WHO IS S.T SABINA?

WHO IS S.T SABINA?

  22:22    Catholic Channels

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Facts about St. Sabina:
St. Sabina's feast day is August 29th. We know St. Sabina only through legend, and there is some question as to it's trustworthiness. Even the century in which she lived is unknown. Supposedly Sabina was converted to Christianity by her Syrian servant Serapia. During the persecution of Emperor Hadrian, Serapia suffered martyrdom for her Christian Faith. It is believed that St. Sabina was murdered for the Faith about a month later. The reknowned basilica on the Aventine in Rome is dedicated to and named after her. Some sources hold that Sabina herself had it constructed in the third or fourth century. In an age when our Faith is ridiculed as being outmoded, we take heart in the lives of so many martyrs, like St. Sabina, who gave their lives under terrible conditions to defend and sustain their Faith. This confers on us a strong desire to persevere in God's love.

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TODAY'S DAILY READING

TODAY'S DAILY READING

  21:55    Catholic Channels

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                                                Daily Reading for Tuesday, August 29th, 2017  Catholicchannels.blogspot.com
     
First Reading, Jeremiah 1:17-19
17 'As for you, prepare yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command you. Have no fear of them and in their presence I will make you fearless.

18 For look, today I have made you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of bronze to stand against the whole country: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests and the people of the country.

19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you, Yahweh declares, to rescue you.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15, 17
1 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge, I shall never be put to shame.

2 In your saving justice rescue me, deliver me, listen to me and save me.

3 Be a sheltering rock for me, always accessible; you have determined to save me, for you are my rock, my fortress.

4 My God, rescue me from the clutches of the wicked, from the grasp of the rogue and the ruthless.

5 For you are my hope, Lord, my trust, Yahweh, since boyhood.

6 On you I have relied since my birth, since my mother's womb you have been my portion, the constant theme of my praise.

15 My lips shall proclaim your saving justice, your saving power all day long.

17 God, you have taught me from boyhood, and I am still proclaiming your marvels.


Gospel, Mark 6:17-29
17 Now it was this same Herod who had sent to have John arrested, and had had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife whom he had married.

18 For John had told Herod, 'It is against the law for you to have your brother's wife.'

19 As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him, but she was not able to do so,

20 because Herod was in awe of John, knowing him to be a good and upright man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

21 An opportunity came on Herod's birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee.

22 When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, 'Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.'

23 And he swore her an oath, 'I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.'

24 She went out and said to her mother, 'What shall I ask for?' She replied, 'The head of John the Baptist.'

25 The girl at once rushed back to the king and made her request, 'I want you to give me John the Baptist's head, immediately, on a dish.'

26 The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her.

27 At once the king sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John's head.

28 The man went off and beheaded him in the prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

29 When John's disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

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TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE BY CHRISTIANS

TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE BY CHRISTIANS

  08:41    Catholic Channels

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Rome, August 28 - The Italian parents' association MOIGE said Monday it was "unacceptable" that a white British Christian five-year-old girl had been put into foster care with a niqab-wearing Muslim family where she was allegedly forced to learn Arabic.
    "Every child is entitled to live in the family that bore it but if conditions do not let the parents take care of it, it is the State's duty to entrust it to a family with similar value characteristics, also on a religious level," MOIGE said.
 

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Swiss Guard says that his unit is prepared for a terrorist attack on the Vatican

Swiss Guard says that his unit is prepared for a terrorist attack on the Vatican

  08:34    Catholic Channels

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The head of the Swiss Guard says that his unit is prepared for a terrorist attack on the Vatican.

“Perhaps it is only a question of time before an attack of this kind happens in Rome,” said Commander Christoph Graft, reacting to recent terrorist attacks in Spain. He said that the Vatican is prepared to respond to an attack.

Islamic extremists have frequently mentioned the Vatican as a potential target
Reference: (ANSA) 24 August 2017

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US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS FOUND A STOLEN LETTER

US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS FOUND A STOLEN LETTER

  07:41    Catholic Channels

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The US Department of Homeland Security has located a letter by Christopher Columbus that was stolen from the Vatican library.

The letter, in which Columbus provided his patrons with an account of his discovery of the Americas, was found in the collection of a man who did not know it was stolen. The owner has agreed to return the letter to the Vatican library.

A Wall Street Journal account of the discovery reports that a forged version of the same letter has been on display in the Vatican library while the original was lost.

References:(Wall Street Journal )

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Cardinal Daniel DiNardo have called for prayer for victims of Hurricane

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo have called for prayer for victims of Hurricane

  07:30    Catholic Channels

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Cardinal Daniel DiNardo the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, called for prayer as Hurricane Harvey inflicted massive damage in southeastern Texas.

“As the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, this crisis hits very close to home,” he said on August 27. “In solidarity with my brother bishops in this area of the country, I call on people of faith to pray for all of those who have been impacted by this hurricane, and I ask people of good will to stand with the victims and their families.”

“We pray in thanksgiving for the first responders who are risking their lives to save others at this very moment,” he continued. “We include in our intentions the everyday heroes reaching out to help their neighbors in need, those who, like the Good Samaritan, cannot walk by a person in need without offering their hand in aid.”

The prelate added that “in the next couple of days, we will share more about the best ways to assist those in the Gulf region.”

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The Church has criticised Swedish police arrest on migrants in church camp

The Church has criticised Swedish police arrest on migrants in church camp

  07:17    Catholic Channels

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Five out of six of the families attending the church-organised activity were taken into custody following the raid, reports news agency TT.

“There are no protected zones according to Swedish law,” police spokesperson Ewa-Gun Westford told TT.

On Friday, a family camp for refugees organised by the Swedish church was held at a youth hostel in northern Skåne. The activity was interrupted by a police patrol of around 30 officers, who arrived without warning the church.

One of the families taken in by police – including children aged four and 11 – remains in police custody, according to the Sydsvenskan newspaper.

The Church has criticised the police action, saying that warning should have been given and that the church should be respected as a place of safety.

But Westford dismissed the criticism, pointing out that a number of the people identified during the raid are listed for deportation.

“There are no protected zones according to Swedish law. Apart from embassies, there are no protected zones,” she said.

“Our operation did not take place at a church but at another place,” she added.

The church has expressed its concern that its ability to help those in need will be diminished if it is not seen as a sanctuary, according to the report.

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HOLY FATHER PRAYED FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

HOLY FATHER PRAYED FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

  07:03    Catholic Channels

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(Zenit)Following the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on August 27, Pope Francis prayed for flood victims in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India and for the Rohingya, a largely Muslim people who face persecution in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

“Sad news has arrived of the persecution of the religious minority, our Rohingya brothers,” he said to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “I would like to express all my closeness to them; and we all ask the Lord to save them, and to inspire men and women of good will to help them, that they may be given full rights.”

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The video message sent by the Holy Father pope Francis for the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa

The video message sent by the Holy Father pope Francis for the 300th anniversary of the coronation of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa

  06:45    Catholic Channels

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     Video Message of the Holy Father

Dear pilgrims,

I greet you all with great affection, especially those of you who have travelled far to arrive today, together with the dear brother bishops and priests, at the spiritual capital of the country.

If Częstochowa is at the heart of Poland, it means that Poland has a maternal heart; it means that every step in life takes place together with the Mother of God. You are used to entrusting everything to her: the past, the present, the future, the joys and anguish of your personal life and of that of your beloved country. This is beautiful. And it is beautiful for me to remember doing this with you, last year, when I placed myself under the eye of the Mother, when I looked into the eyes of Our Lady, entrusting to her heart what was in mine, and in yours. I keep a living and grateful memory of those moments, the joy of coming as a pilgrim too, to celebrate, under the gaze of the Mother, the 1050 years since the baptism of Poland.

Another occasion of grace brings you together today in large numbers: three hundred years ago the Pope agreed to place the papal crowns on the image of Our Lady of Jasna Góra, your Queen. It is a great honour to have a Queen as a Mother, the same Queen of the Angels and of the Saints, who reigns glorious in heaven. But it gives even greater joy to know we have a Mother for a Queen, to love as a Mother she we call Our Lady. Indeed, the sacred image shows that Mary is not a distant Queen seated in a throne, but rather the Mother who embraces her Son and, with Him, all of us, her children. She is a true Mother, whose face is lined, a Mother who suffers because she truly takes to heart the problems of our life. She is a Mother who is close to us, who never lets us out of her sight; she is a tender Mother, who takes us by the hand on our journey every day.

This is what I hope you will experience in the solemn Jubilee you are celebrating: may it be a favorable moment to feel that none of us is an orphan, because each person has close by a Mother, an insurmountable Queen of tenderness. She knows us and she accompanies us with her typically maternal style: gentle and courageous at the same time; never intrusive and always steadfast in goodness; patient in the face of evil and active in promoting harmony.

May Our Lady give you the grace to rejoice together, like a family gathered around the Mother. In this spirit of ecclesial communion, made even stronger by the single bond that joins Poland with Peter’s Successor, I give you my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing. And I ask all of you, please, to pray for me. Thank you.

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Pope Francis advised to a group of lawmakers

Pope Francis advised to a group of lawmakers

  06:27    Catholic Channels

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(Vatican Radio) Holy Father received a group of lawmakers on Sunday, who are in Rome for a meeting of the International Catholic Legislators Network.
ICLN origins
Founded in 2010 by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna and British parliamentarian Lord David Alton, the ICLN brings together Catholic legislators to discuss issues of common concern and share ideas about how best to bring their common faith to bear on their work in favor of the common good.
Pope Francis to ICLN: be guided by Church’s moral and social doctrine
In his remarks to the legislators, Pope Francis noted the broad spectrum of political opinion represented by the legislators taking part, as well as their increased number with respect to previous years.
“As long as the contribution of the Church to the great questions of society in our time can be put into discussion,” said Pope Francis, “it is vital that your commitment be constantly pervaded by her moral and social teachings, in order to build a more humane and just society.”


The Holy Father went on to say, “The laws that you promulgate and apply ought to build bridges between different political perspectives: even when they respond to precise ends ordered to the promotion of greater care for the defenseless and the marginalized, especially the many who are constrained to leave their countries; and when they are in order to favor a correct human and natural ecology.”
Participants encouraged by experience
“We have an opportunity to meet here with other Catholic legislators and elected officials from other parts of the world, and to discuss common concerns – problems, opportunities – for our faith, and how to work together and support each other,” Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) of the United States Congress, who is one of the participants in this year’s meeting of the ICLN, told Vatican Media in an exclusive interview ahead of the meeting with Pope Francis.
Mooney went on to say that the ICLN gathering has been for him a heartening experience.
“It’s very inspiration to see how people are fighting for family values,” he said, “it’s just more encouraging to see faithful Catholics from every country promoting the values of the Church.”

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Holy father Angelus Address

Holy father Angelus Address

  06:15    Catholic Channels

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Holy father Angelus Adress...No small stone is useless and in Jesus’ hands we participate in the building of the Church.

During his August 27 Angelus address, Pope Francis reflected on the day’s Gospel reading (Mt. 16:13-20) and said that “in Jesus’ hands we participate in the building of the Church.”

As with St. Peter in the Gospel, so “also with us today, Jesus wishes to continue to build His Church, this house with solid foundation but where cracks aren’t lacking, and which has continuous need of being repaired, always,” the Pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

“No small stone is useless, rather, in Jesus’ hands it becomes precious, because He gathers it, looks at it with great tenderness, works on it with His Spirit, and puts it in the right place, which He has always thought of and where it can be more useful to the entire edifice,” Pope Francis continued.

He added

Moreover, today’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus also wanted for His Church a visible center of communion in Peter—even he isn’t a large stone, he is a small stone, but taken by Jesus he becomes center of communion—in Peter and in those that would succeed him in the same primatial responsibility, which from the beginning were identified in the Bishops of Rome, the city where Peter and Paul gave the witness of blood.

We entrust ourselves to Mary, Queen of the Apostles, Mother of the Church. She was in the Cenacle, next to Peter, when the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and pushed them to go out to proclaim to all that Jesus is the Lord. May our Mother support and accompany us today with her intercession, so that we realize fully that unity and that communion for which Christ and the Apostles prayed and gave their life.

Reference: zenit AUGUST 27, 2017

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FACTS ABOUT ST.AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

FACTS ABOUT ST.AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

  04:58    Catholic Channels

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  Saint of the Day for Monday, August 28th, 2017

St. Augustine of Hippo is the patron of brewers because of his conversion from a former life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions. His complete turnaround and conversion has been an inspiration to many who struggle with a particular vice or habit they long to break.

This famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many years of his life in wicked living and in false beliefs. Though he was one of the most intelligent men who ever lived and though he had been brought up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride darkened his mind so much, that he could not see or understand the Divine Truth anymore. Through the prayers of his holy mother and the marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the one true religion. Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Antony, and he felt terrible ashamed of himself. "What are we doing?" he cried to his friend Alipius. "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!"


Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end to my sins?" Just then he heard a child singing, "Take up and read!" Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the book of the Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage his gaze fell on. It was just what Augustine needed, for in it, St. Paul says to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.

He was baptized, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic writer, Founder of religious priests, and one of the greatest saints that ever lived. He became very devout and charitable, too. On the wall of his room he had the following sentence written in large letters: "Here we do not speak evil of anyone." St. Augustine overcame strong heresies, practiced great poverty and supported the poor, preached very often and prayed with great fervor right up until his death. "Too late have I loved You!" he once cried to God, but with his holy life he certainly made up for the sins he committed before his conversion.

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TODAY'S DAILY READING

TODAY'S DAILY READING

  01:26    Catholic Channels

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Daily Reading for Monday, August 28th, 2017
First Reading: First Thessalonians 1: 1-5, 8b-10
1 Paul and Sylvanus and Timothy: to the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Grace be to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for you all; making a remembrance of you in our prayers without ceasing,

3 Being mindful of the work of your faith, and labour, and charity, and of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ before God and our Father:

4 Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election:

5 For our gospel hath not been unto you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much fulness, as you know what manner of men we have been among you for your sakes.

8 For from you was spread abroad the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia, and in Achaia, but also in every place, your faith which is towards God, is gone forth, so that we need not to speak any thing.


9 For they themselves relate of us, what manner of entering in we had unto you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God.

10 And to wait for his Son from heaven (whom he raised up from the dead,) Jesus, who hath delivered us from the wrath to come.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 149: 1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b
1 Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: let his praise be in the church of the saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: and let the children of Sion be joyful in their king.

3 Let them praise his name in choir: let them sing to him with the timbrel and the psaltery.

4 For the Lord is well pleased with his people: and he will exalt the meek unto salvation.

5 The saints shall rejoice in glory: they shall be joyful in their beds.

6 The high praise of God shall be in their mouth.

9 This glory is to all his saints. Alleluia.


Gospel: Matthew 23: 13-22
13 But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.

14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.

15 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.

16 Woe to you blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.

17 Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18 And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.

19 Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:

21 And whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:

22 And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

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