You are called by God to be a saint! And that all important calling from the Lord is not just to be seriously considered on All Saints’ Day — but every day.
It is no coincidence that the Catholic Church proclaims the Gospel passage of the Beatitudes on the Solemnity of All Saints. For in this most wonderful teaching from the Son of God, we are shown the way to holiness, to blessedness, to joyfulness.
In the more than 30 annual Washington, D.C., Marches for Life I have participated in, I always think the current march is the largest ever. But since accurate figures are hard to come by, it usually comes down to taking a good guess.
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Last year was a rough one in many ways. President Donald Trump’s and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s exchange of insults and violent threatening language put the world on edge that nuclear war was, and still is, quite possible.
To the editor:
Regarding the article by Tony Magliano, “A world awash with weapons,” October 12 issue.
Very nice thought that we could stop manufacturing weapons and turn that production processing into producing humane products. Unfortunately, according to the Scriptures, that is not the age we live in. That age will come with the Messianic Kingdom when Christ rules (Isaiah 2:1-5, Micah 4:1-5).
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For many of us who strive to seriously practice faith in Jesus Christ, and to extend that practice out into the marketplace, the political square, and society at large, persecution rarely means more than being ridiculed, verbally harassed, and to a certain degree socially and politically marginalized.
But for so many other Christians throughout the world who courageously refuse to deny Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior — with all that means — persecution means torture, rape, enslavement, and death.
In his well-researched book, The Global War on Christians, Catholic journalist John Allen, cites studies that indicate the number of Christians killed for the faith every year ranges from 7,300 to 100,000 worldwide.
To the editor:
For all you pro-lifers out there, I have to empathize with your plight in the struggle for respect and gratitude for the time and energy you have devoted to the fight for the unborn AND anyone at any other stage of human life.
We’ve been ignored by churches and ministers who refused to acknowledge our efforts for 40+ years. Tony Magliano has spelled it out for us. We’re war mongers!
To the editor:
I participated in the People’s Climate March in New York City on September 21 and was grateful to return to Madison to see the Voices page in the September 25th issue of the Catholic Herald.
Tony Magliano’s piece “The truth about climate change” cites Pope Benedict’s powerful and urgent statements re: the Church’s teaching on climate change.
Stephen Kent’s article “Why not us?” urges every Christian to be a light to the world despite the failures of our government and the UN to act on global issues.
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During his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the pope of surprises gave the world an unexpected powerful message.
On his way to celebrate Mass in Bethlehem, Pope Francis suddenly got out of his popemobile and walked toward the towering concrete Israeli-built barrier that divides Israel from the Israeli occupied territory of the West Bank.
In a highly symbolic scene, with Israeli soldiers in a tower above him, Pope Francis touched the separation wall and prayed with head bowed at precisely the spot where spray-painted messages cry out, “Pope we need some 1 to speak about Justice Bethlehem look like Warsaw ghetto” and “Free Palestine.” Then he touched his forehead to the wall.
“This wall is a sign of division, that something is not functioning right,” said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi. And Pope Francis’ prayer there “signifies for me his desire for peace, for a world without walls.”
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Just think about it. According to the United Nations, approximately 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty throughout the world.
Clean water and sanitation, adequate nutritious food, a safe job with fair pay, an education, medical care, and a decent place to call home are unfulfilled dreams to these brothers and sisters of ours.
Every day they must somehow find a way to survive on less than $1.25. Even in the poorest countries, it is almost impossible to live on this meager amount. And in fact, many do not make it.
Every day approximately 21,000 fellow human beings die from hunger and hunger related diseases. And according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, some 300 million children go to bed hungry every night.
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A Utah woman was recently charged with six counts of first-degree murder for allegedly killing six of her newborn infants, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Megan Huntsman, 39, confessed that from 1996 to 2006, she suffocated or strangled the six babies, packed them in boxes, and stored them in her Salt Lake City garage, reports AP.
But if Huntsman had agreed to have an abortion just prior to giving birth to each of the six babies, she would be legally innocent of all charges.
