WASHINGTON—Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, and Archbishop Rafael Romo Muñoz of Tijuana, Mexico, head of the Mexican Episcopal Conference Migration Commission, issued May 19, a joint statement on the occasion of President Felipe Caderón of Mexico visit to the United States.
In the statement, the bishops urged Presidents Obama and Calderón to focus their conversation on the need for reform of their respective immigration systems; the need to uphold the respect for human rights and dignity of migrants and citizens alike while protecting their nation’s borders; and the implementation of fair trade and development policies that would stem the need for people to migrate, while making sure the immigration system provides sufficient legal visas or legal status for immigrants to work in jobs that are important to the U.S. economy.
The statement was released in bilingual form. Full statement follows.
Statement of Most Reverend John C. Wester
Bishop of Salt Lake City, Utah
Chairman, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration
And
Most Reverend Rafael Romo Muñoz
Archbishop of Tijuana, Mexico
Chairman, Mexican Episcopal Conference Migration Commission
On
The State Visit of Mexican President Felipe Calderon to the United States
En Ocasión de la Visita del Presidente Felipe Calderón a Estados Unidos
May 19, 2010
On behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Mexican Episcopal Conference (CEM), we welcome the visit of Mexican President Felipe Calderon to the United States. The relationship between the United States and Mexico is extremely important, with mutual cooperation and understanding paramount. We pray that this visit will strengthen the political and policy-based relationship of the two leaders and their countries.
La Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos (USCCB) y la Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano (CEM) vemos con satisfacción la visita del mandatario mexicano Felipe Calderón a Estados Unidos. La cooperación y el entendimiento mutuo son de suma importancia en la relación de ambos estados. Elevamos nuestras oraciones para que esta visita fortalezca la relación política de ambos líderes y las naciones que gobiernan.
Specifically, we urge both leaders to focus upon the issue of immigration and how it impacts the most vulnerable: the migrant worker and their families. While we respect the obligation of both countries to ensure the integrity of their borders and the security of their peoples, we believe they can achieve these goals without sacrificing the basic human dignity and rights of the migrant.
Particularmente, urgimos a ambos líderes a centrar su atención en la migración, y cómo ésta afecta a los más vulnerables: al trabajador migrante y su familia. Si bien respetamos la obligación de ambos países de garantizar la integridad de sus fronteras y la seguridad de sus pueblos, también creemos que estos objetivos se pueden alcanzar sin sacrificar la dignidad humana básica y los derechos de los migrantes.
This requires both countries to examine critically their immigration policies, both in the areas of legal immigration and enforcement, and their adverse impact on human beings.
Esto requiere que ambos países, examinen con ojo crítico tanto sus políticas migratorias como la aplicación de sus leyes y el impacto adverso en los seres humanos.
With regard to the United States, it is essential that immigration reform legislation become a priority. Currently, the U.S. immigration system does not provide sufficient legal visas or legal status for immigrants to work in jobs that are important to the U.S. economy. A system which provides legal avenues for migration would reduce the exploitation of migrants by human smugglers and the number of migrant deaths in the desert. Reform must also bring migrants out of the shadows, so that they can live with their families without fear.
Con respecto a Estados Unidos, es necesario que el gobierno dé prioridad a una reforma migratoria integral. El sistema migratorio actual de Estados Unidos no proporciona suficientes vías legales o estatutosjurídicos para que los inmigrantes obtengan trabajos claves para la economía del país. Un sistema que proporcione vías legales para la inmigración reduciría la explotación a la que los trabajadores están sujetos por traficantes de personas y el número de migrantes que perecen en el desierto. Una reforma integral, además sacaría de la sombra a miles de inmigrantes indocumentados, para que puedan vivir con sus familias sin temor.
With regard to Mexico, changes must be made to ensure that migrants are not abused and subject to exploitation by criminal elements and corrupt officials. More attention should be paid to the creation of living-wage employment for low-skilled workers, so that they can stay at home and support their families in dignity. This would help reduce illegal immigration over the long-term, a goal which both nations share.
Respecto a México, los cambios deben garantizar que los migrantes no sean objeto de abusos ni sujetos de explotación por parte de bandas criminales y funcionarios corruptos. Es necesario prestar atención a la creación de oportunidades para sus ciudadanos en sus lugares de origen, que les permitan vivir en condiciones dignas en su país. Esta situación ayudaría a reducir la migración indocumentada a largo plazo, un objetivo que ambas naciones comparten.
The United States and Mexico have an opportunity to work together to prevent illegal immigration in a humane manner, not in a way which places total emphasis on enforcement measures. While both countries exchange commerce, information, and capital on a regular basis, the movement of labor has yet to be regularized, to the detriment of the basic rights of human beings.
Estados Unidos y México tienen la oportunidad de trabajar juntos para prevenir la migración indocumentada de forma humana y no sólo aplicando medidas restrictivas. Mientras que ambos países intercambian comercio, información y capital con regularidad, el movimiento de mano de obra entre ambos países aún no se regulariza, en detrimento de los derechos fundamentales de muchos seres humanos.
Over the long-term, cooperation and aid agreements as well as trade and economic pacts considered by both nations should address the movement of labor and the impact such agreements may have on the migration of peoples between the two countries.
A largo plazo, el comercio, la cooperación y los acuerdos económicos considerados por ambas naciones deberían abordar el tema del flujo de trabajadores y el impacto que tales acuerdos pueden tener en la migración de personas entre los dos países.
The United States and Mexico face a crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border, with drug cartels and human smuggling networks battling with law enforcement and placing citizens of both sides of the border at risk. Repairing the immigration laws in both countries would help take migrants out of the enforcement equation and would permit law enforcement to focus their limited resources on criminal networks.
Estados Unidos y México enfrentan una crisis a lo largo de su frontera común, en la lucha contra de carteles de la droga y redes de contrabando humano, que pone en riesgo a los ciudadanos que residen en ambos lados de la frontera. Reparar las leyes migratorias de ambos países, ayudaría a sacar a los inmigrantes de la ecuación y facilitaría que las fuerzas de seguridad enfoquen los recursos limitados de que disponen en el combate contra redes criminales.
In conclusion, we urge both President Obama and President Calderon to work cooperatively toward the mutual goals of creating a safe border and a humane and fair immigration system. Only through bi-national cooperation will this issue be solved in a manner which serves the interests of both nations, upholds the rule of law, and respects the rights of both U.S. and Mexican citizens.
En conclusión, rogamos tanto al Presidente Obama como al Presidente Calderón que trabajen en conjunto hacia un objetivo común para crear una frontera segura y un sistema de inmigración humano y justo. Solamente a través de la cooperación binacional este problema se resolverá de una manera que sirva a los intereses de ambas naciones, respete sus leyes y los derechos de sus conciudadanos
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of May 16, 2010
Catholic Charities. Providing Help. Creating Hope.
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (Ascension of the Lord, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/051610a.shtml ) we read in the Gospel from St. Luke how Jesus promises his disciples the continued presence of the Father and great power. Luke, both in the Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles, tells of the moment wherein Jesus ascends into heaven. But this is not a story of being left alone. Rather, Jesus' promise of the Spirit gives great joy to the disciples as they continue in their ministry.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org we too are witnesses to the great promise of Jesus: that the Spirit will empower us to continue to provide Good News to everyone. Great joy is the experience. We too share that joy in knowing that God is with us. We strive on a daily basis to provide that same joy and hope to each person who we encounter in our agencies.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx
THURSDAY, MAY 20. St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown, Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt (her parents had died when he was a child) and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.
At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
The Bishop's Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church is in full swing. Please consider donating. Visit www.ccdoy.org This year, Catholic Charities is celebrating 100 years of providing help and creating hope in the United States. Consider a memorial or honorary gift to Catholic Charities in the name of a loved one to commemorate this milestone anniversary. For more information, call Rachel Hrbolich at 330-744-8451, ext. 328. All 100th anniversary contributions will be listed in a special section of the Catholic Charities Newsletter.
Reflection: Pray for all those touched by our difficult economic times. You may even be praying for yourself!
Prayer Intention: That all will have been affected by our economic decline may find hope in these tough times.
PAPAL INTENTIONS: MAY 2010
Human Trafficking
General: That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended.
Priests, Religious and Committed Lay People
Missionary: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Note: Please consider joining our
FACEBOOK CAUSE http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106889
FACEBOOK GROUP http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=461833870606
TWITTER account, CCDOY, http://twitter.com/CCDOY
for current updates and calls to action that we can all use.
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (Ascension of the Lord, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/051610a.shtml ) we read in the Gospel from St. Luke how Jesus promises his disciples the continued presence of the Father and great power. Luke, both in the Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles, tells of the moment wherein Jesus ascends into heaven. But this is not a story of being left alone. Rather, Jesus' promise of the Spirit gives great joy to the disciples as they continue in their ministry.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org we too are witnesses to the great promise of Jesus: that the Spirit will empower us to continue to provide Good News to everyone. Great joy is the experience. We too share that joy in knowing that God is with us. We strive on a daily basis to provide that same joy and hope to each person who we encounter in our agencies.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
"More than forty years after Populorum Progressio, its basic theme, namely progress, remains an open question, made all the more acute and urgent by the current economic and financial crisis. If some areas of the globe, with a history of poverty, have experienced remarkable changes in terms of their economic growth and their share in world production, other zones are still living in a situation of deprivation comparable to that which existed at the time of Paul VI, and in some cases one can even speak of a deterioration. It is significant that some of the causes of this situation were identified in Populorum Progressio, such as the high tariffs imposed by economically developed countries, which still make it difficult for the products of poor countries to gain a foothold in the markets of rich countries. Other causes, however, mentioned only in passing in the Encyclical, have since emerged with greater clarity. A case in point would be the evaluation of the process of decolonization, then at its height. Paul VI hoped to see the journey towards autonomy unfold freely and in peace. More than forty years later, we must acknowledge how difficult this journey has been, both because of new forms of colonialism and continued dependence on old and new foreign powers, and because of grave irresponsibility within the very countries that have achieved independence." (par. 33, a)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm
Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx
THURSDAY, MAY 20. St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
When he was 20, the plague was at its height in his hometown, Siena. Sometimes as many as 20 people died in one day at the hospital. Bernardine offered to run the hospital and, with the help of other young men, nursed patients there for four months. He escaped the plague but was so exhausted that a fever confined him for several months. He spent another year caring for a beloved aunt (her parents had died when he was a child) and at her death began to fast and pray to know God’s will for him.
At 22, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained two years later. For almost a dozen years he lived in solitude and prayer, but his gifts ultimately caused him to be sent to preach. He always traveled on foot, sometimes speaking for hours in one place, then doing the same in another town.
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
The Bishop's Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church is in full swing. Please consider donating. Visit www.ccdoy.org This year, Catholic Charities is celebrating 100 years of providing help and creating hope in the United States. Consider a memorial or honorary gift to Catholic Charities in the name of a loved one to commemorate this milestone anniversary. For more information, call Rachel Hrbolich at 330-744-8451, ext. 328. All 100th anniversary contributions will be listed in a special section of the Catholic Charities Newsletter.
Reflection: Pray for all those touched by our difficult economic times. You may even be praying for yourself!
Prayer Intention: That all will have been affected by our economic decline may find hope in these tough times.
PAPAL INTENTIONS: MAY 2010
Human Trafficking
General: That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended.
Priests, Religious and Committed Lay People
Missionary: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
Note: Please consider joining our
FACEBOOK CAUSE http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106889
FACEBOOK GROUP http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=461833870606
TWITTER account, CCDOY, http://twitter.com/CCDOY
for current updates and calls to action that we can all use.
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
Friday, May 14, 2010
Pope to Charity Workers: Unite Action With Prayer
Calls for New Generation of Servant Leaders
FATIMA, Portugal, MAY 13, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Benedict XVI is urging charity workers to combine their action with prayer, and to keep their Catholic identity strong despite cultural pressures.
The Pope stated this today in Fatima at a meeting with people involved in charity organizations and social work. The event was part of the third day of the Pontiff's four-day visit to Portugal.
Often, he said, "it is not easy to arrive at a satisfactory synthesis between spiritual life and apostolic activity."
"The pressure exerted by the prevailing culture, which constantly holds up a lifestyle based on the law of the stronger, on easy and attractive gain, ends up influencing our ways of thinking, our projects and the goals of our service, and risks emptying them of the motivation of faith and Christian hope which had originally inspired them," the Holy Father acknowledged.
As well, he continued, the "many pressing requests which we receive for support and assistance from the poor and marginalized of society impel us to look for solutions which correspond to the logic of efficiency, quantifiable effects and publicity."
Nonetheless, Benedict XVI stated, the synthesis of prayer and action is "absolutely necessary."
He underlined the need for Catholic workers to hold fast to their identity, and ensure "that Christian charitable activity is granted autonomy and independence from politics and ideologies even while cooperating with state agencies in the pursuit of common goals."
"The services you provide, and your educational and charitable activities, must all be crowned by projects of freedom whose goal is human promotion and universal fraternity," the Pope stated.
United
"Yours is a variety of faces," he noted, yet all united "in concern for social issues and, above all, in showing compassion to the poor, the infirm, prisoners, the lonely and abandoned, the disabled, children and the elderly, migrants, the unemployed and all those who experience needs which compromise personal dignity and freedom."
The Pontiff expressed appreciation for "all those social and pastoral initiatives aimed at combating the socio-economic and cultural mechanisms which lead to abortion, and are openly concerned to defend life and to promote the reconciliation and healing of those harmed by the tragedy of abortion."
He continued: "Initiatives aimed at protecting the essential and primary values of life, beginning at conception, and of the family based on the indissoluble marriage between a man and a woman, help to respond to some of today's most insidious and dangerous threats to the common good.
"Such initiatives represent, alongside numerous other forms of commitment, essential elements in the building of the civilization of love."
"In its social and political dimension, this service of charity is the proper realm of the lay faithful," the Holy Father affirmed, "who are called to organically promote justice and the common good, and to configure social life correctly."
He noted that "a new generation of servant leaders needs to be trained" for future work.
Benedict XVI affirmed that "anyone who learns from the God who is Love will inevitably be a person for others."
--- --- ---
On ZENIT's Web page:
Full text: http://zenit.org/article-29245?l=english
FATIMA, Portugal, MAY 13, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Benedict XVI is urging charity workers to combine their action with prayer, and to keep their Catholic identity strong despite cultural pressures.
The Pope stated this today in Fatima at a meeting with people involved in charity organizations and social work. The event was part of the third day of the Pontiff's four-day visit to Portugal.
Often, he said, "it is not easy to arrive at a satisfactory synthesis between spiritual life and apostolic activity."
"The pressure exerted by the prevailing culture, which constantly holds up a lifestyle based on the law of the stronger, on easy and attractive gain, ends up influencing our ways of thinking, our projects and the goals of our service, and risks emptying them of the motivation of faith and Christian hope which had originally inspired them," the Holy Father acknowledged.
As well, he continued, the "many pressing requests which we receive for support and assistance from the poor and marginalized of society impel us to look for solutions which correspond to the logic of efficiency, quantifiable effects and publicity."
Nonetheless, Benedict XVI stated, the synthesis of prayer and action is "absolutely necessary."
He underlined the need for Catholic workers to hold fast to their identity, and ensure "that Christian charitable activity is granted autonomy and independence from politics and ideologies even while cooperating with state agencies in the pursuit of common goals."
"The services you provide, and your educational and charitable activities, must all be crowned by projects of freedom whose goal is human promotion and universal fraternity," the Pope stated.
United
"Yours is a variety of faces," he noted, yet all united "in concern for social issues and, above all, in showing compassion to the poor, the infirm, prisoners, the lonely and abandoned, the disabled, children and the elderly, migrants, the unemployed and all those who experience needs which compromise personal dignity and freedom."
The Pontiff expressed appreciation for "all those social and pastoral initiatives aimed at combating the socio-economic and cultural mechanisms which lead to abortion, and are openly concerned to defend life and to promote the reconciliation and healing of those harmed by the tragedy of abortion."
He continued: "Initiatives aimed at protecting the essential and primary values of life, beginning at conception, and of the family based on the indissoluble marriage between a man and a woman, help to respond to some of today's most insidious and dangerous threats to the common good.
"Such initiatives represent, alongside numerous other forms of commitment, essential elements in the building of the civilization of love."
"In its social and political dimension, this service of charity is the proper realm of the lay faithful," the Holy Father affirmed, "who are called to organically promote justice and the common good, and to configure social life correctly."
He noted that "a new generation of servant leaders needs to be trained" for future work.
Benedict XVI affirmed that "anyone who learns from the God who is Love will inevitably be a person for others."
--- --- ---
On ZENIT's Web page:
Full text: http://zenit.org/article-29245?l=english
Sunday, May 9, 2010
MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of May 9, 2010
Catholic Charities. Providing Help. Creating Hope.
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/050910.shtml) we read in the Gospel from St. John how Jesus promises the Spirit will come, be with us, and teach us how to live. Jesus tells his followers not to be afraid, but to experience his peace, and ultimately his joy, in knowing of God's love for us.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org we cannot be afraid in pursuring our mission of service, advocacy and convening.
Resources may be tight; demands may be high. But due to the Promise made by Jesus to send His Spirit, the Advocate, and as He shared his peace with us, we too must live in the knowledge that God is with us, now. As a ministry of the Church, founded at Pentecost with the coming of the Spirit, we can never be afraid. The Spirit empowers us to help people face their challenges, be signs of God's peace, and be advocates to help them solve their problems.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm
Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx
SUNDAY MAY 9. Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day.
MONDAY MAY 10. St. Damien of Molokai 1840-1889. When Joseph de Veuster was born in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840, few people in Europe had any firsthand knowledge of leprosy (Hansen's disease). By the time he died at the age of 49, people all over the world knew about this disease because of him. They knew that human compassion could soften the ravages of this disease.
Forced to quit school at age 13 to work on the family farm, six years later Joseph entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, taking the name of a fourth-century physician and martyr. When his brother Pamphile, a priest in the same congregation, fell ill and was unable to go to the Hawaiian Islands as assigned, Damien quickly volunteered in his place. In May 1864, two months after arriving in his new mission, Damien was ordained a priest in Honolulu and assigned to the island of Hawaii.
In 1873, he went to the Hawaiian government's leper colony on the island of Molokai, set up seven years earlier. Part of a team of four chaplains taking that assignment for three months each year, Damien soon volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people's physical, medical and spiritual needs. In time, he became their most effective advocate to obtain promised government support.
Soon the settlement had new houses and a new church, school and orphanage. Morale improved considerably. A few years later he succeeded in getting the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by Mother Marianne Cope (January 23), to help staff this colony in Kalaupapa.
Damien contracted Hansen's disease and died of its complications. As requested, he was buried in Kalaupapa, but in 1936 the Belgian government succeeded in having his body moved to Belgium. Part of Damien's body was returned to his beloved Hawaiian brothers and sisters after his beatification in 1995.
When Hawaii became a state in 1959, it selected Damien as one of its two representatives in the Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
SATURDAY, MAY 15. St. Isidore the Farmer. (1070-1130) Isidore has become the patron of farmers and rural communities. In particular he is the patron of Madrid, Spain, and of the United States National Rural Life Conference.
When he was barely old enough to wield a hoe, Isidore entered the service of John de Vergas, a wealthy landowner from Madrid, and worked faithfully on his estate outside the city for the rest of his life. He married a young woman as simple and upright as himself who also became a saint—Maria de la Cabeza. They had one son, who died as a child.
Isidore had deep religious instincts. He rose early in the morning to go to church and spent many a holiday devoutly visiting the churches of Madrid and surrounding areas. All day long, as he walked behind the plow, he communed with God. His devotion, one might say, became a problem, for his fellow workers sometimes complained that he often showed up late because of lingering in church too long.
He was known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isidore’s supplying them miraculously with food. He had a great concern for the proper treatment of animals.
He died May 15, 1130, and was declared a saint in 1622 with Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Philip Neri. Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.”
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
This Mother’s Day weekend pray for women who are victims of domestic violence. In Columbiana County, Catholic Charities Regional Agency operates Christina House, a safe place for women and their children. Consider a toiletry drive for those women and children in Columbiana County who look to Catholic Charities for help and hope in a crisis.
The Bishop's Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church is in full swing. Please consider donating. Visit www.ccdoy.org
Reflection: Pray for all those touched by our difficult economic times. You may even be praying for yourself!
Prayer Intention: That all will have been affected by our economic decline may find hope in these tough times.
PAPAL INTENTIONS: MAY 2010
Human Trafficking
General: That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended.
Priests, Religious and Committed Lay People
Missionary: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/050910.shtml) we read in the Gospel from St. John how Jesus promises the Spirit will come, be with us, and teach us how to live. Jesus tells his followers not to be afraid, but to experience his peace, and ultimately his joy, in knowing of God's love for us.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org we cannot be afraid in pursuring our mission of service, advocacy and convening.
Resources may be tight; demands may be high. But due to the Promise made by Jesus to send His Spirit, the Advocate, and as He shared his peace with us, we too must live in the knowledge that God is with us, now. As a ministry of the Church, founded at Pentecost with the coming of the Spirit, we can never be afraid. The Spirit empowers us to help people face their challenges, be signs of God's peace, and be advocates to help them solve their problems.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
"Economic science tells us that structural insecurity generates anti-productive attitudes wasteful of human resources, inasmuch as workers tend to adapt passively to automatic mechanisms, rather than to release creativity. On this point too, there is a convergence between economic science and moral evaluation. Human costs always include economic costs, and economic dysfunctions always involve human costs.
It should be remembered that the reduction of cultures to the technological dimension, even if it favours short-term profits, in the long term impedes reciprocal enrichment and the dynamics of cooperation. It is important to distinguish between short- and long-term economic or sociological considerations. Lowering the level of protection accorded to the rights of workers, or abandoning mechanisms of wealth redistribution in order to increase the country's international competitiveness, hinder the achievement of lasting development. Moreover, the human consequences of current tendencies towards a short-term economy — sometimes very short-term — need to be carefully evaluated. This requires further and deeper reflection on the meaning of the economy and its goals, as well as a profound and far-sighted revision of the current model of development, so as to correct its dysfunctions and deviations. This is demanded, in any case, by the earth's state of ecological health; above all it is required by the cultural and moral crisis of man, the symptoms of which have been evident for some time all over the world." (par. 32, c-d)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm
Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx
SUNDAY MAY 9. Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day.
MONDAY MAY 10. St. Damien of Molokai 1840-1889. When Joseph de Veuster was born in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840, few people in Europe had any firsthand knowledge of leprosy (Hansen's disease). By the time he died at the age of 49, people all over the world knew about this disease because of him. They knew that human compassion could soften the ravages of this disease.
Forced to quit school at age 13 to work on the family farm, six years later Joseph entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, taking the name of a fourth-century physician and martyr. When his brother Pamphile, a priest in the same congregation, fell ill and was unable to go to the Hawaiian Islands as assigned, Damien quickly volunteered in his place. In May 1864, two months after arriving in his new mission, Damien was ordained a priest in Honolulu and assigned to the island of Hawaii.
In 1873, he went to the Hawaiian government's leper colony on the island of Molokai, set up seven years earlier. Part of a team of four chaplains taking that assignment for three months each year, Damien soon volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people's physical, medical and spiritual needs. In time, he became their most effective advocate to obtain promised government support.
Soon the settlement had new houses and a new church, school and orphanage. Morale improved considerably. A few years later he succeeded in getting the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by Mother Marianne Cope (January 23), to help staff this colony in Kalaupapa.
Damien contracted Hansen's disease and died of its complications. As requested, he was buried in Kalaupapa, but in 1936 the Belgian government succeeded in having his body moved to Belgium. Part of Damien's body was returned to his beloved Hawaiian brothers and sisters after his beatification in 1995.
When Hawaii became a state in 1959, it selected Damien as one of its two representatives in the Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
SATURDAY, MAY 15. St. Isidore the Farmer. (1070-1130) Isidore has become the patron of farmers and rural communities. In particular he is the patron of Madrid, Spain, and of the United States National Rural Life Conference.
When he was barely old enough to wield a hoe, Isidore entered the service of John de Vergas, a wealthy landowner from Madrid, and worked faithfully on his estate outside the city for the rest of his life. He married a young woman as simple and upright as himself who also became a saint—Maria de la Cabeza. They had one son, who died as a child.
Isidore had deep religious instincts. He rose early in the morning to go to church and spent many a holiday devoutly visiting the churches of Madrid and surrounding areas. All day long, as he walked behind the plow, he communed with God. His devotion, one might say, became a problem, for his fellow workers sometimes complained that he often showed up late because of lingering in church too long.
He was known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isidore’s supplying them miraculously with food. He had a great concern for the proper treatment of animals.
He died May 15, 1130, and was declared a saint in 1622 with Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Philip Neri. Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.”
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
This Mother’s Day weekend pray for women who are victims of domestic violence. In Columbiana County, Catholic Charities Regional Agency operates Christina House, a safe place for women and their children. Consider a toiletry drive for those women and children in Columbiana County who look to Catholic Charities for help and hope in a crisis.
The Bishop's Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church is in full swing. Please consider donating. Visit www.ccdoy.org
Reflection: Pray for all those touched by our difficult economic times. You may even be praying for yourself!
Prayer Intention: That all will have been affected by our economic decline may find hope in these tough times.
PAPAL INTENTIONS: MAY 2010
Human Trafficking
General: That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended.
Priests, Religious and Committed Lay People
Missionary: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Pontiff Calls for Re-Plan of Economics
Says Governing Principles Can Be Found in Natural Law
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Benedict XVI says it is clear the market cannot regulate itself, but the principles that should regulate it are accessible with reasoned reflection.
The Pope affirmed this today when he addressed the 16th plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
The academy's assembly is focused on "Crisis in a Global Economy. Re-planning the Journey." It began today and concludes Tuesday.
The Holy Father observed, "The worldwide financial breakdown has, as we know, demonstrated the fragility of the present economic system and the institutions linked to it. It has also shown the error of the assumption that the market is capable of regulating itself, apart from public intervention and the support of internalized moral standards."
He said this erroneous assumption is based on an "impoverished notion of economic life as a sort of self-calibrating mechanism driven by self-interest and profit-seeking."
Instead, he explained, economics has an essentially ethical nature as "an activity of and for human beings."
"Rather than a spiral of production and consumption in view of narrowly-defined human needs, economic life should properly be seen as an exercise of human responsibility, intrinsically oriented towards the promotion of the dignity of the person, the pursuit of the common good and the integral development -- political, cultural and spiritual -- of individuals, families and societies," he clarified.
Charity in truth
Benedict XVI acknowledged that re-planning the system means "looking to comprehensive and objective standards against which to judge the structures, institutions and concrete decisions which guide and direct economic life."
These principles have an ultimate source in natural law, he said. And thus, "the principles of this ethical order, inscribed in creation itself, are accessible to human reason and, as such, must be adopted as the basis for practical choices."
One of the indispensable principles shaping such an integral ethical approach to economic life is promotion of the common good, the Holy Father explained.
He added: "In the end, however, all economic decisions and policies must be directed towards 'charity in truth,' inasmuch as truth preserves and channels the liberating power of charity amid ever-contingent human events and structures.
"For 'without truth, without trust and love for what is true, there is no social conscience and responsibility, and social action ends up serving private interests and the logic of power, resulting in social fragmentation.'"
--- --- ---
On ZENIT's Web page:
Full text: www.zenit.org/article-29101?l=english
VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Benedict XVI says it is clear the market cannot regulate itself, but the principles that should regulate it are accessible with reasoned reflection.
The Pope affirmed this today when he addressed the 16th plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
The academy's assembly is focused on "Crisis in a Global Economy. Re-planning the Journey." It began today and concludes Tuesday.
The Holy Father observed, "The worldwide financial breakdown has, as we know, demonstrated the fragility of the present economic system and the institutions linked to it. It has also shown the error of the assumption that the market is capable of regulating itself, apart from public intervention and the support of internalized moral standards."
He said this erroneous assumption is based on an "impoverished notion of economic life as a sort of self-calibrating mechanism driven by self-interest and profit-seeking."
Instead, he explained, economics has an essentially ethical nature as "an activity of and for human beings."
"Rather than a spiral of production and consumption in view of narrowly-defined human needs, economic life should properly be seen as an exercise of human responsibility, intrinsically oriented towards the promotion of the dignity of the person, the pursuit of the common good and the integral development -- political, cultural and spiritual -- of individuals, families and societies," he clarified.
Charity in truth
Benedict XVI acknowledged that re-planning the system means "looking to comprehensive and objective standards against which to judge the structures, institutions and concrete decisions which guide and direct economic life."
These principles have an ultimate source in natural law, he said. And thus, "the principles of this ethical order, inscribed in creation itself, are accessible to human reason and, as such, must be adopted as the basis for practical choices."
One of the indispensable principles shaping such an integral ethical approach to economic life is promotion of the common good, the Holy Father explained.
He added: "In the end, however, all economic decisions and policies must be directed towards 'charity in truth,' inasmuch as truth preserves and channels the liberating power of charity amid ever-contingent human events and structures.
"For 'without truth, without trust and love for what is true, there is no social conscience and responsibility, and social action ends up serving private interests and the logic of power, resulting in social fragmentation.'"
--- --- ---
On ZENIT's Web page:
Full text: www.zenit.org/article-29101?l=english
Holy See on Nuclear Nonproliferation
"It Is Possible to Make a Real Difference for Human Security"
NEW YORK, MAY 7, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Here is the address Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer at the United Nations, delivered Thursday at the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
* * *
Mr. President,
Allow me to congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. My Delegation assures you of its full support in your endeavours towards a successful outcome of the Conference.
At the outset, I would like to read the message that Pope Benedict XVI has sent to this Conference: “The process towards a coordinated and secure nuclear disarmament is strictly connected to the full and rapid fulfillment of the relevant international commitments. Peace, in fact, rests on trust and on respect for promises made, not merely on the equilibrium of forces. In this spirit, I encourage the initiatives that seek progressive disarmament and the creation of zones free of nuclear weapons, with a view to their complete elimination from the planet. I exhort all those participating in the New York meeting to overcome the burdens of history and to weave patiently a political and economic web of peace in order to foster integral human development and the authentic aspirations of peoples”.
Nuclear weapons have remained a central item on the disarmament agenda for decades now. These weapons continue to exist in huge quantities, some of them in a state of operational readiness. They are no longer just for deterrence but have become entrenched in the military doctrines of the major powers. The danger of proliferation has escalated. The threat of nuclear terrorism has become real.
In this context the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) remains a valid and indispensable multilateral instrument binding States Parties in its totality and particularly in its call to negotiations “in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control” (Art. VI).
One of the challenges is the fact that nuclear-weapon States, 40 years after the NPT entered into force, have still to pursue in a clear and effective way these negotiations mandated by Art. VI of the NPT, to comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice that negotiations leading to the elimination of nuclear weapons must be concluded and to take the steps adopted in the year 2000 for their complete elimination. Nuclear disarmament is one of the pillars of the Treaty which ultimately conditions the other two for a simple fact: as long as nuclear weapons exist they will allow and even encourage proliferation and there will always be a risk that nuclear material produced for the peaceful use of energy will be turned into weapons. The effectiveness of our concerns and endeavours to put an end to nuclear proliferation needs to be supported by a strong moral authority. Moral authority comes first and foremost from respecting and delivering on promises and commitments.
The military doctrines which continue to rely on nuclear weapons as a means of security and defence or even measure of power, de facto slow down nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation processes. The Holy See strongly advocates for transparent, verifiable, global and irreversible nuclear disarmament and for addressing seriously the issues of nuclear strategic arms, the tactical ones and their means of delivery. In this context, the Holy See welcomes the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is of the highest priority. The universal banning of nuclear explosions will inhibit the development of nuclear weapons, and thus will contribute to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and will prevent further damage to the environment. In this direction, it is crucial to halt the production and transfer of fissile material for weapons. The immediate commencement of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) is a matter of responsibility and must not be further delayed. The Holy See encourages also nuclear-weapon States and those which possess such weapons to ratify the respective Protocols to the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones Treaties and strongly supports efforts to establish such a zone in the Middle East. Nuclear-weapon-free zones are the best example of trust, confidence and affirmation that peace and security is possible without possessing nuclear weapons.
The international community needs to seek new approaches to nuclear disarmament. It is a fact that no force on earth will be able to protect civil populations from the explosion of nuclear bombs, which could cause as many as millions of immediate deaths. Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are indeed essential also from a humanitarian point of view. Every step on the non-proliferation and disarmament agenda must be geared towards ensuring the security and survival of humanity and must build on principles of the preeminent and inherent value of human dignity and the centrality of the human person, which constitute the basis of international humanitarian law. Important lessons can be learned from the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Mine Ban Treaty, which both demonstrate that it is possible to make a real difference for human security by breaking old habits.
Mr. President, the world has arrived at an opportune moment to begin addressing in a systematic way the legal, political and technical requisites for a nuclear weapons free world. For this reason, preparatory work should begin as soon as possible on a convention or framework agreement leading to the phased elimination of nuclear weapons.
Thank you, Mr. President.
NEW YORK, MAY 7, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Here is the address Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's permanent observer at the United Nations, delivered Thursday at the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
* * *
Mr. President,
Allow me to congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference. My Delegation assures you of its full support in your endeavours towards a successful outcome of the Conference.
At the outset, I would like to read the message that Pope Benedict XVI has sent to this Conference: “The process towards a coordinated and secure nuclear disarmament is strictly connected to the full and rapid fulfillment of the relevant international commitments. Peace, in fact, rests on trust and on respect for promises made, not merely on the equilibrium of forces. In this spirit, I encourage the initiatives that seek progressive disarmament and the creation of zones free of nuclear weapons, with a view to their complete elimination from the planet. I exhort all those participating in the New York meeting to overcome the burdens of history and to weave patiently a political and economic web of peace in order to foster integral human development and the authentic aspirations of peoples”.
Nuclear weapons have remained a central item on the disarmament agenda for decades now. These weapons continue to exist in huge quantities, some of them in a state of operational readiness. They are no longer just for deterrence but have become entrenched in the military doctrines of the major powers. The danger of proliferation has escalated. The threat of nuclear terrorism has become real.
In this context the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) remains a valid and indispensable multilateral instrument binding States Parties in its totality and particularly in its call to negotiations “in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control” (Art. VI).
One of the challenges is the fact that nuclear-weapon States, 40 years after the NPT entered into force, have still to pursue in a clear and effective way these negotiations mandated by Art. VI of the NPT, to comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice that negotiations leading to the elimination of nuclear weapons must be concluded and to take the steps adopted in the year 2000 for their complete elimination. Nuclear disarmament is one of the pillars of the Treaty which ultimately conditions the other two for a simple fact: as long as nuclear weapons exist they will allow and even encourage proliferation and there will always be a risk that nuclear material produced for the peaceful use of energy will be turned into weapons. The effectiveness of our concerns and endeavours to put an end to nuclear proliferation needs to be supported by a strong moral authority. Moral authority comes first and foremost from respecting and delivering on promises and commitments.
The military doctrines which continue to rely on nuclear weapons as a means of security and defence or even measure of power, de facto slow down nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation processes. The Holy See strongly advocates for transparent, verifiable, global and irreversible nuclear disarmament and for addressing seriously the issues of nuclear strategic arms, the tactical ones and their means of delivery. In this context, the Holy See welcomes the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is of the highest priority. The universal banning of nuclear explosions will inhibit the development of nuclear weapons, and thus will contribute to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and will prevent further damage to the environment. In this direction, it is crucial to halt the production and transfer of fissile material for weapons. The immediate commencement of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) is a matter of responsibility and must not be further delayed. The Holy See encourages also nuclear-weapon States and those which possess such weapons to ratify the respective Protocols to the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones Treaties and strongly supports efforts to establish such a zone in the Middle East. Nuclear-weapon-free zones are the best example of trust, confidence and affirmation that peace and security is possible without possessing nuclear weapons.
The international community needs to seek new approaches to nuclear disarmament. It is a fact that no force on earth will be able to protect civil populations from the explosion of nuclear bombs, which could cause as many as millions of immediate deaths. Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are indeed essential also from a humanitarian point of view. Every step on the non-proliferation and disarmament agenda must be geared towards ensuring the security and survival of humanity and must build on principles of the preeminent and inherent value of human dignity and the centrality of the human person, which constitute the basis of international humanitarian law. Important lessons can be learned from the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the Mine Ban Treaty, which both demonstrate that it is possible to make a real difference for human security by breaking old habits.
Mr. President, the world has arrived at an opportune moment to begin addressing in a systematic way the legal, political and technical requisites for a nuclear weapons free world. For this reason, preparatory work should begin as soon as possible on a convention or framework agreement leading to the phased elimination of nuclear weapons.
Thank you, Mr. President.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for week of May 2, 2010
Catholic Charities. Providing Help. Creating Hope.
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/050210.shtml ) we read in the book of Revelation as St John proclaims that: "Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away. Behold, I make all things new.” Then we hear about how St Paul and Barnabas travel throughout the land and support the local Churches in their work and through their struggle. These Apostles remind the local faith community that God is with them, and to remember Jesus' message of hope. What is that message? We hear in the Gospel of John: Jesus tells his disciples:
"I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.” The bottom line message: love one another. That makes all things new.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org we notice that our very name, Charities, or in Latin, "Caritas," is that very word of hope: it means "love." Our very work is the lived expression of love. We help and organize people to love each other. We help make "all things new" by assisting those who we serve to see, and touch, the very face of God. We continue that ministry of Jesus to organize love. Each of us is called to be that disciple who loves as the Lord commands. Catholic Charities incarnates that very Word.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm
Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx
SUNDAY MAY 9. Mother's Day. Consider sending your mom, or a mom who needs help and support, some fair traded chocolate, coffee, tea or another such product. Visit Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade website at http://www.crsfairtrade.org.
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
This month kicks off the seventh annual Catholic Charities First Step for Change campaign. Last year, Catholic Charities provided material assistance and case management services to 2,354 low-income women and families with children ages 0-3 through the First Step Program/
The Bishop's Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church is in full swing. Please consider donating. Visit www.ccdoy.org
Reflection: Pray for all those touched by our difficult economic times. You may even be praying for yourself!
Prayer Intention: That all will have been affected by our economic decline may find hope in these tough times.
PAPAL INTENTIONS: MAY 2010
Human Trafficking
General: That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended.
Priests, Religious and Committed Lay People
Missionary: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.
MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.
KEY VALUE: Hospitality
WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)
On Sunday (Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/050210.shtml ) we read in the book of Revelation as St John proclaims that: "Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away. Behold, I make all things new.” Then we hear about how St Paul and Barnabas travel throughout the land and support the local Churches in their work and through their struggle. These Apostles remind the local faith community that God is with them, and to remember Jesus' message of hope. What is that message? We hear in the Gospel of John: Jesus tells his disciples:
"I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another.” The bottom line message: love one another. That makes all things new.
In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org we notice that our very name, Charities, or in Latin, "Caritas," is that very word of hope: it means "love." Our very work is the lived expression of love. We help and organize people to love each other. We help make "all things new" by assisting those who we serve to see, and touch, the very face of God. We continue that ministry of Jesus to organize love. Each of us is called to be that disciple who loves as the Lord commands. Catholic Charities incarnates that very Word.
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate
"The significant new elements in the picture of the development of peoples today in many cases demand new solutions. These need to be found together, respecting the laws proper to each element and in the light of an integral vision of man, reflecting the different aspects of the human person, contemplated through a lens purified by charity. Remarkable convergences and possible solutions will then come to light, without any fundamental component of human life being obscured.
The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner, and that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone. All things considered, this is also required by 'economic logic.' Through the systemic increase of social inequality, both within a single country and between the populations of different countries (i.e. the massive increase in relative poverty), not only does social cohesion suffer, thereby placing democracy at risk, but so too does the economy, through the progressive erosion of 'social capital': the network of relationships of trust, dependability, and respect for rules, all of which are indispensable for any form of civil coexistence." (par. 32, a-b)
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm
Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx
SUNDAY MAY 9. Mother's Day. Consider sending your mom, or a mom who needs help and support, some fair traded chocolate, coffee, tea or another such product. Visit Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade website at http://www.crsfairtrade.org.
SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.
This month kicks off the seventh annual Catholic Charities First Step for Change campaign. Last year, Catholic Charities provided material assistance and case management services to 2,354 low-income women and families with children ages 0-3 through the First Step Program/
The Bishop's Annual Appeal for Catholic Charities and Church is in full swing. Please consider donating. Visit www.ccdoy.org
Reflection: Pray for all those touched by our difficult economic times. You may even be praying for yourself!
Prayer Intention: That all will have been affected by our economic decline may find hope in these tough times.
PAPAL INTENTIONS: MAY 2010
Human Trafficking
General: That the shameful and monstrous commerce in human beings, which sadly involves millions of women and children, may be ended.
Priests, Religious and Committed Lay People
Missionary: That ordained ministers, religious women and men, and lay people involved in apostolic work may understand how to infuse missionary enthusiasm into the communities entrusted to their care.
Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/
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