Catholic News 2
Anticipation turned to disappointment for thousands of people who purchased Powerball tickets ahead of Saturday night's drawing for the biggest U.S. lottery prize in history....
DENVER (AP) -- Republicans have widely condemned the armed standoff by a group of ranchers to reclaim federal land in eastern Oregon, but their goal of taking back some of Washington's vast holdings in the West has gained traction in the GOP....
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- The recapture of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman took a surprise, Hollywood twist when a Mexican official said security forces at one point located the world's most-wanted trafficker thanks to a secret interview with U.S. actor Sean Penn....
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday baptized 26 baby girls and boys during Mass in the Sistine Chapel marking the feast day of Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan.In a short and off-the-cuff homily the Pope said through baptism, our faith is handed on from one generation to the next, throughout the course of history. To the parents of the 13 girls and 13 boys, he said they must never forget that faith is the greatest heritage they can give to their children. Amid the sounds of some of the babies crying, Pope Francis told the mothers to feel free to feed their children whenever they are hungry.Listen to our report: In his Angelus address, following the Mass, the Pope recalled the Gospel accounts of the Baptism of Jesus, during which the Holy Spirit is seen descending like a dove and a voice is heard from heaven saying “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. In this way, the Pope said, Jesus is revealed by God as our saving Messiah.Through this...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday baptized 26 baby girls and boys during Mass in the Sistine Chapel marking the feast day of Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan.
In a short and off-the-cuff homily the Pope said through baptism, our faith is handed on from one generation to the next, throughout the course of history. To the parents of the 13 girls and 13 boys, he said they must never forget that faith is the greatest heritage they can give to their children. Amid the sounds of some of the babies crying, Pope Francis told the mothers to feel free to feed their children whenever they are hungry.
Listen to our report:
In his Angelus address, following the Mass, the Pope recalled the Gospel accounts of the Baptism of Jesus, during which the Holy Spirit is seen descending like a dove and a voice is heard from heaven saying “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. In this way, the Pope said, Jesus is revealed by God as our saving Messiah.
Through this event, which is found in all four Gospel accounts, he said, the Holy Spirit frees us from the darkness of original sin and restores to the baptized person the beauty of divine grace. This extraordinary dignity of Baptism, through which we are called to be children of God, the Pope said, also brings with it the responsibility of following Jesus and imitating his obedience, humility and tenderness. Not an easy thing to do, Pope Francis noted, especially when we are surrounded by intolerance, pride and hardness of heart, but through the Holy Spirit all things are possible.
On this feast of Jesus’ Baptism, the Pope said, let us remember our own baptism and reaffirm our commitment to live as Christians and members of the Church in which all our brothers and sisters. We are only baptized once, he said, but we are called to witness to that new life every day of our lives, sharing the light of Christ, especially with those living in darkness or inhuman conditions.
Finally Pope Francis had a special blessing for all those children who have been recently baptized, as well as adults and young people who are preparing or have recently received the Sacraments of Christian Initiation.
Vatican City, Jan 10, 2016 / 03:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday Pope Francis baptized 26 babies in the Sistine Chapel, telling parents to nurture the faith in the lives of their children, because it is the greatest inheritance they can give.“Don’t forget that the greatest inheritance you can give to your children is the faith. Try to see that it is not lost, nurture it and leave it as an inheritance,” the Pope said Jan. 10.Francis celebrated Mass for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the Sistine Chapel, where he kept with papal tradition and baptized several infants. This year there were 26 – 13 girls and 13 boys.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PopeFrancis?src=hash">#PopeFrancis</a> just baptized 26 babies! Welcome to the Church!! <a href="https://t.co/BWGeTLjHAJ">pic.twitter.com/BWGeTLjHAJ&l...
Vatican City, Jan 10, 2016 / 03:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Sunday Pope Francis baptized 26 babies in the Sistine Chapel, telling parents to nurture the faith in the lives of their children, because it is the greatest inheritance they can give.
“Don’t forget that the greatest inheritance you can give to your children is the faith. Try to see that it is not lost, nurture it and leave it as an inheritance,” the Pope said Jan. 10.
Francis celebrated Mass for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord in the Sistine Chapel, where he kept with papal tradition and baptized several infants. This year there were 26 – 13 girls and 13 boys.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PopeFrancis?src=hash">#PopeFrancis</a> just baptized 26 babies! Welcome to the Church!! <a href="https://t.co/BWGeTLjHAJ">pic.twitter.com/BWGeTLjHAJ</a></p>— Elise Harris (@eharris_it) <a href="https://twitter.com/eharris_it/status/686130743555297280">January 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In his brief homily, the Pope told parents that in bringing their children to the chapel to receive baptism, they are imitating the act of Mary and Joseph, who, 40 days after Jesus’ birth, brought him to the temple to present him to God.
“This is how faith is transmitted from one generation to the next, like a chain across time,” he said, referring to how it is faith that is received during the sacrament.
Eventually the infants baptized will grow up to be parents themselves, and will ask the same thing for their own children, he observed: “the faith, the faith that is given in baptism, the faith which today brings the Holy Spirit into the hearts, souls and life lives of these, your children.”
Pope Francis then pointed to the specific point in the rite of baptism in which the parents are handed a lit candle, and told to safeguard the faith of their newly baptized babies.
He told them that faith is the greatest treasure they can leave their children, and encouraged them to make this faith grow throughout the lives of their children.
“This is what I wish for you today, which is a joyful day for you. I hope that you will be able to help these children grow in the faith, and that the greatest inheritance they can receive from you is the faith.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">After brief homily on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/faith?src=hash">#faith</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PopeFrancis?src=hash">#PopeFrancis</a> begins baptizing 26 infants inside the Sistine Chapel <a href="https://t.co/qECvhP6sCT">pic.twitter.com/qECvhP6sCT</a></p>— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) <a href="https://twitter.com/cnalive/status/686115155143487488">January 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Vatican City, Jan 10, 2016 / 05:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Sunday Angelus remarks Pope Francis stressed the importance of both knowing and celebrating the day of our baptism, since it is through the sacrament that we become children of God.“I ask you a question: who among you remembers the day of their baptism?” the Pope asked during his Jan. 10 Angelus address, marking the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.“Certainly, not everyone” knows the date, he noted, and urged those who don’t to go and look for it, if necessary asking parents, grandparents, godparents or even their parish for help.Baptism is important to celebrate because “it's the date of our rebirth as children of God,” Francis said, and gave those present “the homework” of finding the date during the coming week.Before praying the Angelus Pope Francis baptized 26 babies – 13 girls and 13 boys – in the Sistine Chapel. He asked pilgrims gathered in St....
Vatican City, Jan 10, 2016 / 05:35 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Sunday Angelus remarks Pope Francis stressed the importance of both knowing and celebrating the day of our baptism, since it is through the sacrament that we become children of God.
“I ask you a question: who among you remembers the day of their baptism?” the Pope asked during his Jan. 10 Angelus address, marking the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
“Certainly, not everyone” knows the date, he noted, and urged those who don’t to go and look for it, if necessary asking parents, grandparents, godparents or even their parish for help.
Baptism is important to celebrate because “it's the date of our rebirth as children of God,” Francis said, and gave those present “the homework” of finding the date during the coming week.
Before praying the Angelus Pope Francis baptized 26 babies – 13 girls and 13 boys – in the Sistine Chapel. He asked pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square to offer special prayers for the infants before turning to the day’s Scripture passages.
In his reflections, the Pope recalled how when Jesus was baptized in the day's Gospel, taken from Luke, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove.
With the Father's words “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased,” Jesus is consecrated and becomes the awaited Messiah, savior and liberator, he said.
He noted that in the event of Jesus' baptism, the transition is made from John's baptism with water, to the baptism of Jesus in “Spirit and fire.”
Francis said that the Holy Spirit is really the protagonist in the sacrament, since “he is the one who burns and destroys original sin, returning to baptism the beauty of divine grace.”
“It is he who liberates us from the dominion of darkness, which is sin, and brings us into the realm of light, which is love, truth and peace,” the Pope said, and encouraged attendees to think about special dignity they are elevated to in receiving baptism, namely, that of becoming children of God.
The “stupendous reality” of being children of God brings with it the responsibility to follow Jesus, who is an obedient servant, he said. It also reproduces within us the features of Jesus, primarily those of meekness, humility and tenderness.
Pope Francis noted that it “isn’t easy” to do this, “especially if, inside of ourselves, there is so much intolerance, arrogance and harshness.” However, with the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit, “it's possible!”
He explained that the Holy Spirit “opens our heart to the truth, to the entire truth,” and guides us down the difficult yet fulfilling path of charity and solidarity with those around us.
“The Spirit gives us the tenderness of divine forgiveness and pervades us with the invincible strength of the Father's mercy,” he said, adding that the Holy Spirit is both a living and life-giving presence for those who accept it.
Francis closed his address by praying that Mary, the “first disciple of her Son,” would intercede in helping all to live their baptism with “joy and fervor,” and to welcome every day the gift of the Holy Spirit, who makes us children of God.
After leading pilgrims in the traditional Marian prayer, the Pope offered a special blessing to all children who have recently been baptized.
He also gave a special blessing to youth and adults who have recently received the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, the Eucharist and Confirmation – or who are preparing to do so.
PARIS (AP) -- French President Francois Hollande and other dignitaries held a special ceremony Sunday to honor all those killed in Islamic extremist violence around Paris in 2015 - a year when the European way of life was targeted time and again with deadly consequences....
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghan forces are struggling to man the front lines against a resurgent Taliban, in part because of untold numbers of "ghost" troops who are paid salaries but only exist on paper....
No ticket matched all six Powerball numbers following the drawing for a record jackpot of nearly $950 million, lottery officials said early Sunday, boosting the expected payout for the next drawing to a whopping $1.3 billion....
