Podcasts about assisi church

“There were people who came up to me and said, ‘thank you for saying what you said about the rhetoric. I hope that the Biden people get this message.' And then other people would stop and say, ‘thank you for what you said. This is [what] Trump people really need to hear.'” Greg Kandra shared, “so I think somehow by the grace of God, I walked to that middle line and I gave a message that everybody connected to and related to, and was able to take something positive from.” On this episode of “Preach,” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., talks with Deacon Greg Kandra about the homily he wrote in two hours after hearing the news of Trump's attempted assassination in Butler, Pa. The homily was first prepared for the congregation at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Apopka, Fla., where Greg serves as a deacon.  Greg's career spans three decades in television, collaborating with industry giants such as Dan Rather, Ed Bradley and Katie Couric, and earning two Emmys and two Peabody Awards. As an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church, he skillfully integrates his passion for storytelling, honed in the newsroom, with his unwavering commitment to his Catholic faith, which he professes from the ambo.  Read Greg's homily at America Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Delivered by Margareth Sembiring, from Saint Francis of Assisi Church, Singapore. Acts of the Apostles 6: 8-15; Rs psalm 119: 23-24.26-27.29-30; John 6: 22-29 THE FIRST WORK OF GOD   The theme for our meditation today is: The First Work of God. This sentence does not mean to show the work that God is doing up there in heaven. What is meant by it, is the divine command or the will of God that must be done by us humans on earth. When thousands of people who had been satisfied with the food after the miracle of the multiplication of bread and kept looking for Jesus only to fulfill their bodily needs, they were then reprimanded by Jesus because of their foolisheness.   According to the Lord, they should come to Him and choose the first thing from Him, which was His work, and not the food. This is the divine wisdom that teaches us to do the work in the first place if we want to earn food for a living. The first work in this sense is to believe in God and to entrust our entire lives in the hands of the Father who sent Jesus Christ into the world to be our Redeemer. Through this filial act to the Father, the first food we obtain is His own Word that already became human like us, namely Jesus Christ of Nazareth.   This first work was already performed by all those people shown in the scriptures. It starts with Jesus Christ Himself who testified that He came to do the will of the Father who sent Him. The Virgin Mary and St. Joseph had focused their lives to fulfill the plan of salvation. The apostles who in the beginning seemed at a lost about their following of Jesus, yet they finally proved themselves to be the genuine messengers of the Gospel. Abraham is known as the father of the believers. Moses is famous for the law instituted for the people of God and the prophets had the high quality of their faith to lead and renew the people's hearts.   Our today's profile of faithful and genuine servant of God is Stephen, a disciple of the Lord and a witness of Christ's resurrection. He was filled with the grace and power of the Almighty God as a sign of the quality of his faith. He dared to face the challenges of the Jews who opposed him. Through this work, the first food consumed by Stephen was to drink the cup of suffering just like what Jesus Christ experienced.   Following Christ is our basic vocation, which must be fulfilled with the first work of faith and filial devotion to God. The reason for our baptism and inclusion in the Church is faith, and not things, goods, position, world enjoyment or good name. It is only after baptism that other sacraments received or performed. Prayers, devotion and various services in the Church are strongly supported by this foundation of faith. The virtue of faith and obedience are the first criteria for the official process of making a believer saint by the Holy Church. So our first work from God is of the spiritual act that we must do, and not the physical one. You will be happy or not as the follower of Christ, the measure that can qualify you is your faith in God, lived out or practiced daily with good will.   Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O Jesus Christ, our good and wise Teacher. Teach us and show us how to be perfect through the faith and devotion that we practice everyday. Glory to the Father ... In the name of the Father ...   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/media-la-porta/message

Connect with Pastor Tom! --- Things are heating up!  Current events and suspicious activities abound.  Lawlessness is the mainstream weapon.Chrislam is the merging of apostate Judaism, the counterfeit “Christianity” of Roman Catholicism, and Islam with the moon god Allah. It is the One World Religion of the Last Days. The Abrahamic Family House will be its headquarters.Today, we are excited to bring you exclusive photos of the progress of the construction of the end times Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, that will be home to the One World Religion of Chrislam. It will house the St. Francis of Assisi Church, Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque and Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue. The project completion rate was 20 percent as of June 2021 is, and it is set to open in 2022. NTEB has obtained exclusive photos showing the main structure quite close to completion, and we thank awesome NTEB'er Samantha for bringing us these amazing pics!“Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.” [Genesis 17:15]Stay Connected: https://hopeforourtimes.com/connect/ Connect with Pablo! --- Website: https://www.serpentsndoves.com/ Amos37 on Rumble:  https://rumble.com/user/Amos37Amos37 on Gettr:  https://gettr.com/user/amos37Amos37 on Fakebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Amos37

Ddelivered by Margareth Sembiring from Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Singapore and Aurilia JC. Manggu from Paroki Roh Kudus Church in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. James 3: 1-10; Rs psalm 12: 2-3.4-5.7-8; Mark 9: 2-13 CHANGING IMAGE The theme for our meditation today is: Changing Image. In a particular moment in the class room of 3rd grade junior high school, there was a noisy and boisterous situation. The students couldn't maintain a calm atmosphere because everybody was free to talk and make noisy. The teacher supposed to teach at that moment was dealing with something in the principal's office for almost 30 minutes, however, when he returned to class, he became angry because the class was so noisy and very disturbing. His face, which was known to be smiling and friendly, suddenly turned red like blood was about to gush out. He was very disappointed with his students and wanted to punish them. This is just one example of the many experiences of changing image or transfigured that we can find among us. People who are embarrassed experience change in their appearance from normal to pale. A cheerful person shows a change from a normal to a fresh and bright face. Serious people change their faces from normal to focused, static and not smiling. There are many other similar examples. In short, the appearance of changes in us humans always send a communication message about what is really happening and what we want to tell the people around us. Often changes in appearance already contain thousands of words and self-expressions. There is no need for further explanation for that. In relation to the faith we live in, changing image or transfiguration actually describes how a human face from this world changes when he reaches a higher level of grace on the path to God. Moses had such experience when he finished meeting the Lord. The prophet Elijah had also experienced the same. Saint Paul had also experienced the same at the beginning of his conversion. And today we are told by the Gospel reading about Jesus Christ who was transfigured, when His bright appearance has sent us a message about transformation from a mortal body into a redeemed and resurrected body. An example here can give us a good reflection. There is a housewife when returning from a particular Sunday Mass, wanted to show her welcoming, understanding, friendly, and happy face to her husband and children. Jesus Christ whom she has received as the Word of Life, and who has incarnated in Holy Communion, is the ultimate transforming power. Furthermore, the husband also wanted to do the same every time after the Holy Mass. And so on for all their children. Finally, for this family, every time after participating the Eucharistic celebration, there is an enormous change that occurs in the house. They actually have been going through an experience of transfiguration, which means a new life on this world. To create a change like that of the mentioned family, the letter of St. James in the first reading advises that our foundation is faith. Faith guides us to say and to do what is right, according to the teachings and ways of God. Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord, may we always live in the spirit of renewal for our ultimate salvation. Glory to the Father ... In the name of the Father... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Hundreds were lined up on the street outside St. Francis of Assisi Church for the wake of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe on Sunday. WBZ's James Rojas reports.

Delivered by Margareth Sembiring, from Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Singapore. 2 Samuel 12: 1-7a.10-17; Rs psalm 51: 12-13.14-15.16-17; Mark 4: 35-41 THE POWER OF CONFESSION Our meditation today has the theme: The Power of Confession. The prophet Nathan emphasized a truth which made the King David must recognize himself a sinner. Nathan said in this way: “You are a sinner. You are the person! David was cornered and could not escape from that guilty verdict”. David is a human person like everyone of us. At that time, from a distance, he saw a woman named Bathsheba bathing. Instead of avoiding what he saw because it was a temptation, he instead chose to follow Satan and his influence. He looked at the woman with lustful attitude. This was the beginning of adultery, murder and death of an innocent person. If David did not regret his actions after being reprimanded by the prophet Nathan, his lustful actmight have spread into a systematic crime throughout the country. The great and wonderful thing about David found here, namely regret and confession. Satan stepped back and God won. Confession is an honest, open-minded attitude, for a self-giving and to be seen or assessed whether a person is true or not. Expressions of gratitude, joy, satisfaction or enthusiasm, and sadness, regret, anger, confusion, or fear become the content of a confession. If you are satisfied and happy, the content of your confession will be satisfaction and happiness. If you are sorry and angry, the content of your confession will be feeling sorry and anger. David did so and therefore his honest confession became strong, then he was forgiven by God. Jesus Christ does not need to admit any mistakes or confessing Himself, because he is the Lord to whom we confess ourselves. According to the Gospel of today, the one who makes confession was the violent sea water. People believed that the angry sea as a demon. At the event when Jesus commaded the sea to calm, confession of evil or more precisely the evil forces represented by the wind and waves actually came first. While the disciples' acknowledgment that Jesus is God who stopped the evil forces came later. Why? Because demons and evil spirits feared God more. They do not want to be tortured and persihed by the power of God. They are already demons, they don't want to be tortured to become worst than Satan. Which of us is happy and willing to be considered devil or satan? On the contrary we human beings are still thinking about confessing to God, commonly done in the confession of our sins. Maybe we are waiting too much for new big signs or some striking blows in life, only then we turn to God to do confession. It maybe true that we are no longer afraid of God, and therefore He is angry with us. If we find it hard to confess ourselves correctly and honestly, isn't it true that we are waiting for the consequence that we will not able to avoid because we do not fear God? We hope this will not happen to us. Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O God, almighty, make us individuals who fear You properly, so that we too can confess to You correctly and honestly. Hail Mary ... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Cannabis Conversations with the Chief of Police of the Port Hueneme Police Department, Andrew Salinas. Fundraising time with St. Francis of Assisi Church of Fillmore The 805 Artist Spotlight is on producer/singer/songwriter Austin Sexton. Local Event and more. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/alynettework/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alynettework/support

Reading is delivered by Santi Wang from Saint James Church in Jakarta, Indonesia and meditation is delivered by Margareth Sembiring from Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Singapore. Rome 6: 19-23; Rs psalm 1: 1-2.3.4.6; Luke 12: 49-53 THE FIRE THAT BURNS THE EARTH The theme of our meditation today is: The Fire that Burns the Earth. This expression comes from the statement of Jesus in the Gospel that was just read. In teaching specifically to His disciples, Jesus gave a very tough challenge, namely He threw the fire on the earth. The outcome form this act is surely not peacefulness, but conflict. This is a teaching that brings great fear. We must see this as a risk for the following of Jesus Christ. This model of teaching is one of the many that Jesus had performed. Similar to a hard sports training, one must follow the coach's instructions with the desired target. The strong words and actions certainly cause resistant reactions of the players such as fear, nervousness, tremble and surrender. The Bible shows how some of His disciples could not stand with it and chose to leave Jesus. But Peter on behalf of his fellow apostles chose to remain and be faithful to Jesus, as he then said: To whom else should we go, Lord? We also have chosen to remain with Saint Peter. The proof is that we all remain in joy to accept Peter's call, even stronger at this time, such as in this following statement: "We can't be indifferent, O Lord, we just want to stay with You, to whom else should we go?" This is more or less our stand of Christian faith in the company with Saint Peter. This definitive choice had been also made by Saint Paul who told the church in Rome to always offer themselves to Christ. Saint Paul prayed for them to be strong, even though in reality the fire would cause divisions among the members of the Church. However, this choice is not without many risks. The most obvious one should be the power and intervention of Jesus Christ like a burning fire that cannot be extinguished. Fire is a sign light to dispel darkness, but it also burns what is useless or unnecessary in our life. This means that those who are not in line with God will be destroyed by that fire, then those who are with God will remain. This is where the separation occurs between human beings on earth, even it happens so bitterly among brothers and sisters in the family. During the time of Jesus and the early Church, this separation was very clear. Jesus Christ had become the center of dispute and conflict; therefore, some family members had chosen to follow Jesus, others had rejected and opposed Him. Today, our world with all its pleasures and attractions that suits our human desire does constantly create an endless polarization between the faithful and the unfaithful ones in the following of Jesus Christ. If we want those who have been unfaithful to become faithful, let us take this as our common responsibility, at least, let us take special attention to those close to us. Let's pray. In the name of the Father...Our loving Father in heaven, look on us and bless us that we may remain faithful to You, by following the example of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Reading is delivered by Jason Christopher Stedy from Saint John Bosco Church in Jakarta, Indonesia and meditation is delivered by Margareth Sembiring from Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Singapore. Rome 6: 12-18; Rs psalm 124: 1-3.4-6.7.8; Luke 12: 39-48 MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED The theme for our meditation today is: Much is Given, Much is Required. There was a priest who shared a story from his vocation journey which was very interesting for him. When he first time entered in the minor seminary, or aspirantate seminary, he was so impressed with a Priest, one of his teachers. The priest held many keys. From the food store room to the laboratory room, from the equipment store room to the library, from the sacristy to the audio-visual room. He had the key to almost every door in the Seminary. The new comer once asked his guide and mentor why he held so many keys. The answer eventually he got was: because he was given much, also much was required from him. He had a lot to do with the keys in his hand. The priest was truly a role model for the students because he had many talents and he could do anything. The Seminary put much confidence at him and everything proved to be well done with him. This illustration reflects the proclamation of the gospel today, especially on the last part of the passage. The subject of Jesus' teaching is still about preparedness of the servant who in every moment of his life is obliged to follow the rhythm and will of the master. We put ourselves in this way, because we are God's servants who want to pattern our lives in the following of Jesus Christ, our Teacher. Each of us looks at ourselves and read carefully about our calling to follow the way and will of God. The realization of this should be about we who are trusted much will be demanded much according to that trust. What trust is like and how it is used in practice, we can see how important and how much a particular trust to be fulfilled by everyone. Saint Paul's letter to the Romans in the first reading confirms that trust is manifested in the grace given to everyone who believes and who is faithful to Christ. Every believer surrenders himself to be used by God, namely each one is given a gift. The real manifestation of that gift is to be seen in every one's calling, profession, service, work and mission. The gifts as husband and wife or parents are required for a dedication, and these demand responsibility from this special calling. This demand is of course much greater than the gifts of a child. The gift of priesthood to a parish priest requires responsibility greater than his parishioners. A teacher bears greater responsibility than his students. Elder brother is required more and has greater responsibility than the younger siblings. This list for sure will be long. For us,the realization of these demands will surely develop our worthiness and maturity that eventually open for us tha way of salvation in the Kingdom of God. Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O most loving Father, strengthen us in every calling and service that we do, as a way to form us to be your good servants. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

My sisters and brothers, today our podcast is somewhat different, and is part of our collection of the Catholic Mass Liturgical songs. Our podcast music album is, ‘Mass of Holy Inspiration'. These 11 Liturgical songs are: Penitential Rite, Kyria, Gloria, (2) Gospel Acclamations w/verse, John 10:27, and the second one with, John 15:12-13, Holy Holy Holy, Memorial Acclamation w/Amen A, Memorial Acclamation w/Amen B, Memorial Acclamation w/Amen C, The Our Father Prayer, and [ Peace ] The Lamb of God. Attentiveness to the nudges of and listening to the Holy Spirit from deep within my being is how this collection of these Liturgical songs were created. Starting with The Lord's Prayer in 1979, this was first sung at a Holy Spirit Breakfast lead by Father Bill McCarthy and Sister Bernadette Sheldon at Saint Anthony Church Hall in Bristol, CT. The completed selection was first used in Pittsfield NH in 1985-1988 where I was blessed to be part of Our Lady of Lourdes Church while Father Richard M. Giroux was Pastor, and to also be part of a wonderful and talented folk group. This collection before it was revised for the new Mass in 2011 was titled; ‘Come Receive Me'. ‘All' and or ‘parts' of this Mass music was used by choirs and folk groups at a few churches, including these parishes: Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Pittsfield, NH; Saint Joseph Church of Beatrice, NE; Saint Philip the Apostle Church of Lake City, SC; Saint John the Evangelist Church of Enterprise, AL. Also at Saint Francis of Assisi Church of New Britain, CT after it was revised in 2011 into the ‘Mass Of Holy Inspiration'. What a special blessing to be able to have been with so many of God's beautiful people and what talent they are blessed with. Having one purpose in heart and mind, all for the Glory of God! Thank you to the Precious Holy Spirit who is the very reason this Mass music was created, for the Holy Spirit is the true creator of this work, I am an instrument of the Lord. To my mom and my dad whose love continues to reach to the center of my heart with inspirations. To Father Bill McCarthy and Sister Bernadette Sheldon, for being my Spiritual Father, Mother and Directors, their powerful words and teachings continues to inspire me to be all I can be, and all for the Glory of God! To the many talented musicians I have been blessed in knowing, working with and being part of their groups and choirs, I am so happy and proud to have known you and I will always love you with the love of our Lord! To my parents, my husband, and my families of every direction of my life, which is my children, grandchildren, brother, cousins, brothers and sisters in the Lord, families and friends, those with me and those who have gone before me; it has been your love which has kept my heart full of joy. To the very gifted artist, Janice Ward, my cousin. I expressed to her how I wanted the cover for the Mass music to be, and she created for me much more. What talent she has. Her work is a true gift from God. This album, other albums, songs, concerts, and podcasts, can be found on my YouTube channel, sheila s ward. And last but not least, to you, my sisters and brothers, You are the very reason our Lord called me into podcasting. Thank You. Through God's grace and mercy and the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, all Music, plus any and all added lyrics was©️1980, Revised in 1984,1998 and was Revised once more for the New Mass in 2011, except for the Penitential Rite and one of the Gospel Acclamation with verse (John 10:27), these two were part of my original recorded work in 1985. The new Revised Mass music for 2011 was also ®️ 2011. The new Revised music for the Our Father Prayer was®️ 2015.

Reading is delivered by Jason Christopher Stedy from the Church of Santo Yohanes Bosco, in Jakarta, Indonesia; and meditation delivered by Margareth Sembiring from Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Singapore. 2 Corinthians 5: 14-21; Rs psalm 103: 1-2.3-4.8-9.11-12; Luke 2: 41-51. THE UNITY OF HEARTS The theme for our meditation today is: The Unity of Hearts. There are two human hearts that were created to bealways united from the beginning to the end of life. God had designed it to be something natural. Neither of them had planned that. Because God had made it so, it happens as it should be. By nature the two hearts are intimate, united, inseparable and even death cannot separate them. These two hearts are not a husband and his wife. It's not even a very intimate couple and neither a twin. A brother and his sister have never been the same from the beginning. A father and his son do not have such kind of unity. Actually we are referring these two hearts to a mother and her child. Their intimate relationship has been made by the Creator since the moment of fertilization of the sperm and egg from the husband and his wife. We don't have this particular quality in our respective fathers. It's only a mother who has specification of her heart's connected with her child. The Lord God actually wants to establish the unity of the hearts of His Son Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to reveal the reality of the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom actually stands as a home for all the faithful who come together in the unity of their hearts as the beloved citizens of that Kingdom. We believers don't only use our minds and reason to understand the mystery of our faith. Our faith manifests itself in our acts of love, therefore, wereally need the work from of our own hearts. We commonly say that love is the work of our hearts. The unity of hearts of Jesus and Mary has given birth to the life of the Church, that we can experience it through various services made by the Church. This unity of hearts indeed bears fruits through the acts of love and service. The evangelist Matthew gives us an example of how a pure heart must be able to free itself from every form of perjury or false oath. The Lord God who is forever righteous requires us to be righteous as well. Sincerity and truth are what we need to offer to others and to the world. Christians must give nothing but the love and truth from the almighty God. We can honestly testify to each other about our life together so blessed and beautiful, it's because we actually enjoy a communion of our hearts with the will of the Lord's heart! If the will of our hearts are not in unity with the will of God, we will definitely experience much and great problems in this life. In line with this, the unity of hearts among us human beings, such as between husband and wife or brother and sister, should become a real experience as we also experience with the Lord. Such unity is indispensable for any kind of relationship that we build together on this world. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O loving Father in heaven, may Your Spirit always be with us until we complete our duties on this world in the path of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to the Father... In the name of the Father... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Reading is delivered by Wilson Tan from Saint John Bosco Church in Jakarta, Indonesia, and meditation delivered by Margareth Sembiring from Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Singapore. Tobit 12: 1.5-15.20; Rs psalm Tobit 13: 2.6.7.8; Mark 12: 38-44. RELIGION OF AMBITION, PROMOTION AND POSITION The theme for our meditation today is: Religion of Ambition, Promotion and Position. Human tendencies to become ambitious, to promote oneself and to acquire a better position are parts of human nature. In embracing a religion and living up to the spirit of that religion, these natural tendencies also have their influences in the life of believers. The Lord Jesus forbids us to follow in the path of faith with ambition, arrogance, and power or position seeking. Jesus himself had never been in that way of life. His own life was to fight against all kinds of ambition, pride and thirst for power. Religious leaders, scholars, scribes and the Pharisees were mostly known for this type of living out their faith. And so, Jesus' warning to us is that we avoid the tendency to: 1) have a very high desire or ambition to be important and be given priority; 2) always want to promote oneself or to go for attention to be known and recognized and respected by others; 3) always try to use position or power, even from the spiritual side, for personal gain only. The followers of Christ should work and serve in all humility for the good of others rather than with ambitions to fulfill their personal interests. If we can reveal or promote the goodness of others and the pride of our common or universal values, instead of mere self-seeking interest, we actually practice what the true love requires. If we can use any position or power attached to us for sincere service and responsible care for those entrusted to us, it's definitely an expression of love. These three natural tendencies are rooted in pride, which is one of the 7 capital sins in human beings. If this pride can be overcome, its subordinate sins will not develop either. There are two ways to remove pride according to today's readings inspiration. This can be said as the way of martyrdom, as Saint Boniface had also done in his own way and time. First, we should always praise and thank God. Archangel Rafael had taught Tobit and his family to make this as daily spiritual food. If we are busy with God and His works we will forget to be proud and have ambitions for anything. The second is on the humility as a fundamental Christian way of life. Jesus gave us an example by presenting the poor widow who gave her contribution to the temple which was very small but had a great value. Humility encourages us to do and offer something even though simple but useful for others and our common good. Let's pray. In the name of the Father... Bless and strengthen us, O Lord Jesus Christ, so that we may always be humble, simple and sincere like You. Glory to the Father... In the name of the Father... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Reading delivered by Brother Kiky Russae, SDB (Jakarta, Indonesia) and meditation delivered by Margareth Sembiring (saint Francis of Assisi Church, Singapore). Acts 6: 8-10; 7: 54-59; Psalm 31: 3cd-4.6.8ab.16bc.17; Matthew 10: 17-22. A CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM GOLGOTA Our meditation today in the octave of Christmas has the theme: A Christmas Greeting From Golgotha. Today all of us in the Church celebrates the day of Saint Stephen, one of the disciples of Jesus and the first martyr in the Church. He was one of the deacons selected to minister the daily needs of the Early Church community, while the apostles focused on the service of the Word of God and spiritual need of the Church, as the Acts of the Apostles indicate. The celebration of the martyrdom on the following day of Christmas, the inspiration that we can from this would be a Christmas greeting from Golgotha. We all understand that Golgotha ​​was the place where Jesus was crucified. Jesus Christ who was lying as a baby in a manger, knew exactly what His fate would be at Golgotha as the end of His public life on earth. The stable of Bethlehem was connected to the hill of Golgotha, through which Jesus, the Savior, wouldbegin to walk while doing His mission entrusted. We see the connection between these two symbolic places which actually reveals the reason why the Son of God, the eternal Word, became human with the mission to redeem mankind from the slavery of sin and death. Those redeemed were then made the adopted children of the Father of all powers and might. From the very beginning of his life, Jesus had revealed to the world the way to reach the glory of the kingdom of God, and that way is the cross. St. Stephen was the first in the newly founded Church in Jerusalem at that time, enjoyed this way of the cross. If we all choose to share in the glory of Jesus Christ, then we must take up our crosses every day and follow Christ on the path He had walked through. Jesus Christ tells us through many occasions in the Gospel about the cross to be the most important risk we all have to bear because have decided to follow Him. To with Him and walk with Him mean bearing the cross and enjoy it to the end. The Christmas greeting from Golgotha ​​indeed conceives the risk for our being followers of Christ. Jesus bore Himselfthat risk from the very beginning. Every baptized is aware of this important element of faith, that the risk and the ultimate goal of sharing a life Christ will only be achieved through the way of the cross. Glory and happiness in Christ must be paid in advance at a very high price, namely the sacrifice of oneself to death, including in the way of of suffering and death as the one of Saint Stephen. Jesus said that He had given everyone sufficient grace to carry the cross and endure a life of sacrifice in order to obtainglory in Him. Therefore, there will be no useless or empty cross, sacrifice, and suffering in Christ. Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord Jesus, strengthen us always with Your grace so that we may carry our cross with joy and generosity. Glory to the Father... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Reading delibered by Jason Christopher Stedy (Santo Yohanes Bosco Church Jakarta, Indonesia) and meditation delivered by Bobby Gomez (from Saint Francis of Assisi Church, Bend, Oregon, USA). Isaiah 45: 6b-8.21b-25; Psalm 85: 9ab-10.11-12.13-14; Luke 7: 19-32. LETTING GO DISAPPOINTMENT Our meditation today has the theme: Letting Go Diappointment. There was a young man who for the third time rejected by three different girls. He was very disappointed and had thought about not anymore engage with women. But he quickly thought that maybe he wasn't praying much, so he immediately went to the church to pray. He entered the church very sad. He was not aware that while kneeling and praying in the church he was crying. It seemed that the Lord Jesus who was on the cross had pity for him, so the young man seemed to hear a voice coming from the cross, which said: "You are not disappointed because of Me, are you? Try to compare your sadness with My condition hanging on this cross!" The young man looked at Jesus in awe and his sadness vanished. He also wanted to respond to that voice. So he spontaneously said: "Lord Jesus, You are not disappointed because of me either, are you? I just want to share with You my actual situation, and I just want to calm myself just near You, in this church." Jesus who was on the cross also looked at the young man with great mercy and love. Here we must admit that when there is no disappointment among us, our relationships with each other will grow healty and well. There will be comfort that embraces everyone, there will be feeling of gratitude that fills our hearts and joy will be freely manifested in our thoughts or talks. Without disappointment in our lives together signifies how each of us puts aside or throws away negative feelings, thoughts, views and actions, because he or she is more concerned with openess, friendliness, warm relationship and feeling blessed for the presence of others. Everyone is happy. There was an incident when John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were together in the ministries of helping out many people. These two prominent men in the New Testament actually confused those who listened and followed them. John realized that this situation must be resolved immediately and he let Jesus to solve it. What Jesus did was to emphasize the principle that neither John nor any of us should be disappointed and reject Him who is the Lord and has a particular mission to be with us in all our situations. Disappointment and hopelessness are to be replaced with happiness and gratefulness. During this Advent season we are encouraged to keep the sentiment of joy, feeling gratitude and confidence as our true participation in the mystery of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whenever comes to us the moments of disappointment and despair, let us repeat the Word of God through the prophet Isaiah, that says: "I give you happiness". Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord, our God, increase in our hearts and strengthen our hope that in the midst of difficulties and sufferings of this life we may not become hopeless and fearful. Hail Mary ... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Reading by Margareth Sembiring (St. Francis of Assisi Church, Singapore), and meditation by father Peter Tukan, SDB BE A HELPER FOR THOSE WHO SUFFER Our meditation today, Good Friday, has the theme: Be a Helper for Those Who Suffer. According to the Gospel of John, Our Lady stood near the Cross of Jesus (Jn 19: 25-27). But actually she was in the same crowd that followed Jesus on his way to Calvary. The mother had once met her Son along the Via Dolorosa (the Passion of the Lord). The mother looked at her Son in silence and sadness, but her heart was full of God's grace. A man who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Simon of Cyrene, was forced to help carry the cross of Jesus. He obeyed even though it was not Jesus who requested to do such help. Of course Jesus was very grateful to him. Simon represented many people who want to help Jesus in his very tragic moments, but they are afraid of the executioners who punish Jesus so brutal and without mercy. There are those who directly offer their help like Simon, and there are also those whose intentions to help are carried out by other who have opportunity to help, but there are those who intend not to help and just watching Jesus from distance. Veronica is a woman who helped Jesus even though she was not found in any of the four Gospels or other new testament writings. The story of her is found in the apocryphal writings, which are not included in the canonical scriptures that the Church now has. For example, Pilate's story from the 2nd century tells us that a woman named Veronica (Bernice, in Greek) was the same woman who had been healed by Jesus from the hemorrhage illness (Mt 9,20-22). Veronica defended Jesus before Pilate that Jesus was innocent. From the fourth or fifth century it is recorded that Veronica had a piece of cloth with a picture of the Face of Jesus. The three figures who helped Jesus in His via dolorosa were enough to illustrate that men and women followers of Christ can be good helpers to their neighbors. This help is classified into two types. First is the help in the form of corporal acts of love. A corporal act of love is shown in the carrying the heavy cross of the suffering person like what Simon of Cyrene did. We can help to take up all the burden, a half of it, or a small part of it, and those with heavy burden can find it easy to go on in their journey of life. The type of spiritual acts also becomes an important help for those in difficulty and suffering. A presence that gives consolation, an encouragement shown, a sense of compassion expressed, and a moral or sa piritual support provided, all these are acts of love that can bring joy and peace for those who suffer and distress. The common way that we do in this style is our sympathy or prayers. Through this, we actually help them to be strong in bearing the burden and be faithful always to the Lord. This help also aims to keep up their spirit and avoid any negative reaction like giving up, anger and losing confidence. Mary and Veronica are exemplary women who have done this to Jesus Christ. We can do the same as they did. Let's pray. In the name of the Father ... O God of mercy, we beg for forgiveness of our mistakes for not helping others who are in pain and suffering. Hail Mary ... In the name of the Father ... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/media-la-porta/message

Today's Topics: 1) When the signs are not the usual https://spiritdailyblog.com/prophecy/when-the-signs-are-not-the-usual 2) Archbishop of Bangalore shocked at the desecration of Saint Francis of Assisi Church http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Archbishop-of-Bangalore-shocked-at-the-desecration-of-St-Francis-of-Assisi-Church-49082.html 3) A mother is charged with killing three children under age four in Phoenix; two of the victims tried to stop her, police say https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/22/us/phoenix-mother-children-smothered-wednesday/index.html 4)What the Hell?  Saints’ visions of the damned “an act of mercy” https://cruxnow.com/interviews/2020/01/what-the-hell-saints-visions-of-the-damned-an-act-of-mercy-author-says/

We talk with the Very Reverend Father Bryan Shortall OFM Cap. He is a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Order & Parish Priest at St Francis of Assisi Church in Priorswood in Dublin. He's also the author of two books, Tired of All the Bad News and Sending Positive Vibes.

The Blessing of the Animals is a popular tradition at many Catholic churches. But how did it all get started? What can we learn? Franciscan Fr. John O'Connor, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Triangle, shares the origins of the Blessing of the Animals, and some stories about St. Francis of Assisi's connection with the natural world. 

Sister Anna Marie discusses the importance of this relatively new universal Church celebration, a memorial to Mary Mother of the Church, during a presentation at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Glade, Tenn. 

Sister Anna Marie discusses Marian piety and the life of the individual Christian during a presentation at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Glade, Tenn.  

  SVdP Haiti Mission St Francis of Assisi Church in Bombardopolis, haitihttps://bgozarks.org/ http://www.svdprogers.com/haiti.html     In 2007 St Vincent de Paul Church of Rogers established a Mission of Hope with St Francis of Assisi Church in Bombardopolis, Haiti. The goals of the mission are:   (1) Pray for the people of Haiti.  (2) Advance social justice formation for the people of SVDP.  (3) Provide educational support for the children of Haiti.  (4) Establish SVDP team to oversee the ministry   Through the generous support of the SVDP parishioners 2,500 students attend classes in fourteen elementary schools grades K-6, and one high school grades 7-12. Each school provides children with one meal per day and school supplies are furnished annually. Classrooms are furnished with chairs and desks, and teachers salaries are paid monthly. Computers have been supplied to some classes.    Want to help? Your contribution may be used to provide for any of the needs of the people of Bombardopolis.  Some examples of past expenditures are:  Chair for one child                                              $2 Annual tuition for one child                              $20 One meal per day for one child for a year    $20 Desks and chairs for one classroom               $100 Annual salary for a teacher                             $276 One classroom addition                                $1,000 Build a mission school                                   $5,000         St Vincent dePaul Church http://www.svdprogers.com   Mission We, a Catholic community of diverse multicultural backgrounds, unite as a family under one Baptism in Christ.  We come together to pray, evangelize, learn and serve one another, the community and humankind.  Guided by the Holy Spirit, we pledge ourselves to pursue this mission by participation in the liturgical, educational, outreach and social ministries of the Church.   _________________________________________________________   Walmart https://www.walmart.com/   About “If we work together, we’ll lower the cost of living for everyone…we’ll give the world an opportunity to see what it’s like to save and have a better life.” - Sam Walton

Find out about the life of Dominican Sister John Eudes who inspired the character of Mary Clancy in the 1966 movie “the Trouble with Angels” staring Hayley Mills as Clancy. Sister Eudes served as Librarian at Christendom College in Triangle and as a pastoral minister at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Triangle. She died Dec 22 at the age of 95. All are invited to watch Bishop Michael Burbidge don a striped uniform and silver whistle as he referees the annual seminarians vs. Quo Vadis basketball game at Saint John Paul the Great High school January 7th. Cheer for your team and listen to vocation testimonies after the game. See coverage in our next issue on January 11. Also in our next print issue, learn about the indulgences granted for attending March for life, what bills to look out for on the VCC’s 2018 legislative agenda and the stories of the people helped by St. Francis House in Triangle during these cold winter months.

Standard Times Editorial and Sunday Editor Jack Spillane talks with Father Kevin Harrington of St. Francis of Assisi Church in New Bedford, MA about Christmas.

Fr. John Ehrich, STL Preaching from St Francis of Assisi Church in Seligman, AZ.  

Special Guest: In July of 2013 I was startled out of bed one morning by a loud voice saying "Arise Arise and hear the clarion call." I was certain my husband had heard it, but he was still fast asleep. I knew that there was some meaning in this event, but at that moment it was not clear to me. For weeks following this experience I had a strong feeling that someone was trying to get my attention. I decided one morning to sit quietly and ask if there was anyone needing to communicate with me. I found myself in a conversation with a spirit named Saint Germain.I was familiar with the name as I had read a book the previous year entitled, “The I Am Discourses." The book, published in 1932 contained channeled messages from a group of Ascended Masters including Saint Germain. In this first conversation he told me that I was one of his messengers and we would write a work book together.In October of 2016 Saint Germain woke me up in the middle of the night. He was standing with another figure. He only said, " I want to to introduce you to Saint Padre Pio." Even though I grew up Catholic, I did not know who Padre Pio was. This Saint now works through me in many of my readings. He often shows up for Catholics who left the church. You can learn more about him by going to my blog post about Saint Padre Pio.I do my readings on the telephone/internet, and in my office in southwest Ohio. Regardless of your location, Saint Germain knows who you are. I am able to work with individuals in most parts of the world by conference call. I am a Roman Catholic and I attend Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Centerville. Hosted by: Joel Ayala AyapanaProduced by: Joel Ayala Ayapana Disclaimer by: Tiffany Renee Ayapana Introduction by: Rahman Ali Podcast Radio Network: Real Revolution Radio 2.0Network Link: http://www.realrevolutionradio.comArchives: http://www.realrevolutionradioarchives.comNOTICE: By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents and design of this Podcast, are the property of Quantum Mindfulness Radio LLC and REAL REVOLUTION RADIO X.0, or used by Quantum Mindfulness Radio LLC (QMR) and REAL REVOLUTION RADIO X.0 (RRRX) with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of QMR/RRRX, which may be requested by contacting the QMR/RRRX office via the following contact email: awaken@realrevolutionradio.com or by calling the studio by phone at: (216) 618-3252DISCLAIMER: By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that QMR and/or RRRX makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk. This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, QMR/RRRX does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of the QMR/RRRX. QMR and/or RRRX assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, QMR/RRRX makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.

We visit a historic Springfield location, the St. Francis of Assisi Church . It was built after nuns decided to create a sanitarium to treat tuberculosis patients out in the country side - it now includes a healing center of a different sort, The Chiara Center . We learn what that is, plus we talk with Maryam Mostoufi, the new president of the local interfaith organization . She was also the first female Muslim to be inducted into the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Summary of today's show: Our usual Thursday panel of Scot Landry, Susan Abbott, Fr. Roger Landry, and Gregory Tracy consider the news headlines of the week, including the lawsuit filed by 43 Catholic organizations against the Department of Health and Human Services universal healthcare mandate; the attack on a parish in Acushnet for the pro-marriage message on its sign; the Vatican's rejection of appeals related to closed parishes; the death of the dean of Boston historians; and more. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Susan Abbott Today's guest(s): Fr. Roger Landry, executive editor of The Anchor, the newspaper of the Fall River diocese; and Gregory Tracy, managing editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Boston archdiocese Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Catholic HHS mandate lawsuits; Parish threatened by gay activists; Church closing appeals rejected 1st segment: Scot and Susan discussed that there are many offices moving within the Pastoral Center this week, including Susan's. Scot said the building has been occupied by Central Ministries for 4 years and now some entities related to the Archdiocese moving the Pastoral Center and also moving people who work within the same secretariat so they will be working in close proximity. Scot also said the graduation ceremony for the Master of Arts in Ministry program at St. John Seminary was last night. It was the 10th graduation and they had one DRE who received a Master's degree. Bishop Arthur Kennedy gave the commencement address and focused on St. Augustine. Cardinal Seán presented the diplomas and gave his blessing to the 10 graduates. 2nd segment: Scot said this past Monday 43 Catholic dioceses and organizations filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services for the Obamacare mandate. The most prominent dioceses are New York and Washington, DC, as well as St. Louis. [“Federal lawsuits by Catholic dioceses, groups seek to stop IllIS mandate”, Boston Pilot/CNS, 5/21/12](http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=14716 Fr. Roger said the Church has been negotiating with the Obama administration since last year to find an accommodation for religious conscience. Despite many attempts for compromise, the administration gave a phony accommodation. After a year of work, it became obvious that the Administration is obstinate in violating the First Amendment and federal law. Cardinal Timothy Dolan said they had to reluctantly file suit. Fr. Roger said Catholics should step up to support the Church in this matter. This was the last resort of the US bishops. Scot said the expectation is one of these suits will end up before the Supreme Court. The Pilot has an editorial this week called “Stop the HHS mandate”: The decision of a wide spectrum of Catholic institutions to join together in a lawsuit against the Obama administration should not come as a surprise. The HHS mandate that would force most Catholic institutions to provide contraception. sterilization services and abortive pills to employees is an unprecedented attack on the freedom of conscience and religious freedom. Furthermore. enacted in an electoral year to. reportedly. mobilize the more liberal segment of the electorate. this decision is an insult to Catholic voters. The issue at stake is not accessibility to contraception. which is widely available at very low cost. The issue for Catholics. and all people of good will, is that the government feels compelled, for no compelling reason, to force individuals and institutions to act against their conscience. If this mandate becomes effective, those advancing the most secular agendas will have a precedent to claim that, in fact, religion does not belong in the public square, opening the door to other restrictions on religious freedom. The Obama administration should make no mistake. Catholics of all political persuasions will be united on the need to defend individual freedom of conscience in front of an intrusive and unnecessary government mandate. That is at the core of Christian beliefs and even those currently nor practicing their faith know that freedom of religion is intrinsic to who we are as a people. In our opinion, the apparent political calculation that forcing this issue will benefit the president in November is risky and will backfire. Mr. President, there is still time to stop the HHS madness. Scot said the key idea is that the government feels compelled for no good reason to compel the conscience of individuals. Greg said people may not be familiar with how the government passing a law that infringes on freedom of religion will affect them. The government can restrict the practice of religion when there is a compelling public need and must be done in such a way as to have the least possible impact. Scot said in many ways, this lawsuit is unprecedented. Susan said the implications of this reaching the Supreme Court will be huge. Scot said there has been some media coverage and some prominent Catholics have come out with key reminders of why we're doing this as a Church. Fr. Roger said one of those points is that the Department of Health and Human Services has come out with an unprecedented definition of religious groups that qualify for exemptions, which is that if we serve those who aren't Catholic, we don't qualify. Fr. Roger said the service of those who aren't Catholic is a key element of our faith. The definition goes against what President Obama himself said at the National Prayer Breakfast in February in which he lauded religious groups serve others. Fr. Roger said either Obama was talking about of both sides f his mouth or HHS Secretary Sebelius violated the president's own principles. Fr. Roger also said any exemption being talked about doesn't protect Catholic business owners. This mandate also fits a larger pattern of the US government forcing Catholics to violate their religious beliefs on many issues, including abortion and same-sex marriage. Scot noted the story this week that Franciscan University of Steubenville dropped its requirement for student health insurance and won't provide it for those who want it. Scot said Cardinal Seán will host a live town hall meeting for the Fortnight for Freedom on Monday June 25 at 8pm on CatholicTV and simulcast on WQOM. He asked listeners to make an appointment and spread the word. Also in the Pilot this week is a poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus. It found that 74% of Americans value religious freedom even when it conflicts with laws. Greg said people support this principle even if the religious freedom conflict doesn't affect them. Whether or not they personally believe, they support the right of people to live their faith as they see it appropriate. Susan said she thought the questions people could choose from were very clear cut. “This survey reveals that the American people are fundamentally dedicated to protecting the First Amendment conscience rights of everyone.” said Carl A. Anderson. supreme knight of the New Haven-based Knights of Columbus. “Allowing people to opt out of these procedures or services - which violate their faith - is the right thing to do.” he added. “It is also key to protecting the First Amendment rights of all Americans and enjoys strong public support as well.” Fr. Roger said he wants to attribute good intentions to people like Kathleen Sebelius, but it then shows the deeper problem that they believe that we can't survive if the government doesn't give us certain things for free. On the other hand, we could presume a cynical political motive designed to ignite a political base that hadn't been excited about a re-election campaign. 3rd segment: Scot said the Anchor editorial is called “Lessons from Acushnet”: Prior to last Tuesday, the beautiful town of Acushnet was known mainly to residents of the southcoast of Massachusetts. Most in other parts of the Commonwealth - not to mention outside its boundaries - would have had to use atlases or the Internet to locate this charming place of bogs, farms and a world-famous golfing equipment company. That all changed on May 15 with six words placed on the rectory lawn sign facing the city's main intersection, “Two men are friends not spouses,” placed there by the parish director of Pastoral Services in response to President Barack Obama's May 9 newly announced support for the redefinition of marriage to embrace two men or two women. The phrase was meant to express in a succinct way the Church's teaching that those of the same sex not only can but are called to love each other, but that that love is not meant to take on the form of romantic or spousal love (what the Greeks called eros) but rather the deep love of friendship (philia) consistent with the self-controlled and -sacrificial love (agape) that Christ Himself gave and called us to imitate. For Jesus and those who follow Him, love and truth are always united. Christ very clearly spoke about the truth of marriage when He said (Mt 19) that in the beginning God made them male and female (not male and male, or female and female) and for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother (not two fathers or two mothers) and cling to his wife (not to whomever he is sexually attracted) and the two shall become one flesh (which refers not merely to the ephemeral physical contact involved in sexual activity but to the fusion of the flesh of a man and a woman in a child, a fruit of which those of the same-sex are obviously incapable). Jesus also said that what God has joined, man must not divide, and this can be interpreted not just with regard to a particular man and a particular woman in a particular marital bond, but also to the marital communion intended in general between man and woman: The union of man and woman in marriage cannot be rent asunder to make marriage a husbandless or wifeless union. To believe in Jesus means to believe in what He taught. To follow Jesus means to seek to imitate the way He showed us how to love. St. Francis Xavier Parish was giving witness to its authentically Christian faith in the public square by reiterating the particular type of love to which those with same-sex attractions are called. Based on the media attention the six-word message garnered, however, one might have thought that instead of reiterating the Church's teaching on the meaning of marriage and the love of friendship, St. Francis Xavier had put up a message calling for the condemnation of all those with same-sex attractions. One young woman started a Facebook campaign calling the message “hateful,” as if the six-word message had been, “The Church hates gays and lesbians.” Soon a blast got out to the wider gay community. A few picketers showed up. Others started bringing other posters. Many started calling. And, curiously, within hours all the major television stations in Boston and Providence were coming to Acushnet to do interviews and live reports about the protests to putative Catholic hate-mongering. It's worth noting - as a commentary on the media's coverage of the Church as well as the issues concerning gays and lesbians - that five days a week, 240 students attend St. Francis Xavier School to learn the Church's teaching on truth and love in classrooms and on Sunday more than 800 worshippers come to hear it from the pulpit. These activities garner no media attention at all. Yet when as few as three people come to hold protest placards on the city sidewalk near a parish sign - even after the message had been changed the following day to announce the Ascension Thursday Mass schedule - television from all the major news affiliates of the two closest metropolises somehow show up. To the media's credit, however, once journalists had arrived to cover a hyped-up story on homophobia and anti-gay hatred, they recognized, in talking with pastor Msgr. Gerard O'Connor and director of Pastoral Services Steven Guillotte, that not only was that animus totally absent, but another type of hatred - one of the most underreported forms of uncivility and bullying in our culture - was. And they reported it. They were shown various posters that had been left on the property. “Jesus freaks, come to your senses. Jesus freaks, pray for death,” said one. Another went straight after the Blessed Mother in a mockery of the angelic salutation, “Hail Mary, Virgin Whore.” Facebook and verbal messages referred to both pastor and parishioners as pederasts - a facilely-employed and relatively ubiquitous ad hominem used against Catholic ministers and believers today, especially whenever the Church speaks on human sexuality. The message that captured the journalists' attention most was a voicemail left by an unidentified woman. In the span of 54 seconds, she somehow managed to employ 16 expletives while threatening, “Seriously, your Church should be burned,” insisting “God isn't real,” and saying that the town of Acushnet, St. Francis Xavier Parish, and the Catholic Church and her teaching should nevertheless all go to hell. Apparently, God doesn't exist but hell does. It didn't take advanced degrees from Columbia school of journalism for reporters to figure out that such messages were hardly consistent with a side admonishing the Church to “Spread love, not hate,” as one poster left on the property declared. What is the larger lesson to be learned from what was really going on in Acushnet? It's about the verbal nuclear attack that the gay movement regularly employs against the Church for her opposition to the redefinition of marriage. Whenever the Church expresses its principled objection to the redefinition of marriage - not only out of fidelity to Jesus' teachings but out of concern for the future of our nation, because of the importance of the marriage between one man and one woman for the procreation and education of our nation's future citizens, teachers, defenders, and leaders - she is accused of “homophobia,” “gay-bashing,” and “hatred.” This is part of a strategy directed against the Church and Christian believers that has been publicly described by various gay leaders. Notice that when President Obama, up until the “evolution” he announced on May 9, stressed his support for marriage as the union of one man and one woman, he was never accused of an irrational fear of those with same-sex attractions or of despising gays. When President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, passed overwhelmingly by Democrats and Republicans in both the House and the Senate, they weren't accused of collective antipathy toward gay fellow citizens. It's only when Christian believers defend marriage as the union between one man and one woman that we begin to hear the accusations of hatred and homophobia. Why? The reason, gay strategists have declared in interviews, is because with politicians and citizens in general, the gay movement is trying to persuade them patiently to abandon the wisdom of the centuries about marriage and redefine its meaning as the crowning achievement of the social normalization of same-sex behavior. But since those who truly believe in Jesus and His teachings will never be persuaded of the same-sex ideal of marriage as a husbandless or wifeless institution with no intrinsic connection to children flowing from that privileged bond - and the Catholic Church in particular is seen as a bulwark against this revolution in social and sexual mores - what needs to be done is demonize and marginalize believers' convictions altogether. Nobody, after all, likes to associate with “bigots,” especially in the politically-correct milieus of education and media that mold public opinion. In Acushnet, this strategy backfired. The real bigotry at play - against Catholic teaching and faithful Catholics- was exposed. The Church loves and welcomes those with same-sex attractions and defends them against all unjust discrimination. But the Church's - and society's - defense of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is not unjust discrimination, because gays do not have the right to change what marriage means and is. The “right to marriage” is not the unlimited right to marry anyone one wants. Laws rightly discriminate against certain types of attempted “marriages” in order to protect what marriage is and thereby serve the common good, and to affirm that those of the same-sex do not have the right to marry each other is not unjust discrimination any more than to say that people do not have the right to marry kids, or siblings, or another person's spouse. It's not hateful or homophobic to say this; rather, it's the common sense and wisdom of the centuries, even from before the Church was founded. The truth about marriage as the union of one man and one woman, however, is also part of what the God of love has revealed. This is a message that all Catholics should confidently, charitably, and courageously proclaim from their rooftops, belltowers and parish lawns. Fr. Roger said this is bigger than just one parish, but points to a pattern being faced by Catholics. He said the parish was subjected to a Facebook campaign and received death threats; there were pickets outside that accosted parish employees and parishioners; and vile attacks. Every single major news station and media outlets provided blanket coverage. However, almost all of the media coverage ended up contrasting the parish's passivity and calmness against the hatred they encountered. Fr. Roger said the only people who are called hateful toward homosexuals are Catholics and Bible-believing Christians. That's because the activists recognize they aren't going to change Christians' minds so they will marginalize and demonize them so no one will want to identify with them. Fr. Roger said this was exposed by one little parish in a little town in Massachusetts. Scot and Greg discussed how the secular media did a good job and was not biased against the Church in any way. Scot said if you want to see the kind of venom that is spewed against the Church, go on to a newspaper website when any article about the Church is posted and read the comments. Scot said another story concerns the Vatican's rejection of the appeals regarding six churches in closed parishes. The appeals had opposed the relegation to profane use of the buildings. He said there has been predictable responses from the group Council of Parishes that has been riling up people across the country. Greg said in last week's show we discussed what relegation and profane use mean. He those fighting the Archdiocese in this regard have dropped accusations that the Vatican gave Boston special treatment because of the influence of Cardinal Seán in Rome. Scot said the Archdiocese encourages people to join their fellow parishioners in their new parishes. Greg said Terry Donilon, archdiocesan spokesman, said the protesters are grasping at straws. Scot said Peter Borre of Council of Parishes threw out the rumor about Cardinal Sean throwing his influence around. “We feel we did it right procedurally, we did it right on the substance, we provided an enormous amount of information with the Vatican to back up the decision that was made, and I think they are grasping at straws and I think they are trying to create a conspiracy theory that does not exist,” [Donilon] said. Susan said the property of St. James the Great church in Wellesley has an agreement from the town of Wellesley to buy it, but that sale can't go through until the appeals are finished. Greg said thinks the appeals will be exhausted eventually and thinks if the town does purchase the property they will be less sympathetic and merciful toward those occupying the building. He wonders how the media will cover that. Also in the Pilot this week is an obituary for Thomas O'Connor, the dean of Boston historians, who died this week at 89. He wrote several books on the history of the archdiocese. Scot said the books helped him understand so much of the background for the current issues in the archdiocese today. Fr. Roger said O'Connor helped people like us understand the roots of the trees that spread throughout this region. His funeral Mass was earlier today at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Braintree. Susan said she's read several of his books and he spoke several times to gatherings of directors of religious education. He was really a storyteller. Greg said that as a convert to Catholicism, he found the books to be very accessible. Scot reiterated that O'Connor brought the characters he wrote about alive. Greg said the Pilot this week also covers the workshops going on around the Archdiocese for the doctor-assisted suicide education campaign. Fr. Roger said the Anchor profiles several priests of the Fall River diocese who have served the Church for many years. Susan highlighted the family retreat going on at the Family Rosary Retreat in Easton next month. More information will be on the Pilot's website on Friday. We will interview organizers of the retreat on The Good Catholic Life next Wednesday. Scot highlighted a moving testimony from a Catholic chaplain serving with the 101st Airborne as we head into Memorial Day weekend.