REFLECTION

""" Riches are a good handmaid, but the worst mistress ( Francis Bacon )
 
    St. Francis Xavier, who was a professor at the university of Paris, left his worldly pursuits and dedicated himself for the service of God at the age of 28, at Montmartre in 1534. The biblical verse, which converted him, is the words of our lord, "what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and suffers the loss of his soul (MK 8 : 36). "He became one of the greatest missionaries of all times. He took the Gospel far and wide. He preached and won people for God in India, Ceylon, Malacca, Indonesia, and Japan. He renounced everything to regain Christ. What a contrast we have between this young man of the 16th century and the nameless rich young man of the Gospel. One  left everything, followed Christ and attained eternal life, and the other clung to everything, refused to follow Christ and forfeited eternal life. The journey of the young man in today's Gospel began well but ended up tragically. The journey of the rich young man in today's Gospel is a journey of a seeker that was terminated in the end with a tragedy. Let us see the different stages he underwent as a seeker.

    1) We First Meet Him As A Sincere seeker
   
     There are a lot of good things that could be said about this man. Although he was young, he showed an interest in spiritual things. He was rich yet he cared for his soul. He consistently obeyed the commands of the law of Moses. He was humble. As a young man he not only honored his parents but was also willing to get the spirituall advice of a poor, uneducated, itinerant Preacher. He was also wise because in all his wealth and righteous possessions, he still considered that he might lack something.
      When he came to Jesus he knelt down at the feet of Jesus and asked him, "Good master, what must i do to inherit eternal life?" This young man questioned Jesus not out of simple curiosity, not to trap or fix Him in a problem. There was a sincere desire in him to seek the truth. He was a sincere seeker. The Bible says, When Jesus looked at him, he loved him." But the sad truth is that the story goes downhill from this point.
     
      2) In The Second Stage, We see this Young Man a Shallow Seeker
     
      Superficially, the man seems like a holy man. When Jesus quotes the commandments - "You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You must not steal, You shall honor your father and mother ...." The man said, I have kept these laws from my youth." When you look at these commandments, all except one are negative commandments. He led a very respectable life - he did not do harm to anybody.  That was good, but it was not good enough. He has not done any harm; it is true. But what good had he done? He had so much wealth,so much possession, but what had he done with his riches? Did he go out in helping others? Respectability consists in not doing harm to others, but Christianity consist in doing good things to the others. When Jesus suggested him to do something good, the man refused.
      He wanted to seek eternal life, without sacrifice. Without emptying himself he wanted to fill himself with God. His search for eternal life did not have the commitment. He was a shallow seeker. He came to Jesus to get eternal life without any willingness to change himself.

CHURCH JOKE

Can a Man ever do a wrong Transaction with God?

My friend invited me to his church for a thanksgiving service, and I sat at the front row,when it was time for offering, the offering basket was passed around. Despite d Pastor charge for good offering, I still hurriedly and secretly pulled out N50 from my pocket and dropped it. Just then, the person behind me tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a N1,000 note. I smiled, how generous, then majestically I looked around and put the N1,000 in the basket and passed it on, then I turned and thanked d man seriously for being so generous. He replied "don't mention'' be more careful next time, it fell from your pocket" WhaaaaT!!!!!???????....... Usher please wait, wrong Transaction!!!!!!!!! Don't laugh alone share it and make someone smile...

CAHOLIC ORTHODOX DIALOGUE

Catholic-Orthodox dialogue

In June 2004, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I's visited Rome on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June) for another personal meeting with Pope John Paul II, for conversations with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and for taking part in the celebration for the feast day in St. Peter's Basilica.

The Patriarch's partial participation in the Eucharistic liturgy at which the Pope presided followed the program of the past visits of Patriarch Dimitrios (1987) and Patriarch Bartholomew I himself: full participation in the Liturgy of the Word, joint proclamation by the Pope and by the Patriarch of the profession of faith according to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in Greek and as the conclusion, the final Blessing imparted by both the Pope and the Patriarch at the Altar of the Confessio.[265] The Patriarch did not fully participate in the Liturgy of the Eucharist involving the consecration and distribution of the Eucharist itself.[266][267]

In accordance with the Roman Catholic Church's practice of including the clause when reciting the Creed in Latin,[268] but not when reciting the Creed in Greek,[269] Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have recited the Nicene Creed jointly with Patriarchs Demetrius I and Bartholomew I in Greek without the Filioque clause.[270][271] The action of these Patriarchs in reciting the Creed together with the Popes has been strongly criticized by some elements of Eastern Orthodoxy, such as the Metropolitan of Kalavryta, Greece, in November 2008[272]

The declaration of Ravenna in 2007 re-asserted these beliefs, and re-stated the notion that the bishop of Rome is indeed the protos, although future discussions are to be held on the concrete ecclesiological exercise of papal primacy.

Sex abuse cases
Further information: Catholic sex abuse cases
Major lawsuits emerged in 2001 claiming that priests had sexually abused minors.[273] In response to the ensuing scandal, the Church has established formal procedures to prevent abuse, encourage reporting of any abuse that occurs and to handle such reports promptly, although groups representing victims have disputed their effectiveness.[274]

Some priests resigned, others were defrocked and jailed,[275] and there were financial settlements with many victims.[273] The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops commissioned a comprehensive study that found that four percent of all priests who served in the US from 1950 to 2002 had faced some sort of accusation of sexual misconduct.

Benedict XVI
With the election of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, the Church has so far seen largely a continuation of the policies of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, with some notable exceptions: Benedict decentralized beatifications and reverted the decision of his predecessor regarding papal elections.[276] In 2007, he set a Church record by approving the beatification of 498 Spanish Martyrs. His first encyclical Deus caritas est discussed love and sex in continued opposition to several other views on sexuality.

Roman Catholic attempts to improve ecumenical relations with the Eastern Orthodox Churches have been complicated by disputes over both doctrine and the recent history of the Orthodox Eastern Catholic Churches, involving the return of expropriatiated properties of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which the Orthodox Church took over after World War II at the request of Joseph Stalin.[citation needed]

Francis
With the election of Pope Francis in 2013, following the resignation of Benedict, Francis is the current and first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere.[277] Since his election to the papacy, he has displayed a simpler and less formal approach to the office, choosing to reside in the Vatican guesthouse rather than the papal residence.[278] He has signalled numerous dramatic changes in policy as well.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

History of the Catholic Church

See also: History of Christianity
The history of the Catholic Church begins with the teachings of Jesus Christ, who lived and preached in the 1st century AD in the province of Judea of the Roman Empire. The contemporary Catholic Church says that it is the continuation of the early Christian community established by Jesus.[1] Its bishops are the successors to the Apostles of Jesus, and the Bishop of Rome, also known as the Pope, is the sole successor to Saint Peter,[2] who was appointed by Jesus Christ to be the head of the church in the New Testament who ministered in Rome.[3][4] By the end of the 2nd century, bishops began congregating in regional synods to resolve doctrinal and policy issues.[5] By the 3rd century, the bishop of Rome began to act as a court of appeals for problems that other bishops could not resolve.[6]

Christianity spread throughout the early Roman Empire, despite persecutions due to conflicts with the pagan state religion. In 313, the struggles of the Early Church were lessened by the legalisation of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine I. In 380, under Emperor Theodosius I, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire by the decree of the Emperor, which would persist until the fall of the Western Empire, and later, with the Eastern Roman Empire, until the Fall of Constantinople. During this time (the period of the Seven Ecumenical Councils) there were considered five primary sees (jurisdictions within the Catholic Church) according to Eusebius: Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria, known as the Pentarchy.

After the destruction of the western Roman Empire, the church in the West was a major factor in the preservation of classical civilization, establishing monasteries, and sending missionaries to convert the peoples of northern Europe, as far as Ireland in the north. In the East, the Byzantine Empire preserved Orthodoxy, well after the massive invasions of Islam in the mid-7th century. The invasions of Islam devastated three of the five Patriarchal sees, capturing Jerusalem first, then Alexandria, and then finally in the mid-8th century, Antioch.

The whole period of the next five centuries was dominated by the struggle between Christianity and Islam throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The battles of Poitiers, and Toulouse preserved the Catholic west, even though Rome itself was ravaged in 850, and Constantinople besieged. In the 11th century, already strained relations between the primarily Greek church in the East, and the Latin church in the West, developed into the East-West Schism, partially due to conflicts over Papal Authority. The fourth crusade, and the sacking of Constantinople by renegade crusaders proved the final breach.

In the 16th century, in response to the Protestant Reformation, the Church engaged in a process of substantial reform and renewal known as the Counter-Reformation.[7] In subsequent centuries, Catholicism spread widely across the world despite experiencing a reduction in its hold on European populations due to the growth of Protestantism and also because of religious scepticism during and after the Enlightenment. The Second Vatican Council in the 1960s introduced the most significant changes to Catholic practices since the Council of Trent three centuries before.

OCTOBER DEVOTION

Catholic Prayer: October Devotion: The Holy Rosary
 
Prayer Categories
Devotion
Feasts
Our Lady of the Rosary
Description:

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. Pope Leo XIII personally started the practice of devoting October to the Rosary devotion. In a letter of September 1, 1883, mindful of the Rosary's power to strengthen faith and foster a life of virtue, he outlined the triumphs of the Rosary in past times and admonished the faithful to dedicate the month of October to the Blessed Virgin through the daily recitation of her Rosary in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, in order to obtain through her intercession the grace that God would console and defend His Church in her sufferings.

We highly recommend that you read Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, or "On the Most Holy Rosary." It explains even further this wonderful devotion, and introduces the optional mysteries of light, or Luminous mysteries.

Prayer:

INVOCATION Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.

TO THE QUEEN OF THE HOLY ROSARY Queen of the most holy Rosary, in these times of such brazen impiety, manifest thy power with the signs of thine ancient victories, and from thy throne, whence thou dost dispense pardon and graces, mercifully regard the Church of thy Son, His Vicar on earth, and every order of clergy and laity, who are sore oppressed in the mighty conflict. Do thou, who art the powerful vanquisher of all heresies, hasten the hour of mercy, even though the hour of God's justice is every day provoked by the countless sins of men. For me who am the least of men, kneeling before thee in supplication, do thou obtain the grace I need to live righteously upon earth and to reign among the just in heaven, the while in company with all faithful Christians throughout the world, I salute thee and acclaim thee as Queen of the most holy Rosary:

Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us.

TO OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY O Virgin Mary, grant that the recitation of thy Rosary may be for me each day, in the midst of my manifold duties, a bond of unity in my actions, a tribute of filial piety, a sweet refreshment, an encouragement to walk joyfully along the path of duty. Grant, above all, O Virgin Mary, that the study of thy fifteen mysteries may form in my soul, little by little, a luminous atmosphere, pure, strengthening, and fragrant, which may penetrate my understanding, my will, my heart, my memory, my imagination, my whole being. So shall I acquire the habit of praying while I work, without the aid of formal prayers, by interior acts of admiration and of supplication, or by aspirations of love. I ask this of thee, O Queen of the holy Rosary, through Saint Dominic, thy son of predilection, the renowned preacher of thy mysteries, and the faithful imitator of thy virtues. Amen.

FOR THE CRUSADE OF THE FAMILY ROSARY The Family Rosary Crusade, organized and directed by Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C., sought to revive the practice of families reciting the Rosary daily within their homes. The Crusade has the encouragement and support of Pope Pius XII and it is succeeding admirably in realizing the desire of the Pope that no family would allow a day to pass without the recitation of the Rosary. This prayer was composed by Cardinal Spellman when the Crusade visited his Archdiocese.

O Queen of the most holy Rosary: with hearts full of confidence we earnestly beseech you to bless the Crusade of the Family Rosary. From you came the grace to begin it. From you must come the grace to win souls to it. We beg you to bless this Crusade so that from every home the incense of this prayer will daily rise before you, O admirable Mother.

O Queen of Homes: by the power of the Rosary we beseech you to embrace all the members of our family in the love of your Immaculate Heart. May you abide with us and we with you, praying to you while you pray for us. May you preside in our homes as once you did at Naza
  aquarpro.blogspot.com

THE MONTH OF OCTOBER

Current scholarship traces the development of the Rosary to the High Middle Ages period. The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. This is primarily due to the fact that the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on October 7. It was instituted to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary in gratitude for the protection that she gives the Church in answer to the praying of the Rosary by the faithful.

The feast was introduced by Pope St. Pius V (1504-1572) in the year 1571 to commemorate the miraculous victory of the Christian forces in the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. The pope attributed more to the "arms" of the Rosary than the power of cannons and the valor of the soldiers who fought there.

Legend tells us that the Rosary as a form of prayer was given to St. Dominic (1170- 1221) by Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, who entrusted it to him as an aid in the conflicts with the Albigensians. The Dominican pope, St. Pius V, did much to further the spread of the Rosary and it thereafter became one of the most popular devotions in Christendom. It was the same Pope St. Pius V, who in 1569 officially approved the Rosary in its present form with the Papal Bull, Consueverunt Romani Pontifices. It had been completed by the addition of the second half of the "Hail Mary" and the "Glory be to the Father" at the conclusion of each mystery.

Middle Ages where it came into being in various medieval monasteries as a substitute for the Divine Office for the lay monks and devout lay persons who did not know how to read. Instead of the 150 psalms, they would pray 150 "Our Fathers" counting them on a ring of beads known as the crown or "corona." With the growth of popularity of Marian devotion in the twelfth century, the "Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary" developed now substituting 150 "Hail Marys" in place of the "Our Fathers."

The 150 "Hail Marys" were subsequently subdivided into fifteen decades by the young Dominican friar, Henry Kalkar (1328-1408), with each decade referring to an event in the life of Jesus and Mary. The Dominican, Alanus de Rupe (1428-1478) further divided the episodes in the history of salvation into the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries. He also attributed the origin of the Rosary, then known as the "Psalter of the Blessed Virgin" to St. Dominic and thus spurred the Dominican Order to make the Apostolate of the Rosary  their special concern. The Dominicans have, since then, promulgated the Rosary with notable results.

The practice of dedicating the entire month of October to the Holy Rosary developed toward the end of the last century. Pope Leo XIII (papacy: 1878-1903) strongly promoted the increase of devotion to the Blessed Mother by encouraging the constant use of the Rosary.

Beginning on September 1, 1883, with Supremo Apostolatus Officio, he wrote a total of eleven encyclicals on the Rosary , ending with Diuturni Temporis in 1898. We are currently celebrating the centennial of these papal encyclicals.

Many other popes have contributed to help increase devotion to the Rosary by their writings. In the recent past, Pope Paul VI ( papacy: 1963-1978) devoted the last section of his Apostolic Exhortation MARIALIS CULTUS to the Angelus and the Rosary (MC 40-55). In this document, he wrote that "the Rosary retains an unaltered value and intact freshness." (MC, 41)

The Rosary is primarily a scriptural prayer. This can be summarized by the traditional phrase used by Pope Pius XII (papacy: 1939-1958) that the Rosary is " a compendium of the entire Gospel" (AAS 38 [1946] p. 419). The Rosary draws its mysteries from the New Testament and is centered on the great events of the Incarnation and Redemption.

John Paul II called the Rosary his favorite prayer, in which we meditate with Mary upon the mysteries which she as a mother meditated on in her heart (Lk. 2:19) (Osservatore Romano, 44; 30 Oct. 1979).

In this month of October, let us consider this beautiful prayer of

            A GOSPEL FESTIVAL

The most striking and enduring image that emerges from Pope Francis' apostolic journey in latin America is perhaps that of a festival". This was fully evident at the farewell ceremony in Paraguay, full of music and colour, exemplifying the spontaneous, popular atmosphere that characterized the entire trip. It was a reflection, or at least was perceived as such, of the Gospel joy which lies at the heart of the missionary outreach of Francis' entire pontificate.
      Many people have noted Pope Francis' extraordinary ability to communicate, and this week in latin America he demonstrated why. It was evident whenever he remarked how at home he felt, but it was particularly evident in his interactions and the way in which he dialogues with others. It was perceivable in his words, but it was especially visible in his gestures, so full of tenderness and intimacy, as when he visited Baቨado Norte, a neighborhood on the periphery of Asuncion.
     There is little doubt that the thousands who participated in the Pope's meetings with young people and civic leaders will forever treasure their conversations with His Holiness. On more than one occasion Bergoglio neatly summarized the content of his prepared talks, while on other occasions - as during his meeting with young people as the sun set over the banks of the Paraguay River - he preferred to improvise his responses  after hearing personal testimonies from the participants. He also broadened the conversation to include the thousands who were present, summarizing the essential points of his reflections and having the crowds know catholic faith them.