진주의 세상

Catechism Quiz — Joseph, the Husband of Mary and Foster Father of Jesus by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M. St. Joseph of Nazareth has sometimes been taken for granted. Still, we know how important his role was as the spouse of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and as the foster father of Jesus. Onc　e we say that, we wonder how we could forget about him. In fact, for many centuries it seemed th..

A Visit to St. Padre Pio’s Tomb by Friar Jack Wintz, O.F.M. This statue of Padre Pio is located in the new church at his shrine. (Photo by Jack Wintz, O.F.M.) On December 3 and 4 (2007), 14 pilgrims and I visited the shrine and tomb of St. Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy. This small town on a barren mountainside is where Padre Pio began an assignment in 1917 at the Capuchi..

Catechism Quiz — What Is the Word Made Flesh? by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M. As we approach Christmas, we must not overlook the mystery that has been revealed to us: God became human while not ceasing to be God. It’s enough to take our breath away since we could have never dreamt up this event in a million years. Imagine Mary and Joseph—and perhaps the shepherd—p..

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Guadalupe, Mexico (1531) Patroness of the Americas Feast Day in the USA - December 12th The opening of the New World brought with it both fortune-seekers and religous preachers desiring to convert the native populations to the Christian faith. One　 of the converts was a poor Aztec indian named Juan Diego. On one　 of his trips to the chapel, Juan was walking through t..

Catechism Quiz — How Is the Bible God’s Inspired Word? by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M. We are so blessed to have right before our eyes God’s own gift of the Scriptures: God speaking to us in a language that we can read. The Bible can be described best as a library of books rather than just one big book. That’s because the Bible contains many different kinds of writing: historical..

St. Francis and the Birds by Friar Jack Wintz, O.F.M. Sculpture of St. Francis at Rivo Torto, near Assisi. (Photo by Jack Wintz, O.F.M.) We often associate St. Francis of Assisi with birds. There are 13th-century stories of Francis preaching to birds in trees. A famous painting by Giotto portrays Francis humbly admiring birds on the ground, his hand raised in blessing. In popular images of Fran..

Catechism Quiz — How Do We React to Mother Teresa’s Doubts? by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M. I met Mother Teresa of Calcutta in 1981 during the dedication of a peace garden located at my seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was in the U.S. visiting primarily to establish her community in New York City. It was a beautiful June Sunday afternoon, and I found myself standing right next to th..

Catechism Quiz — Reflections on Prayer by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M. We know that as believers we are called to prayer. God is our creator, Jesus our redeemer and the Spirit our sanctifier. We are filled with their presence (sanctifying grace) and are called to communicate with them. To talk with God is what prayer really is. It’s what Jesus did all through his ministry, especially..

Reflections on the Stigmata (Part I) by Friar Jack Wintz, O.F.M. The Greek word stigma, according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, is “a scar left by a hot iron: brand.” Stigmata, which is the plural form of the same Greek word, can also mean “bodily marks resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ.” This provides the basic background we need for understanding the myster..

Catechism Quiz — Should we pray in times of sin? by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M. Recall the powerful scene in the Gospel of John (Ch. 21) following Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. It takes place on the Sea of Tiberias. The apostles are fishing, and they spot Jesus on the shore and quickly return to shore to see him. Jesus, in turn, takes some of the fish they had caught and ser..