Recent News

 

An Urgent Message to Our Friends

Posted by at 3:25 pm | Miscellaneous

PCH is located in a former convent owned by the Teresian Sisters, from whom we rent. On April 16, 2013 the Sisters decided to put this property up for sale. The sale of this property is necessary as the Sisters plan for their future. This has also created an urgent need for PCH.

It is the desire of everyone involved in this ministry to continue to serve from this location, as we have for the past twenty years. The Sisters are asking $1.2 million for the eight acres we have been maintaining as well as the property now serving as a used car lot that has its entrance off Culebra Road.

Click here to see the full message, from our founders Deacon Tom & Mary Jane Fox, and our Advisory Board.

 

Catholic Conversion – May 22, 2013

Posted by at 3:12 pm | Catholicism Live,CL - Episode,Evangelization

What is the process of a Catholic Conversion? 

Every year, thousands of people come into the Catholic Church on Easter Vigil. Join us this Wednesday as we talk to two recent converts to Catholicism, Pam Mandeville and Danielle Smith, about their journey into the fullness of truth.

 How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) or Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Saint of the Week: St. Rita of Cascia

(Feast Day: May 22)

She was born in Roccaporena, near Spoleto, Italy, in 1381, and expressed from an early age the desire to become a nun. Her elderlyparents insisted that she be married at the age of twelve to aman described in accounts of her life as cruel and harsh. She spent eighteen extremely unhappy years, had two sons, and was finally widowed when her husband was killed in a brawl. Both sons also died, and Rita, still anxious to become a nun, tried unsuccessfully to enter the Augustinians in theirconvent at Cascia. She was refused because she was a widowand because of the requirement that all sisters should be virgins. Finally, in 1413, the order gave her entry, and she earned fame for her austerity, devotion to prayer, and charity.

In the midst of chronic illnesses, she received visions and wounds on her forehead which resembled the crown of thorns. She died on May 22 at Cascia, and many miracles were reported instantly. Canonized in 1900, she is honored in Spain as La Santa de los Impossibles and elsewhere as a patron saint of hopeless causes.

 

Pearl of the Week: Theology for Beginners by Frank Sheed

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

Theology for Beginners has been acclaimed as one of the outstanding modern introductions to theology. It is a clear, precise, and inspiring compendium of the central doctrines of the Christian faith.

Our Lady of Fatima and New Evangelization – May 8, 2013

Posted by at 12:05 pm | Catholicism Live,CL - Episode,Evangelization

What was the message of Lady of Fatima and how does it relate to us today?

Join us on Catholicism Live today as we embark on the beauty of Our Lady of Fatima’s message to you and me. We will also touch on the role of New Evangelization and how you can help us continue to spread the faith here in Central Texas.

 How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) or Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Saint of the Week: Blessed  Jacinta and Francisco 

(Feast Day: February 20)

Francisco, 11, and Jacinta, 10, are the youngest non-martyrs to be beatified in the history of the Church. The brother and sister, who tended to their families’ sheep with their cousin Lucia Santo in the fields of Fatima, Portugal, witnessed the apparitions of Mary, now commonly known as Our Lady of Fatima.

During the first apparition, which took place May 13, 1917, Our Lady asked the three children to say the Rosary and to make sacrifices, offering them for the conversion of sinners. The children did, praying often, giving their lunch to beggars and going without food themselves. They offered up their daily crosses and even refrained from drinking water on hot days.

In October 1918, Francisco and Jacinta became seriously ill with the Spanish flu. Our Lady appeared to them and said she would to take them to heaven soon.

Bed-ridden, Francisco requested his first Communion. The following day, Francisco died, April 14, 1919. Jacinta suffered a long illness as well. She was eventually transferred to a Lisbon hospital and operated for an abscess in her chest, but her health did not improve. She died Feb. 20, 1920.

Pope John Paul II beatified Francisco and Jacinta May 13, 2000, on the 83rd anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, teaching us that even young children can become saints.

 

Pearl of the Week: “Into the Deep” PCH Video and “In her own words” by Sr. Lucia

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

These two pearls are both free and can be found online!

First, examine the history and mission of the Pilgrim Center of Hope with this documentary “Into the Deep”

Secondly, look into Fatima in Lucia’s own words. This book  contains the memoirs and letters of the last surviving seer of the Fatima apparitions. Read it here!

Catholic Women Today – May 1, 2013

Posted by at 10:53 am | Catholicism Live,Evangelization

Do Catholic women have a voice in the Church?

Join us on “Catholicism Live!” this upcoming Wednesday May 1st as we tackle this controversial issue of the role of women in the Church. Hosts Angela Sealana and Nan Balfour will talk with guest Danielle Smith, a recent convert to Catholicism, about women’s place in the Church.

How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) or Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Saint of the Week: St.Thérèse of Lisieux

(Feast Day: October 1st)

THÉRÈSE MARTIN was born at Alençon, France on 2 January 1873. Two days later, she was baptized Marie Frances Thérèse at Notre Dame Church. Her parents were Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin. After the death of her mother on 28 August 1877, Thérèse and her family moved to Lisieux.

Towards the end of 1879, she went to confession for the first time. On the Feast of Pentecost 1883, she received the singular grace of being healed from a serious illness through the intercession of Our Lady of Victories. Taught by the Benedictine Nuns of Lisieux and after an intense immediate preparation culminating in a vivid experience of intimate union with Christ, she received First Holy Communion on 8 May 1884. Some weeks later, on 14 June of the same year, she received the Sacrament of Confirmation, fully aware of accepting the gift of the Holy Spirit as a personal participation in the grace of Pentecost.

She wished to embrace the contemplative life, as her sisters Pauline and Marie had done in the Carmel of Lisieux, but was prevented from doing so by her young age. On a visit to Italy, after having visited the House of Loreto and the holy places of the Eternal City, during an audience granted by Pope Leo XIII to the pilgrims from Lisieux on 20 November 1887, she asked the Holy Father with childlike audacity to be able to enter the Carmel at the age of fifteen.

On 9 April 1888 she entered the Carmel of Lisieux. She received the habit on 10 January of the following year, and made her religious profession on 8 September 1890 on the Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Carmel she embraced the way of perfection outlined by the Foundress, Saint Teresa of Jesus, fulfilling with genuine fervour and fidelity the various community responsibilities entrusted to her. Her faith was tested by the sickness of her beloved father, Louis Martin, who died on 29 July 1894. Thérèse nevertheless grew in sanctity, enlightened by the Word of God and inspired by the Gospel to place love at the centre of everything. In her autobiographical manuscripts she left us not only her recollections of childhood and adolescence but also a portrait of her soul, the description of her most intimate experiences. She discovered the little way of spiritual childhood and taught it to the novices entrusted to her care. She considered it a special gift to receive the charge of accompanying two “missionary brothers” with prayer and sacrifice. Seized by the love of Christ, her only Spouse, she penetrated ever more deeply into the mystery of the Church and became increasingly aware of her apostolic and missionary vocation to draw everyone in her path.

On 9 June 1895, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, she offered herself as a sacrificial victim to the merciful Love of God. At this time, she wrote her first autobiographical manuscript, which she presented to Mother Agnes for her birthday on 21 January 1896.

Several months later, on 3 April, in the night between Holy Thursday and Good Friday, she suffered a haemoptysis, the first sign of the illness which would lead to her death; she welcomed this event as a mysterious visitation of the Divine Spouse. From this point forward, she entered a trial of faith which would last until her death; she gives overwhelming testimony to this in her writings. In September, she completed Manuscript B; this text gives striking evidence of the spiritual maturity which she had attained, particularly the discovery of her vocation in the heart of the Church.

While her health declined and the time of trial continued, she began work in the month of June on Manuscript C, dedicated to Mother Marie de Gonzague. New graces led her to higher perfection and she discovered fresh insights for the diffusion of her message in the Church, for the benefit of souls who would follow her way. She was transferred to the infirmary on 8 July. Her sisters and other religious women collected her sayings. Meanwhile her sufferings and trials intensified. She accepted them with patience up to the moment of her death in the afternoon of 30 September 1897. “I am not dying, I am entering life”, she wrote to her missionary spiritual brother, Father M. Bellier. Her final words, “My God…, I love you!”, seal a life which was extinguished on earth at the age of twenty-four; thus began, as was her desire, a new phase of apostolic presence on behalf of souls in the Communion of Saints, in order to shower a rain of roses upon the world.

She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on 17 May 1925. The same Pope proclaimed her Universal Patron of the Missions, alongside Saint Francis Xavier, on 14 December 1927.

Pearl of the Week: Blessed Pope John Paul II’s Letters to Women.

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure.

Explore one of the greatest writings on the dignity of women as Blessed Pope John Paul the Second offers a pastoral letter on the contributions of women to the church and the beauty of their feminine genius.

You can find this letter here!

 

 

The Sacrament of Forgiveness – Apr. 24, 2013

Posted by at 11:56 am | Catholicism Live,CL - Episode Tags: —

How does one approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation?

The Sacrament of Reconciliation can often be the most intimidating sacrament to fully understand and embrace. Tonight on Catholicism Live, we will get a unique perspective of  Confession when our special host, Fr Ed Hauf, O.M.I, interviews his confessor, Fr. Paul Waldie, O.M.I, on this important aspect of our faith.

 How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) or Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Saint of the Week: St. Louise de Marillac 

(Feast Day: March 15th)

Louise de Marillac was born probably at Ferrieres-en-Brie near Meux, France, on August 12, 1591. She was educated by the Dominican nuns at Poissy. She desired to become a nun but on the advice of her confessor, she married Antony LeGras, an official in the Queen’s service, in 1613. After Antony’s death in 1625, she met St. Vincent de Paul, who became her spiritual adviser. She devoted the rest of her life to working with him. She helped direct his Ladies of Charity in their work of caring for the sick, the poor, and the neglected. In 1633 she set up a training center, of which she was Directress in her own home, for candidates seeking to help in her work. This was the beginning of the Sisters (or Daughters, as Vincent preferred) of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul (though it was not formally approved until 1655). She took her vows in 1634 and attracted great numbers of candidates. She wrote a rule for the community, and in 1642, Vincent allowed four of the members to take vows. Formal approval placed the community under Vincent and his Congregation of the Missions, with Louise as Superior. She traveled all over France establishing her Sisters in hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions. By the time of her death in Paris on March 15, the Congregation had more than forty houses in France. Since then they have spread all over the world. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934, and was declared Patroness of Social Workers by Pope John XXIII in 1960.

 

Pearl of the Week:

An Examination of Conscience: A Preparation for the Sacrament of Confession” by Fr. Robert Altier (Booklet)

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

This examination of Conscience booklet is a softcover book small enough to take with you anywhere. It includes information on sin and the process of Confession.    “Why should I confess my sins to a man?” “The loss of the sense of sin” “Forgiveness of sin” “How to go to Confession” Prayer before and after Confession,Examination of Conscience and the distinction between Mortal Sins, Venial Sins and Imperfections.

You can get a free booklet from the Pilgrim Center by calling us at  (210) 521-3377

Limit one per person by mail. If you’d like more, please offer a donation to the Pilgrim Center of Hope to cover postage cost.

 

Galilee and the Resurrection- April 17, 2013

Posted by at 1:12 pm | Catholicism Live,Evangelization

What is the importance of the locations that Jesus visited after His Resurrection?

Join us on Catholicism Live tonight at a special start time of 8:30pm where we will discuss the  land of Galilee and the important events that occurred there after the Resurrection of Christ.

How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) or Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8:30pm – 9:30pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Saint of the Week: Saint George

(Feast Day: April 23)

Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to rescue a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God’s holy truth. St. George was a bravemartyr who was victorious over the devil.

He was a soldier in the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and he was one of the Emperor’s favorite soldiers. Now Diocletian was a pagan and a bitter enemy to the Christians. He put to death every Christian he could find. George was a brave Christian, a real soldier of Christ. Without fear, he went to the Emperor and sternly scolded him for being so cruel. Then he gave up his position in the Roman army. For this he was tortured in many terrible ways and finally beheaded.

So boldly daring and so cheerful was St. George in declaring his Faith and in dying for it that Christians felt courage when they heard about it. Many songs and poems were written about this martyr. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him.

We all have some “dragon” we have to conquer. It might be pride, or anger, or laziness, or greediness, or something else. Let us make sure we fight against these “dragons”, with God’s help. Then we can call ourselves real soldiers of Christ. .

 

Pearl of the Week:    The four Gospels- the Resurrection Stories.

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

This week, we recommend the beautiful Resurrection accounts from the four Gospels. These accounts allow us to reconnect with the Risen Lord.

You can read them here!

To learn how to read the Gospels in a more prayerful way, read Lectio Divina 

 

The Dignity of Women – April 10, 2013

Posted by at 10:18 am | Catholicism Live,CL - Episode,Evangelization

What does our Church teach about the nature and dignity of women?

This question is very prevalent in our society today. Some have many misconceptions about the role and importance of women in the Church. Tonight on Catholicism Live, we will embark on a journey to find out just what exactly our Church and Her leaders have said concerning women.

How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) or Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Saint of the Week: Saint Catherine of Siena 

(Feast Day: April 29)

The 25th child of a wool dyer in northern Italy, St. Catherine started having mystical experiences when she was only 6, seeing guardian angels as clearly as the people they protected. She became a Dominican tertiary when she was 16, and continued to have visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints. St. Catherine was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day, although she never had any formal education. She persuaded the Pope to go back to Rome from Avignon, in 1377, and when she died she was endeavoring to heal the Great Western Schism. In 1375 Our Lord give her the Stigmata, which was visible only after her death. Her spiritual director was Blessed Raymond of Capua. St, Catherine’s letters, and a treatise called “a dialogue” are considered among the most brilliant writings in the history of theCatholic Church. She died when she was only 33, and her body was found incorrupt in 1430.

 

Pearl of the Week: Endow Website featuring their Magazine:  “ILLIMINATE”

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

This magazine is a biannual publication of Endow for the primary benefit of donors, volunteers, parishes, and ministry partners.

View the entire magazine for free here!

 

 

Upcoming Endow Events in San Antonio!

Momentum Event Preview Breakfast  – APRIL 27

    • We welcome you as our guest for a one-hour breakfast gathering where we will present sponsorship options and provide invitations for you to share.
    • The Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort.

To RSVP by April 23 simply contact Amy Nuanes at info@EndowGroups.org or 720.382.7122

Saturday, June 22 at 12:00 Noon
10th Anniversary Momentum Event in San Antonio
At this festive luncheon, 20 year anniversary.

    • Guest speaker Heather King, a Catholic author and radio commentator whose true-to-life way of storytelling will engage your heart and mind.    CWC SPEAKER AS WELL.
    • Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade

Open to all – husbands, friends, family, clergy.
Contact Amy Nuanes at info@EndowGroups.org or 720.382.7122

 

 

What is the Divine Mercy? – April 3, 2013

Posted by at 9:40 am | CL - Episode,Evangelization

What is the meaning of the Divine Mercy of God?

This Sunday, our Church will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. Yet what exactly is the Divine Mercy Chaplet and how did it originate? Join us today on Catholicism Live as we talk about these questions with Fr. Martin Scott.

How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) or Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

Submit questions / comments using the form on CatholicismLive.com or call during the program: (210) 734-5371

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

  • Official Website of The Pilgrim Center of Hope
  • Email Father Martin Scott at padremartinsdm@hotmail.com
  • For Mass Intentions with Servants of Divine Mercy (Founded by Fr. Martin Scott):   Divine Mercy Corporation, P.O. Box 10575, Rockville, MD  20849
  • Benefit Brunch for Servants of Divine  Mercy – Saturday, April 27th,  10am-1pm at Doubletree Hotel (Loop 410 & McCullough)

Saint of the Week: Saint Faustina Kowalska 

(Feast Day: October 5)

Saint Faustina was born Helena Kowalska in a small village west of Lodz, Poland on August 25, 1905. She was the third of ten children. When she was almost twenty, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, whose members devote themselves to the care and education of troubled young women. The following year she received her religious habit and was given the name Sister Maria Faustina, to which she added, “of the Most Blessed Sacrament”, as was permitted by her congregation’s custom. In the 1930′s, Sister Faustina received from the Lord a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world. She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God’s mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God’s plan of mercy for the world. It was not a glamorous prospect.

Her entire life, in imitation of Christ’s, was to be a sacrifice - alife lived for others. At the Divine Lord’s request, she willingly offered her personal sufferings in union with Him to atone for the sins of others; in her daily life she was to become a doer of mercy, bringing joy and peace to others, and by writing about God’s mercy, she was to encourage others to trust in Him and thus prepare the world for His coming again. Her special devotion to Mary Immaculate and to the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation gave her the strength to bear all her sufferings as an offering to God on behalf of the Church and those in special need, especially great sinners and the dying.

She wrote and suffered in secret, with only her spiritual director and some of her superiors aware that anything special was taking place in her life. After her death from tuberculosis in 1938, even her closest associates were amazed as they began to discover what great sufferings and deep mystical experiences had been given to this Sister of theirs, who had always been so cheerful and humble. She had taken deeply into her heart, God’s gospel command to “be merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful” as well as her confessor’s directive that she should act in such a way that everyone who came in contact with her would go away joyful. The message of mercy that Sister Faustina received is now being spread throughout the world; her diary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, has become the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy.

Pearl of the Week: The Diary of Saint Faustina

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

These words of Jesus are found in the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, which chronicles Sr. Faustina’s great experience of Divine Mercy in her soul and her mission to share that mercy with the world. Though she died in obscurity in 1938, Sr. Faustina was hailed by Pope John Paul II as “the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time.” On April 30, 2000, the Pope canonized her as St. Faustina, saying that the message of Divine Mercy she shared is urgently needed at the dawn of the new millennium. More than 800,000 copies of the Diary have been sold world wide. In the Diary, this woman mystic’s childlike trust, simplicity, and intimacy with Jesus will stir your heart and soul Her spiritual insights will surprise and reward you. “Only love has meaning,” she writes. “It raises up our smallest actions into infinity.” How did St. Faustina grow in deeper trust and intimacy with Jesus? What promises did He make to her? Discover the answers to these questions and many more in the Diary of St. Faustina.

Virtues: The Ingredients of Holiness – Mar. 20, 2013

Posted by at 1:40 pm | Catholicism Live,CL - Episode,Evangelization

What are virtues and how do they relate to our journey of faith?

Today on a special radio only version of “Catholicism Live!” we will examine the role virtues play in our path towards Sainthood. We will also talk about the different types of virtues and how we can grow in them with our daily habits.

How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into Radio (89.7 FM) – and anyone can listen online by clicking the LISTEN LIVE button on CatholicismLive.com from 8pm – 9pm Central Time!

 

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Saint of the Week: St. Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo

(Feast Day: March 23rd)

Born in Mayorga de Campos, Valladolid, Spain, of noble family and highly educated, Turibius was named after another Spanish saint, Turibius of Astorga. He became professor of law at the highly reputed University of Salamanca. His learning and virtuous reputation led to his appointment as Grand Inquisitor of Spain by King Philip II on the Court of the Inquisition at Granada. During this time, he was ordained priest in 1578 and sent to Peru. He was named Archbishop of Lima, Peru, in May 1579.

He arrived at Paita, Peru, 600 miles (970 km) from Lima, on 24 May 1581. He began his mission work by travelling to Lima on foot, baptizing and teaching the natives. His favourite topic was: “Time is not our own, and we must give a strict account of it.” Three times he traversed the 450,000 square kilometers (170,000 sq mi) of his diocese, generally on foot, frequently defenceless and often alone; exposed to tempests, torrents, deserts, wild beasts, tropical heat, fevers and sometimes threats from hostile tribes; baptizing and confirming nearly one half million souls, among them St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres.

He built roads, schoolhouses and chapels, many hospitals and convents, and at Lima, in 1591, founded the first seminary in the western hemisphere. He inaugurated the first part of the third Lima Cathedral on 2 February 1604.

Turibius assembled thirteen diocesan synods and three provincial councils. He was seen as a champion of the rights of the natives against the Spanish masters. “There was great opposition to Turibius from the governors of Peru whose authority he challenged,” Elizabeth Hallam has written. “He learned local dialects so that he could communicate with–-and convert–-the native peoples, and he was a strong and effective champion of their rights.”[1]

Years before he died, he predicted the day and hour of his death. At Pacasmayo he contracted fever, but continued labouring to the last, arriving at Sana in a dying condition. Dragging himself to the sanctuary he received the Viaticum, expiring shortly after. He was beatified by Innocent XI in 1697 and canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726.

Pearl of the Week: The Heart of Virtue – Lessons From Life And Literature Illustrating The Beauty And Value Of Moral Character

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

This book brings to life in an inspirational and memorable way what is at the core of every true moral virtue, namely, love. It presents twenty-eight different virtues and reveals, through stories that personify these virtues, how love is expressed through care, courage, compassion, faith, hope, justice, prudence, wisdom, etc… It is a treatment of virtue that is both unique and original.

 

You can purchase this book from Aquinas and More.

Papal  Seal of Pope Francis

From the Vatican Information Service, here are details about the symbols found on Francis’ coat of arms:

The shield has a bright blue background, at the centre top of which is a yellow radiant sun with the IHS christogram on it representing Jesus (it is also the Jesuit logo). The IHS monogram, as well as a cross that pierces the H, are in red with three black nails directly under them. Under that, to the left, is a star representing Mary, Mother of Christ and the Church. To the right of the star is a nard flower representing Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. With these symbols the Pope demonstrates his love for the Holy Family.

Lent is about Love – Mar. 9, 2013

Posted by at 10:23 am | Catholicism Live,Evangelization

How does Lent reveal to us the One who is Love?

As we embark on the second half of our journey towards Easter, it is important to remind ourselves again, “What is the point of Lent?” Has it become merely a dieting program akin to a New Year’s Resolution? Today on Catholicism Live!, we examine the beauty of seeing Lent through the lens of love with Angela Sealana and Nan Balfour.

 How can I listen & participate in this program?

South Texans can tune into TV (Time Warner Cable channel 15) on March 9th at 3pm Central Time!

More information related to this episode of Catholicism Live!:

Pearl of the Week: Message of His Holiness, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for Lent 2013

The Pearl of the Week is a resource, recommended to you – so that you can more deeply understand and hold our Faith, which is great treasure

“Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The celebration of Lent, in the context of the Year of Faith, offers us a valuable opportunity to meditate on the relationship between faith and charity: between believing in God – the God of Jesus Christ – and love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit and which guides us on the path of devotion to God and others.”

Continue reading HERE!

 

 

 

Reflections from the program

“Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction…Since God has first loved us, love is now no longer a mere ‘command’; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us. Faith is this personal adherence – which involves all our faculties – to the revelation of God’s gratuitous and passionate love for us, fully revealed in Jesus Christ.” – BXVI

“Essentially, everything proceeds from Love and tends towards Love. God’s gratuitous love is made known to us through the proclamation of the Gospel. If we welcome it with faith, we receive the first and indispensible contact with the Divine, capable of making us “fall in love with Love”, and then we dwell within this Love, we grow in it and we joyfully communicate it to others.” – BXVI

“To pray is to talk to God, but about what? About Him, about yourself; joys, sorrows, successes, and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: to get acquainted.” – St. Josemaria Escriva

“Prayer does not demand that we interrupt our work, but that we continue working as if it were a prayer. It is not necessary to always be meditating, nor to consciously experience the sensation that we are talking to God, no matter how nice this would be. What matters is being with him, living in him, in his will. To love with a pure heart, to love everybody, especially the poor, is a 24-hour prayer.” – Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

“Faith enables us to recognize the gifts that the good and generous God has entrusted to us; charity [love] makes them fruitful.” – BXVI

“The Christian life consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God and then coming back down, bearing the love and strength drawn from him, so as to serve our brothers and sisters with God’s own love.” – BXVI

“Lent invites us, through the traditional practices of the Christian life, to nourish our faith by careful and extended listening to the word of God and by receiving the sacraments, and at the same time to grow in charity and in love for God and neighbor, not least through the specific practices of fasting, penance and almsgiving.” – BXVI
“If you dwell in self-knowledge alone you would despair and if you dwell in the knowledge of God alone you would be tempted to presumption. One must go with the other and thus you will reach perfection.”- St. Catherine of Siena
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