Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Reflections on Opus Dei

I'm a pretty big Opus Dei fan and St. Jose Maria Escriva devotee as I'm Spanish and my parents were very loyal Generalissimo Franco supporters. My maternal grandfather was a Colonel in Franco's Nationalist Army. He was a very devout Catholic and life long participant in 24 Hour Eucharistic Adoration. As a child, my mother used to tell us stories of her father praying the Rosary while marching back and forth in front of the trenches his troops were in while trying to avoid Republican Air strikes and strafing. St. Escriva started his Obra de Dios or Work of God just before the civil war in 1930 and during the war 1936-39 cared for the victims of that horrendous Civil War. Just under 1 million people died in that conflict! Although the press and historians lump Franco into the same bag with Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin as a fascist dictator, he saved Spain. Had Franco and the Nationalist not been victorious Spain would have become communist and with the fall of the USSR, Spain might of been torn apart by ethnic differences like Yugoslavia was. As you know this might have been caused mostly by Basque and Catalan people. Franco stabilized Spain and allowed for economic development so that a middle class, previously almost nonexistent, flourished. A notable quote from Franco, a devout Catholic was "I am responsible only to God and history." Upon his death in 1975 a peaceful transition to a democracy took place because of his middle class legacy and the intelligent plan implemented by King Juan Carlos. I shudder to think what might have happened had Franco and his Nationalist movement not prevailed. It was under Franco's regime that St. Escriva and Opus Dei developed. While in Houston during my residency training a fellow resident was an Opus Dei lay member. He was a Numerary or a member of the Opus that pledges to remain celibate and generally live in Opus Dei houses. They commit their entire salaries to Opus Dei. They are the equivalent of Brothers or Nuns consecrated in the religious life but live and work in the community among secular peoples of all walks. They had a house on the campus of Rice University which was in walking distance from the Hospital at Baylor where I trained. He invited me to Opus functions including days of Recollection. I became familiar with some of Escriva's writings The Way, Furrow, The Forge, Christ is passing by, Friends of God,The Way of the Cross, Conversation among others. Very solid and Christ centered movement. My Spanish God father has a son who after graduating from medical school went to an Opus Dei seminary and became an Opus Dei Priest. He was a missionary priest in Kenya for 20 years before being reassigned to an Opus Community in Spain. My father and brother along with thousands of other Spaniards where in Rome in 2002 when St. Escriva was canonized.
More reflections on Opus Dei:
Early in his Preisthood while making a retreat in Madrid, the Holy Spirit revealed to St. Escriva his specific mission. He was to found Opus Dei, an institution within the Catholic Church dedicated to helping people in all walks of life to follow Christ, to seek holiness in their daily life and grow in love for God and their fellow men and women. From that moment on, he dedicated all his strength to fulfilling this mission, certain that God had raised up Opus Dei to serve the Church. In 1930, responding to a new illumination from God, he started Opus Dei's apostolic work with women, making clear that they had the same responsibility as men to serve society and the Church.
Opus members close to the Pope John Paul II include the Vatican's Spanish spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, and financial adviser Jose Angel Sanchez Asiain.
The pope, who shared the founder's vehement anti-communism, is said to be impressed with the Opus Dei's ability to inspire religious fervor and bring the faith into the everyday lives of Catholics.
The core of the movement is made up of "numeraries," about a third of the total membership. They are celibate and live in all male or female homes.
Some, like psychiatrist Rafi Santos, who lives with nine other professional women, donate their salaries to the cause. She works at an Opus-sponsored social aid organization and a private clinic, and also rises at the crack of dawn.
"My life is not all that different from that of any other professional. Maybe what's different is my motivation"
Aguilar, the school principal, lives with his family of eight children. He prays and attends Mass daily, having joined the movement at age 18 after visiting an Opus-sponsored youth center. "I was impressed by the cleanliness and the discipline," he said.
Opus Dei's has a reputation for elitism which started during the Franco era 1939-75. However Escriva's strategy or thinking was that a good way to change society was by attracting to the movement people who would become educated professionals. These people would go on to hold important post in government and influential positions in society. If these people had a strong spiritual life and a close relationship to Jesus then because of their position of prominence in society perhaps they could effect a positive change for the good of society. Because it evangilized educated people it was unfairly labeled as elitist. Many of the technocrats in Franco's later governments belonged to the movement, and are widely credited with helping bring about Spain's economic boom of the 1960s. Today, Opus Dei runs IESE, one of the nation's leading business schools; and the University of Navarra, which Escriva founded in 1952. Two of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's children went to Opus-run schools. Remember that Jose Maria Aznar was a stanch supporter of the US in the Iraq war and continues to support the US in his editorials. I think this speak well of the Opus Dei movement. Of course the press and the current ruling establishment in Spain and the Liberal segment of Catholic Church can't stand the Opus Dei and vilify it via rumors and innuendo.
Other Notable Spanish Opus members include Defense Minister Federico Trillio, Justice Minister Jose Maria Michavila, Attorney General Jesus Cardenal and former National Police Chief Juan Cotino.
As you know the Spanish Zapatero government is out of control with its support of Gay marriage and gay adoption of children. Judge a movement by its fruits and the Opus Dei has an abundance of good fruit. There are over 85,000 members in 62 countries and include married members with families, celibate lay individuals and 1,800 Priests. I prefer Aznar
www.thehoya.com/news/020105/news6.cfm to Zapatero as I'm sure you do. Thanks for reading. www.opusdei.org

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Republican Pansies

Sen. John McCain, (R - AZ), Sen. Lamar Alexander, (R - TN), Sen. Lincoln Chafee, (R - RI), Sen. Susan Collins, (R - ME), Sen. Chuck Hagel, (R - NE), Sen. Olympia Snowe, (R - ME), Sen. John Sununu, (R - NH), Sen. John Warner, (R - VA), are all acting like pansies and failing to represent we the people who voted in this Republican dominated Executive and Legislative Banches of our Democratic Republic. The Re-POOP-licans are rolling over because of the harsh words and tones being used by Plug Head Biden, Lurch Kerry, Douche Mouthed Dodd, and Simpleton Boxer! If it weren't for Rush Limbaugh and all of his conservative talk show offspring Traitorous Kerry would be President of our great Country. Most of the Democrats except those from the Lieberman Wing should go to work for Toffee A None at the United KNAVES. Its was the New Media in the form of Talk Radio, Blogosphere and Cable News that boxed the Liberal Dominated MSM into a corner. It was the Traditional American Electorate that slayed the Liberal Medusa of our age. We want TRADITIONAL and sensible Judges to be raised to the Federal Bench NOW! We are tired of the ACLU types running our courts and letting free the Rapists, Child Molesters who then murder our future by killing our Children! We are tired of rights being given to TERRORISTS being held in our jails. We are tired of JUDICIAL LEGISLATION being practiced by Federal Judges. We need Constitutional JUDGES not World Court Judges. We need REPUBLICAN Senators and Congressmen to represent us their constituents and quit worrying about Democrats. Pull of the GLOVES boys and girls or your days in Politics are numbered! Francis X. Yubero, M.D.

Short Line cook Voinovich

Mr. Voinovich: Get out of my "Kitchen"! You are a disgrace to the great state of Ohio. I grew up in Mansfield, and went to Kenyon College, graduate school at Ohio State and graduated from Wright State University. I'm a Buckeye thru and thru. My father, Gerard L.Yubero, M.D. was nominated as an outstanding naturalized citizen by Governor Celeste in the centennial celebration of the Statue of Liberty in Columbus in 1985. You are a DISGRACE to all Ohioians. You are a TRAITOR to me and all Ohioians. This "interpersonal skills Kitchen test" is a JOKE! The United Nations is a corrupt and inept body which is used as a forum to attack and obstruct our great Nation. I'm am so ashamed of you and will not vote for you. Aren't you Polish? You are a disgrace to our Late Great John Paul II. The Pope wouldn't back down. Mr. Bolton is a brave and principled American who would represent our interests in the UN. Are you buddies with that corrupt phony Kofi Annan? Pull the tail out from in between you legs and stand up to those rumor mongers Kerry, Boxer and Biden. Be a man be a Republican be a Buckeye! Francis Yubero, M.D.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

John Paul II's Legacy Lives On!

Pope Benedict XVI is John Paul II's Paisano. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger is a true soldier of truth! The last Pope Benedict, XV's (1914-1922) first encyclical condemned errors by "modernist" scholars and their modern philosophical systems. Benedict XV, the name sake for this new Pope, did not restore to the church, these "modernist" scholars excommunicated by Pope Pius X.
Modernism was a term used by Pope Pius X to describe the doctrines of a group of theologians (chiefly Alfred Loisy and George Tyrell), notably the assumption that the Christian Church and its dogma are human institutions that have evolved in time like other institutions, and which are expressed like others in human documents that bear the character of their historical context, which can be profitably analyzed in just the way all institutions and texts are scrutinized.

In his encyclical Lamentabili Sane of July 1907, Pius X described Modernism as not so much a heresy, but rather the synthesis of all heresies. This description was used not because Modernism combined ideas from many earlier heresies, but because it undermined Catholic doctrine in a more fundamental way than most earlier heresies: instead of critiquing particular points of doctrine, or setting up a competing source of authority, it denied the idea of objective unchanging truth or any authoritative teaching. Modernism involved the evolution of dogma — a notion distinct from Cardinal Newman's teaching on the "development of doctrine", which he characterized in acceptably orthodox fashion as an unfolding in time of what was already implicit in Christ's initial teaching. In stating the Modernist view on evolution of dogma in order to condemn it, Pius X expressed this as:
"Truth is no more unchangeable than man himself, for it evolves with him, in him and through him" (Lamentabili sane).

The New Pope's profound Homily of the Conclave's opening Mass reaffirms the Church's teachings at the beginning of the last century. The same lies and errors of Modernism have been recycled in our age. May God bless our new Pope Benedict XVI....

Friday, April 08, 2005

Brother Hugh, CONCLAVE'S "NEW MEDIA" Smoke Signal

New Media's White Smoke

Hugh and Company: Congratulations on your coverage of John Paul II's passage into Paradise! Your website and on air show have been so unbelievably multidimensional and spellbinding. Your coverage has done a good job in blending the play by play of this event but then your insight into the mystical has made your presentation transcendent... In a small way your work has mirrored the surreal quality of Catholicism itself. Artfully you have been able to interface the material and the sublime! Not even L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO has done such a thorough job in its coverage. Its ironic but your technologically advanced" New Media" presentation possesses the ethereal quality of Conclave Smoke! Thanks for letting the Holy Spirit guide your work during this week! "Peace be with You...."

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

HEAVENLY CONDUCTOR & POLISH COMPATRIOT

Saint Faustina Conductor of Pope John Paul II Bullet Train to Heaven!

We Catholics who celebrate the Communion of Saints
celebrate the addition of Pope John Paul II to this condition. We Catholics believe

that all people who die and go to Heaven are saints with a "small case s" and
are in communion with God. We also believe that they spend
eternity praising, praying and worshiping God, the Father. Therefore, our family members who are in Heaven live on as part of our religious family in this Heavenly Dimension.
Just as we Christians believe in the power of earthly prayer and ask fellow
Christians to pray for us when we need God's help we
also believe that our Heavenly relatives will
pray for us if we ask. Is it necessary and can't we go directly to Jesus and God the Father?
No, it is not necessary and yes we can go directly to Jesus and God and do! However, it is
a beautiful practice and a very human thing to do and thus, is the simple
explanation for the Communion of Saints.
John Paul II our Holy Pope, is a soul who history
will record as one of the great giants and mystics of
the Holy Catholic and Apostolic church. This Pope
along with St Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of
Assi, St Francis Xavier, St John of the Cross and Saint Faustina is exemplary!

{St. Faustina was a young, uneducated, Polish nun who received extraordinary revelations or messages from Our Lord. Jesus asked St. Faustina to record these experiences which she compiled in notebooks. These notebooks are known today as the Diary of St. Maria Faustina and the words contained within are God's loving message of Divine Mercy. The Diary is an impressive account of the trials and joys of St. Faustina as she encountered Jesus Christ. The Divine Mercy is that which Jesus Christ gave as his gift to us on Good Friday when he allowed himself to suffer and die on the Cross for the Salvation of the World. The Holy Spirit instructed Saint Faustina that we men and women were not fully aware of his burning love for all of us and he commissioned her to help make this known to all, lest we forget!}

What an incredible send off the Pope was given!
I arrived a few minutes late to Saturday Vigil Mass
at St Joseph's Church in Mammoth and was surprised by
the large number of people there. As a matter of fact
that is why I was late, the parking lot was full so
I had to park sown the street. I
thought to myself that skiers had decided to go to
Mass because the Pope had died earlier that day.
Then like a light switch being turned on I realized
that it was Divine Mercy Sunday. I remembered that the Pope
had been quoted as saying that he knew when and how he would
die. What a day for one's soul to leave thier worldly body, on
the Vigil of Divine Mercy! This Mass is counted on the Liturgical calendar
as the Feast day Mass of divine Mercy Sunday as it takes place after sunset!
The Catholic Vigil Mass is reminisent of the Jewish Sabbath which
takes place from sunset of the previous day to sunset on the following
day of rest! Divine Mercy Sunday, as requested by Pope
John Paul II when he made it a universal Feast celebrated
throughout the world in the Catholic Church, is the Second
Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday,
a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with
confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials
that humankind will experience in the years to come. (Ordo, April 7, 2002)
This Pope helped make this Feast Day a reality as
requested by his compatriot Saint Sister Maria
Faustina. Furthermore she was the first person to be
canonized a Saint in the Millennium! Wow! I believe
that this Holy Pope's Soul was given a bullet train up
to the Pearly Gates. Saint Faustina was probably the
Conductor of this Bullet Chariot! What do you think?
I think this was God's reward for the Pope's strong
devotion to God's Divine Mercy...."
What is Our Lord's Divine Mercy? It is beautiful and simply is the manifestation of our Savior's Love made present and available to us in a special way on this day.
Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina His desire to literally flood us with His graces on that day. He told her: "On that day the very depths of My tender Mercy are open. ...The soul that will go to Confession [beforehand] and receive Holy Communion [on that day] shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment" (699). The theologian who examined St. Faustina's writings for the Holy See, Rev. Ignacy Rozycki, explained that this is the promise of a complete renewal of baptismal grace, and in that sense like a “second Baptism” (in much the same way that St. Catherine of Siena called sacramental Confession, undertaken out of true love of God, an “ongoing Baptism“) (The Dialogue, no. 75).
To learn more about this Amazing Gift of the Holy Spirit to all of Mankind please read more at this link.

http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html