I pray that the grace of the Risen Lord might give comfort to all those who are suffering. May no one be abandoned. May fights, conflicts, and wars give way to understanding and reconciliation. This word must be highlighted always—Reconciliation. Because what Christ did on Calvary and in His Resurrection was to reconcile us with God the Father, and amongst ourselves. Pope’s Address, April 18, 2022
In the Beatitudes, Jesus says two things to His people: that they are blessed and poor, and that they are blessed because they are poor. Being poor means we Christians find our joy in the gifts we receive daily from God—like life, Creation, and our brothers and sisters—and not in money or other material goods. This type of poverty urges us to share the goods we have according to the logic of God, which is gratuitousness.
The Lord, by freeing us from the slavery of self-centeredness, breaks our locks, dissolves our hardness, and opens up to us true happiness, which is often found where we do not expect it to be. Do I allow myself to be ‘inwardly unhinged’ by the paradox of the Beatitudes, or do I stay within the confines of my own ideas? May Our Lady, the first disciple of the Lord, help us live as open and joyful disciples. Angelus Message, February 13, 2022
Although St. Patrick’s and St. Malachi’s Synod Listening Sessions have been completed, there is still chance to give feedback. Individuals may submit input on Diocese of Cleveland Diocese website www.dioceseofcleveland.org/synod/individual-particiption.
Feel free to forward this to anyone who you think would like to still be a part of this global listening effort.
We are all in the same boat, and our post-pandemic world will necessarily be different from what it was before the pandemic…Do not look so much at the things that the world praises. Look into the corners, look in the shadows, look at the peripheries, at what the world does not want. Consider important what others discard. Don’t judge others. Take a look at yourself. It is good to ask ourselves what drives us to correct a brother or a sister, and if we are not in some way co-responsible for their mistake. Let us not lose the memories preserved by the elderly, for we are children of that history, and without roots, we will wither. Our elders protected us as we grew, and now it is up to us to protect their lives, to alleviate their difficulties, to attend to their needs and to ensure that they are helped in daily life and not feel alone. Excerpt from America Magazine: New Year’s Resolutions Inspired by Pope Francis.
Every human person is precious and is endowed with a value that does not depend on what they have or their abilities, but on the simple fact that they are a person: the image of God. Disability or illness may make life more difficult, but does not make it less worthy to be lived to the fullest. Society and politics should do their part to promote a world in which a person with disabilities is viewed ‘as one of us’. Adopting this principle, we realize that a person with disabilities not only receives, but gives as well. Caring for them is not a ‘one-way’ gesture, but an exchange of gifts. We Christians have an extra motive—in Jesus’ example—to care for those with disabilities, though society should be no less involved in assisting them. Love knows how to see another through their eyes or gestures; it anticipates their needs, never gives up in the face of trials, discovers each day the strength to start over, and finds joy in every tiny progress made by the person being helped.
Papal Audience, Dec. 13, 2021
“Seeing” is first stopping to observe the events that make up our lives and constitute our history, our family, cultural, and Christian roots. It begins with a look at the worrying situation in our world. It may seem pessimistic, but it is necessary in order to move forward. In the encounter between the events of the world and of our lives on the one hand, and the Word of God on the other, we can discern the appeal that the Lord is making to us. Our role is to accept and encourage God’s action in our own hearts, adapting to a reality that is constantly evolving, and reaching out to people as they are, helping each other grow in the love of Christ and neighbor. Audience, Jan. 10, 2022
This is God’s work: to come among us. If we consider ourselves unworthy, that does not stop Him. If we reject Him, He does not tire of seeking us out. If we are not ready and willing to receive Him, He prefers to come anyway. Let us invite Him into our lives, especially in the dark areas… into our ‘inner stables’. And let us also tell Him, without fear, about the social and ecclesial problems of our time, even our personal, difficult problems: God loves to dwell among us! Angelus Message, Jan. 2, 2022
We must not be afraid to dream, especially if this dream is shared and carried together. We must dream of a society which protects the rights of the poorest, safeguards cultural richness, preserves the natural beauty of the planet, and welcomes the Gospel message of God’s love as expressed in Jesus Christ. These dreams can only become reality if they are shared. May the Lord open your hearts, enlighten your minds, and inspire your discussions, so that you might formulate the paths of hope that our world so desperately needs, and that your work might support, defend, and promote the care of Creation, of the most vulnerable, and the integral development of each person, including their fundamental spiritual dimension. Pope Francis to French Citizens, 11/26, 2021
When we see a person who is generous and helpful, meek, patient, who is not envious, does not gossip, does not brag, is not puffed up with pride, does not lack respect, this is a person who builds Heaven on earth. They may not be noticed or have a career, and yet, what they do will not be lost, because good is never lost, it lasts forever.
Let us make important choices bearing this in mind: Before deciding, let us imagine that we are standing in front of Jesus, as at the end of life, before Him who is love. Imagining ourselves there, in His presence, at the threshold of eternity, we make the decision for today. It may not be the easiest, the most immediate, but it will be the right one.” Angelus Message, Nov.14, 2021
Christian freedom does not enter into conflict with other cultures or with the traditions we have received, but rather introduces a new freedom, a liberating new message, that of the Gospel. Christians, freed from the slavery of sin and death by the passion and resurrection of Jesus, are able to welcome every people and culture, and in turn introduce other peoples and cultures to even greater freedom…True Christian freedom enables us to acquire the full dignity of children of God, allowing us to remain anchored in our own cultural heritage while being open to what is good and true in every culture. Excerpts from the General Audience, Oct. 13, 2021
