Maria, ster van de evangelisatie

Pope Benedict XVI received the bishops of Angola and Sao Tomé on Saturday, who are here in Rome for their ad limina visits. In greeting the bishops, the Holy Father recalled his March, 2009 visit to Luanda, during which he said he was able to celebrate Jesus Christ in the midst of a people who never tire of seeking to love and serve with generosity and joy. Pope Benedict also used the occasion to explain that his recent decision to proclaim the Year of Faith from October 2012 to November 2013, was so that the whole Church might demonstrate to all a more beautiful and credible face, that the face of the Lord might show through the Church more clearly.

With so much talk about the increasing secularisation in European countries nowadays it may come as quite a surprise to learn that Catholic shrines in the continent are experiencing a rise in popularity. That’s the message that emerges as shrine directors from across Europe begin a meeting this week at one of England’s oldest Marian Shrines, the National Shrine of Walsingham in Norfolk. 

Book of Revelation 11:19a.12:1-6a.10ab. 
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm. 
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 
She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. 
Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. 
Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. 
She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. 
The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days. 
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. 
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. 

ROME, FEB. 9, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Ahead of the May 1 beatification of John Paul II, the Diocese of Rome has launched a Web site dedicated to the event.

Named Ioannes Paulus P.P. II, the site will gather information on the beatification of the Pope, and make it available in six languages: English, Spanish, French, Polish, Italian and Romanian.