Tuesday, January 25, Third Week in Ordinary Time
FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL
"On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests. At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions. We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad". and I said, 'Who are you, sir?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen (of me) and what you will be shown. I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me." (Acts 25,12-21)
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/nab/readings/012511.shtml
OR for 1/24-1/25/11:
The Holy Father's message for this year's World Day for Social Communications:
'Truth even in the virtual world'
Other papal stories in this issue: The Pope's meeting with a delgEation from the German Lutheran Church who are in Rome for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; and his Angelus message on Sunday in which he said 'Every division in the Church is an offense to Christ'. In the inside pages, the OR publishes the full text of Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco's opening address yesterday to the winter meeting of the Italian bishops' Permanent Council, in which he indirectly addressed the media furor over Prime Minister Berlusconi's reported dalliance with an underage teenager. Page 1 news: The terrorist bomb attack in Moscow's main domestic airport that killed at least 35 and wounded dozens of others; the European central bank urges EU members that fiscal discipline is essential for economic recovery; Belgians take to the streets to protest inability of ruling parties to form a government 220 days after the last cabinet resigned; and the Vatican Museums merit two volumes in the latest edition of the Italian Encyclopedia.
PAPAL EVENTS TODAY
VESPERS TO CONCLUDE
PRAYER WEEK FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
Tuesday, Jan. 25
17:30 Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls
Second Vespers
Solemnity of the Conversion of St. Paul
POPE'S CONDOLENCES FOR
MOSCOW AIRPORT BOMB VICTIMS
Translated from
The Vatican today released the text of a telegram sent by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone in behalf of the Holy Father to President Medvedev of Russia, ofering his condolences for the tragic terrorist bomb attack in Moscow's Domededovo airport yesterday. Here is a translation from the original Italian:
TO HIS EXCELLENCY
HON. DMITRIJ ANATOLEVICH MEDVEDEV
PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
HAVING LEARNED THE TRAGIC NEWS OF THE ATTACK IN MOSCOW'S DOMEDEDOVO AIRPORT, IN WHICH MANY PERSONS LOST THEIR LIVEE, HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI EXPRESSES HIS PROFOUND SORROW AND FIRM RENUNCIATION OF THE GRAVE ACT OF VIOLENCE, AND WISHES TO EXTEND HIS SPIRITUAL CLOSENESS AND SINCERE CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS.
THE SUPREME PONTIFF ASSURES HIS FERVENT PRAYERS FOR THE SOULS OF THE DEPARTED, AND AS HE INVOKES THE LORD FOR HEAVENLY COMFORT TO THOSE WHO MOURN THEIR LOSS, HE ALSO SENDS HIS BLESSINGS AND HIS THOUGHTS FOR THOSE WHO WERE INJURED.
I TOO JOIN IN THE SORROW OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND EXTEND MY MOST SINCERE OBSEQUIES.
CARDINAL TARCISIO BERTONE
SECRETARY OF STATE TO HIS HOLINESS
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 25/01/2011 16:05]