Sunday, April 27, 2008

More Pope

Speech to the US Bishops
Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


http://www.ewtn.com/USPapalVisit08/words/Bishops.asp

At CUA and the JPII Cultural Center


At the UN


http://wcbstv.com/seenon/pope.benedict.speech.2.703107.html

Arrival at St. Joseph's Seminary


Presentation of Religious Leaders


Kelly Clarkson singing Ave Maria for the Pope


Mass at St. Patrick's


http://www.zenit.org/article-22344?l=english

More of the Mass


At Ground Zero


Mass at Yankee Stadium


http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20080420_yankee-stadium-ny_en.html

VP Cheney Farewell Speech to the Pope


http://www.zenit.org/article-22366?l=english

The Pope's Farewell Speech


http://www.zenit.org/rssenglish-22365

Boarding the Plane

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Pope Benedict XVI in the United States

For the benefit of my fellow seniors, who were in Disney when the Pope visited, and for anyone else who was unable to see the coverage, or for anyone who wants to see it again, I am compiling videos of all the Pope's events while he was in the United States. Links for the text of speeches will be underneath the video.

The Pope's Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base


The Pope's Arrival at the White House


President Bush's Welcome Speech to the Pope


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351467,00.html

Pope Benedict's Speech at the White House


http://wcbstv.com/papalvisit/pope.benedict.speech.2.701076.html

The Pope's Homily at Nationals Stadium


The Pope's Address to Catholic Educators at the Catholic University of America



http://www.ewtn.com/uspapalvisit08/words/Educators.asp

More videos to follow.

Where We're Going

Last week I was in Disney World on Senior Trip. On Friday afternoon my friends and I were in Animal Kingdom. As we were attempting to head back to the buses we found ourselves a little lost. On top of the stress of not knowing where we were, everyone was tired, overheated, and our feet hurt. So needless to say no one was in a good mood. Thus began an argument about how we got lost, whose fault it was, and where the heck we were.

I personally didn't care whose fault it was, I just wanted to get on the bus where it was air conditioned and I could sit down and rest my weary feet. So I grumbled at our disgruntled group that "It doesn't matter where we were, it matters where we're going!" And then I got philosophical.

And I was like, isn't that true in life?

No matter where you are in life, whether you're in a good place, a bad place, or you don't quite know where you are, what matters isn't where you were before, or how you got where you are now, that's in the past and can't be changed, what does matter is where you're going from here.

If you're in a good place, go somewhere even better. If you're in a bad place, go somewhere good. If you don't know where you are, figure it out. Then go somewhere good.

Monday, April 21, 2008

The Holy Mass

"And heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord our God the Almighty hath reigned. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give glory to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath prepared herself. And it is granted to her that she should clothe herself with fine linen, glittering and white. For the fine linen are the justifications of saints. And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."

This is from the book of Revelation. Most people read this and think that it is referring to the end of the world. But read it more carefully. Do you recognize anything?

Anyone who was commissioned as a Eucharistic Minister at Kellenberg had to memorize the phrase "This is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, happy are those who are called to His supper." That sounds remarkably like "Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."

And if you study Church history and teaching you'll find that the Holy Mass is actually a celebration of Christ's marriage to His bride, the Church.

No marriage is considered valid unless it has been consumated, and the bride and groom have become "two in one flesh". Christ's marriage to the Church must also be consumated. This is done when we, the Church, His bride, consume the Flesh and Blood of the Bridegroom, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Back in the day, in the time of the earlier Church, when a bishop came to celebrate Mass the church building itself would be dressed up like a bride, covered in white cloth, with a crown on top of the building.

Many people in the Church have not taken the time to study the Church's history and teachings and therefore do not truly appreciate what the Mass is.

Every Sunday during Mass we say the Great Amen. You may not have ever heard of this. You may have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. But I swear there really is a part of the Mass where the entire congregation says the word Amen. Amen is the Latin word for "I believe". The entire congregation is proclaiming that they believe that this is the Flesh and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. But you'd never know it. Even the people who are saying this word don't realize they are doing it.

In another chapter of Revelation St. John says: "And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God, saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever." This is what St. John was seeing: the Great Amen during the Holy Mass. But we haven't quite lived up to that have we?

It's up to us to bring this vision to life. Not just in the Amen but in every aspect of Mass.

Flip through Revelation sometime. See what other allusions you can find to the Holy Mass.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Divided We Fail



I saw this commercial and I felt compelled to remind everyone that God created red and God created blue. He did not create purple.

Working together is fine. But there's a line that you don't cross. Voters can not compromise on moral issues and doing so in the name of unity is only helping the other guy.