Very interesting: http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2015/09/specials/pope-dark-night-of-the-soul/ "Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?" "I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is not a figure of speech, a literary genre. I am a sinner." The future pope with his parents, Regina Sivori Bergoglio and Mario Jose Bergoglio, in 1958.
Amazing Grace, I see that you are from Michigan. Curious, if you live anywhere near where I live in Oxford (northern Oakland county)? Were you at Charlie Johnston's gig in East Lansing recently?? Thanks.
It's named after the Grand River. Actually, I'm just outside Grand Rapids in a rural community. http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Midwest/Grand-Rapids-History.html
Robert Moynihan (Inside the Vatican) has highlighted in his newsletter the importance of this homily from Pope Francis during his visit to Florence yesterday. I have highlighted in blue my own selected paragraph of note! “May God protect the Italian Church from power, image and money” In his address to Italian Catholics in Florence, Francis said: “Be a free Church that is open to the challenges of the present, never be on the defensive for fear of losing something”. Flee from the temptations of Gnosticism and Pelagianism that “lead us to have faith in structures, organisations and plans that are perfect because abstract” and “the adoption of a controlling, tough and prescriptive attitude” ANDREA TORNIELLIIN FLORENCE “May God protect the Italian Church from substitutes such as power, image, money”. The speech Francis pronounced to Italian Catholics at today’s convention in Florence was broad and programmatic. The Pope asked the Church to be humble, disinterested and to live the Evangelical beatitudes. He invited the Church to flee the temptations of Gnosticism and Pelagianism and urged it to help the poor, be capable of sincere dialogue with everyone in order to work towards the common good all together. What is humanism Francis explained that we can speak of humanism only “starting from the centrality of Jesus, discovering in him the real face of man… Jesus is our humanism.” We look at his face, the Pope explained, we see “the face of an ‘emptied’ God, who entered the condition of servant,” similar “to that of many of our humbled brothers and sisters who became slaves and were emptied”. Without lowering ourselves, “we cannot see His face” and we are unable to therefore “understand anything about Christian humanism. However, beautiful, cultured and eloquent our words may be, they will not be words of faith. They will be empty words.” Humble, disinterested and blessed Francis presented “at least three” sentiments of Jesus that describe new humanism. The first is humility. “The obsession with preserving one’s glory, one’s “dignity”, one’s influence, must not form part of our sentiments. We must pursue God’s glory and this does not coincide with ours”. Another sentiment of Jesus, is disinterest, or rather, “the happiness of those by our side. A Chriastian’s humanity is always outgoing. It is not narcissistic or self-referential”. “Our duty,” he added, “is to work to make this world a better place and to fight. Our faith is revolutionary due to an impulse that comes from the Holy Spirit.” Another sentiment of Jesus Christ, is that of blessedness. A Christian is blessed, he had in himself the joy of the Gospel. In the Beatitudes, the Lord points out the way to us.” These sentiments “tell us we must not be obsessed with “power”, even when this may appear useful and functional to the social image of the Church. If the Church does not adopt Jesus’ sentiments, it becomes disoriented, it loses the sense. Jesus’ sentiments tell us that a Church that thinks of itself and its own interests is a sad Church.” Pelagian and Gnostic temptations The Pope spoke about two temptations after assuring those present that "I will not go through a list of temptations, like the 15 temptations I went through with the Curia..." The first was Pelagianism, which “pushes the Church away from humility, disinterestedness and blessedness. And it makes its seem as though it is doing a good deed. Pelagianism brings us to have faith in structures, organisations, and plans that are perfect because abstract. Sometimes it even leads us to adopt a controlling, tough and prescriptive attitude. The law gives the Pelagian a certain sense of superiority.” Francis explained that “in the face of the Church’s afflictions or problems, it is no good seeking solutions in conservative or fundamentalist attitudes, in the revival of types of conduct and forms that are dated and that lack a capacity to be significant even culturally. Christian doctrine is not a closed doctrine that is incapable of generating questions, doubts, queries but it is alive and able to unsettle and enliven people. It has a face that is not rigid, a body that moves and grows and a tender flesh: it is called Jesus Christ”. The Church must be free The reform of the Church “does not end with the umpteenth plan to change its structures. It means grafting oneself and rooting oneself in Christ, allowing oneself to be guided by the Spirit”. May the Italian Church “let itself be carried by its powerful and because of this sometimes restless blow. May it be a free Church that is open to the challenges of the present, never on the defensive for fear of losing something”. The second temptation “to overcome, is Gnosticism. This brings us to trust in logical and clear thinking which lacks the tenderness of our brother or sister’s flesh. The fascination of Gnosticism lies in a faith that is closed in subjectivism.” Pastors, focus on what is essential Pope Francis urged bishops “to be pastors: may this be your source of joy. It will be your people, your flock who will sustain you.” “May nothing and no one,” he added, “take away the joy of being sustained by your people. As pastors, do not be preachers of complex doctrines, but proclaimers of Christ who died and rose again for us. Focus on what is essential, on the kerygma. There is nothing more solid, profound and certain than this announcement. But may all God’s people be proclaimers of the Gospel, people and pastors.” Francis gave the entire Italian Catholic Church the same advice he gave in the “Evangelii Gaudium”: he urged them to foster the social inclusion of the poor and to have a capacity for encounter and dialogue in order to nurture the country’s social friendship, seeking the common good. “The poor know the sentiments of Jesus Christ well because they know about Christ’s suffering from experience… May God protect the Italian Church from substitutes such as power, image and money. Evangelical poverty is creative, it welcomes, it sustains and it is full of hope.” The Pope recalled that “the Lord shed his blood not for some, nor for a few nor for many but for all.” Dialogue and discussion Francis then underlined “the capacity for dialogue and encounter. Dalogue does not mean negotiation,” but “seeking the common good of all. Discussing together, thinking of the best solutions for all”. “We must not be afraid of dialogue,” the Pope said. “In fact, it is discussion and criticism that help us to prevent theology from becoming ideology”. Francis recalled that “the best way to engage in dialogue is not to speak and argue but to do something together, to build together, to make plans: not alone, among Catholics, but together with all people of goodwill.” Appeal to young people and the restless Church The Pope appealed to young people, inviting them to overcome apathy: “I ask you to be Italy’s builders, to set to work for a better Italy. Don’t watch life from your balcony, work hard, immerse yourself in social and political dialogue” and “wherever you are, do not build walls or borders, but squares and field hospitals”. “I like to think of the Italian Church as a restless Church that is ever closer to the abandoned, the forgotten and the imperfect. I would like to see a happy Church with a maternal look on her face, a Church that is understanding, that accompanies and caresses people,” Francis said. “I urge you to dream of such a Church too, believe in it, innovate with freedom”. Finally, the Pope had a proposal to make: “in every community, every parish and institution, in every diocese and district, you should strive, in a synodal way, to study the “Evangelii Gaudium” in depth, in order to draw practical criteria from it and to implement the principles presented in it.” http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/francesco-firenze-44568/
Be carefull now wehn posting here, this thread is not a critique of the Holy Father. We'll leave that till after the Apostolic Exhortation. Too much contention leads to Spiritual Indigestion
Yes, when the argument becomes about ourselves winning then the truth will never win. Like dogs biting tails, it is vain and useless. Truth defeated and the Enemy smirking. View attachment 3687
I think today's homily from Pope Francis will not be viewed as controversial: Smartphones and television during dinner kill family time, says Francis At today’s General Audience, Francis said this leads to selfishness; in the midst of so many walls and too much inwardness, conviviality and the Eucharist are crucial IACOPO SCARAMUZZI VATICAN CITY “A family that hardly ever sits down to eat together or in which once at table no one speaks because the television’s on or some are engrossed in their smartphones, is not much of a family.” At today’s General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis, who dedicated his catechesis to the subject of “conviviality”, underlining that “in a time marked by so much inwardness and too many walls, conviviality, which begins in the family and is developed in the Eucharist, is crucial.” “Today,” Francis said, “we will reflect on a quality that is typical to family life and is learnt right from the early stages of one’s life; conviviality, in other words the attitude of sharing what we have in life and being happy to do so. Sharing, knowing how to share, is a precious virtue! Its symbol, its icon, is the family table. The act of sharing a meal – and therefore not just food, but emotions, stories and news – is a crucial experience. When there is a celebration, a birthday, an anniversary, the family gathers around the table. In some cultures it is customary to do this during mourning, to be close to someone who has lost a loved one.Conviviality is an accurate thermometer for measuring the health of relationships: if there is a problem, a hidden wound, you can tell straight away during a family meal. A family that hardly ever sits down to eat together or in which once at table no one speaks because the television’s on or some are engrossed in their smartphones, is not much of a family. When children are glued to the computer or their smartphone at table and don’t listen to one another, that is not family, it’s a pensioner!” Christianity, Francis underlined, “has a special vocation for conviviality, everyone knows this. The Lord Jesus was always glad to teach at table and sometimes represented the Kingdom of God as a merry banquet. Jesus also chose the mealtime as the moment to deliver his spiritual testament to his disciples. He did so at dinner, which became a commemorative gesture of his sacrifice: gift of his Flesh and his Blood as the Food and Drink of salvation, that nurture true and lasting love.” As such, “we really can say that the family is “at home” during mealtimes, precisely because it brings its own experience of conviviality to the Eucharist and opens it up thanks to the universal conviviality od God’s love for the world.” “In a time marked by so much inwardness and too many walls, conviviality, which begins in the family and is developed in the Eucharist, is crucial. The Eucharist and the families nourished by it can overcome this closed attitude and build bridges of welcome and charity.” The Eucharist of a Church of families “is a school of human inclusion that is not afraid of dialogue! There is no small, weak, defenceless, wounded, disappointed, desperate and abandoned person that the Eucharistic conviviality of families cannot provide nourishment and refreshment to, protect and welcome.” “Many social contexts today pose obstacles to family conviviality. It is true, things today are not easy. We have to find a way to recuperate it, at table we talk, we listen, no silence because it is not a nun’s silence but the silence of selfishness, caused by cell phones and the television. Conviviality needs to be restored, albeit adapted to the times.Conviviality seems to have become something that can be bought and sold but this is quite another thing. Nourishment is not always the symbol of a fair distribution of goods that is able to reach those who have neither bread nor love. In rich countries, we tend to spend on excessive amounts of food and then again to make up for this excess. This nonsensical “business” distracts us from the real hunger of the body and soul. When conviviality is lacking, selfishness rears its head, each individual thinks of him or herself. Adverts have reduced it to a languor of snacks and a craving for sweet things. Meanwhile, too many of our brothers and sisters are excluded from the table. It is shameful!” In this context, “the deep and active alliance of Christian families, which pre-empts, sustains and embraces daily difficulties and joys through the dynamism of its hospitality, it works alongside the grace of the Eucharist that is able to create a communion that is always new, with a power that includes and brings salvation. This is how the Christian family can show the breadth of its true prospects, which are the prospects of the Mother Church of all mankind, of all the abandoned, all the excluded and all peoples. We pray for this family conviviality to grow and mature during the time of grace of the upcoming Jubilee of Mercy.” Following yesterday’s address to the Italian Church at a gathering in Florence for its national congress held every ten years, Francis began today’s Audience by inviting the crowds of faithful in St. Peter’s Square to pray the Ave Maria in support of the event. http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/e...ncisco-francis-famiglia-family-familia-44599/
I threw my TV in the bin years ago, never looked back The Smart Phone is problematical. Oh dear Lord can you ask such a sacrifice!
Giving up TV was easy. We haven't had cable or an antenna for the last 24 of our 25 years of marriage. For half that, we didn't even own a TV, but then we were given an old one we kept in the attac to watch VHS movies on. Now giving up the Internet and Smart phones? That would be hard. Wonder which are worse? When I watch TV with friends os family I'm shocked at how subversive both the programming and the commercials have become. But with the Internet, even if one deliberately limits it to news, politics and Catholic sites and religious forums, it's still a time sink that detracts from real time spent with real people or in prayer. I.e., yes, it would be hard to give it up. But we might not have to make that decision ourselves eventually.
Thank you Father for all my blessings and especially for my growing up in a Middle Class Military Family with a Mom and Dad. A Family that had Dinner together every night and where God, Duty, Honor and Country were instilled within us. I pray for all that were/are not so lucky. AMEN!! GOD BLESS US ... EVERYONE!!
This was a very interesting read on the Pope http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/com...cis-becoming-the-new-prisoner-of-the-vatican/
