Ukrainian Rite Catholic priest abducted in Crimea

Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest abducted in Crimea

2014-03-15 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) In a serious escalation of tension in Crimea, a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest was kidnapped on Saturday.
Sources in Ukraine say Father Mykola Kvych, a pastor and a Ukrainian military chaplain, was abducted by pro-Russian forces after celebrating the liturgy.
"Every abduction is a terrible event for everybody involved," said Bishop Borys Gudziak, the Eparch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Eparchy. "It's a gross violation of human rights and God-given human dignity." He expressed his grave concern about the repercussions of the kidnapping of Father Kvych.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests received oral and written threats warning them to leave Crimea. Many priests, however, have chosen to remain with their people.
"Our priests and bishops have been very close to the people," said Bishop Borys. "We've been inspired by the example of Our Lord [Who] went a long distance from fellowship with the Father to incarnate Himself and be in our reality."
He said they have also been inspired by the words of Pope Francis "who said a pastor needs to have the smell of his sheep. And our pastors have been with the people, and they're today with the people enduring this occupation in the Crimea."
With the whereabouts of Father Mykola unknown, Bishop Borys made a special appeal "to the authorities of the Russian Orthodox Church, who have in direct or indirect ways supported these moves for the for the occupation of Crimea to do everything in their power to have Father Kvych released and to stop the persecution of Catholic priests and Catholic faithful on this peninsula."

Words of Wisdom

Thought for the day...

 

"The church without women is like the college of Apostles without Mary."

 

Pope Francis

Here you will find peace - EINSIEDELN

At the mere sound of my appearing
Once opened the door softly.
There calleth: Come child to me,
Here you will find peace and rest.

Christ, the Divine Gardner

Christ, the Divine Gardner, is depicted here within the heart of the believer gently and carefully working to uproot the weeds that mar its beauty.

Swedish Megachurch Leader becomes Catholic

Swedish Megachurch Leader Ulf Ekman Converts to Catholicism, 'Stuns' Congregation

• 
  (Photo: TidningenDagen Youtube video screenshot)
  Ulf Ekman shares his reaction to joining the Roman Catholic Church in a video posted on March 9, 2014.

By Stoyan Zaimov

March 10, 2014|12:35 pm

Megachurch leader Ulf Ekman of the Word of Life ministry in Sweden has announced that he and his wife Birgitta have converted to Roman Catholicism. The announcement, according to reports, has left some in his congregation "partially stunned."

In his explanation onhis website, Ekman says the conversations he and Birgitta had with Catholics challenged their "protestant prejudices" and led them to the realization that they "in many cases did not have any basis for our criticism of them."

"We needed to know the Catholic faith better. This led us to … realize that it was actually Jesus Christ who led us to unite with the Catholic Church," the pastor stated.

Ekman said the conversion came after several years of contemplation.

"We have seen a great love for Jesus and a sound theology, founded on the Bible and classic dogma. We have experienced the richness of sacramental life. We have seen the logic in having a solid structure for priesthood, that keeps the faith of the church and passes it on from one generation to the next," he explained. "We have met an ethical and moral strength and consistency that dare to face up to the general opinion, and a kindness towards the poor and the weak. And, last but not least, we have come in contact with representatives for millions of charismatic Catholics and we have seen their living faith."

Ekman founded the charismatic Livets Ord (Word of Life) in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1983, and has served as pastor there for close to 30 years.

His website credits his ministry for constructing Scandinavia's biggest free church building, which led to his ministry expanding globally and reaching countries all over Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and regions in Asia. His teachings have been recorded in books found in 60 different languages.

According to Charisma News, Swedish reports and blogs revealed that his congregation was left "partially stunned" by the announcement that Ekman and Birgitta have now converted to Catholicism.

He noted that the couple's decision is a personal one and he does not expect Word of Life to also embrace the Catholic Church.

"We love the church that we have been a part of building and serving for the last thirty years, and we could never be anything but grateful for the time we have had together, but we have felt a clear calling from the Lord to take this new step," Ekman concluded. "Now, when we do so, we are convinced that the Word of Life church is in good hands and will keep prospering and bear fruit in it's (sic) on (sic) vision."

Source URL : http://www.christianpost.com/news/swedish-megachurch-leader-ulf-ekman-converts-to-catholicism-stuns-congregation-115875/

Pope challenges religious to live poverty

Pope Francis challenges religious to witness to Christ's poverty

CWN - March 10, 2014

In the midst of a world characterized by an "economy of exclusion and inequality" and the "spiritual and moral frailty of so many people, especially youth," religious are called to witness to Gospel poverty, Pope Francis said in a message to the prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

In his message, written on the occasion of a symposium devoted to the administration of religious institutes' goods, the Pope wrote that religious should work to ensure that the "principle of gratuitousness and the logic of the gift find their place in economic activity."

Because the "logic" of the consecrated life is that of being a gift, "the fidelity to the founding charism and subsequent spiritual heritage, together with the proper aim of each institute, remain the first criterion of evaluation of the administration, management, and all the operations made in the institution at every level," Pope Francis continued.

Calling upon religious institutes to manage their goods "with caution and transparency" and not to "tolerate waste," Pope Francis, citing Pope Paul VI, challenged religious to witness to Gospel poverty in a culture that is "all absorbed" in the enjoyment of economic goods.

"You do not need theoretical poverty," he said. Rather, religious should be conformed to the poor Christ: "this poverty is a solidarity full of love, sharing, and charity, and is expressed in sobriety, in the pursuit of justice and joy of the essential," and is learned "by touching the flesh of the poor Christ, in the humble, in the poor, in the sick, in children."

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Messaggio Del Santo Padre (Holy See Press Office)
• Pope Francis warns Religious Orders against "theoretical poverty" (Vatican Radio)

Pope Francis: no "Christian style" without Jesus & the Cross

Pope Francis: there is no "Christian style" without Jesus or the Cross

2014-03-06 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Humility, meekness, generosity: this is the Christian "style," a way of life that travels along the way the Cross, as Jesus did, and is a life that leads to joy. That was the message of Pope Francis in his homily on Thursday during the Mass at Santa Marta.
In the Gospel for the Thursday after Ash Wednesday, Jesus says to His disciples: "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." This, the Pope emphasized, is the "Christian style," because it was first put into practice by Jesus:
"We can't think of the Christian life apart from this path. There is always this journey, a journey that He took first: the journey of humility, the journey, too, of humiliation, of denying oneself, and then rising. But this is the path. Without the Cross, the Christian style is not Christian, and if the Cross is a Cross without Jesus, it is not Christian. The Christian style takes the Cross with Jesus and goes forward — not without the Cross, not without Jesus."

Jesus gave us an example, the Pope continued. Although He is one in being with God, He "denied Himself, and was made a servant for all of us":
"And this style will save us, will give us joy and make us fruitful, because this path of denying oneself is there to give us life, it is opposed to the path of selfishness, of being attached to all the good things for myself alone… This path is open to others, because the path Jesus took — of abnegation —, that path was to give life. The Christian style is precisely this style of humility, of mildness, of meekness."

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it," Jesus said, "because if the grain of wheat does not die, it can't bear fruit." This is a source of joy, the Pope said, "because He Himself gives us this joy. Following Jesus is a source of joy, but following Jesus in the style of Jesus, not in the style of the world. Following Jesus means following the way of the Lord, as far as one is able, "to give life to others, not to give oneself life. It is the spirit of generosity." Our selfishness makes us want to appear important in the sight of others. Pope Francis pointed to "the good advice" found in the book, The Imitation of Christ: "love to be unknown and considered as nothing." This, he said, "is Christian humility" the kind of humility practiced in the first place by Jesus:
And this is our joy, and this is our fruitfulness: to go with Jesus. Other joys are not fruitful; as Jesus said, they think only to gain the whole world, but in the end lose and ruin their lives. At the beginning of Lent, let us ask the Lord to teach us a little of this style of Christian service, of joy, of self-abnegation, and of fruitfulness with Him, as He desires."

March: Devotion to St. Joseph

Good St. Joseph, I offer you my heart to give to Jesus.

Turgis

March: Devotion to St. Joseph

March:
4. Shrove Tuesday, March 4, 2014
5. Ash Wednesday,  March 5, 2014
10. Novena to St. Joseph begins today March 10
17. St. Patrick: Memorial, March 17
19. St. Joseph: Solemnity, March 19
25. Annunciation: Solemnity, March 25

UK: Marriage and the Church - Bishop of Aberdeen

"It is just a fact of life"

Bishop Hugh, O.S.B., Aberdeen - Scotland

As a monk and a priest, I don't marry. This doesn't make me better or worse than married people. It is just a fact of life. Someone out there has been deprived of the privilege of having me as a husband; it just is not my role. 

Rt. Rev. Dom Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B.

Bishop of Aberdeen

There are hundreds of married people in the pews every Sunday and they do not celebrate Mass or hear Sacramental confessions. That doesn't mean that God loves them more or less than He loves me. It is just a fact of life. It is not their role to be priests.

In the Church it is not possible for a priest to marry. This is a matter of Church law. It could conceivably change. In our society, it is not possible for two men or two women to marry. That is not discrimination. It is not just a human law which can be changed. It is a fact of life.

Someone swimming the English Channel.

Saying that everybody should have the right to marry is like saying that everybody should have the right to swim the Channel. The fact is that not everybody can do it, or should even try. It is simply not possible.

It seems to me that the government has looked at civil partnerships and decided that they are so similar in every way to civil marriages that we might as well simply change the name. You might think that is fair enough and there is no difference. The truth is that a government can pass any legislation it likes, it can legislate to say that everything with four legs is a table, even when it is a dog and not a horse, but that won't make it so.

A Wedding in the East.

People have understood the meaning of marriage for thousands of years. Crucially, it has three limits. It is limited by number - you can only marry one person at a time. It is limited by relationships, a man cannot marry his niece, for example. And it is limited by gender - only men and women can marry.

A Wedding in the West.

Now a combination of misplaced kindness, fashion and a commitment to equality are leading the government to propose removing one of those three pillars. Why not the other two? Why is it alright for a man to marry another man, but not alright for him to marry two women? If we really want equality, why does that equality not extend to nieces who genuinely, truly love their uncles? And, if you say that such things do not happen, that they are mere freaks of nature, extreme examples dreamed up for the sake of argument, I say you need to spend more time in the parish.

And do you really want your little boy being taught that when he grows up he can marry another boy if he wants?

Fifty years ago nobody would have believed we could seriously be discussing gay 'marriage.' Fifty years from now will we be discussing multi-marriages in the same way?

The God I try to serve does not condemn. He did not condemn the woman taken in adultery but, if she had asked him to conduct a wedding service with her lover, he would have refused. It would simply have been impossible.

As Bishop of Aberdeen, I know there are gay people amongst the community of the Church. I promise I will always respect and love them and uphold them in their relationship with the God who loves them. But I won't marry them. It just cannot be done.

Bishop Hugh Gilbert, O.S.B.

Bishop of Aberdeen

- See more at: http://papastronsay.blogspot.ca/2012/08/it-is-just-fact-of-life-bishop-hugh-osb.html#sthash.dEEeRY4g.dpuf

"Refrain not from speaking"-Sirach 4:23-24

Sirach 4: 23-24

"Refrain not from speaking at the proper time,

and hide not away your wisdom.

For it is through speech that wisdom becomes known,

and knowledge through the tongue's rejoinder." [cf. Jer.1:4-8]

'Prophet Jeremiah' - painting (1968) by Marc Chagall