Find within these pages a clearinghouse of articles, news, links, events, collaboration tools and other resources shared with fellow priests. New pages every week — look forward to an expanding toolbox of practical resources at your fingertips!
News Bytes for Your Parish Bulletin
Summer Reading
Summer reading can be a good and normal way to relax, says Benedict XVI. And for those looking for something of substance, he suggests a time-tested tome. "Why not discover some of the books of the Bible which are not commonly well known?" he suggested at a general audience. "Indeed, many Christians never read the Bible and have a very limited and superficial knowledge of it." Among his suggestions for those looking for shorter works: the Book of Tobit ("a tale that contains a lofty sense of family and marriage") and the Book of Esther.
Silence as Oasis
Silence is the environmental condition that most favors contemplation, meditation, and listening to God and meditation, says Benedict XVI. In an address on the memorial of St. Clare of Assisi, the Pope recalled the spiritual "oasis" of the small convent of San Damiano. "The silence and beauty of the place where the monastic community lives," he said, "[…] serve as a reflection of the spiritual harmony that the community itself seeks to realize. The world is studded with these spiritual oases, some very ancient." The Holy Father added, "Looking at things from a spiritual perspective, these places of the spirit are a supporting structure for the world."
News Bytes for Your Parish Bulletin
- Museum of John Paul II Medals, Coins Opens in Poland
- Benedict XVI: Smallest Donations Count in God's Eye
- Pontiff Announces Theme for WYD '13
- Blessed John Paul II Relic Starts Mexico Tour
Defending Role of Parents
U.N. policies on youth should respect parents' right to educate their children, and that includes the realm of human sexuality, says the Holy See. Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations, affirmed this when he addressed a U.N. high-level meeting on youth. "Each and every child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality," the prelate said, "should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding."
Remembering Lejeune
The Catholic Medical Quarterly, the journal of the Catholic Medical Association of the United Kingdom, highlighted one of the most prominent pro-life doctors of the 20th century. An article, "Jerome Lejeune: A Doctor for All Seasons," tells of the French pediatrician and geneticist's efforts in defense of human life. In 1991, Lejeune wrote a summary of his reflections on medical ethics in seven brief points. Among them: "Christians, be not afraid. It is you who possess the truth. Not that you invented it but because you are the vehicle for it. To all doctors, you must repeat: 'you must conquer the illness, not attack the patient.”