2008...

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HOW CAN BUSINESS AND MONEY DARKEN CHRISTMAS?

“Christmas this year will be sad because the stock market is in crisis….” Here is what we are still hearing from the media these days. That announcement, obviously, makes parents anxious and angry. Where can they get money to offer a gift as and high-definition television, i-Pods, MP3 players, laptops, digital cameras, games consoles and satellite navigation equipment… to their kids and friends, they ask themselves? So, Christmas 2008 might be a tragedy because there is no money.

Meg McMullen, the president of New England Research and Management strongly agrees with this expectation. He told Reuters on December 8th: “There will be no great Christmas on Wall street this year…” We also guess, in Europe specifically in Italy and in France, it is the same thought.

But let’s ask ourselves: is it normal to connect Christmas and money? Christmas is probably a feast. And we cannot enjoy a feast without money. Christmas is also a religious feast. However, much more than a religious feast, Christmas is a Christian feast for several centuries which celebrates the birth of Jesus.

At Christmas, we commemorate the coming of the savior among Human Beings. Christmas is God with us. During Christmas, God himself comes on the earth to visit us, to live as we live, feel as we feel, see as we see, hear as we hear. At Christmas, God comes to rejoice but suffer with us. Jesus has already come over 2000 years ago. But nowadays, his coming is hidden as saint Bernard says in one of his homely. Only those who believe in him and greet him (actually Christians and people of good will) can really feel his coming and his effect: peace, joy reconciliation, love and forgiveness in their heart.

So, Christmas is a bit more than a stock market and a purchasing power affair. If so, lots of poor countries around the Globe will not celebrate it. Christmas is GOD WITH US. It is our task, we Christian, to proclaim this Good News and not some journalists who behave themselves as the spokesmen of big industries which interest is to produce their shiny turnover in this period.

Let’s rejoice Christmas in the temperate way as God himself has come to visit us.

Merry Christmas.

F. Maxime

WHY WE ARE NOT GOD. (1)

Progressively, people are finding out that they are not God and they don’t know everything. Therefore they are to humble themselves and work for Human’s benefit.

The famous Scottish embryologist researcher Ian Wilmut, the creator of Dolly the sheep, has courageously turned his back on therapeutic cloning with human embryos in spite of enormous European funds he received. He decided to join the Japanese Dr. Shinya Yamanaka who has found a way to create human embryo stem cells without the need for human eggs and without the need to create and destroy human cloned embryos.

This passed Tuesday, November 20th, we heard that a Japanese researcher’s teams (in fact Yamanaka’ team) with and American teams researchers have successfully produced Embryonic Stem Cells from skin which have the same characteristics as those derived from embryos. From now on, many deceases as cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer might be treated. This is a good news. So, the debate about the use of human embryo for producing stem cell should be close! Let’s rejoice that thousands of children will be rescued. As Mr Wilmut told The Daily Telegraph, it’s an ethically correct, just and wise new way in the biomedical research.

Many people around the world were happy to hear the news above all those who want Human Beings to progress according to the moral, human and healthy values.
Unfortunately, some scientists are taking other sinful ways. They want, at all costs, to fulfill their will by manipulating the human specie and giving him a strange aspect. This is a threat for Humanity.

Actually in these days, politicians in Britain are to pass the bill about “Human fertilization and Embryology”. This bill will legalize the creation of human-animal embryos. In fact, researchers will use together the human sperm and animal eggs to form a person!

Two of the Catholic Britain Church’s official, the cardinal Keith O'Brien and archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow have reacted strongly against this bill. They made a statement in which they urged politicians not to vote it because it can harm human dignity.

The issue is serious because some researchers are working for financial interest. So they forgot that they are human beings and therefore limited. But politicians don’t do anything. Instead of distinguishing things and making good decisions for citizen, they let drop all moral issues because of ideology based on false knowledge. Lawyers in their turn, hypnotized by the politic and parliamentary decisions, will put this stupid law in practice. Consequently, this behavior will sign the death of the separation of power advocated by Montesquieu. And democracy will become a weak government system.

Little by little, the world is going down because of a minority who claims to be…God. Fortunately, there are many facts in the history which bring us hope. In fact, there will be always people of good will led by the Holy Spirit as Ian Wilmut for helping us to think and for showing us the way to abandon our disastrous project, which is to destroy the creation. Let’s hope! God is among us.

Fr Maxime

HALLOWEEN OR THE ADORATION OF BAD SPIRITS (I)

October, 31st 2007. It is on the eve of All Saints’ Day. It is also Halloween according to a European pagan feast. During this day, many kids around the world are trying to act as the devil. It is also a best time for them to imitate, call, adore and celebrate the bad spirits.

On October 31st, we will see several kids dressing themselves up as a ghost with the bizarre clothes, going around the city, knocking on a door and asking small gifts. And people do not have to refuse. If so, our kids will curse them.

Moreover, the industries’ disguises are doing good deal: 5 billion dollars of turnover in USA in 1999 according to the National Retail Federation.

Should we stay in silence before these facts? How can we give way to the bad spirits in our world? We must not deal with the devil. He is there and every day, he wants to increase his power over Human Beings. John Paul II has spoken about him in his general audience in 1986. Here are some pieces:

“(…) As the evangelist Luke testifies, when the disciples returned to the Master full of joy at the fruits they had gathered in their first missionary attempt, Jesus utters a sentence that is highly evocative: "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning" (Lk 10:18). With these words, the Lord affirms that the proclamation of the Kingdom of God is always a victory over the devil, but at the same time he also reveals that the building up of the Kingdom is continuously exposed to the attacks of the spirit of evil.

(…) In the Old Testament, the narrative of the fail of man as related in the Book of Genesis, contains a reference to an attitude of antagonism which Satan wishes to communicate to man in order to lead him to sin (Gen 3:5). In the Book of Job too, we read that Satan seeks to generate rebellion in the person who is suffering (cf. Job 1:11; 2:5-7). In the Book of Wisdom (cf. Wis 2:24), Satan is presented as the artisan of death, which has entered man's history along with sin.

(…) In the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), the Church teaches that the devil (or Satan) and the other demons "were created good by God but have become evil by their own will".
It is clear that if God "does not forgive" the sin of the angels, this is because they remain in their sin, because they are eternally "in the chains" of the choice that they made at the beginning, rejecting God, against the truth of the supreme and definitive Good that is God himself...

HALLOWEEN OR THE ADORATION OF BAD SPIRITS (II)

(…) Satan wishes to destroy life lived in accordance with the truth, life in the fullness of good, the supernatural life of grace and love. The author of the Book of Wisdom writes: ". . .death has entered the world through the envy of the devil, and those who belong to him experience it" (Wis 2:24).

(…) In Sacred Scripture we find various indications of this influence on man and on the dispositions of his spirit (and of his body). In the Bible, Satan is called "the prince of the world" (cf Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and even "the god of this world" (2 Cor 4:4). We find many other names that describe his nefarious relationship with man: "Beelzebul" or "Belial", "unclean spirit": "tempter", "evil one" and even "Antichrist" (1 Jn 4:3). He is compared to a "lion" (1 Pet 5:8), to a "dragon" (in Revelation) and to a "serpent" (Gen 3). Very frequently, he is designated by the name "devil": from the Greek diaballein (hence diabolos), which means: to "cause destruction, to divide, to calumniate, to deceive". In truth, all this takes place from the beginning through the working of the evil spirit who is presented by Sacred Scripture as a person, while it is declared that he is not alone: "there are many of us" as the devils cry out to Jesus in the region of the Gerasenes (Mk 5:9)

(…) According to Sacred Scripture, and especially the New Testament, the dominion and the influence of Satan and of the other evil spirits embrace all the world.

(…) The action of Satan consists primarily in tempting men to evil, by influencing their imaginations and higher faculties, to turn them away from the law of God. Satan even tempts Jesus (cf. Lk 4:3-13), in the extreme attempt to thwart what is demanded by the economy of salvation, as this has been pre-ordained by God.

(…) The influence of the evil spirit can conceal itself in a more profound and effective way: it is in his "interests" to make himself unknown. Satan has the skill in the world to induce people to deny his existence in the name of rationalism and of every other system of thought which seeks all possible means to avoid recognizing his activity. This, however, does not signify the elimination of man's free will and responsibility, and even less the frustration of the saving action of Christ. It is, rather, a case of conflict between the dark powers of evil and the powers of redemption”. [i]

So, celebrating Halloween is contemplating the evil spirits. By doing so, these kids, encouraged by their parents, are allowing the devil to take place in their life. And parents should not to be surprise that sometimes their children have a nightmare. But, the big risk is that they can face in the future serious and unexplained psychological disturbances.

It is time to abandon Halloween and celebrate All the Saints, all our saints who take care of us and pray for us night and day.

[i] General audience, August 13th, 1986

ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT TO LIFE IS RESPECTED EVERYWHERE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 2, 2007 (VIS) -

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States, yesterday participated in the general debate of the 62nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which is currently being held in New York.

At the beginning of his English-language talk, Archbishop Mamberti pointed out that "forgetting, or partially and selectively accepting," the principle of respect for human dignity "is what lies at the origin of conflicts, of environmental degradation and of social and economic injustices."

He went on: "The Holy See welcomes the initiative to hold the High-Level Dialogue on Inter-religious and Inter-cultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace which, ... will take place here shortly. Indeed, dialogue among peoples of different cultures and religions is not an option; it is something indispensable for peace and for the renewal of international life."

Referring to conflict prevention and to efforts aimed at achieving and maintaining peace, the secretary for Relations with States indicated that the Holy See looks forward "to the day that peacekeeping efforts in Darfur will finally be fully operational." Furthermore, "there is need for a renewed commitment, involving all member countries, in the pacification and reconstruction of long-suffering Iraq," and "in the search for a solution, through dialogue, of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians."

"Renewed commitment is needed in assuring that Lebanon will continue to be a free and independent country," the archbishop added, while on the subject of Myanmar, he reiterated Benedict XVI's appeal of last Sunday: "Through dialogue, good will and a spirit of humanity, may a solution to the crisis be found quickly for the good of the country and a better future for all its inhabitants."

Recalling that the year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Archbishop Mamberti said "the most important part of our work in this context is to ensure that the inherent right to life is respected everywhere."

"We must work to stop and reverse the culture of death embraced by some social and legal structures that try to make the suppression of life acceptable by disguising it as a medical or social service. In this sense, the abolition of the death penalty should also be seen as a consequence of full respect for the right to life."

PREVENT DISSEMINATION OF IDEOLOGIES WHICH OBSCURE TRUTH

VATICAN CITY, SEP 21, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, Benedict XVI received 200 people who have been participating in a conference of the Executive Committee of the Centrist Democratic International (IDC), which is presided by the Italian politician Pierferdinando Casini.

The Pope told his audience how "your visit gives me an opportunity to bring to your attention some of the values and ideals that have been molded and deepened in a decisive way by the Christian tradition in Europe and throughout the world, ... such as the centrality of the human person, a respect for human rights, a commitment to peace and the promotion of justice for all."

These "fundamental principles," the Pope went on, "are closely interconnected. In effect, when human rights are violated, the dignity of the human person suffers; when justice is compromised, peace itself is jeopardized."

The Holy Father encouraged his listeners "to persevere in your efforts to serve the common good, taking it upon yourselves to prevent the dissemination and entrenchment of ideologies which obscure and confuse consciences by promoting an illusory vision of truth and goodness. In the economic sphere, for example, there is a tendency to view financial gain as the only good, thus eroding the internal ethos of commerce."

He continued: "There are those who maintain that human reason is incapable of grasping the truth, and therefore of pursuing the good that corresponds to personal dignity," while others "believe that it is legitimate to destroy human life in its earliest or final stages." Another cause of concern, he said, lies in "the growing crisis of the family, which is the fundamental nucleus of society based on the indissoluble bond of marriage between a man and a woman."

The Holy Father then turned to consider "the defense of religious liberty, which is a fundamental, irrepressible, inalienable and inviolable right. ... The exercise of this freedom also includes the right to change religion, which should be guaranteed not only legally, but also in daily practice."

"Within every human heart there are needs and desires which find their fulfillment in God alone. For this reason, God can never be excluded from the horizon of man and world history. That is why all authentically religious traditions must be allowed to manifest their own identity publicly, free from any pressure to hide or disguise it.

"Moreover," he added, "due respect for religion helps to counter the charge that society has forgotten God: an accusation shamelessly exploited by some terrorist networks in an attempt to justify their threats against global security. Terrorism is a serious problem whose perpetrators often claim to act in God's name and harbor an inexcusable contempt for human life.

"Society naturally has a right to defend itself, but this right must be exercised with complete respect for moral and legal norms, including the choice of ends and means. In democratic systems, the use of force in a manner contrary to the principles of a constitutional State can never be justified."

"In this regard, the social teaching of the Catholic Church offers some points for reflection on how to promote security and justice both at the national and international levels. This teaching is based on reason, natural law and the Gospel."

"The Church knows that it is not her specific task to oversee the political implementation of this teaching: her objective is to help form consciences in political life, to raise awareness of the authentic requirements of justice, and to foster a greater readiness to act accordingly, even when this might involve conflict with situations of personal interest."

"For those of you who share a faith in Christ," Benedict XVI concluded, "the Church asks you to bear witness to that faith today with even greater courage and generosity. The integrity of Christians in political life is indeed more necessary than ever so that the 'salt' of apostolic zeal does not lose its 'flavor'."

WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE LAST MOTU PROPRIO?

Confusion, distortion and misunderstanding have wrapped the Motu Proprio “Summorum Pontificum” Pope Benedict has promulgated on Saturday, July 7th 2007 for the Roman Catholic Church. Even after the publication, many catholic believers don’t understand the content of the apostolic letter.

Some Christians say the Holy Father wants to break the unity of the Church. Some others strongly complain that fundamentalism is taken place in the Church now. Another said the Church is strangely turning back since the new Pope has come. With the confusion also supported by the media, congregation and clergy were involved in the misunderstanding of the letter written in Latin language.

The Holy Father was informed. He wrote to his brothers Bishops throughout the world supplementary letter for explaining what he has said in the Motu Proprio. According to him, two reasons led him to the publication of “Summorum Pontificum”.

Firstly, the Church is God’s family. In this same family, there are old and new Christians. No one should be excluded. But what’s the fact?

About the liturgy, a new Missal was published by Paul VI in 1970 and then republished in two subsequent editions by John Paul II. Since this time, the Church has followed this Missal for mass celebration (the mass we celebrate today). Before this time, the masses, commonly known as the Tridentine mass, were celebrates regarding an old Roman Missal published by John XXIII in 1962. This old Missal has never been juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, is always permitted. Some members of God’s family around the world, especially the old Christian, are accustomed to this rite. Nowadays, they would like to revive these traditional practices.

The Holiness who cares about God’s family on this earth has heard the desire of these people. Then, with the Motu Proprio, he has given to them the go-ahead for the liturgical celebration of this rite as a “Forma extraordinaria”. However, the normal form (the way we celebrate the mass and sacraments today) remains. “(…) The priests of the communities adhering to the former usage cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude celebrating according to the new books (…) The total exclusion of the new rite would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value and holiness”, Pope Benedict said in the letter to the Bishops. So, what’s the issue? And yet it’s so clear!

We are part of a large family and we are to accept the liturgical sensitivity of our brothers and sisters. The Motu Proprio “Ecclesia Dei” published by Pope John Paul II in 1988 has already asked the Bishops to allow their faithful to do this experience. For instance, prior “Summorum Pontificum”, some priests was allowed by their Bishop to use the 1962 Roman Missal in the Diocese of Lincoln in Nebraska (USA), without deleted in their parish the normal form. Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington DC said himself the Tridentine Mass already is celebrated weekly at three locations in the archdiocese, attended by about 500 people altogether.[1] Thus, liberalize these practices is not bad!

The second reason, as the Holy Father said, is for the unity of the Church. “(…) the positive reason which motivated my decision (…) is a matter of coming to an interior reconciliation in the heart of the Church”. Everybody knows what happens with the French Archbishop Lefebvre. He left the Catholic Church, above all, because of the liturgical celebration. He ordained 4 Bishops and created the Society of Saint Pius X and his own Church. The Holy Father wants the members of this society to come back to home. This intention is also not bad!

Some exaggeration and improper use of the Motu Proprio might happen from some Christians! Maybe! But, the Bishop, as the moderator of the liturgy in his own Diocese, has to manage this new experience.

So, the Holy Father’s intent is to enrich and deepen the faith and life of the Church, make first God’s family liveable and then bring unity and peace among God’s children.

Let’s abandon the quarrel and the fight around the last Motu Proprio that is taking effect on this September 14th. Let’s respect those who want to attend the Tridentine rite and those accustomed to the normal form of the liturgical celebration. In three years (September 14th , 2010), an account of experiences should be gathered and send to the Holy See by the Bishops. “If truly serious difficulties come to light, ways to remedy them can be sought”, the Pope has said in his supplementary letter.

May God help us to hear his voice. May his Spirit bring us peace and joy in our Christian life.

The official translation in other language is not available yet on the Vatican website. For the one who are brave in Latin, here is the link. (Click now). Enjoy.




[1] Catholic News Service, July 10th, 2007

IN MEMORIAM!

April 2sd, 2005 - April 2sd, 2007
LET'S PRAY FOR HIM

JAMES CAMERON HAS FOUND…WHAT?!

Monday, February, 26th 2007: Director James Cameron of Titanic and award-winning investigative journalist Simcha Jacobovici announced, in New York Public library, that the tomb of Jesus and his family have been found.

They said that the remains of Jesus and his family were placed in limestone ossuaries that were discovered in 1980 beneath the Jerusalem neighborhood of Talpiot. The ossuaries in the tomb belonged to Jesus of Nazareth and his parents, as well as Mary Magdalene, to whom they say Jesus was married, and their son, Judah. James Cameron and his follower were convinced after 27 years and decided to show this discovery when a statistician Andrey Feuerverger, professor of mathematics at the University of Toronto, hired by them, has declared the odds are “600 to one in favor of this being the Jesus family’s tomb”. Therefore, the filmmakers concluded, this is the lost tomb of Jesus and his family. In addition, the DNA verification between Jesus and Mary in the ossuaries do not match.

Conclusion: for Cameron and Jacobovici, Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. So, the Thesis of the Da Vinci Code is truly confirmed! And tomorrow, on March 4th, the film is releasing by the Discovery Channel.

I’m not an archaeologist to crack this assertion. However, I would like to remember some discovery in the last past decade that will show that some famous people, because of their financial and media power, are joking with Christianity and the faith of billion of Christian in the world.

First, let’s reminder that in 1996, Aziz Kashmiri has written, in his book Christ in Kashmir, that the tomb of Jesus Christ was found and now located in Srinagar (Kashmir) in India.

Second, on October, 21st, 2002, the Hershel Shanks announced in the Press Conference in Washington that the tomb of James, brother of Jesus was also found. And on the ossuarie, it was written: “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus”. Therefore, Mary may have other children with Joseph after her son Jesus.

We are now in 2007 and we are hearing about Jesus tomb which is found in Talpiot, a city of Jerusalem located in several miles from the Holy Sepulchre, place traditionally supposed to be the real tomb of Jesus.

Why these attacks against God, Jesus, the Church and Christian faith? Now, there is no doubt. Some big and powerful lobbies are doing their best to collapse Christianity. And the great thing is that these attacks, in the couple past years, happen during Lent or Easter time. Next year, the Da vinci code movie inspired by Dan Brown book and the discovery of the Gospel of Judah showed by the National Geographic society to the whole world were is this period. What will happen in Lent 2008, 2009, 2010? Nobody knows. Only God knows. That’s why we, Christian, are to be calm. We are not to be afraid. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ true God and true man and nothing, no one can crack it. He himself said: “I’m with you always, until the end of the age” Mt 28:20

Moreover, as I say in my article about The Da Vinci Code, this event is a great opportunity to us Christian to gather information about our Church. And beyond these stories, I think God is inviting us to visit the place he has come more than 2000 years ago.

Now, I invite you to look and read, in the link bellow, about the Holy Sepulchre, the real Tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem. God bless!
http://servus.christusrex.org/www1/jhs/TSspintr.html