October 2020 Monthly Formation Quiz
"On Oct. 17, the Roman Catholic Church remembers the early Church Father, bishop, and martyr Saint Ignatius of Antioch, whose writings attest to the sacramental and hierarchical nature of the Church from its earliest days. . . Born in Syria in the middle of the first century A.D., Ignatius is said to have been personally instructed – along with another future martyr, Saint Polycarp – by the Apostle Saint John. . . St. Ignatius of Antioch bore witness to Christ publicly for the last time in Rome's Flavian Amphitheater, where he was mauled to death by lions. . . His memory was honored, and his bones venerated, soon after his death around the year 107."
Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-ignatius-of-antioch-396
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints announced on July 20, 2020, that Fr. Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus Catholic fraternal organization, will be beatified on October 31. "A miracle credited to the intercession of McGivney was approved by the Vatican and announced by Pope Francis on May 27. A child who was diagnosed as terminally ill in the womb was miraculously healed following prayers for the intercession of Fr. McGivney. The priest’s beatification Mass is expected to be celebrated in his native Connecticut."
Source: CNA article, "Knights of Columbus founder to be beatified in October"
“Reiki is a technique that claims that illness is a result of a disruption or imbalance in one’s life ‘energy.’ Through the position of one’s hands, practitioners of Reiki attempt to channel the 'universal life energy' to the patient for healing and balance. . . . When judging Reiki according to Christian or Catholic standards, one seriously must question the ‘source’ attributed to the healing. For the Reiki practitioner, he or she is either the conduit for healing from the ‘divine consciousness’ or the source of healing. In contrast, for the Christian, the source of divine healing is God in Christ Jesus. The American bishops warn against Reiki as being a possible form of superstition. They conclude ‘Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy.’” [For more, see the 2009 USCCB document “Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy.”]
Source: https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/qa-what-does-the-church-teach-about-reiki/22105
Source: Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Sunday, October 7, 2012
"The gospel of John is dramatically different than the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Instead of organizing historical events into a chronology, John presents Jesus in all of His theological grandeur. He gives us fewer stories than the other gospels, but those he does present are rich with detail. John, more than any of the evangelists, leads his readers to the deep waters of the mystery of God."
Source: CNA article, "Gospel of John"