Change of "http" address

Dear readers:

Just to inform that on July 31 of this present year, Vitamins of Faith Blog will change its http address from www.luistamayo.blogspot.com to www.vitaminasdefe.blogspot.com

We'd like you to take note and make your own arrangements.

We like to thank you for your fidelity to our Blog.  Please let us know if you have any comment. 

Thank you and God bless!!!

A Catholic Framework for Economic Life

(A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops)

As followers of Jesus Christ and participants in a powerful economy, Catholics in the United States are called to work for greater economic justice in the face of persistent poverty, growing income-gaps, and increasing discussion of economic issues in the United States and around the world. We urge Catholics to use the following ethical framework for economic life as principles for reflection, criteria for judgment and directions for action. These principles are drawn directly from Catholic teaching on economic life. 

1. The economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy. 

2. All economic life should be shaped by moral principles. Economic choices and institutions must be judged by how they protect or undermine the life and dignity of the human person, support the family and serve the common good. 

3. A fundamental moral measure of any economy is how the poor and vulnerable are faring. 

4. All people have a right to life and to secure the basic necessities of life (e.g., food, clothing, shelter, education, health care, safe environment, economic security.) 

5. All people have the right to economic initiative, to productive work, to just wages and benefits, to decent working conditions as well as to organize and join unions or other associations. 

6. All people, to the extent they are able, have a corresponding duty to work, a responsibility to provide the needs of their families and an obligation to contribute to the broader society. 

7. In economic life, free markets have both cleat advantages and limits; government has essential responsibilities and limitations; voluntary groups have irreplaceable roles, but cannot substitute for the proper working of the market and the just policies of the state. 

8. Society has a moral obligation, including governmental action where necessary, to assure opportunity, meet basic human needs, and pursue justice in economic life. 

9. Workers, owners, managers, stockholders and consumers are moral agents in economic life. By our choices, initiative, creativity and investment, we enhance or diminish economic opportunity, community life and social justice. 

10. The global economy has moral dimensions and human consequences. Decisions on investment, trade, aid and development should protect human life and promote human rights, especially for those most in need wherever they might live on this globe. 

According to Pope John Paul II, the Catholic tradition calls for a “society of work, enterprise and participation” which “is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces of society and by the state to assure that the basic needs of the whole society are satisfied.”  (Centesimus Annus, 35).  All of economic life should recognize the fact that we all are God’s children and members of one human family, called to exercise a clear priority for “the least among us.”  

POPE2YOU.NET TO APPEAL TO YOUTH

New Vatican Web Site Launches Thursday

The Vatican is set to unveil its newest Web page this week. Called Pope2You.net, the site aims to bring the words and messages of Benedict XVI to the youth.

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Vatican Council for Social Communications, told ZENIT the project is a response to Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Social Communications, which was addressed to the "digital generation."

The president of the dicastery said the idea began with the aim of getting the youth to read the message the Pope addressed to them on the responsible use of new technologies.

He said the site allows young people to do many of the things they can do on other sites, but with a twist.

He said the site looks "to create new forms to relate with young people," and to help the Pope "speak to young people to bring the message of hope and joy."
--- --- ---
On the Net:
www.pope2you.net

ST. THERESE RELICS TO VISIT ENGLAND AND WALES

England and Wales are preparing for this autumn's arrival of the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

A press release from the bishops' conference announced today that "excitement is growing" faced to the upcoming tour of the relics through the country, which will take place from Sep. 16 to Oct. 16.

Una lectura desde el extranjero a la asignatura "educación para la ciudadanía"

SPAIN'S COURT CURBS "MORAL INDOCTRINATION"

Decision Encourages 51,000 Parent Objectors

MADRID, Spain, FEB. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- A Spanish Supreme Court decision encouraged a group of 51,000 parents and teachers to continue the battle against the state's mandatory citizenship course for children, which objectors describe as moral indoctrination.
The course, "Education for Citizenship," was introduced in schools last September as a four-year program beginning with children at age 11.
The Spanish bishops' conference denounced the course for aspects "contrary to Catholic teaching and to authentic humanism, such as moral relativism and gender ideology."
The former archbishop of Toledo, Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, stated in a letter that the course must be revised in accordance with Church teaching before being allowed in Catholic schools, as it imposes a "moral and human formation" that is "not compatible with the Christian vision of man."
A group of parents and teachers formed, reaching the ranks of 51,000, to claim conscientious objection, and to appeal to the courts for the right to refuse this course for their children.
Some claim that the course is created by the Socialist government to indoctrinate students with secular values. The course prompts teachers to "revise the students' attitude toward homosexuality," and teaches that children can choose one of seven genders according to their desires.
Supreme Court decision
Tuesday, the Spanish Supreme Court publicized its Feb. 11 decision on the subject of the citizenship course. It rejects the parents' right to conscientious objection, saying that no one can opt out of the course due to creed or conscience.
However, the court also decided to allow parents to request the withdrawal of specific course content that, according to their ethical and religious convictions, they regard as implying an indoctrination of their children.
This decision has encouraged objectors to continue the battle to decide what their children will be taught by challenging specific schools and professors on course content. Judges went on strike Wednesday to protest the lack of means to respond to all these demands for justice.
The courts affirmed the "state's duty of ideological neutrality," and that it must not use obligatory courses to "attempt to persuade students about ideas and doctrines that [...] reflect the taking of positions on problems on which there is no generalized moral consensus in Spanish society."
The court statement adds that in a democratic society, it is not the role of the schools, teachers or educational administration to make themselves "arbiters of controversial moral questions."
Citing the highest value of pluralism in society, the statement read that these moral questions belong to "the realm of free debate in civil society -- where the vertical professor-student relationship does not exist -- and of course to individual consciences."
One Supreme Court judge, Juan José González Rivas, explained that in this controversy "lies a question of limits of state intervention" and analyzes "the line that separates teaching from indoctrination."
In a communiqué from the Tomas Moro Juridical Center it was pointed out that this decision moved a sociological division over the citizenship course to a legal level.
Parent observatory
The platform that supports objectors, which includes organizations such as the National Catholic Confederation of Parents of Students, the Spanish Confederation of Teaching Centers, and the Spanish Forum of the Family and Professionals for Ethics, issued a communiqué Tuesday stating that the court ratifies "the success of the families that have defended their right to educate."
Objectors plan to create an observatory for ideological and religious liberty in order to be vigilant for signs of "indoctrination," especially through the education for citizenship course.
The observatory, composed of parents, will inspect the textbooks of this subject and will be familiar with the teaching imparted in the Education for Citizenship classes. The subject will be supervised both in public as well as private centers.

The importance of witness to the faith

College students from around Rome gathered to hear Pope Benedict speak about St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans on Thursday afternoon. During the address, the Pontiff emphasized the need for Christians to give credible witness to their faith with their lives.

Every year the vicar of Rome holds a Mass for university students in Rome as they prepare for Christmas. This year, Cardinal Agostino Vallini celebrated Mass in the Vatican basilica for the academics in training.

After Mass was finished, Pope Benedict addressed the students on the teaching of St. Paul focusing on his Letter to the Romans.

Pointing out that the Church is celebrating the Pauline Year, the Holy Father said that "the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle to the Gentiles is helping the entire Church to rediscover its proper and fundamental missionary vocation and, at the same time, to make full use of the inexhaustible theological and spiritual treasure of the Pauline letters."

"I am convinced that for you, from a personal as well as the communal and apostolic point of view of the university, studying the person and message of St. Paul is a very enriching opportunity. This is why I will soon be presenting his Letter to the Romans to you," the Pope explained.

The Letter to the Romans, the Holy Father said, "is without a doubt one of the most important cultural texts of all time. It is and continues to be principally a living message for the living Church."

Given that the letter contains Paul’s teaching on the relationship between faith and works, the Pope told the students that he hopes the letter will "be substantial nourishment for your faith, leading you to believe more and better and also to reflect upon yourselves so that you might come to a 'mature' faith and, at the same time live this faith, putting it into practice according to the truth of Christ's commandment."

"Only in this way can the faith that one professes become 'credible' for others as well, who are conquered by the eloquent testimony of our deeds," Pope Benedict said.

Get to know our faces!

Get to know fr. James McTavish...

We love to let you know who is the people working behind this Blog to inspire and nourish your faith.

Have a look on an article about Fr. James.

Click on the above title or visit the below website:  http://www.iwcp.co.uk/News/Surgeon_heads_to_new_future.aspx

BELLA... you need to watch this movie!!!

Thanks to God we have people willing to spread good news!!!

Watch this video in Youtube about the movie and about Eduardo Verastegui

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=wkE6Kd5Mwis&feature=related 

(or click the title above)

Story of a Vocation

Today on the 1st of November we are enjoying a Feast in our community, not only remembering all the Saints but also celebrating the priestly ordination of our dear brother James McTavish.

James, was born in Scotland on the 4th of November 1968, in a family with 3 sons: Andrew, his twin brother, and their younger brother, Daniel. Their parents Jim and Christina educated them in the faith, giving testimony themselves of a living God. James participated as an altar boy from a young age. 

He always has been a person who has been searching, leading him to leave his country and look for what God had prepared for him. “I still haven’t found what I was looking for” were key words which made him search with more insistence for God at the age of 29 years old. Being a Doctor he went to Australia to specialize. There he met the Sisters in Sydney. He had a strong experience of a living God who had consecrated James from the womb of his mother to be a prophet of the nations. 

The option to be a missionary came during his work as a surgeon in the hospital. A young man of 26 years old had attempted suicide on various occasions by cutting his wrists. After his operation James went to visit him in his room and seeing the young man looking sad asked him “Why are you sad? We have fixed your hand.” The young man started to cry and said “You fixed my hand but who is going to fix my life?” This question made James think “I can heal his external wounds but the wounds in his heart I cannot heal”. Through prayer James began to understand his calling, listening to Jesus the Good Doctor saying “I am the Life” (Jn 14,6) and realizing that the Word of God is sharp enough to enter deeply into the mystery of man and heal him in his very depths. 

James has always had a strong love for the Lord, a love which led him to consecrate his life totally, as a missionary in the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity, professing perpetual vows on the 28th October 2006. Two months later, on the 9th December, he was ordained Deacon in Rome through the imposition of the hands of Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, Primate of Spain. Then followed two years of preparation during which James finished a License in Moral Theology which helped to deepen his desire for the priestly ministry.

Some days before his ordination James felt very calm – a fruit he said of the many people praying for him which reflected the reality of a community united in prayer and interceding for him. The day prior to the ordination we held a moment of prayer in the community of the Sisters in Fulham, London, where many Italians from our community in Nepi (Italy) were also present having made the journey to London for the special day. James shared to us how God had given him the community like a familiar womb where he had been able to grow as a person and mature his faith and consecration to God. “I received my vocation through the hands of Mother Mary” were the words which came from his heart, moved by the moment. 

James, with an indefatigable spirit arrived to the day of his ordination, despite the mild flu which accompanied him. The place of the celebration was in the Parish of St Thomas of Canterbury in Fulham, London. The ceremony was presided by the Right Reverend Alan Hopes, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, a man truly friendly and humble. With heartfelt words he welcomed James in the priestly ministry “My dear Son, by the grace of God I welcome you as a member of the priestly ministry, a ministry transmitted through the Apostles” and with a strong invitation to live the mysteries of Christ- “Know what you are doing and imitate the mystery which you celebrate.” Various members of the community concelebrated amongst whom were Greg Morgan, Vice-Superior of the male missionary branch, who presented James; Antonio Velasco, President of the Fraternity, the Parish priest Paul McGinn and various priestly friends.

After the ceremony we had a great fiesta where the community, with the family of James, offered some lovely food and various musical numbers and a video of the story of the life of our new priest James. 

We give thanks to God for the life and vocation of our dear brother James, which has been a gift for our community and for the whole Church. And he asks that we continue to pray for him that he can always maintain his love for Jesus.

Story of a vocation

(old picture) 

James & Luis, great duet!

Congratulations Fr. James McTavish!

After his priestly ordination, we invite you to watch a video about the story of his vocation, the beautiful God´s Love Story with his life.  The calling to become a missionary and later to serve him as a priest.  It is a story of being loved, but also a story of answering back to His great love.

We hope it will inspire you!!

At the end of the video includes few pictures from the ordination.

(please click on the above title to watch the youtube video)

Thanksgiving Day

Thanks, but No Thanks

The debate over "the war on Christmas" spreads to Thanksgiving.

By Andrew Santella

Anyone who has ever had to listen to foodies argue over which wine pairs best with turkey knows that Thanksgiving can inspire vehement—and tiresome—disagreement. But of all the questions connected with our celebration of Thanksgiving, none provokes as much heat as the debate over religion's place at the table.

A few years ago, some Christians began to sound the alarm about a "war on Christmas," alleging that schools, courts, and local governments were transforming a sacred holiday into a secularized winter festival. Now, much as the 24-hour Christmas music on the radio seems to start earlier each year, a few believers are voicing their worry about the secularization of our society in November instead of December. Concerned about the eroding religious dimension of Thanksgiving, they urge a return to a more sacred holiday. If the war-on-Christmas crowd asks us to put Christ back into Christmas, these Thanksgiving religionists urge us to celebrate Thanksgiving with the emphasis on thanking God. But complaints about a secularized Thanksgiving are even less convincing than the outcry over Christmas.

As holidays go, Thanksgiving has long suffered from an especially acute spiritual identity crisis. Even the most casually religious Americans say grace or otherwise offer thanks before Thanksgiving dinner—even if the thanking is done between pie-eating binges. On the other hand, it's not as common for us to attend a worship service on Thanksgiving as it is on more obviously religious days like Christmas and Easter. So, just how religious of a holiday should we consider Thanksgiving? Some seem to want to answer that question by telling us exactly how and whom to thank.

All Saints Day!!! What a wonderful day!!!

Priestly ordination of Rev. James McTavish

Today, when we celebrate All Saints Day, we have a great good news to share with you all. Rev. Deacon James McTavish is going to be ordained in few hours. We, the Vitamines Faith Blog where he shares every sunday his reflections on the Sunday´s Gospel, want to be united to him in this special day.

Dear James,

We want to pray for you, to be united to you in this special day. We ask the Holy Spirit to bless you in this special event for you and for the Universal Church, praying that all Saints might portect you and guide you to become another saint.

May you always continue inspiring us!

God bless you!

WORLD YOUTH DAY '11 TO BRING HOPE TO SPAIN

VATICAN CITY, JULY 23, 2008 (Zenit.org).-

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi commented on the next World Youth Day, to be hosted by Madrid in three years. Benedict XVI announced the venue for the event when he closed World Youth Day '08 in Sydney last Sunday.

Father Lombardi acknowledged on Vatican Radio that "[Europe] is a continent where the confrontation between faith and the problems of modern society, of secularization is always alive."

He added: "The Pope often speaks of the risk that Europe might lose its fundamental values, linked to Christian tradition and to the faith's contribution to the continent's development.
"This will certainly be one of the topics and objectives of the next Youth Day, but without controversies and without the will to oppose the world that surrounds us."

Father Lombardi recalled the Pope's most recent trip to Spain: for the 2006 World Meeting of Families in Valencia.

He said that the Holy Father's message at that event was "entirely positive, centered on the beauty of being Christian, a positive message also for today's family."
"At a time when the family is going through great difficulties, to be Christian is a positive message," Father Lombardi affirmed. "I believe this should also be the spirit of the next Youth Day in Spain: a message of hope, a message that shows how faith offers a beautiful and great contribution for the future of our societies and of the world, as truly happened in Australia."

Father Lombardi mentioned the disappointment expressed by some people that, because of organizational and security problems, it has not been possible to organize a World Youth Day in Africa.

"So we return to Europe," he said, "though the intention is to involve the African continent in every possible way."