http://www.pcentral-online.net/ Features Catholic articles on theology, spirituality, business, internet, and some news items from Zenit Catholic news and links to resources in the Vatican web site. http://www.zenit.org/article-22580?l=english Vatican, May 13, 2008 (Zenit.org) - With the encouragement of Benedict XVI, the Pontifical Council for the Laity is gathering bishops to reflect on "the ecclesial movements and new communities as a gift of the Holy Spirit." The Thursday-Saturday seminar will bring about 100 bishops to Rocca di Papa, near Rome, to study the movements and consider the Pope's Nov. 18, 2006, exhortation addressed to bishops of Germany: "I ask you to go out and meet the movements with much love." The pontifical council announced in a communiqué that it "wishes to continue the reflection on the ecclesial movements and new communities as a gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church of our times with the pastors coming from every part of the world." http://www.zenit.org/article-22580?l=english Wed, 14 May 2008 08:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/2008/sale/ignatius052008.html Bella was the surprise winner of the coveted “People’s Choice Award” at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival, and since winning that award it has touched many peoples lives across the world. To coincide with this marvelous movie, Ignatius Press has joined with Metanoia Films to publish an inspiring book, Behind Bella, that tells the amazing stories of people's lives who have been touched and saved by this movie. Both the movie and book are so beautiful and powerful, they belong in homes around the world! Get your copies today at this discounted price that won't last long! http://www.pcentral-online.net/2008/sale/ignatius052008.html Wed, 14 May 2008 08:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/lectionary/trinity-sunday-a.html The lectionary readings for the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, Trinity Sunday, Year A, are taken from: the book of Exodus, the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, and the gospel of John. In the book of Exodus, we read about Moses going up to Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him - taking along the two stone tables that contained the commandments of God. Then in the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians, we read about Paul teaching the Corinthian brethren to encourage one another and to live in harmony and peace. Lastly, in the gospel of John, we read about Jesus speaking to Nicodemus and teaching him how God so love the world that he gave His only Son so that whoever believes in the Son may not die but have eternal life. http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/lectionary/trinity-sunday-a.html Tue, 13 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/2008/saints/venerable-bede.html St. Bede or Venerable Bede was a Benedictine monk of the seventh and eighth centuries. He lived most of his life in the monastery but wrote so many scholarly works and was noted for his holiness and sanctity. Although canonized a saint, Venerable became a title attached to his name because of his recognized sanctity even while he was still living. He is the only English saint to merit the title Doctor of the Church. http://www.pcentral-online.net/2008/saints/venerable-bede.html Mon, 12 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT http://www.zenit.org/article-22538?l=english On the feast of Pentecost this Sunday, the Church will be praying for unity, knowing that God can work miracles, Benedict XVI says. Benedict XVI affirmed that this Sunday, the feast of Pentecost, "We will pray in a particular way for the unity of the Church. If our hearts and minds are open to the Spirit of communion, God can work miracles again in the Church, restoring the bonds of unity. Striving for Christian unity is an act of obedient trust in the work of the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church to the full realization of the Father's plan, in conformity with the will of Christ." http://www.zenit.org/article-22538?l=english Sat, 10 May 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/pentecost/holy-spirit.html The late holy father, John Paul II, has written an encyclical on the Holy Spirit, entitled "Dominum et Vivificantem". In this encyclical, he mentions, among so many other truths, that the purpose why God sent His Holy Spirit into the world was to strengthen us in a way that we become more and more like His Son, and have the courage and fortitude to bring the Gospel to all peoples. For those of us who are working along this line on the Net (which John Paul II encourages Catholics to do so), we receive His Holy Spirit continuously, and every moment of our life, by our commitment to follow His will through our participation in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and then make the Catholic presence on the Net a way of making Christ more central, and vital to anything technological in content or in tools. The witness on the Net shows that the Net is not only a mere mass of technological information, but can also contain the words of the Gospel of Christ Jesus. If we use it rightly, the Net can disseminate and spread classic Catholic tradition to those who use this medium as part of their daily lives: in their family setting, in their workplace, in their religious communities, in their parish, or in big secular institutional settings. http://www.pcentral-online.net/pentecost/holy-spirit.html Sat, 10 May 2008 09:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/saints/benedict-nursia.html St. Benedict is also one of the greatest saints that the Church has produced. His way of life and spirituality had a great influence in the life of the Church for many centuries. The religious order he founded, the Benedictines, has given to the Church 50 popes, 7,000 bishops, and 40,000 saints and blesseds. Our current pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, (a.k.a. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger), took the name of this saint, because he believed that the present conditions of world societies are similar to the conditions that were happening also during the time of St. Benedict. Since St. Benedict was very active in combatting the evils in himself first, and then in the society of his time, he sets a very good example for us in contemporary time to have courage to fight through all attacks of evil and not to grow weary, to labor on ourselves and to change ourselves until we become one with ourselves and experience oneness with others in the oneness with God. http://www.pcentral-online.net/catholic/saints/benedict-nursia.html Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/saw/1.html It is a truth that the world listens to witnesses more than to teachers. This is evident in how many follow those who witness by deed more than by word. When teachers teach what they know, some of what they teach are not necessarily being lived out by them. This holds true for many of us who teach whatever we know about. The audience or student body who listens to teachers listen and acknowledge the teacher's expertise of the subject because the teacher is often a professional and is well-trained to deliver what he was educated to do as an educator. The impact on the audience of his teaching is based on the truth of what he learned and what he imparts from both theory and experience. What is in witnessing that creates such a life-changing direction and outlook in people? It is in the very example of the way he is living his talk or 'walking his speech'. That creates a good and positive impact. Although witnesses can have this great impact, a greater impact can be made by teachers who are also witnesses of how great Christ is in their life. They are often more powerful witnesses because of their command of their knowledge of Christ and their commitment to Him. However, we need not teach at a professional level in order to make this greater and more powerful witness. We only need to know the necessary basics and rudiments of our faith, nurture and strengthen our relationship with Christ through the Eucharist, and in our ministry to others, and commit ourselves every day to do as we say. This is a challenge. It is a Christian challenge that we are called to make by virtue of our baptismal commitment. http://www.pcentral-online.net/saw/1.html Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/2008/sale/ignatius051308.html The release of C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian on May 16th will be the second movie made from the Narnia series, and most likely will be met with the same enthusiam as the first. To celebrate this much anticipated release, Ignatius Press is offering 20% off C.S. Lewis titles as well as other titles that delve into the world of Narnia. Another title featured in this page is: Narnia and Beyond, A Guide to the Fiction of C.S. Lewis, by Thomas Howard. Regarded as one of the best authorities on the fiction of C.S. Lewis, book author Thomas Howard presents also in his work brilliant new insights into Lewis' fiction and helps us to see things we may not have seen nor appreciated before. Focusing on Narnia, the space trilogy and Til We Have Faces, Howard explores with remarkable clarity the moral vision in the imaginary world of the master storyteller Lewis. http://www.pcentral-online.net/2008/sale/ignatius051308.html Wed, 07 May 2008 08:00:00 GMT http://www.pcentral-online.net/sale/ignatius052207.html Ever since the Holy Father Benedict XVI wrote his second encyclical Spe Salvi, Jesus as the source of our hope became more and more pronounced in his statements and addresses. He wrote a book called Jesus of Nazareth, wherein the Pope shares with us his profound and powerful insights about the person of Jesus Christ, and where he inspires us to deepen our own understanding and relationship with Him. In this bold, momentous work, the Pope, in his first book written as Benedict XVI, seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from recent “popular” depictions and to restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal conviction as a believer, the Pope shares a rich, compelling, flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and invites us to encounter, face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith. A quotation from the book: “the great question that will be with us throughout this entire book - But what has Jesus really brought, then, if he has not brought world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world? What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God! http://www.pcentral-online.net/sale/ignatius052207.html Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:00 GMT