Thai Pantene television commercial. Its simply brilliant. The story of a deaf and mute girl who learns to play the violin against all odds. One of the most touching advertisements Ive seen in a long, long time.

Pub de Pantene à la TV thaïlandaise : l'histoire d'une fille sourde et muette qui, envers et contre tout, apprend à jouer le violon. La pub la plus touchante que j'aie vu depuis longtemps.

Today our Holy Father Pope Bendicti XVI turns 85. Anyone can send him birthday wishes at following e-mail address:

auguri.benedettoxvi@vatican.va 

Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical was entitled, "God Is Love" (1 John 4:8).

• It's something we have all heard many times.
• In fact, we may have become so used to it that we don't remember how revolutionary and unique that conception of God really is.

There are many religions in the world, and many of them have come to understand that God is good.

• But almost all of them start with man's search for God.
• And because human nature is limited, that search can only arrive to a limited view of God.

Christianity is different. Christianity is about God's search for man. 

• When Jesus Christ came to earth, he came in order to rescue the fallen human race from evil and bring it to the joys of eternal life.
• And so, in Christianity, we have the privilege of receiving God's own revelation of himself - he actually shows us, in Christ, who he is and what he is like.
• And his most fundamental and essential characteristic is love.
• Not power, not knowledge, not transcendence - but love.
• This explains why Jesus came to earth in the first place: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life" (John 3:16).

And this also explains what the Holy Trinity is all about. 

• If God were solitary, how could his nature be love?
• Love always means relationship and self-giving.
• God can only be love if he is both one and three: three divine persons, each one fully divine, living from all eternity in an unbreakable unity of mutual love.

God is love. In other words, God is one, as the Catechism puts it, but not solitary (CCC 254).

Book of Exodus 34:4b-6.8-9. 

Moses then cut two stone tablets like the former, and early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai as the LORD had commanded him, taking along the two stone tablets. 
Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with him there and proclaimed his name, "LORD." 
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, "The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, 
Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. 
Then he said, "If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own." 

We all become very accustomed to the words we hear and pray at the mass but in a few month’s time English speakers will be faced with a momentous change when they go to church. That’s because this year at Advent will see the introduction of the new English translation of the Roman Missal which is more accurate and faithful to the original Latin text. So why has this new translation been done and how different will the mass sound? To find out more, Susy Hodges spoke to Monsignor Andrew Wadsworth, Executive Director of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, known as ICEL. 

Pope Benedict began the week by speaking to the participants of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications Plenary Assembly which took place this week in the Vatican from February 28 to March 3, focusing on the theme ‘Language and Communication’ .

As Veronica Scarisbrick discovered , among the speakers there was a tall and communicative Dominican friar, Eric Salobir, who had a fascinating story to tell.

Snowboarder Kelly Clark tells us about the start of her snowboarding career and her faith in Christ.

Chad Hedrick 2006 Olympic Gold Medalist was interviewed by his pastor Troy Champ at Capital Church in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 23, 2010. His goal is to inspire people to put their faith in God and that anything is possible. No matter what your past is we do have a forgiving God! Check out Chedhedrick.com to follow Chad as he participates in The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver - God Bless!

Video by: Kelly Johnson of Capital Church

ABORTION - THE SILENT SCREAM COMPLETE VERSION (with permission from APF).

The Silent Scream Complete Version - Abortion as Infanticide

Zero Poverty

A year of combating poverty

In recent months, the economic crisis has shattered the world. Millions of people have lost their jobs. Forecasts indicate that the crisis is not yet over. For poor people, this means even harder times and extreme anxiety about the future: hunger and the fear of becoming homeless are real concerns for many.

Caritas is helping. And with its Zero Poverty campaign, it is asking men, women, young people and children in Europe and the rest of the world to make a commitment to people in need. Our vision is Zero Poverty. No one should live in poverty.

A strong common effort to bridge the gap between rich and poor is needed from those in positions of political responsibility, society as a whole and each and every one of us. Only a combined effort will make it possible for people in dire need to escape their difficult circumstances and find hope for themselves again. 

Change is possible. Poverty is not inevitable. Caritas demonstrates this every day through its work and its initiatives.

The good news is that anyone can help to make the ZERO POVERTY vision a reality. You can find out how on their website.