was changed to allow local churches more time to prepare. The message was released on February 22, the feast of the Chair of Peter.

The message of the late Pontiff follows:

"World Mission Sunday, in this year dedicated to the Eucharist, helps us to better understand the 'eucharistic' sense of our life as we relive the emotion of the Upper Room when, on the eve of His passion, Jesus offered Himself to the world: 'On the night He was betrayed, He took bread, and, after He had given thanks, broke it and said: This is My body that is for you. Do this in memory of Me' (1 Cor 11:23-24).

In my recent Apostolic Letter Mane Nobiscum Domine I invited you to contemplate Jesus in the 'breaking of the bread' offered for the whole of humanity. Following His example we too are called to offer our life for our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. The Eucharist bears the 'mark of universality' and prefigures in a sacramental way the time when 'all who share one human nature, regenerated in Christ through the Holy Spirit and beholding the glory of God, will be able to say with one accord: "Our Father"' (Ad Gentes 7). In this way, while the Eucharist helps us to understand more fully the significance of mission, it leads every individual believer, the missionary in particular, to be 'bread, broken for the life of the world.'

Humanity has need of Christ "broken bread"

"In our day human society appears to be shrouded in dark shadows while it is shaken by tragic events and shattered by catastrophic natural disasters. Nevertheless, as 'on the night He was betrayed' (1 Cor 11:23), also today Jesus 'breaks the bread' (cfr Mt 26:26) for us in our Eucharistic celebrations and offers Himself under the sacramental sign of His love for all mankind. This is why I underlined that 'the Eucharist is not merely an expression of communion in the Church's life; it is also a project of solidarity for all of humanity' (Mane Nobiscum Domine, 27); it is 'bread from heaven' which gives eternal life (cfr Jn 6:33) and opens the human heart to a great hope.

"Present in the Eucharist, the same Redeemer who saw the needy crowds and was filled with compassion 'because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd' (Mt 9:36), continues through the centuries to show compassion for humanity poor and suffering. And it is in His name that pastoral workers and missionaries travel unexplored paths to carry the 'bread' of salvation to all. They are spurred on by the knowledge that, united with Christ 'center not just of the history of the Church, but also the history of humanity (cfr Eph. 1:10; Col 1:15-20)' (Mane Nobiscum Domine, 6), it is possible to meet the deepest longings of the human heart. Jesus alone can satisfy humanity's hunger for love and thirst for justice; He alone makes it possible for every human person to share in eternal life: 'I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever' (Jn 6:51).

The Church, one with Christ, becomes "broken bread"

"When the ecclesial Community celebrates the Eucharist, especially on Sunday the Day of the Lord, it experiences in the light of the faith the value of the encounter with the Risen Christ and is ever more aware that the Sacrifice of the Eucharist is 'for all' (Mt 26,28).

We who nourish ourselves with the Body and Blood of the crucified and risen Lord, cannot keep this 'gift' to ourselves; on the contrary, we must share it. Passionate love for Christ leads to courageous proclamation of Christ; proclamation which, with martyrdom, becomes a supreme offering of love for God and for mankind. The Eucharist leads us to be generous evangelizers, actively committed to building a more just and fraternal world.

"I sincerely hope the Year of the Eucharist will inspire every Christian community to respond with 'fraternal solicitude to some of the many forms of poverty present in our world' (Mane Nobiscum Domine, 28), because 'by our mutual love and, in particular, by our concern for those in need we will be recognized as true followers of Christ (cf. Jn 13:35; Mt 25:31-46). This will be the criterion by which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is judged' (Mane Nobiscum Domine, 28).

Missionaries, "bread broken" for the life of the world

"Still today Christ urges His disciples: 'Give them something to eat yourselves' (Mt 14:16). In His name missionaries all over the world proclaim and witness to the Gospel. Through their efforts there resound once again the words of the Redeemer: 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will never be hungry; he who believes in Me will never thirst' (Jn 6:35); they too become 'bread broken' for their brothers, some even to the point of sacrificing their life.

"How many missionary martyrs in our day! May their example draw numerous young men and women to tread the path of heroic fidelity to Christ! The Church has need of men and women willing to consecrate themselves wholly to the great cause of the Gospel.

"World Mission Sunday is an opportune occasion to increase our awareness of the urgent necessity to participate in the evangelizing mission undertaken by the local Communities and many Church organizations, in particular the Pontifical Mission Societies and the Missionary Institutes. This mission requires the support not only of prayer and sacrifice, but also of concrete material offerings. I take this opportunity to recall once again the valuable service rendered by the Pontifical Mission Societies and I ask you all to support them generously with spiritual and material cooperation.

"May the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, help us relive the experience of the Upper Room so that our ecclesial Communities may become authentically 'Catholic'; that is Communities where 'missionary spirituality' which is 'intimate communion with Christ' (Redemptoris Missio, 88), is closely related to 'eucharistic spirituality' of which the model is Mary, the 'woman of the Eucharist' (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 53); Communities always open to the voice of the Spirit and to the needs of humanity, Communities where believers, missionaries in particular, do not hesitate to offer themselves as 'bread, broken for the life of the world'. . ."

VE Day Anniversary Has Lessons For Peacemakers

May 8 marked the 60th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, which marked the beginning of the end of World War II. It was followed in August of 1945 by VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, marking the end of World War II.

On May 9, Monsignor Celestino Migliore addressed the UN, reflecting on some of the lessons of this anniversary.

Msgr. Migliore stated:

". . .There is no doubt that it (World War II) was a terrible conflict, and it is both salutary and sobering to recall that it was the worst of several unnecessary, man-made global catastrophes that made the twentieth century one of the most bitter that humanity has ever known.

"My delegation salutes the declaration by the United Nations which sets aside May 8 and 9 as days of remembrance and reconciliation. Many voices rightly admonish us not to forget, but such voices do not place guilt at the door of today's generations; they demand responsibility, reinforced by a knowledge of the mistakes of the past, and responsibility in view of these previous catastrophes requires us to develop some considerations.

"First of all, among the roots of the Second World War was the exaltation of state and race, and the proud self-sufficiency of humanity based upon the manipulation of science, technology, and force. The rule of law was no longer a vehicle for the application of justice, teaching us that, when man loses sight of his transcendent aspirations, he quickly reduces himself and others to an object, a number, and even a mere commodity.

"Secondly, even if we accept that, under some circumstances, a limited and strictly conditioned use of force could be inevitable in order to fulfill the responsibility to protect of every State and of the international community, we are called to be realistic enough to recognize that peaceful resolutions are possible and no effort should be spared in achieving them.

"Humanity has long pondered the morality of war and the ethical conduct of combatants. The Secretary-General's Report In Larger Freedom urges the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the legitimacy and legality of the use of force. Recognition of the tragic and devastating nature of war, and the common responsibility for past and present conflicts, press us to question not only whether war can be legal and legitimate, but above all whether it is avoidable. For this reason, the different chapters of the Secretary-General's Report should be treated as an ensemble. Global peace and security will be achieved only if the international community respects human life and dignity, and is committed to the social and economic development of every country and every man, woman, and child.

"Thirdly, the Second World War, as with all the wars of the 20th century, illustrates how war termination policies and post-war operational planning are essential to the aim of restoring justice and peace and of protecting. In the past, much attention was rightly paid to the ius ad bellum, that is, the necessary conditions for justifying the use of force, and to the ius in bello, the legal parameters of ethical behavior during war. In the light of the material and moral devastations of World War II and the nature of war since, the time has now come to focus on and develop a third dimension of the law of war, that of the ius post bellum, or how to achieve quickly and effectively the establishment of a just and lasting peace, which is the only admissible goal for the use of force.

"Thus, the existing international legal instruments covering conduct and activities after war need to be reinforced and extended with reference to our rapidly changing times, while also taking into consideration the ethical parameters that the modern conscience and sensitivities have developed, such as reconciliation, to help all the parties involved re-knit bonds of friendship and neighborliness; assurance of the security and stabilization of nations emerging from war; international solidarity in the process of socio-economic reconstruction of the fabric of those societies; restoration of the environment after fighting has ceased; and justice at every level, since, if force has been employed for justice's sake, justice must surely influence every aspect of the peacebuilding process.

"Fourth, recently, new emphasis has been placed upon the role of the UN as a peacebuilder. The Holy See shares the Secretary-General's concern that the United Nations system fully address the challenge of helping countries with the transition from war to lasting peace, and once again expresses full support for the creation of an intergovernmental Peacebuilding Commission.

"This commemoration, therefore, is a welcome reminder of the very raison d'tre of the United Nations. Although nowadays it exercises its functions in a broad variety of fields, these activities should not distract us from the sine qua non of this Organization's existence, that is, peace among nations. . ."

IN DEFENSE OF LIFE

Pope John Paul II An Advocate for Life

Fred H. Summe, vice president of Northern Kentucky Right to Life

As we all witnessed on TV, men and women the world over, from every nation, culture, religion, social class, and age, mourned the passing of the apostle of life, Pope John Paul II. In the name of Christ, this witness was an uncompromising advocate for the sanctity of all human life.

To the Creator of Life, the peoples of our time give thanks for such a gift, Pope John Paul II.

There can be no greater tribute to this spiritual giant than to promote the teachings of the Catholic Church so eloquently and so clearly expressed by the late Holy Father, who on his first visit to Washington, D.C. commanded Americans to: "Stand up for life!"

Contraception

"When, therefore, through contraception, married couples remove from their exercise of conjugal sexuality its potential procreative capacity, they claim a power which belongs solely to God: the power to decide in a final analysis the coming into existence of a human person. They assume the qualification not of being cooperators in God's creative power, but the ultimate depositories of the source of human life. In this perspective, contraception is to be judged objectively so profoundly unlawful as never to be, for any reason, justified. To think or to say the contrary, is equal to maintaining that in human life situations may arise in which it is lawful not to recognize God as God," taught the late Holy Father.

In his encyclical, The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae), Pope John Paul II warns of the obvious connection between contraception and abortion: "The life which could result from a sexual encounter thus becomes an enemy to be avoided at all costs and abortion becomes the only possible decisive response to failed contraception."

Right to Life

"The inviolability of the person, which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition of all personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination. . ." The Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World.

Pope John Paul II bid farewell to the people of the United States on September 19, 1987:

"Yes, America, all this belongs to you. But your greatest beauty and your richest blessing is found in the human person: in each man, woman, and child, in every immigrant, in every native-born son and daughter.

"For this reason, America, your deepest identity and truest character as a nation is revealed in the position you take toward the human person. The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless ones.

"The best traditions of your land presume respect for those who cannot defend themselves. If you want equal justice for all, and true freedom and lasting peace, then, America, defend life! All the great causes that are yours today will have meaning only to the extent that you guarantee the right to life and protect the human person.

Feeding the poor and welcoming refugees;
Reinforcing the social fabric of this nation;
Promoting the true advancement of women;
Securing the rights of minorities;
Pursuing disarmament, while guaranteeing legitimate defense: all this will succeed only if respect for life and its protection by the law is granted to every human being from conception until natural death.

"Every human person no matter how vulnerable or helpless, no matter how young or how old, no matter how healthy, handicapped, or sick, no matter how useful or productive for society is a being of inestimable worth created in the image and likeness of God. This is the dignity of America, the reason she exists, the condition for her survival yes, the ultimate test of her greatness: to respect every human person, especially the weakest and most defenseless ones, those as yet unborn."

Euthanasia

Pope John Paul II, in his March 20, 2004 address to the participants in the International Congress: "Life-Sustaining Treatments and Vegetative State: Scientific Advances and Ethical Dilemmas, teaches:

"In opposition to such trends of thought, I feel the duty to reaffirm strongly that the intrinsic value and personal dignity of every human being do not change, no matter what the concrete circumstances of his or her life. A man, even if seriously ill or disabled in the exercise of his highest functions, is and always will be a man, and he will never become a 'vegetable' or an 'animal.'

"The sick person in a 'vegetative state,' awaiting recovery or a natural end, still has the right to basic health care (nutrition, hydration, cleanliness, warmth, etc.), and to the prevention of complications related to his confinement to bed. He also has the right to appropriate rehabilitative care and to be monitored for clinical signs of eventual recovery.

"I should like particularly to underline how the administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, always represents a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act. Its use, furthermore, should be considered, in principle, ordinary and proportionate, and as such, morally obligatory, insofar as and until it is seen to have attained its proper finality, which in the present case consists in providing nourishment to the patient and alleviation of his suffering.

"Death by starvation or dehydration is, in fact, the only possible outcome as a result of their withdrawal. In this sense it ends up becoming, if done knowingly and willingly, true and proper euthanasia by omission."

The Pope exhorts all "to guard jealously the principle according to which the true task of medicine is 'to cure if possible, always to care.'"

Laws

"Those who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life. For them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them." Evangelium Vitae

Life

"There have always been, and there are still, men and women on this earth who know that their whole life has value and meaning only when it is a response to the question: Do you love? Do you love me? It is thanks to this question alone that human life is worth living," stated Pope John Paul II.

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We rejoice that the Holy Spirit has guided the cardinals in the election of Pope Benedict XVI. May God's blessing be upon him, and may the people of the world be attentive to the teachings of the Church he proclaims.

The DaVinci Code Turned To Good

by Michael Halm

Dan Brown's book has triggered a great outpouring of counterbooks for various readerships. We now have more edifying offerings like Breaking the DaVinci Code, Cracking the DaVinci Code, The DaVinci Code: Fact or Fiction, The DaVinci Deception, De-Coding the DaVinci Code, Dismantling the DaVinci Code, The Gospel Code, and The Truth about the DaVinci Code.

CBS's "Dateline" story, "Secrets of the Code," did not reveal many secrets of The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. At least not secrets for anyone with long enough memories. It also did not seem to bear much resemblance to Secrets of the Code by Dan Burstein.

It was better done than ABC's piece on the book "Jesus, Mary, and DaVinci" back in 2003. The planned movie has rekindled interest and confusion.

Stone Phillips interviewed many experts on art, history, and Church history who all agreed that there is absolutely no evidence that Mary Magdalene and Jesus were married. It seems to be a "controversy" that reappears about every twenty years, "fact" based on fiction and now fiction based on "fact."

Phillips also went back to the authors of the 1982 "non-fiction" book Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln, who are suing Brown as are others. They told about their primary source, Pierre Plantard. Plantard himself was on tape explaining about the Priory of Sion and his 1967 book L'Or de Rennes. Both books go back to the medieval notion that the Holy Grail was actually the royal bloodline of France going back to Jesus and Mary Magdalene based on the medieval pun of san greal (holy grail) being read as sang real (blood royal).

The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that Mary Magdalene seems to have gotten to France by a confusion of the relics of Mary of Aix (and later Vzzelay) and Lazarus of Aix with Mary and Lazarus of Bethany. The relics of the latter are pretty well documented as having been moved to Ephesus and then in 886 to Constantinople. One Lazarus was the fourth century bishop of Aix who returned after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the other was the first century friend Jesus raised from the dead.

It also notes that the traditional equating of Mary Magdalene, the delivered demoniac, with the forgiven adulterous and Mary of Bethany is not contrary to Scripture, even if not explicitly stated.

Carl E. Olson, co-author of The DaVinci Hoax, has said, "Frankly, The DaVinci Code is an attempt to slap the face of our mother the Church," Jesus' actual spouse.

Brown references several Gnostic sources, as if Scripture, such as the apocryphal Gospel of Philip, which calls Mary Magdalene Jesus' companion. It is obvious from the text that this is merely to distinguish her from Jesus' two kinswomen, Mary, Jesus' mother, and Mary, Jesus' aunt. Brown even fills in the gaps in the text with his own words, adding "on the lips" to "Jesus often kissed the beloved disciple."

Art professor David Nolta pointed out that any number of "secret" messages could be found in the silhouettes of Leonardo's "Last Supper," including the much more plausible "davinci."

Not only does Brown invent "facts," he gets many facts wrong, making the fiction almost unreadable. The DaVinci Hoax calls it "the poorest scholarship one will find between two covers."

He is so wrong in his facts in so many areas that it seems he must be doing it for humorous effect. He has Leonardo's "Madonna of the Rocks" the wrong size, St. Peter's basilica in the wrong direction, the Louvre with a security gate and without cameras, not the other way around. His key murder victim would have had only a 5% chance of dying from the wound described. The Nag Hammadi documents are codices, not scrolls. Tarot decks have 78, not 22 cards. Opus Dei is a lay association and has not monks.

This is not surprising considering the way he wrote his prequel book, Angels and Demons. He had Michelangelo designing the Swiss Guards' uniforms; Holy Communion coming from Aztec god-eating, Buddhism before hatha yoga; Galileo supporting Kepler; Copernicus murdered by the Church; the Hiroshima A-bomb at 20 kilotons, not 13; the Hasshashin destroyed by the Christians, not the Mongols; "The Serenity Prayer" of Alcoholics Anonymous attributed to St. Francis of Assisi; and Tim Berners inventing the internet rather than the world-wide web.

Men Called To Do God's Will

by Michael Halm

The sold-out Answer the Call conference in March was held in Music Hall, Cincinnati.

Fr. John Gordon, a priest in the Newark archdiocese and a faculty member of Franciscan University, Steubenville, began his talk with the simple question, "Who wants to go to heaven?" He followed up with "If you don't have your hand up, go to hell." His point was that heaven and hell are our only choices, so we need to do what we need to to get to heaven.

To help us determine what may be needed, Fr. Gordon referred to the Pope's documents on the third millennium, what he calls the pastoral plan for the next 1,000 years. We need to counter the culture of death's demasculinization of men, promotion of homosexuality, and contraception with Christ-like, self-sacrificing love, courage, chastity, and fidelity.

This is easier than one might think. "Get into His eucharistic Presence," he says, "and let Him work." Get a Sontan.

Australian Matthew Kelly, author of The Rhythm of Life and Rediscovering Catholicism, returned with his message: "Don't be so busy trying to be happy that you miss being happy now." Many men, he observes, are doing what means nothing to no one and will mean even less in a 100 years. What we need to do, he says, is to get back to our Catholic roots, that is, the Mass.

Robert Rogers, the sole survivor of his family in a flash flood, has a similar message. His ministry, mightyintheland.com tells other family men, "Don't be so busy doing things right that you don't do the right things. Those "right things" are reading the Bible to know God's will and then doing it, giving your time, your very life, to your wife and children.

"Don't trade diamonds for stones," he says. "Cover your wife with affirming, encouraging words." He did so and is blessed with the love note his wife, Melissa, wrote before her early death: "I love life. I love you, Robert, more than life."

Melissa and their children, including Zachery with Down's syndrome and Alina adopted from China, were killed when their car was washed into a flooded river. He witnessed on national television just two weeks later to the peace that God had given him in his loss. As he reached the surface and caught his own breath and could think of what had happened to his family, Roger's says he heard, "Let them go, I've got them." He admits that like Job before the tragedy, he knew of God, now he knows God Himself.

Now he ministers to himself and others through heartfelt songs such as "You are in God's hands and always will be," and "What is heaven like?", and mottos like "Make a life, not a living," "Date your wife," "Pray and obey," "Live every day as if it were your last." The three most important words in a relationship are: "I am sorry," "I was wrong," "Please, forgive me," and "I love you."

Retreat master Fr. Mark Burger talked about the Principle of Moral Coherence, the basic requirement that a man walks as he talks, practices what he preaches. As Christians, we are called not just to spread the gospel, he says, but to authenticate it. We need to be thermostats, not thermometers, setting the direction of change in our society, not reacting to it.

Fr. Robert Spitzer, author of Business Ethics, talked in terms of comparative versus contributive identity. We need to identify with what we contribute, not just getting ahead. We need to see life, everyone's life, as a transcendental unique, sublime mystery, not a problem to be fixed. He notes that whenever we do that and pray for someone else, we are contributing by acting in our Baptism-given role as a priestly people.

Prison To Praise: Remembering Jesus

by Louis Templeman

(Editor's note: Mr. Templeman is a student in Guadalupe Bible College's (part of Presentation Ministries) prison outreach program.)

Recently, after a Wednesday night Eucharistic service a knuckle-headed neighbor was walking near me in the escorted line from chapel to E-dorm. He was talking loudly, incessantly. It was a monolog, not a conversation. As usual, he was craving attention.

I was feeling particularly strengthened and affected from that evening's communion service. I was trying to behave in a Christ-like manner by employing sacrificial listening.

Like many inmates he is insecure as to his self-worth. Perhaps, when he is quiet, he is vulnerable to his demons, his insecurities, his memories, his darkness. With me he is Holy Joe. With others he is. . . well, something different. But, always, he's loud. And, he's always talking.

When he saw no one was listening to him, or laughing at his jokes, or appreciating his "anointing," he called out, "Some have ears, but hear not. Huh? Know what I mean?"

I searched for a crack in his verbal torrent. Once inside E-dorm at the top of the stairs I broke into his non-stop monolog. I wanted to share with him my adoration of the Eucharistic Christ.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are always the high points of my week here at Baker Correctional Institution. Jesus makes a physical appearance on those days. I am speaking of the Lord's Real Presence in the Eucharist which has a profound hold on my imagination and emotions.

I came to study the doctrine of the Real Presence when I was in my mid-40's. A curiosity hooked me when I noticed that our Protestant Rite lacked the fullness Scripture afforded it. I received my education in Biblical Studies from fundamentalist and evangelical seminaries, so I was well-versed in the Protestant concept that there are no sacramental acts within the church other than preaching by faith and accepting Christ by faith.

Holy Communion was called the Lord's Supper in my world. Most Protestants have no appreciation for rituals and tradition so sometimes celebrating the Lord's Supper can feel awkward. For me, what Christ told us to do in memory of Him was, of all services, most easy to forget.

Were we missing something? Was I commemorating something He did, yet missing His presence? I began to study Scripture, read historical references and essays from liturgical sources.

I came to see that historically, clearly to the apostolic era, the focal point of primitive Christian worship was Holy Communion.

Once I saw this historical link and the solemn reverence toward Holy Communion as a sacrament I found a crack in my Protestant practice and attitude. In time, I found Christ in this sacramental rite.

I looked at my loquacious neighbor, now quiet, but ready (almost trembling) to toss another verbal salad for me. I decided I could not disclose this pearl of devotion in that atmosphere. So, I tried a light-hearted diversion to allow Christ to touch this man. I had in my hands an issue of a daily devotional magazine someone handed me as I left the chapel.

I opened it up at random, making a silly display, and said, "Let's see what the Spirit would say to you right now." I pointed and read:

(Luke 22:19 NRSV) "This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me."

A very odd coincidence indeed. It was one of those God-moments. The presence of the Christ filled my mind, speaking to me, "You remembered Me." I had to hold back tears, so powerful was my reaction to receiving God's validation over my love for Holy Communion.

A wordless life-endued stillness stunned me.

I excused myself from my noisy comrade. I needed silence (this is prison, so let me qualify I needed a place where the constant noise was not being directed at me and obligating my attention and response). I wanted time for reflection and opportunity for praise.

The Eucharist, for me, is not a matter of history, apologetics, or exegesis. Knowledge of the Eucharist came to me through those avenues. But, now, it is personal. It is real. Something deeply emotional.

When I come to Holy Eucharist, I am coming worshipfully to Christ, to His body and to His blood. It is like a personal visit from Jesus, Himself.

Pray The News

Because we are sons and daughters of God, saved by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we do not merely read the news but make the news. We direct the course of world events by faith expressed in action and intercession. Please pray for the stories covered in this paper. Clip out this intercessory list and make it part of your daily prayer.

• We pray for all fathers to be strong men of God.
• We pray for strength for Pope Benedict XVI, as he begins his petrine ministry.
• We pray for Christians to be ministers of peace and reconciliation, who have learned the lessons of the past.
• We pray in thanksgiving for Pope John Paul II, and ask that we would follow his footsteps in building a civilization of love and life.
• We pray for all graduates to give their lives to Jesus.
• We pray that during this month of the Sacred Heart, we would grow ever more in love with Jesus.
• We pray for all the victims of World War II and echo Pope Paul VI's cry, "War no more!"