BIG C CATHOLICS

As the Supreme Court of the United States considers same-sex marriage prominent Christians from numerous denominations have signed the following pledge in defense of natural marriage as a life-long, exclusive, indissoluble union of one man and one woman. The signees are a who’s who of religious leaders including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, National Religious Broadcasters president Jerry Johnson, Pastor John Hagee, and Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse. To read about the pledge and sign it go here . PLEDGE IN SOLIDARITY TO DEFEND MARRIAGE We stand together in defense of marriage and the family and society founded upon them. While we come from a variety of communities and hold differing faith perspectives, we are united in our common affirmation of marriage. On the matter of marriage, we stand in solidarity. We affirm that marriage and family have ...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH "I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)  ( Click here for today's readings ) Can you imagine rival politicians each making the claim that Jesus makes in today’s Gospel, “I am the good shepherd”? They would be laughed out of their party. What about a doctor? a scientist? a journalist? a police officer? a teacher? an actor? Ridiculous in every case. And even though the clergy are called to imitate Jesus as best they can in their “pastoral” or “shepherding” ministry, not one would dare to declare, “I am the good shepherd.” Why is this so? Think about it. Why would you react negatively in such a case? I think part of the answer lies in the implication of absolute trust. We are not prepared to bestow that on just anyone. It may go even deeper. How many teen-agers or adults do you know who actually want to be led by someone else? We don...

The late Cardinal Francis George (1937-2015) A giant of the American episcopacy, Francis Cardinal George , died Friday.  He was 78.  I was a seminarian at Mount Saint Mary’s when his predecessor, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin was called to his eternal reward in November, 1996.  The seminarians of the Chicago diocese praised Cardinal Bernardin’s stewardship and wondered who his successor might be.  Cardinal Bernardin was considered at the time, the leading intellectual among America’s cardinals.  Five months later, my fellow seminarians had their answer in Francis George.  He was in every way a worthy successor.  Cardinal Francis George was the first Chicago native to become Archbishop of Chicago. As a young man, he joined the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a missionary congregation, after being denied admission to Quigley Seminary. Installed in May 1997, he was the ninth Archbishop of Portland, Oregon for less than a year, before being nam...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH He stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." (Luke 24: 36) ( Click here for today’s readings ) Isn’t this the Easter season? Isn’t Lent over? Why, then, is there so much talk of sin and repentance in today’s readings? In Acts we are told, “Repent, and be converted.” St. John says in his Letter: “I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin.” And Jesus mentions “repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” The point of mentioning these things at Easter time is to show that forgiveness is possible thanks precisely to the Risen Christ. St. John calls Jesus our “Advocate” and adds, “He is expiation for our sins.” St. Peter promises that the sins even of those who crucified Jesus could be wiped away. Jesus himself speaks of forgiveness of sins being preached in his name. In other words, Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, is the source of our salvation. That is what we belie...

St. Peter's basilica “The devil is a liar, the father of lies.” - Pope Francis As reported by Breitbart, " The tenth annual course on exorcism has gotten off to a bang in Rome, with a full house of 170 students eager to learn how to recognize and fight demonic possession..." While many in the West deny the devil's existence, Church officials, including Pope Francis, note the increase of demonic activity. Sponsored by the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy and organized by the Sacerdos Institute, the course titled “Exorcism and Prayer of Liberation” is taking place at the European University of Rome from April 13 to 18: The course consists in a series of meetings aimed at giving priests, doctors, psychologists, teachers, and pastoral workers the instruments they need to recognize and deal with cases of demonic possession and distinguish them from disturbances of a psychological or medical nature.   Father Pedro Barrajon, the director of the program,...

This is the beauty of martyrdom.   It begins with witness, day after day...  like Jesus, the first martyr - Pope Francis Throughout his pontificate,  Pope Francis has spoken repeatedly against the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere by Islamic Militants. The following are recent remarks by the Holy Father as reported by Vatican Radio:  (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Monday that there are more persecuted Christians in the world today than there were in the first centuries of Christianity. The Pope’s words came as he celebrated Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on the day in which the Church remembers the first Roman martyrs who were martyred during Nero's persecution in 64 (AD). The prayer at the beginning of the Mass recalls that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church”. We speak of the growth of a plant – the Pope said in his homily – and this makes us think of what Jesus used to say: "The kingdom of heaven is lik...

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH Thomas places his hands in Christ's wounds. ( Click here for today’s readings ) Little did the disciples suspect how Thomas would react when they told him everything that had happened in his absence. Surely he would be thrilled to know that Jesus really was alive, and eager to hear all that Jesus had said and done when he appeared to them. How could they have expected him to refuse to believe them? It didn’t make sense. It’s impossible to imagine that Thomas’s exchange with the other disciples was as brief as may appear from a single verse in the Gospel. After all, a whole week passed between the two scenes we have just read. And what a miserable week it must have been for Thomas, as the others kept trying to persuade him. There was probably plenty of frustration to go around on both sides. This is the stuff of advice columns. It’s the way you feel when you see pictures on Facebook, of a bunch...

The Sunday After Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday How should we prepare for this great Feast of Mercy? Jesus told St. Faustina that this Feast of Mercy would be a very special day when  “all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened.”  (Diary 699) Our Lord made a great promise to all those souls who would go to Confession and then receive Him in Holy Communion on the Feast of Mercy, on the Sunday after Easter, which is now called Divine Mercy Sunday throughout the Catholic Church. Jesus promised that  “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.”  (Diary 699) He went on to say “ I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My Mercy.”  (Diary 1109) We want to encourage everyone to take advantage of this incredible promise and the additional Plenary Indulgence on this great Feast of ...

"Why seek you the living with the dead?  He is not here, but is risen. (Luke 24: 5-6)   Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Director, La Salette Shrine Enfield, NH ( Click here for Easter Vigil readings )  ( Click here for Sunday's readings ) On Good Friday, April 3, 2015, at sunset, millions of families the world over gathered around their table to hear a famous question: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” It was the beginning of the Jewish feast of Passover. The answer to that question starts with four specific details about the meal itself. Then comes this: “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and God brought us out with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. And if God had not brought our ancestors out of Egypt, we and our children and our children’s children would still be subjugated to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if we were all old and wise and learned in Torah, we would still be commanded to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And th...

The Divine Mercy Image. Jesus, I trust in you. The Divine Mercy Novena begins today, Good Friday, and continues until the feast of Divine Mercy, the second Sunday of Easter. The Divine Mercy novena prayers were given to St. Faustina through an apparition of our Lord Jesus. Each day has a new petition that seeks God’s mercy for different purposes.  The message of Divine Mercy is a powerful way to grow closer to Christ. For a step by step guide showing how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet go here . First Day of the Divine Mercy Novena Intention: Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS , and immerse them in the ocean of my mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me. Novena Prayer for Sinners (Day 1)   Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Rec...

1. Jesus addresses the Father. Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." This first saying of Christ on the cross is traditionally called "The Word of Forgiveness". It is theologically understood as Christ’s prayer for forgiveness for those who were crucifying him: the Roman soldiers and all others involved in his torture and death. By virtue of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, forgiveness is possible, the gates of Heaven are opened, and sin is forever conquered. 2. Jesus speaks to Dismas. Luke 23:43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise." This saying is called "The Word of Salvation."  In Luke's Gospel, Christ was crucified between two thieves (Dismas, the good criminal, and  Gestas ), Dismas supports Jesus' innocence and asks him to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus replies, "Truly, I say to ...