Mary's Catholics

We are now in the season of Lent, and fasting is one of the very important elements of its observance.  But what is the true essence of fasting?  The saints knew very well the real meaning of fasting, saints such as St. Maximus of Turin and St. Francis de Sales just to name a few.  Let's learn from what these saints taught about fasting. Excerpts from St. Maximus of Turin's Sermo. 35 on Fasting. 1.  By fasting we control the passions of the body; by prayer we nourish the soul. 2.  There is a useless and empty fast that empties the stomach and the intestines but does not empty the mind of worldliness and the heart of wickedness. 3.  What's the use of abstaining from food while the soul is indulging in sin.  The body is weakened by fasting while the soul grows stronger in wickedness. The body refrains from strong wine while the thoughts wallow in the wine of avarice.  Such fasting weakens the body but does not save the soul. 4.  True fasting ...

Name:  Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger Birthday:  April 16, 1927 Birthplace:  Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany Father:  Joseph Ratzinger, Sr. Mother:  Maria Peintner Siblings:  Older brother Georg and                older sister Maria who died in 1991 Priestly ordination:  June 29, 1951 cc photo by Sergey Gabdurakhmanov on flickr - He obtained his doctorate in Theology with a thesis entitled "People and House of God in St. Augustine's Doctrine of the Church" in 1953. - Appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising in March of 1977 by Pope Paul VI. - Received episcopal ordination on May 28, 1977. - Made Cardinal by Pope Paul VI on June 27, 1977. - Appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the International Theological Commission on November 25, 1981 by Pope John Paul II. - Elected Vice-Dean of t...

Werner, the famous German poet, was born and reared a Protestant. Later he became a convert to Catholicism.  A member of the royal household criticized him for doing so:  "I do not like those who change their religion.  I think they are doing something wrong." "Prince," answered Werner, "I am also of your Majesty's opinion.  I think that Luther, in changing his religion, did what was indeed very wrong, and for that reason I have returned to the religion he left."                                                            - Anecdotes of the Great                                                                  Compiled by J. Maurus Source:  Kerygma, I...

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus I had wondered for a long time why God had preferences and why all souls did not receive an equal amount of grace.  I was astonished to see how He showered extraordinary favors on saints who had sinned against Him, saints such as St. Paul and St. Augustine.  He forced them, as it were, to accept His graces. I was just as astonished when I read the lives of saints to see that Our Lord cherished certain favored souls from the cradle to the grave and never allowed any kind of obstacle to check their flight towards Him.  He bestowed such favors on them that they were unable to tarnish the spotless splendor of their baptismal robe.  I also wondered why such vast numbers of poor savages died before they had even heard the name of God. Jesus saw fit to enlighten me about this mystery.  He set the book of nature before me and I saw that all the flowers He has created are lovely. The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of t...