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Ave Maria Meditations

This month we will concentrate on Our Lady!

 ”The mood of springtime informs the church’s interior; nature’s blossoming, the warm air of May evenings, human gladness in a world that is renewing itself — all these things enter in. Veneration of Mary has its place in this very particular atmosphere, for she, the Virgin, shows us faith under its youthful aspect, as God’s new beginning in a world that has grown old. In her we see the Christian life set forth as a youthfulness of the heart, as beauty and a waiting readiness for what is to come.”

-- Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Seek That Which is Above

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Ave Maria Meditations

      What is resurrection? It does not form part of our experience, and so the message often remains to some degree beyond our understanding … The Church tries to help us understand it by expressing this mysterious event in the language of symbols in which we can somehow contemplate this astonishing event.

First of all, there is light … Where there is light, life  is born, chaos can be transformed into cosmos. The resurrection of Jesus is an eruption of light. With the resurrection, the Lord’s day enters the nights of history … This Light alone – Jesus Christ – is the true light, something more than the physical phe­nomenon of light. He is pure Light: God himself, who causes a new creation to be born in the midst of the old, transforming chaos into cosmos … Let us pray to the Lord that the fragile flame of the candle he has lit in us, the delicate light of his word and his love amid the confusions of this age, will not be extinguished in us, but will become ever stronger and brighter, so that we, with him, can be people of the day, bright stars lighting up our time. (more…)

Ave Maria Meditations

Ave Maria Meditations

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

R. Amen. 

Lord Jesus Christ, for our sake you became like the grain of wheat that falls to the earth and dies, so that it may bear much fruit (Jn 12:24).  You invited us to follow you along this path when you told us that “the one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (Jn 12:25). 

Yet we are attached to our life.  We do not want to abandon it; (more…)

Ave Maria Meditations

Faith in God’s unending love does not take away the struggle for a decent life, but it does liberate men and women from the things of this world and fear of the future, said Pope Benedict XVI from St. Peter’s Square (February 2011)

“He who believes in God … puts the search for his kingdom and his will in the first position,” commented the pontiff, calling this attitude “precisely the opposite of fatalism.”

“Faith in providence, in fact, does not dispense one of the difficult struggle for a decent life, but liberates from the anxiety for things and the fear of tomorrow,” he added. (more…)

Recently within certain circles a debate has arisen as to whether the Second Vatican Council is actually in continuity with sacred Tradition.  The debate stems from an address given by Pope Benedict to the Roman Curia on December 22, 2005, in which he spoke famously of the “hermeneutic of continuity.”  It is contended by some that at that time the Holy Father actually invited the debate.

In that address the Holy Father rejected the modernist idea that the Council was a kind of constitutional convention that changed the nature of the Church, and that the actual texts of the Council were compromises between conservatives and liberals, which had to be interpreted according to their innovative spirit.  (This is the origin of the amorphous “spirit of Vatican II”.)  This notion constitutes the “hermeneutic of rupture,” and is corrected by the “hermeneutic of continuity,” which simply means (more…)

Conferences #162 – MIM Conference ( 80min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Apostolic Letter “Motu Proprio data” Porta Fidei of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI for the Indiction of the Year of Faith

“I have decided to announce a Year of Faith. It will begin on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and it will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013. The starting date of 11 October 2012 also marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a text promulgated by my Predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, with a view to illustrating for all the faithful the power and beauty of the faith. This document, an authentic fruit of the Second Vatican Council…”

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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Variety #191 – Banner of our Holy Father outside St. John Lateran ( 12min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

This past Corpus Christi the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in Rome had the privilege of attending the Eucharistic  procession of our Holy Father.  The procession started at the basilica of St. John Lateran and finished at the basilica of St. Mary Major.  We hope you enjoy some of the highlights of our special evening, which includes audio from the Holy Mass celebrated beforehand by the Pope as well as audio of the Vatican choir which beautifully animated the procession and the Eucharistic benediction.  The video contains text in English and in Italian.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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Ave Maria Meditations

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin, again this year, with filial love, we meet at the foot of your image to renew to you the homage of the Christian commu­nity and of the city of Rome. Let us pause in prayer here, following the tradition inaugurated by previous popes, on the solemn day in which the liturgy celebrates your Immac­ulate Conception, a mystery that is a source of joy and hope for all the redeemed.

We greet you and call upon you with the angel’s words: “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), the most beauti­ful name that God himself has called you from eternity. “Full of grace” are you, Mary, full of divine love from the very first moment of your existence, providentially predestined to be Mother of the Redeemer and inti­mately connected to him in the mystery of salvation.

In your Immaculate Conception shines forth the vocation of Christ’s disciples, called to become with his grace, saints and immaculate through love (see Ephesians 1:4). In you shines the dignity of every human being who is always precious in the Creator’s eyes. Those who look to you, All Holy Mother, never lose their serenity, no matter what the hardships of life. Although the experience of sin is a sad one since it disfigures the dig­nity of God’s children, anyone who turns to you discovers the beauty of truth and love and finds the path that leads to the Father’s house. (more…)

Yesterday Bishop Bernard Fellay of the Society of St. Pius X met with Cardinal William Levada at the offices of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and was presented with a “doctrinal preamble” for the Society’s consideration and, hopefully, eventual assent.  After the meeting the CDF released a communiqué regarding the meeting.  Here is the most pertinent paragraph:

Given the concerns and requests presented by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X regarding the integrity of the Catholic faith considering the hermeneutic of rupture of the Second Vatican Council in respect of Tradition – hermeneutic mentioned by Pope Benedict XVI in his Address to the Roman Curia of December 22, 2005 -, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith takes as a fundamental basis for a full reconciliation with the Apostolic See the acceptance of the Doctrinal Preamble which was delivered in the course of the meeting of September 14, 2011. This preamble enunciates some of the doctrinal principles and criteria of interpretation of Catholic doctrine necessary for ensuring fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and to the sentire cum Ecclesia, while leaving open to legitimate discussion the study and theological explanation of particular expressions and formulations present in the texts of the Second Vatican Council and of the Magisterium that followed it.

Notice the reference to Pope Benedict’s Address to the Roman Curia of December 25, 2005 (specifically its rejection of the “hermeneutic of rupture”), as well as the last sentence.  That is the money quote.  It annunciates several things:

1. The doctrinal principles and criteria of interpretation of Catholic doctrine,
2. That these are necessary for ensuring fidelity to the Magistierium and the sentire cum Ecclesia (to think with the Church),
3. Openness to legitimate discussion of the study and theological explanation of particular expressions and formulations present in the texts of Vatican II and the post-conciliar Magisterium.

Here is one interesting comment from Fr. Z’s blogposton the subject:

 I think, if this all works out, the SSPX will be an influence on the rest of the Church. There are many in the Institute of Christ the King and Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (et al!) who personally reject all of the documents of the Second Vatican Council, but have been afraid to say so. This would open up a huge door, essentially allowing a “pro-choice” position on Vatican II without fear of suspension.

One can only wonder if the comment reflects the reality of the situation within traditionalist organizations that officially profess to accept Vatican II.  In any case, “pro-choice” is an interesting choice of words.  This tendency to hope for some loophole for Conciliar rejection goes way beyond what has been so far revealed about the “doctrinal preamble.”  No surprise there.

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PHOTO BY AIRMARIA.COM

“God never tires of forgiving. We all need forgiveness; without changing our past. It brings a hope-filled future.” Benedict XVI

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Ave Maria!

Lightning bolts come down at the vigil at WYD. No one got hurt. But many got wet.

Below is a photo by Fra Didacus. Nice!!

Below is a professional photo by Madrid11.com. Nice! Which do you like best?

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Roving Reporter #121 – Friar Roderic on the Pope’s welcoming ( 04min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Friar Roderic gives a rundown of the grand Welcoming Celebration for Pope Benedict last night at the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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Ave Maria!

The AirMaria team is in Madrid and will start posting video soon – hopefully.  After a long flight, with a long layover, and travel time (36 hours all told) we finally arrived on Monday at the hotel in Madrid late in the afternoon, but there seems to be great confusion reigning here and a few technical mishaps that have delayed getting things on AirMaria.

We have, in fact, been quite productive but we are doing multilingual videos for some of the European sites through Fr. Alfonso Bruno, the FI communications director and this has taken most of our time as well as spending a good hour to get anywhere on the Metro Train. We may even be doing some live streaming at some point, again, hopefully.

The Pope will have his first Mass this evening and they expect upwards of a million people coming for the final event at the Madrid Aerodrome. So far the trains are already packed full of super energetic Catholic youth from around the world.

I cant imagine how busy and crowded it will be later on and how enthusiastic they will all be now that the Holy Father is in Madrid.

Packed likes Sardines.

Viva Italia!

Go America!

We will be attending the first public showing of the John Duns Scotus film at 5:15pm this evening where we will do an interview. The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate produced this movie in conjunction with TVCO in Italy. It is the official World Youth Day film and won the Vatican’s Silver Fish Award.

A map showing the incidents of persecution against Catholics at the Photographic Presentation of Christian Persecution at St Jerome’s parish in Madrid set up by the . This was narrated for our French site by Cristina Tatu of Aid to the Church in Need. Wait for the Video.

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Ave Maria Meditations

The mountain is the place of ascent – not only outward, but also inward ascent; it is a liberation from the burden of everyday life, a breathing in of the pure air of creation; it offers a view of the broad expanse of creation and its beauty; it gives one an inner peak to stand on an intuitive sense of the Creator. 

The Transfiguration is a prayer event; it displays visibly what happens when Jesus talks with· his Father: the profound interpenetration of his being with God, which then becomes pure light. In his one­ness with the Father, Jesus is himself “light from light.” The reality that he is in the deepest core of his being, which Peter tries to express in his confession ­that reality becomes perceptible to the senses at this moment: Jesus’ being in the light of God, his own being-light as Son.  

At this point Jesus’ relation to the figure of Moses as well as the differences between the two become apparent: “As he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Ex 34: 29­-35). Because Moses has been talking with God, God’s light streams upon him and makes him radiant. But the light that causes him to shine comes upon him from the outside, so to speak. Jesus, however, shines from within; he does not simply receive light, but he himself is light from light. 

On the mountain [the disciples] learn that Jesus himself is the living Torah, the complete Word of God. On the mountain they see the “power” of the Kingdom that is coming in Christ … This “power” … of the coming Kingdom appears to them in the transfigured Jesus, who speaks with the witnesses of the Old Covenant about the necessity of his passion as the way to glory (see Lk 24: 26f). They personally experience the anticipation of the Parousia, and that is how they are slowly initiated into the full depths of the mystery of Jesus. 

Pope Benedict XVI

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