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Featured Term (selected at random):FEELING A conscious state or experience. More particularly in scholastic philosophy an experience of the external or internal senses, namely of sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste, and bodily, or somatic, sensation. Feeling is often simply equated with emotion, but emotion can also be spiritual, whereas feeling is, properly speaking, in the material order. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 20, 2009                             Tuesday of the Twenty-ninth Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21 Brothers and sisters:Through one man sin entered the world,and through sin, death,and thus death came to all men, inasmuch as all sinned. If by that one person’s transgression the many died,how much more did the grace of Godand the gracious gift of the one man Jesus Christoverflow for the many.For if, by the transgression of the one,death came to reign through that...

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed 7.   “ From Thence He Shall Come to Judge the Living and the Dead” Table of Contents     There is only one final judge of the human race. It is God by whom the world was first created and to whom we are destined in eternity to return. What may be less obvious is that this same Almighty God became man in the person of Christ. Consequently, Jesus Christ has the divine right to judge all mankind. Immediately we distinguish between the Lord judging us individually at the moment of death, and judging us as the...

Featured Term (selected at random):LITANY OF THE SACRED HEART Invocations of Jesus Christ under the title of the Sacred Heart, authorized for recitation in the universal Church by Pope Leo XIII in 1899. After the customary petitions to the Persons of the Holy Trinity, the litany contains thirty-three invocations of the Heart of Jesus. Each invocation reflects an aspect of God's love symbolized by the physical Heart of Christ, the Son of God who became man and died out of love for sinful mankind. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life....

Brebeuf's Instructions to the Missionaries In 1637, Father Jean de Brebeuf drew up a list of instructions for Jesuit missionaries destined to work among the Huron. These reflect his own experience and a genuine sensitivity toward our people. You must love these Hurons, ransomed by the blood of the Son of God, as brothers. You must never keep the Indians waiting at the time of embarking. Carry a tinder-box or a piece of burning-glass, or both, to make fire for them during the day for smoking, and in the evening when it is necessary to camp; these little services...

Isaac Jogues, S.J. 1607-1646 Sponsored by the Vincentian Community(Congregation of the Mission) and the Missouri Knights of Columbus.Reprinted with permission. One of the eight Frenchmen known as the North American Martyrs, Isaac Jogues' first task when he arrived in Quebec in 1636, was to learn the Huron language. His teacher was Father Jean le Brebeuf, another Jesuit. Brebeuf earlier had written Instruction, a collection of data based on his years of living among the Hurons since 1625. His practical advice included tips for conduct: eating with the Indians, sharing their camps, caring for the ill in view of "medicine...

October 19, 2009                                 Memorial of Saint John de Brébeuf                                 and Saint Isaac Jogues,                                 priests and martyrs,                             and their companions, martyrs       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 4:20-25 Brothers and sisters:Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to Godand was fully convinced that what God had promisedhe was also able to do.That is why it was credited to him...

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed 6.   “ He Ascended into Heaven, and is Seated at the Right Hand of God, The Father Almighty” Table of Contents     Jesus Christ arose from the dead and remained upon earth in visible form for forty days. On the fortieth day, He ascended into heaven. As described by St. Luke, Jesus had just finished telling His disciples they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit: When He had said these things, while they looked on, He was raised up. And a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they were beholding Him...

October 18, 2009                             Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Is 53:10-11 The LORD was pleasedto crush him in infirmity. If he gives his life as an offering for sin,he shall see his descendants in a long life,and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.Because of his afflictionhe shall see the light in fullnessof days;through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,and their guilt he shall bear. Responsorial PsalmPs 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22 R. (22)Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust...

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed 5.   “ He Descended into Hell. On the Third Day, He Rose Again from the Dead” Table of Contents     There are two truths of faith affirmed in this article of the Creed. The first is that after Christ died, His soul – separated from the body – visited the souls of the faithful departed in what has come to be called the Limbo of the Fathers. The second truth is the Resurrection of Christ from the grave on Easter Sunday. While the Resurrection of Christ is far more significant, His descent “into hell” deserves to...

Featured Term (selected at random):PERFECT HAPPINESS The complete possession of the perfect good. That which fully satisfies all human desires. Imperfect happiness falls short of the perfect in some way by not satisfying all human desires or, if all of them, not all of them fully. Natural happiness, when perfect, is called natural beatitude. It satisfies those cravings which spring from human nature alone. It is the kind of happiness that human beings would have been destined to, had they been left on a purely natural plane. Mere reason cannot pass beyond this point. Christian revelation adds to this...

October 17, 2009                                     Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch,                                bishop and martyr   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 4:13, 16-18 Brothers and sisters:It was not through the lawthat the promise was made to Abraham and his descendantsthat he would inherit the world,but through the righteousness that comes from faith.For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift,and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,not to those who only adhere to the lawbut to those who follow the...

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed 4.   “ Suffered Under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified, Died, and was Buried” Table of Contents     We get some idea of the importance of this article of the Creed from St. Paul’s statement to the Corinthians, that “I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2). Christ’s Passion, death, and burial should be deeply understood. They are the crowning proof of God’s love for us. They are also the most powerful motive for our loving God, and the model of how we are to love Him in...

Featured Term (selected at random):PETITIONS TO THE HOLY SEE The right of the faithful to petition the Holy See on any matter at any time. Requests are normally submitted through the local ordinary, who in turn communicates the petition to the appropriate Roman congregation or commission. But every Catholic may write directly to the Pope or any official at the Vatican and be assured that his or her request is given due consideration. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 16, 2009                                 Friday of the Twenty-eighth Week                                 in Ordinary Time Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 4:1-8 Brothers and sisters:What can we say that Abraham found,our ancestor according to the flesh?Indeed, if Abraham was justified on the basis of his works,he has reason to boast;but this was not so in the sight of God.For what does the Scripture say?Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.A worker’s wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due.But when one does...

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed 3.   “ Who Was Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary” Table of Contents     So far, the Apostles’ Creed has identified Jesus Christ as the Second Person of the Trinity who became man. In this third article, we profess our belief in how Jesus became man. He was not conceived by a human father, but by the Holy Spirit; and He was born of the Virgin Mary. Our concern here will be to see how the Church understands the humanity of Christ, and to identify the main privileges of His Mother, Mary....

Featured Term (selected at random):MEMORIAL Religious commemorations, especially the Eucharistic Sacrifice. Unlike other memorials, however, the Mass is no ordinary commemoration. It does recall the mysteries of Christ's life and particularly his Crucifixion. The Mass, however, "is no more empty commemoration of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, but a true and proper act of sacrifice, whereby the High Priest by an unbloody immolation offers Himself a most acceptable victim to the eternal Father, as He died upon the cross" (Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei, 68). (Etym. Latin memorialis, belonging to memory, from memoria, memory.) All items in this...

October 15, 2009                                 Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 3:21-30 Brothers and sisters:Now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,though testified to by the law and the prophets,the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christfor all who believe.For there is no distinction;all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.They are justified freely by his gracethrough the redemption in Christ Jesus,whom God set forth as an expiation,through...

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed 2.   “ And in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord” Table of Contents     The second article of the Apostles’ Creed follows logically on the first. Once we realize that mankind lost God’s friendship at the dawn of human history, the coming of Christ takes on a profound meaning. We believe that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. We do not know whether the Incarnation would have taken place if man had not sinned. But we are sure that the Incarnation did take place because sin entered the world through Adam. In...

Vatican Paper Urges Obama to Remember War on Life Notes Reservations on Criteria for Peace Prize Selection VATICAN CITY, OCT. 13, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Upon accepting the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, U.S. President Barack Obama should remember not only the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also the war being waged against the unborn, according to an article in L'Osservatore Romano. The semi-official Vatican newspaper published an article in Sunday's Italian edition that responded to Obama's peace prize win. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the news Friday, saying it recognized the president's "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between...

Featured Term (selected at random):THEISM Belief in a personal and provident God. It may, however, take on different forms, notably monotheism (one God), polytheism (several gods), or henotheism (one chief god among several). theism is commonly distinguished fromatheism, which denies the existence of a personal, transcendent deity. (Etym. Greek theos, god.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 14, 2009                             Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week                             in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 2:1-11 You, O man, are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment.For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself,since you, the judge, do the very same things.We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true.Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such thingsand yet do them yourself,that you will escape the...

Featured Term (selected at random):SOCRATIC METHOD Originally used by Socrates but adopted by many Christian writers, especially in the Augustinian tradition, as a way of reaching the truth. It consists in using questions and answers in a planned series in order to understand a given subject, reach a logical conclusion, or refute a certain position. It has become the basis of catechetical instruction since early Christian times. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed 1.   “ I Believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth” Table of Contents     The opening article of the Apostles’ Creed is also the most fundamental: It lays the foundation for everything else we believe as Christians. It is remarkable how many truths of faith are implied in the simple sentence, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.” Each of these truths has been questioned in the course of the Church’s history, and each is being challenged today. That is why as Catholics we have no choice...

October 13, 2009                                Tuesday of the Twenty-eighth Week                         in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 1:16-25 Brothers and sisters:I am not ashamed of the Gospel.It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:for Jew first, and then Greek.For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith;as it is written, “The one who is righteous by faith will live.” The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heavenagainst every impiety and wickednessof those who suppress...

Part One:  The Apostles’ Creed The Basic Profession of Faith Table of Contents     The Apostles’ Creed was originally a profession of faith required of converts to Christianity before they were baptized. As a formula of belief it goes back in substance, if not in words, to the twelve apostles. Following Christ’s declaration that “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16), the Apostles’ Creed was the precondition for baptism. Only believers could be baptized. Even when children were baptized in the early Church, someone had to profess the faith for them. Since the Apostles’ Creed was first...

Featured Term (selected at random):ROMAN GRADUAL A liturgical book containing the choral parts of the Mass. It belongs logically together with the sacramentary and lectionary. It was revised and the new Gradual was authorized on June 24, 1972. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 12, 2009                                 Monday of the Twenty-eighth Week                                 in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Rom 1:1-7 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,called to be an Apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God,which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,the Gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.Through him we have received...

October 11, 2009                                   Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmReading 2Gospel Reading 1Wis 7:7-11 I prayed, and prudence was given me;I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.I preferred her to scepter and throne,and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,and I chose to have her rather than the light,because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.Yet all good things together came to...

Featured Term (selected at random):DOWRY A prescribed amount of money or its equivalent brought to a community by a woman religious on her entrance into the convent. It is for her support and belongs to the community after profession. If she remains in the order, it may not be disposed of for any reason until after her death. Should she leave at any time, the dowry is returned to her but not any interest accruing from its investment. Dowry also applies to the money or property that a wife brings to her husband in marriage. (Etym. Latin dotarium, from dos,...

October 10, 2009                                     Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                     in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jl 4:12-21 Thus says the LORD:Let the nations bestir themselves and come upto the Valley of Jehoshaphat;For there will I sit in judgmentupon all the neighboring nations. Apply the sickle,for the harvest is ripe;Come and tread,for the wine press is full;The vats overflow,for great is their malice.Crowd upon crowdin the valley of decision;For near is the day of the LORDin the valley of decision.Sun and moon are darkened,and the stars withhold their brightness.The...

What about Bad Music? by Dr. Jeff Mirus, October 9, 2009 It is a feature of human nature that all normal persons respond emotionally to music. For this reason, music is often described in emotional or quasi-emotional terms. It may be languorous or bombastic, martial or lyrical, peaceful or agitated, soothing or exciting, and so on. But in addition to the connection between music and human moods, music is also perceived as beautiful (or ugly) and the human intellect naturally wishes to understand those properties of music which, if properly manipulated, produce beauty. Finally, the essentially moral character of the...

Featured Term (selected at random):EMBALMING The temporary or prolonged preservation of a deceased body, for practical and religious reasons. Best known ancient embalming was in Egypt, some of whose mummies are relatively intact to the present day. In modern procedure, the blood is drained from a person's veins and replaced by a fluid, such as formalin, a solution of formaldehyde in water. Embalming by arterial injection became common in Western countries since the eighteen hundreds. In the early centuries, the Church rejected any form of embalming as a pagan custom, although there were notable exceptions, like Charlemagne, whose embalmed corpse...

October 9, 2009                                     Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                  in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2 Gird yourselves and weep, O priests!wail, O ministers of the altar!Come, spend the night in sackcloth,O ministers of my God!The house of your God is deprivedof offering and libation.Proclaim a fast,call an assembly;Gather the elders,all who dwell in the land,Into the house of the LORD, your God,and cry to the LORD! Alas, the day!for near is the day of the LORD,and it comes as...

Featured Term (selected at random):ABRAHAM'S BOSOM Term used by St. Luke (Luke 16:22) to describe the abode of the just persons who died in the Old Testament, before they were admitted to the beatific vision. In patristic literature it often means heaven. It implies a return of Abraham's spiritual descendants to the embrace of the earthly father of all the faithful. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 8, 2009                               Thursday of the Twenty-seventh Week                             in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Mal 3:13-20b You have defied me in word, says the LORD,yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?”You have said, “It is vain to serve God,and what do we profit by keeping his command,And going about in penitential dressin awe of the LORD of hosts?Rather must we call the proud blessed;for indeed evildoers prosper,and even tempt God with impunity.”Then they who fear the LORD spoke with one another,and...

Featured Term (selected at random):LAITY The faithful who are not in holy orders and do not belong to a religious state approved by the Church. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 7, 2009                                Wednesday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                 in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jon 4:1-11 Jonah was greatly displeasedand became angry that God did not carry out the evilhe threatened against Nineveh.He prayed, “I beseech you, LORD,is not this what I said while I was still in my own country?This is why I fled at first to Tarshish.I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish.And now, LORD, please take my life from me;for it is better for me to...

Featured Term (selected at random):CLOTHING OF RELIGIOUS Formal bestowal of the religious habit. The admission of a postulant to the canonical novitiate in a religious congregation or order is traditionally introduced by the solemn clothing in the blessed habit of that community. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 6, 2009                                     Tuesday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                 in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jon 3:1-10 The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh,and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,according to the LORD’s bidding.Now Nineveh was an enormously large city;it took three days to go through it.Jonah began his journey through the city,and had gone but a single day’s...

Featured Term (selected at random):INCENSE BOAT A sacred vessel, oblong in shape, in which incense is kept and transferred to a censer by means of a spoon. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 5, 2009                             Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week                                 in Ordinary Time   Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Jon 1:1-2:2, 11 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jonah, son of Amittai: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it;their wickedness has come up before me.”But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD.He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish,paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish,away from the...

Featured Term (selected at random):DOMESTIC PRELATE A priest whom the Holy See honors for services rendered to the Church and who is listed in the Annuario Pontificio according to his proper rank, e.g., Chaplain of His Holiness or Prelate of Honor of His Holiness. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

October 4, 2009                                Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time     Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Gn 2:18-24 The LORD God said: "It is not good for the man to be alone.I will make a suitable partner for him."So the LORD God formed out of the groundvarious wild animals and various birds of the air,and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle,all the birds of the air, and all wild animals;but none proved to be the suitable partner...

October 3, 2009                                 Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week                                 in Ordinary Time       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Bar 4:5-12, 27-29 Fear not, my people!Remember, Israel,You were sold to the nationsnot for your destruction;It was because you angered Godthat you were handed over to your foes.For you provoked your Makerwith sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.She indeed saw coming upon youthe anger of God; and she said: “Hear, you neighbors of Zion!God...

Featured Term (selected at random):SOLITUDE In Christian asceticism, the conscious and deliberate withdrawal from creatures in order to be more closely united with God. The beata solitudo (blessed solitude) of monasticism, praised by St. Benedict, is the best known and most widely infuential in Christian history. Solitude may by physical or spiritual or both. It is physical (or exterior) insofar as a person withdraws from the company of people and worldy affairs, either permanently, as a hermit or monk; or partially, as every member of a religious institute; or temporarily,k as in a retreat. Physical solitude is not escapism or...

Featured Term (selected at random):DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL General term in mystical theology to identify every form of purification through which God leads persons whom he is calling to a high degree of sanctity. It is called "night" to distinguish a person's normal spiritual condition of seeing, although dimly, by the light of faith; whereas in mystical purification a person is deprived of much of this light. There is a "groping in the night." It is called a "dark" night to emphasize the intensity of withdrawal of God's illuminating grace. The purpose of such purification is to cleanse the...

October 2, 2009                                     Memorial of the Guardian Angels         Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Bar 1:15-22 During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed:“Justice is with the Lord, our God;and we today are flushed with shame,we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem,that we, with our kings and rulersand priests and prophets, and with our ancestors,have sinned in the Lord’s sight and disobeyed him.We have neither heeded the voice of the Lord, our God,nor followed the precepts which the Lord set before us.From the time the Lord led our ancestors...

October 1, 2009                                             Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus,                                               virgin and doctor of the Church       Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12 The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate,and they called upon Ezra the scribeto bring forth the book of the law of Moseswhich the LORD prescribed for Israel.On the first day of the seventh month, therefore,Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,which consisted of men, women,and those children old enough to understand.Standing at one end of the open place that was before...

Featured Term (selected at random):PECTORAL CROSS A cross usually of gold and ornamented with precious stones, worn suspended from the neck by a gold chain or silken cord. It may serve as a reliquary enclosing relics of the saints or the True Cross. Although it is the badge of a bishop, other prelates may wear it during public worship. (Etym. Latin pectoralis, of the breast.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.