WHILE MATTHEW PLAYED THE IMP...
Monday, June 29, 2009
'Oldest' image of St Paul discovered
Archaeologists have uncovered a 1,600 year old image of St Paul, the oldest one known of, in a Roman catacomb.
The 4,000 year old Fresco was restored using a laser
The fresco, which dates back to the 4th Century AD, was discovered during restoration work at the Catacomb of Saint Thekla but was kept secret for ten days.
During that time experts carefully removed centuries of grime from the fresco with a laser, before the news was officially announced through the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.
are more than 40 known Catacombs or underground Christian burial places across Rome and because of their religious significance the Vatican's Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archeology has jurisdiction over them.
A photograph of the icon shows the thin face of a bearded man with large eyes, sunken nose and face on a red background surrounded with a yellow circle – the classic image of St Paul.
The image was found in the Catacomb of St Thekla, close to the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, which is said to be built on the site where he was buried.
St Thekla was a follower of St Paul who lived in Rome and who was put to death under the Emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th Century and who was subsequently made a saint but little else is known of her.
Barbara Mazzei, the director of the work at the Catacomb, said: "We had been working in the Catacomb for some time and it is full of frescoes.
"However the pictures are all covered with limestone which was covering up much of the artwork and so to remove it and clean it up we had to use fine lasers.
"The result was exceptional because from underneath all the dirt and grime we saw for the first time in 1600 years the face of Saint Paul in a very good condition.
"It was easy to see that it was Saint Paul because the style matched the iconography that we know existed at around the 4th Century – that is the thin face and the dark beard.
"It is a sensational discovery and is of tremendous significance. This is then first time that a single image of Saint Paul in such good condition has been found and it is the oldest one known of.
"Traditionally in Christian images of St Paul he is always alongside St Peter but in this icon he was on his own and what is also significant is the fact that St Paul's Basilica is just a few minutes walk away.
"It is my opinion that the fresco we have discovered was based on the fact that St Paul's Basilica was close by, there was a shrine to him there at that site since the 3rd Century.
"This fresco is from the early part of the 4th Century while before the earliest were from the later part and examples have been found in the Catacombs of Domitilla."
Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the Vatican's culture minister, said:"This is a fascinating discovery and is testimony to the early Christian Church of nearly 2000 years ago.
"It has a great theological and spiritual significance as well as being of historic and artistic importance."
The Catacomb of St Thekla is closed to the public but experts said they hoped to be able to put the newly discovered icon of St Paul on display some time later this year.
St Paul was a Roman Jew, born in Tarsus in modern-day Turkey, who started out persecuting Christians but later became one of the greatest influences in the Church.
He did not know Jesus in life but converted to Christianity after seeing a shining light on the road to Damascus and spent much of his life travelling and preaching.
St Paul wrote 14 letters to Churches which he founded or visited and tell Christians what they should believe and how they should live but do not say much about Jesus' life and teachings.
He was executed for his beliefs around AD 65 and is thought to have been beheaded, rather than crucified, because he was a Roman citizen.
According to Christian tradition, his body was buried in a vineyard by a Roman woman and a shrine grew up there before Emperor Constantine consecrated a basilica in 324 which is now St Paul Outside the Walls.
St Paul's Outside the Walls is located about two miles outside the ancient walls of Rome and is the largest church in the city after St Peter's.
His feast day is on Monday along with St Peter and it is a bank holiday in Rome where they are patron saints of the city.
Officials are considering opening the tomb below St Paul's in the Basilica's crypt which is said to hold his remains.
Monday, June 15, 2009
OUR 4 New babies are coming tomorrow...
Prayer before Holy Mass
... from St. Thomas Aquinas
Almighty and ever-living God,
I approach the sacrament
of Your only-begotten Son
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
I come sick to the doctor of life,
unclean to the fountain of mercy,
blind to the radiance of eternal light,
and poor and needy to the Lord
of heaven and earth.
Lord, in your great generosity,
heal my sickness,
wash away my defilement,
enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty,
and clothe my nakedness.
May I receive the bread of angels,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
with humble reverence,
with the purity and faith,
the repentance and love,
and the determined purpose
that will help to bring me to salvation.
May I receive the sacrament
of the Lord's Body and Blood,
and its reality and power.
Kind God,
may I receive the Body
of Your only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
born from the womb of the Virgin Mary,
and so be received into His mystical body
and numbered among His members.
Loving Father,
as on my earthly pilgrimage
I now receive Your beloved Son
under the veil of a sacrament,
may I one day see him face to face in glory,
who lives and reigns with You for ever.
Amen.
Prayer before Holy Mass
... from St. Thomas Aquinas
Almighty and ever-living God,
I approach the sacrament
of Your only-begotten Son
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
I come sick to the doctor of life,
unclean to the fountain of mercy,
blind to the radiance of eternal light,
and poor and needy to the Lord
of heaven and earth.
Lord, in your great generosity,
heal my sickness,
wash away my defilement,
enlighten my blindness, enrich my poverty,
and clothe my nakedness.
May I receive the bread of angels,
the King of kings and Lord of lords,
with humble reverence,
with the purity and faith,
the repentance and love,
and the determined purpose
that will help to bring me to salvation.
May I receive the sacrament
of the Lord's Body and Blood,
and its reality and power.
Kind God,
may I receive the Body
of Your only-begotten Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
born from the womb of the Virgin Mary,
and so be received into His mystical body
and numbered among His members.
Loving Father,
as on my earthly pilgrimage
I now receive Your beloved Son
under the veil of a sacrament,
may I one day see him face to face in glory,
who lives and reigns with You for ever.
Amen.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tougher times see churches increase attendance
Church flocks are growing as people search for a deeper meaning during the recession.
There's a renewed interest; people are looking for a way forward.
"Instead of consumerism and individualism, which has really consumed us in these last decades, people have been shown the result of all that is to reap this whirlwind around the world and they are looking for something better.
"It's extraordinarily encouraging really."
The church stood for values of community and responsibility and was becoming more confident about communicating that message.
Christmas and Easter were usually quiet times for churches as families went away on holiday, but with budgets tightening many were choosing to stay at home.
There's some indication that people are participating more fully in the life of churches, reconnecting to the churches.
"During times of change people often take time to rethink their priorities and engagements with the community and values."
People were also getting more involved in free church activities and programmes.
In vulnerable areas where many people relied on industries that had closed down, churches were having to significantly increase their pastoral support.
Father John O'Connor, of Our Lady of Victories Catholic church in Christchurch, said Easter had been a "wonderful" time for newcomers as people realised there must be more to life. "Times of hardship wake people up," he said.
Fellow Catholic Father Ray Schmack said numbers at his Holy Cross Chapel in Chancery Lane had been increasing.
"People are disillusioned by materialism, but it's bigger than the recession."
Church flocks are growing as people search for a deeper meaning during the recession.
There's a renewed interest; people are looking for a way forward.
"Instead of consumerism and individualism, which has really consumed us in these last decades, people have been shown the result of all that is to reap this whirlwind around the world and they are looking for something better.
"It's extraordinarily encouraging really."
The church stood for values of community and responsibility and was becoming more confident about communicating that message.
Christmas and Easter were usually quiet times for churches as families went away on holiday, but with budgets tightening many were choosing to stay at home.
There's some indication that people are participating more fully in the life of churches, reconnecting to the churches.
"During times of change people often take time to rethink their priorities and engagements with the community and values."
People were also getting more involved in free church activities and programmes.
In vulnerable areas where many people relied on industries that had closed down, churches were having to significantly increase their pastoral support.
Father John O'Connor, of Our Lady of Victories Catholic church in Christchurch, said Easter had been a "wonderful" time for newcomers as people realised there must be more to life. "Times of hardship wake people up," he said.
Fellow Catholic Father Ray Schmack said numbers at his Holy Cross Chapel in Chancery Lane had been increasing.
"People are disillusioned by materialism, but it's bigger than the recession."
Sunday, May 10, 2009
On November 9, 1976, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) said: "We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the Anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel."
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Lost on a rainy night, a nun stumbles across a monastery and requests shelter there. Fortunately, she’s just in time for dinner and was treated to the best fish and chips she had ever tasted.
After dinner, she went into the kitchen to thank the chefs. She was met by two of the brothers.
The first one says, “Hello, I am Brother Michael, and this is Brother Charles.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” replies the nun. “I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful dinner. The fish and chips were the best I’ve ever had. Out of curiosity, who cooked what?”
Brother Charles replied, “Well, I’m the fish friar.”
She turned to the other Brother and said, “Then you must be…?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so — I am the chip monk.”
After dinner, she went into the kitchen to thank the chefs. She was met by two of the brothers.
The first one says, “Hello, I am Brother Michael, and this is Brother Charles.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you,” replies the nun. “I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful dinner. The fish and chips were the best I’ve ever had. Out of curiosity, who cooked what?”
Brother Charles replied, “Well, I’m the fish friar.”
She turned to the other Brother and said, “Then you must be…?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so — I am the chip monk.”
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Catholic Parish choir singer Susan Boyle becomes overnight sensation
Susan Boyle performing on Britain's Got TalentLondon, England, Apr 17, 2009 / 03:11 am (CNA).- A middle-aged Scottish woman who sang in her Catholic parish’s choir for decades has become an internet sensation after a stunning performance on a British talent show. Susan Boyle, 47, appeared on the show Britain’s Got Talent before judges and a live audience skeptical of her ambition, her age and her plain appearance.
The audience laughed derisively when she said she wanted to follow the example of West End star singer Elaine Paige.
However, Boyle’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Miserables won over the crowd and the judges.
Her performance was broadcast on April 11, the day before Easter. A video of her performance posted on YouTube on the same day had received more than 13 million views as of Thursday afternoon.
Boyle, reportedly a devoted Catholic from Blackburn in West Lothian, was born with a learning disability but dreamed of becoming a professional singer, the Times Online says.
She credits her mother for advancing her musical education.
“I was always musical - yelling when I was a baby, singing into a brush and singing in the shower,” she told Deadline Scotland.
“It was my mum who got me into singing properly - she knew I had to do something with my voice because she knew I was talented.
“She was the one that pushed me into joining a choir all those years ago, when I was about 12. I remember she told me to start with the choir and just see where it took me,” she added, saying it was hard to believe her success.
Boyle limited her singing to church choir and karaoke in order to care for her aging mother, the Times says. She stopped singing after her mother died two years ago.
“I thought I would take a break - it seemed appropriate,” she told the Times.
Boyle, one of eight siblings, has never married and claims she has never been kissed.
Discussing the Britain’s Got Talent audience’s initial hostility, she said “Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances.”
“There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example.”
According to the Washington Post, Boyle received a standing ovation at her parish’s Easter Sunday Mass.
"We let out a wee bit of a cheer for her. We are quite proud of her," Boyle's parish priest, the Rev. Ryszard Holuka, said in a telephone interview. He described Boyle as a "quiet soul."
"At gatherings and anniversary parties, she'd stand up and give a song," he said. "She never flaunted her voice; this is the first time it's been publicly recognized."
Susan Boyle performing on Britain's Got TalentLondon, England, Apr 17, 2009 / 03:11 am (CNA).- A middle-aged Scottish woman who sang in her Catholic parish’s choir for decades has become an internet sensation after a stunning performance on a British talent show. Susan Boyle, 47, appeared on the show Britain’s Got Talent before judges and a live audience skeptical of her ambition, her age and her plain appearance.
The audience laughed derisively when she said she wanted to follow the example of West End star singer Elaine Paige.
However, Boyle’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical Les Miserables won over the crowd and the judges.
Her performance was broadcast on April 11, the day before Easter. A video of her performance posted on YouTube on the same day had received more than 13 million views as of Thursday afternoon.
Boyle, reportedly a devoted Catholic from Blackburn in West Lothian, was born with a learning disability but dreamed of becoming a professional singer, the Times Online says.
She credits her mother for advancing her musical education.
“I was always musical - yelling when I was a baby, singing into a brush and singing in the shower,” she told Deadline Scotland.
“It was my mum who got me into singing properly - she knew I had to do something with my voice because she knew I was talented.
“She was the one that pushed me into joining a choir all those years ago, when I was about 12. I remember she told me to start with the choir and just see where it took me,” she added, saying it was hard to believe her success.
Boyle limited her singing to church choir and karaoke in order to care for her aging mother, the Times says. She stopped singing after her mother died two years ago.
“I thought I would take a break - it seemed appropriate,” she told the Times.
Boyle, one of eight siblings, has never married and claims she has never been kissed.
Discussing the Britain’s Got Talent audience’s initial hostility, she said “Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances.”
“There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example.”
According to the Washington Post, Boyle received a standing ovation at her parish’s Easter Sunday Mass.
"We let out a wee bit of a cheer for her. We are quite proud of her," Boyle's parish priest, the Rev. Ryszard Holuka, said in a telephone interview. He described Boyle as a "quiet soul."
"At gatherings and anniversary parties, she'd stand up and give a song," he said. "She never flaunted her voice; this is the first time it's been publicly recognized."
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Dolan Joins N.Y. Marriage Fight
Posted by Tom McFeely
Thursday, April 16, 2009 1:23 PM
In one of his first actions as the Archbishop of New York, Archbishop Timothy Dolan has joined with the state’s other bishops in opposing a state bill that would legalize same-sex “marriage.”
The bill was introduced today by New York Gov. David Paterson.
The following is the text of an April 16 statement opposing the bill, released by the New York State Catholic Conference:
In light of Gov. David Paterson’s introduction today of a bill that would redefine in New York State the historic understanding of marriage as being between one man and one woman, the New York State Catholic Conference points again to a statement from the Bishops of New York State from June 2008. The Conference calls on the legislature to defeat this proposal, for which there is no compelling state interest and which will weaken rather than strengthen the institution of marriage, which is so important to a stable society. Following are selections from the Bishops’ 2008 statement. The full statement is attached.
“Marriage always has been, is now and always will be a union of one man and one woman in an enduring bond. This is consistent with natural law, and should be obvious to all, no matter what their religion, or even if they have no religion at all…”
“To be clear, the state’s historic recognition of marriage is based on the biological fact that the physical union of a man and a woman tends to lead to children. Common sense and empirical evidence tell us that children’s welfare is best served in most cases by their being reared in a stable home with their mother and father…Encouraging marriage between a man and a woman, therefore, serves the state’s interests…On the other hand, there is no compelling state interest in granting legal recognition to same-sex relationships. The simple fact that two people have a committed relationship is not a reason for the state to confer upon it the status of marriage…”
“Marriage and family have worked well throughout history to promote the common good. ‘Same-sex marriage’ furthers a societal disconnect between procreation and marriage while promoting the notion that a nontraditional family structure serves a child as well as a traditional one. We are confident history will judge this notion harshly…”
“Our Church teaches, and we affirm, that we must treat our homosexual sisters and brothers with dignity and love, as we would all God’s children. Indeed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church warns that any form of prejudice and hatred — ‘every sign of unjust discrimination’ — against homosexual people should be avoided.”
The Catholic Conference represents New York State’s Bishops in matters of public policy.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
10 Ways to Know He Rose
1. The testimony of the texts. It is significant that Scripture, Tradition and the Church thereafter all agree that Christ rose. That kind of unanimity of witness is rare — and meaningful.
2. The testimony of the Twelve. If the apostles were making up a religion, they were making themselves look really bad in the process. In the Gospels, cowardly apostles flee in fear and embarrassment; they even greet the news of the Resurrection with doubt, at first. Says the Catechism: “The hypothesis that the Resurrection was produced by the apostles’ faith (or credulity) will not hold up” (No. 644).
3. Transformation of Saul. St. Paul went from persecutor to believer after seeing Christ alive.
4. No early Church debate. The early Church debated many fundamentals, but not the Resurrection.
5. Centuries of martyrs. Christians, from the Church’s first days to our own day, have been willing to die for their conviction that Christ rose from the dead. For them, the Resurrection wasn’t a sweet dream that they indulged in, but a hard reality they suffered and died for.
6. Diverse sources. Gospel writers included different details and material from different sources — all of which agreed on the fact of the Resurrection.
7. Eyewitnesses. St. Paul spoke of how Christ appeared, alive, to 500 at once. If it weren’t true, he couldn’t make that claim so soon after the event occurred.
8. Non-Christian historical accounts. Tacitus and Josephus mention Christ and describe how Christians endured torture when simply renouncing him would end it.
9. Not dead again. Other resurrections are mentioned in the Bible — chiefly Lazarus — but of these, Christ’s is unique in that it is never suggested that he died again.
10. Rise of a historical religion. Christianity spread and grew, even though, as St. Paul told Christians from the beginning, and here in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain.”
1. The testimony of the texts. It is significant that Scripture, Tradition and the Church thereafter all agree that Christ rose. That kind of unanimity of witness is rare — and meaningful.
2. The testimony of the Twelve. If the apostles were making up a religion, they were making themselves look really bad in the process. In the Gospels, cowardly apostles flee in fear and embarrassment; they even greet the news of the Resurrection with doubt, at first. Says the Catechism: “The hypothesis that the Resurrection was produced by the apostles’ faith (or credulity) will not hold up” (No. 644).
3. Transformation of Saul. St. Paul went from persecutor to believer after seeing Christ alive.
4. No early Church debate. The early Church debated many fundamentals, but not the Resurrection.
5. Centuries of martyrs. Christians, from the Church’s first days to our own day, have been willing to die for their conviction that Christ rose from the dead. For them, the Resurrection wasn’t a sweet dream that they indulged in, but a hard reality they suffered and died for.
6. Diverse sources. Gospel writers included different details and material from different sources — all of which agreed on the fact of the Resurrection.
7. Eyewitnesses. St. Paul spoke of how Christ appeared, alive, to 500 at once. If it weren’t true, he couldn’t make that claim so soon after the event occurred.
8. Non-Christian historical accounts. Tacitus and Josephus mention Christ and describe how Christians endured torture when simply renouncing him would end it.
9. Not dead again. Other resurrections are mentioned in the Bible — chiefly Lazarus — but of these, Christ’s is unique in that it is never suggested that he died again.
10. Rise of a historical religion. Christianity spread and grew, even though, as St. Paul told Christians from the beginning, and here in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain.”
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