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Welcome to the web site of The Doctors of the Catholic
Church.
Friday, March 12th 2010
Praying and living the Stations of the Cross, out of love and thanksgiving to our suffering Savior, has been a favorite tradition on Fridays during Lent, especially among the saints of God and Jesus’ own mother. In fact, she was the one who started and perpetuated this holy devotion after the Lord’s departure on earth. No one lived more in union with Jesus both in life and death, and no one could ever appreciate more than she did, especially, all that the Lord suffered for our salvation, than the woman who always said yes to him, and brought him into his world that he loved and died for. At the end of the homepage there is a link on the Stations, but you will find some representation of the Stations of the Cross in every catholic church that you will ever visit.
If anyone truly wants to appreciate and experience what his Redeemer has done for them, we only have to remember his beautiful and loving words: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all men (creatures) to myself (Jn 12: 32). No one has more power to draw us to love than Jesus Christ. We adore thee oh Christ and we bless thee, because by thy holy cross you have redeemed the world.
One of the undecided decisions, still, in the health care issue, that will be voted upon soon is the abortion issue with the bill. For many this is a major concern and important principles are at stake. To promote the Culture of Life issues to the maximum, please read Cardinal Justin Rigali's information on his two documents one entitled Where Do We Go from Here? and The Challenge of Building a Culture of Life after opening the link below. This will take you to another link: Every Child brings us God's smile.
Pro-Life Activities Home Page
Directly related to the Culture of Life issue is the Manhattan Declaration. See link below.
Manhattan Declaration
THE DOCTORS AND LIFE
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Today’s
Readings
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It was reported last Saturday's newspaper that the President 's top national security advisers will within days present him with an agonizing choice on how to guide U.S. nuclear weapons policy for the rest of his term.
Does he substantially advance his bold pledge to seek a world free of nuclear weapons by declaring that the "sole purpose" of the U.S. arsenal is to deter other nations from using them? Or does he employ a more modest option, supported by some senior military officials, that deterrence is the "primary purpose"?
Let us pray always for peace.
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Hymn
Father in Heaven, in Thy love abounding,
Hear these Thy children through the world resounding,
Lord, in Thy praises thanks for peace abiding,
Ever abiding.
Filled be our hearts with peace beyond comparing,
Peace in Thy world, joy to all heart’s despairing,
Firm is our trust in Thee for peace enduring,
Ever enduring.
God of our fathers, strengthen every nation,
In Thy great peace where only is salvation,
So may the world its future spread before Thee
Thus to adore Thee.
Source: http://www.hymnlyrics.org/
Gospel: Mk 12:28-34
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher.
You are right in saying,
He is One and there is no other than he.
And to love him with all your heart,
with all your understanding,
with all your strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself
is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding,
he said to him,
“You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Reflection
The scribes and Pharisees finally decided never to dare ask Jesus any more questions. Jesus had silenced their questions once and for all. Often times they were dumbfounded at his wisdom; silenced by his actions and one that happened when he didn’t answer verbally but only drew some words or figures on the ground over a question about a prostitute; they were embarrassed about whether one should pay taxes to Caesar when Jesus asked them to “show me a coin” and reading the inscription and his answer to them.
Often their questions were silly, farfetched and ridiculous. However, for the most part, Jesus responded patiently and kindly. The same was true when he answered the Apostle’s questions as when Peter wanted to know if he should forgive another as much as seven times.
After a while, even the Apostles were reluctant or afraid to ask Jesus any more questions. Jesus was far ahead of his times and too smart to be challenged. After a while, most were in awe of Christ and just wanted to listen to him for everything he said made perfect sense. His stories and parables were beautiful and pleasing. Most loved to hear him talk about his Father and the Our Father Prayer and how God was so good, forgiving and caring to all the people on the earth. Our Father God loved all, the just and the unjust, for God allowed the rain to fall on both. Jesus treated lepers, sinners, tax collectors and all the other nationalities that the Galileans were hostile to, such as the Samaritans, with kindness and equanimity and goodness. In a mysteries manner, toward the end of his life, Jesus told his loved ones that he and the Father were One. Even today we accept what Jesus said was true and he also said he was the Truth. He spoke a generic word to Thomas as when he said he was the Way.
In chapter twelve of Mark’s gospel today, Jesus’ time for his passion was quickly approaching with only two more chapters remaining. Jesus gave them a comprehensive answer to this last question about the first and greatest of all the commandments: Love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength. And Jesus made it clear that the first and second commandment belonged together because Jesus stated them together and added: “There is no other commandment greater than these. [two]
Both are one commandment.
After these words, Jesus concluded this gospel and implied that those who follow this last advice were not far from the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is people’s place for loving. Everyone: family, relatives, strangers, enemies (at previous times) are now engaged in loving conversations, glances, smiles, kindnesses and an enjoyable presence with each and all and with whomever they are near or whom they communicate with. Peace is written on everyone’s soul and on the face of all and it’s readable by all so there is no misunderstanding and everything is open and nothing can be hidden. Heaven is an open book and all the chapters have been written and made perfect so it is one delightful LOVE story and ongoing, lasting events in perfect happiness and supreme joy and can’t even be imagined nor entered into the heart of anyone until God calls us there. And, that is only one reason why it is called Paradise. Merely, to glance at the face of Christ one will see infinte, beauty, charm, splendor and magnificence beyond all comprehension that imprints reflectios of his gorgeousness in all souls so that our radiant Redeemer is everywhere to be seen, felt and totally immersed.
The Amazing Grace hymn has phases it timely:
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright, shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
On earth, there was no one that Christ didn’t show love toward. He was at times angry at the Scribes and Pharisees and disappointed at the Apostles and even hollered at Peter and called him a Satan, but it was always more at anyone’s inappropriate actions or words than the individual themselves. He had said many times that he came to call sinners not the just. He was the divine Physician for the sick (sinners) and not for those who didn’t need a physician. He spent his public ministry on the road proclaiming the Kingdom of God. That was his mission and he knew his time was short on earth, and when he left to return to his Father after the Resurrection, and immediately before his Ascension, he gave his followers the same commission that the Father gave to him after he had shown, taught and trained each apostles what was expected of them with the words:
Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth; go therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know I am with you always, until the end of the world! (Matt 28: 19-20)
We see the profound wisdom of love of God and others when we pray, fast, and give alms. When we pray we adore, praise and love God the best way we know how. When we fast, we aim to curb our unruly appetites through a personal sacrifice, or some other things that we like to indulge in if our health is a concern. And lastly, when we perform almsgiving we show mercy to our spiritual brothers, sisters and children, who can’t help themselves and who depend on God’s help, through us, to give alms out of love and our means when we can afford it.
One or all of these three traditional exercises can be our commission today as it was for Jesus’ commission to his Apostles before he returned to heaven.
The practice of the love is the one commandment that Christ highlighted in today’s gospel and the more we know this, feel it, experience it interiorly, and understand more ways to practice it and receive it, we will be empowered to live out the gospel commission and truly enjoy it. Spiritual reading on this subject can help make it more clear when we open the below link to Part I, Chapter XI on The Exercise of the Theological Virtue: Charity. Once God touches and lives in the center of our souls at certain times, everything about love you have heard or know about God’s Spirit dims compared to the actual reality of God’s life on earth within you and no comparisons are possible. For as scripture tells us: eye has not seen, nor ear heard, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. [and one’s neighbor] (1 Cor 2:9)
THE DOCTORS AND HOLY SPIRIT
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Calendar includes: Saint Luigi Orione and Saint Seraphina
Calendar of Saints
Hymn
Father of Heaven, Whose love profound
A ransom for our souls hath found,
Before Thy throne we sinners bend;
To us Thy pardoning love extend.
Almighty Son, Incarnate Word,
Our Prophet, Priest, Redeemer, Lord,
Before Thy throne we sinners bend;
To us Thy saving grace extend.
Eternal Spirit, by Whose breath
The soul is raised from sin and death,
Before Thy throne we sinners bend;
To us Thy quickening power extend.
Source: http://www.hymnlyrics.org/
THE
HOLY FACE OF JESUS
APOSTLES OF THE LORD
ALMSGIVING SECTION
SUPPORT THE POOR
ROMAN
CATHOLIC SACRED MUSIC
THE DOCTORS AND HOLY SPIRIT
VATICAN.
The Stations of the Cross, a devotion that the Church encourages especially during the Lenten Season, is offered below through a wide variety.
The Stations of the Cross
Email tommyferris1@yahoo.com
The
background music is Andrea Bocelli's "Ave Maria".
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The Stations of the Cross, a devotion that the Church encourages especially during the Lenten Season, is offered below through a wide variety.<br><br>
<a href=http://www.doctorsofthecatholicchurch.com/TDATSOTC.html><font color=red>The Stations of the Cross</font></a><br><br>
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