An Irish Friendship Wish

May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Daughter's Prayer

It's time for another joke:

A family was having some people to dinner. At the table, the mother turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Dear, would you like to say the blessing?"

"I wouldn't know what to say," replied the little girl, shyly.

"Just say what you hear Mommy say, sweetie," the woman said.

Her daughter took a deep breath, bowed her head, and solemnly said, "Dear Lord, why the hell did I invite all these people to dinner!?!"


Source: Comedy Central

Egyptian Authorities Silences a Coptic Blogger

Almost everyone knows the Egyptian Copts are not happy with their situation in Egypt. They have been harassed lately by different parties. Some of the Copts took their frustration to the blogsphere. But, the government doesn't want them to use this window and let the world know of their ordeal. Egyptian Coptic blogger Hala Helmy Botros couldn't take it anymore and deleted all her posts. The government managed to silence her voice. Reporters Without Borders reports:

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the months of harassment by the authorities in Qina (near Luxor, in central Egypt) that forced Hala Helmy Botros to close down her blog Aqbat Bela Hodood (Copts Without Borders) about the persecution of the Christian Coptic minority, and to stop writing on this subject for other websites.

Botros, 42, who wrote under the pseudonym of Hala El-Masry, is now the target of a judicial investigation and is banned from leaving the country.

"We are outraged by the practices used by the Egyptian authorities to intimidate and silence Botros," Reporters Without Borders said. "With relations between Christians and Muslims off-limits in the traditional media, all she did was write posts on the Internet about the fate of the Coptic minority. It is unacceptable that freedom of expression and movement should be restricted in this fashion. We insist that the authorities guarantee Botros' basis rights."

Read more...

Blogs have caught the attention of the Egyptian government during the last two years. A few bloggers were arrested and released after spending a "not very pleasant" time in prison. Hala is the latest victim of the government harassments.

Happy 25th Anniversary to EWTN

I grew up in the Middle East having limited access to the Catholic media. Now that I live in the States, having a Catholic TV channel feels really good. EWTN Catholic channel may not be a state-of-the-art TV channel, but it's informative enough for me and others.

This month, the channel celebrates its 25th anniversary. Thanks to the efforts of Mother Angelica. Lincoln Journal Star reports:

IRONDALE, Ala. — Twenty-five years ago, Mother Mary Angelica had a vision for Eternal Word Television Network, a channel offering nothing but Roman Catholic programming. She had little more than faith, $200 and a garage to use as a studio.

Now EWTN Global Catholic Network is available in 127 countries and more than 118 million households, and is capping a celebration of its founding in 1981. With viewers from Illinois to India, the satellite channel has grown to include radio and the Internet, and bills itself as the largest religious media network in the world.
[...]
Still based at its original campus in a hilly suburb, EWTN has long had the blessing of the Vatican. And while critics alternately accuse EWTN of being too conservative or too liberal, it prides itself on sticking to the leadership of both Pope John Paul II and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

Read more...

The fact that it's been attacked by liberals and conservatives means its views are moderate. I'm sure other people would agree with me.

---

Mother Angelica:
The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles

Prayer To Our Mother of Perptual Help

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you do I come; before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen!

-- St. Bernard

Beaumont's St. Anthony Cathedral To Become a Basilica

I woke up this morning to some exciting news from the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI has granted the beautiful St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont a minor Basilica status. The Beaumont Enterprise reports:

Pope Benedict has granted St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont minor basilica status, joining only three other Texas churches with that designation, according to a news release.

"This is an honor and a blessing not only for our Catholics, but also for all the people of Southeast Texas," Bishop Curtis Guillory said in a news release. "Many have come to the cathedral for worship, especially in times of crisis like 9-11 and Hurricane Rita, and for special ecumenical services."

The basilica status means the Vatican recognizes the cathedral's artistic and historical significance as well as its importance in the liturgical and pastoral ministry of the Beaumont Catholic Diocese.

"This beautiful designation links us even more closely to the Chair of Peter," Guillory said. "Basilica comes from a Greek word meaning 'hall of the King.' This is the place where our King and Savior, Christ, is worshiped."

Read more...

And, here are some pictures of the Basilica:


Mark M. Hancock
© The Beaumont Enterprise


Mark M. Hancock
© The Beaumont Enterprise

Iraqi Christians And The Dark Future

I'm always asked how many Iraqi Christians lived in Iraq before the American invasion and how many of them still live in Iraq. Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad has the answer. Catholic News Service reports:

LONDON (CNS): Half of all Iraqi Christians have fled their country since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, said the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad.

Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad said that before the invasion there were about 1.2 million Christians in the predominantly Shiite Muslim state. Since then the overall number has dropped to about 600,000, he said.

"What we are hearing now is the alarm bell for Christianity in Iraq," the bishop said. "When so many are leaving from a small community like ours, you know that it is dangerous - dangerous for the future of the church in Iraq."
[...]
He added that many Christians remaining in Iraq were either too poor, old or sick to leave....

Read more...

If my relatives are any indication of how many Iraqi Christians will stay in Iraq in the near future, I'd say NOT many families.

Leaving the country isn't always the hardest step. Trying to find a refuge in another country proves to be the hardest step in establishing their new lives.

Last June, I wrote that an estimated 6,000 Iraqi Christians live in Lebanon. Now that all hell broke between Israel and Hizbollah, that haven has become hell for those refugees. According to IRIN, some of these families have returned to Iraq:

BAGHDAD, 31 July (IRIN) - Dozens of Iraqis who fled Lebanon after the Israeli offensive began on 12 July have now reached the Iraqi capital, Baghdad and urgently need assistance, Iraqi officials said.

"They [the Iraqis] have lost everything they had and now depend on assistance from relatives, most of whom are living in poverty," said Diyar Salushi, a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[...]
"I thank Lebanon for helping us during the three years that I was there with my family," said Carlo Yacari, 42, an Iraqi Christian who was living in Beirut. "But we cannot tolerate more destruction and violence, and we now will work hard to leave to a European country where at least we will be far from the sounds of explosions and bombardments."

Read more...

I don't think Europe is going to accept many Iraqi-Christian refugees. It's not as easy as they might think. Ankawa Online's correspondent in Germany reports that a German court ruled in favor of the foreign and political refugees office to deport all Iraqi-Christian refugees from Germany. The court ruled that those refugees don't have the legal right to stay in Germany. The judge believes Iraqi Christians who face danger in parts of Iraq can move to Kurdistan where Kurds and Iraqi Christians maintain a good relationship. Nice logic judge!!!

Other countries are not more welcoming than Germany. So what's the solution for this minority when faced with such rejection? Absolutely NOTHING. We were always told by our clergymen in Iraq to pray during difficult times. We continue to pray. I sometimes think God is tired of our prayers, or he doesn't live in Iraq anymore.


Cross-blogged on Fayrouz In Beuamont

Madonna And The Crucifixion

It looks like the Queen of Shock is at it again. The Material Girl has brought her Confessions Tour to Rome. She even invited the Pope as the guest of honor at the Rome concert.

Madonna lives to shock people with her acts. I honestly believe she does it for the fun of it more than the money. So, I'm not surprised with the 2006 Madonna. After all, she's the Material Girl. Any shock that brings more ticket sales and pisses off many people, she'll be all over it.

The Washington Times reports:

Vatican officials have suggested Madonna -- the U.S. pop singer, that is -- should be excommunicated for re-enacting the crucifixion in her new stage show.

Madonna is scheduled to bring her Confessions Tour to Rome this Sunday, complete with the scene in which she wears a crown of thorns and appears to be hung on a cross, The Telegraph reports.

Cardinal Ersilio Tonino called the scene "an act of open hostility."

"It is nothing short of a scandal and an attempt to generate publicity," he added.

Read more...

That's EXACTLY why she's doing it. As for ex-communicating her, is she still a Catholic? I thought she left Catholicism a long time ago.

The Jesuit, The Dominican and Smoking

A Jesuit and a Dominican were on retreat. Both are struggling to give up smoking and the effort is distracting them from their prayer, so they decide to seek guidance from their spiritual directors.

The next day, the Dominican notices the Jesuit in the garden with his Bible, happily smoking, so he asks if the Jesuit had spoken to his spiritual director about the matter. The Jesuit replied that he had, and it had been very helpful.

The Dominican responded that he was surprised to see the Jesuit smoking because his own spiritual director had forbidden him to smoke while praying.

The Jesuit replied that his spiritual director had thought it a good thing to pray even while smoking.


Source: Mission and Spirituality News

The Vatican's 24/7 Switchboard

I didn't know the vatican has a 24/7 switchboard and they aren't thinking of outsourcing it. That gives them more points in my books. Catholic News Service reports:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even though it receives almost 2,000 calls a day, the Vatican is not about to outsource its small team of switchboard operators to answering machines or the labyrinth of automated phone menus.
[...]
"There are people who are a little crazy and call at 2 a.m. to do nothing but rant and rave, and there are others who call for help," said Brother Andrea Mellini, head of the Vatican's telecommunications service.
[...]
About a dozen nuns who are members of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master work the switchboards 24 hours a day in six-hour shifts. They come from such countries as South Korea, Malta, Poland, Italy, India, Philippines and Brazil, and they speak a myriad of languages.

Read more...

The report states that you can't be transferred to the Pope. His apartment phone number is private and very few people has access to the number. So, don't bother the nuns with your insistence on wanting to talk to the Pope.

Nuns Chased a Suspected Thief

I love nuns' stories. They're almost always full with action. Here's the latest story from the Netherlands:

Two Dutch nuns, wearing habits and riding bikes, chased a suspected thief through Amsterdam, police said Monday.

On Saturday evening, one of the sisters believed she recognized a man walking past their chapel in southern Amsterdam as a thief who had snatched hundreds of euros in cash from the building two weeks earlier, Amsterdam police spokesman Rob van der Veen said.
She invited him inside for a drink and asked a fellow nun to alert police.

The thief got suspicious of their act and tried to run. That wasn't a problem for the nuns as the report states:

"The nuns then grabbed their bikes and gave chase. They tried to grab him, but he managed to escape into a residential neighborhood and they lost him," Van der Veen said. Police hunted for the man in the neighborhood but could not find him.

Read more...

As I always say, "Don't mess with nuns because they'll mess with you."

The Honorable Homeless Man

If you believe there are "no good people" left in this world, the following story may change your mind:

DETROIT - A homeless man who returned $21,000 worth of saving bonds he found in a trash bin is finding out how much honesty can pay off.

Charles Moore, 59, had been searching for returnable bottles last week when he came across the 31 U.S. savings bonds. He turned them in to a homeless shelter, where a staff member tracked down the family of the man who had owned them.

For his good deed, the bond owner’s son gave Moore $100, but residents around Michigan and in other states decided his action merited a more generous reward.

So far, Moore has received over $4,000.

Read more...

As Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.

Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who follow Moore's example.

A Worldwide Day of Prayers For Peace In The Middle East

With the war between Israel and Hizbollah continuing to destroy the lives of innocent civilians from both sides, the Pope has called for a worldwide day of prayers for peace in the Middle East. The Associated Press reports:

LES COMBES, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI said Friday that he does not plan to intervene diplomatically in the Middle East fighting, but called on people of all religions to join Sunday's worldwide day of prayers for peace.

"I think it is best to leave that to the diplomats, because we don't enter politics. But we do everything for peace. Our goal is simply peace, and we will do everything to help attain peace," Benedict told reporters as he returned from an hour-long hike in the Italian Alps.

The pope has set aside Sunday as a worldwide day of prayers for peace, hoping the prayers will bring a halt to the fighting.

Benedict invited everyone to pray "especially Muslims and Jews."

Read more...

Please, remember the civilians caught in the middle of this war in your prayers.

Stem-Cell Conference At The Vatican

With the stem-cell research debate heating up in America, it's good to know the Vatican is open-minded to this debate. It even sponsored a conference to discuss this important issue:

By The Universe: A new scientific conference sponsored by the World Federation of Catholic Medical organisations and the Office of the Roman Curia is expected to reveal that Embryonic Stem Cell research is light years away from providing the medical benefits that can be achieved through non-embryonic stem cell research.

Speakers to the conference, which will be held in Rome in September, will present their findings and may also be granted an audience with Pope Benedict. Professor of Regenerative Medicine at Newcastle University Dr Colin McGuckin, who will be speaking about his own research into using the possibilities offered by stem cell research said that by using cord blood from new-born babies, people in need of organ transplants could benefits greatly from the research, which has been developed over the past 15 years in the UK.

"This is better for humanity," he said.

It's definilely better for humanity. Science is what keeps me closer to God and never made me run away from him.

He then adds:

"There are not enough embryonic stem cells available to provide the right tissue type for everyone. But with 100 million babies born every year we have a vast supply of cord blood stem cells, which should be able to provide enough tissue for everyone.

"Embryonic stem cell research cannot compete with the benefits of cord blood."

He added: "As I understand it, as a Catholic, we are into forgiveness and understanding and also as a scientist, I promote what I feel is a workable stem cell group - cord blood stem cells. It is not my place to advise the church on policy, but rather to explain to them what the alternatives are and what can be realistically be done with cord blood - which is already a lot."

Read more...

With constructive debate, we can reach a middle ground that would benefit millions of people who are waiting for an advancement in this field of science to cure their diseases.

Three People Killed In City of Nazareth

The confrontation between Israel and Hizbollah took another mad turn today. A Hizbollah's rocket hit the city of Nazareth in Israel. The attack resulted in the death of three Arabs:

JERUSALEM — A Hezbollah rocket slammed into a building Wednesday in the mainly Arab city of Nazareth, killing three people, including two children, Israeli authorities said.
[...]
Nazareth, in northern Israel, is revered as the Galilee town where Jesus was raised and it is filled with churches. It is about 19 miles from the Lebanese border.

The Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest basilica in the Middle East, towers over the town center. Its stands on the site where Christians believe the angel Gabriel appeared before Mary and told her of the coming birth of Jesus.

Read more...

Keep it up both sides. Keep destroying the land you both claim God has given to you and ONLY you. I bet God is so impressed by you these days.

God and TV Commercials

God is like BAYER ASPIRIN. He works miracles.

God is like a FORD. He's got a better idea.

God is like COKE. He's the real thing.

God is like HALLMARK CARDS. He cares enough to send His very best.

God is like TIDE. He gets the stains out that others leave behind.

God is like GENERAL ELECTRIC. He brings good things to life.

God is like SEARS. He has everything.

God is like ALKA-SELTZER. Try him, you'll like Him!

God is like SCOTCH TAPE. You can't see him, but you know He's there.

God is like DELTA. He's ready when you are.

God is like ALLSTATE. You're in good hands with Him.

God is like VO-5 Hair Spray. He holds through all kinds of weather.

God is like DIAL SOAP. Aren't you glad you have Him? Don't you wish everybody did?

God is like the U.S. POST OFFICE. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from His appointed destination.


-- Author Unknown

Iraqi Christians Taking Refuge In Cemeteries

It's hard to leave your home and start a new life in a different city. It's even harder when you seek refuge in a cemetery. That's the status of some Iraqi Christians who fled the violence in Baghdad to more peaceful parts of the country, mainly Kurdistan. AFP reports:

(AFP) -- "We don't have any choice," says a squatter gesturing to the new home he has made for his family in a Christian cemetery in Iraqi Kurdistan, after fleeing violence-plagued Baghdad.

"We are afraid of the snakes and scorpions, especially with the children, but it's better than sleeping without a roof," says Imad Matti who has just moved his wife and children into the Inkawa necropolis outside the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil.

Iraq and the rest of the world are rightly worried about Shiite and Sunni Muslims forced to flee their homes around the country because of raging communal violence.

But the exodus of Christians from the capital, which Kurdish officials say has seen 70 families arrive in Inkawa in recent weeks, has not received the same attention.

Read more...

I doubt this minority will get reasonable attention from the media. Such reports aren't interesting for readers of most media outlets. So, why bother report them regularly as it's the case with the conflict between Sunni and Shia. My respect to the media is decreasing by the day.

Four-leaf Shamrock (Clover)

For this year's St. Patrick's Day, Mark bought me two small shamrock (clover) plants. As we all know it's a three-leaf plant. The chances of finding a four-leaf clover is 1 in 10,000 clovers.

Yesterday, we noticed that the green shamrock we kept in our balcony has grown two four-leaf clovers. Mark grabbed the camera and took a beautiful picture of the plant to keep as a memory.


© Mark M. Hancock


I searched the internet for the meaning of a four-leaf clover. I found the following poem by American poet Ella Higginson:

I know a place where the sun is like gold
and the cherries bloom forth in the snow;
And down underneath is the loveliest place,
Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

One leaf is for FAITH,
And one is for HOPE,
And one is for LOVE you know;
And GOD put another in for LUCK:
If you search you will find where they grow.

But you must have FAITH,
And you must have HOPE,
You must LOVE and be strong and so...
If you work and you wait,
You will find the place
Where the FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS grow!

We're very happy in Beaumont. So this could be a message for us to stay in this city for the rest of our lives. However, I doubt it considering how life has forced me to change cities so many times.

A Chinese Bishop Arrested While In Hospital

As you probably know freedom of religion is very limited in China among other limitations. The Chinese underground Catholic Church suffers continuously from these restrictions. Here's the latest:

A 72-year-old bishop in China's underground Catholic Church was detained when authorities took him from a hospital as he was recovering from surgery, a US-based group said yesterday.

Bishop Jia Zhiguo (賈志國) was detained on June 25 by officials from the religious affairs bureau in Jinzhou, a city in northern Hebei Province, said the Cardinal Kung Foundation, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

The foundation said Jia might have been detained to prevent him from contacting a Vatican delegation that was in Beijing to discuss possible diplomatic relations between the communist government and the Holy See.

Read more...

This is the country that's on its way to become a superpower. Wonderful!!!

Becoming a Refugee

I was supposed to publish the following poem on World Refugee Day. Still, it's a very powerful poem no matter what day of the year it's read. The poem was published last month in St. Anthony Messenger. 14-year-old Deng Duot, a Sudanese refugee, presented this poem during the 2004 World Refugee Day commemorations in Ethiopia:


The actual moment,
Of Exile,
Is like an illness.
You are ill,
With rage.

To each family,
It means closing the door,
On friends, culture, your native country.

One year is an exile,
Compared to ten years.

Ten years,
Means nothing,
In the history of the country.

But for a human being,
Is a long time.
For a child,
A life time.
Some of us,
We're born in Ethiopian camps.

Peace is 'round the corner,
What I call home,
Will still be,
Another exile.
Because,
I don't know home.

What an irony,
To become a refugee.