Read this stunningly beautiful description of the martyrdom of Saint Paul Miki and his companions. Imagine: a government leader wanting to turn the persecution of Catholics into a public spectacle! It certainly couldn't happen today, could it? (It made the Church stronger.)

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By: Ignatius Press

2/6/2012
Rev. Msgr. William J. King

Today the Church honors the memory of Saint Paul Miki and his companions. Paul Miki was born in Japan between around 1565. He entered the Jesuit order and preached the Gospel with great success, bringing the message of Jesus Christ to many. When persecution of Christians became oppressive, he was arrested along with 25 other companions, tortured, then taken to Nagasaki and crucified. St. Paul Miki died at the age of 34. Fear of persecution did not deter these brave Christians from openly witnessing to Jesus, swaying others to believe in Him.
Christians today who are bold enough to witness to their faith may not be nailed to a cross in one large act of martyrdom, but face less dramatic martyrdom daily, as others ridicule their lifestyle and message. They may not be gathered together and carted off for torture, but every effort is made to push them to the sidelines of public life and silence their voices in the marketplace. Rest assured, it is no easier now in a society that reveres “tolerance” than for any Christian who has preached the Gospel in any age or any place.
When Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI call for a “new evangelization” in our world it is because the world has become complacent in the face of a barrage of news, de-sensitized to the radicalness of the Good News. Saint Paul Miki and his companions are perfect role models for us, for their courage to respond to God’s invitation to speak the Truth boldly to a world that did not want to hear it.
Don’t ask yourself if you would have done the same back then: are you doing it now?

2/6/2012
Rev. Msgr. William J. King

This afternoon I enjoyed seeing God's wondrous creation from about 3,500 feet on the sky. Taking off from the Carlisle airport I enjoyed a marvelous short flight up to Bloomsburg. Landing at the little Bloomsburg airport is technically challenging for a pilot in a small plane, since there is a small mountain with some radio towers along the standard traffic pattern for landing. So, you have to fly a few hundred feet higher than normal when preparing to land, then lose the extra altitude quickly on the base and final legs of the landing pattern. I prayed a bit harder than usual, and thought I might have to do a go-around and try again, but at the last minute it all worked and I made a great landing. Along the way I saw the beauty of God's creation. What a great day. Until the Patriots lost.

2/5/2012

Rev. Msgr. William J. King

Found, of all places, in the NYT, is an insightful Op-Ed piece on the media's bias in reporting. Selective coverage is only one symptom: placement of stories and pieces, choice of persons to interview, and the language and terminology used, all reveal a newspaper's or blog's priorities. Bias determines coverage as much as anything else, and it is nearly impossible to find any old-style journalism (just the facts, no interpretation or twist). Reporters interviewing other reporters, as though they were the newsmakers or experts, does little more than add bias to bias, rather than the simple reportage of events. "We give you the news behind the news," one network boasts, but it is plain to see tthat what they all give us is merely what they want the news to be, not as it is. Never was the old saying more true: caveat emptor. When receiving the "news" today, let the buyer beware of blind spots and pet issues.

The Media’s Blinders on Abortion

www.nytimes.com

Half of the country wants to restrict or end abortion, but you wouldn’t know that from the coverage of the Planned Parenthood-Komen controversy.

 

2/5/2012

Rev. Msgr. William J. King

 

For Christians this is a good analysis of the past week's events re : Komen and Planned Parenthood. 1. We know that Komen money subsidizes abortions; 2. We know that Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms but only writes prescriptions for them to be provided elsewhere; 3. Any pretense of media objectivity as regards abortion has been erased.

The Komen Fiasco's Silver Lining | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

www.christianitytoday.com

Small comforts (and other sizes) emerge from Planned Parenthood’s bullying tactics.

 

2/4/2012

Rev. Msgr. William J. King

How can one deny that this is a human being, deserving of legal protection? A fascinating presentation!

Alexander Tsiaras: Conception to birth -- visualized

Image-maker Alexander Tsiaras shares a powerful medical visualization, showing human development from conception to birth and beyond. (Some graphic images.)

 

2/2/2012

Rev. Msgr. William J. King