Catholic News 2

Panama City, Panama, Jul 4, 2017 / 08:46 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Monday the Archdiocese of Panama released the official theme song of the next World Youth Day, to be held in Panama Jan. 22-27, 2019.

Reflecting the Marian theme of the upcoming international youth gathering, the song is named for the passage in Luke where Mary agrees to be the Mother of God with the words, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”

The song was introduced at a special event on July 3 by Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta of Panama.

"We are excited to make it available today to the young people of the world, so that when they sing, they prepare themselves joyfully and ready to let themselves be transformed by God,” he said.

The refrain of the song, which is in Spanish, is the words from the Gospel of Luke: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word."

The song begins: “We are pilgrims who come here today from continents and cities; we want to be missionaries of the Lord to carry his word and message.” Other lyrics include: “I am your servant, I am your daughter, I am your son.”

The anthem was written and composed by Abdiel Jiménez. In the first recorded version, the production and arrangement were by Aníbal Muñoz with the collaboration of Carlos Samaniego and Ricky Ramírez.

At World Youth Day celebrations, the theme song is typically used throughout the week as a way to tie the different events together and unite those present. At the last World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016, the song was in Polish.

World Youth Day in Panama will be held January 22-27, 2019. This is a change from the usual July dates of the event, which the archbishop said was for reasons primarily linked to the country’s climate and weather.

Archbishop Ulloa made the announcement during a Jan. 20 news conference in the country's capital, Panama City, during which he also reiterated the gratitude of the Panamanian Church to Pope Francis for choosing Panama to host WYD in 2019.

The Pope announced Panama as the setting for the next WYD at the closing Mass of the last World Youth Day, held July 26-31, 2016, in Krakow.

“I am happy to announce that the next World Youth Day – after the two that will be held on the diocesan level – will take place in 2019 in Panama,” the Pope said making the July 31 announcement.

In a news conference after the announcement, the country’s bishops said the decision is a reflection of his attention to the peripheries and voiced their hope to be a “bridge” for those who come from all continents.

 

Full Article

Vatican City, Jul 4, 2017 / 09:42 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Monday Pope Francis said that while hunger and undernourishment around the world can be an unsettling thing to confront, we must use this to remind us how these situations are caused – which is through indifference and selfishness.

“A glance at the current world situation does not offer us a comforting picture. Yet we cannot remain merely preoccupied or, worse, resigned,” he wrote July 3.

“This moment of evident difficulty must make us even more conscious that hunger and malnutrition are not only natural or structural phenomena in determined geographical areas, but the result of a more complex condition of underdevelopment caused by the indifference of many or the selfishness of a few.”

It is concrete decisions, he said, that lead to devastating consequences such as war and terrorism. “We are dealing with a complex mechanism that mainly burdens the most vulnerable, who are not only excluded from the processes of production, but frequently obliged to leave their lands in search of refuge and hope.”

Pope Francis sent his message July 3 for the opening session of the 40th General Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). It was read by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, in the Pope’s place.

In the opening Francis noted his sorrow for not being able to deliver the message of support and encouragement in person. He also sent his “respect and esteem” for the demanding task they must carry out.

The Church accompanies all those committed to working on behalf of the poor and undernourished, the Pope said, adding that the 2030 Development Agenda of the UN reflects this same commitment by stating that the fight for universal food security cannot be put off.

“Yet only an effort inspired by authentic solidarity will be capable of eliminating the great number of persons who are undernourished and deprived of the necessities of life,” he said.

“This is a very great challenge for FAO and for all the Institutions of the international community. It is also a challenge that the Church is committed to on the front lines.”

“The Holy See closely follows the work of the international community and wishes to assist its efforts to promote not mere progress or development goals in theory, but rather the actual elimination of hunger and malnutrition,” he said.

The Pope emphasized that merely the intention to provide everyone with his or her daily bread is not enough. And if our proposed solutions remain distant and not concrete, this is because of a “lack of a culture of solidarity.”

“The commitment of each country to increase its own level of nutrition, to improve agricultural activity and the living conditions of the rural population, is embodied in the encouragement of the agricultural sector, in increased production or in the promotion of an effective distribution of food supplies.”

“Yet this is not enough,” he reiterated. “In effect, what those goals demand is a constant acknowledgment that the right of every person to be free of poverty and hunger depends on the duty of the entire human family to provide practical assistance to those in need.”

To give an example of concrete assistance and to encourage governments, Francis said that he would be making a contribution to the FAO program that provides seeds to rural families in areas affected by both conflict and drought.

When a country is unable to provide an adequate response to the problem of hunger in its own nation, he continued, whether due to underdevelopment, conditions of poverty, or climate change, “FAO and other intergovernmental institutions need to be able to intervene specifically and undertake an adequate solidary action.”

“Since the goods that God the Creator has entrusted to us are meant for all, there is an urgent need for solidarity to be the criterion inspiring all forms of cooperation in international relations,” he said.

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article

Full Article

Zec 9: 9-10; Rom 8: 9, 11-13; Mt 11: 25-30

Anecdote: “Lord, I've done the best I can.” Pope St. John XXIII during the Second Vatican Council days used to submit all his anxieties to God by this prayer every night: “Lord, Jesus, I’m going to bed. It's your Church. Take care of it!”  The President Dwight David Eisenhower knew about that inner rest derived from submitting daily lives to God. He had it even while he was the leader of armed forces in World War II. His every decision during that awful conflict had monumental consequences. How did he deal with the pressure? Ike shared with his former pastor, Dean Miller that he didn't try to carry his burden alone. Some nights when the strain became too great, Eisenhower would simply pray, "Lord, with your grace I've done the best I can. You take over until morning." And he understood very well Jesus’ advice in today’s Gospel: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11: 28).

Introduction: During the U. S. Independence Day celebrations on July fourth, you will hear all or part of the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…. Send these, the homeless tempest-tossed to me.” Today’s readings, especially the Gospel, give the same message in a more powerful way: "Take my yoke . . . and you will find rest" (Matthew 11: 29). 

Scripture lessons: In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah consoles the Jews living in Palestine under Greek rule promising them a “meek” Messianic King of peace riding on a donkey, who will give them rest and liberty. The responsorial psalm praises and thanks a kind and compassionate God who “raises up those who are bowed down” (Psalm 145: 14), under heavy yokes. In the second reading, Paul tells the first-century Roman Christian community about two yokes, namely, the “flesh” and the “Spirit.” He challenges them to reject the heavy and fatal yoke of the flesh and to accept the light yoke of the Spirit of Jesus. Christian spirituality, according to Paul, proceeds from the initiative of the Holy Spirit and means living in the realm of the “Spirit” as opposed to the “flesh.” In the Gospel, Jesus offers rest to those “who labor and are burdened” (Matthew 11: 29), if they will accept His “easy yoke and light burden” (Matthew 11: 30). By declaring that his “yoke is light,” Jesus means that whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities exactly. The second part of Jesus’ claim is: "My burden is light.” Jesus does not mean that the burden is easy to carry but that it is laid on us in love and is meant to be carried in love, and that love makes even the heaviest burden light.

The first reading explained: (Zech 9:  9-10): Alexander the Great conquered Judah in 333 BC. At the time of the prophet Zechariah, Judah had been a subject state for a very long time.  The prophet began (Zechariah 9:1-8), by announcing that the Lord would conquer Judah’s foes and liberate Judah. Then, he described Judah's new king who would rule them in peace and prosperity. Although this is interpreted as a Messianic prophecy and is applied to Jesus, the promised Messiah, in the days of Zechariah, the promise simply referred to an “anointed person,” or king, because anointing was the kernel of the royal enthronement ceremony in Judah.    In those days, the king used a donkey for ceremonial rides in times of peace and a horse during wartime, indicating that the purpose of the King in Israel was not imperialism but justice and fidelity to a higher, invisible King -- God. The donkey represented simplicity, stability and peaceful days of rest. Thus, the prophet was promising that the people enslaved by the Greeks and the Babylonians would have their long-awaited rest, peace and prosperity.   In today’s Gospel, Jesus, the true Messiah, invites all the overburdened ones to his side for lasting peace and perfect rest.

The second reading explained: (Romans (8:9, 11-13): Here Paul speaks of two yokes, namely, the “flesh” and the “Spirit.”  Before coming to Jesus we are in the flesh (sin), debtors to the flesh; we live according to the flesh, and so we die.  If we belong to Christ, the Spirit of God dwells in us, and He will set us free from the flesh and will restore our mortal bodies to life. Though we cannot rescue ourselves from “this body of death” (Romans 7: 24-25), we have been rescued by Christ. But we are still under the yoke of the flesh to the extent that we try to save ourselves and “earn” salvation by our own unaided efforts through how well we keep the rules and regulations.   Such a view shows pride.   Rather we're called to be yoked to the Spirit, to let the Spirit dwell in us, sanctifying us not by our works but by the undeserved grace of God, the only power capable of bringing life from death. We have only God to thank for this undeserved grace, and we thank Him by willingly observing His commandments and serving others with love.

Exegesis: A blow to intellectual pride: In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus is condemning intellectual pride.  He knows that ordinary people with large, sensitive hearts can accept the “Good News” he preaches, while proud intellectuals cannot. Even the learned rabbis of Jesus’ time recognized that the simplest people were often nearer to God than the wisest.   They composed stories to show that ordinary people often practiced great love and compassion, for instance, the story of the man who lent his tools to someone in need, or the woman who helped her neighbors.  Jesus says that such people will inherit Heaven rather than the learned and the wise who pride themselves on   their intellectual achievements but do not love.

Jesus’ unique claim to be God’s perfect reflection: “No one really knows the Father except the Son, and him to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him" (Matthew 11: 27). The claim that Jesus alone can reveal God to men forms the center of the Christian Faith. Jesus makes the same claim in different words, as we see in the Last Supper discourse. Jesus says, "He who has seen me has seen the Father" (Jn.14:9). What Jesus says is this: "If you want to see what God is like, if you want to see the mind of God, the heart of God, the nature of God, if you want to see God's whole attitude to men -- look at Me!"

Invitation to accept Jesus’ easy yoke: Near the final section of today's Gospel, Jesus promises a worldwide dominion of peace, not as the world gives peace but as the Spirit gives it. Here, Jesus addresses people who are desperately trying to find God, who are exhausted by the search for truth, who are desperately trying to be good, and who find the task impossible. God gave His People basic guidelines for a holy life, but the Pharisees ended up making God's Law inaccessible and impossible to follow. For the orthodox Jew, religion was a matter of burdens:   613 Mosaic laws and thousands of oral interpretations which dictated every aspect of life.  Jesus invites burdened Israel and us to take his yoke upon our shoulders. In Palestine, ox-yokes were made of wood and were made to fit the ox comfortably. For a contemporary analogy, consider the advantages of new, high-tech, custom-made athletic equipment. The yoke of Christ can be seen as the sum of our Christian responsibilities and duties. To take the yoke of Christ is to put ourselves in a relationship with Christ as his servants and subjects and to conduct ourselves accordingly. The yoke of Christ is not just a yoke from Christ but also a yoke with him. A yoke is fashioned for a pair -- for a team working together. So we are not yoked alone to pull the plow by our own unaided power; we are yoked together with Christ to work with Him using His strength. By saying that his “yoke is light” (11:30), Jesus means that whatever God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities exactly.

Accept the light burden of Jesus’ teaching: The second part of Jesus’ claim is: "My burden is light" (11:30). Jesus does not mean that the burden is easy to carry, but that it is laid on us in love. This burden is meant to be carried in love, and love makes even the heaviest burden light. When we remember the love of God, when we know that our burden is to love, both directly and by loving men, the God Who loves us, then the burden becomes easy. Jesus is returning to the simplicity of God's original Covenant and Law, giving people what they need to guide them on their path easily.  By following Jesus, a man will find peace, rest, and refreshment. Although we are not overburdened by the Jewish laws, we are burdened by many other things: business, concerns about jobs, marriage, money, health, children, security, old age and a thousand other things. Jesus' concern for our burdens is as real as his concern for the law-burdened people of his day.   "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest" (11: 28).    Jesus still gives us rest! Is Jesus calling on those who are carrying heavy loads to come and add a yoke to their burden? Doesn’t that sound like adding affliction to the afflicted? No; Jesus is asking us to cast away our burdens and take on his yoke. This is because, unlike the burdens we bear, his yoke is easy and his burden light. The yoke of Jesus is the love of God. By telling us: "Take my yoke . . . and you will find rest" (11:29), Christ is asking us to do things the Christian way. When we center in God, when we follow God’s commandments, we have no heavy burdens.

 Life messages: 1) We need to unload our burdens before the Lord. One of the effects of Worship for many of us is that it gives us a time for rest and refreshment when we let the overheated radiators of our hectic lives cool down before the Lord. This is especially true when we unload the burdens of our sins and worries on the altar and offer them to God during the Holy Mass. But whether we are in Church, alone in our quiet spot where we come before God each day, in our homes or in the homes of our friends and neighbors, we find that prayer and Christian fellowship bring us the rest and refreshment that we all need so much. There is nothing quite like coming to the Lord and setting aside our burdens for a while - nothing quite like having our batteries recharged, our radiators cooled down and our spirits lifted. Jesus promises rest from the burdens that we carry - rest from the burdens of sins, legalism and judgment, from the weight of anxiety and worry, from the yoke of unrewarding labor and from the endless labor for that which cannot satisfy. The absolution and forgiveness which we receive as repentant sinners take away our spiritual burden and enable us to share the joy of the Holy Spirit.
 
2) We need to be freed from unnecessary burdens: Life's greatest burden is not having too much to do, nor having too much to care. Some of the happiest folk are the busiest and those who care the most.   Rather, the greatest burden we have is our constant engagement with the trivial and the unimportant, with the temporary and the passing and with the ultimately uncontrollable and unpredictable. The issue in life is not whether we shall be burdened, but with what we shall be burdened. The question is not “Shall we be yoked?” but “To what and with whom shall we be yoked?” Jesus has no interest in unburdening us from our exaggerated self-esteem and from other modern infatuations (which are themselves debilitating burdens), in order to leave us with nothing to carry, no work to do. Instead, Jesus is interested in lifting off our backs the burdens that drain us and suck the life out of us, so that he can place around our necks his own yoke, his burden, that brings to us and to others through us, new life, new energy, new joy. God's incomparable, compassionate forgiveness is a gift that releases us into life with God as responsible human beings who want to grow deeper in love and joyful obedience. We are called not only to find peace, refreshment and rest for ourselves, but also to live the kind of life through which others, too, may find God's peace, God's refreshing grace, and the joy of placing their lives in God's hands.
 

POPE FRANCIS’ WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Weep not for what you have lost, fight for what you have.

Weep not for what is dead, fight for what was born in you.

Weep not for the one who abandoned you, fight for who is with you.

Weep not for those who hate you, fight for those who want you.

Weep not for your past, fight for your present struggle.

Weep not for your suffering, fight for your happiness.

With things that are happening to us, we begin to learn that nothing is impossible to solve, just move forward. (Homily prepared by Fr. Anthony Kadavil)

Full Article

(Vatican Radio)  The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has released a note regarding the association of the Reformed Churches to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ), calling the occasion an “important milestone”.

The Joint Declaration was signed between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation in 1999, with the World Methodist Council adopting the document in 2006.

On Wednesday, 5 July 2017 the World Communion of Reformed Churches becomes the fourth party to associate itself to the doctrine on Justification as accepted by Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists.

“One of the crucial issues of dissent between the Reformers and the authorities of the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century is thus being diffused and overcome, making further growth in spiritual and ecclesial communion between the Protestant and Catholic Churches possible,” the note states.

An ecumenical prayer service held in Wittenberg, Germany by the Communion of Reformed Churches, along with representation by the Vatican and other signatories, marks their association with the Joint Declaration.

The Vatican is represented by Bishop Brian Farrell, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Fr. Avelino Gonzalez, an official of the Western Section of the same dicastery.

Though a milestone in ecumenical relations and “the full, visible unity of Christians”, the note says the event is “not yet the end of the road but a significant stage on the way.”

Please find below the full statement:

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN UNITY

Note on the association of the Reformed Churches to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

Next Wednesday, 5 July 2017, at Wittenberg in Germany, the place where in 1517 the Reformation began when Luther presented his ninety-five theses against Indulgences, the World Communion of Reformed Churches will join the ecumenical consensus already achieved between Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists on the doctrine of Justification. The doctrine of justification by grace through faith is at the heart of the Gospel. Agreement in understanding how the salvation brought by Christ actually becomes effective in sinful humans is of high importance for ecumenical progress. The Reformed Churches will now affirm the consensus in basic truths of the doctrine of justification as corresponding to Reformed doctrine. One of the crucial issues of dissent between the Reformers and the authorities of the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century is thus being diffused and overcome, making further growth in spiritual and ecclesial communion between the Protestant and Catholic Churches possible.

At an ecumenical prayer service, the leadership of the Communion of Reformed Churches will formally associate with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, in the presence of representatives of the Lutheran, Methodist and Catholic Churches. The Pontifical Council for promoting Christian Unity will be represented by the Secretary, Bishop Brian Farrell, and Reverend Avelino Gonzalez, official of the Western Section of the dicastery. The event must be seen as another important milestone on the journey towards the full visible unity of Christians; not yet the end of the road but a significant stage on the way.

The Reformed Churches bring to the ecumenical consensus around this fundamental doctrine a particular concern for the relationship between justification and a commitment to justice in the world. Grace leads to and requires "good works" in bringing about God's kingdom of justice, peace and reconciliation. Justification leads to solidarity with the victims of social disorder and opposition to systems of social and economic injustice. By sharing an understanding of this Christian imperative, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists and Reformed are able to find wider and more intensive ways of working together in the service of suffering humanity. In this way, ecumenical progress in dialogue is not merely an academic pursuit of interested experts, but has a positive and practical influence on the way Christians of different confessions live and work together in solidarity and bear common witness to the Gospel in society. 

Full Article

(Vatican Radio)  Pope Francis has donated 50,000 Euro in aid for victims of the 12 June earthquake on the Greek island of Lesbos, according to the Apostolic Nunciature of Greece.

“It is an unexpected donation and concrete sign of the closeness and affection of [Pope] Francis for the population, which has been deeply tried by the 6.3-magnitude earthquake,” remarked Msgr. Massimo Catterin, chargé d affaires of the Nunciature.

The Pope’s donation will be used to help out the Orthodox village of Vrisa, which was completely destroyed in the tremors. One 43-year old woman was killed by falling debris.

Msgr. Catterin said the donation came “after Archbishop Nikólaos Printesis of Naxos, Andros, Tinos, and Mykonos, who is also the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Chios, had asked the Nunciature to inform the Holy Father of the situation on the island.”

He said, “The Pope’s donation has great value, also from an ecumenical point-of-view, since those who will benefit the most are Orthodox faithful. Indeed, on Lesbos there are only 50 Catholics.”

Msgr. Catterin said the decision on how to distribute the funds would be made when he and Archbishop Printesis visit Vrisa next week.

“There is great recognition and appreciation towards the Pope on Lesbos. He knows the seismic emergency adds to the weight of the first emergency related to migrants.”

Full Article

Church groups in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh joined a government initiative on Sunday to plant millions of saplings to arrest climate change and propagate a message of conserving water.  All nine Catholic dioceses in the state joined the government's 12-hour long tree plantation drive. The government claimed 60 million saplings were planted on July 2, most of them on the banks of the river Narmada, considered a holy river by majority Hindus in the state.

"It was a great move in the direction of protecting the environment, conserving water and promoting greenery, thereby arresting the ill-effects of climate change," said Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur.  Bishop Almeida issued a special circular to all parishes and Catholic institutions, urging priests, nuns and the laity to actively participate in the state’s plantation drive, said Father Somy Jacob, a parish priest of Jabalpur.  The diocesan circular wanted each Catholic family in the 62 parishes to plant "at least five saplings on their land and if possible on public land where they can take care of them." The parishioners "actively participated" by planting sapling on parish lands and school grounds, said Father Jacob.

Tribal areas' water problem 

"In the tribal-dominated Jhabua Diocese Catholics planted saplings in the grounds of schools and also in public places identified for tree plantation," said Father Father Rockey Shal, the public relations officer of Jhabua Diocese.  He noted that in many parts the diocese people "have to walk far to fetch water during summer because the destruction of forests and trees has dried up the water sources.” “Building up greenery is the only solution for the water crisis," he told UCANEWS.  The priest said people in his diocese will "always support any move to turn the environment green as the mindless destruction of forests has upset the ecological balance and people are suffering directly from such destruction."

Chief minister leads the way

State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who leads the right-wing pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, has been leading campaigns to clean the state's rivers and increase green cover.  Hundreds of thousands of people, including BJP party members, Hindu groups, clubs and ordinary farmers joined the campaign. "Elders, children, women, students, farmers, social activists, journalists, administrative officers, police personnel and people from all walks of life are planting saplings today," an official statement from the government said.  Chouhan called it a "peerless example of public participation in river conservation and environmental protection."

Bishop Almeida said the loss of trees had led to a serious water crisis in many parts of the state. "Even if 10 million of the 60 million saplings survive it will be a great achievement," he said. Quoting a previous study, the bishops said on average only three out of 10 saplings would survive.  Bishop Almeida wants the government and the people to continue planting saplings "every year so that the state can revive its lost greenery and increase the quality of air, water and the environment."

Depleting forest cover, inadequate regeneration

Federal government data say that India lost about 40% of its forest cover between 1880 and 2013. Today, 24% of its area, or 700,000 sq km, is under forests.  The area under forest and tree cover has grown by 5,081 sq km between 2013 and 2015.   However, according to a new study by the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun, “despite tall claims by various agencies the forests are still degrading and also depleting due to overexploitation.”  After 70 years of Independence, more than two-thirds of villages adjoining forests across the country are still heavily dependent on forests for fodder, firewood and other produce.  Besides, illegal logging, timber trade and diversion of forest area for industrial purposes continue unabated.  The FRI study shows that in 60% of forests are in poor health with inadequate regeneration status.  (Source: UCAN)

Full Article