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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Catholic World News: Wed. Aug. 19, 2009.










Catholic world news: Wed. Aug. 19, 2009: headlines-
VATICAN-POPE-PRIESTLY FORMATION IMPORTANT:
AMERICA- CATHOLIC CONVERT BOB NOVAK DIES OF CANCER:
AFRICA-KENYA-BIBLE TRANSLATED INTO POKOT LANGUAGE:
EUROPE-SPAIN-MINISTER SAYS DOCTORS CANNOT OBJECT TO ABORTION:
AUSTRALIA-SOLAR PANELS ON SCHOOLS ARE OFF:
ASIA-INDIA'S 1st DALIT BISHOP DIES:
TODAY'S SAINT-ST. JOHN EUDES


VATICAN
POPE: PRIESTLY FORMATION IMPORTANT

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.

Vatican Radio reports hundreds of people including pilgrims who had come from as far a field as Nigeria and India packed the courtyard of the Papal Summer Residence at Castelgandolfo in the Roman Hills for the Holy Father’s weekly general audience. A smiling and relaxed Pope Benedict greeted those present enthusiastically even managing to lift high his arm which has been in a cast as a result of a fall for the last few weeks.The Pope’s catechesis on Wednesday turned to a Saint whose feast day is celebrated on August 19th Saint John Eudes.The Holy Father described this Saint as a man of immense courage and said he great understanding for the priests spiritual mission.“He lived in seventeenth-century France which, notwithstanding considerable trials for the faith, produced many outstanding examples of spiritual courage and insight. Saint John Eudes’ particular contribution was the foundation of a religious congregation dedicated to the task of giving solid formation to the diocesan priesthood. He encouraged seminarians to grow in holiness and to trust in God’s love revealed to humanity in the priestly heart of Jesus and in the maternal heart of Mary”. Pope Benedict again highlighted the fact 2009 is the year of the Priest and added that both St Eudes and the years patron St John Vianney were both shining examples priestly sanctity. The Pope also looked at the world in which priests live today and said that it was necessary for them to bear witness to the infinite merciful heart of Jesus:“During this year let us pray in a special way for priests and seminarians that, inspired by today’s saint, they may spiritually “enter into the heart of Jesus”, becoming men of true love, mercy, humility and patience, renewed in holiness and pastoral zeal. My dear Brothers and Sisters, upon you and your families I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!”(SOURCE: http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=310595

AMERICA
CATHOLIC CONVERT BOB NOVAK DIES OF CANCER

'I consider this the only one true faith, so I believe the Holy Spirit led me to it.' said Bob Novak to a New York Times interviewer concerning his Catholic Faith. He was a famous journalist and part of CNN's “Crossfire” television show. He was known inside the DC beltway as “The Prince of Darkness”. He made this term the title of his 2007 autobiographical book. In 1998, Robert Novak, raised a secular, non-practicing Jew, surrendered to the Lord’s invitation of grace and was baptized into Christ, becoming a member of His Body, the Catholic Church. He had been attending Catholic Masses for many years with his wife. But a turning point came when someone said to him: “Mr. Novak, life is short, but eternity is forever.” He established a scholarship fund for young men from Washington, DC who could not afford to attend Thomas More College of Liberal Arts. (Edited from: http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=34267&page=2










AFRICA
KENYA: BIBLE TRANSLATED INTO POKOT LANGUAGE

CISA reports that translation of the Bible into a vernacular language that began over 30 years ago has been completed, and now the Pokot people can read the Word of God in their own mother-tongue beginning this Saturday.The new Bible, translated by the Bible Society of Kenya (BSK), will be launched in Kapenguria, at a ceremony officiated by the Information and Communications Minister, Samuel Poghisio, himself a Pokot.The Pokot are still largely a pastoralist community, inhabiting the dry, remote and marginalized plains of northwestern Kenya and spreading out into Uganda.This is how they will be reading a famous verse: “Ompowolo kicham Tororot ngwiny nyoman ntokuto Werinyi nyo le akonga, atomepot chi anka tikwil nyo ghonoy nyinte, wolo tokisich sopon po kokay.”[For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. John 3:16]“Finally, a journey that began over 30 years ago has come to an end and it is time to reap the harvest of the hard work and sacrifice of the people of Pokot,” the BSK chairman Isaac Litali, said.“As we have witnessed in the past, the presence of the Bible in a community’s own language has a profound effect on the people that causes them to receive the Word in a more effective manner than before. It is said to be the Lord addressing them directly in their heart language.”Minister Poghisio, in remarks published ahead of the launch, praied the work of BSK, noting that the new Bible “is bound to make a great impact among the Pokot in many spheres, spiritually, socially and even economically.”Poghisio added that the Bible will also be a key resource in addressing the perennial problem of conflict and peace among the Pokot and their neighbours. “For the Pokot people, the launch of this Bible will also mean an increase in literacy levels as the people strive to learn how to read and write,” Poghisio said.Elizabeth Muriuki, general secretary of BSK said, “We are overjoyed to be able to bring the Word of God to Kenyan language groups and more so to the communities found in hardship and remote areas where the gospel has not fully penetrated.”According to BSK, the entire Bible is available in only 17 Kenyan languages: Borana, Dholuo, Ekegusii, Gikuyu, Kalenjin, Kidawida, Kikamba, Kimiiru, Logooli, Lunyore, Maasai, Nandi, Luhya, Swahili, Turkana, Somali and now Pokot.There are another 15 language groups with only the New Testament and another three with just a portion of the Scriptures.BSK says it costs on average KShs 480 to translate a single verse into a local language. The entire Bible contains 31, 101 verses. In addition to other expenses, it costs about KShs 20 million to translate the complete Bible.http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/story.asp?ID=4079

EUROPE

SPAIN: MINISTER SAYS DOCTORS CANNOT OBJECT TO ABORTION


CNA reports that the Collegial Medical Organization and various pro-life groups in Spain have strongly rejected statements by the country’s Minister of Justice, Francisco Caamano, who said Thursday that “there is no room for conscientious objection” when it comes to abortion. The president of the Collegial Medical Organization, Dr. Juan Jose Rodriguez Sendin, said, “The right doctors have in Spain to conscientious objection is going to be respected, whether they like it or not, and it is better this is accepted on good rather than on bad terms.” Conscientious objection is universally recognized in the medical profession, he insisted, noting that the commitment not to kill, not to abort, not to take part in torture, not to betray patients has been part of medical practice for more than 40 centuries. “It should not seem strange to any normal person that doctors do not want to perform abortions, what ought to seem strange is the opposite,” he added. “Because it is not an ideological problem, it is simply a question of freedom. For this reason, we are going to defend the right of doctors to conscientious objection,” Rodriguez said. The Association for the Defense of Conscientious Objection issued a press release calling the statements by the Minister of Justice “sectarian, imprudent and revealing of a manifest scorn for constitutional law, which considers conscientious objection to abortion a right of doctors and other health care professionals.”
“For the vast majority of doctors, the rejection of abortion is not based on moral principles but on the conviction that it presupposes ending human life,” the association warned. It also noted that conscientious objection is the last resort for a citizen “when an obligation imposed by law causes rejection or a grave moral conflict.” “We are certain that the Minister would not want to ‘taste his own medicine’ if he found himself in other circumstances,” the group said. “We deplore the ‘crusade’ that has been launched in recent days against freedom of conscience,” the association said, calling on the Minister of Justice to publicly clarify “whether his respect for freedom of conscience is sincere or is subject to political interests.” Right to Life spokesperson, Gador Joya, warned Caamano that no minister and no government “can force a doctor to end a human life and harm the health of his patients. No matter what Mr. Caamano says, we doctors protect life and care for our patients. The vast majority does not practice abortion nor will we,” she stressed.(SOURCE:http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16852




AUSTALIA
SOLAR PANELS ON SCHOOLS ARE OFF


CathNews Australia reports that some 10 Catholic schools in Sydney's west that have had solar panels installed as part of a Federal Government program can't switch them on, because of red tape.
The units have been in place for several months, but the executive director of schools in the Parramatta diocese, Greg Whitby, says Integral Energy is refusing to connect the systems, ABC reported.
Integral Energy's Rod Howard says the delay is because the utility has no policy to deal with schools wanting to feed surplus electricity back into the grid.
"It's a shame because of a bureaucratic decision that we can't get them up and running," Greg Whitby said. "I don't know why it is taking so long, but we would encourage them to make the decision very quickly."
Mr Howard says he is hopeful the schools will be hooked up in the coming weeks.
"First of all we need to apologise to those schools. It is something that the organisation's been a bit caught out on," he said. (SOURCE: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15839


ASIA
INDIA'S 1st DALIT BISHOP DIES


UCAN reports that the Church and political leaders were among the more than 20,000 mourners at the funeral of India’s first dalit bishop on Aug. 18 in Andhra Pradesh state.
Bishop John Mulagada of Eluru died on Aug. 16 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Vijayawada, a major town in the southern Indian state. He had been suffering from cancer, diabetes and paralysis, and had undergone heart surgery several years ago.
The archbishop, 71, belonged to the dalit community (former “untouchables” in the Indian caste system) and had headed Eluru diocese for more than 32 years as its first bishop.
Fransalian Archbishop Mariadas Kagithapu of Visakhapatnam led the funeral Mass at St. Xavier’s Grounds in Eluru. Archbishop Marampudi Joji of Hyderabad conducted the last rites.
More than 700 priests and about 1,500 nuns attended the funeral.
“His death is a big loss for the poor and marginalized,” said Archbishop Joji, head of the Catholic Church in Andhra Pradesh.
Archbishop Joji described Bishop Mulagada as the “people’s prelate” because he was so approachable. “People could meet him without an appointment.” The late prelate was also known as “the bishop of shrines” as he helped build several Marian shrines in the state, Archbishop Joji added.
Bishop Mulagada was born in 1937 near Visakhapatnam, a harbor town. His parents died when he was a child, and his aunt and grandfather brought him up.

Priests, bishops and lay Catholics gather aroundthe coffin of the late bishop during the funeral
He was ordained a priest in 1965 for Visakhapatnam, which was a diocese then. He served many parishes there before being appointed bishop of Eluru in 1977. Eluru was formed out of Vijayawada diocese.
Archbishop Joji said Bishop Mulagada had helped promote social awareness and literacy through the Andhra Pradesh Social Service Society of which he was chairperson for more than two decades.
He also helped rebuild houses in the coastal areas of the diocese, which are prone to natural calamities such as cyclones and floods.
Bishop Mulagada “was the first Telugu bishop,” said Jesuit Father Elango Arulanandam, who has worked in the state for decades. Telugu is the official language of Andhra Pradesh.
Father Arulanandam told UCA News that the late prelate had promoted education among his people, who are mostly dalit. “He opened schools and parishes to help his people educationally and spiritually,” he added.
(SOURCE: http://www.ucanews.com/2009/08/19/church-mourns-india%e2%80%99s-first-dalit-prelate/


TODAY'S SAINT




St. John Eudes
FOUNDER
Feast Day:
August 19
Born:
November 14, 1601, Ri, France
Died:
August 19, 1680, Caen, France
Canonized:
1925 by Pope Pius XI

French missionary and founder of the Eudists and of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity; author of the liturgical worship of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; b. at Ri, France, 14 Nov., 1601; d. at Caen, 19 Aug., 1680. At the age of fourteen he took a vow of chastity. After brilliant studies with the Jesuits at Caen, he entered the Oratory, 25 March, 1623.He was ordained priest 20 Dec., 1625, and began his sacerdotal life with heroic labours for the victims of the plague, then ravaging the country. In 1641 he founded the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge, to provide a refuge for women of ill-fame who wished to do penance. Father Eudes severed his connection with the Oratory to establish the Society of Jesus and Mary for the education of priests and for missionary work.
Father Eudes, during his long life, preached not less than one hundred and ten missions, three at Paris, one at Versailles, one at St-Germaine-en-Laye, and the others in different parts of France. He also established the Society of the Heart of the Mother Most Admirable -- which resembles the Third Orders of St. Francis and St. Dominic. This society now numbers from 20,000 to 25,000 members. Pope Leo XIII, in proclaiming his virtues heroic in 1903, gave him the title of "Author of the Liturgical Worship of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Holy Heart of Mary". (Edited from: http://www.ewtn.com/saintsHoly/saints/J/stjohneudes.asp

SAINTLY QUOTE

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. Pope John XXIII

TODAY'S GOSPEL


John 10: 11 - 16
11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12
He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13
He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.
14
I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,
15
as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16
And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS: TUES. AUG. 18, 2009.










Catholic world news: Aug. 18: headlines:
VATICAN: PAPAL APPOINTMENT:
EUROPE: RUSSIA: 64 WORKERS TRAPPED-12 DEAD :
AMERICA: INMATE SCHEDULED TO DIE WHILE BISHOPS PLEAD FOR LIFE:
AFRICA: CENTRAL AFRICA: 1 MILLION IN NEED OF AID:
ASIA: KOREA: FORMER CATHOLIC PRESIDENT DIES:
AUSTRALIA: BROTHER HEAD OF TEACHING COLLEGE IN SUDAN:
TODAY'S SAINT: ST. HELENA




VATICAN
APPOINTMENT OF THE SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE RELICS



Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the Cardinal Franc Rodé, C.M., prefect of the Congregation for consecrated life institutes and societies of apostolic life, your sent special solemn celebrations of the 12th centenary of the translation of the relics of the martyr St Tryphon to Kotor (Montenegro), which will take place on 17 October 2009.




EUROPE
RUSSIA: 64 WORKERS TRAPPED: 12 DEAD


BBC news reports that Russian officials have warned it is unlikely any of the 64 workers trapped within Russia's largest hydro-electric power plant after a blast will survive.
Twelve people are already confirmed dead after the explosion at the Sayano-Shushenskaya power plant in Siberia.
Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said groups of divers were searching for survivors in the flooded turbine hall.
The blast's cause is unknown but reports said investigators believed a transformer exploded during repairs.
Unfortunately we have no comforting news
Sergei ShoiguMinistry of Emergency Situations
The plant's owner said the flooding had occurred due to a pressure surge in water pipes.
"Unfortunately we have no comforting news. We still do not know the fate of over 60 people," Mr Shoigu told Russian state TV.
"The territory above water and under the water is being searched. We are awaiting a robot, which is able to work underwater," he said.
The plant's owners, RusHydro, said a detailed 3-D map of where its employees were at the time was being used during rescue efforts.
Oil slick
On Monday, two workers were rescued by divers from an area beneath the turbine hall.
But RusHydro's acting chairman said he did not hold out much hope of finding other workers alive.
"It is unlikely that survivors will be found where the flooding happened," Vasily Zubakin told Russian news agencies.
Wednesday has been designated as an official day of mourning in the remote mountain region of Khakassia where the plant - one of the country's largest - is located.
The accident has created a large oil slick that is now floating down the Yenisei river, which flows north through Siberia to the Arctic.

Officials said towns downstream of the plant were not thought to be at risk.
RusHydro said the damage would run into "billions of roubles" and would take several months to repair.
The power station is located in the Siberian region of Khakassia, some 3,000 km (1,875 miles) east of Moscow.
The dam above it is 245m (800ft) high and stretches 1km (0.6 miles) across the Yenisei river.
Opened in 1978, the station provides a quarter of RusHydro output and is a major supplier of power to at least two smelters owned by United Company RUSAL, the world's largest aluminium producer. (SOURCE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8206998.stm



AMERICA
INMATE SCHEDULED TO DIE WHILE BISHOPS PLEAD FOR LIFE


CNA reports that a judge has denied a request to delay the execution of a Florida death row inmate convicted of rape and murder. The convict’s attorney claims his accomplice confessed to the murder instead, while the state’s Catholic bishops have appealed to the governor for a stay of execution.
John Richard Marek was convicted in the 1983 killing of Adela Marie Simmons. Despite the concerns of a friend, she accepted a ride from Marek and his co-defendant Raymond Wigley after her car had broken down. Her body was found raped and strangled near a lifeguard stand on a beach the next afternoon.
Wigley was sentenced to life in prison and was killed there in 2000. Marek was sentenced to death in 1984 at the age of 22.
Marek’s attorney Martin J. McClain asked Circuit Judge Jeffrey Levenson to hear the testimony of a prison inmate who claims Wigley once confessed to the killing. Six other inmates had testified last week that Wigley had confessed to the murder. The Palm Beach Post reports that Judge Levenson dismissed their claims and was upheld by the Florida Supreme Court.
Jean Trach, a friend of Simmons who had tried to persuade her not to leave with the men, said she has had persistent nightmares that Marek would leave prison and get her.
Sometimes she has wondered whether Marek should be executed, but she now wants the case to be over.
"He keeps getting chance after chance," she told the Palm Beach Post. "My friend didn't get any chances."
The Bishops of Florida on Monday released a copy of their letter to Republican Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asking him to stay the execution and commute the sentence to life in prison.
Marek’s execution is scheduled for Wednesday August 19.
“Even those who have done great harm are human beings with dignity, created in the image and likeness of God. Life in prison without possibility of parole satisfies the need for punishment and allows the inmate the opportunity to reflect on their offenses and feel sorrow for the pain they have caused others,” the bishops wrote.
Their letter said that executions do not make society safer and do not act as a deterrent but rather add to daily violence and numb people “to the truth that every human being has worth.”
“We express our genuine sympathy for the victim, Adella Marie Simmons, and her loved ones,” the bishops said. “The media attention surrounding executions brings back the pain experienced by victims through the recounting of the crime details. The death of the convicted does not heal the wounds of those grieving the loss of a family member or friend.”
Noting that many U.S. states are reconsidering the death penalty as a punishment, they implored Gov. Crist to commute Marek’s sentence and to declare a moratorium on executions in Florida.
(SOURCE:http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=16869

AFRICA
CENTRAL AFRICA: 1 MILLION IN NEED OF AID

CISA reports that over 1 million people in the Central African Republic are in need of humanitarian aid as continued fighting between rebels and government forces triggers delays in aid funds.According to United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Catherine Braggs, who was in a five-day visit of the country, more than 1 million people - mostly in the north - were estimated to have been affected by the conflict. Of those, 137,000 refugees had fled to Chad and Cameroon, and 125,000 were internally displaced.Describing the humanitarian situation as unique, Braggs said the affected population had fled into the bush to protect themselves from armed elements. They all live in fear of government as well as rebel forces. The population is traumatized because some people have been displaced repeatedly in recent years and live in deplorable conditions, without food, water or medical services.“The Central African Republic is at a critical crossroads which could see a reversal of the modest gains made in 2008 or a consolidation of the progress towards national dialogue and agreement with rebel groups”, she said at a press conference in New York.Bragg, who is also UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said she had met with the country’s leadership, members of the international community, local and international non-governmental organizations and key diplomats.While security and peace were critical to addressing those challenges, the need for a humanitarian response remained crucial, and the needs might be increasing, she said.A major concern is the lack of funding for humanitarian work, which has decreased significantly so far in 2009. The current appeal is for $97 million, down from $106 million - not because of reduced need, but because a lack of funding had resulted in some projects being taken off the list.The north-west is only partially covered by the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), and only three non-governmental organizations were present. Other areas fall under peacekeeping missions in neighbouring countries.
(SOURCE: http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/story.asp?ID=4071


ASIA
KOREA: FORMER CATHOLIC PRESIDENT DIES

UCAN reports that religious leaders have expressed deep sorrow over the death of Thomas More Kim Dae-jung, the first Catholic president of South Korea.

Kim Dae-jung was hospitalized in Seoul on July 13 with pneumonia. He died from heart failure at around 2 p.m. on Aug. 18. He was 85.
Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul issued a condolence message soon after Kim's death was announced.
He said Kim, the first Korean Nobel Prize recipient, had dedicated his life to promoting human rights and the democratization of South Korea, and had worked for peace on the Korean peninsular.
Cardinal Cheong said Kim forgave his political foes despite the persecutions he suffered, during which he experienced threats to his life.
The cardinal also praised Kim's faith, quoting him as saying that, "With the knowledge that Jesus was crucified for humanity, I could overcome all hardships and trials."
Reverend Kwon Oh-sung, secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), also issued a condolence message. He said that the former president had established human rights and peace as basic values in society.
Reverend Kwon said he hopes that the government, politicians, and the country's people would build on Kim's achievements.
Venerable Jikwan, chief executive of the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist order in the country, also remembers the president as a "pioneer of democratization." In his Aug. 18 condolence message, he urged the whole nation to be unified on this occasion.
Kim was exiled twice in his life during military dictatorships in South Korea. He survived two assassination attempts in the 1970s and escaped a death sentence by a martial court in 1980. He was freed in 1982 after requests for a pardon from the international community and Pope John Paul II.
Kim was baptized in 1956 as a young politician and often spoke about his faith publicly.
In an interview with UCA News in 1993, he said that "all my hard trials in the past -- imprisonment, frequent detentions, torture and forced exiles -- happened in the process of God's redemptive work, and in this sense, I have also participated in God's salvation."
He said Christ saved his life when he was abducted by a South Korean spy agency in Tokyo in 1973, and faced the prospect of drowning.
Kim was elected as the country's 15th president in 1997 and took office from February 1998 to February 2003. In 2000 he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts toward reconciliation with North Korea.
Kim is survived by his second wife Lee Hee-ho, a Methodist, and three sons. (SOURCE:
http://www.ucanews.com/2009/08/18/first-catholic-president-kim-dae-jung-dies/

AUSTRALIA
BROTHER HEAD OF TEACHING COLLEGE IN SUDAN




CathNews Australia reports that Former Boystown CEO and Principal of the De La Salle College Malvern, Br Bill Firman has been appointed as head of a new teachers' training college in Sudan.
His move to the African nation follows a call for volunteers to assist the rebuilding of communities in the civil war torn country. The De La Salle Brothers are taking the lead role in the development of teacher education, in a rebuilding initiative called the Solidarity with Southern Sudan initiative that is supported by some 20 religious orders.
"To rebuild a society and a country the most important element is competent personnel," said Br Firman said in a press statement.
"I will assist with the development of a four year teacher training program based on a distance learning model. It will be a new challenge for me but it is one that I am ready for."
He expects the commitment to be a long one, between 5 to 10 years, because "it is important to stand with the Sudanese people in solidarity over a longer term and not just for a year or two."
"People have warned me about the potential danger (of going to Sudan) but there is something about getting older that liberates you from fear of the future," he said.
"I'm going to Sudan because I have something to offer there. I can use my talents and acquired skills to assist the Sudanese people in their efforts to build a new future," Br Firman added.
He leaves for Sudan on August 30. (SOURCE: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=15819



TODAY'S SAINT
ST. HELENA
Bornca. 246/50, Diedca. 330,
Patroness of : archeologists, converts, difficult marriages, divorced people, empresses. Helena's birthplace is not known with certainty. A native of Drepnum, in the province of Bithynia in Asia Minor.. Her son Constantine renamed the city "Helenopolis". Helena Constantius' "wife", Helena gave birth to the future emperor Constantine I on the 27th of February of an uncertain year soon after 270. Helena never remarried and lived for a while in obscurity, though close to her only son, who had a deep regard and affection for her. During her life, she gave many presents to the poor, released prisoners and mingled with the ordinary worshipers in modest attire. Upon the request of the monks in the region, Helena ordered the construction of a church in Egypt to identify the Burning Bush of Sinai. The chapel, often referred to as the Chapel of Saint Helen, is dated to the year AD 330.
(Edited from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_of_Constantinople


SAINTLY QUOTE
Holy Scripture by the manner of its language transcends every science, because in one and the same sentence, while it describes a fact, it reveals a mystery. Pope St. Gregory

TODAY'S GOSPEL

Matthew 19: 23 - 30
23
And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25
When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
26
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
27
Then Peter said in reply, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?"
28
Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29
And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
30
But many that are first will be last, and the last first.