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In the News: Sept. 15, 2015
Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute Features
Updates
Mary in Media: Books, Films, Music, etc.
In Mysteries of the Virgin Mary, Father Peter John Cameron considers some of the major mysteries associated with the Mother of God, not only to help readers better understand the thirteen principal Marian mysteries celebrated by the Church, but also to help them see that Mary is always at hand, ready to help each of us become who we are meant to be. Chapters unfold according to the chronology of Mary's life, starting with the Immaculate Conception and including, for example, her birthday, the Annunciation, the Visitation, her sorrows, etc. Paperback. 176 pages. Price: $15.00
Click here to order from the EWTN website.
From the Marian Treasure Chest
Brother John M. Samaha, S.M., sent us the article below with the following comment: "Blessings for the feast of the Triumph of the Cross!"
"Lift High the Cross"--Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14) by Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.
Already in the time of the apostles, the cross on which Christ died had become the symbol of his redemptive death and a symbol for Himself and for Christianity.
In 335 A.D. on September 13 the Church of the Martyrdom and Resurrection was dedicated in Jerusalem. The next day, in a solemn ceremony, the faithful were shown the cross which the Empress Helen had discovered on September 14, 320. This ceremony was repeated each successive year on September 14 in that church, which possessed a large relic of the cross. The reverent elevation of the relic of the true cross gave this day its name, "exaltation of the cross." From this gesture we have our popular contemporary hymn, "Lift high the cross." Later this feast was combined with the memorial of the rescue of the stolen cross from the Persians by the Emperor Heraclius in 628.
The striking prayers of the Divine Liturgy for this day testify to the grace of our salvation as expressed in Christ's promise, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself." (John 12:32)
The tone of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross is quite different from the somber and sorrowful liturgy of Good Friday. September 14 has a definitely joyous character. It recalls our happiness about our salvation.
Pope St. John XXIII had a favorite crucifix on his bedroom wall. He prayed in front of it before retiring, upon arising, and whenever cares awakened him during the night. "A cross," he said, "is the primary symbol of God's love for us."
Because the cross has become so commonplace, there is danger that this symbol of Christian salvation may lose much of its significance. The cross is visible in so many places and we see it so often: in church, in our room, in public displays, even on some hilltops. Frequently we make the "sign of the cross" over ourselves when we pray and at other times. Even in the secular realm the word "cross" is widely used not only as a symbol of honor or service as in "Red Cross" and "Distinguished Service Cross," but even in more prosaic terms such as "criss-cross," "crossword," and other common expressions. How do we overcome the tendency to lose or dilute the importance of the word and the symbol?
We need to devise solutions and reminders to overcome that kind of passivity. One approach is to think of and to speak of the striking symbolism of the two beams that make up the cross. The upright (vertical) beam with its orientation pointing both above and below will remind us that the Son of God came down from heaven for us and for our salvation. This beam is a symbol of God's love for humankind, which manifests itself especially in the Incarnation and in Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. The upright beam will also remind us of the necessity of lifting up the human spirit to God. When people forget this upward climb to God, this transcendence, they quickly lose awareness of the fundamental dimension of their own relationship with and dependence on the Creator. Then the illusion of human autonomy quickly encroaches, resulting in error and confusion.
The horizontal (cross) beam points both left and right to indicate our fellow human beings all round us. That reminds us that together with the love of God, the love of neighbor is essential to the Christian commandment of love. True holiness cannot overlook one's neighbor. Christ himself demonstrated symbolically with his arms extended on the cross what he had earlier proclaimed publicly: "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself." (John 12:32) Let us stretch our arms wide as Jesus has done, so that we will embrace the whole world. We cannot love God while denying our fellow human beings practical love in concrete situations. Christ refers every good deed, and every good deed left undone, to himself: "... you did it (did not do it) to me." (Matthew 25:40-45)
Recalling the vertical and horizontal beams of the cross in this way is a lively reminder of the Christian way of life. To give the symbol of the cross such a prominence in our lives is the most significant "exaltation" and "triumph" of the cross. May the feast and each time we bless ourselves remind us of this.
"We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed us.
Marian Events
An online Marian Forum will be held on Friday, October 16, 2015 from 3-5 p.m. Eastern Time to take stock of where Mariology stands today. The first teleconference will be about Teaching Mariology in Seminaries with 20-minute presentations by Dr. Robert Fastiggi, President of the Mariological Society of America, and Professor of Sacred Theology, Detroit, Michigan, and Father Benedict O'Cinnsealaigh, Rector of the Athenaeum, Cincinnati, Ohio. The session will include an hour of open discussion.
Register online by September 25 to have the two papers and instructions emailed to you on October 2 to allow you to respond in advance by email or live during the session. Click here for details about the Forum.
Mary in the Catholic Press
Leader of Canada's Bishops Writes Open Letter on Responding to Refugee Crisis from Zenit (Canada) September 9, 2015
On Tuesday's feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, the leader of Canada's bishops penned an open letter to the faithful of the nation regarding the refugee crisis in Europe and around the world.
The archbishop offers seven concrete suggestions for how the faithful can do their part in helping the refugees.
Here is the full text of the letter:
RESPONDING AS CATHOLICS TO THE REFUGEE CRISIS Open letter to Canadian Catholics
By Archbishop Paul-André Durocher
President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
A drowned Syrian child washed up on a beach. A mother and daughter forbidden to board a train, their savings spent on a now useless ticket. Razor-sharp barbed-wire fences to keep refugees out. Miles and miles of homeless trudging along Europe's roads. Millions of refugees in makeshift shelters throughout the Middle East, in Africa and other regions....
My sisters and brothers, these are seven suggestions how each of us and our communities can respond to the refugee crisis. Joseph and Mary sought refuge in Bethlehem, and later with the Child Jesus experienced exile. During His ministry, Jesus had no place to call home. The refugee crisis is an important moment to deepen our faith, extend our charity, and summon up hope. Together we can make a better world for all those in need, and so witness to Christ's Kingdom. Whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters, we do to Christ Our Lord (see Matthew 23.40).
Click here to see the complete article from Zenit.
Mary in the Secular Press
The director and editors of The Mary Page under the auspices of the International Marian Research Institute do not necessarily endorse or agree with the events and ideas expressed in this feature. Our sole purpose is to report on items about Mary gleaned from a myriad of papers representing the secular press.
Catholics flock to Baclaran Church for Mama Mary's birthday (GMA News) September 8, 2015
Catholic devotees flocked early to Baclaran Church on Tuesday morning to celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a report on Unang Balita said.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle officiated the Mass at 6:30 a.m. participated in by many devotees.
He also blessed the new Carillon Bell Tower of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Shrine, a report on NewsToGo said....
Click here to read the complete article.