New Adventhttp://www.newadvent.org/news/newadvent.xml2013-11-11T14:54:59ZU.S. Church "comes home to Baltimore" as bishops gather for annual plenary meeting http://newadvent.postach.io/fwd-rocco-palmo-in-baltimore-the-church-comes-home2013-11-11T14:54:59Z2013-11-11T14:54:59ZRocco Palmo So, church, here we go again - greetings from Baltimore and, for the 95th time, another edition of American Catholicism's Fall Classic. Under Benjamin Latrobe's stupendous and resonant dome, this USCCB Plenary will open with a 7am Mass this Monday in the Basilica of the Assumption - the nation's first cathedral...Sunday Angelus: Pope Francis calls for "our prayer" and "actual help" for the people of the Philippines http://newadvent.postach.io/oldbanner2013-11-11T09:34:33Z2013-11-11T09:34:33ZNew AdventFilipino authorities estimate that Typhoon Haiyan may have killed 10,000 people. Before the Angelus, Francis spoke about eternal life, which is "another life in another dimension". Eternity "enlightens and gives hope to the earthly life of each one of us," whilst "death is behind us, behind and not in front of us...10 things you need to know today: November 11, 2013http://newadvent.postach.io/fwd-the-week-10-things-you-need-to-know-today-november-11-20132013-11-11T14:48:21Z2013-11-11T14:48:21ZNew Advent Authorities in the Philippines declared a "state of calamity" on Monday in Tacloban, a port city devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan. President Benigno Aquino III said he was considering declaring martial law there. Red Cross workers said the scene was "absolute bedlam," with no water, no power, entire neighborhoods gone...Pope Francis, reform within continuity?http://newadvent.postach.io/fwd-andrea-gagliarducci-pope-francis-reform-within-continuity2013-11-11T09:32:31Z2013-11-11T09:32:31ZAndrea Gagliarducci The preparatory document of the extraordinary synod for the family grabbed headlines only because of the questionnaire attached to it. It was comprised of 38 questions, posed in an unusually straightforward manner, addressing issues very pragmatically. This pragmatic style is the only reform that has taken place under Pope Francis so far...How many Catholic funerals lack balance and do not teach clearly on the Last Thingshttp://newadvent.postach.io/fwd-archdiocese-of-washington-funeral-foibles-how-many-catholic-funerals-lack-balance-and-do-not-teach-clearly-on-the-last-things2013-11-11T09:31:39Z2013-11-11T09:31:39ZMsgr. Charles PopeI was recently asked by the Archdiocese of Washington to lead a workshop for catechists that focused on the catechetical teachings implicit in the funeral rites of the Church. At first, I was somewhat surprised at the request. It didn’t strike me as the first sort of topic that one might speak about when speaking ...This may be the most successful football play of all timehttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger472013-11-11T09:30:54Z2013-11-11T09:30:54ZNew AdventAs part of our continuing series "On the Road," Steve Hartman meets the Olivet Eagles, a middle school football team who took a fledgling player under their wing and executed what may be the most successful play of all time...Pope St. Leo I is one of only a few who are called "the Great"http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger462013-11-11T09:30:36Z2013-11-11T09:30:36ZTom PernaNot much is known of the early life of Saint Pope Leo the Great, but it’s more than likely he was born in either Tuscany or Rome. His ordination to the priesthood has no date either. We do know from his writings that he was well educated, but his education did not include Greek. To read some of his writings, please read the complementary post...The secret world of cargo shipshttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger442013-11-11T09:30:02Z2013-11-11T09:30:02ZNew AdventThe bridge of a modern ship is a shock on first encounter. Although this place is still known as the wheelhouse, the wheel at the helm is not wooden and impressive, but mundane plastic, the kind that would suit a video arcade game. Nearly all else is automated. A bank of screens contains radar, ECDIS - an electronic chart system - and AIS...I'm gonna ride the chariot in the morning Lord! A sermon for the 32nd Sunday of the Year...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger432013-11-11T09:29:39Z2013-11-11T09:29:39ZMsgr. Charles PopeWhat difference does the resurrection make other than to give us joy if we meditate upon it? To see that answer, look to the first reading today, where the seven brothers are willing to accept torture and death. If there is a great reward waiting for those who remain faithful and we see that reward as the greatest thing we have ...Mesmerizing Northern Lights from around the worldhttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger422013-11-11T09:29:16Z2013-11-11T09:29:16ZNew AdventThough Alaska’s Northern Lights are some of the most beautiful natural occurrences in the universe, relatively few people have observed their beauty, and even less understand how and why they appear. People can see the auroral lights above the magnetic poles in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Known as the aurora borealis in the North...Bury the dead! The Church's teaching on cremation...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger402013-11-11T09:28:26Z2013-11-11T09:28:26ZNew AdventRecently, after offering prayers at a wake, I was a bit surprised to see that the funeral home had set up a display where they were selling a variety of different pieces of jewelry. Upon closer inspection, the pieces for sale (including pendants, bracelets, necklaces, rings..."We must act now!" says Central African Republic archbishophttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger302013-11-11T09:28:02Z2013-11-11T09:28:02ZLisa HendeyNew out today on The Guardian is a strongly worded letter from Archbishop DieudonnNzapalaing of Bangui and President of Caritas Central African Republic calling us to action to help save lives in Central African Republic. Before I get into sharin...The future of Catholicismhttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger292013-11-11T09:27:35Z2013-11-11T09:27:35ZMichael CorenEpiphanies aren’t supposed to occur in Chicago hotel rooms. Desert roads, foxholes, emergency wards, yes, but not Chicago hotel rooms. But it was in the Windy City that a different wind blew three years ago, in the form of a telephone call from a senior editor at Random House. I was on a publicity tour for my book Why Catholics Are Right..."When you pray that, smile": Peoria's Bishop Jenky in a Wild West shootout...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger272013-11-11T09:27:11Z2013-11-11T09:27:11ZKathy SchifferWyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an iconic figure in the history of the American West, who has been memorialized in TV and movies. He was a gambler, Pima County Deputy Sheriff, and Deputy Town Marshal in Tombstone, Arizona. He is perhaps best known for his role in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which lawmen killed three outlaw cowboys...How Typhoon Haiyan affects me, and you...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger262013-11-11T09:26:51Z2013-11-11T09:26:51ZSarah ReinhardAs I look at the pictures of Typhoon Haiyan, my heart goes out to these people. And I think that’s one of the responses that leads me to prayer in the most sincere way. It’s a more intimate response, in many ways, and though we can, from across the world, donate to charities and relief organizations...Kudos to the Denver Catholic Register and El Pueblo Católico...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger242013-11-11T09:26:26Z2013-11-11T09:26:26ZLisa HendeyKudos to the Archdiocese of Denver and the team behind the Denver Catholic Register and El Pueblo Católico on the launch of two fantastic websites this past week. Both look fantastic and are chock full of news and information to compliment the print publications. Along with news, you’ll find their active Facebook and Twitter platforms...On the Purgative, Illuminative and Unitive ways of the spiritual life, as seen in a cartoon...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger232013-11-11T09:25:59Z2013-11-11T09:25:59ZMsgr. Charles PopeIn the spiritual journey, there are generally denoted three basic stages through which the soul must pass that draws us to deeper union with God: the Purgative, the Illuminative and the Unitive. And those who seek union with God must realize that such union, while always the gift of God, requires process, often painful...What you should know about this week's Sunday readingshttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger222013-11-11T09:25:32Z2013-11-11T09:25:32ZScott HahnWith their riddle about seven brothers and a childless widow, the Sadducees in today’s Gospel mock the faith for which seven brothers and their mother die in the First Reading. The Maccabean martyrs chose death - tortured limb by limb, burned alive - rather than betray God’s Law...My night with the New Jersey SWAT team, and our miserable culture of lockdown...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger212013-11-11T09:25:07Z2013-11-11T09:25:07ZKathryn Jean Lopez“Civilians!” The SWAT team cleared the way for a hundred or so of us who had spent a few hours in Nordstrom at the Paramus shopping center. Walking with my hands above my head on an escalator wasn’t exactly how I expected Monday to end when I went to the mall to try on dresses for an upcoming wedding. A little earlier, after a quick detour and purchase...How (and why) to train your children to be Urban Legend Detectors...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger202013-11-11T09:24:42Z2013-11-11T09:24:42ZNew AdventOf all the cultures and all the philosophies and all the religions which have been known in the world of men, none have placed truth on as high a pedestal as the Catholic Faith. Truth is literally our God. Truth is one of the Divine attributes, and each of God’s attributes is identical with His Essence. Thus, we rightly say “God IS Love” and “God IS Truth...The friars of Washington's Dominican House of Studies have released their first CD...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger192013-11-11T09:24:21Z2013-11-11T09:24:21ZNew AdventRecorded in historic St. Dominic’s Church in downtown Washington, D.C., the friars of the Dominican House of Studies, Province of St. Joseph, present In Medio Ecclesiae, the first release from Dominicana Records. Directed by Fr. James Moore, O.P...The media are more concerned with shaping the culture than with reflecting it...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger182013-11-11T09:24:00Z2013-11-11T09:24:00ZMichael CorenIn other words, too many journalists want to create rather than explain public affairs. And that narrative, that conversation, is far too often dominated by the left. I was reminded of that this week when a story about the Roman Catholic Church went viral. The Pope, we were told by numerous newspapers all over the world...My day in the world's biggest building: a Chinese mall you've never heard of...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger172013-11-11T09:23:37Z2013-11-11T09:23:37ZNew AdventThe slogan of the New Century Global Center, the recently completed largest building in the world by floor space, sounds at first like a Chinglish-y misfire: “The One of Everything.” But as I spent a day wandering around the structure, located in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, the catchphrase started to take on a kind of brilliance...Typhoon Haiyan has smashed into the Philippines with incredible force. Here's how you can help...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger162013-11-11T09:23:13Z2013-11-11T09:23:13ZNew AdventCatholic Relief Services teams are poised to respond to Typhoon Haiyan, a monster storm currently passing over Eastern Philippines. With sustained winds of 190 mph, Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) may end up being stronger than Typhoon Bopha..."You don't ask too much from God. You ask too little..."http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger152013-11-11T09:22:45Z2013-11-11T09:22:45ZPatti Maguire ArmstrongThus the silver-haired, Dr. Margarett Schlientz scolded her audience during a talk last month at the Thirst Conference in Bismarck, ND. She spoke with confidence, infusing her audience with the certainty of the Gospels and the fire of the Holy Spirit. Schlientz has the authority of one with three masters degrees; in theology, spirituality...I’ve been keeping a secret about Flannery O'Connor for two years...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger132013-11-11T09:21:56Z2013-11-11T09:21:56ZFr. Damian FerenceOn October 6, 2011, the opening night of an O’Connor conference at Loyola University Chicago, Sessions read - for the first time in public - excerpts from a recently discovered prayer journal of Flannery O’Connor. Before he read O’Connor’s prayers, he made it very clear that we, the audience, were not permitted to record, report...Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pays NCEA $100,000+ to promote Common Core in Catholic schoolshttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger122013-11-11T09:21:29Z2013-11-11T09:21:29ZNew AdventThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation paid the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) more than $100,000 to support teacher training and materials on implementing the Common Core school standards, The Cardinal Newman Society has discovered. The $100...If music be the food of love, play on...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger112013-11-11T09:21:05Z2013-11-11T09:21:05ZNew AdventI had no idea how hard it would be to write this post. After several false starts, I re-watched a lecture called "Three Chords and the Desire for Truth: Rock 'n' Roll as Search for the Infinite" given by the Irish journalist John Waters, in which he says that the way we feel about music is something we shouldn't talk about. Ah...Pope Francis is providing an antidote to the problems of "liquid modernity"...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger102013-11-11T09:19:57Z2013-11-11T09:19:57ZNew AdventRegular readers know of my newfound fondness for Zygmunt Bauman. Apparently, Bauman, too, is nurturing his own growing affections for the Holy Father. In a new interview with L’Osservatore Romano, Bauman speaks of the Franciscan papacy as a sort of solution to the problems of “liquid modernity.” (An English summary is available here...Q&A about the synod, and some statistics in the global war on Christianshttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger092013-11-11T09:19:17Z2013-11-11T09:19:17ZJohn AllenIf proof were ever needed of how much Pope Francis has captured the interest of the global media, the fact that over the past week, a Synod of Bishops, of all things, has emerged as a sexy news story ought to deliver it. I've covered eight synods from soup to nuts, and while they've all been useful sounding boards...A ticket to Argentina for the Pope, but no hurryhttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger072013-11-11T09:08:03Z2013-11-11T09:08:03ZSandro MagisterJohn Paul II returned to Poland, in spite of the iron curtain dividing Europe at the time, after less than eight months of pontificate. Benedict XVI went to Germany only four months after his election to the see of Peter. It was a practically obligatory voyage, on account of World Youth Day in Cologne. In any case...Yes, Jesus is real. I have met Him. I feel His presence now, and I am moved to tears as I write this...http://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger052013-11-11T09:07:25Z2013-11-11T09:07:25ZMsgr. Charles PopePersonal Testimonies are supposed to be three to five minutes. I suspect that my written version of how I met Jesus violates that rule. But, since many of you have known me a while, I think that I have to add a few details that I don’t when I am speaking to people who know less about me. Thus, here is my personal testimony of how and when I met the Lord..."The embrace that melted hearts worldwide": Photos of Pope's encounter with severely disfigured man go viral on social mediahttp://newadvent.postach.io/fromblogger042013-11-11T08:44:20Z2013-11-11T08:44:20ZNew AdventIt was the embrace that melted hearts worldwide. Pope Francis, pausing for a moment to pray and lay his hands on a man with a disfiguring disease. The man gently burying his head in the Pope's chest, his many facial tumors visible. His encounter with the ailing man occurred in Vatican City on Wednesday at the end of the general audience...