BIG C CATHOLICS

May 9, 2017 In 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. They were Lucia Santos, Blessed Jacinta Marto and Blessed Francisco Marto . She then instructed the children to pray the Rosary daily to end the war and bring peace to the world. She also asked that the following prayer be recited at the end of each decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.” Our Lady entrusted the children with three secrets. The first was a vision of Hell . The second was a prophecy about the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, and the need for Russia to convert to Christianity. The third secret concerned the Holy Father suffering greatly and the persecution of the Church. On her seventh and final appearance, Our Lady's promised miracle occurred. The sun appeared to dance in the sky; an event witnessed by thousands of people. Th

Deësis mosaic, c. 1261, Hagia Sophia, Greek Orthodox Basilica, Istanbul  The Fifth Sunday in Easter, May 14, 2017 By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God; have faith also in me.” John 14:1 The Church is now in the midst of what is known as the Great Fifty Days, or the Easter Season. This sacred time began with the Easter Vigil Mass and will conclude Pentecost Sunday. Easter is the high point of the liturgical year. It is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most important moment of human history. Now, in the middle of May, it might seem that Easter and the joy it brought to the Church is a long time ago. The joy and festivity of Easter can wear off quickly when everyone returns to work, school, and life. Day-to-day living has a way of wearing the human person’s faith down. Life can become a matter of routine and even monotony. Suffering abounds, and

May 8, 2017 In 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. They were Lucia Santos, Blessed Jacinta Marto and Blessed Francisco Marto . She then instructed the children to pray the Rosary daily to end the war and bring peace to the world. She also asked that the following prayer be recited at the end of each decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.” Our Lady entrusted the children with three secrets. The first was a vision of Hell . The second was a prophecy about the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, and the need for Russia to convert to Christianity. The third secret concerned the Holy Father suffering greatly and the persecution of the Church. On her seventh and final appearance, Our Lady's promised miracle occurred. The sun appeared to dance in the sky; an event witnessed by thousands of people. Th

( In 2017, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy. ) May 7th, the Church celebrates the optional memorial of Saint Rose Venerini (or Rosa), the 18th century Italian educator and foundress who greatly advanced the education and catechesis of girls and women, despite tremendous opposition. Sometimes it turns out that the things we think we are called to do in life are not precisely what God has in mind for us. As St. Rose Venerini discovered, it was an innate talent, given to her by the grace of God and pointed out to her by another, that ultimately guided her toward the vocation she was meant to live. Rose, the daughter of a doctor, was born in Viterbo, Italy, in 1636. As a young woman, she was engaged to be married, but her fiancé died before the wedding could take place. Shortly afterward, thinking that she was instead called to the contemplative life, she entered a convent, only to be recalled home a few months later following the death of her father. She formed a

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) In John’s Gospel, Jesus describes or, better, defines himself a number of times, in a variety of ways: “I am the bread of life... I am the light of the world... I am the resurrection and the life... I am the way, and the truth, and the life... I am the true vine.” Today we encountered another such saying. Without looking at it again, do you remember what it is? If you thought, “I am the good shepherd,” you are close, but that saying comes in the first verse after today’s Gospel. We will hear it next year. The correct response is, “I am the gate,” and Jesus says it twice. At first this might appear to be the least interesting of the whole list, the least illuminating. We are told he said this because “the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them” when he spoke about shepherds and sheep and thieves and r

May 7, 2017 In 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. They were Lucia Santos, Blessed Jacinta Marto and Blessed Francisco Marto . She then instructed the children to pray the Rosary daily to end the war and bring peace to the world. She also asked that the following prayer be recited at the end of each decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.” Our Lady entrusted the children with three secrets. The first was a vision of Hell . The second was a prophecy about the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, and the need for Russia to convert to Christianity. The third secret concerned the Holy Father suffering greatly and the persecution of the Church. On her seventh and final appearance, Our Lady's promised miracle occurred. The sun appeared to dance in the sky; an event witnessed by thousands of people. Th

According to Aristotle, man's thought entails three types of inquiry. (There may be others but none are more important.) They are making, doing, and knowing. "making" is thinking about how to make things and the actual making of those things. Aristotle calls this "productive" thinking because it is about the production of things. A second type of thinking "doing," involves how we are to act, what is right and what is wrong, vice and virtue, and how we ought to live. Aristotle calls this "practical" thinking because it concerns itself with moral choices. The third kind of thinking Aristotle highlights is "knowing" Aristotle calls this "theoretical" thinking - acquiring knowledge for the sake of knowledge. The object of productive thinking is making something that is beautiful or, at the very least, something that works well. The object of practical thinking is virtue or goodness. The object of theoretical thinking is