Herald friends meet to plan establishment of new Prayer Groups

A group of friends of the Heralds of the Gospel met this week in the Herald house in Hampton Wick, near London to discuss the establishment of new prayer groups.
As you can see from the happy faces, a wonderful evening was had by all!

Today is the Feast of Christ the King.

From: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-11-24
The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ's royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

Today's Mass establishes the titles for Christ's royalty over men: 1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created by Him"; 2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession; 3) Christ is Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy"; 4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion.

Today's Mass also describes the qualities of Christ's kingdom. This kingdom is: 1) supreme, extending not only to all people but also to their princes and kings; 2) universal, extending to all nations and to all places; 3) eternal, for "The Lord shall sit a King forever"; 4) spiritual, Christ's "kingdom is not of this world". — Rt. Rev. Msgr. Rudolph G. Gandas

Before the reform of the Roman Calendar in 1969, this feast was celebrated on the last Sunday of October.

Things to Do:

• Traditionally there would be a procession for Christ the King on this feastday. The Blessed Sacrament would be carried and the procession would end with a prayer of consecration to Christ the King and Benediction. Try to participate if your parish has a Christ the King procession. If not, try having one at home (minus the Blessed Sacrament).
• Read Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quas primas (On the Feast of Christ the King) which shows that secularism is the direct denial of Christ's Kingship.
• Learn more about secularism - read the Annual Statement of the Bishops of the United States released on November 14, 1947.
• Being a relatively newer feast on the Liturgical calendar, there are no traditional foods for this day. Suggested ideas: a wonderful family Sunday dinner, and bake an Easter Cake or King Cake in honor of Christ the King..
• A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recite publicly on the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ King.

Today is the feast day of: THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Feast: November 21

Religious parents never fail by devout prayer to consecrate their children to the divine service and love, both before and after their birth. Some amongst the Jews, not content with this general consecration of their children, offered them to God in their infancy, by the hands of the priests in the temple, to be lodged in apartments belonging to the temple, and brought up in attending the priests and Levites in the sacred ministry. It is an ancient tradition, that the Blessed Virgin Mary was thus solemnly offered to God in the temple in her infancy.[1] This festival of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, or, as it is often called by the Greeks, the entrance of the Blessed Virgin into the Temple, is mentioned in the most ancient Greek Menologies extant. By the consecration which the Blessed Virgin made of herself to God in the first use which she made of her reason, we are admonished of the most important and strict obligation which all persons lie under, of an early dedication of themselves to the divine love and service. It is agreed amongst all masters of Christian morality, that everyone is bound in the first moral instant of the use of reason to convert his heart to God by love; and if divine faith be then duly proposed to him (which is the case of Christian children) by a supernatural assent to it, he is bound then to make an act of faith; also an act of hope in God as a supernatural rewarder and helper, and an act of divine charity. Who can be secure that in the very moment in which he entered into his moral life and was capable of living to God, did not stain his innocence by a capital omission of this duty? How diligent and solicitous are parents bound to be in instructing their children in the first fundamental mysteries of faith, and in the duty of prayer, and in impressing upon their tender minds a sense of spiritual things in a manner in which their age may be capable of receiving it. These first fruits of the heart are a sacrifice of which God is infinitely jealous, an emblem of which were all the sacrifices of first fruits prescribed in the old law, in token that he is our beginning and last end. Such a heart, adorned with the baptismal grace of innocence, has particular charms. Grace recovered by penance is not like that of innocence which has never been defiled; nor is it the same happiness for a soul to return to God from the slavery of sin, as for one to give him her first affections, and to open her understanding and will to his love before the world has found any entrance there. The tender soul of Mary was then adorned with the most precious graces, an object of astonishment and praise to the angels, and of the highest complacence to the adorable Trinity, the Father looking upon her as his beloved daughter, the Son, as one chosen and prepared to become his mother, and the Holy Ghost as his darling spouse. Her first presentation to God, made by the hands of her parents and by her own devotion, was then an offering most acceptable in his sight. Let our consecration of ourselves to God be made under her patronage, and assisted by her powerful intercession and the union of her merits. If we have reason to fear that we criminally neglected this duty at the first dawning of our reason, or, if we have since been unfaithful to our sacred baptismal engagements, such is the mercy and goodness of our gracious God, that he disdains not our late offerings. But that these may be accepted by him, we must first prepare the present he requires of us, that is, our hearts. They must be washed and cleansed in the sacred laver of Christ's adorable blood, by means of sincere compunction and penance; and all inordinate affections must be pared away by our perfectly renouncing in spirit, honours, riches, and pleasures, and being perfectly disengaged from creatures, and ready to do and suffer all for God, that we may be entirely his, and that neither the world nor pride, nor any irregular passion may have any place in us. What secret affections to this or that creature lurk in our souls, which hinder us from being altogether his, unless they are perfectly cut off or reformed! This Mary did by spending her youth in holy retirement, at a distance from the commerce and corruption of the world, and by the most assiduous application to all the duties and exercises of a religious and interior life. Mary was the first who set up the standard of virginity; and, by consecrating it by a perpetual vow to our Lord, she opened the way to all virgins who have since followed her example. They, in particular, ought to take her for their special patroness, and, as her life was the most perfect model of their state, they ought always to have her example before their eyes, and imitate her in prayer, humility, modesty, silence, and retirement. Mary lived retired until she was introduced into the world and espoused to St. Joseph. Some think her espousals were at first only a promise or betrothing: but the ends assigned by the fathers, seem rather to show them to have been a marriage. These are summed up by St. Jerome as follows:[2] that by the pedigree of Joseph, the descent of Mary from the tribe of Juda, might be demonstrated; that she might not be stoned by the Jews as an adulteress; that, fleeing into Egypt, she might have the comfort and protection of a spouse. A fourth reason, says St. Jerome, is added by the martyr Ignatius: that the birth of the Son of God might be concealed from the devil. The words of that apostolic father are: "Three mysteries wrought by God in silence were concealed from the prince of this world. the virginity of Mary, the bringing forth of her Son, and the death of the Lord."[3] Not that God could fear any impediment to his designs from the devil; but he was pleased to effect these mysteries in silence and without worldly show and noise, that pride and hell might, by his all-wise and sweet providence, be more meetly triumphed over, whilst the devil himself hastened his own overthrow by concurring to the mystery of the cross. From the marriage of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, St. Austin shows[4] that marriage requires no more than the mutual consent of the will between parties who lie under no impediment or inability to an indissoluble individual society of life. In this holy marriage we admire the incomparable chastity of Mary and Joseph; and the sanctity and honour, as well as the patronage and example, which that holy state receives from this mystery. In certain particular churches the espousals of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph are honoured with an office on the 23rd of January. Endnotes1 See St. Greg. of Nyssa, Serm. In Nat. Christ., p. 779. 2 In c. 1, Mat. p. 7, ed. Ben 3 St. Ignat. ep. ad Ephes. p. 16. 4 St. Aug. lib. de Nuptits et Concup. c. 11, n. 13, p. 287. (Taken from Vol. III of "The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints" by the Rev. Alban Butler.)

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World Prays for the victims of the Philippine Hurricane

http://ncronline.org/news/religious-orders-philippines-rush-help-typhoon-victims

Groups of religious women and men have mobilized their networks in the Philippines to help communities affected by the Super Typhoon Haiyan that hit the region Nov. 8.

The Vatican announced earlier this week it will donate $150,000 in emergency aid to the Philippines to be distributed through the local churches in regions most severely hit, helping people displaced or otherwise affected by flooding, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said.

Caritas Manila, the church's lead social service agency in the country, also announced Monday it gave a total of 35 million pesos (approximately $803,000) in cash and goods to aid Haiyan survivors in nine dioceses and three archdioceses in the Visayas region.

A storm surge from the Philippine Sea that reached almost 20 feet, slammed parts of the Palo archdiocese on the region's Leyte Island, inundating villages and leaving them scattered with rubble, felled trees and posts, and scores of corpses.

Much of the relief efforts have been focused on Tacloban City, eastern Leyte, and neighboring Samar Island, where many of the deaths have been reported.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Thursday reported that 2,357 people died and 3,853 were injured, with 77 people missing. About 1.7 million families were reportedly affected in 43 provinces. President Benigno Aquino III has declared a state of national calamity.

By the end of this week, the slow delivery of aid was causing frustration for groups trying to help. Government officials, police and military troops are victims themselves, so local systems do not exist. Roads and bridges remained impassable, buildings that are being used are damaged and filthy from the flooding. Until Friday, airlines carrying supplies could not use the Tacloban airport at night.

On the western side of Leyte, far from the center of national and international attention, Haiyan damaged the buildings of various apostolates and novitiates that groups of religious men and women run.

Carmelite Fr. Ernesto Ombrog III, prior of Cebu and Ormoc Carmel Communities, told NCR the wind peeled roofs off his community's Spirituality Center and chapel on a hill in Milagro, Ormoc City. It left the interior soaking in water. Even so, the community is saving repairs for later so it can pack relief packages for 150 families living around the retreat center. Most of the families rely on coconut and rice farming, and "even coconut trees have been knocked down, so they are helpless right now," he said. Ombrog appealed to Lite Shipping Company, which agreed to transport containers of gasoline and packets of canned goods, rice, dried fish, cooking oil, laundry and bath soap, medicine, vinegar and drinking water to the families. "There is water there, but we are thinking of preventing diarrhea among babies," Ombrog said.

On Friday, he plans to go with members of his community and convent maintenance workers to areas where electricity has been cut off and cell phone signals do not reach. "We want to respond right away to the need for food in remote areas because government and other agencies are focused on the Tacloban area. Some of the people had not eaten for days," Ombrog said. Eventually, he said, the religious community may offer activities at its Spirituality Center to help local people relieve stress. “Many people are depressed and fearful and we are thinking of how we can help them with that," he said

The Claretian novitiate compound, also in Ormoc, houses 12 novices and three priests. The novices include three from Myanmar, two from Sri Lanka, and one Vietnamese. One of the priests is also Vietnamese. "We are royal squatters now," novice master Fr. Paulino Manila told NCR. Royal, because they still have the first floor, and squatters because they each sleep in whatever room is available, he explained. At the peak of the typhoon, he said he made sure the men in his charge stayed clear of glass windows and doors, and stayed in the main building. After it was over, neighbors came by looking for roofing material the wind had scattered in the yard, and he help divide it up among them. He also opened up the building to young men who came at night to sleep because their houses were destroyed.

Claretians distributed dried fish to the neighboring communities and lent their vehicle to distribute 10 sacks of government rice among 600 families living around the novitiate. Religious and diocesan clergy of Palo had not had the chance to contact each other about the situation of the archdiocese, he said.

In the same city, Religious of the Sacred Heart sisters live among former sugar hacienda worker families in Ormoc Workers Foundation almost 8 kilometers from the city center. People rushed to the community's chapel at the height of the storm because the parish church was destroyed by then. The sister in charge of the center was on sabbatical leave and the one who was left is sick, so Sr. Sandra Clemente sailed to Ormoc from her base on Cebu island on Nov. 10 once ferry service resumed.

"There was no public transportation in Ormoc. Vehicles had to wait in long queues at gas stations, so tricycles (motorcycle cabs) wouldn't drive out to our center," Sr. Clemente told NCR. There were still some "Good Samaritans,” she added, telling the story of a family who allowed her to use its tricycle for the day. Though their home was also destroyed and the roads were scattered with posts, he drove me as far as he could, and then we walked the rest of the way around one-third of a kilometer carrying vegetables and other food I could carry to the workers' center," Clemente said.

Along the way, she saw houses were torn down. "In our community, there were houses standing, but roofs had all been blown away, including the roof of our center, day care center and chapel," Clemente said. "It was a pitiful sight, I wanted to cry, but the people were so happy to see that I made it there. So I told them I was going to get there by hook or by crook," she said.

"I was impressed with the people's (community spirit) and their creativity and resourcefulness,” she said. “Because they had no water, I saw people had taken the fire hydrant seal apart and managed to get the water running so they could wash, bathe and drink there."

Now back in Cebu, Clemente plans to assess the needs of the workers' community and start work on rehabilitation. Meanwhile, the community needs food and supplies. "There's still no light, there's scarce goods in the stores," Clemente said.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila has invited Filipino Catholics to a day of prayer and fasting on Saturday to express solidarity with people suffering because of this and other disasters that have affected the country. He wants priests to take up a special collection at Masses for Haiyian survivors, directing them to "be prompt in remitting the special collections to the Treasury Department.” He asked them to review parish and school celebrations "in light of enormous suffering and needs of the victims and make necessary adjustments."

Meanwhile, Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manila, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines national secretariat for social action, on has called for transparency in handling Haiyan aid funds donated through local and international church networks. "We are calling on social action centers to follow our standard for reporting what we receive for the people" Pabillo said at the bishops' regular forum.

He urged the faithful to demand proper accounting from their parish and church leaders to achieve this transparency, adding that this should also apply to government and other donations through private groups and non-governmental organizations.

  [N.J. Viehland is NCR’s correspondent in Asia.]