Overheard in the Sacristy

VATICAN CITY, 31 MAY 2010 (VIS) – Pope Benedict’s general prayer intention for June is: “That every national and trans-national institution may strive to guarantee respect for human life from conception to natural death”.

His mission intention is: “That the Churches in Asia, which constitute a ‘little flock’ among non-Christina populations, may know how to communicate the Gospel and give joyful witness to their adherence to Christ”.

The food you have worked for, you will eat:

God’s blessing will bring you good things.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

on the side of your house.

Your children will be like olive shoots,

seated round your table.

Almighty and ever-living God, you inspired Mary, while she was expecting your son, to visit her cousin Elizabeth.

Grant that we may obey the inspiration of the Spirit and join her in proclaiming your greatness for ever. Through Christ our Lord, Amen

A Memorial Day Prayer

Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed at the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers. On this day we honor all who have died in service of our nation.

Dear God our Father,

Your word tells us, “Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build. Unless the LORD guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch” (Psalm 127:1).

Thank You for those who have guarded not only our cities, but our country, allies, and many other communities from unjust and unprincipled aggressors. On this Memorial Day, with a solemn and sacred spirit, we pause to remember and honor the brave men and women in our Armed Forces who gave up their lives for their fellow Americans at home and abroad. Many were young and many were married, with their loved ones praying for them back home; but they were each fighting to protect the freedom we enjoy when they were called to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Dear God, please bless our heroes and heroines with Your mercy, grace, and peace. Bless also their families and friends. May Your perpetual light shine upon them; and may their souls and the souls of all our faithful departed rest in peace. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Take a Moment to Reflect and Pray:

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the “National Moment of Remembrance” resolution was passed in December 2000 asking all Americans at 3 p.m. local time “to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to ‘Taps’.”

Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class Of Antidepressants Might Be Right Under Our Noses

ScienceDaily (May 20, 2008) — Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses.

“In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Bosweilla had not been investigated for psychoactivity,” said Raphael Mechoulam, one of the research study’s co-authors. “We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning.”

To the Threshold of the Apostles

The Tomb of the Apostle Peter in the Crypt of the Basilica of Saint Peter

The Tomb of the Apostle Paul at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls

I have distributed cards to interested parishioners which read: “Father Gonzales is making a pilgrimage to the Vatican and would like to take your intention to the tomb of the Apostle Peter.”

I offer the same to readers of this blog. Please email your prayer intentions to frgonzales@diocesephoenix.org. They will accompany me to tombs of Peter and Paul.

Secrets uncovered at the Sistine Chapel By Greg Goodsell  5/28/2010 Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Michelangelo hid anatomical sketches in art, experts say

According to two scholars, the artist Michelangelo hid some secret messages inside his artwork in the Sistine Chapel, far from the eyes of Pope Julius II and countless religious worshipers, historians, and art lovers for centuries — inside the body of God.

Scholars say the way the robe bunches up along God’s torso in the Sistine Chapel is in fact the human spinal cord, ascending to the brain stem in God’s neck.

Scholars say the way the robe bunches up along God’s torso in the Sistine Chapel is in fact the human spinal cord, ascending to the brain stem in God’s neck.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) – According to Ian Suk and Rafael Tamargo, in their paper in the current issue of Neurosurgery, Michelangelo hid his sketches of the human brain, including the spinal column inside his depiction of God.

The theory was first posited by physician Frank Meshberger in 1990, who maintained that the artist’s rendering of the central panel on the ceiling, depicting God creating Adam was a perfect anatomical illustration of the human brain in cross section. Meshberger speculated that Michelangelo surrounded God with a shroud representing the human brain, suggesting God was endowing Adam with supreme human intelligence.

Michelangelo took four years to complete the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Proceeding from east to west, the artist started from the entrance of the Chapel to finish above the altar. The last panel he painted depicts God separating light from darkness. This is where the researchers say that Michelangelo hid the human brain stem, eyes and optic nerve of man inside the figure of God directly above the altar.

Suk and Tamargo say that in the panel, The Separation of Light from Darkness, leading up the center of God’s chest and forming his throat, the researchers have found a precise depiction of the human spinal cord and brain stem.

The researchers note that a roll of fabric extends up the center of God’s robe in a peculiar manner. The clothing is bunched up here as is seen nowhere else, and the fold clashes with what would be the natural drape of fabric over God’s torso. The scholars say it is the human spinal cord, ascending to the brain stem in God’s neck. At God’s waist, the robe twists again in a peculiar crumpled manner, revealing the optic nerves from two eyes, precisely as Leonardo Da Vinci had shown them in his illustration of 1487.

The theory receives credence by the fact that at the age of 17, Michelangelo began dissecting corpses from a church graveyard. To conceal this secret, the artist destroyed almost all of his anatomical sketches and notes.

Attention to Christ helps priests to avoid burnout, explains Cardinal Maradiaga

Vatican City, May 28, 2010 / 08:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- “The dignity of their ministry doesn’t exempt priests from difficulty, from temptations and from weaknesses that sometimes shake and put their path towards holiness to the test,” said Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga on Friday. To avoid “burnout,” he said, pastors must center their attention on Christ, but also remain conscious of their own human and psychological needs.

The Honduran cardinal and head of Caritas Internationalis was speaking in Rome at the release of the book, “Ease and hardship in the pastoral service and the mission of the Church. Recognizing and curing ‘burnout’ in devotion to others.”

Reflecting on the content and theme of the new book, the prelate said that priests, overwhelmed by the many challenges, excessive requests and possible difficulties arising within their ministry can become tired, experience psychological harm and eventually suffer from “pastoral burnout.”

As their ministry goes beyond just “things to do,” requiring their full attention and participation in relations with people of all ages and conditions, explained Cardinal Maradiaga, “if it is not balanced with a healthy interior life, it can cause a sense of uncertainty and inadequacy emerge, or also the fear of failing or feeling judged, thus (making them) lose sight of the very meaning of their work.”

To combat the possibility “denaturing” their sense of altruism in loving others, he said, they must “nourish a constant attention to themselves, to their own human and psychological needs. But also a constant attention to He who they are called to serve, Jesus the Good Shepherd …”

A player of the North American Martyrs (L) fights for the ball with a player of the Redemptoris Mater during the finale in the soccer final of the fourth Clericus Cup on May 29, 2010 at the Pontificio Oratorio San Pietro in Rome, near The Vatican. The Clericus Cup, is the football championship organized by the Vatican at the Italian sporting Center (CSI), a sport organization of the Catholic Church.

Eucharistic adoration at the Vatican in reparation for abuse

by John Thavis

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is hosting two hours of eucharistic adoration “in reparation for abuses committed by priests and for the healing of this wound within the church.”

The service in St. Peter’s Basilica this Saturday will feature an hour of silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, an hour of prayer and meditation, and a solemn blessing at the end.

The unusual initiative was organized by Catholic university students in Rome. Sources said the event was originally planned for the small Church of St. Anne inside Vatican City, but that it was moved to St. Peter’s at the suggestion of Cardinal Angelo Comastri, who is archpriest of the basilica.

So far, however, the Vatican has not publicized the event. Invitations have been forwarded by email and spread by word-of-mouth.

The hour of prayer and meditation will be led by Msgr. Charles Scicluna, an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who deals directly with cases of priests accused of abuse of minors.

In several recent statements, Pope Benedict has said the response to the sex abuse crisis in the church will require openness, adoption of new measures to protect children and spiritual reparation.

In a letter to Irish Catholics earlier this year, he asked that eucharistic adoration be set up in every diocese, so that “through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm.”

“The Church everywhere proclaims the Gospel of Christ, despite persecutions, discriminations, attacks and at times hostile indifference. These, in fact, enable her to share the lot of her Master and Lord.” — Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas Message, December 25, 2009

Pastoral Workers, Priests, Men and Women Religious and Lay Catholics Killed During 2009

Vatican City  (Agenzia Fides) – Once again this year, as 2009 comes to an end, Fides has drawn up a list of the names of pastoral workers who lost their lives in a violent manner over the course of 2009. As far as we know the total number of Catholic priests, men and women religious and seminarians killed during 2009 was 37, the highest number in the last 10 years and nearly double the number reported in 2008. There were 30 priests, 2 religious sisters, 2 seminarians, and 3 lay volunteers.

In analyzing the list for each continent, this year, the one with the highest number were the Americas, with 23 pastoral workers killed (18 priests, 2 seminarians, 1 sister, and 2 lay persons), followed by Africa, where 9 priests, 1 religious, and 1 laymen lost their lives. In Asia, 2 priests were killed, and in Europe, one priest was killed.

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No, not my Green Card! My travel documents arrived–airline tickets and itinerary.

The Phoenix Suns got a decisive performance from their hustling bench to overcome Kobe Bryant’s 38-point, 10-assist performance and beat the Lakers 115-106 in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night.