Totus2us wants to give voice to the faith, hope and love that's all around the world, especially among JPII's and Papa Bene's "dear young people", to highlight what's good and fun, and to help us to pray and to be not afraid.
So Totus2us is all about mp3 audio PODCASTS with voices from 60 countries around the world so far. Most episodes are under 5 minutes & the podcasts (all free) fall broadly into 3 areas: prayer (faith / way), teaching (hope / truth) & witness (love / life). There's Something about Mary, Word on the Street, Man for Others, In Memory of Me, JP2 We Love You, Papa Bene We Love You too, & Top Chat; plus 3 2us, Catholic Catechism & Talks 2us. Then there are the prayer podcasts of the Rosary (in English, French & Spanish), the Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy (the chaplet is in 9 languages) and Novenas. You can listen/subscribe to them & download the mp3 episodes here on Totus2us or from itunes; plus you can download individual mp3s on Totus2us by right clicking where you see this symbol ¤
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by Monsignor Leo Maasburg ¤
with 2 quotes by Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Mother Teresa - “The young people, especially in their application, write: ‘I want a life of poverty, prayer and sacrifice that will lead me to a service of the poor."
"The lonely, the unwanted, the unloved – we try to bring Jesus to them, by involving them in the service of the poor, by our presence among them, they must be able to look up and see Jesus in us. And also I believe in helping them to come in touch with the poor, because the poor give us much more than we give to the poor.”
Fr Leo: "John Paul II said ‘In Mother Teresa we meet one of the most important personalities in history’ .. Hers is the sanctity which shows the whole mystery of the redemption, sin and redemption. And I believe that we can pray to and venerate Mother Teresa precisely for this, to help us to collaborate in the redemption of the world. On her feast day this is the biggest wish I want to express. When we celebrate the memory of her death on 5th September, we can even liturgically invoke that favour from her: to be able to collaborate for the redemption of the world."
(Feast Day - 5th September. Fr Leo, who accompanied Mother Teresa on numerous trips, recorded this reflection on 26th August, the centenary of Mother Teresa's birth.)
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Friday, 3rd September - Day 5 of the novena in preparation for Our Lady's birthday on 8th September (& Totus2us' 1st birthday). The quotes are from John Paul II's encyclical on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Redemptoris Mater, and are followed by a prayer of Consecration to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Ave Marias are sung by the London Oratory School Schola.
It is being offered up especially for the future of Totus2us and for all those who have contributed so generously to Totus2us in this 1st year - either with their words, prayers, music and art on the podcasts, or by their prayers, help or financial support. And THANK YOU Angelika, Celia, Frankie, Sr Hyacinthe & Rebecca :-)
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with Joe, Jane & Frederick. Many thanks to Baliva for the gift of his track 'Thank You' ¤
Joe Philippians 2: 5-8 - Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! Jane: 1 Peter 5, 7 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Frederick: Ephesians 2: 22 - For we are being built into a house where God lives in the Spirit.
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is by Sarah, who's 25 and from Ireland:
"When you pray to Our Lady I think that there is kind of more steadiness to your faith, it gets more consistent. I think it's very easy to be up and down about God, and kind of blowing in the wind, and I think Mary steadies me a bit, or a lot actually. The main prayer that I say at the moment, apart from going to Mass obviously, is the rosary. I try to say it every day and I find it unbelievably helpful for me."
Last month we had responses from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Ireland, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Spain, the UK and USA - hear more. If you like this podcast, please subscribe here on itunes - the more of us who do, the higher up it'll be when people search for 'Mary' - we'd so like Our Lady of Guadalupe's image to be at the top! or you can subscribe / download the mp3s from the XML feed here.
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On this new podcast, Sister Hyacinthe Defos du Rau OP gives gems of little insights into the wonder-full text of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Music sung by Aristotle Esguerra. 1st up - no 35 of the Catechism
"Man's faculties make him capable of coming to a knowledge of the existence of a personal God. .."
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This week's Man for Others is by Fr Francis Selman, from England:
"The greatest consolation is simply to offer the sacrifice of the Mass every day. Every time that I hold up the Host before communion and say 'This is the Lamb of God', these words are still as fresh and full of wonder as on the first day that I celebrated Mass on my own. The great thing is to have gratitude to God for one's vocation, every day."
You can listen by country to responses given, by young people in particular, to Totus2us' podcasts. Take your pick from: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, UK, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Samoa, & Zimbabwe.
Papa Benedetto
"After the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple and humble labourer in the vineyard of the Lord.
The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with inadequate instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers.
Let us move forward in the joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help. The Lord will help us and Mary, his Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you."
Benedict XVI - 1st address on becoming Pope (19th April 2005)
John Paul II
"Fear not to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and by his power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind.
Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors to Christ.
To his saving power open the frontiers of states, economic and political systems, the vast realms of culture, civilization, and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows 'what is in humans'. He alone knows!"
John Paul II - 1st address on becoming Pope (16th October 1978)
Totus Tuus
Totus Tuus - 'All Yours' - was Pope John Paul II's motto, having entrusted his life, his priesthood, his 'all' to Mary. Totus2us is being built with the same intention: to be all Mary's. The play on lettering gives Totus2us a 2nd meaning - 'Everything 2us' - as that is what Mary means to us.
"This phrase is not only an expression of piety, or simply an expression of devotion. It is more. During the Second World War, while I was employed as a factory worker, I came to be attracted to Marian devotion. At first, it had seemed to me that I should distance myself a bit from the Marian devotion of my childhood, in order to focus more on Christ. Thanks to Saint Louis de Montfort, I came to understand that true devotion to the Mother of God is actually Christocentric, indeed, it is very profoundly rooted in the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity, and the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption." JPII
This mosaic of the Madonna and Child is on the front of the Pope's private quarters at the Vatican (up to the right if you are looking up at St Peter's). Beneath it is John Paul II's coat of arms and his motto, 'Totus Tuus'; and beneath this is written MATER ECCLESIAE - 'Mother of the Church'.
Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day 1989, Santiago de Compostela: "Today's world needs many apostles - especially apostles who are young and courageous. You young people have in a special way the task of witnessing today to the faith; the commitment to bring the Gospel of Christ - the Way, the Truth and the Life - into the third Christian Millennium, to build a new civilization - a civilization of love, of justice and of peace. ... Dear Young People, let us journey with Our Lady, let us promise to follow her son Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life, then we will become the burning messages of the new evangelisation and the generous builders of a new civilisation of truth and love."
Papa Bene, St Peter's, Rome, at the end of his homily at the inauguration Mass (24th April 2005):
"At this point, my mind goes back to 22 October 1978, when Pope John Paul II began his ministry here in Saint Peter’s Square. His words on that occasion constantly echo in my ears: “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!” The Pope was addressing the mighty, the powerful of this world, who feared that Christ might take away something of their power if they were to let him in, if they were to allow the faith to be free. Yes, he would certainly have taken something away from them: the dominion of corruption, the manipulation of law and the freedom to do as they pleased. But he would not have taken away anything that pertains to human freedom or dignity, or to the building of a just society. The Pope was also speaking to everyone, especially the young. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life. Amen."
