Thursday, August 11, 2011

Pope Benedict Praises Joan of Arc

Vatican City, Jan 26, 2011/(CNA/EWTN News).- St. Joan of Arc was united in prayer to Christ even at the end of her short life, when she yelled his name while being burned at the stake, the Pope said, holding her up as a model of strength. Pope Benedict XVI shared the story of St. Joan of Arc and her heroic sanctity at the general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Jan. 26. More than 3,000 people were gathered in the auditorium for the occasion. She was just 19 years old when she was sentenced to death, but the French teenager was one of the "strong women" at the end of the Middle Ages, "who fearlessly brought the splendid light of the Gospel into the complex events of history," said the Pope. Born to a peasant family in a time of war between England and France, Joan brought herself to the attention of an important nobleman at the time. She was just 17, but hoped to achieve peace by imploring a settlement between the two Christian nations in the name of Jesus. The nobleman, convinced of her Christian goodwill by local theologians, allowed her to try. When her efforts failed she soon found herself at the head of an army defending the French city of Orleans.

For the rest of this story click on this link:

http://www.missioncapodanno.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1654:joan-of-arcs-beautiful-example&catid=48:popes-benedict-xvi&Itemid=80

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Never Turn Your Back On Danger!

From the "Happy Catholic"blog:
http://happycatholic.blogspot.com/2011/08/well-said-never-turn-your-back-on.html
One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!
Winston Churchill
Wow, well said and how well we need to heed Mr. Churchill's advice today! The danger is right in front of us, how will be manage it? How do we address the danger staring us in the face?
The danger is in our tolerance of things; allowing abortions to keep happening and never at least praying for change of hearts in people;
In letting young people think we approve of pre-marital sex and having babies without being married;
Watching porn on television and the internet;
Not treating our churches and holy things with reverence. (yes, this means not using God's name in vain too!)

Are you facing the danger? Are you staring it down or turning your back on it so it overwhelms you before you can do anything?