Joined with the cry of the Earth and of indigenous peoples, is the cry of so many communities scattered across a vast territory who are asking for the Eucharist and the other Sacraments.

“The devil hates everything beautiful and the bells are specifically used to draw attention to the divine worship of God.”

“The devil hates bells,” a deacon involved in the deliverance ministry recently told my husband and me. He is actually our daughter’s father-in-law, so it was just a casual conversation—or at least for us.

When Ronald Reagan launched full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the Vatican 35 years ago, his idea, which proved correct, was that Pope John Paul II would be a reliable ally against Communism. John Paul nevertheless needled the Americans on other fronts, and ever since the relationship between the world’s preeminent hard and soft powers always has been a mixed bag.

One of the serious diseases prevalent in the world and the Arab homeland is "comfort addiction". To verify this all you need is walk down the street to see the coffee shops’ regulars and measure the number of hours they spend there.

The Church celebrates the feast day of Jerome, the great saint and Doctor of Aquile who became Jerome of Bethlehem and the Bible.

His life provides us with lessons of love emanating from a soul on fire with the light of the Savior, the Light, who came into this world. Jerome ‘s personality and temperament tested the patience of many of his contemporaries. But in his humility and with a heart of gold, he became worthy of their forgiveness and understanding.

Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader celebrated Holy Mass in Smakiyeh, southern Jordan, on Sunday September 29, marking the Feast of Archangel Michael, the patron of Smakiyeh. The Mass was concelebrated by parish priest Fr. Ibrahim Naffa’, Fr. Yousef Rizeq, and Deacon Za’al Hijazeen in the presence of a large number of believers.

In the New Testament, we’re told that there are times in which we entertain angels without knowing it. The awareness of such possible spiritual visitations can be consoling and encouraging to us in the midst of life’s struggles and sorrows.

In speaking of our guardian angel, Pope Francis comments: “He is always with us! And this is a reality. It’s like having God’s ambassador with us.”

Saint of the Day for September 26

(September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978)

Saint Paul VI’s Story

Born near Brescia in northern Italy, Giovanni Battista Montini was the second of three sons. His father, Giorgio, was a lawyer, editor, and eventually a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. His mother, Giuditta, was very involved in Catholic Action.

Speaking to the media team of the Holy See, the Successor of Peter suggests a different way of communicating, an attitude that follows the example of the Christian martyrs.

"Communicating through witnessing, communicating by involving oneself in communication, communicating with nouns, naming things, communicating like martyrs, that is, as witnesses of Christ, as martyrs. Learning the language of the martyrs, which is the language of the Apostles".

As humbling as it can be, a saint always comes forward and promotes what is most lacking in a culture. In many respects, the saint’s very existence is a sign of contradiction, and what the holy one stands for or what they do is a glaring provocation to the spirits of an age.