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A reader alerted me to an interesting and insightful analysis by Pope Leo XIII of three trends that both alarmed him and pointed to future problems. He wrote of these three concerns in 1893 in the Encyclical on the Holy Rosary entitled Laetitiae Sanctae (Of Holy Joy). The Pope enunciates these three areas of concern and then offers the mysteries of the Rosary as a necessary remedy. Lets look at how the Pope describes the problems and then consider too what he sees as a solution. His teaching is in bold, italic, black. My remarks are in plain text, red.There...

Featured Term (selected at random):AGONY IN THE GARDEN The bloody sweat of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, described by the third Evangelist (Luke 22:43). Although Matthew and Mark also narrate the event, only Luke mentions the sweat of blood and the visitation of the angel. Catholic tradition has understood the bloody perspiration literally. Medical testimony indicates that, although rare, the phenomenon is neither impossible nor, by itself, miraculous. Commemoration of the event forms the first of the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. (Etym. Latin agonia; from Greek, contest, anguish, from ag_n, contest, from agein, to drive.) All items in...

HOLY THURSDAYMarch 24, 2005vol 16, no. 83 Five Days of Sorrow: Fourth Sorrowful Mystery Reflections for Maundy Thursday: The Carrying of the Cross "We need such saints now more than ever! Just as surely as Our Lord's body fell under the weight of the cross, so His Mystical Body, the Church, also trembles under the weight of Her own Passion in our age of crisis. Take up that cross, on behalf of Mother Church, and like Simon of Cyrene, rejoice that you are called to assist in the salvation of the world."    And bearing His Own cross, He...

Wednesday in Holy WeekMarch 23, 2005vol 16, no. 82 Five Days of Sorrow: Third Sorrowful MysteryReflections for Wednesday in Holy Week: The Crowning of Thorns"Behold (ecce), then, the man (homo) standing before you, in royal robes and with a thorny crown. He is your king, and you are called to imitate His life and His death, so that you may also imitate His resurrection and share in His glory. Do not be ashamed of the thorns, for they will soon be burned away by fire, and only gold will remain. Consider also St. Paul, who asked that the thorn...

Tuesday in Holy WeekMarch 22, 2005vol 16, no. 81 Five Days of Sorrow: Second Sorrowful MysteryReflections for Tuesday in Holy Week: The Scourging at the Pillar"...it is by the stripes on His sacred back that our souls are healed. Every stroke of the lash, and every rivulet of blood that it produced, was meritorious for our redemption. Take care to see Him, in your mind's eye, lurching and wincing with every sharp blow, and recall to your mind every sin that caused those stripes. One lash … for the harsh words I used with my wife this morning …...

All the world is waiting for the powerful message in Mel Gibson's ground-breaking film, The Passion of Christ. Post here your own personal reactions after seeing the film set to open tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. Passion has previewed in some areas. Also post reviews and pertinent comments from your state and area's newspapers and publications.

Title: Five New Mysteries, The Author: Marijane Camilleri Title: Five New Mysteries, The Larger Work: Inside The Vatican Pages: 53 - 57 Publisher & Date: Urbi et Orbi Communications, New Hope, KY, November 2002 Includes: Identical text with no graphics. Description: Here are the five Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, each with a brief explanation by Pope John Paul II and scriptural reflections by Marijane Camilleri, an American writer studying in Rome. According to current practice, Monday and Thursday are dedicated to the joyful mysteries, Tuesday and Friday to the sorrowful, and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday to the glorious....