Rocco, God’s brave servant among the plague victims
The charism of Saint Rocco, whom God sent among the plague victims, fell ill with the plague but recovered miraculously. He was humble to the end, even during the five years he spent imprisoned on a false charge of spying. He is the patron saint of the infectiously ill and invalids.
Grace, Will, Intellect
Grace is a gift that comes from God. By subjective grace God intervenes to illuminate the intellect and move the will. A fundamental aspect of preparation for the act of faith is the Church's prayer for others and a fundamental aspect for our faith to grow is our own prayer.
The image of the Divine Mercy will relive in new paintings
Eleven Polish painters have been invited to paint images of the Merciful Jesus as part of the project “Paint Catholicism anew”. It is not about making copies of Kazimirowski and Hyla's paintings stress the organisers. The artists, by following the indications Saint Faustina wrote in her Diary, albeit with their own individual sensibility, are required to create new paintings for worship.
Nordstream 2 (and Ukraine) divide US and Russia
The direct confrontation between Biden and Putin failed to lower tensions on the Ukrainian "front": Russia wants to keep NATO at a distance; the US is trying to create a division between Russia and Europe, starting with the boycott of the Russian-German gas pipeline Nordstream 2.
Who are you, O Immaculate Conception?
The Immaculata is the “complement of the Blessed Trinity”. In this union heaven and earth are joined; all of heaven with all the earth, the totality of eternal love with the totality of created love. It is truly the summit of love. The Daily Compass is publishing the last reflection Saint Massimiliano Kolbe wrote on the Immaculate Conception, 17 February 1941, just hours before the arrest which would lead to his martyrdom.
Men with wombs? A prospect to be rejected
Uterus transplantation is still rare but gaining ground. In an article in Acta Biomedica, two researchers from the Sapienza University of Rome endorse the idea that such a practice can contribute to "improving the lives" of men who feel like women. But the desire to 'change' sex is not ethically acceptable. And a possible womb transplant would not heal the unhappiness, but increase it. Not to mention the impact on the hypothetical offspring.
Missionary Peter Chanel, protomartyr of Oceania
He had been passionate about the missions since he was an adolescent. He became a priest, but for years he was unable to fulfil his desire to leave. He succeeded after joining the Marists, going as a missionary to the island of Futuna. He cared for the sick, baptised dying children, and converted many to Catholicism. He was killed for his faith, becoming the protomartyr of Oceania.
- THE RECIPE: FISH SALAD FROM FUTUNA
“I Believe”, an act of titanic certainty
The words "I believe", in today’s culture permeated with relativism, have become synonymous of expressing one’s opinion. Instead, it is an adhesion to the Faith which, as Saint Thomas says, is a very certain adhesion, and more so than any other act. The act of faith combines intellect, will and grace. Today, the Daily Compass begins the first lesson of Sunday Catechism on the Creed.
"Let's not keep God in quarantine: let's ask Him to stop the pandemic"
"Since the beginning of the pandemic we have been praying to ask the Lord to give us the strength to endure it, but more rarely do we ask Him to put His hand to stopping it. God is seen not as the Creator of the cosmos, but as the companion on our journey. Yet, He can direct the action of the causes that produce a physical phenomenon, while respecting the laws of nature. And Christian prayer assumes that God can act in the biophysical world in which we live". Interview with Father Serge-Thomas Bonino, Dean of Philosophy at the Angelicum.
Christmas forbidden, EU is heir to the French Revolution
The European Union has made an about turn, on the (grotesque) document banning the use of the word Christmas or overly Christian names. But it won’t be long before secularism strikes back, being the fundament of an EU that has denied its Christian roots and the project of its founding fathers. The truth is that today's EU, diversified and inclusive, is reminiscent of communist ideology. And, unfortunately, the anti-Christian anthropological transformation goes far beyond Europe.
Father Jean Pierre, man of peace and prophecy
The death and funeral in Morocco of the 97-year-old Trappist monk who escaped the massacre in Tibhirine (Algeria) in 1996 showed how friendship can be born between Christians and Muslims when faith is lived in daily fidelity to the Gospel, without compromise, even at the cost of one's life. The embrace of Christians and Muslims around his tomb was the miracle of a friendship possible when the sincere search for God inhabits the human heart.
