Mary, The Mother of God:The Doctrine Explained

Theotokos
Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This teaching is one of the four Marian Doctrines of the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church confirms the teaching by instructing, "that Mary is truly 'Mother of God' (Theotokos)." (CCC 495)

Doctrine Declared in 431
In 431, the Council of Ephesus confirmed Mary as Mother of God, Theotokos. This was proclaimed to answer a heresy denying Jesus’ dual nature as both human and divine. The Council declared:

"We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her" (Formula of Union [A.D. 431]). 

Source of All Mary's Perfection
St. Josemaria Escriva examined the Mary's motherhood as the source of all her perfection, privileges and standing:

The Blessed Trinity, in choosing Mary as the Mother of Christ, a Man like us, has brought each one of us under the shelter of her maternal cloak. She is the Mother of God and our Mother.

The divine Motherhood of Mary is the source of all the perfections and privileges with which she is endowed. Because of it, she was conceived immaculate and is full of grace; because of it, she is ever virgin, she was taken up body and soul to heaven and has been crowned Queen of all creation, above the angels and saints. Greater than she, none but God. ‘The Blessed Virgin from the fact that she is the Mother of God has a certain infinite dignity which comes from the infinite good, which is God.’ There is no danger of exaggerating. We can never hope to fathom this inexpressible mystery; nor will we ever be able to give sufficient thanks to our Mother for bringing us into such intimacy with the Blessed Trinity.

We were sinners and enemies of God. Redemption has not only freed us from sin and reconciled us with Our Lord. It has also made us into children of God and has given us a Mother, the very Mother who gave birth to the Word when he took human nature. Could there ever be a greater, more generous, outpouring of love? (Friends of God, 276)

Understanding of the Doctrine Expanded
Pope John Paul II explained the doctrine within the context of Vatican II and then expanded the Church's understanding of the doctrine in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater:

4. The Second Vatican Council prepares us for this by presenting in its teaching the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and of the Church. If it is true, as the Council itself proclaims,8 that "only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light," then this principle must be applied in a very particular way to that exceptional "daughter of the human race," that extraordinary "woman" who became the Mother of Christ. Only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully made clear. Thus has the Church sought to interpret it from the very beginning: the mystery of the Incarnation has enabled her to penetrate and to make ever clearer the mystery of the Mother of the Incarnate Word. The Council of Ephesus (431) was of decisive importance in clarifying this, for during that Council, to the great joy of Christians, the truth of the divine motherhood of Mary was solemnly confirmed as a truth of the Church's faith. Mary is the Mother of God (= Theotókos), since by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived in her virginal womb and brought into the world Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is of one being with the Father.9 "The Son of God...born of the Virgin Mary...has truly been made one of us,"10has been made man. Thus, through the mystery of Christ, on the horizon of the Church's faith there shines in its fullness the mystery of his Mother. In turn, the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary was for the Council of Ephesus and is for the Church like a seal upon the dogma of the Incarnation, in which the Word truly assumes human nature into the unity of his person, without canceling out that nature.

5. The Second Vatican Council, by presenting Mary in the mystery of Christ, also finds the path to a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Church. Mary, as the Mother of Christ, is in a particular way united with the Church, "which the Lord established as his own body."11 It is significant that the conciliar text places this truth about the Church as the Body of Christ (according to the teaching of the Pauline Letters) in close proximity to the truth that the Son of God "through the power of the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary." The reality of the Incarnation finds a sort of extension in the mystery of the Church-the Body of Christ. And one cannot think of the reality of the Incarnation without referring to Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word.

Behold Your Mother
Mary is our Holy Mother too. Although He was on the verge of death, Christ called out to John from the cross, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:27). Furthermore, since Mary is the mother of Christ, who is head of the Church, she is also Mother of the Church.

Simple Explanation
I will conclude with this simple, logical syllogism: Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God.

Vatican Announces Date for Canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII

Pope Francis has announced today that Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII will be canonized on April 17, 2014, Divine Mercy Sunday.

Be Not Afraid: God is Always Present

Broken Tooth
I missed a Joe Catholic gathering I was supposed to lead a few weeks ago because I broke a tooth and I was intense pain. After jumping through all the insurance hoops, I was finally scheduled to see an oral surgeon to extract the tooth this morning. The above meme is how I expected things to go. I was very wrong.

Be Not Afraid
Yesterday afternoon, I was sorting out winter and summer clothes when I came across my black Xtreme Papa t-shirt that has the JP2 quotation "Be Not Afraid," which were the first words of his pontificate. I thought it was fortuitous in light of the fact that I was facing the dentist in the morning. Today, Stacey and I headed out to the oral surgeon's office and prayed Rosary on the way. I secretly asked St. Apollonia (patron of toothaches and dentists) for her intercession to guide the surgeon and to ease my anxiety. I was covering all my bases.

What Church Do You Attend?
After Dr. Walstad gave me the shots to numb my mouth near the tooth, he asked me what church I attended. I told him St. Catherine of Siena. He said he used to attend the parish at one time and still knew some of the members. He even mentioned some names of people I also knew. As he was pulling out my tooth he talked to me about his parish, St. Jude in Allen, Texas. We talked (I mostly listened and mumbled) about the Knights of Columbus, CRHP and the upcoming Dallas Diocese Capital Campaign. Before I knew it, the tooth was pulled and the wound prepped for my departure. We continued to talk about Catholicism for a few more minutes after the procedure.

God Was Looking Out for Me
As Stacey and I got in the car to head back home, I asked her, "What are the odds that I get a Catholic dentist who is open about talking about his faith?" I am sure that the t-shirt helped initiate the conversation. All I know is that God was looking out for me, because I didn't stress at all while I was having my tooth pulled. God is always present. We needn't be afraid.

Answer the Call to Holiness

Universal Call to Holiness at National Shrine

The Laity
The laity makes up the largest group of the Church and its members are defined as those not ordained (CCC, 897; LG, 31). Many lay Catholics today have heard of “the universal call to holiness,” yet few know what this phrase means, let alone how to rightly pursue it in their daily lives. This is evident in the current mindset that says, “I love Jesus, but I just can’t buy into the teachings of the Church.” Mindful of this crisis of faith, Pope Benedict XVI instituted a Year of Faith, in which we have been instructed, among other things, to spend time reading the documents of Vatican II (Porta fidei, 5). In so doing we can discover what this call to holiness demands and what role the Church serves in helping us become sanctified, for indeed we are all “called to be saints” (Rom 1:7).

Pray, Pay and Obey

Ask a regular Joe fifty years ago what the role the laity served in the Catholic Church and you were likely to get an answer similar to this: "To pray, to pay and to obey." The fact is that many still fill that way, but Vatican II emphasized that we are ALL called to holiness – ordained and laity alike (LG, 40).

Holiness Defined
Holiness means to belong to God, to be in union with Him for holiness is an attribute of God. To be perfect, as God the Father is (Matt 5:48), requires that one be in unity with God. This is precisely what John the Baptist was articulating when he said “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). This means enjoining one’s will with the will of God. Thus the ultimate expression of one’s gift of free will is freely returning it to the Father. Then and only then can we say that it is not us who lives, but Christ Jesus who lives (Gal. 2:20). Put another way, holiness is the process of ongoing conversion towards this union with the Father, this relationship with the Holy Spirit, this friendship with Christ.

God Calls Us
God initiates this call to holiness, which is essentially a call to a relationship with him. Since God calls us, it must be possible to answer. In his love for us, God provides man with the tools for sanctification. Primary among these are the sacraments which all draw us closer to him by availing us to his grace. He also gives us the liturgy so that me might learn how to pray, the essential tool to develop our relationship with the Lord. He provides the faithful with role models to follow in the lives of the saints. Their lives provide evidence that answering the call to holiness is possible for all.

JP2 on Holiness...In His Own Words

My Favorite Sacramentals

Sacred Signs
I wear three sacramental medals in addition to my Brown Scapular. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that sacramentals are instituted by the Church.

These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy (CCC, 1667).

Three Medals – Holy Men of God
The three medals I wear on a simple leather cord include a papal medal of Pope John Paul II, a St. Josemaria Escriva medal and  St. Joseph the Worker. Each of these medals has particular significance to me and play a part in my morning prayers.

Pope John Paul II
The JP2 medal is a papal medal obtained in Rome and blessed by Pope John Paul II. The medal was given to me by one of my CRHP Brothers while we were going through formation. These last two years that I have been working no my IPT studies, I have often asked for Blessed John Paul II's intercession when I have been reading or writing on the documents of Vatican II.

St. Josemaria
This medal commemorates the canonization of St. Josemaria and to my knowledge is no longer available. I got mine years ago when I first began spiritual direction with a priest of Opus Dei. If you have read Joe Catholic for any length of time you know I have a great devotion to this saint of the ordinary. I ask him daily to pray for me to answer God's call to holiness in the ordinary circumstances of my life.

St. Joseph the Worker
This small medal is a reminder of this just and righteous man who protected and provided for the Christ child and Blessed Mother Mary. I turn to him daily to be my model and intercessor that I might be a better husband and father.

Not Good Luck Charms
These medals are not to be treated like some lucky coin or rabbit's foot; they are not good luck charms. In and of themselves, the sacramental objects possess no power. The significance of these items is drawn from the blessing, prayer and how they are utilized to draw us closer to God. Sacramentals should be used as daily reminders to live a life of virtue - answering the call to universal holiness, even in our own ordinary lives. I hope I have demonstrated this in how I use my medals in daily prayer. These sacramentals should draw us deeper into prayer and a life more reflective of Christ and His saints.

What are your favorite sacramentals? Why?

Real Men Pray the Rosary

Rosary Apostolate
Real Men Pray the Rosary is a lay apostolate dedicated to the promoting the prayer of the Rosary, especially among men. The group has recently published a handbook on the Rosary and now, just in time for Father's Day, they are selling hand made rosaries that include their logo.

They Bleed Red
I like this style of rosary because it's very manly. The rosaries are made of hematite stone, which has the appearance of metal (as a true weapon should be made of) and if broken open "bleed" red. Additionally, the crucifix is a replica of the crosier used by Blessed Pope John Paul II and now recently by Pope Francis as well. The center piece portrays Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, on one side and the RMPTR logo on the other.

Spiritual Weapon
Countless Popes and Saints have cited the Rosary as one of the most powerful spiritual weapons. St. Padre Pio used to call out to one of the younger friars, "bring me my weapon, bring me my rosary." I've often said in some of my Joe Catholic talks, that I have been looking for a short cut to holiness. There are none, but there are sure tried practices to sanctification: praying the Rosary and frequent use of the Sacraments.
Father's Day
The rosaries are priced at $39.95 and would make a great Father's Day gift and can be purchased HERE.

His Mercy Endures Forever

Feast of Divine Mercy
Today we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. During his homily for the canonization of St. Faustina on April 30, 2000, Blessed John Paul II declared that the Second Sunday of Easter, whose liturgy has always focused on God's mercy, would be recognized by the universal Church as Divine Mercy Sunday. He explained that "it is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church, will be called Divine Mercy Sunday."

Oceans of Graces
According to St. Faustina's diary, which recorded the events in which Christ appeared to her, this day pours out an "ocean of graces:"

I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy (1109).

Whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (300).

The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment (699).

Tabula Rasa
The promises of grace, Christ made to St. Faustina related to the Feast of Divine Mercy are more generous than a plenary indulgence and have been described as a "Second Baptism," as a tabula rasa or clean slate. Just in case, the Church has also associated a plenary indulgence (with all necessary requirements) to Divine Mercy Sunday. To learn more about the graces associated with this devotion, please visit The Divine Mercy by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception.

Set your alarm to 3PM today, the Mercy Hour, and pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet and you can use this video to sing along:

Jacob's Ladder: Answering the Big Questions

Have you ever asked yourself one of these types of questions:

• Why am I here?
• What is my purpose?
• What is truth? (Made famous by Pontius Pilate)
• Does God exist?
• Can you prove God exists?

Most of us at some point in our lives have asked one of these or similar questions. Philosophers call these the Big Questions. If you are looking for a good, accessible book to read to help you with these questions, look no further. Peter Kreeft, who is a philosopher and professor at Boston College, has written a new book entitled Jacob's Ladder: 10 Steps to Truth, published by Ignatius Press. This is NOT a theology book, but instead it is a book about finding God through reason. Contrary to what the secular culture says, faith and reason are not incompatible and Kreeft points that out. (See Blessed Pope John Paul II's encyclical, Faith and Reason for more on this subject.)

I have not personally read the entire book, but the reviews of the book by trusted Catholics like Patrick Madrid, Mark Shea and Father Spitzer have been wonderful. I have read some of Kreeft's other works and one of his greatest strengths is the ability to take "heady" material and apply an ordinary, every day approach to explaining things. We Joe Catholics can get on board with that.

Check out the book trailer. The book is available for pre-order at Ignatius Press or Amazon, or you can buy it at a local Catholic book store soon.

Stations of the Cross

From Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Avranches, Manche, Normandie, France

Lenten Tradition
Our parish, St. Catherine of Siena, like many Catholic churches throughout the world, traditionally prays the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent. I particularly like our tradition of incorporating all three pillars of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We begin our evening with a light Lenten meal, made and served by one of the Church apostolates or ministries. This accentuates the fasting. While we are eating, we are encouraged to donate to a local charity; each Friday during Lent is dedicated to a different local charity. This act encourages alms giving. Finally, we all walk over to the Sanctuary and pray the Stations.

Origin
The Stations of the Cross originated in the 14th Century, but the images of the Stations could be found in many churches before this time. The devotion has its roots in the Way of the Cross or Via Dolorosa. Shortly after the death of Christ, people began making pilgrimages to Jerusalem and tracing Christ's path to His crucifixion.  Pious tradition holds that the Blessed Mother would daily visit the site of Christ's passion.

Praying Perspectives
One thing that is fairly well established is that there are a total of fourteen stations. While this may be generally the case, the way one prays or reflects on the Stations can vary greatly. There are different ways of praying the Stations. For example, Joe Catholic led the Stations at our parish last night and we prayed the Stations from a Marian point of view. Blessed John Paul II had his own variation on meditating on the Stations based on sacred scripture. These are available in paperback on Amazon and as an iTunes app.

Saints & the Stations
Over the years, many of the saints have written their own reflections on the Way of the Cross. My personal favorite, available in the Handbook of Prayers and the Daily Roman Missal, was written by St. Josemaria Escriva. I like these because they assume a lectio devina approach. This version is available at EscrivaWorks or can be purchased as a small paperback at Scepter Publishers.

Ordinary Fridays
You don't need to wait until Lent to pray the Stations. Traditionally, many devout Catholics have prayed the Station on "ordinary" Fridays. If you can't make it to a church to walk around the Stations on the wall, you can use a prayer card, chaplet or other reminder to help you follow the Way of the Cross.

My mother told me about the Stations at Groom, Texas. I hope to take her some day soon.

Mary, Mother of God

Theotokos Platytera, Elton Melon

 Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This teaching is one of the four Marian Doctrines of the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church confirms the teaching by instructing, "that Mary is truly 'Mother of God' (Theotokos)." (CCC 495)

In 431, the Council of Ephesus confirmed Mary as Mother of God, Theotokos. This was proclaimed to answer a heresy denying Jesus’ dual nature as both human and divine. The Council declared:

"We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her" (Formula of Union [A.D. 431]). 

Pope John Paul II explained the doctrine within the context of Vatican II and then expanded the Church's understanding of the doctrine in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater:

4. The Second Vatican Council prepares us for this by presenting in its teaching the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and of the Church. If it is true, as the Council itself proclaims,8 that "only in the mystery of the Incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light," then this principle must be applied in a very particular way to that exceptional "daughter of the human race," that extraordinary "woman" who became the Mother of Christ. Only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully made clear. Thus has the Church sought to interpret it from the very beginning: the mystery of the Incarnation has enabled her to penetrate and to make ever clearer the mystery of the Mother of the Incarnate Word. The Council of Ephesus (431) was of decisive importance in clarifying this, for during that Council, to the great joy of Christians, the truth of the divine motherhood of Mary was solemnly confirmed as a truth of the Church's faith. Mary is the Mother of God (= Theotókos), since by the power of the Holy Spirit she conceived in her virginal womb and brought into the world Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is of one being with the Father.9 "The Son of God...born of the Virgin Mary...has truly been made one of us,"10has been made man. Thus, through the mystery of Christ, on the horizon of the Church's faith there shines in its fullness the mystery of his Mother. In turn, the dogma of the divine motherhood of Mary was for the Council of Ephesus and is for the Church like a seal upon the dogma of the Incarnation, in which the Word truly assumes human nature into the unity of his person, without canceling out that nature.

5. The Second Vatican Council, by presenting Mary in the mystery of Christ, also finds the path to a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Church. Mary, as the Mother of Christ, is in a particular way united with the Church, "which the Lord established as his own body."11 It is significant that the conciliar text places this truth about the Church as the Body of Christ (according to the teaching of the Pauline Letters) in close proximity to the truth that the Son of God "through the power of the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary." The reality of the Incarnation finds a sort of extension in the mystery of the Church-the Body of Christ. And one cannot think of the reality of the Incarnation without referring to Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word.

Mary is our Holy Mother too. Although He was on the verge of death, Christ called out to John from the cross, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:27). Furthermore, since Mary is the mother of Christ, who is head of the Church, she is also Mother of the Church.

I will conclude with this simple, logical syllogism: Jesus is God. Mary is the mother of Jesus. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God.

Be Not Afraid

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples, "Even the hairs of your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows." According to the Catholic Answers Forum, the phrase "be not afraid" appears over 100 times in the bible. When you include derivations of the phrase, some conclude that it appears 365 times.

Today we celebrate the feast of the North American martyrs, men who laid down their lives for their faith. They knew well that they may be killed for spreading the Gospel. They were not afraid. They lived their lives in accord with Christ's teaching: "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more."  Most of us will never be called to lay down our lives in such dramatic fashion. We do face times of difficulty. When we encounter challenges in our everyday lives, we should remember that God is always with us. We have no need to be afraid. You can go to video commentary from the USCCB, to hear more about the Gospel.

John Paul the Great began by the speaking the words, "be not afraid." Below is a touching tribute to JP2 who lived his life as one who trusted that the Lord was always with him through it all:

Toolbox: Have You Read the Catechism?

Today we begin the Year of Faith. Today also marks the 20th Anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Blessed John Paul II called the CCC "a sure norm for teaching the faith" and he asserted that it would help "serve the renewal" of the Church. In this spirit of renewal, Pope Benedict XVI said in Porta Fidei that one of the things we the faithful can do during this year is to read the Catechism.

Do you own a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)? If you are serious about learning your Catholic faith, you MUST own a copy of the CCC and more importantly you have to read it.

How to Get a Copy of the Catechism
Daily Email, Flocknote
Free Online, USCCB
eBook & Paperback, USCCB

Additional Resources
FAQ about the CCC from USCCB
Porta Fidei
Opus Dei Prelate's October Letter

Be sure to check out That Catholic Show's funny and informative video "Night of the Living Catechism."

The Hunger Games:Advice for Catholic parents

I meant to write this post last week when the film based on The Hunger Games was released. Perhaps this discussion will help for those who didn't want to fight the crowds or are dealing with children who now want to read the books or see the movie.

My personal position (and of course that's all it is) is that parents have to make those types of decisions based on what they think their children are mature enough to handle. I addressed a similar issue with the last Harry Potter movie. Like I said in that post, the Catholic Church (outside of a movie review service) does not normally make definitive statements about books, movies or other art.

Forget about the content of the book(s) for a moment. A well formed and informed set of parents should be able to make rational decisions about what content they deem appropriate for THEIR children. If they choose to permit their children to watch the film or read the books, no one should call them out as bad parents. Similarly, parents who decide to not allow either should not be condemned as narrow minded. It's their right and responsibility to "be up in their kids' business." (I am envisioning one of my colleagues saying this).

Moreover, parents are responsible for being the primary teachers to their children. Blessed Pope John Paul II expressed this in Familiaris Consortio:

The task of giving education is rooted in the primary vocation of married couples to participate in God's creative activity: by begetting in love and for love a new person who has within himself or herself the vocation to growth and development, parents by that very fact take on the task of helping that person effectively to live a fully human life. As the Second Vatican Council recalled, "since parents have conferred life on their children, they have a most solemn obligation to educate their offspring. Hence, parents must be acknowledged as the first and foremost educators of their children. Their role as educators is so decisive that scarcely anything can compensate for their failure in it. For it devolves on parents to create a family atmosphere so animated with love and reverence for God and others that a well-rounded personal and social development will be fostered among the children. Hence, the family is the first school of those social virtues which every society needs."(FC, 36)

Here are some well balanced reviews of the movie:

National Review, Father Robert Barron

Catholic News Service, Movie Review

Saint Talk: Blessed John Paul II

Today marked the first celebration of the feast day for Blessed John Paul II.

Related items:

Blessed John Paul II Intercessory Prayer

John Paul II Sister Spreads his charism

Saint Talk: Anniversary of Canonization of St. Josemaria

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the canonization of St. Josemaria, founder of Opus Dei. Blessed Pope John Paul II called St. Josemaria the "saint of the ordinary life." On this anniversary of his canonization, let us ask St. Josemaria for his intercession as we make our way in our daily lives, seeking to answer God's call to holiness.

Remember

I took this picture May 2004 while on a school trip to NYU.

As we reflect on this 10 year anniversary of the tragic events of 9-11, let us pray for peace and remember the words of Jesus: "I tell you to love your enemies." (Matt. 5:44)

Blessed John Paul II's Prayer for Peace:

To the Creator of nature and man, of truth and beauty, I pray:

Hear my voice, for it is the voice of the victims of all wars and violence among individuals and nations.

Hear my voice, for it is the voice of all children who suffer and will suffer when people put their faith in weapons and war.

Hear my voice when I beg You to instill into the hearts of all human beings the wisdom of peace, the strength of justice, and the joy of fellowship.

Hear my voice, for I speak for the multitudes in every country and in every period of history who do not want war and are ready to walk the road of peace.

Hear my voice and grant insight and strength so that we may always respond to hatred with love, to injustice with total dedication to justice, to need with the sharing of self, to war with peace.

O God, hear my voice and grant unto the world Your everlasting peace.

[L’Osservatore Romano, 3-9-81,14]


US Bishops Statement on 10th Anniversary of 9/11

John Paul The Great

John Paul II reigned as pope between 1978-2005.  He travelled more than any other previous pope.  He was a prolific writer and oversaw the canonization of numerous saints. JP2, as students called him at World Youth Day, was known for his strong devotion to Mary - he prayed all the mysteries of the rosary daily and even instituted the new luminous mysteries.   John Paul II is partially credited for the fall of Communism and is closely associated with the Divine Mercy devotion.

The Full Story

George Weigel's Witness to Hope

Encyclicals with Study Tool

Pope John Paul II Cultural Center