Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Peace

With utmost firmness I condemn the use of chemical weapons. We want in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out!

Light

“You can know everything, you can have knowledge of all things and this light on things. But the light of Jesus is something else. It is not a light of ignorance, no! It’s a light of wisdom and sagacity, but it is something other than the light of the world. The light that the world offers us is an artificial light, strong, perhaps – but that of Jesus is stronger, eh! - strong like a firework, like a flash of photography. Instead, the light of Jesus is a mild light, it is a quiet light, it is a light of peace, it’s like the light on Christmas night: without pretense.” 

How many believe they are living in the light and they are in darkness, but they don’t realize it? What is the light like that Jesus offers us? The light of Jesus can be known because it is a humble light, it is not a light that imposes itself: it is humble. It’s a meek light, with the strength of meekness. It’s a light that speaks to the heart, and also a light that offers you the Cross. If we, in our inner light are meek, if we hear the voice of Jesus in the heart and look on the Cross without fear: that is the light of Jesus.” 


Jesus doesn’t need an army to cast out the demons, He has no need of pride, no need of force, of arrogance. ‘What is there about His word? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.’ This is a humble word, meek, with so much love; it is a word that accompanies us in the moments of the Cross. Let us ask the Lord to give us today the grace of His Light, and to teach us to distinguish when the light is from Him, and when it is an artificial light, made by the enemy to deceive us.” 

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Backbiting

 “Look at how things have changed: They began with beauty and admiration, and they ended in a crime: wanting to kill Jesus. All this because of jealousy, envy, all these things. This is not something that has happened 2000 years ago, this is happening each day, in our hearts, in our communities. When someone new enters a community, on the first day they will speak of him well; on the second not so well; and from the third on, gossip and badmouthing starts to spread and end up skinning him”

“Those within a community that talk about their brothers, or their members, they want to kill. It's the same as when Apostle John, in his First Letter, says: 'The man who actively hates his brother is a potential murderer.' We are used to backbiting, to gossip. But how many times our communities, even our families have become a hell in which we criminally kill our brother with words.”

“So that there is peace in a community, in a family, in a country, in the world, we must be with the Lord. And where the Lord is, there is no envy, there is no criminality, there is no hatred, and there are no jealousies. There is brotherhood. Let this be our prayer to the Lord: never kill your neighbor with words. We must live with the Lord and be 'like heaven.'”

Arms

By his coming among us, Jesus transforms our lives. In him, we see that God is love, he is fidelity he is life who gives himself.
How much suffering, how much devastation, how much pain has the use of arms carried in its wake.
We want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace

Monday, September 2, 2013

Peace

War never again! Never again war!
Let us pray for peace: peace in the world and in each of our hearts

Peace


War never again! Never again war!
Let us pray for peace: peace in the world and in each of our hearts

Shepherds



POPE FRANCIS
July 28, 2013
“Responding to the existential issues of people today, especially the young, listening to the language they speak, can lead to a fruitful change, which must take place with the help of the Gospel, the Magisterium, and the Church’s Social Doctrine.”

Pope Francis warned about the dangers the Church faces; among them making the Gospel message an ideology, functionalism and clericalism

He also proposed two “pastoral categories” in helping the Church with its missionary role, nearness and encounter.

POPE FRANCIS
July 28, 2013
“They do not take into account the “revolution of tenderness” brought by the incarnation of God. There are pastoral plans designed with such a dose of distance that they are incapable of sparking an encounter: an encounter with Jesus Christ, an encounter with our brothers and sisters.”


To make these encounters possible, the Pope urged the Church hierarchy to reject the old,prince-like mentality, and to strive to be shepherds, close to their flock.