American Catholic | Daily Catholic Question

Home

Catholic News

Daily Features

St. Anthony Messenger

Books

Catholic e-Greetings

Parish Newsletters/Services

Daily Catholic Question

What is the New Catholic Encyclopedia?

How do I find The New Catholic Encyclopedia?

The last advertisement I received for the New Catholic Encyclopedia was for the 18-volume set. It came from The New Catholic Encyclopedia, 330 West Calfax, Palatine, IL 60067, phone 708-991-0720. Its price then was $875, plus $45 freight and handling. I should think you might also find the set in the public library or at a university library. The encyclicals of John Paul II are available in one volume ($49.95) from Our Sunday Visitor, 200 Noll Plaza, Huntington, IN 46750. You should also be able to order through a Catholic bookstore or go to the Vatican website.

Click here for the rest of today's answer

Monday, January 14, 2013

Daily Catholic Question for 1/13/2013

Daily Catholic Question for 1/15/2013

Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi: Mystical ecstasy is the elevation of the spirit to God in such a way that the person is aware of this union with God while both internal and external senses are detached from the sensible world. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi was so generously given this special gift of God that she is called the "ecstatic saint."
<p>She was born into a noble family in Florence in 1566. The normal course would have been for Catherine de' Pazzi to have married wealth and enjoyed comfort, but she chose to follow her own path. At nine she learned to meditate from the family confessor. She made her first Communion at the then-early age of 10 and made a vow of virginity one month later. When 16, she entered the Carmelite convent in Florence because she could receive Communion daily there. </p><p>Catherine had taken the name Mary Magdalene and had been a novice for a year when she became critically ill. Death seemed near so her superiors let her make her profession of vows from a cot in the chapel in a private ceremony. Immediately after, she fell into an ecstasy that lasted about two hours. This was repeated after Communion on the following 40 mornings. These ecstasies were rich experiences of union with God and contained marvelous insights into divine truths. </p><p>As a safeguard against deception and to preserve the revelations, her confessor asked Mary Magdalene to dictate her experiences to sister secretaries. Over the next six years, five large volumes were filled. The first three books record ecstasies from May of 1584 through Pentecost week the following year. This week was a preparation for a severe five-year trial. The fourth book records that trial and the fifth is a collection of letters concerning reform and renewal. Another book, <i>Admonitions</i>, is a collection of her sayings arising from her experiences in the formation of women religious. </p><p>The extraordinary was ordinary for this saint. She read the thoughts of others and predicted future events. During her lifetime, she appeared to several persons in distant places and cured a number of sick people. </p><p>It would be easy to dwell on the ecstasies and pretend that Mary Magdalene only had spiritual highs. This is far from true. It seems that God permitted her this special closeness to prepare her for the five years of desolation that followed when she experienced spiritual dryness. She was plunged into a state of darkness in which she saw nothing but what was horrible in herself and all around her. She had violent temptations and endured great physical suffering. She died in 1607 at 41, and was canonized in 1669.</p>

Sisters pray a lot. They work at working together. They try their hardest to live simply – sometimes without much choice, due to real poverty. All of them embrace simplicity as a radical commitment to Gospel values, and offer that faithful witness to the rest of us.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

	The Catechism
	Get an overview of this essential teaching tool of the Catholic faith.

	Set Yourself Free
	Let it go and learn how the power of forgiveness can set you free.

	Vatican II
	Learn about this critical event in Church history.

	New book from Mike Aquilina
	Learn how Catholicism shapes our world. Great for the Year of Faith!

	The Blessing Cup
	This new year, make every day an experience of faith and sharing!

CATHOLIC GREETINGS

	Prayer for Vocations
	Each January the Church reminds us to pray for all vocations: priesthood, religious, married, and single life.

	Baptism of the Lord
	The Lord’s baptism began his life of ministry, just as our baptisms begin our lives of service to God’s people.

	Sympathy
	Let a Catholic Greetings e-card help you remind others that for Christians death is a transition, not an ending.

	Eucharist
	Where else but Catholic Greetings can you find e-cards to celebrate the sacraments? Keep us in mind for other parish celebrations as well.

	Get Well
	An e-card makes someone's day by reminding them that they're not forgotten.

Come find us at:

American Catholic is for Catholics, all Christians and seekers. Find Roman Catholic Saints, Minute Meditations, Catholic Church Questions and Catholic News. Post Prayer Requests and send Catholic e-cards. Discover Catholic Books, Catholic Audio Books, Catholic Videos, and a leading Catholic Magazine.