Pope Francis meets Martin Scorsese, director of 'Silence,' at Vatican by Elise Harris

Pope Francis meets Martin Scorsese, director of 'Silence,' at Vatican

by Elise Harris

On Wednesday, Pope Francis added world famous director Martin Scorsese to the list of Hollywood stars he has welcomed for a private meeting in the Vatican, following an official Rome preview of Scorsese’s new film “Silence.”

Based on a Japanese historical fiction novel recounting Christian persecution in Japan during the 17th century, “Silence” will hit theaters in December and recounts the story of two Jesuit priests who travel to Japan in the midst of the violence to search for the missing mentor, played by Liam Neeson.

According to a Nov. 30 communique from the Vatican, Scorsese, his wife and their two children were present for the meeting with Pope Francis, alongside the film’s producer and his wife. Msgr. Dario Edoardo Vigano, Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications, accompanied the group.

Described in the communique as “very cordial,” the meeting lasted about 15 minutes. The Pope told his guests that he had read the 1966 novel “Silence,” written by Japanese author Shusaku Endo and which served as the inspiration for Scorsese’s new movie. Continue Reading

Here's what Pope Francis is doing for Christmas By Elise Harris

Here's what Pope Francis is doing for Christmas

By Elise Harris

While signs of bustling pilgrims who came for the Jubilee of Mercy are mostly gone, new signs of Christmas are springing up around St. Peter’s Basilica, including the construction of the large Nativity scene in the middle of the square, and the placement of a Christmas tree alongside it.

On Nov. 24, a massive 82-foot tree from the Dolomites arrived in St. Peter’s Square next to the large Nativity scene currently being built, which was donated to the Vatican by the Archdiocese of Malta and designed by local artists. Continue Reading

Pope mourns death of Fr Kolvenbach, former head of Jesuits By Elise Harris

Pope mourns death of Fr Kolvenbach, former head of Jesuits

By Elise Harris

After the death of Jesuit Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, former head of the order, over the weekend, Pope Francis has sent a letter to the Society praising the priest’s fidelity and offering prayers for the repose of his soul.

“Learning of the news of the holy death of Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach S.J., former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, I wish to express to you and to the entire Jesuit family my most sincere condolences,” the Pope said in a Nov. 28 letter.

Addressed to the current head of the Society, Fr. Arturo Sosa, the letter recalled the “integral fidelity” with which Fr. Kolvenbach served Christ and the Gospel, as well as his “generous commitment to exercising his ministry for the good of the Church.”

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What do we mean when we say Mary was “ever virgin”?

We as Catholics firmly believe that Mary is “ever virgin.”  The Catechism asserts, “The deepening of faith in the virginal motherhood led the Church to confess Mary’s real and perpetual virginity even in the act of giving birth to the Son of God made man” (#499).  Given this teaching, the perpetual virginity of Mary has traditionally been defended and examined in three parts:  Mary’s conception of Christ (virginitas ante partum); her giving birth to Christ (virginitas in partu); and her remaining a virgin after the birth of Christ (virginitas post partum).  This formulation was used by many of the early Church Fathers–  St. Augustine, St. Peter Chrysologus, Pope St. Leo the Great, St. Gregory Nazianzus, and St. Gregory Nyssa.  For example, the Catechism quotes St. Augustine’s elaboration:  Mary “remained a virgin in conceiving her Son, a virgin in giving birth to Him, a virgin in carrying Him, a virgin in nursing Him at her breast, always a virgin” (#510).Continue Reading

Mary: Ever Virgin

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Most Protestants claim that Mary bore children other than Jesus. To support their claim, these Protestants refer to the biblical passages which mention the "brethren of the Lord." As explained in the Catholic Answers tract Brethren of the Lord, neither the Gospel accounts nor the early Christians attest to the notion that Mary bore other children besides Jesus. The faithful knew, through the witness of Scripture and Tradition, that Jesus was Mary’s only child and that she remained a lifelong virgin. 

An important historical document which supports the teaching of Mary’s perpetual virginity is the Protoevangelium of James, which was written probably less than sixty years after the conclusion of Mary’s earthly life (around A.D. 120), when memories of her life were still vivid in the minds of many. Continue Reading

The Perpetual Virginity of Mary

The Perpetual Virginity of Mary by Dr. Robert Schihl Fathers of the Church Church Fathers from at least the fourth century spoke of Mary as having remained a virgin throughout her life: Athanasius (Alexandria, 293-373); Epiphanius (Palestine, 315?-403); Jerome (Stridon, present day Yugoslavia, 345?-419); Augustine (Numidia, now Algeria, 354-430); Cyril (Alexandria, 376-444); and others. Continue Reading

1st Sunday of Advent Year A By Tobe Eze

1st Sunday of Advent Year A

FIRST READING

Isaiah 2:1—5

SECOND READING

Romans 13:11—14

GOSPEL

Matthew 24:37—44

THEME: IT WILL BE A SURPRISE TO US.

Advent as we all know is the preparation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The three readings are telling us about the coming of the Son of Man. The first reading tells us “In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills”. The days of the Son of Man will glorify God. Coming of the Son of Man is no more coming in flesh but coming into our hearts, into our Spirits. When a recognized personnel wants to visit us, we prepare in a very big way. We try to please the person through what we prepare for the person. Let in the same way or even more than that prepare for the day of the Son of Man. Last Sunday we were shouting in the top of our voices proclaiming Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Continue Reading

PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

PSYCHOSEXUAL DEVELOPMENT

In Freudian psychology, psychosexual development is a central element of the psychoanalytic sexual drive theory, that human beings, from birth, possess an instinctual libido (sexual energy) that develops in five stages. Each stage – the oral, the anal, the phallic, the latent, and the genital – is characterized by the erogenous zone that is the source of the libidinal drive. Sigmund Freud proposed that if the child experienced sexual frustration in relation to any psychosexual developmental stage, he or she would experience anxiety that would persist into adulthood as a neurosis, a functional mental disorder.

Contents

 •1 Background

•2 Freudian psychosexual development ◦2.1 Oral stage

◦2.2 Anal stage

◦2.3 Phallic stage

◦2.4 Latency stage

◦2.5 Genital stage

•3 Criticisms ◦3.1 Scientific

◦3.2 Feminist

◦3.3 Anthropologic

•4 Medical sexological model

•5 See also

•6 References

Background

The neurologist Sigmund Freud, c. 1921.

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) observed that during the predictable stages of early childhood development, the child's behavior is oriented towards certain parts of his or her body, e.g. the mouth during breast-feeding, the anus during toilet-training. He argued that adult neurosis (functional mental disorder) often is rooted in childhood sexuality, and consequently suggested that neurotic adult behaviors are manifestations of childhood sexual fantasy and desire. That is because human beings are born "polymorphously perverse", infants can derive sexual pleasure from any part of their bodies, and that socialization directs the instinctual libidinal drives into adult heterosexuality.[3] Given the predictable timeline of childhood behavior, he proposed "libido development" as a model of normal childhood sexual development, wherein the child progresses through five psychosexual stages – the oral; the anal; the phallic; the latent; and the genital – in which the source pleasure is in a different erogenous zone. Continue Reading

Solemnity of Christ the King Year C By Tobe Eze

Solemnity of Christ the King Year C

FIRST READING
2 Samuel 5:1—3

SECOND READING
Colossians 1:12—20

GOSPEL
Luke 23:35—43

THEME: CARING KING (IT IS NOT OUR FAULT THAT HE IS OUR KING)

Today we celebrate CHRIST as the universal KING. It did not end that he is the UNIVERSAL KING but also a CARING KING. In the first reading, the people of Israel went to David in humility, and anointed him their king. David ruled his people with caring heart and that was a typical example of how the son of David (Christ) has been ruling his own chosen generation. In the second reading, St. Paul tells us who the king of glory is. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven. He is like the pelican bird that uses its blood to feed its young. A STORY: There was a community that suffered death, they meet their Oracle who told them that the only way out is to sacrifice seven male heads. And they must be from that community. The community gathered for meeting to know those that will be sacrificed. Co

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