St. Methodius, Patriarch of Constantinople
St. Methodius was highly educated and involved in copying and writing manuscripts. Hepromoted orthodoxy and veneration of religious icons, which landed him in prison for eight years for resisting the emperor's decree against the use of icons. After the iconoclast controversy ended, Methodius worked hard to accommodate clergy who once subscribed to the heresy. Extremists who actively fought Methodius' policy were excommunicated.
St. Methodius was steadfastly devoted to the liturgy opposing any effort to weaken or corrupt it. When the Bavarian bishops accused him of heresy he travelled to Rome and was exonerated. His loyalty to the Mass in its pure state became legendary; let us pray that our bishops reflect this same constancy even when confronted with worldly pressures to back down.
• Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hear the prayer0 I offer for our bishops. Let them know clearly the work that You are calling them to do. Grant them every grace to answer Your call with courage and love, and protect the Church from the enemies who seek to destroy Her. Amen.
• Lord Jesus, we your people pray to You for our bishops. You have consecrated them, set them aside, anointed them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, appointed them to teach, to preach, to minister, and to shepherd us. We know, too, that they are tempted to sin and discouragement as are we. We ask that You give them Your presence in their hearts, Your holiness in their souls, and Your joy in their spirits. Amen.
• Eternal Father, Bless our Bishops. Make them greatfully aware of the graces you pour out for them to shepherd your Church. Strengthen them when they are in doubt of their faith, that they may be examples of your Truth, and guide us always on the path toward you.
• Help an elderly or disabled person in your neighborhood with yard work or other difficult chores.
• Social networks allow us to share our faith on a global scale. Share three spiritual videos with your online network for the next seven days.
• We spend a lot of time absorbing music and news during our morning and evening commutes. Spend your work commutes in silence.
May 21, 2013
A Cardinal Dolan Flub
Flub: to make a mess of; blunder
Recent headlines detail a rather confusing, but not surprising, situation involving Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York City, and New York state governor, Andrew Cuomo.
The cardinal is the Roman Catholic shepherd for the largest grou...
May 14, 2013
The Pope, a Cardinal, and Courageous Deeds
The past few days have revealed an emerging trend which should be heartening to faithful Catholics who have for so long yearned for good news.
In Boston, a scandal erupted when Boston College extended an invitation to the pro-abortion prime minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny. Students for Life...
Mar 22, 2013
American Catholic Bishops and the New Normal
When the Obama White House first announced that pro-abortion Catholic vice president Joe Biden would lead the United States delegation to the inaugural Mass for Pope Francis, a collective gasp was followed by a prayer that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops would make a public statem...
