BIG C CATHOLICS

On October 13, 1973, Our Lady of Akita (Japan) told the visionary Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa that heresy would occur within the Catholic Church: "The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their conferees (other priests)... The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord." Our Lady concluded with these hopeful words, echoing her message at Fatima: "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved." Holy Mary, pray that the Church remains faithful starting with ourselves. _____________________________________________ Prayer for a Holy Church and Priests O my Jesus, I beg You on

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) When people become very old, others will often ask them the secret to a long life. George Burns, who died at 100, supposedly said, “If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it.” Here are a few other secrets of longevity from less famous persons. A woman aged 116: “Mind your own business and don’t eat junk food. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated, work hard and love what you do.” A man aged 115: “Friends, a good cigar, drinking lots of good water, no alcohol, staying positive and lots of singing will keep you alive for a long time.” A man aged 108: “My secret to a long, healthy life is to always keep working. It keeps me busy and happy, and gives me a reason to stay alive.”

Optional Memorial - October 12th This 7th century English saint was influential at a time when Rome, seeking to unite all Christians under the see of Saint Peter, was undergoing conflict with the traditions of the so-called “Celtic” Church. A Northumbrian of noble birth, Saint Wilfrid was educated at Lindisfarne where he was instilled with a passion for both learning and the monastic life. He was known for his holiness and love of God. St. Wilfrid was born in the year 634 in the ancient region known as Northumbria, a medieval Anglian kingdom located in what is now northern England and south-east Scotland. A conflict with his stepmother resulted in his leaving home at the age of 14. He eventually became a monk at the Celtic monastery of Lindisfarne. While still a young man he traveled to Canterbury and then to Rome. On his return to England, he founded monasteries at Ripon and Stamford, and would soon became prominent as a successful defender of the Church's teachings. A

Earlier this week, in a blatant display of political suppression, Twitter censored an ad by pro-life U.S. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn announcing her candidacy for the U.S. Senate. On Monday, her campaign was informed by Twitter that it cannot advertise a video wherein Blackburn mentions Planned Parenthood and its sale of aborted baby body parts . Here is the part that merited the Twitter ban: "I know the left calls me a wing-nut or a knuckle-dragging conservative. And you know what? I say, that’s all right, bring it on. I’m 100-percent pro-life. I fought Planned Parenthood and we stopped the sale of baby body parts, thank God." Twitter told Blackburn’s campaign that it will run the video ad only if they remove the language about Planned Parenthood. She still may promote the video on her Twitter account. [Evidently, the first amendment does not apply to pro-lifers.] According to LifeNews , "The Tennessee Republican has established herself as a champion for the

Christ's Church is, above all, the spiritual temple where every Christian knows he has his place: he knows he has it, and he is aware of his duty to keep it with honor, dignity, and grace. — St. John XXIII ______________________________________ Prayer for St. John XXIII’s Intercession Almighty and eternal God, who in your Pope, Saint John XXIII, gave to the whole world the shining example of a good shepherd, grant that, by his intercession, we may with joy spread abroad the fullness of Christian charity in our words, deeds and remembered virtue. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Feast Day - October 11th According to the 1962 Missal of Saint John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The theological controversies regarding the divinity of Christ which disturbed the Church during the fourth and fifth centuries led to a denial of the divine maternity of Mary. The heretics refused to honor Mary as Mother of God. The Council of Ephesus in 431 declared that the Blessed Virgin "brought forth according to the flesh the Word of God made flesh" and that in consequence she is the Mother of God. Thus, Mary, our holy mother, is rightly given the title of divine maternity. In the year 1931, a jubilee marking the fifteenth centenary of the Council of Ephesus was celebrated to the great joy of the whole Catholic world. The fathers at that Council, under the guidance of Pope Celestine, formally condemned the errors of Nestorius and declared as Catholic faith the doctrine that the Bles

Optional Memorial - October 11th One of the least likely popes, not only of the twentieth century, but perhaps in the history of the papacy itself, was Pope Saint John XXIII. Born of peasant stock in 1881, this humble and unassuming priest would, in the last months of his life, be the architect of one of the most sweeping ecumenical councils of the modern world, whose reverberations are still being felt throughout the Church to this day. It was his humility and “ordinariness” that endeared Angelo Roncalli (the pope’s name before he ascended to the papacy) not only to Catholics, but to the world at large. The oldest son of a farming family from northern Italy, the future pope was ordained to the priesthood in 1904. His duties at the time included working as secretary to the bishop, teaching Church history in seminary, and publishing the diocesan paper. These experiences were integral preparation for the papacy. Drafted into the military in 1914, he served as both stretcher be