Podcasts about dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 54:55

וצה להזמין שיעור עם כבוד הרב רפאל זר אצלך בבית / בית כנסת ?! רוצים להמשיך לתמוך בארגון שנגדיל תורה ונזכה את הרבים ?! בואו קחו גם אתם חלק בפעילות הארגון הקדוש "קרבנו" ותהיו שותפים איתנו בקירוב יהודים בארץ ובעולם לאבינו שבשמיים ובהמשך ההתחזקות של עם ישראל לתורתם !! להזמנת כבוד הרב לשיעורים / לתרומות ותמיכה לארגון חיגו: 03-9091313 אחים יקרים, אם אתם רוצים להיות מעודכנים ראשונים בכל סרטון שעולה לערוץ? לחצו "הירשם כמנוי" (subscribe) ואל תשכחו ללחוץ על סמל הפעמון

חיסונים? טיפולים? מה כוחם של הרופאים? מרתק ביותר! | הרב שמואל זר HD

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 3:53

רוצה להזמין שיעור עם כבוד הרב רפאל זר אצלך בבית / בית כנסת ?! רוצים להמשיך לתמוך בארגון שנגדיל תורה ונזכה את הרבים ?! בואו קחו גם אתם חלק בפעילות הארגון הקדוש "קרבנו" ותהיו שותפים איתנו בקירוב יהודים בארץ ובעולם לאבינו שבשמיים ובהמשך ההתחזקות של עם ישראל לתורתם !! להזמנת כבוד הרב לשיעורים / לתרומות ותמיכה לארגון חיגו: 03-9091313 אחים יקרים, אם אתם רוצים להיות מעודכנים ראשונים בכל סרטון שעולה לערוץ? לחצו "הירשם כמנוי" (subscribe) ואל תשכחו ללחוץ על סמל הפעמון

כבוד הרב! אני לא גומר את החודש! מה עושים?! מתשובת הרב גם אתם תהיו מופתעים! | הרב רפאל זר HD

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 2:58

וצה להזמין שיעור עם כבוד הרב רפאל זר אצלך בבית / בית כנסת ?! רוצים להמשיך לתמוך בארגון שנגדיל תורה ונזכה את הרבים ?! בואו קחו גם אתם חלק בפעילות הארגון הקדוש "קרבנו" ותהיו שותפים איתנו בקירוב יהודים בארץ ובעולם לאבינו שבשמיים ובהמשך ההתחזקות של עם ישראל לתורתם !! להזמנת כבוד הרב לשיעורים / לתרומות ותמיכה לארגון חיגו: 03-9091313 אחים יקרים, אם אתם רוצים להיות מעודכנים ראשונים בכל סרטון שעולה לערוץ? לחצו "הירשם כמנוי" (subscribe) ואל תשכחו ללחוץ על סמל הפעמון

הסרטון שישנה לך את ההסתכלות והחשיבה על החיים | הרב רפאל זר HD | חובה צפייה!

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 10:26

חים יקרים, אם אתם רוצים להיות מעודכנים ראשונים בכל סרטון שעולה לערוץ? לחצו "הירשם כמנוי" (subscribe) ואל תשכחו ללחוץ על סמל הפעמון

הרב רפאל זר | השיעור השבועי בפתח תקווה | ביטווח חיים! מדהים! 2021 תשפ״א

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2021 48:27

רוצה להזמין שיעור עם כבוד הרב רפאל זר אצלך בבית / בית כנסת ?! רוצים להמשיך לתמוך בארגון שנגדיל תורה ונזכה את הרבים ?! בואו קחו גם אתם חלק בפעילות הארגון הקדוש "קרבנו" ותהיו שותפים איתנו בקירוב יהודים בארץ ובעולם לאבינו שבשמיים ובהמשך ההתחזקות של עם ישראל לתורתם !! להזמנת כבוד הרב לשיעורים / לתרומות ותמיכה לארגון חיגו: 03-9091313 אחים יקרים, אם אתם רוצים להיות מעודכנים ראשונים בכל סרטון שעולה לערוץ? לחצו "הירשם כמנוי" (subscribe) ואל תשכחו ללחוץ על סמל הפעמון

האודיו שישנה לך את ההסתכלות והחשיבה על החיים | הרב רפאל זר | האזנה חובה! 2021 תשפ״א

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2021 10:26

אחים יקרים, אם אתם רוצים להיות מעודכנים ראשונים בכל סרטון שעולה לערוץ? לחצו "הירשם כמנוי" (subscribe) ואל תשכחו ללחוץ על סמל הפעמון

Fourth Sunday of Advent (Homily) - Father Sergio Muñoz Fita

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2020 8:47

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, In just five days we will celebrate Christmas. The event that we have been preparing for with such enthusiasm - that hidden mystery of which Saint Paul speaks today - is almost here. In this final stretch, I want to encourage all of you not to become distracted now that we are so close to the end. Many may be tempted to think that since they have not lived Advent to this day as they would have liked, it is too late. Some may think, "I have lost the first three weeks, and in the few days that are left, there is no longer time to fix my mistakes and make up for my negligence." After all, how can we remedy in five days what we haven't done in 20? I am going to propose three commitments that can save your Advent, if you have not lived it well so far, or that can help you finish your preparations for Christmas if you have used the time well. The first commitment is the imitation of Mary in today's Gospel. Just as She welcomed the message of God and pondered it in her Heart, I want to invite you to meditate on the mystery of Christmas for 15 minutes a day. If you do this until December 25th, that will be an hour of silent meditation before Christmas. I assure you that in one hour, God can change a person's heart. To help in this meditation, tomorrow I will post on Flocknote some reflections on the mystery of Christmas that can guide your prayer. You could also use the readings from this Sunday, or those of Christmas Day, or other books and materials that you are familiar with and will help you. But, whatever you do, don't steal those fifteen minutes from God! Hang in there like a champion! The second is to make a good confession before Christmas. To arrive at December 25th without being in God's grace defeats the whole purpose of Advent and Christmas. As Origen, a father of the Church, said, “What is the use of Christ being born, if he is not born in you?” Don't let that happen. At St. Anne, the last chance for confession before Christmas will be Tuesday, December 22nd. On that day we will offer 12 hours of confession. You can also go to other parishes if you prefer, but make your heart clean for the coming of the Child Jesus. By the way, I have a favor to ask of you. On these days when we offer extended confession hours, there are always a lot of people who come, and some of them are what Saint John Marie Vianney, the Holy Cure of Ars, used to call "big fish" - people who have not confessed for a long time or who especially need the grace of the sacrament because they have sins that weigh heavily on their consciences. For this reason, I ask all of you that more than ever that day we all strictly adhere to the confession of sins so that every confession can be heard, and that none of those "big fish” go without receiving the grace of a new life that God has come to give us. The last commitment is charity, which I propose to you in the form of forgiveness and reconciliation. God does not forgive a person who is unwilling to forgive from the heart his worst enemy. Do not let Christmas arrive with enmity in your heart for anyone. I encourage you, if necessary, to pick up the phone and communicate with that person who wronged you, or for whom you have any resentment, hold any grudges, or with whom you have separated due to a problem or an argument. It may be one of your siblings or one of your parents, an old friend or an acquaintance. Ask them how they are, wish them a Merry Christmas, ask for their forgiveness without trying to justify your anger. Do whatever it takes so that when the Child Jesus knocks on the door of your heart to fulfill the promise he made to David in the first reading, you can present him with a heart reconciled with God and also reconciled with all your neighbors. Prayer, conversion and reconciliation. Do this in these few days that are left and your Christmas could be the beginning of a new life. We ask Saint John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph to grant us fidelity to God in these resolutions and that we receive Christ as they did: with faith, with great expectation and with extraordinary love.

Solemnity of All Saints (Homily) - Father Sergio Muñoz Fita

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 17:16

Dear Brothers and Sisters: As you know, this Tuesday at 7 pm, we will have a Holy Hour to pray for the results of the elections. I invite you all to participate either through the Internet or in person. As Catholics, we pray that the Will of God is fulfilled in our lives and in our societies and that we will always accept God's designs - even if He allows evil - with peace and joy in tribulation. If you want to pray with us this Tuesday, you are all invited. Secondly, and to close this topic before today's homily, I want to tell you that tonight on Flocknote I will post a link to a homily by Father Sebastian Walshe, who was here in Saint Anne just a few weeks ago, speaking about marriage, natural and Christian. On the link, there is a 13-minute audio, his homily from 7 days ago. It would be impossible for me to repeat it with the same precision and beauty as Father Sebastian, so I encourage all of you to listen to it as if I were preaching it here. You will find in his voice a friend of your souls, a gentle and humble man echoing the teaching of the Gospel. If you want to be at peace with yourself, if you want God to enlighten you in the face of the duty to vote that many of you must exercise, give the Lord 13 minutes of your busy life and for the sake of your own souls and for the sake of your country, listen to Father Sebastian Walshe: https://www.theabbotscircle.co... And now we go to today's homily for Solemnity of All Saints. I sincerely wish you all a happy Solemnity of All Saints. The truth is that this year I really wanted this day to come. Surely, many of you have this experience: you have to take a flight and the day is rainy and gray. The weather is unpleasant and stormy, cold perhaps, low and thick clouds that do not let the sunlight pass through. The plane takes off and a few minutes later, you find yourself above the clouds, in a different world. The sun that previously seemed to have disappeared now bathes the air with light and joy. The clouds that looked ugly and dark from below, from the sky are like a fluffy cotton carpet. Everything is different up there: everything is light, everything is beautiful. I believe that the Church encourages us today to rise above the clouds and storms of this world and reach with our hearts to that other place where everything is life and joy. In heaven, "there is no more crying, no death, no mourning, no pain." There the poor are rich, those who weep are happy, the thirsty are satisfied, the merciful obtain mercy, the peaceful inherit the land, and those persecuted for Christ await a crown of unfading glory. Those are the saints we venerate today. People like us who allowed themselves to be transformed by God's grace and lived on this earth, but with their eyes always set on heaven. Today I encourage you all to look to them, beginning with the Virgin Mary, because they are examples to us of martyrial fidelity to faith and light for our Christian life journey. They intercede for us and encourage us and give us hope. If we are faithful, as they were, one day we will join them in that place where those who do not fear the persecutions and humiliations of the world arrive. In the end, it all comes down to leading a holy life and dying well. If you will allow me to bring the testimony of one of those saints that we celebrate today, and read to you the death of Saint Dominic Savio, a 14-year-old boy. The story is written by his spiritual director, also a saint, Saint John Bosco. Father Antonio read it to me when I was about 12 years old. People may say that death is never beautiful, but that is not true. The death of a saint is one of the most beautiful things that can be witnessed. May the holiness of this child ignite in us the desire to live and die as he did. A brave boy's lesson to fearful adults like us! “Our faith tells us that at the hour of death we will reap the harvest of our good deeds. “What a man has sown, that shall he reap.” If we have planted seeds of evil we can expect disaster upon disaster. Nevertheless, it happens sometimes that even saintly souls feel terror at the approach of death. God allows this, in his admirable decrees, in order to purify those souls of their slight stains and thus assure them a more glorious crown in heaven. It was not so with Dominic. I believe that God gave him that “hundredfold” which he promises to the just before they receive the glory of heaven. Indeed, Dominic’s innocence preserved till death, his lively faith, his continual prayers, his long penances, and his life filled with pain certainly deserved comfort at the moment of death. Hence, Dominic watched death draw close with the peacefulness of an innocent soul. It would seem that his body, too, was spared the pain and agony that usually accompany its separation from the soul. Dominic’s death was more a falling asleep than a dying. It was the night of March 9, 1857. He had already received the comforts of our holy religion. Those who heard him speak and saw the peace of his countenance thought he was resting. He was happy, his eyes were bright, he was fully conscious. No one but himself could have thought he was so close to death. An hour and a half before he breathed his last, the pastor came to him and, noting his calmness, was surprised to hear him commend his soul to God. Dominic kept repeating short prayers in long, drawn out breaths. All could see how eager he was to go to eternity. What could a priest suggest to a boy in his last hours? After reciting some prayers with him, he turned to leave. “Please, Father,” Dominic called out, “give me a little remembrance before you go.” “What remembrance can I leave you?” “Something to comfort me.” “I can think of nothing else but to remember the passion of Jesus!” “Thank you,” Dominic replied. “The passion of Jesus will always be in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may I breath forth my soul in peace with you.” After this he fell asleep and rested for a half hour. Then he opened his eyes, looked at his parents, and gasped, “Dad (Papá), it’s time!” “Here I am, son. What do you need?” “Dad it’s time! Take my prayer book and read me the prayers for a happy death.” At these words his mother broke into sobs and left the bedroom. His father’s heart was filled with grief and sobs choked his voice, but he forced himself to read the prayers. Dominic repeated each word clearly and distinctly. At the end of each verse of the litany of the dying, he kept saying by himself, “Merciful Jesus, have mercy on me!” His father came to the words: “When at length my soul, admitted to your presence, shall first behold the immortal splendor of your majesty, reject it not, but receive me into the loving bosom of your mercy, where I may ever sing your praises.” “Yes,” Dominic gasped, “that is all I want, Dad (Papá). To sing the eternal praises of God!” For a while he appeared to be resting, much like one who is lost in thought before making an important decision. Then he slowly came to, and with a smile he said clearly, “Good-bye, Papá, good-bye! The pastor wanted to tell me something else, but I can’t remember… Oh, what a beautiful thing I see!” With these words and a heavenly smile on his lips, Dominic breathed his last, his hands crossed upon his breast. He did not make the slightest movement. Go, faithful soul! Heaven opens its gates to you! The angels and saints have prepared a welcome for you! Jesus, whom you so loved invites you and calls: “Come, good and faithful servant, you have fought well, you have won your crown! Now come and claim your happiness which shall never fail!” ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR LORD!” May the Lord grant us the grace to live a life like that of the saints so that we can end our days with a holy death like Dominic Savio, eternally singing the praises of God in Paradise.

god jesus christ church father lord internet gospel dad saints paradise catholics virgin mary pap homily all saints solemnity fita holy hour saint anne sergio mu dear brothers

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Homily) - Father Sergio Muñoz Fita

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2020 11:15

Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today the Lord reminds us that there is nothing more important than love. Saint John writes that God is charity, and that God who is love has died on the cross for us. Every week, that sacrifice is made present at Holy Mass, and by uniting us with Jesus in Holy Communion, He gives us the grace to love with Him and like Him. As you know Saint Anne has had for a few months now, a new motto: Fiat Voluntas Tua. Those three words of the Lord's Prayer express the highest form of love. When two people love each other, they become one heart and want the same thing. For this reason, when a person loves God - as we prayed in today's psalm - he wants to do his Will. He does not do it because he is obligated or out of fear of the pains of hell. He does it because he wishes to please the Beloved. As the Lord says in the Gospel of Saint John, "if you love me, you will keep my commandments" (Jn 14:15). Today I want to ask the Lord to give us people in our parish, in our countries and in the Church who are willing to do the Will of God with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their mind. People who will, for the love of God, and also for the love of all men, make our parish motto the teaching of their lives, the reason for all their decisions, the flag of all their battles. Lord, your Will be done! Teach us to say these words that You yourself have taught us at all stages of our lives. When you give us happy days and it is easy for us to see your provident hand in the gifts we receive from you, your Will be done. When you comfort us and make the right decisions easy and simple, your Will be done. When the mystery of the Cross visits us and we experience suffering and darkness, your Will be done. When we feel that life is leaving us and we experience physical limitations and fragility, your Will be done. When our last illness arrives and we face the last days of our existence, your Will be done. When we lose our loved ones and we mourn the departure of those we love, your Will be done. When you allow the smoke of Satan to enter the Church and the good tire of doing good, your Will be done. When in your mysterious providence you allow confusion to spread throughout the world, when evil is hidden under the cloak of good and wolves in sheep’s clothing wreak havoc in your flock, your Will be done. When dryness visits us and we do not feel your Presence, when it seems that you have left us and you allow the test to purify us, your Will be done. Lord, your Will be done, and at the same time help us to always do your Will, which is love. Your Will is that we love our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest among us: the unborn, the children, the needy, the poor, the sick, the foreigners, the orphans. Help us to do your Will. Your will is that we do not abandon the battle, but fight against evil with the weapons of truth, charity and peace: Help us to do your Will. Your will is that our friendship with you be our main priority and we do not fall into the traps of this world which passes away: Help us to do your will. Your will is to overcome the culture of death with the culture of life: Help us to do your will. Your will is to overcome ignorance of faith with knowledge of revealed truth: Help us to do your Will. Your Will is the defense of the family, formed by the union of a man and a woman. Help us to do your Will Your will is a world where every child is loved and welcomed, where every child has a father and a mother who love them and families in which they can grow up healthy and happy, loving You and others. Help us to do your will. Your Will is holiness in the Pope, the bishops, priests, deacons and the faithful people. Help us to do your Will. Your will is love that endures to the end, that is given without conditions, that does not fail: Help us to do your will. I ask Mary, who said "May it be done to me according to your word", to teach us to be like her and to intercede for us so that we love what God commands and thus deserve what He promises.

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Homily) - Father Sergio Muñoz Fita

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2020 10:46

Dear Brothers and Sisters: So many things could be said about the readings that the Church presents us this Sunday. I want to focus on two ideas that are valid for us, both individually and as a community, and that have given me a lot to think about these past few days in my personal prayer. In one of his sermons, Saint Augustine writes, "God cultivates us like a field to make us better." (Sermon 87) Therefore, the vineyard of the first reading and of the gospel parable can be applied to us. The first of the ideas that I want to share with you is that of God's patience, the Infinite patience of God, waiting for us to bear fruit. I invite you to think about your life, as it has been until today. How many opportunities have you had to bear the fruits of holiness? How many times has God visited you, through people and circumstances, and you have "killed" those occasions of grace, one after another, like those servants who were murdering the servants sent by the owner of the vineyard? In our parents; or in our catechists; in good friends; or in the example and teachings of so many saints; in the good priests we have known; or in so many simple and anonymous people who have been light for us; in so many good books that have fallen into our hands; in messages or movies that have moved us, in all those true, noble, just and pure realities that Saint Paul spoke of in the second reading, the Lord has been sending us - without us realizing it many times - opportunities to bear fruit, and yet our field perhaps remains barren and sterile. Our lives pass us by, and we continue wasting God's visits. At the height of his love, his Son has come to us and we have thrown him out because he annoyed us. We have cut him out of our lives because we believed in our madness that Jesus was an enemy of our happiness. Think of the patience of God in your life. The Apostle Saint Peter writes, “consider the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Pet 3:15) and in the letter of the Apostle James we find these words: “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains". (Jas 5:7). The second idea connects the message of this Sunday with the previous one: we cannot take that infinite patience of God as a pretext to delay our conversion. On the contrary, what should be clear to us from today's readings is that the Lord hopes, (expects, waits) to find fruit. Furthermore, that the Lord will come looking for fruit. I remember a dear Patristics professor of mine, Juan José Ayán, giving us this definition of history, according to the Theology of Saint Irenaeus: history is the time that God takes to mature his creatures. God gives us time to mature and bear fruit. Today's Gospel ended with these terrible words from the Lord, "Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit." Dear brothers and sisters, the clock of our lives is growing closer and closer to stopping. We may have more time behind us than we have ahead of us. One day we will meet God face to face and he will speak to us the words that we heard in the first reading: “What else could I do for my vineyard that I did not?” What else could I have done to save you? I gave you abundant time, countless opportunities, extraordinary people and examples. I gave you my son, Jesus. I did not tire of calling you and attracting you with the bonds of my merciful love ... and here you have arrived, at the end of your road...and your field has not borne the fruits of conversion, of love, and of holiness.” I do not know about you, but I do not want to see myself in that position at the sunset of my life. I thank God for the reminder he gives us in the readings this Sunday to take the Christian life more seriously so that with His help I can start over again. As we will ask in the concluding prayer of this Mass, God grant us to bear fruit and be transformed into the one whom we receive in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Only then will we live in peace, be truly happy and reach that place that surpasses our deepest longings and desires that God has prepared for those who love him. Amen

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Homily)

Sermons - Harvest Church | Arroyo Grande

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2020 11:43

Dear Brothers and Sisters: This Sunday the Word of God reminds us of the duty of fraternal correction. It is a duty because, as the prophet Ezekiel tells us, God holds us responsible for our brethren. In the Gospel, Christ reminds us that, before discussing the faults of our neighbor with third parties, we must first address it privately with them, and if the time comes to have to involve more people, it is exclusively for the purpose of seeking the good of the person who has sinned or to protect the rest of the members of the community. That is to say, the Lord asks us that in this as in the other aspects of our lives we govern ourselves by charity. Saint Paul reminds us in the second reading that we owe nothing to anyone - except to love one another. We should never act out of animosity, impatience, pride, or resentment - only and always, charity. What applies to us as individuals, has even more validity, if that is possible, with respect to the obligation of the Church to proclaim the Gospel and to show men the way to heaven. "It is a part of the Church's mission - we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church – to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it.” (CCE 2246). The Church has the obligation to point out good and evil because, as we have also heard today, the voice of God resounds in that of his Bride, the Church: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” In the Gospel of St Luke, we read: "He who listens to you listens to me" (Lk 10:16). Therefore, the Church receives the Word of God to be his voice in the world so that it can be heard by all peoples and of all history. This country faces a defining moment for the future of the nation in the November elections. We must ask ourselves, both pastors and lay people - for we are all Church - who we are going to listen to, whose voices we are going to trust. In the readings we have just heard, we have the mandate of God, so that with charity we can show the difference between good and evil to those who are disoriented by the noise of the world, the media, and the multiple currents of opinion. What we proclaim is Christian love and we cannot be ashamed of it. That is the best service we can offer our fellow men. Now, love is not an empty word. It has a content that does not lend itself to manipulation. Saint Paul told us today: love sums up the commandments of the old Covenant. It summarizes them, that is to say, it contains them, elevates them, purifies them, embellishes them; it does not eliminate or abolish them. There are moral absolutes; there are trees whose fruit we cannot eat no matter how palatable they may seem, because they do not lead to life but rather to death, temporary or eternal. For example: When Saint Paul reminds us today of the command not to commit adultery and the Church speaks it in the world today, in defense of the sacredness of marriage formed exclusively by a man and a woman, it is preaching authentic love. When Saint Paul reminds us today of the command not to steal and the Church speaks it in the world today, calling for social justice, solidarity and subsidiarity for the small groups of our society, beginning with the family, it is preaching authentic love. When Saint Paul reminds us today of the sacred law not to kill and the Church speaks it in the world today, raising the flag of absolute respect for the life and dignity of the human person from conception to natural death, emphasizing the evil of abortion in any case, and on the red line that Catholics must not cross to support political choices, people or institutions, that promote it by action or by permission, it is preaching authentic love. Today I simply want to invite you to listen to the Church and let our Mother enlighten you with her Magisterium when you exercise your right, which is also a moral obligation (CCE 2240), to vote. Listen to Her with your heart, trusting Her more than your own judgment or the siren songs of lobbies or politicians; believing, as Saint Ignatius writes in his Spiritual Exercises, that what I see as white is black if our Mother the Church teaches me so. "If today you hear his voice - in the voice of his Bride - harden not your hearts". Over the next few days, we will be sending our parishioners, parts of our Bishop's document on Catholics in public life online. I invite you to read it little by little, slowly and in silence. Think about it. Let it illuminate your mind and touch your heart. And when the time comes to exercise your right and your moral obligation, after agreeing on earth about what we are to pray to our heavenly Father - a country where the sacred gifts of freedom, justice, family, and unborn children are always protected and cherished - may the Lord grant us what we have asked of Him.

Whatever Happens Dear Brothers and Sisters, May the Lord Give You Joy

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2020 70:56

brothers and sisters lord give whatever happens dear brothers

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Homily)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2020 9:31

Dear Brothers and Sisters:Today's Gospel brings to mind the end of my pilgrimage to the Holy Land two years ago. After 3 months walking more than 700 miles from Egypt to the border between Israel and Syria, my roaming through those holy places ended precisely in the region of Caesarea Philippi where the confession of Peter that we just heard takes place. It is a green area with abundant water throughout the year, which is contrary to the image we usually have of Israel and Palestine. The day I arrived there, May 8th, it rained a lot, although that didn't matter to me. I was happy because, with God's help, I had happily concluded my journey.It is no coincidence that the landscape of that region is dominated by Mount Hermon, which is the highest peak in all of Israel. In winter there is even a ski slope on the south side of the mountain. It is the largest stone mass in the Holy Land, so the place is very appropriate for the message of Jesus to Simon, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church." I can almost imagine Saint Peter listening to the Lord with his gaze fastened on the summit of Hermon, thus understanding better, visually, that his faith should be as firm and unshakable as that of the mountain.The Church of Christ is the Church of Simon Peter and there is no other. As Saint Augustine expresses, the roots of the Catholic Church are rooted in Peter's confession of faith that day. Peter’s boat that two weeks ago we saw blown about in the storm-tossed sea, is the boat of Jesus. That's where we all come from. Along with Simon, we too proclaim to the world that Christ is the Son of the living God.Allow me to end today with a text from “The Dialogue” of Saint Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church, on the Pope, whom she called "sweet Jesus on earth. The work is called, “The Dialogue”, because it gathers revelations that God the Father communicated directly to the saint. When she went into ecstasy, it took up to five scribes to copy the words that came out of her mouth because they were aware of the value of those revelations and did not want anything to be missed.At one point, God the Father says this to Saint Catherine: This is the key to the Blood of My only-begotten Son, that key which unlocked eternal life, closed for so long a time because of Adam's sin. But after I gave you My Truth, the Word, My only-begotten Son, He suffered and died, and by His death He destroyed your death by letting His Blood be a cleansing bath for you. Thus His Blood and His death, by the power of My divine nature joined with His human nature, unlocked eternal life.And to whom did He leave the keys to this Blood? To the glorious Apostle Peter and to all the others who have come or will come from now until the Final Judgment Day with the very same authority that Peter had. Nor is this authority lessened by any sinfulness on their part; nor can that sinfulness deprive the Blood or any other Sacrament of its perfection. (Ch. 14.115) Those times were not better than ours. I cannot elaborate on this point because it would take us far too long. The important thing is that today the Word of God invites us to renew our faith in the mystery of the Incarnation and encourages us to trust in the wisdom and knowledge of God of which Saint Paul spoke. It gives us the opportunity to appreciate the gift of being part of the community of Jesus, his little flock, which will never be defeated by the powers of the netherworld. We pray for the Pope, “sweet Jesus on earth”, so that as the Vicar of Christ, he may also be his living reflection in the sanctity of his life, the wisdom that is a gift of the Holy Spirit and his love for the sheep of his flock until the end.I also want to ask for your prayers because next week I will be making my five-day canonical retreat and will be away from the parish. God willing, I'll be back in Saint Anne next weekend.God bless you!

Fourth Sunday of Easter - Homily

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2020 8:05

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:Today we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Easter also called "Good Shepherd Sunday" because today's Gospel is always centered on this beautiful image with which Christ describes himself. He is the Good Shepherd and so we evoke him in this Easter season to remind us that risen and alive, he continues to care for his flock. Jesus, “made both Lord and Christ”, as Saint Peter tells us in the first reading, continues to give us, his sheep, lost first by sin and later found by the guardian of our souls, abundant life.I want to take advantage of Good Shepherd Sunday to share with you all some joyous news that I hope will lift the hearts of many in our community. Not all news these days is bad news. Stars still shine in the darkest of nights. A young man from our parish has applied to enter the seminary in the Diocese of Phoenix. If God wills, next year Saint Anne will have a seminarian preparing for priesthood. What a joy! What a gift! Personally, this news has been for me like a ray of light that has penetrated the heavy clouds of these dark days.Christ is not only the Good Shepherd from heaven who intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. Out of love for his people, he also wants to guide his flock in the person of men who stand in his place and represent him sacramentally as channels of grace for the whole Church. So the “yes” of this young man, in addition to an enormous reason for joy, is also a reason for hope. His decision to pursue the call of the priesthood is a message from heaven for all of us. God encourages us with this joyful news. He is telling us that there are still good people willing to give their lives, that He has not forgotten us and continues to care for us, that the Eucharist will not be lacking as long as there are brave men who say with the prophet, "Here I am, send me." (Is 6:8)I ask you to pray, on this Good Shepherd Sunday, for this young man and for all men called to the priesthood. I am aware that this young man is still at the beginning of his journey and that he still has much prayer, much discernment, much learning ahead of him. As our new parish motto says, Fiat Voluntas Tua. He, like everyone else, is here to do the Will of God, wherever it takes him. The long road to the priesthood now opens before him, if the Lord and he desire it. In this discernment, in the exciting journey that is just beginning, he can count on our prayers, our support and our closeness.May Christ, who has come so that we have abundant life, and who is not only our good Shepherd, but also our food, nourish us soon with the bread of the Eucharist. On this day we especially pray for our bishop and all bishops who have received from God the mission of being reflections of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. We pray for all priests and all those who in one way or another have the mission to guide and protect others, whether as parents, teachers, civil leaders or soldiers, that through their union with Jesus they may enter the Heart of the Good Shepherd and willingly give their lives for their sheep. And, after this pilgrimage through the dark valleys of this life, may the Good Shepherd lead all of us home to the verdant pastures and restful waters of Heaven.

Mantra 1

god gurus faith in god mantra sitaram dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 30:55

Ma's message to us: "Dear Brothers and Sisters -- We are sending these mantras which you can listen to and invoke the energies to counteract the pandemic. Please don't be fearful but have faith in God and Guru. Sitaram!!"

Introduction

god gurus faith in god sitaram dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 0:30

Ma's message to us: "Dear Brothers and Sisters -- We are sending these mantras which you can listen to and invoke the energies to counteract the pandemic. Please don't be fearful but have faith in God and Guru. Sitaram!!"

Mantra 2

god gurus faith in god mantra sitaram dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 35:54

Ma's message to us: "Dear Brothers and Sisters -- We are sending these mantras which you can listen to and invoke the energies to counteract the pandemic. Please don't be fearful but have faith in God and Guru. Sitaram!!"

Sarve Bhavantu

god gurus faith in god sitaram dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 0:52

Ma's message to us: "Dear Brothers and Sisters -- We are sending these mantras which you can listen to and invoke the energies to counteract the pandemic. Please don't be fearful but have faith in God and Guru. Sitaram!!"

NL-Day037 Exodus 13; Exodus 14; Job 37; 2 Peter 1

Daily Bible Reading Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2020 23:05

EXODUS 13-14:Yesterday we heard of the final plague— including the death of the firstborn and the first Passover. And we heard the rules for the Passover celebrations. Note how Christ is foreshadowed in the Passover lamb, including the detail that not a bone was to be broken. JOB 37:This is the conclusion of Elihu's speech. 2nd PETER 1:Yesterday in James 5, James railed against the rich to encourage the poor. He also told us how to be patient in our suffering. The last section teaches about prayer for the sick and finally about repentance. I add a little footnote here. So often I hear the part about praying for the sick quoted by people who do not bother to fulfill all the instructions that James gives. If we are going to claim promises in Scriptures, we need to fulfill the conditions given! This 2nd letter of Peter's was probably written not long before he was martyred in AD 68. Or it could have been written as early as AD 65. A different person with a very different vocabulary served as Peter’s secretary to write this. One of the things that tells me that Peter really was the author is his consistent humility. In 1Peter 5, he spoke of himself as a fellow elder and a fellow in looking forward to the glory that will be revealed to us. And he starts this letter in a similar vein, calling his listeners those ‘who share the same precious [faith/way of believing] we [apostles] have.’ Constable quotes Vernon McGee:“Second Peter is the swan song of Peter, just as 2 Timothy is the swan song of Paul. There are striking similarities between the two books. Both epistles put up a warning sign along the pilgrim pathway the church is traveling to identify the awful apostasy that was on the way at the time and which in our time has now arrived. What was then like a cloud the size of a man’s hand today envelops the sky and produces a storm of hurricane proportions. Peter warns of heresy among teachers; Paul warns of heresy among the laity.” GNT Translation notes:2Ptr. 1:1 From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ—To those who through the righteousness of _our God and Savior Jesus Christ_ have been given a [way of believing//faith] as precious as ours:[One has to be very observant to pick up from the GNT above that Peter designates Jesus as _both_ our God and our Savior. That Jesus is being named as God is quite clear in the Greek. In our translation into Indonesian we made that clear by isolating the idea in a separate sentence.PET: 1-2 Dear Brothers and Sisters of mine in the faith— namely you who have been blessed by God so that you fully believe in Christ Jesus just like we do. And because of believing you’re blessed abundantly just like we have— in that we have been saved through what Christ Jesus did to make us righteous. _He is our God and Savior!_]3 God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a [godly//truly religious] life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness.4 In [that//this] way he has given us the very great and precious [promises//gifts he promised], so that by means of [those promises//these gifts] you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature.20 PET Above all else, however, remember that [no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. (See NIV.)//none of us can explain by ourselves a prophecy in the Scriptures. ][GNT gives a different interpretation than what most translations follow. I think GNT’s interpretation of this verse is possible, but less likely to be right as the majority one.] NLT Translation notes:Exo. 13:31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the L ORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. [At last/0] they [fully believed//put their faith] in the L ORD and in his servant Moses.====1 This letter is from Simon a Peter, a slave and apostle of Christ Jesus.I am writing to you who share the same precious [beliefs/faith] we have. The things we fully believe were given to us//faith we have. This faith was given to you] because of the justice and fairness of [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], our God and Savior.5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your [believing/faith] with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,14 For our Lord [and Christ Jesus//Lord Jesus Christ] has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,

god jesus christ lord israel scripture greek exodus savior sisters scriptures egyptian passover indonesians supplement 2 peter 1 exodus 14 exodus 13 exo constable elihu that jesus gnt dear brothers nlt translation gnt translation

29: Dear Brothers ft. Justin Jordan

Growing Gardenias

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2019 43:26

Dear Brothers,⁣ ⁣ It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to be depressed. It’s okay to be anxious. It’s okay to not be yourself. It’s okay to not be strong all the time. You are not alone and you are safe. ⁣ ⁣ In this episode, I sit down with my long time friend Justin Jordan, to have a very important conversation that everyone needs to hear. We dive into his relationship with his father, how he is navigating his mental health as a new father and being a black man in this country, and some ways we can tackle our issues and childhood traumas. He has a special message for all my men out there. Not only my men, for my women too. If you have a man in your life you need to hear this! You don’t want to miss it. Tune in. Bringing you #GardedniaGems on a talk everyone needs to hear. You can now become a supporter of my podcast! anchor.fm/growing-gardenias/support Join the Gardenia family: Instagram: @growinggardenias @msniarajasmine --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/growing-gardenias/message

gardenia justin jordan dear brothers

S2E16 Opportunities For Great Joy

#JustFiveMinutes

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2019 5:03

We are going into the HOLIDAY SEASON and it's not always easy for some... but James 1:2 says "Dear Brothers and Sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." Be encouraged today! (w/song "Joy" by For King And Country)

opportunities sisters holiday season great joy dear brothers for king and country

Episode #11: Has The Shroud Been Debunked? John Calvin vs. The Shroud

Bible Reading Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2019 60:31

Episode 4: Busting Shroud Myths, Part 2: In one statement, John Walsh (His book The Shroud) observed: “The Shroud of Turin is either the most awesome and instructive relic of Jesus Christ in existence ... or it is one of the most ingenious, most unbelievably clever, products of the human mind and hand on record. It is one or the other; there is no middle ground.” I did a recent - July, 2019 - survey of Baptist Pastors on The Shroud of Turin. Of those that responded to the poll - only 3.5 percent believed that the Shroud was the genuine burial cloth of Jesus. Half of them were agnostic - it was an interesting historical artifact that could not be verified, and just slightly under half 41 percent - believed the Shroud to be a forgery. I did a much larger poll in The Astonishing Legends facebook group - a group of people that are quite open and interested in paranormal things. In that survey, 132 out of 350 - 38 percent - believed the Shroud to be a hoax, which is very similar to the Baptist pastor's percentage. However, there were more true believers in the paranormal group, with 37 out of 350 - 11 percent - believing that the Shroud was the genuine burial cloth of Jesus. Shroud agnostics - believing the Shroud to be interesting, but unverifiable - represented 181 out of 350 respondents, just over half at 52 percent. Therefore, based on my informal surveys of a little over 400 people - roughly half of those respondents are just like me - uncertain about the Shroud. Over the next few episodes of this podcast, we are going to cover the history of the Shroud of Turin, and the most modern research and findings. Maybe by the time we are done, we'll all still be Shroud agnostics, but maybe - just maybe - we will together unearth enough information to change our minds and develop a clearer and more definitive view of one of the most controversial and noteworthy artifacts of church history. Today, we are continuing to bust some myths about the Shroud. Next episode we will present 10-25 arguments in favor of the authenticity of the Shroud, some arguments against it, and likely conclude this series. Myth: The Shroud has always been owned by the Catholic Church, and they have officially endorsed it. In fact, it appears that the Catholic Church did not have official possession of The Shroud until 1983 when the royal House of Savoy conveyed ownership of The Shroud to The Holy See. If you remember your AP Modern European History, you might remember that the Savoys began as a small ruling family in the Alps northwest of Italy proper, and grew to become the dominant royal family in Italy, reigning over the country from 1861-1946, and also briefly ruled Spain in the 1800s. Although the Catholic church does not have an official position on The Shroud, several Popes and other church officials have commented favorably about it, including: Cardinal Ratzenberger/Pope Benedict, who called The Shroud, “A truly mysterious image, which no human artistry was capable of producing. In some inexplicable way, it appeared imprinted upon cloth and claimed to show the true face of Christ, the crucified and risen Lord".” (This was said when Ratzenberger was a Cardinal, and was not said officially/Ex Cathedra, so it was not considered an official endorsement of the whole church. Pius 11, 1936, “These are not pictures of the Blessed Virgin, it is true, but pictures that remind us of her as no other can. Since they are pictures of her Divine Son, and so, we can truly say, the most moving, loveliest, dearest ones that we can imagine." What a strange quote - am I wrong that it seems to be suggesting that pictures of Mary, mother of Jesus, would be more remarkable than pictures of Jesus, the son of God? When any theology places more attention, emphasis and weight on Mary than they do on Jesus, this is where I have a massive difference with them. Source of quote “The Shroud, a Guide” by Gino Morreto. (I note here that I can't find this quote by Pius 11 elsewhere) Pope John Paul II "Since it is not a matter of faith, the church has no specific competence to pronounce on these questions," the late Pope John Paul II said in 1998. ALSO: “The Holy Shroud is the most splendid relic of the Passion and Resurrection [of Our Lord Jesus Christ]. We become what we contemplate... Why don't we contemplate the Icon of Icons: The Holy Face of Jesus!" Instead of icons made by man, let us venerate the greatest icon of all: The Holy Face of Jesus!” and also, “The Shroud is an image of God's love as well as of human sin ... The imprint left by the tortured body of the Crucified One, which attests to the tremendous human capacity for causing pain and death to one's fellow man, stands as an icon of the suffering of the innocent in every age." Most recently, Pope Francis commented on The Shroud during his first Easter address: Dear Brothers and Sisters, I join all of you gathered before the Holy Shroud, and I thank the Lord for offering us this opportunity, thanks also to new devices. We do not merely “look” if we are looking at it, it is not a simple look, but it is a form of veneration, a look of prayer and also it is a way of letting him look at us. This face has eyes that are closed, it is the face of one who is dead, and yet mysteriously he is watching us, and in silence he speaks to us. How is this possible? How is it that the faithful, like you, pause before this icon of a man scourged and crucified? It is because the Man of the Shroud invites us to contemplate Jesus of Nazareth. This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love. Let us therefore allow ourselves to be reached by this look, which is directed not to our eyes but to our heart. In silence, let us listen to what he has to say to us from beyond death itself. By means of the Holy Shroud, the unique and supreme Word of God comes to us: Love made man, incarnate in our history; the merciful love of God who has taken upon himself all the evil of the world to free us from its power. This disfigured face resembles all those faces of men and women marred by a life which does not respect their dignity, by war and violence which afflict the weakest… And yet, at the same time, the face in the Shroud conveys a great peace; this tortured body expresses a sovereign majesty. It is as if it let a restrained but powerful energy within it shine through, as if to say: have faith, do not lose hope; the power of the love of God, the power of the Risen One overcomes all things. So, looking upon the Man of the Shroud, I make my own the prayer which Saint Francis of Assisi prayed before the Crucifix: Most High, glorious God, enlighten the shadows of my heart, and grant me a right faith, a certain hope and perfect charity, sense and understanding, Lord, so that I may accomplish your holy and true command. Amen. One Catholic commentator on St. Francis' speech above noted, “"The shroud draws [people] to the tormented face and body of Jesus and, at the same time, directs [people] toward the face of every suffering and unjustly persecuted person." This is condemning/damming the Shroud with faint praise and reinforces that Pope Francis really does think (wrongly) that the Shroud is just another fake icon.” I agree with that commentator - reading between the lines of St. Francis' pronunciation, speech, it is quite clear that he is either a Shroud Agnostic, or possibly even thinks it is a forgery. So - it would seem that, in the Catholic church, the opinions on the authenticity of The Shroud are quite varied. It appears that more Catholic leaders consider The Shroud authentic than do leaders of other major religious groups, but the fact that The Vatican has stopped short of pronouncing the Turin Shroud should possibly give us pause. Do they have reason to suspect it is inauthentic - unreleased reasons? Possibly. I'll say this - I don't understand religious veneration of objects. That seems completely contra to the clear teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Some branches of Christianity do this, but I think they are missing it. If The Shroud is authentic, then it is fascinating and wonderful, but not at all worthy of a single drop of religious devotion. If it is inauthentic, then it is less so. Either way, it is a fascinating artifact. If genuine, it is one of the great treasures of history and should be in our finest museum. Just don't worship it - it is a linen cloth. It didn't die for you. It has no power to save you. I see no indication that it holds any special significance to God. I own a collectible card with a verified piece of a jacket that Elvis Presley sang in and wore. If I had the whole jacket - what would that avail me? Would it help me dance better? Sing better? Become more famous? Could I bring it to Graceland and get free entry for wearing it? Could I take it to surviving members of Elvis' family, and ask to become an honorary Presley? None of those things. And The Shroud would get you less far in Heaven than The Presley jacket would get you in Graceland. What should we do if it is inauthentic? Burn it, throw it away? Of course not! I still believe it belongs in our finest museums of art (as opposed to history) If it is art - it is incredible art. Mystifying and awe-inspiring. Whatever it is - The Vatican isn't saying for sure one way, or another. They appear to be fans, but in a mostly unofficial capacity. Maybe Myth: The Shroud has been fully replicated. One of the major issues that has surrounded The Shroud from the beginning has been that, up until recently - even skeptics agreed that the way The Shroud was produced is unknown and thus postulating a medieval forgery was quite difficult, because nobody knew how a person could forge such an image with medieval equipment. There have been other ancient technologies that have been a mystery to modern man. Damascus steel, for instance, has not been inarguably replicated by modern blacksmiths. Roman Concrete has a kind of durability that modern concrete lacks, and scientists are only recently discovering some of the secrets to its longevity. Archimedes is said to have developed a sort of heat ray that was powerful enough to burn up boats from a significant distance away, but it is difficult for us to replicate such a ray using the technology that Archimedes would have had 200 years before the birth of Jesus. To that list, we should certainly add The Shroud, for if it is a forgery - it is an incredibly sophisticated, impressive and technologically advanced one. N.D. Wilson's amazing 2005 article in Christianity Today, entitled “Father Brown fakes The Shroud” is a must read for Shroud enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the only possible way to read it is to get your hands on that 2005 magazine in a library somewhere, or pay CT $30 for a digital subscription - which is what I did. 15 years ago N.D. Wilson supposedly figured out how one might fake The Shroud of Turin, and since that time, I have heard several people say or intimate that The Shroud had conclusively been proven a fraud with the 1-2 punch of #1 1988 medieval dating and #2 Wilson's reproduction. Wilson's method of duplicating The Shroud is ingenious. Basically, he and an artist friend painted a reverse image on a large pane of glass, and then had the sun shine through that image onto a Linen cloth over a period of several days. The sun bleached the cloth - lighter in areas of heavy paint and darker in areas of light paint. The resulting image does indeed look fairly authentic and Shroud-like to the naked eye. It does prove that it is possible, with the right equipment, to put a negative-like image like The Shroud onto a linen cloth. Here are some objections that have been raised: 1. The cloth contains pollen from plants only found in Palestine - that would be difficult for a European forger to get. For one, he would have no idea that such a thing could potentially authenticate The Shroud. Wilson notes that the cloth could have been procured from a first century, Jewish grave, which I suppose is technically possible. 2. The figure in the Turin Shroud is pierced through his wrists, not through his hands. In recent years, it has been discovered that crucified people would have to have been pierced through their wrists (and not their hands) in order to actually be suspended from a cross. This does not at all contradict the Passion accounts in all four Gospels in the Bible, because the Greek word used for ‘hands' can also include the wrist area, unlike our English, which more clearly delineates between the two. Almost the totality of medieval art depicts the nails used during the crucifixion of Jesus being located in the hands, rather than the wrists. If the Shroud were a forgery, it is remarkable in the extreme that the forger would have known to include nail holes in the wrists, rather than in the hands. 3. I am not an expert on 1300s era glass technology, but some who are have argued that the kind of large and flat pane windows that would have been needed to sun-bleach the painted image of a man onto a large linen cloth would not have been available in the early medieval period. This is a fairly strong objection that I don't believe Wilson's article - as thorough as it is - addresses fully. 4. The figure on the Shroud has real wounds and real blood. This, of course, means that it was more than merely a sun-bleached image. Wilson contends that somebody had to have been murdered in order for forgers to make The Shroud using his method. Again, such a thing is technically possible. 5. It appears to some that the figure in The Shroud has coins in its eyes - and the type of coins appear to be first century coins that would have been commonly used in Israel during the time of Christ. That a medieval forger would be able to add such a detail is fairly astonishing. Of course, as with everything surrounding The Shroud, others (and Wilson, I presume) argue that there are no coin impressions in the eyes of the Shroud-figure. 6. Finally, if The Shroud is a forgery, those who painted the image on the glass had a remarkable and accurate knowledge of both the full details of Roman crucifixion and how the body would have responded to such crucifixion. Additionally, the anonymous forgers would have had to have a strong knowledge of anatomy and wound-effects, as the wounds on The Shroud figure are consistent with what modern medical technology would expect. Wilson contends that there were many medieval people with deep and accurate knowledge of anatomy, and the only reason we don't expect the forgers to have such knowledge is because we have a sort of bias against people from the past and assume they are unsophisticated and unintelligent. Such bias is certainly real, I will readily admit, though it does seem that medical history of the last 500 years demonstrates that medieval medicine and anatomy was indeed quite primitive. So - did Wilson definitively prove that medieval forgers could have produced The Shroud? Maybe, maybe not. Even Wilson admits, “I have not proved much. Or, I do not think that I have. Men and women who have believed in the Shroud will continue to believe. There is a fireman somewhere in Italy who risked his life to save the Shroud. I have a great deal of respect for that man. Perhaps I've given those who disbelieve more reason for noses lifted in the air, but I have not proved that the Shroud was faked. What I have done is crudely demonstrate that such an image could easily be produced in a matter of weeks by wicked men with no scruples, a little imagination, and a little more skill. The fact that it could have been faked does not mean that it was, though I believe it to have been. ” I'll say this - Wilson's supposed forgers would have had to be: remarkably intelligent, gifted with art, well supplied with very rare (if existent) glass panes, and have an astonishing - for the time - knowledge of medicine, Roman history and human anatomy. Additionally, they would have had to be in possession of a cloth from Palestine, and possibly even pollen that had come from Palestine as well. There have been other attempts to recreate the Shroud as well. In 2009 the University of Pavia organic chemistry professor and skeptic society member Luigi Garlaschelli produced a fairly convincing (at first glance) reproduction. He describes his attempt: "What you have now is a very fuzzy, dusty and weak image, Then for the sake of completeness I have added the bloodstains, the burns, the scorching because there was a fire in 1532." Garlaschelli says his work disproves the claims of the shroud's strongest supporters. "Basically the Shroud of Turin has some strange properties and characteristics that they say cannot be reproduced by human hands,"For example, the image is superficial and has no pigment, it looks so lifelike and so on, and therefore they say it cannot have been done by an artist." "The procedure is very simple. The artist took this sheet and put it over one of his assistants," "His good idea was to wrap the sheet over the person underneath because he didn't want to obtain an image that was too obviously a painting or a drawing, so with this procedure you get a strange image, Time did the rest," As you might imagine, there are several people who disagree that Garlaschelli has produced a convincing replica. Dr. Thibault Heimburger has written an extensive and scientific rebuttal of Garlaschelli's method, essentially arguing that it does not really duplicate all of the elements of the Shroud, but is only a superficial likeness. His paper, linked in the shownotes, concludes: L.G. concluded: “We have also shown that pigments containing traces of acidic compounds can be artificially aged after the rubbing step (…) in such a way that, when the pigment is washed away, an image is obtained having the expected characteristics as the Shroud of Turin. In particular the image is pseudo negative, is fuzzy with half-tones, resides on the top-most fibers of the cloth, has some 3D embedded properties and does not fluoresce”. I think to the contrary that the image has none of these characteristics (except negativity and nonfluorescence). L.G. used a sophisticated method and a new interesting hypothesis, and he got the best Shroud-like image today. It is interesting to notice that even so, the properties of his image remain in fact very far from the fundamental properties of the Shroud image. 9 For the moment, the Shroud image remains unfakeable. Source: https://www.shroud.com/pdfs/thibault-lg.pdf Shroud blogger Stephen Jones has also debunked the replication of Garlaschelli: http://theshroudofturin.blogspot.com/2018/08/my-critique-of-borrini-m-garlaschelli-l.html 3. The complex herringbone twill pattern of the Shroud was not possible in the first century. Some Shroud skeptics have speculated that the particular pattern of sewing used on the Shroud is too complex and advanced have been created in the first century. In the Summer of 2000, archaeologists James Tabor and Shimon Gibson stumbled upon a freshly robbed first century grave outside of Jerusalem. Amazingly, the grave still had bodies in it, and one of them was encased in a somewhat intact first century shroud - the first shroud of that era that has been recovered in or around Jerusalem. Tabor writes of this discovery in a way that is very dismissive of the Turin Shroud: Although 1st century cloth has been found at Masada and in caves in the Judean Desert, nothing of this sort had ever been found in Jerusalem. Apparently that niche, sealed with a blocking stone, had a geological fissure that kept water from seeping in and rotting the material. The tomb had any number of interesting features. DNA studies were done on all the individuals represented in the tomb—the first time, so far as we know, that this had even been done in an ancient Jerusalem tomb of this period. Textile analysis was done on the cloth—it turned out to be a mixture of linen and wool, not woven together but layered with a separate head piece. It had a distinctive 1st century weave—in contrast to the Shroud of Turin. News articles from major sites like BBC and CNN concluded that this was yet more evidence that the Shroud was a fake. From the CNN article: “And in addition, the weave of the shroud raises fresh doubts about the Shroud of Turin, which many people believe was used to wrap the body of Jesus. According to researchers involved in the excavation and subsequent testing, the recently discovered shroud lends more credible evidence that the Shroud of Turin does not date to Roman times when Jesus died but from a later period.” SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/12/16/mideast.ancient.shroud/index.html However, it should be noted that none of the researchers actually engaged in much textile research, nor were they textile experts. They were simply taking the design and weave of one 1st century burial cloth and concluding that all other 1st century burial cloths from that area would have a similar weave-pattern. That seems plausible at first, but it turns out that it is not true. Hamburg textile expert Mechthild Flury-Lemberg is a recognized art historian and expert on the restoration of ancient textiles. She was able to examine and work on restoration/repair of the Shroud in 2001/2002 and published a book on it. She concludes on chapter of that book by saying: “The seam that connects the 8 cm wide strip to the larger segment is not a simple one. The type of seam construction chosen clearly displays the intention to make the seam disappear on the face of the cloth as much as possible. This is another reason to believe that the Shroud was planned and produced by professionals. The sewing has been done from the reverse of the fabric and the stitches have been executed with great care and are barely noticeable on the face of the Shroud. The seam appears flat on the face and raised like a roll on the reverse of the fabric . Examples of this same kind of seam are again to be found among the textile fragments of Masada, already mentioned above. To conclude this chapter it can be said that the linen cloth of the Shroud of Turin does not display any weaving or sewing techniques which speak against its origin as a high quality product of the textile workers of the first century A.D.” SOURCE: Sindon by Mechthild Flury-Lemberg, pages 59-60, December 2001. John Tyerer, a chartered textile technologist, “It would be reasonable to conclude the linen textiles with ‘Z' twist yarns and woven 3/1 reversing twill similar to the Turin Shroud could have been produced in the first century Syria or Palestine.” (Source: The Shroud and The Controversy by Gary Habermas and Kenneth E. Stevenson, pg. 69) 4. The Shroud was myth-busted by John Calvin, among many others, who show us that The Scripture demands TWO burial cloths (one for the head, one for the body) and not ONE. The Sudarium of Oviedo, long believed to be the "napkin" that was wrapped around Our Lord's head after His crucifixion and death, has been shown to have 120 "points of coincidence" with the Shroud, including the same AB blood type. Researchers assert, "The only possible conclusion is that the Oviedo sudarium covered the same face as the Turin Shroud." John Calvin: 4 Arguments against The Shroud: THERE ARE MULTIPLE ‘SHROUDS' THAT CLAIM TO BE GENUINE. It is now time to treat of the “sudary,” about which relic they have displayed their folly even more than in the affair of the holy coat; for besides the sudary of Veronica, which is shown in the Church of St Peter at Rome, it is the boast of several towns that they each possess one, as for instance Carcassone, Nice, Aix-la-Chapelle, Tréves, Besançon, without reckoning the fragments to be seen in various places.Now, I ask whether those persons were not bereft of their senses who could take long pilgrimages, at much expense and fatigue, in order to see sheets, of the reality of which there were no reasons to believe, but many to doubt; for whoever admitted the reality of one of these sudaries shown in so many places, must have considered the rest as wicked impostures set up to deceive the public by the pretence that they were each the real sheet in which Christ's body had been wrapped. Answer: That counterfeits exist does not at all prove that there is no genuine article. Rather, a counterfeit shroud (or three) can be a fairly convincing proof that - at least at one time - there was a significant genuine shroud. 2. THE BIBLE DOES NOT RECORD A CLOTH WITH AN IMPRESSION ON IT. St John, in his Gospel, relates even how St Peter, having entered the sepulchre, saw the linen clothes lying on one side, and the napkin that was about his head on the other; but he does not say that there was a miraculous impression of our Lord's figure upon these clothes, and it is not to be imagined that he would have omitted to mention such a work of God if there had been any thing of this kind. Answer: John 21:25 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. This is a clear argument from silence. That doesn't mean it carries now weight - it does indeed carry some weight...but not enough to actually disprove the veracity of the Shroud. It should be pointed out that the miracle of the Shroud IF it happened and IF it was noticed by the ladies or the disciples would NOT have been all that significant in comparison to the resurrection of Jesus or the appearance of angels at the tomb. One can quite easily answer this argument from silence with another plausible argument from silence, and it is one I've not heard before. Consider how short, relatively speaking, each of the Gospels are - the Longest is Luke, checking in at just under 20000 words. In total, all four Gospels are approximately 65,000 words - not very lengthy. This is about the size of a shortish paper-back novel. Given the relative brevity of these accounts, I find it remarkable that ALL FOUR Gospels mention the grave clothes of Jesus. Why? It would seem there would be little reason to record any details about the grave clothes unless...possibly...something remarkable happened to them. Now - is that argument enough to convince a skeptic? Of course not - because it is a very, very weak argument! So is Calvin's argument here that the Gospels would have mentioned it if something miraculous happened with the grave-wrapping of Jesus. 3. THE CLOTHES WERE GUARDED AND LEFT IN THE GRAVE. Another point to be observed is, that the evangelists do not mention that either of the disciples or the faithful women who came to the sepulchre had removed the clothes in question, but, on the contrary, their account seems to imply that they were left there. Now, the sepulchre was guarded by soldiers, and consequently the clothes were in their power. Is it possible that they would have permitted the disciples to take them away as relics, since these very men had been bribed by the Pharisees to perjure themselves by saying that the disciples had stolen the body of our Lord ? This one is not terribly difficult to answer. None of the gospels record the detail of removing the clothing, which could be because they did indeed remove it, but did not notice an image imprinted on it. It is highly unlikely they would have left cloth behind in the grave for reasons both sentimental and practical. As well, it should be noted that the Gospels do not record the presence of a guard at the tomb AFTER the resurrection of Jesus. 4. THE SHROUD IS ONE CLOTH AND THE BIBLE CLEARLY SHOWS THAT TWO CLOTHS SERVED TO BURY JESUS. I shall conclude with a convincing proof of the audacity of the Papists. Wherever the holy sudary is exhibited, they show a large sheet with the full-length likeness of a human body on it. Now, St John's Gospel, chapter nine teenth, says that Christ was buried according to the manner of the Jews ; and what was their custom ? This may be known by their present custom on such occasions, as well as from their books, which describe the ancient ceremony of interment, which was to wrap the body in a sheet, to the shoulders, and to cover the head with a separate cloth. This is precisely how the evangelist described it, saying, that St Peter saw on one side the clothes with which the body had been wrapped, and on the other the napkin from about his head. In short, either St John is a liar, or all those who boast of possessing the holy sudary are convicted of falsehood and deceit. * * This is probably Calvin's most well known argument contra the Shroud and the one that I hear most well-educated Protestants make when I bring up the Shroud to them That the Bible suggests a plurality of gravecloths, but the Shroud is only one cloth. On the surface, this might seem like a pretty compelling claim against the Shroud, but it is not quite as open and shut as Calvin would have us believe. The most relevant passage in the Bible to this discussion is John 20: 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. Pretty clear, right - according to John's Gospel, there were not ONE but TWO burial cloths that wrapped Jesus. One, mentioned in vs 6 (Greek: ὀθόνια (othonia)/PLURAL) and the other in verse 7 - a cloth wrapped around Jesus' head. (Greek: σουδάριον Soudarion) Here's the thing, though - Many Shroud researchers, including Kenneth Stevenson, Gary Habermas, Ian Wilson, Barrie Schwortz and others contend that the Shroud shows evidence that there was a head cloth wrapped around the Shroud figure's neck and head - most likely to hold the jaw in place. It would appear that the Sudarion was not a very significant part of the grave cloths that wrapped Jesus, as Matthew, Mark and Luke do not mention it in particular. Consider: Mark 15:46 46 After he bought some fine linen, he took Him down and wrapped Him in the linen. Then he placed Him in a tomb cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. Luke 23:53 and 24:12 52 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53 Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed...12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went home, amazed at what had happened. And Matthew 27: 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. So, the three synoptic gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke - don't mention the head-wrapping, or the sudarion, but John does. Could this indicate that the sudarion was a smaller garment - one that would not have left much of an imprint on the Shroud? Possibly. But, again, I emphasize - The Shroud seems to allow for the existence of a head-scarf type wrapping, as well as ones around the wrists and feet. Rather than the Biblical account disproving The Shroud, it actually seems to describe it quite well. 5. THE ABUNDANCE OF FAKE RELICS PUT FORWARD BY MEDIEVAL CATHOLICS PROVES THE SHROUD IS ALSO FAKE. St Honoratus has a body at Arles, and another at the island of Lerins, near Antibes.St Giles has a body at Toulouse, and a second in a town bearing his name in Languedoc.I could quote an infinite number of similar cases. I think that the exhibitors of these relics should at least have made some arrangement amongst themselves the better to conceal their barefaced impostures. Something of this sort was managed between the canons of Trêves and those of Liége about St Lambert's head. They compounded, for a sum of money, not to show publicly the head in their possession, in order to avoid the natural surprise of the public at the same relic being seen in two different towns situated so near to each other. But, as I have already remarked at the commencement of this treatise, the inventors of these frauds never imagined anyone could be found bold enough to speak out and expose their deceptions. This is really more of a subset of argument #1, and it is a fairly strong argument. However, it must be said that not every statement made by a dishonest person is a lie, and it is perfectly possible that not every relic claimed by the medieval Catholic church was fake. Most likely were. Were they ALL fake? I'm not convinced they were. So - Hopefully you've enjoyed this little bit of busting myths. You can probably tell that I want the Shroud to be the real thing. There's several reasons for this, but none of them are apologetics-related. In other words, I don't want the Shroud to be the real burial cloth of Jesus because I think that would help prove the Bible to be reliable, or Jesus to be the resurrected Son of God. No article could prove such a thing. I do, however, want the Shroud to be real and genuine in the same sort of way that I want there to be a real Loch Ness Monster, or an extant Holy Grail somewhere out there. The world is a more interesting place with a legit Nessie swimming around in the cold waters of Scotland, and it is a more interesting place with real, tangible artifacts from the time of Jesus. Does that bias me? Possibly it does, and I don't want to enter this discussion biased. It does make me consider the claims of debunkers with a greater skepticism, however, and that might not be a bad thing. I love John Calvin and am quite persuaded by his soteriological leanings in the realm of theology. That said, I believe his debunking of The Shroud is somewhat ham-handed, especially his contention that it is easily proved false by John 20 argument that the Bible says there were two different kinds of grave-clothes. I believe that there were indeed two different kinds of graveclothes used on Jesus - the Bible is explicit about this - there was a linen cloth that the body of Jesus was wrapped in, and a head covering (of some sort) that went along with it. That said, the Shroud appears to show evidence of there being a head scarf or head wrapping of some sort, and even if it didn't, one could easily see how the Shroud figure could have been wrapped in more than one cloth. I have little patience for people who believe the extraordinary simply because somebody told them it was so - gullibility is delightful in children, but unbecoming and unsophisticated in adults. I also have little patience for those who claim to debunk complex objects and possibilities with overly-simplistic and reductionist arguments. It is definitely possible - even plausible - that the Shroud of Turin is a medieval forgery, but the fact that John 20:7 mentions a sudarion that was on the head of Jesus does not necessarily debunk the authenticity of The Shroud in any sore of logical, philosophical or archaeological way. Ok - that was a long episode. ONE more Shroud episode coming up - a summation of sorts. I hope to have 20-25 reasons to believe the Shroud could be authentic as well as a number of reasons to NOT believe in the authenticity of The Shroud. Thanks for being patient, and thanks for listening. Please leave a positive review if you are so inclined.

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Episode #11: Has The Shroud Been Debunked? John Calvin vs. The Shroud

Bible Questions Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2019 60:31

Episode 4: Busting Shroud Myths, Part 2: In one statement, John Walsh (His book The Shroud) observed: “The Shroud of Turin is either the most awesome and instructive relic of Jesus Christ in existence ... or it is one of the most ingenious, most unbelievably clever, products of the human mind and hand on record. It is one or the other; there is no middle ground.” I did a recent - July, 2019 - survey of Baptist Pastors on The Shroud of Turin. Of those that responded to the poll - only 3.5 percent believed that the Shroud was the genuine burial cloth of Jesus. Half of them were agnostic - it was an interesting historical artifact that could not be verified, and just slightly under half 41 percent - believed the Shroud to be a forgery. I did a much larger poll in The Astonishing Legends facebook group - a group of people that are quite open and interested in paranormal things. In that survey, 132 out of 350 - 38 percent - believed the Shroud to be a hoax, which is very similar to the Baptist pastor's percentage. However, there were more true believers in the paranormal group, with 37 out of 350 - 11 percent - believing that the Shroud was the genuine burial cloth of Jesus. Shroud agnostics - believing the Shroud to be interesting, but unverifiable - represented 181 out of 350 respondents, just over half at 52 percent. Therefore, based on my informal surveys of a little over 400 people - roughly half of those respondents are just like me - uncertain about the Shroud. Over the next few episodes of this podcast, we are going to cover the history of the Shroud of Turin, and the most modern research and findings. Maybe by the time we are done, we'll all still be Shroud agnostics, but maybe - just maybe - we will together unearth enough information to change our minds and develop a clearer and more definitive view of one of the most controversial and noteworthy artifacts of church history. Today, we are continuing to bust some myths about the Shroud. Next episode we will present 10-25 arguments in favor of the authenticity of the Shroud, some arguments against it, and likely conclude this series. Myth: The Shroud has always been owned by the Catholic Church, and they have officially endorsed it. In fact, it appears that the Catholic Church did not have official possession of The Shroud until 1983 when the royal House of Savoy conveyed ownership of The Shroud to The Holy See. If you remember your AP Modern European History, you might remember that the Savoys began as a small ruling family in the Alps northwest of Italy proper, and grew to become the dominant royal family in Italy, reigning over the country from 1861-1946, and also briefly ruled Spain in the 1800s. Although the Catholic church does not have an official position on The Shroud, several Popes and other church officials have commented favorably about it, including: Cardinal Ratzenberger/Pope Benedict, who called The Shroud, “A truly mysterious image, which no human artistry was capable of producing. In some inexplicable way, it appeared imprinted upon cloth and claimed to show the true face of Christ, the crucified and risen Lord".” (This was said when Ratzenberger was a Cardinal, and was not said officially/Ex Cathedra, so it was not considered an official endorsement of the whole church. Pius 11, 1936, “These are not pictures of the Blessed Virgin, it is true, but pictures that remind us of her as no other can. Since they are pictures of her Divine Son, and so, we can truly say, the most moving, loveliest, dearest ones that we can imagine." What a strange quote - am I wrong that it seems to be suggesting that pictures of Mary, mother of Jesus, would be more remarkable than pictures of Jesus, the son of God? When any theology places more attention, emphasis and weight on Mary than they do on Jesus, this is where I have a massive difference with them. Source of quote “The Shroud, a Guide” by Gino Morreto. (I note here that I can't find this quote by Pius 11 elsewhere) Pope John Paul II "Since it is not a matter of faith, the church has no specific competence to pronounce on these questions," the late Pope John Paul II said in 1998. ALSO: “The Holy Shroud is the most splendid relic of the Passion and Resurrection [of Our Lord Jesus Christ]. We become what we contemplate... Why don't we contemplate the Icon of Icons: The Holy Face of Jesus!" Instead of icons made by man, let us venerate the greatest icon of all: The Holy Face of Jesus!” and also, “The Shroud is an image of God's love as well as of human sin ... The imprint left by the tortured body of the Crucified One, which attests to the tremendous human capacity for causing pain and death to one's fellow man, stands as an icon of the suffering of the innocent in every age." Most recently, Pope Francis commented on The Shroud during his first Easter address: Dear Brothers and Sisters, I join all of you gathered before the Holy Shroud, and I thank the Lord for offering us this opportunity, thanks also to new devices. We do not merely “look” if we are looking at it, it is not a simple look, but it is a form of veneration, a look of prayer and also it is a way of letting him look at us. This face has eyes that are closed, it is the face of one who is dead, and yet mysteriously he is watching us, and in silence he speaks to us. How is this possible? How is it that the faithful, like you, pause before this icon of a man scourged and crucified? It is because the Man of the Shroud invites us to contemplate Jesus of Nazareth. This image, impressed upon the cloth, speaks to our heart and moves us to climb the hill of Calvary, to look upon the wood of the Cross, and to immerse ourselves in the eloquent silence of love. Let us therefore allow ourselves to be reached by this look, which is directed not to our eyes but to our heart. In silence, let us listen to what he has to say to us from beyond death itself. By means of the Holy Shroud, the unique and supreme Word of God comes to us: Love made man, incarnate in our history; the merciful love of God who has taken upon himself all the evil of the world to free us from its power. This disfigured face resembles all those faces of men and women marred by a life which does not respect their dignity, by war and violence which afflict the weakest… And yet, at the same time, the face in the Shroud conveys a great peace; this tortured body expresses a sovereign majesty. It is as if it let a restrained but powerful energy within it shine through, as if to say: have faith, do not lose hope; the power of the love of God, the power of the Risen One overcomes all things. So, looking upon the Man of the Shroud, I make my own the prayer which Saint Francis of Assisi prayed before the Crucifix: Most High, glorious God, enlighten the shadows of my heart, and grant me a right faith, a certain hope and perfect charity, sense and understanding, Lord, so that I may accomplish your holy and true command. Amen. One Catholic commentator on St. Francis' speech above noted, “"The shroud draws [people] to the tormented face and body of Jesus and, at the same time, directs [people] toward the face of every suffering and unjustly persecuted person." This is condemning/damming the Shroud with faint praise and reinforces that Pope Francis really does think (wrongly) that the Shroud is just another fake icon.” I agree with that commentator - reading between the lines of St. Francis' pronunciation, speech, it is quite clear that he is either a Shroud Agnostic, or possibly even thinks it is a forgery. So - it would seem that, in the Catholic church, the opinions on the authenticity of The Shroud are quite varied. It appears that more Catholic leaders consider The Shroud authentic than do leaders of other major religious groups, but the fact that The Vatican has stopped short of pronouncing the Turin Shroud should possibly give us pause. Do they have reason to suspect it is inauthentic - unreleased reasons? Possibly. I'll say this - I don't understand religious veneration of objects. That seems completely contra to the clear teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Some branches of Christianity do this, but I think they are missing it. If The Shroud is authentic, then it is fascinating and wonderful, but not at all worthy of a single drop of religious devotion. If it is inauthentic, then it is less so. Either way, it is a fascinating artifact. If genuine, it is one of the great treasures of history and should be in our finest museum. Just don't worship it - it is a linen cloth. It didn't die for you. It has no power to save you. I see no indication that it holds any special significance to God. I own a collectible card with a verified piece of a jacket that Elvis Presley sang in and wore. If I had the whole jacket - what would that avail me? Would it help me dance better? Sing better? Become more famous? Could I bring it to Graceland and get free entry for wearing it? Could I take it to surviving members of Elvis' family, and ask to become an honorary Presley? None of those things. And The Shroud would get you less far in Heaven than The Presley jacket would get you in Graceland. What should we do if it is inauthentic? Burn it, throw it away? Of course not! I still believe it belongs in our finest museums of art (as opposed to history) If it is art - it is incredible art. Mystifying and awe-inspiring. Whatever it is - The Vatican isn't saying for sure one way, or another. They appear to be fans, but in a mostly unofficial capacity. Maybe Myth: The Shroud has been fully replicated. One of the major issues that has surrounded The Shroud from the beginning has been that, up until recently - even skeptics agreed that the way The Shroud was produced is unknown and thus postulating a medieval forgery was quite difficult, because nobody knew how a person could forge such an image with medieval equipment. There have been other ancient technologies that have been a mystery to modern man. Damascus steel, for instance, has not been inarguably replicated by modern blacksmiths. Roman Concrete has a kind of durability that modern concrete lacks, and scientists are only recently discovering some of the secrets to its longevity. Archimedes is said to have developed a sort of heat ray that was powerful enough to burn up boats from a significant distance away, but it is difficult for us to replicate such a ray using the technology that Archimedes would have had 200 years before the birth of Jesus. To that list, we should certainly add The Shroud, for if it is a forgery - it is an incredibly sophisticated, impressive and technologically advanced one. N.D. Wilson's amazing 2005 article in Christianity Today, entitled “Father Brown fakes The Shroud” is a must read for Shroud enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the only possible way to read it is to get your hands on that 2005 magazine in a library somewhere, or pay CT $30 for a digital subscription - which is what I did. 15 years ago N.D. Wilson supposedly figured out how one might fake The Shroud of Turin, and since that time, I have heard several people say or intimate that The Shroud had conclusively been proven a fraud with the 1-2 punch of #1 1988 medieval dating and #2 Wilson's reproduction. Wilson's method of duplicating The Shroud is ingenious. Basically, he and an artist friend painted a reverse image on a large pane of glass, and then had the sun shine through that image onto a Linen cloth over a period of several days. The sun bleached the cloth - lighter in areas of heavy paint and darker in areas of light paint. The resulting image does indeed look fairly authentic and Shroud-like to the naked eye. It does prove that it is possible, with the right equipment, to put a negative-like image like The Shroud onto a linen cloth. Here are some objections that have been raised: 1. The cloth contains pollen from plants only found in Palestine - that would be difficult for a European forger to get. For one, he would have no idea that such a thing could potentially authenticate The Shroud. Wilson notes that the cloth could have been procured from a first century, Jewish grave, which I suppose is technically possible. 2. The figure in the Turin Shroud is pierced through his wrists, not through his hands. In recent years, it has been discovered that crucified people would have to have been pierced through their wrists (and not their hands) in order to actually be suspended from a cross. This does not at all contradict the Passion accounts in all four Gospels in the Bible, because the Greek word used for ‘hands' can also include the wrist area, unlike our English, which more clearly delineates between the two. Almost the totality of medieval art depicts the nails used during the crucifixion of Jesus being located in the hands, rather than the wrists. If the Shroud were a forgery, it is remarkable in the extreme that the forger would have known to include nail holes in the wrists, rather than in the hands. 3. I am not an expert on 1300s era glass technology, but some who are have argued that the kind of large and flat pane windows that would have been needed to sun-bleach the painted image of a man onto a large linen cloth would not have been available in the early medieval period. This is a fairly strong objection that I don't believe Wilson's article - as thorough as it is - addresses fully. 4. The figure on the Shroud has real wounds and real blood. This, of course, means that it was more than merely a sun-bleached image. Wilson contends that somebody had to have been murdered in order for forgers to make The Shroud using his method. Again, such a thing is technically possible. 5. It appears to some that the figure in The Shroud has coins in its eyes - and the type of coins appear to be first century coins that would have been commonly used in Israel during the time of Christ. That a medieval forger would be able to add such a detail is fairly astonishing. Of course, as with everything surrounding The Shroud, others (and Wilson, I presume) argue that there are no coin impressions in the eyes of the Shroud-figure. 6. Finally, if The Shroud is a forgery, those who painted the image on the glass had a remarkable and accurate knowledge of both the full details of Roman crucifixion and how the body would have responded to such crucifixion. Additionally, the anonymous forgers would have had to have a strong knowledge of anatomy and wound-effects, as the wounds on The Shroud figure are consistent with what modern medical technology would expect. Wilson contends that there were many medieval people with deep and accurate knowledge of anatomy, and the only reason we don't expect the forgers to have such knowledge is because we have a sort of bias against people from the past and assume they are unsophisticated and unintelligent. Such bias is certainly real, I will readily admit, though it does seem that medical history of the last 500 years demonstrates that medieval medicine and anatomy was indeed quite primitive. So - did Wilson definitively prove that medieval forgers could have produced The Shroud? Maybe, maybe not. Even Wilson admits, “I have not proved much. Or, I do not think that I have. Men and women who have believed in the Shroud will continue to believe. There is a fireman somewhere in Italy who risked his life to save the Shroud. I have a great deal of respect for that man. Perhaps I've given those who disbelieve more reason for noses lifted in the air, but I have not proved that the Shroud was faked. What I have done is crudely demonstrate that such an image could easily be produced in a matter of weeks by wicked men with no scruples, a little imagination, and a little more skill. The fact that it could have been faked does not mean that it was, though I believe it to have been. ” I'll say this - Wilson's supposed forgers would have had to be: remarkably intelligent, gifted with art, well supplied with very rare (if existent) glass panes, and have an astonishing - for the time - knowledge of medicine, Roman history and human anatomy. Additionally, they would have had to be in possession of a cloth from Palestine, and possibly even pollen that had come from Palestine as well. There have been other attempts to recreate the Shroud as well. In 2009 the University of Pavia organic chemistry professor and skeptic society member Luigi Garlaschelli produced a fairly convincing (at first glance) reproduction. He describes his attempt: "What you have now is a very fuzzy, dusty and weak image, Then for the sake of completeness I have added the bloodstains, the burns, the scorching because there was a fire in 1532." Garlaschelli says his work disproves the claims of the shroud's strongest supporters. "Basically the Shroud of Turin has some strange properties and characteristics that they say cannot be reproduced by human hands,"For example, the image is superficial and has no pigment, it looks so lifelike and so on, and therefore they say it cannot have been done by an artist." "The procedure is very simple. The artist took this sheet and put it over one of his assistants," "His good idea was to wrap the sheet over the person underneath because he didn't want to obtain an image that was too obviously a painting or a drawing, so with this procedure you get a strange image, Time did the rest," As you might imagine, there are several people who disagree that Garlaschelli has produced a convincing replica. Dr. Thibault Heimburger has written an extensive and scientific rebuttal of Garlaschelli's method, essentially arguing that it does not really duplicate all of the elements of the Shroud, but is only a superficial likeness. His paper, linked in the shownotes, concludes: L.G. concluded: “We have also shown that pigments containing traces of acidic compounds can be artificially aged after the rubbing step (…) in such a way that, when the pigment is washed away, an image is obtained having the expected characteristics as the Shroud of Turin. In particular the image is pseudo negative, is fuzzy with half-tones, resides on the top-most fibers of the cloth, has some 3D embedded properties and does not fluoresce”. I think to the contrary that the image has none of these characteristics (except negativity and nonfluorescence). L.G. used a sophisticated method and a new interesting hypothesis, and he got the best Shroud-like image today. It is interesting to notice that even so, the properties of his image remain in fact very far from the fundamental properties of the Shroud image. 9 For the moment, the Shroud image remains unfakeable. Source: https://www.shroud.com/pdfs/thibault-lg.pdf Shroud blogger Stephen Jones has also debunked the replication of Garlaschelli: http://theshroudofturin.blogspot.com/2018/08/my-critique-of-borrini-m-garlaschelli-l.html 3. The complex herringbone twill pattern of the Shroud was not possible in the first century. Some Shroud skeptics have speculated that the particular pattern of sewing used on the Shroud is too complex and advanced have been created in the first century. In the Summer of 2000, archaeologists James Tabor and Shimon Gibson stumbled upon a freshly robbed first century grave outside of Jerusalem. Amazingly, the grave still had bodies in it, and one of them was encased in a somewhat intact first century shroud - the first shroud of that era that has been recovered in or around Jerusalem. Tabor writes of this discovery in a way that is very dismissive of the Turin Shroud: Although 1st century cloth has been found at Masada and in caves in the Judean Desert, nothing of this sort had ever been found in Jerusalem. Apparently that niche, sealed with a blocking stone, had a geological fissure that kept water from seeping in and rotting the material. The tomb had any number of interesting features. DNA studies were done on all the individuals represented in the tomb—the first time, so far as we know, that this had even been done in an ancient Jerusalem tomb of this period. Textile analysis was done on the cloth—it turned out to be a mixture of linen and wool, not woven together but layered with a separate head piece. It had a distinctive 1st century weave—in contrast to the Shroud of Turin. News articles from major sites like BBC and CNN concluded that this was yet more evidence that the Shroud was a fake. From the CNN article: “And in addition, the weave of the shroud raises fresh doubts about the Shroud of Turin, which many people believe was used to wrap the body of Jesus. According to researchers involved in the excavation and subsequent testing, the recently discovered shroud lends more credible evidence that the Shroud of Turin does not date to Roman times when Jesus died but from a later period.” SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/12/16/mideast.ancient.shroud/index.html However, it should be noted that none of the researchers actually engaged in much textile research, nor were they textile experts. They were simply taking the design and weave of one 1st century burial cloth and concluding that all other 1st century burial cloths from that area would have a similar weave-pattern. That seems plausible at first, but it turns out that it is not true. Hamburg textile expert Mechthild Flury-Lemberg is a recognized art historian and expert on the restoration of ancient textiles. She was able to examine and work on restoration/repair of the Shroud in 2001/2002 and published a book on it. She concludes on chapter of that book by saying: “The seam that connects the 8 cm wide strip to the larger segment is not a simple one. The type of seam construction chosen clearly displays the intention to make the seam disappear on the face of the cloth as much as possible. This is another reason to believe that the Shroud was planned and produced by professionals. The sewing has been done from the reverse of the fabric and the stitches have been executed with great care and are barely noticeable on the face of the Shroud. The seam appears flat on the face and raised like a roll on the reverse of the fabric . Examples of this same kind of seam are again to be found among the textile fragments of Masada, already mentioned above. To conclude this chapter it can be said that the linen cloth of the Shroud of Turin does not display any weaving or sewing techniques which speak against its origin as a high quality product of the textile workers of the first century A.D.” SOURCE: Sindon by Mechthild Flury-Lemberg, pages 59-60, December 2001. John Tyerer, a chartered textile technologist, “It would be reasonable to conclude the linen textiles with ‘Z' twist yarns and woven 3/1 reversing twill similar to the Turin Shroud could have been produced in the first century Syria or Palestine.” (Source: The Shroud and The Controversy by Gary Habermas and Kenneth E. Stevenson, pg. 69) 4. The Shroud was myth-busted by John Calvin, among many others, who show us that The Scripture demands TWO burial cloths (one for the head, one for the body) and not ONE. The Sudarium of Oviedo, long believed to be the "napkin" that was wrapped around Our Lord's head after His crucifixion and death, has been shown to have 120 "points of coincidence" with the Shroud, including the same AB blood type. Researchers assert, "The only possible conclusion is that the Oviedo sudarium covered the same face as the Turin Shroud." John Calvin: 4 Arguments against The Shroud: THERE ARE MULTIPLE ‘SHROUDS' THAT CLAIM TO BE GENUINE. It is now time to treat of the “sudary,” about which relic they have displayed their folly even more than in the affair of the holy coat; for besides the sudary of Veronica, which is shown in the Church of St Peter at Rome, it is the boast of several towns that they each possess one, as for instance Carcassone, Nice, Aix-la-Chapelle, Tréves, Besançon, without reckoning the fragments to be seen in various places.Now, I ask whether those persons were not bereft of their senses who could take long pilgrimages, at much expense and fatigue, in order to see sheets, of the reality of which there were no reasons to believe, but many to doubt; for whoever admitted the reality of one of these sudaries shown in so many places, must have considered the rest as wicked impostures set up to deceive the public by the pretence that they were each the real sheet in which Christ's body had been wrapped. Answer: That counterfeits exist does not at all prove that there is no genuine article. Rather, a counterfeit shroud (or three) can be a fairly convincing proof that - at least at one time - there was a significant genuine shroud. 2. THE BIBLE DOES NOT RECORD A CLOTH WITH AN IMPRESSION ON IT. St John, in his Gospel, relates even how St Peter, having entered the sepulchre, saw the linen clothes lying on one side, and the napkin that was about his head on the other; but he does not say that there was a miraculous impression of our Lord's figure upon these clothes, and it is not to be imagined that he would have omitted to mention such a work of God if there had been any thing of this kind. Answer: John 21:25 25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if they were written one by one, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. This is a clear argument from silence. That doesn't mean it carries now weight - it does indeed carry some weight...but not enough to actually disprove the veracity of the Shroud. It should be pointed out that the miracle of the Shroud IF it happened and IF it was noticed by the ladies or the disciples would NOT have been all that significant in comparison to the resurrection of Jesus or the appearance of angels at the tomb. One can quite easily answer this argument from silence with another plausible argument from silence, and it is one I've not heard before. Consider how short, relatively speaking, each of the Gospels are - the Longest is Luke, checking in at just under 20000 words. In total, all four Gospels are approximately 65,000 words - not very lengthy. This is about the size of a shortish paper-back novel. Given the relative brevity of these accounts, I find it remarkable that ALL FOUR Gospels mention the grave clothes of Jesus. Why? It would seem there would be little reason to record any details about the grave clothes unless...possibly...something remarkable happened to them. Now - is that argument enough to convince a skeptic? Of course not - because it is a very, very weak argument! So is Calvin's argument here that the Gospels would have mentioned it if something miraculous happened with the grave-wrapping of Jesus. 3. THE CLOTHES WERE GUARDED AND LEFT IN THE GRAVE. Another point to be observed is, that the evangelists do not mention that either of the disciples or the faithful women who came to the sepulchre had removed the clothes in question, but, on the contrary, their account seems to imply that they were left there. Now, the sepulchre was guarded by soldiers, and consequently the clothes were in their power. Is it possible that they would have permitted the disciples to take them away as relics, since these very men had been bribed by the Pharisees to perjure themselves by saying that the disciples had stolen the body of our Lord ? This one is not terribly difficult to answer. None of the gospels record the detail of removing the clothing, which could be because they did indeed remove it, but did not notice an image imprinted on it. It is highly unlikely they would have left cloth behind in the grave for reasons both sentimental and practical. As well, it should be noted that the Gospels do not record the presence of a guard at the tomb AFTER the resurrection of Jesus. 4. THE SHROUD IS ONE CLOTH AND THE BIBLE CLEARLY SHOWS THAT TWO CLOTHS SERVED TO BURY JESUS. I shall conclude with a convincing proof of the audacity of the Papists. Wherever the holy sudary is exhibited, they show a large sheet with the full-length likeness of a human body on it. Now, St John's Gospel, chapter nine teenth, says that Christ was buried according to the manner of the Jews ; and what was their custom ? This may be known by their present custom on such occasions, as well as from their books, which describe the ancient ceremony of interment, which was to wrap the body in a sheet, to the shoulders, and to cover the head with a separate cloth. This is precisely how the evangelist described it, saying, that St Peter saw on one side the clothes with which the body had been wrapped, and on the other the napkin from about his head. In short, either St John is a liar, or all those who boast of possessing the holy sudary are convicted of falsehood and deceit. * * This is probably Calvin's most well known argument contra the Shroud and the one that I hear most well-educated Protestants make when I bring up the Shroud to them That the Bible suggests a plurality of gravecloths, but the Shroud is only one cloth. On the surface, this might seem like a pretty compelling claim against the Shroud, but it is not quite as open and shut as Calvin would have us believe. The most relevant passage in the Bible to this discussion is John 20: 6 Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. 7 The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. Pretty clear, right - according to John's Gospel, there were not ONE but TWO burial cloths that wrapped Jesus. One, mentioned in vs 6 (Greek: ὀθόνια (othonia)/PLURAL) and the other in verse 7 - a cloth wrapped around Jesus' head. (Greek: σουδάριον Soudarion) Here's the thing, though - Many Shroud researchers, including Kenneth Stevenson, Gary Habermas, Ian Wilson, Barrie Schwortz and others contend that the Shroud shows evidence that there was a head cloth wrapped around the Shroud figure's neck and head - most likely to hold the jaw in place. It would appear that the Sudarion was not a very significant part of the grave cloths that wrapped Jesus, as Matthew, Mark and Luke do not mention it in particular. Consider: Mark 15:46 46 After he bought some fine linen, he took Him down and wrapped Him in the linen. Then he placed Him in a tomb cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. Luke 23:53 and 24:12 52 He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53 Taking it down, he wrapped it in fine linen and placed it in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever been placed...12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went home, amazed at what had happened. And Matthew 27: 59 So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, 60 and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. So, the three synoptic gospels - Matthew, Mark and Luke - don't mention the head-wrapping, or the sudarion, but John does. Could this indicate that the sudarion was a smaller garment - one that would not have left much of an imprint on the Shroud? Possibly. But, again, I emphasize - The Shroud seems to allow for the existence of a head-scarf type wrapping, as well as ones around the wrists and feet. Rather than the Biblical account disproving The Shroud, it actually seems to describe it quite well. 5. THE ABUNDANCE OF FAKE RELICS PUT FORWARD BY MEDIEVAL CATHOLICS PROVES THE SHROUD IS ALSO FAKE. St Honoratus has a body at Arles, and another at the island of Lerins, near Antibes.St Giles has a body at Toulouse, and a second in a town bearing his name in Languedoc.I could quote an infinite number of similar cases. I think that the exhibitors of these relics should at least have made some arrangement amongst themselves the better to conceal their barefaced impostures. Something of this sort was managed between the canons of Trêves and those of Liége about St Lambert's head. They compounded, for a sum of money, not to show publicly the head in their possession, in order to avoid the natural surprise of the public at the same relic being seen in two different towns situated so near to each other. But, as I have already remarked at the commencement of this treatise, the inventors of these frauds never imagined anyone could be found bold enough to speak out and expose their deceptions. This is really more of a subset of argument #1, and it is a fairly strong argument. However, it must be said that not every statement made by a dishonest person is a lie, and it is perfectly possible that not every relic claimed by the medieval Catholic church was fake. Most likely were. Were they ALL fake? I'm not convinced they were. So - Hopefully you've enjoyed this little bit of busting myths. You can probably tell that I want the Shroud to be the real thing. There's several reasons for this, but none of them are apologetics-related. In other words, I don't want the Shroud to be the real burial cloth of Jesus because I think that would help prove the Bible to be reliable, or Jesus to be the resurrected Son of God. No article could prove such a thing. I do, however, want the Shroud to be real and genuine in the same sort of way that I want there to be a real Loch Ness Monster, or an extant Holy Grail somewhere out there. The world is a more interesting place with a legit Nessie swimming around in the cold waters of Scotland, and it is a more interesting place with real, tangible artifacts from the time of Jesus. Does that bias me? Possibly it does, and I don't want to enter this discussion biased. It does make me consider the claims of debunkers with a greater skepticism, however, and that might not be a bad thing. I love John Calvin and am quite persuaded by his soteriological leanings in the realm of theology. That said, I believe his debunking of The Shroud is somewhat ham-handed, especially his contention that it is easily proved false by John 20 argument that the Bible says there were two different kinds of grave-clothes. I believe that there were indeed two different kinds of graveclothes used on Jesus - the Bible is explicit about this - there was a linen cloth that the body of Jesus was wrapped in, and a head covering (of some sort) that went along with it. That said, the Shroud appears to show evidence of there being a head scarf or head wrapping of some sort, and even if it didn't, one could easily see how the Shroud figure could have been wrapped in more than one cloth. I have little patience for people who believe the extraordinary simply because somebody told them it was so - gullibility is delightful in children, but unbecoming and unsophisticated in adults. I also have little patience for those who claim to debunk complex objects and possibilities with overly-simplistic and reductionist arguments. It is definitely possible - even plausible - that the Shroud of Turin is a medieval forgery, but the fact that John 20:7 mentions a sudarion that was on the head of Jesus does not necessarily debunk the authenticity of The Shroud in any sore of logical, philosophical or archaeological way. Ok - that was a long episode. ONE more Shroud episode coming up - a summation of sorts. I hope to have 20-25 reasons to believe the Shroud could be authentic as well as a number of reasons to NOT believe in the authenticity of The Shroud. Thanks for being patient, and thanks for listening. Please leave a positive review if you are so inclined.

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Spoken Word// Dear Brothers & Sisters

Spoken Word Truth

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2018 2:17

We are Brothers and Sisters in Christ’s love.

jesus christ brothers sisters spoken word brothers sisters dear brothers

Unity Commands God’s Blessing - Paul M. Williams

Bethesda Shalom

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2018 69:17

Psalm 133 Will we not look hard and steadfast in amazement at a sight so seldom seen in a world where vexation and conflict seem to abound on every hand? From the very dawn of time, friction and strife has marred the family of God’s creation; Cain and Abel; Sarah and Hagar; Isaac and Ishmael; Jacob and Esau; Joseph and his siblings; Moses and his kindred; David and Eliab; Hannah and Peninnah and so the list could go on through time. Even in the days that our Lord walked the earth, His own brothers after the flesh did not believe in Him (Jn. 7:5). Yet, as a glimmering light shining forth into a sin filled world, the words of the sweet Psalmist David cast their rays of hope and call the world to take note; “Behold (arrest your attention; fix your gaze upon), how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1). Wherever true unity exists in a local body of believers, it’s there God commands a blessing! However, equally, wherever this true unity exists, Satan prowls the perimeter of that assembly seeking a way in which to sow discord into their midst. A Church divided is a Church destroyed. Dear Brothers and Sisters, it is incumbent upon us all that we endeavor with everything in us to strive to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. When Satan finds a willing vessel through which to sow disunity, there’s no end of the destruction that is wrought amongst the assembly of God’s children. By God’s grace, may we not be such tools in the devil's hands.

Dear Brothers, Do Better!

6thgradelunchline's podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2018 66:24

We as men need to up the standard and our awareness surrounding how we present ourselves around woman in the world. Too many times we are victim to our own unhealthy actions. We all have fallen short and disrespected at some point. But, with correction and reps we'll become better. Email us 6thgradelunchline@gmail.com

dear brothers

Mission and Zeal: The New Evangelization

Fides et Ratio

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2018 28:39

Dear Brothers and Sisters, We recently celebrated Pentecost which marks the birthday of the Church. This is where we are given the POWER, LOVE, and COMPETENCE to create faith in others by the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT. However, in order to do this, we must avoid reducing the gospel to nothing more than secular humanism. Jesus experienced that temptation in the desert. We know making the Gospel explicit requires sacrifice, and that it is much easier to make it implicit. But the Lord's Name needs to be shared so others can know what to attach their deepest restless and hunger to: Jesus Christ.

love jesus christ church power mission gospel holy spirit sisters pentecost zeal competence new evangelization lord's name dear brothers

Can't Find a Church?

Berean Call Newsletter

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2018

“Dear Brothers and Sisters at The Berean Call, I'm at wit's end. We recently moved to a new community, and we can't find a church that is teaching God's Word without adding to it or subtracting from it. Do you know of any good churches in our area?”

god church sisters dear brothers

Can't Find a Church?

Berean Call Newsletter

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2018

“Dear Brothers and Sisters at The Berean Call, I'm at wit's end. We recently moved to a new community, and we can't find a church that is teaching God's Word without adding to it or subtracting from it. Do you know of any good churches in our area?”

god church sisters dear brothers

Drawing Closer To God with Wendy Robinson - Season 1 - Episode 2

Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2018 8:57

Count it all joy … words that someone shared with me early on when Victoria was diagnosed. Last week I had the opportunity to share with a group a few of my thoughts around 'Counting it all joy'. I felt to share some of what I spoke about in this post. James 1:2 in the New Living Translation says, Dear Brothers and Sisters, when trouble comes your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2 ‘Trouble’ and ‘An opportunity for great joy’ are not what I would link together. Definitely a case of God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. As I reflected over the times trouble has come my way, whether in our 20 years of marriage, or with each of our four children, or with our business, I can’t remember feeling great joy. I felt many emotions, most at the absolute opposite end of the scale to great joy. Emotions like anger, resentment, rejection, despair and hopelessness. Nothing remotely like joy. Here is a recent example. At a doctor’s appointment for Victoria in the Christmas school holidays, we were told about an impact from her brain surgery that could negatively affect her future. This problem was something that doctors couldn't fix. So guess what, I was jumping up and down in that doctor's room overwhelmed with feelings of great joy!!! NOT! I simply wrote down in my notebook – Prayer Point. But maybe that is the Point – it is not about feelings. It is about knowing. It is about knowing WHO our God is. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 And that brings joy. It is about knowing the truth of God’s word in those times of trouble. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews 10:39 NIV And that brings joy. It is about knowing how to thank God in everything. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 And that brings joy. It is about knowing how to receive God’s peace. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-9 And that brings joy. It is about knowing how to rest in God’s presence. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 And that brings joy. I love the song, Find me at the feet of Jesus, by Christy Nockels. It always takes me to that place of being still. Lord here I am You have all of me Take the world You are all I need Find me, find me at the feet of Jesus Saviour, Find me with my head bowed down Find me on my knees Find me close to thee Find me at the feet of Jesus. What better place to be, than sitting at the feet of Jesus. That is joy! But how easy is it to leave that place of joy? After the appointment, we went to the supermarket. Victoria was getting the items on the shopping list while I walked around in a bit of a daze. I had started going down the path ‘missing the point and indulging my feelings.’ I was letting my mind wander to the future and the 'what if she can't' questions, the future that only God knows, not me, not the doctor. Tears started to well up in my eyes. I tried to wipe them away before Victoria came back to see what was the next item on the shopping list. I knew in my heart that God was bigger than this latest potential trouble. But my mind needed to catch up. I needed God to help me overcome those fearful thoughts with His truth. I needed to remind myself of what I knew about my God, and change my mindset to see this latest scenario as a new opportunity to move to a deeper level of trusting God and to find joy. John Maxwell says, We can find joy in the midst of problems only when we recognise their purpose and results. Over these past seven years I can see some purpose in all that has happened to our family, but only in the context of God and what He desires from us, for us to give our whole heart to Him, and to have us fully trust Him in everything. I am not at that place yet, but I know now that when trouble comes, the time for me to move between fear and trust is a lot less than it was seven years ago. God is constantly reminding me of what I know about Him, and is helping me to see the opportunity to develop a more intimate relationship with Him. A Psalm to finish with; Many say, Oh, that we might see some good! Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord. You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust. Psalm 4:6-8 AMP Trouble. An opportunity for great joy, because trouble is an opportunity to move to a deeper level of confidently trusting and knowing Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. ‘Trouble’ and ‘An opportunity for great joy’ are not what I would link together. Definitely a case of God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. As I reflected over the times trouble has come my way, whether in our 20 years of marriage, or with each of our four children, or with our business, I can’t remember feeling great joy. I felt many emotions, most at the absolute opposite end of the scale to great joy. Emotions like anger, resentment, rejection, despair and hopelessness. Nothing remotely like joy. Here is a recent example. At a doctor’s appointment for Victoria in the Christmas school holidays, we were told about an impact from her brain surgery that could negatively affect her future. This problem was something that doctors couldn't fix. So guess what, I was jumping up and down in that doctor's room overwhelmed with feelings of great joy!!! NOT! I simply wrote down in my notebook – Prayer Point. But maybe that is the Point – it is not about feelings. It is about knowing. It is about knowing WHO our God is. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 And that brings joy. It is about knowing the truth of God’s word in those times of trouble. But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews 10:39 NIV And that brings joy. It is about knowing how to thank God in everything. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 And that brings joy. It is about knowing how to receive God’s peace. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-9 And that brings joy. It is about knowing how to rest in God’s presence. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 And that brings joy. I love the song, Find me at the feet of Jesus, by Christy Nockels. It always takes me to that place of being still. Lord here I am You have all of me Take the world You are all I need Find me, find me at the feet of Jesus Saviour, Find me with my head bowed down Find me on my knees Find me close to thee Find me at the feet of Jesus. What better place to be, than sitting at the feet of Jesus. That is joy! But how easy is it to leave that place of joy? After the appointment, we went to the supermarket. Victoria was getting the items on the shopping list while I walked around in a bit of a daze. I had started going down the path ‘missing the point and indulging my feelings.’ I was letting my mind wander to the future and the 'what if she can't' questions, the future that only God knows, not me, not the doctor. Tears started to well up in my eyes. I tried to wipe them away before Victoria came back to see what was the next item on the shopping list. I knew in my heart that God was bigger than this latest potential trouble. But my mind needed to catch up. I needed God to help me overcome those fearful thoughts with His truth. I needed to remind myself of what I knew about my God, and change my mindset to see this latest scenario as a new opportunity to move to a deeper level of trusting God and to find joy. John Maxwell says, We can find joy in the midst of problems only when we recognise their purpose and results. Over these past seven years I can see some purpose in all that has happened to our family, but only in the context of God and what He desires from us, for us to give our whole heart to Him, and to have us fully trust Him in everything. I am not at that place yet, but I know now that when trouble comes, the time for me to move between fear and trust is a lot less than it was seven years ago. God is constantly reminding me of what I know about Him, and is helping me to see the opportunity to develop a more intimate relationship with Him. A Psalm to finish with; Many say, Oh, that we might see some good! Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord. You have put more joy and rejoicing in my heart than [they know] when their wheat and new wine have yielded abundantly. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust. Psalm 4:6-8 AMP Trouble. An opportunity for great joy, because trouble is an opportunity to move to a deeper level of confidently trusting and knowing Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. To find out more please visit https://wendyrobinson.com.au

The Lighthearted Miracle - Audio

jesus christ sisters xd cana lighthearted dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2017 28:52

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In preparation for tomorrow’s sermon, go to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE09xqZYBLI. Let Johnny Cash prep you for the message on Jesus’ first sign that he performed in Cana.

The Lighthearted Miracle - PDF

jesus christ sisters xd cana lighthearted dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In preparation for tomorrow’s sermon, go to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE09xqZYBLI. Let Johnny Cash prep you for the message on Jesus’ first sign that he performed in Cana.

The Christian's Destiny - Audio

love lord sisters xd i thessalonians scripture: 1 thessalonians 5:1-5:11 dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2016 30:42

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have attached tomorrow’s sermon on the first verses of I Thessalonians 5. I entitled it, “The Christian’s Destiny,” which is fine as long as you know that by “Christian,” I really am talking about you. Not some great saint of old, but you, today! May the Lord help us take this to heart and thereby shape our hearts to live with hope, faith, and love that is worthy of the hope we truly have! Sincerely, Pastor Young

The Christian's Destiny - PDF

love lord sisters xd i thessalonians scripture: 1 thessalonians 5:1-5:11 dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have attached tomorrow’s sermon on the first verses of I Thessalonians 5. I entitled it, “The Christian’s Destiny,” which is fine as long as you know that by “Christian,” I really am talking about you. Not some great saint of old, but you, today! May the Lord help us take this to heart and thereby shape our hearts to live with hope, faith, and love that is worthy of the hope we truly have! Sincerely, Pastor Young

No Hope Little Comfort, Great Hope Great Comfort - Audio

jesus christ lord revelation savior comfort sisters rapture xd no hope i thessalonians great hope scripture: 1 thessalonians 4:13-4:18 dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2016 31:04

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I do look forward to worshipping with you tomorrow morning. The Lord is good! He provides us with his holy Word to steady us and help us grow through all kinds of trials and hard things. One of those is grief at the loss of a loved one. This is what Paul was addressing in the later part of I Thessalonians 4 (vss. 13-18). This is the classic rapture passage in dispensational theology. It is the view that Jesus will partially return to earth before he returns in full. He will do this to rapture his church out of the world just before the final tribulation of the Book of Revelation occurs, or perhaps midway through the tribulation. The focus of Paul’s words clearly was not on the rapture of the living saints at some point before his return. Rather the focus is on this, that those who have died in Christ will rise first when Jesus does come. The dispensational interpretation misses Paul’s point entirely and the significance of key terms he uses to describe what is to come. Well, I’m not spending preaching time tomorrow to rebut the views of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but I am snatching an opportunity here to offer a comment or two. Jesus is coming, and it’s going to be the very best thing that has ever happened to you, if he is your Savior! Sincerely, Pastor Curt Young

No Hope Little Comfort, Great Hope Great Comfort - PDF

jesus christ lord revelation savior comfort sisters rapture xd no hope i thessalonians great hope scripture: 1 thessalonians 4:13-4:18 dear brothers

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I do look forward to worshipping with you tomorrow morning. The Lord is good! He provides us with his holy Word to steady us and help us grow through all kinds of trials and hard things. One of those is grief at the loss of a loved one. This is what Paul was addressing in the later part of I Thessalonians 4 (vss. 13-18). This is the classic rapture passage in dispensational theology. It is the view that Jesus will partially return to earth before he returns in full. He will do this to rapture his church out of the world just before the final tribulation of the Book of Revelation occurs, or perhaps midway through the tribulation. The focus of Paul’s words clearly was not on the rapture of the living saints at some point before his return. Rather the focus is on this, that those who have died in Christ will rise first when Jesus does come. The dispensational interpretation misses Paul’s point entirely and the significance of key terms he uses to describe what is to come. Well, I’m not spending preaching time tomorrow to rebut the views of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but I am snatching an opportunity here to offer a comment or two. Jesus is coming, and it’s going to be the very best thing that has ever happened to you, if he is your Savior! Sincerely, Pastor Curt Young

Getting Back Up After Fall - Paul M. Williams

Bethesda Shalom

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2015 62:50

Matthew 26:69-75 Many know Eric Liddell for his world famous victory in the 400m in the Paris Summer Olympics of 1924. Yet fewer people remember Eric Liddell for what I consider to be an even greater feat. In July of 1923 before the eyes of an on-looking crowd, Liddell took to the starting line to compete in a quarter mile race. At the first bend tragedy struck as he tripped over the legs of another runner, falling off the track. Surely in the eyes of the masses his race was over, but for Eric it was not! By the time Liddell got back on his feet, the last of the runners was a whopping 30 yards out. Liddell with grit determination took to the track with such pace that within just 3 yards from the finishing line he overtook the lead runner to win the race!! Dear Brothers and Sisters, how do you respond after a spiritual fall? This sermon is an encouragement for those who cannot seem to get up after a fall; bound by condemnation and guilt they can’t seem to rise back on their feet and carry on in the Christian race. Yet, there are some who after a fall seem content to wallow in the mud. To them this sermon serves as a rebuke and an exhortation to arise. The Lord is hand and His coming draws near; let us be found running in the race!!

Life's Little Day - Paul M. Williams

Bethesda Shalom

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2015 73:23

Philippians 3:1-15 Dear Brothers and Sisters, what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (Jms. 4:14). Job said “…My days are swifter than a weavers shuttle…my life is wind” (Job 7:6, 7). Oh! the swiftness and brevity of life’s passing moment!! In the words of a famous hymn…”Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day…” In the thirty-ninth Psalm, the Psalmist David lifted up his voice to God and cried “LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.” Do these words move you? Do they stir your heart? This sermon is a sober reminder of just how short our days are upon the earth. Oh! that a cry might arise in the hearts of God’s people in the light of life’s passing moment, in the light of life’s little day…”LORD, may you get the glory of my life this side of eternity!!!”

god lord service heart psalm teach serving philippians sisters apostles behold fields swift brevity paul m jms psalmist david dear brothers

TGCL #0498: Pope Francis' Easter message of Peace, Gratitude, and Remembrance

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2013 56:29

Summary of today's show: On this Easter Monday, Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor look at Pope Francis' two major Easter messages for us, his Easter vigil homily and his Urbi et Orbi Easter Sunday message. Pope Francis calls us to seek out the meaning of the Easter event for ourselves, to remember that Christ died and rose for us, to be grateful for the newness of life and grace we have been given, and to seek out, work for, and pray for peace in the world, especially for those suffering the slavery of human trafficking. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Links from today's show: Today's topics: Pope Francis' Easter message of Peace, Gratitude, and Remembrance 1st segment: Scot Landry wished everyone a Happy Easter. Today, Scot and Fr. Chris O'Connor will discuss Pope Francis' message over Easter. Fr. Chris said Easter sunday was great and even the weather cooperated. Besides St. John's Seminary, Fr. Chris celebrated Good Friday at St. John's in Winthrop and on Sunday in Winthrop, East Boston, and Lincoln. They discussed the big crowds and how we should pray for all those who came this weekend who may not be attending Mass weekly that they come back. Fr. Chris said the tradition on Easter Monday in Poland is that people dump water on each other, and he said it has nothing to do with April Fools Day. He added that on Spy Wednesday, last Wednesday, Polish Catholics throw a dummy from the church steeple, representing Judas, and the youth kick the dummy around the town and finally dump it in the closest body of water. Scot said his focus today is thinking about how his life is different today after going through Lent and the Triduum. He should be different than he was before the beginning of Lent. Fr. Chris said we hear the expression that we are an Easter people, a people filled with Christ's love and joy. We still carry all the same crosses and concerns we did a week ago, but we remind ourselves that Christ conquered all crosses. He said we need to remember that St. Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty. Reflecting on the fact of Christ's resurrection, how can we not be an Easter people? Scot said there were a lot of changed spiritual and mental habits over Lent and there's no reason he can't continue them. He said it might be a good habit on each hour to remember and say, “Christ is truly risen, Alleluia” as a way to have this Easter joy. Scot said as Easter people we reflect on the grace and joy of Easter. Fr. Chris said when we say Alleluia, we are saying Praise the Lord. Saying that over and over changes us and focuses us. 2nd segment: Scot said today we are considering Pope Francis' Easter Vigil homily and Urbi et Orbi message. First the homily: Dear Brothers and Sisters, In the Gospel of this radiant night of the Easter Vigil, we first meet the women who go the tomb of Jesus with spices to anoint his body (cf. Lk 24:1-3). They go to perform an act of compassion, a traditional act of affection and love for a dear departed person, just as we would. They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross. We can imagine their feelings as they make their way to the tomb: a certain sadness, sorrow that Jesus had left them, he had died, his life had come to an end. Life would now go on as before. Yet the women continued to feel love, the love for Jesus which now led them to his tomb. But at this point, something completely new and unexpected happens, something which upsets their hearts and their plans, something which will upset their whole life: they see the stone removed from before the tomb, they draw near and they do not find the Lord's body. It is an event which leaves them perplexed, hesitant, full of questions: “What happened?”, “What is the meaning of all this?” (cf. Lk 24:4). Doesn't the same thing also happen to us when something completely new occurs in our everyday life? We stop short, we don't understand, we don't know what to do. Newness often makes us fearful, including the newness which God brings us, the newness which God asks of us. We are like the Apostles in the Gospel: often we would prefer to hold on to our own security, to stand in front of a tomb, to think about someone who has died, someone who ultimately lives on only as a memory, like the great historical figures from the past. We are afraid of God's surprises; we are afraid of God's surprises! He always surprises us! Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won't be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which he cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to him. Scot said it's a beautiful beginning to the homily, connecting the Gospel to our own experiences of God surprising us. Fr. Chris compared it to losing a loved one, being dazed and confused, and yet life continues to unfold around us. Here's he's saying God has a new plan for us. He said Easter grace challenges us to live in a new way. Scot said the Holy Father asks us a question that we can pray on: What is the meaning of all this? How many times in our lives might we be called to step back and pray over that. Maybe we had a wonderful weekend with family or maybe we had the opposite. Maybe we were alone, maybe we've lost someone since last Easter, maybe family gatherings are fraught with uncomfortable moments. We can pray to have understanding and peace in order to do what God calls us to do. Fr. Chris said the pope points out that God is working on us through the Holy Spirit. He says let us not lose confidence, never give up. There are no sins that cannot be forgiven if we turn it over to him. Perseverance is the most important word for us here. But let us return to the Gospel, to the women, and take one step further. They find the tomb empty, the body of Jesus is not there, something new has happened, but all this still doesn't tell them anything certain: it raises questions; it leaves them confused, without offering an answer. And suddenly there are two men in dazzling clothes who say: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; but has risen” (Lk 24:5-6). What was a simple act, done surely out of love – going to the tomb – has now turned into an event, a truly life-changing event. Nothing remains as it was before, not only in the lives of those women, but also in our own lives and in the history of mankind. Jesus is not dead, he has risen, he is alive! He does not simply return to life; rather, he is life itself, because he is the Son of God, the living God (cf. Num 14:21-28; Deut 5:26; Josh 3:10). Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness and bitterness… and that is where death is. That is not the place to look for the One who is alive! Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won't be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don't be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do. Scot said he likes the statements, the calls at the end: If to now you have kept Him at a distance, step forward, and He will receive you with open arms. It's like children running to their parents. So many of us have kept God at a distance, thinking of him not as a Father, Brother, and personal Savior. Fr. Chris thinks of the Divine Mercy image with Christ coming before us with the rays extending from Him and the words, “Jesus, I Trust in you.” Jesus is alive and He desires our good. To let Him in close, He will make demands of us, like changing parts of our life that are comfortable, but shouldn't be. Another call was to take a risk because you won't be disappointed. Scot recalled the Carrie Underwood song, “Jesus, Take the Wheel”. So many of us want to remain in control of our own lives, but we need to let go a little bit and let him guide and push us forward. We actually put our trust into practice and ask Christ to lead us where we need to be for the rest of our lives. Fr. Chris said, “If God is distant, guess who moved.” God is always there calling to us and even if we don't feel it, that doesn't mean that Christ isn't present. Scot asked us to reflect if we're keeping Jesus at a distance and whether we're willing to take a risk. There is one last little element that I would like to emphasize in the Gospel for this Easter Vigil. The women encounter the newness of God. Jesus has risen, he is alive! But faced with empty tomb and the two men in brilliant clothes, their first reaction is one of fear: “they were terrified and bowed their faced to the ground”, Saint Luke tells us – they didn't even have courage to look. But when they hear the message of the Resurrection, they accept it in faith. And the two men in dazzling clothes tell them something of crucial importance: “Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee… And they remembered his words” (Lk 24:6,8). They are asked to remember their encounter with Jesus, to remember his words, his actions, his life; and it is precisely this loving remembrance of their experience with the Master that enables the women to master their fear and to bring the message of the Resurrection to the Apostles and all the others (cf. Lk 24:9). To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled; this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives. On this radiant night, let us invoke the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who treasured all these events in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51) and ask the Lord to give us a share in his Resurrection. May he open us to the newness that transforms. May he make us men and women capable of remembering all that he has done in our own lives and in the history of our world. May he help us to feel his presence as the one who is alive and at work in our midst. And may he teach us each day not to look among the dead for the Living One. Amen. Scot said he thinks about the headline that could be on this homily and “Remember” could be the one-word headline. We need to remember actual grace and actual facts in how God transforms us. Fr. Chris said his word would be “Gratitude”. He thinks both go together and we can't be Christians without being grateful to God for the fact God walked among us, was like us in all things but sin, suffered, died, and rose again to open the gates of heaven to us that had been closed. We should be grateful to his willingness to interject Himself into our lives. We give thanks to God every day. The word “Eucharist” itself means thanksgiving. Scot said Christ is fully alive today and if we step forward today and are willing to take the next step, Christ is waiting to give us a spiritual “hug”. Fr. Chris thought about the “newness that transforms” and thinks of the sacraments and how God meets us in these all the time. There is newness for First Communicants, newness for Confirmandi, newness for those coming into the Church this past weekend, the newness for a married couple. The newness transforms us from dead people into an Easter people. 3rd segment: Scot said now we'll discuss Pope Francis' Urbi et Orbi message, “to the City and the World” given in Rome on Easter sunday at noon. This is a traditional message each Easter. Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen! I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons … Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for you, you are no longer in the power of sin, of evil! Love has triumphed, mercy has been victorious! We too, like the women who were Jesus' disciples, who went to the tomb and found it empty, may wonder what this event means (cf. Lk 24:4). What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom. Scot said the great Christian writers have talked about the spiritual desert where God calls us to the living water that is Jesus Christ.; Fr. Chris said St. John of the Cross talked about the dark night of the soul and that Mother Teresa talked about how she experienced God's love only once in her life, but it was enough to move her and motivate her for her whole life. Fr. Chris said if we don't feel the emotion, we just need to look at the cross and remind ourselves that He did that for me. He noted that the Pope said he wants to go to every home, hospital, prison to bring the Easter joy. Most of all he would like to enter every human heart. But Jesus is only going to enter our hearts if we invite him in. Fr, Chris recalled the Pope's visit to the juvenile prison on Holy Thursday where he told a young man that he came because he felt it on his heart. The Holy Father loves the poor, but most of all he loves Christ. Scot said we should pray for the Lord to enter our heart and transform it. This same love for which the Son of God became man and followed the way of humility and self-giving to the very end, down to hell - to the abyss of separation from God - this same merciful love has flooded with light the dead body of Jesus and transfigured it, has made it pass into eternal life. Jesus did not return to his former life, to earthly life, but entered into the glorious life of God and he entered there with our humanity, opening us to a future of hope. This is what Easter is: it is the exodus, the passage of human beings from slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and his glory is the living man (cf. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, 4,20,5-7). Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). Scot said the Pope is talking about the Exodus reading in which God delivered the Jewish people from slavery through the Red Sea and the wilderness to the promised land. Fr. Chris said in Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol we see a radical change in Scrooge when he realizes his love for neighbor. It is through charity for neighbor that we express our love for God and experience a radical newness. Scot said to transform the world, we need to transform ourselves. So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ's Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish. And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world. Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found? Peace for Africa, still the scene of violent conflicts. In Mali, may unity and stability be restored; in Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Central African Republic, where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear. Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow. Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century. Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! Made the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation. Dear brothers and sisters, to all of you who are listening to me, from Rome and from all over of the world, I address the invitation of the Psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let Israel say: ‘His steadfast love endures for ever'” (Ps 117:1-2). Dear brothers and sisters, who have come from all over the world to this Square, the heart of Christianity, and all of you joining us via communications media, I renew my wishes for a Happy Easter! Bring to your families and your nations the message of joy of hope and peace that each year is powerfully renewed on this day. May the Risen Lord, who defeated sin and death, support us all especially the weakest and those most in need. Thank you for your presence and the witness of your faith. A thought and a particular thanks for the gift of these beautiful flowers from the Netherlands. I affectionately repeat to all of you: May the Risen Christ guide you and all humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace! Scot noted that Pope Francis repeated that human trafficking is the most extensive form of slavery in the twenty-first century and like Pope John Paul's desire to end the Cold War, this may be Pope Francis' priority of justice. Fr. Chris noted the emphasis on the Middle East and Africa as especially needing peace. He's calling the entire world, not just Catholics, to pay attention and pray and work to end these conflicts. Scot said he has gratitude to God that we live in a country that has been blessed with peace more so than many other countries.

god love jesus christ world church father lord israel earth master peace gospel africa christians brothers holy spirit creator christianity gratitude cross resurrection jewish east rome praise exodus middle east savior reflecting netherlands iraq ps nigeria mass perseverance poland dear good friday sisters korean judas pope wheel apostles israelis syria amen lent cold war square palestinians congo remembrance christmas carol red sea catholics charles dickens happy easter mary magdalene calvary pope francis eucharist num scrooge seminary scot virgin mary mother teresa because god april fools day deut democratic republic ez carrie underwood newness lk easter message risen christ alleluia holy thursday risen lord divine mercy holy father easter monday easter vigil winthrop central african republic irenaeus triduum living one orbi saint luke urbi pope john paul let israel east boston good news jesus i trust dear brothers john's seminary

TGCL #0490: Pope Francis' Homily for the Mass Inaugurating His Petrine Ministry

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2013 56:26

Summary of today's show: The Feast of St. Joseph this year was marked by the inauguration of the Petrine ministry of Pope Francis. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor discussed the Holy Father's newly unveiled coat of arms, which are very familiar, and then talked in detail about his homily for today's Mass in which he invoked the example of St. Joseph as a protector who acts with tenderness to encourage all of us to protect one another and all of creation. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Links from today's show: Today's topics: Pope Francis' Homily for the Mass Inaugurating His Petrine Ministry 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Fr. Chris O'Connor to the show and they discussed the treacherous weather and how there's often a bad snow storm at this time of year. Scot said today our focus will be on the Mass of Inauguration of Pope Francis this morning. Scot said we'll also discuss the Pope's coat of arms and papal motto. Fr. Chris said the star represents the Blessed Mother and the plant, nard, represents St. Joseph. The star and IHS is a common representation of the Jesuits, which Pope Francis has been. He noted that the crest is bright blue, which represents both the Blessed Mother, but also particularly the icon of Mary that all Argentinians revere. Scot said both the crest and motto of bishops represent much of who the bishop wants to be. Scot said the motto comes from the Gospel of St. Matthew, when Matthew was called by Jesus: “Miserando atque eligendo”. It refers to Jesus calling Matthew in mercy. When he was 17, Pope Francis heard this reading at Mass, and feeling unworthy himself felt called by God and that was his vocational call. Pope Francis seems to be telling others that even if they feel unworthy, God is calling them to bring His love and mercy to others. Fr. Chris said Caravaggio shows this in a beautiful image with darkness and light. Matthew is shown surrounded by his ill-gotten tax collector gains and then the hand of Christ coming in and calling St. Matthew. Caravaggio modeled the hand of Christ on the hand of God in the Sistine Chapel, thus saying that a new creation begins in the call of Christ. Scot said the only people who might not like what Pope Francis is doing is the security people because the Holy Father so often goes off script and out into the crowds. It's notable that this morning he was riding in the open-air popemobile. At one point he got out of the car to give a kiss to a disabled man he saw in the crowd. Fr. Chris said he was struck by the news that Pope Francis called his former cathedral in Argentina before the Mass today and had a message relayed to the crowds gathered outside to watch the Mass. He said one of Pope Francis' first acts was to ask for prayer and he's reminding us of the efficacy of prayer and that even the pope needs prayers. Scot said it reminds him of the need to ask others to pray for him in the normal course of his day. He should also be assuring others of his own prayers and doing it. Fr. Chris said one of the important parts of Good Friday is praying for the world by name, atheists and agnostics, Jews, Muslims, and everyone. The Holy Father is showing us the importance of praying for our needs, our daily bread. 2nd segment: Scot said St. Joseph's Day is special especially for fathers and grandfathers. Fr. Chris also wished a happy feast day to the Sisters of St. Joseph. Scot started reading Pope Francis' homily: Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude. Scot said the name day, the ‘onomastico', is very important in Italy. In fact, many Italians celebrate the name day instead of their birthday. Fr. Chris said Pope Francis mentions Pope Benedict by name once again. He's scheduled to meet Benedict on Saturday and Fr. Chris said it shows Pope Francis' humility in going to see the former pope. In the Gospel we heard that “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: “Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ's upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ's Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model” (Redemptoris Custos, 1). Scot said St. Joseph is the Patron and Protector of the Universal Church. Fr. Chris said it's a reminder of intercessory prayer. He said he's known as the silent saint because no words of his are recorded in Scripture. We see the care, love, and dedication he gave to Mary and the Child Jesus. How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus. Scot said Joseph is a man of action, a man of formation. It shows what a faithful holy man should be about. Fr. Chris said the reasons he's such a great patron for dads is that his holiness doesn't come from anything flashy or extravagant, but the day to day work of being a father. Scot recalled a talk he heard once encouraging men to raise their own children in the model of St. Joseph. It is a sacred work to be a dad. Fr. Chris said he sees the choice of this day is Pope Francis giving over his ministry to St. Joseph. How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God's presence and receptive to God's plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a “protector” because he is able to hear God's voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God's call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation! Fr. Chris likes the image begin developed that in order to live out our vocation, we have to follow the example of St. Joseph who protected Christ. It's a reminder to protect what's most important, our relationship with Christ, and to keep away from sin and anything that would violate that relationship. We protect time to pray to Christ. How am I protecting Christ in my life? Scot said it brings him back to the Martha and Mary story, where Martha was busy doing, while Mary was at the feet of Jesus. The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God's creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God's gifts! Scot said in 20 years when people come back to this homily, they will come to this paragraph. Fr. Chris said anyone who comes to Assisi understands the beautiful images and vistas and the wonder of creation that St. Francis loved. Pope Francis is reminding us that all of creation is something sacred and bestowed on us by God, entrusting us with it. Scot said Cardinal Seán speculated that Pope Francis chose this name to emphasize that we are brothers and sisters in Christ, which comes with the responsibility to love and care for one another. Fr. Chris said he thinks it's no coincidence that he mentions husbands and wives here, their first duty to one another and being the instrument of their sanctification. Scot said in this age of social media it's much easier to add new “friends” but sincere friendships require deeper trust and protecting them with trust, respect, and goodness. Fr. Chris asked us to imagine a world marked by such friendships. Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are “Herods” who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women. Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness! Scot said we've certainly seen “Herods” in our lifetime. Scot noted that there were many people there who are not Christian and who watch who aren't and he was telling all of us to protect each other and nature. Fr. Chris said we have to watch our hearts and emotions because so often that's where the protection breaks down. Forgiveness is a choice. We choose to forgive. We can acknowledge our emotions and still choose to forgive. We need to integrate the heart and mind, but have the mind and intellect which elevate us above creation, rule over the emotions. Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness! Scot said so many men he's known have thought the way to love, particularly kids, was with tough love and discipline. Scot said tenderness and toughness are often put at opposite ends of a continuum. Pope Francis said one way to be a good protector and provider is to show a tender form of love too. He protected Jesus in a tender way. Somewhere along the way we came to believe that the way to be a man is to show tough love and the Holy Father is saying the opposite. Fr. Chris said he was also tender with the Blessed Mother, like when he decided to spare Mary by setting her aside quietly. And then you continue to see the tenderness along with great obedience and strength in responding to God's will. Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus' three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God's people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect! Scot said this might be the second-most quoted. He's describing authentic Christian leadership through service. Fr. Chris said Pope Francis tells us why the Church exists because of the holiness and sanctification of all its members. The what of the Church is the Pope, bishops, priests, and deacons and their reason for existence is to serve. If we lose sight of the call to service, that is not of Christ. Christ is found with the poorest of the poor, the sick and lame. Fr. Chris said Bishop Libasci of Manchester, NH, gave a homily at St. John's Seminary yesterday in which he described a fire-and-brimstone seminarian who was taken aside and told that before you can save the world, you have to love it. We're reminded of this on Holy Thursday when the priest washes the feet of others in service. Scot said we need to be willing to lay down our lives so we can serve others in tangible, concrete, faith-filled ways. Fr. Chris said only those who serve with love are able to protect. That's the Pope's job: the protect the unity of the Church, to protect the holiness of the Church, to protect the catholic nature of the Church spread across the globe and making manifest the fullness of the teachings, to protect the apostolic faith passed down by the apostles and guided by the Holy Spirit. In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, “hoping against hope, believed” (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God. Scot said he can't not think of how much hope Pope Francis has brought to the Church. He's heard from people who tell him that Pope Francis makes them want to return to church. Fr. Chris said of the light of hope that in a dark room, one little match is stronger than the darkness and cannot be swallowed by that. Just a little hope in our lives gives us the grace to carry on even in dark and difficult experiences. To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us! I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen. Scot said he will remember about this homily, like he remembers about the balcony of St. Peter's last Wednesday, is that he ends by asking us to pray for him. Fr. Chris said he's reminding us that we are on flock and that the shepherd relies on prayers just like the sheep. He talks of protecting all the gifts in our life, but also the gift we have been given in Pope Francis. Scot noted that in the Congregation meetings, Cardinal Bergoglio gave an impassioned talk that we need to reform and purify the Church. Scot said that won't be easy, especially with the reform of Roman Curia. Scot said harder than starting a business is a reforming a business even while it continues to do its work and that's similar to what Pope Francis is doing. Fr. Chris said Cardinal Seán in his own inaugural address in Boston in 2003 recalled the San Damiano Cross where Christ called Francis to rebuild the Church. He said he believes Pope Francis has a clear idea of what needs to be done. Scot noted that tomorrow is Fr. Chris' birthday. He said tomorrow is their annual St. Patrick's dinner and that's where they'll celebrate. He noted the celebrate on Wednesday instead of Sunday because so many of the deacons and faculty are out in parishes on Sunday. The one thing that Fr. Chris has loved so far from Pope Francis is the emphasis on the protector. Scot said he's loved that he preaches from the pulpit like a pastor and not so much like an academic.

TGCL #0466: Pope Benedict XVI's resignation

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2013 56:30

Summary of today's show: Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world with his announcement that he would resign the See of St. Peter later this month. Scot Landry talks with a panel of guests—Fr. Roger Landry, Domenico Bettinelli, Chris Kelley of WQOM, and Rocco Palmo of Whispers in the Loggia— about the implications of this unprecedented action, what it means for the near-term future of the Church, and the legacy that the Holy Father leaves behind. Listen to the show: Watch the show via live video streaming or a recording later: Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Rocco Palmo, Fr. Roger Landry, Chris Kelley, Domenico Bettinelli Links from today's show: Today's topics: Pope Benedict XVI's resignation 1st segment: Scot welcomed Rocco Palmo to the show. Rocco talked about how he first heard about the news of Pope Benedict's resignation, being woken this morning by his mother to the surprise news. He noted that there's a lot of talk about names today, but the cardinals he's talked to today have been too stunned to even process this event. Scot asked Fr. Roger Landry for his reaction. He said Pope Benedict XVI talked about he'd prayed about this very much. This isn't an abdication of his responsibilities, but another Yes in a lifetime of Yeses by Joseph Ratzinger. The Pope is trying to say that with the amount of time has left in the morning is that he's prioritizing prayer even more than the responsibilities of the papacy. It's a lesson about just how important prayer really is for all of us. Scot said today is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the World Day of the Sick, and anniversary of the signing of the Lateran Accords. Rocco said all three have significance today. The Lateran Treaty was signed in 1929 with Italy that made the Vatican a sovereign and neutral entity and guaranteed the pope temporal freedom. He said over the last several months the Pope has been noted as becoming ever more frail. He thinks the Pope was keen not to put the Church in a state of suspended animation again. The last years of John Paul were very moving, but Benedict saw himself as a transitional pope and to do things in a quiet way. The modern papacy outlives the demands the papacy puts on the officeholder's body. He doesn't believe that John Paul could have done this, but Benedict will be entering a cloistered monastery behind the Vatican walls. Before his election in 2005 he had wanted to retire to his home in Germany and write books. Scot asked Fr. Roger what to make of the comparison between John Paul at the end of his life and Benedict at the end of his. Fr. Roger said they were both saying yes to what was being asked of them by the Lord at the time. Benedict isn't running away from the cross at all. He's embracing it. There is a lesson of what the pope is capable of doing by his own presence. Think of an 85-year-old doing 12-14 hours per day, not to mention the grueling work of Holy Week and Easter in seven weeks or the international travel to World Youth Day. Rocco said it is a fact that the cardinals didn't know. The pope had a little noticed meeting on Friday with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the retired Secretary of State, and the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who leads the Church until a new pope is elected. He won't participate in the conclave because he's over 80 years old. Rocco has talked with a bishop who was in the room at the Vatican when the Pope made the announcement in Latin and how stunned everyone was. Rocco said this is unprecedented and so much of what happens when a pope dies isn't going to happen. We don't know what his title will be nor what his prerogatives. He noted that this shows his humility in not calling a press conference, for instance. He wants to be remembered through his recent books for helping to bring simple people to faith, not writing deep theological treatises. He noted that Benedict is older than John Paul was when he died by two years. 2nd segment: Scot read Pope Benedict's statement: Dear Brothers, I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is. Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer. From the Vatican, 10 February 2013 BENEDICTUS PP XVI Scot said it's a moving and personal message to the cardinals gathered there and to the worldwide Church. Fr. Roger what stands out for him about consulting the Lord in his conscience repeatedly. He thinks the phrase “to govern the barque of St. Peter and proclaim the Gospel” is significant because how much work it takes to do all that including, proclaiming the Gospel throughout the world. We all feel a bit of a kick to the gut. But we need to remember that it is Christ's Church and that we have a King and High Priest who never leaves us. Scot talked about the practice of bishops who resign and retire from the dioceses, while in Rome, the Pope doesn't generally retire. Fr. Roger said it used to be that once you were a bishop, you never resigned, but with the advance of medicine you had the phenomenon of men living well into old age where they could not serve effectively. That's why the Code of Canon Law implemented mandatory resignations at 75, the pope exempted. It was always foreseen that the Pope could resign. Scot welcomed Chris Kelley to the show. Scot said this is a humble act by the Holy Father. Chris said the humility of this pope, we've seen from the beginning of his pontificate and even before. We see it in his first encyclical, for example, Deus Caritas Est, God is Love. He has a great way of breaking down theological concepts into every day speech. Chris noted that it was in his preaching that Benedict seemed most alive and youngest. Scot said he was most shocked today, not about the resignation, but that he resigned with two weeks notice, having just launched a major Twitter initiative, in the middle of the Year of Faith, and with his next great encyclical on Faith unpublished. Some speculate that there is some health crisis that precipitated such a short period between his announcement and resignation. Fr. Roger said the Pope knows a long lame duck session would make things worse. He likely saw the grueling Lent and Holy Week coming up as well as World Youth Day and saw that he could not fulfill them. He talked about the eyewitness of people in the room when the Pope made the announcement and they felt Cardinal Sodano had been prepared for the announcement. Dom talked about the ability to go to the Catholic media versus the secular media which is often cynical and ill informed and looking for scandal and conflict in their coverage. Fr. Roger said on our part we can live our faith more fully and when we do, we don't approach this as a massive crisis for which there is no answer. He said whoever is elected will have big shoes to fill and will need all the prayers of the Church. The world needs most from the Church is that we're not looking at it in terms of political ideologies or that the next pope will be chosen based on nationalities, but instead we're basing our talk on what really matters. We need to assure others to have faith in Christ. Scot said the Archdiocese of Boston released two statements, the first from Bishop Deeley: “We have received the Holy Father's announcement that, having prayerfully discerned that due to physical limitations he is no longer able to fulfill the responsibilities of his office, he will resign effective February 28th. At this time we give thanks to God for the gift of Pope Benedict XVI's faithful leadership of the Roman Catholic Church during the past 8 years of his papacy. We assure the Holy Father of our prayers and fidelity during these final weeks of his service as the Vicar of Christ. In particular I offer my personal gratitude to the Holy Father for the experience of working closely with him during my time in Rome with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I know of his deep and abiding love for the Church and for fulfilling the saving ministry of Jesus.” Cardinal Seán's statement said: “The Catholic community and the world today learned that Pope Benedict XVI, following deep prayer and reflection, announced that he will resign the papacy at the end of this month. We join the universal Church in offering prayerful gratitude for the Holy Father's faith, courage and his leadership as the successor of Peter. At this time it is appropriate for the Church and all people of good faith to reflect on Pope Benedict's legacy and achievements. He brought unique capabilities to the papacy as a highly qualified scholar and teacher, and as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in service to Blessed John Paul II. His fidelity to maintaining the truth and clarity of the Catholic faith, to cultivating ecumenical and interfaith dialogue and in reaching out to inspire the next generation of Catholics have been great gifts to us all. It was a great privilege for me to be present as Pope Benedict met with survivors of clergy sexual abuse during his visit to the United States in April 2008. At that meeting the Holy Father's pastoral care for the survivors was clearly evident, as was his commitment and determination to heal the wounds of all persons impacted by the abuse crisis and to insure that the Church continues to do all that is possible to provide for the protection of children. During the coming weeks we will continue to pray for Pope Benedict XVI and will call upon the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit as the Church moves forward to choose the next successor to Saint Peter.” Chris talked about the legacy he'll remember from Pope Benedict in the future. He said the Year of Faith is a time to learn more about the Petrine ministry. Dom talked about the Pope's legacy as the “new media” Pope. Fr. Roger described how the conclave works and why we trust that the Holy Spirit works in the election of the Pope. All the cardinals under 80 will gather in the conclave. Those over 80 can come to Rome and participate in consistories before the conclave. Those meetings will discuss the challenges facing the Church in the world today, led by Cardinal Sodano. He will lead a Mass to begin the conclave in which they will be locked in the Sistine Chapel and begin a process of two votes per day. They will pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as they make their selection from among their number. He said it took courage to elect Benedict with the unfair reputation of the German Rottweiler and to elect John Paul, an unknown from Poland. The Holy Spirit gives the gift of courage. Scot said the Pope won't vote in the conclave and there's question as to what he will be called. Fr. Roger said the Vatican said today that he will be called Bishop-emeritus of Rome. The successor will have big shoes to fill and will clearly consult him. Pope Benedict is clearly saying that in order to be Pope and you need to be physically vigorous. We need someone of profound faith, someone who speaks English, Italian, Spanish, and French at least, and someone who's physically healthy. He encourages everyone to pray for Pope Benedict, for the cardinals, and for his successor.

TGCL #0340: Pope Benedict on faith fatigue and the joy-filled Catholic

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2012 56:31

Summary of today's show: Just before Christmas every year, the Holy Father gives a kind of State of the Church address to the Roman Curia and this past year was no exception. Scot Landry, Fr. Chip Hines, and Domenico Bettinelli delve into Pope Benedict's address and his diagnosis in Europe and North America of faith fatigue as well as the cure: a faith that takes on new life, a joyful passion for faith. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chip Hines Today's guest(s): Domenico Bettinelli of Pilot New Media Links from today's show: Today's topics: Pope Benedict on faith fatigue and the joy-filled Catholic 1st segment: Today we present the text of Pope Benedict's address to the Roman Curia at the end of last year, which will be the topic of discussion in this show. Dear Cardinals, Brother Bishops and Priests, Dear Brothers and Sisters, The occasion that brings us together today is always particularly moving. The holy feast of Christmas is almost upon us and it prompts the great family of the Roman Curia to come together for a gracious exchange of greetings, as we wish one another a joyful and spiritually fruitful celebration of this feast of the God who became flesh and established his dwelling in our midst (cf. Jn 1:14). For me, this is an occasion not only to offer you my personal good wishes, but also to express my gratitude and that of the Church to each one of you for your generous service; I ask you to convey this to all the co-workers of our extended family. I offer particular thanks to the Dean of the College, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who has given voice to the sentiments of all present and of all who work in the various offices of the Curia and the Governorate, including those whose apostolate is carried out in the Pontifical Representations throughout the world. All of us are committed to spreading throughout the world the resounding message that the angels proclaimed that night in Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will” (Lk 2:14), so as to bring joy and hope to our world. As this year draws to a close, Europe is undergoing an economic and financial crisis, which is ultimately based on the ethical crisis looming over the Old Continent. Even if such values as solidarity, commitment to one's neighbour and responsibility towards the poor and suffering are largely uncontroversial, still the motivation is often lacking for individuals and large sectors of society to practise renunciation and make sacrifices. Perception and will do not necessarily go hand in hand. In defending personal interests, the will obscures perception, and perception thus weakened is unable to stiffen the will. In this sense, some quite fundamental questions emerge from this crisis: where is the light that is capable of illuminating our perception not merely with general ideas, but with concrete imperatives? Where is the force that draws the will upwards? These are questions that must be answered by our proclamation of the Gospel, by the new evangelization, so that message may become event, so that proclamation may lead to life. The key theme of this year, and of the years ahead, is this: how do we proclaim the Gospel today? How can faith as a living force become a reality today? The ecclesial events of the outgoing year were all ultimately related to this theme. There were the journeys to Croatia, to the World Youth Day in Spain, to my home country of Germany, and finally to Africa – Benin – for the consignment of the Post-Synodal document on justice, peace and reconciliation, which should now lead to concrete results in the various local churches. Equally memorable were the journeys to Venice, to San Marino, to the Eucharistic Congress in Ancona, and to Calabria. And finally there was the important day of encounter in Assisi for religions and for people who in whatever way are searching for truth and peace, representing a new step forward in the pilgrimage towards truth and peace. The establishment of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization is at the same time a pointer towards next year's Synod on the same theme. The Year of Faith, commemorating the beginning of the Council fifty years ago, also belongs in this context. Each of these events had its own particular characteristics. In Germany, where the Reformation began, the ecumenical question, with all its trials and hopes, naturally assumed particular importance. Intimately linked to this, at the focal point of the debate, the question that arises repeatedly is this: what is reform of the Church? How does it take place? What are its paths and its goals? Not only faithful believers but also outside observers are noticing with concern that regular churchgoers are growing older all the time and that their number is constantly diminishing; that recruitment of priests is stagnating; that scepticism and unbelief are growing. What, then, are we to do? There are endless debates over what must be done in order to reverse the trend. There is no doubt that a variety of things need to be done. But action alone fails to resolve the matter. The essence of the crisis of the Church in Europe is the crisis of faith. If we find no answer to this, if faith does not take on new life, deep conviction and real strength from the encounter with Jesus Christ, then all other reforms will remain ineffective. On this point, the encounter with Africa's joyful passion for faith brought great encouragement. None of the faith fatigue that is so prevalent here, none of the oft-encountered sense of having had enough of Christianity was detectable there. Amid all the problems, sufferings and trials that Africa clearly experiences, one could still sense the people's joy in being Christian, buoyed up by inner happiness at knowing Christ and belonging to his Church. From this joy comes also the strength to serve Christ in hard-pressed situations of human suffering, the strength to put oneself at his disposal, without looking round for one's own advantage. Encountering this faith that is so ready to sacrifice and so full of happiness is a powerful remedy against fatigue with Christianity such as we are experiencing in Europe today. A further remedy against faith fatigue was the wonderful experience of World Youth Day in Madrid. This was new evangelization put into practice. Again and again at World Youth Days, a new, more youthful form of Christianity can be seen, something I would describe under five headings. Firstly, there is a new experience of catholicity, of the Church's universality. This is what struck the young people and all the participants quite directly: we come from every continent, but although we have never met one another, we know one another. We speak different languages, we have different ways of life and different cultural backgrounds, yet we are immediately united as one great family. Outward separation and difference is relativized. We are all moved by the one Lord Jesus Christ, in whom true humanity and at the same time the face of God himself is revealed to us. We pray in the same way. The same inner encounter with Jesus Christ has stamped us deep within with the same structure of intellect, will and heart. And finally, our common liturgy speaks to our hearts and unites us in a vast family. In this setting, to say that all humanity are brothers and sisters is not merely an idea: it becomes a real shared experience, generating joy. And so we have also understood quite concretely: despite all trials and times of darkness, it is a wonderful thing to belong to the worldwide Church, to the Catholic Church, that the Lord has given to us. From this derives a new way of living our humanity, our Christianity. For me, one of the most important experiences of those days was the meeting with the World Youth Day volunteers: about 20,000 young people, all of whom devoted weeks or months of their lives to working on the technical, organizational and material preparations for World Youth Day, and thus made it possible for the whole event to run smoothly. Those who give their time always give a part of their lives. At the end of the day, these young people were visibly and tangibly filled with a great sense of happiness: the time that they gave up had meaning; in giving of their time and labour, they had found time, they had found life. And here something fundamental became clear to me: these young people had given a part of their lives in faith, not because it was asked of them, not in order to attain Heaven, nor in order to escape the danger of Hell. They did not do it in order to find fulfilment. They were not looking round for themselves. There came into my mind the image of Lot's wife, who by looking round was turned into a pillar of salt. How often the life of Christians is determined by the fact that first and foremost they look out for themselves, they do good, so to speak, for themselves. And how great is the temptation of all people to be concerned primarily for themselves; to look round for themselves and in the process to become inwardly empty, to become “pillars of salt”. But here it was not a matter of seeking fulfilment or wanting to live one's life for oneself. These young people did good, even at a cost, even if it demanded sacrifice, simply because it is a wonderful thing to do good, to be there for others. All it needs is the courage to make the leap. Prior to all of this is the encounter with Jesus Christ, inflaming us with love for God and for others, and freeing us from seeking our own ego. In the words of a prayer attributed to Saint Francis Xavier: I do good, not that I may come to Heaven thereby and not because otherwise you could cast me into Hell. I do it because of you, my King and my Lord. I came across this same attitude in Africa too, for example among the Sisters of Mother Teresa, who devote themselves to abandoned, sick, poor and suffering children, without asking anything for themselves, thus becoming inwardly rich and free. This is the genuinely Christian attitude. Equally unforgettable for me was the encounter with handicapped young people in the Saint Joseph Centre in Madrid, where I encountered the same readiness to put oneself at the disposal of others – a readiness to give oneself that is ultimately derived from encounter with Christ, who gave himself for us. A third element, that has an increasingly natural and central place in World Youth Days and in the spirituality that arises from them, is adoration. I still look back to that unforgettable moment during my visit to the United Kingdom, when tens of thousands of predominantly young people in Hyde Park responded in eloquent silence to the Lord's sacramental presence, in adoration. The same thing happened again on a smaller scale in Zagreb and then again in Madrid, after the thunderstorm which almost ruined the whole night vigil through the failure of the microphones. God is indeed ever-present. But again, the physical presence of the risen Christ is something different, something new. The risen Lord enters into our midst. And then we can do no other than say, with Saint Thomas: my Lord and my God! Adoration is primarily an act of faith – the act of faith as such. God is not just some possible or impossible hypothesis concerning the origin of all things. He is present. And if he is present, then I bow down before him. Then my intellect and will and heart open up towards him and from him. In the risen Christ, the incarnate God is present, who suffered for us because he loves us. We enter this certainty of God's tangible love for us with love in our own hearts. This is adoration, and this then determines my life. Only thus can I celebrate the Eucharist correctly and receive the body of the Lord rightly. A further important element of the World Youth Days is the sacrament of Confession, which is increasingly coming to be seen as an integral part of the experience. Here we recognize that we need forgiveness over and over again, and that forgiveness brings responsibility. Openness to love is present in man, implanted in him by the Creator, together with the capacity to respond to God in faith. But also present, in consequence of man's sinful history (Church teaching speaks of original sin) is the tendency that is opposed to love – the tendency towards selfishness, towards becoming closed in on oneself, in fact towards evil. Again and again my soul is tarnished by this downward gravitational pull that is present within me. Therefore we need the humility that constantly asks God for forgiveness, that seeks purification and awakens in us the counterforce, the positive force of the Creator, to draw us upwards. Finally, I would like to speak of one last feature, not to be overlooked, of the spirituality of World Youth Days, namely joy. Where does it come from? How is it to be explained? Certainly, there are many factors at work here. But in my view, the crucial one is this certainty, based on faith: I am wanted; I have a task in history; I am accepted, I am loved. Josef Pieper, in his book on love, has shown that man can only accept himself if he is accepted by another. He needs the other's presence, saying to him, with more than words: it is good that you exist. Only from the You can the I come into itself. Only if it is accepted, can it accept itself. Those who are unloved cannot even love themselves. This sense of being accepted comes in the first instance from other human beings. But all human acceptance is fragile. Ultimately we need a sense of being accepted unconditionally. Only if God accepts me, and I become convinced of this, do I know definitively: it is good that I exist. It is good to be a human being. If ever man's sense of being accepted and loved by God is lost, then there is no longer any answer to the question whether to be a human being is good at all. Doubt concerning human existence becomes more and more insurmountable. Where doubt over God becomes prevalent, then doubt over humanity follows inevitably. We see today how widely this doubt is spreading. We see it in the joylessness, in the inner sadness, that can be read on so many human faces today. Only faith gives me the conviction: it is good that I exist. It is good to be a human being, even in hard times. Faith makes one happy from deep within. That is one of the wonderful experiences of World Youth Days. It would take too long now to go into detail concerning the encounter in Assisi, as the significance of the event would warrant. Let us simply thank God, that as representatives of the world's religions and as representatives of thinking in search of truth, we were able to meet that day in a climate of friendship and mutual respect, in love for the truth and in shared responsibility for peace. So let us hope that, from this encounter, a new willingness to serve peace, reconciliation and justice has emerged. As I conclude, I would like to thank all of you from my heart for shouldering the common mission that the Lord has given us as witnesses to his truth, and I wish all of you the joy that God wanted to bestow up 2nd segment: Now as we do every week at this time, we will consider the Mass readings for this Sunday, specifically the Gospel reading. Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick– no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The Good Catholic Life #0277: Thursday, April 12, 2012

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2012 56:31

Summary of today's show: Easter week continues as Scot Landry is joined by Antonio Enrique and Domenico Bettinelli to discuss the headlines of the week, including Pope Benedict's Easter Sunday Urbi et Orbi message; the US bishops' latest and forceful statement on religious liberty; Divine Mercy Sunday; 40 Days for Life; the rescinding of an invitation to Vicki Kennedy to a Catholic college commencement. Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry Today's guest(s): Antonio Enrique, editor of The Pilot, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, and Domenico Bettinelli, creative director of Pilot New Media Links from today's show: Some of the stories discussed on this show will be available on The Pilot's and The Anchor's websites on Friday morning. Please check those sites for the latest links. Today's topics: Pope Benedict's Urbi et Orbi; US bishops statement on religious liberty; Divine Mercy Sunday; 40 Days for Life; Kennedy commencement address 1st segment: Scot Landry welcomed Antonio Enrique and Dom Bettinelli to the show. Scot asked how their Easters are going, noting that we celebrate Easter over eight days. Dom said his kids are continuing to sing the Easter hymns and prayers they hard at the Easter vigil. Antonio said his own parish has an Easter Vigil that lasts all night and his whole family attends. Scot said on Easter Sunday the Holy Father gives an address called Urbi et Obri, meaning “To the City and the World.” Scot read most of the pope's message. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world! “Surrexit Christus, spes mea” – “Christ, my hope, has risen” (Easter Sequence). May the jubilant voice of the Church reach all of you with the words which the ancient hymn puts on the lips of Mary Magdalene, the first to encounter the risen Jesus on Easter morning. She ran to the other disciples and breathlessly announced: “I have seen the Lord!” (Jn 20:18). We too, who have journeyed through the desert of Lent and the sorrowful days of the Passion, today raise the cry of victory: “He has risen! He has truly risen!” Every Christian relives the experience of Mary Magdalene. It involves an encounter which changes our lives: the encounter with a unique Man who lets us experience all God's goodness and truth, who frees us from evil not in a superficial and fleeting way, but sets us free radically, heals us completely and restores our dignity. This is why Mary Magdalene calls Jesus “my hope”: he was the one who allowed her to be reborn, who gave her a new future, a life of goodness and freedom from evil. “Christ my hope” means that all my yearnings for goodness find in him a real possibility of fulfilment: with him I can hope for a life that is good, full and eternal, for God himself has drawn near to us, even sharing our humanity. But Mary Magdalene, like the other disciples, was to see Jesus rejected by the leaders of the people, arrested, scourged, condemned to death and crucified. It must have been unbearable to see Goodness in person subjected to human malice, truth derided by falsehood, mercy abused by vengeance. With Jesus' death, the hope of all those who had put their trust in him seemed doomed. But that faith never completely failed: especially in the heart of the Virgin Mary, Jesus' Mother, its flame burned even in the dark of night. In this world, hope can not avoid confronting the harshness of evil. It is not thwarted by the wall of death alone, but even more by the barbs of envy and pride, falsehood and violence. Jesus passed through this mortal mesh in order to open a path to the kingdom of life. For a moment Jesus seemed vanquished: darkness had invaded the land, the silence of God was complete, hope a seemingly empty word. And lo, on the dawn of the day after the Sabbath, the tomb is found empty. Jesus then shows himself to Mary Magdalene, to the other women, to his disciples. Faith is born anew, more alive and strong than ever, now invincible since it is based on a decisive experience: “Death with life contended: combat strangely ended! Life's own champion, slain, now lives to reign”. The signs of the resurrection testify to the victory of life over death, love over hatred, mercy over vengeance: “The tomb the living did enclose, I saw Christ's glory as he rose! The angels there attesting, shroud with grave-clothes resting”. Dear brothers and sisters! If Jesus is risen, then – and only then – has something truly new happened, something that changes the state of humanity and the world. Then he, Jesus, is someone in whom we can put absolute trust; we can put our trust not only in his message but in Jesus himself, for the Risen One does not belong to the past, but is present today, alive. Christ is hope and comfort in a particular way for those Christian communities suffering most for their faith on account of discrimination and persecution. And he is present as a force of hope through his Church, which is close to all human situations of suffering and injustice. May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights. Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community. May the many refugees from that country who are in need of humanitarian assistance find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings. May the paschal victory encourage the Iraqi people to spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development. In the Holy Land, may Israelis and Palestinians courageously take up anew the peace process. May the Lord, the victor over evil and death, sustain the Christian communities of the African continent; may he grant them hope in facing their difficulties, and make them peacemakers and agents of development in the societies to which they belong. May the risen Jesus comfort the suffering populations of the Horn of Africa and favour their reconciliation; may he help the Great Lakes Region, Sudan and South Sudan, and grant their inhabitants the power of forgiveness. In Mali, now experiencing delicate political developments, may the glorious Christ grant peace and stability. To Nigeria, which in recent times has experienced savage terrorist attacks, may the joy of Easter grant the strength needed to take up anew the building of a society which is peaceful and respectful of the religious freedom of all its citizens. Happy Easter to all! Scot said he notes how present the word ‘hope' is in the messages of Pope Benedict. Dom said this is a time when so many are lacking in hope. He recalled Eric Genuis said on Monday's show that he sees a lack of hope in the 100,000 youth per year he plays for and Pope Benedict is holding up Christ as the single point of hope. In a time of a lack of faith, we see a lack of hope. Pope Benedict is telling us that Christ is present to us today, He is alive today. Scot said the most important fact in the Christianity is that Christ is alive and rose from the dead. Antonio said as important is that he left us the Holy Spirit. The Resurrection is a fact that carries on in history and helps people to have change in their lives. Antonio recalled a Russian story during the Communist re-education of Orthodox Christians to convince them of atheism. The Risen Christ brought hope to them and it brings hope to us today. Antonio said Pope John Paul II said in Evangelium Vitae that no matter how hard things become, we know how the story ends: Christ is victorious. Scot said at Easter what stands out to him is the joy of Alleluia as part of the season and how quickly we can leave the spirit of Alleluia when we return to our normal daily lives. Easter is an octave to allow it to take root in our daily lives. Dom said the joy of Easter could be hard to sustain so what do we do to keep Easter alive in us. Easter is also a season of 50 days until Pentecost. We can pray the prayers of Easter, remembering to say Alleluia, to wish a happy Easter to others. Returning to hope, this hope is not a passive hope. “In this world, hope cannot avoid confronting evil.” Hope brings Christ to the world. It doesn't simply wait for something good to us. That's a way of keeping joy alive. Scot said the Octave concludes with Divine Mercy Sunday. always the second Sunday of Easter since 2000. Jesus died for reconciliation for all of us. There are several articles in the Pilot and Anchor on Divine Mercy, particularly on the may people who need to be reconciled to God and we need to reach out to them. Antonio said if your life is transformed in Christ, then you can have joy despite problems and bring that joy to others. Divine Mercy Sunday fits perfectly within Easter. Once we've experienced the joy of the Resurrection, then we can go out and share the joy of Easter with others and ask them to come back. Scot said a week ago last Monday, we had Fr. Kaz and Mary Kay Volpone from the Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge on the program, giving a background on the message and Divine Mercy Sunday. It's a message and devotion that most Catholics are still hearing about. It isn't totally ingrained in the Church. It often happens with new devotions in the Church. Pope John Paul II put this devotion forward, he took his last breath on the vigil of Divine Mercy, and was beatified last year on Divine Mercy Sunday. Dom noted the beauty of the diversity of devotions within the Church. There seems to be something for everyone and every temperament to find a way to God through the Church. Dom noted in the Anchor article a quotation from Robert Allard of the Apostles of Divine Mercy: “If we are truly Apostles of Divine Mercy, then we need to get really serious about helping Jesus to save sinners and to ease the Lord's sadness,” Allard said. “We need to stop focusing our energy on what can he viewed as ‘parties for devotees' at 3 p.m. in the afternoon and focus more on saving poor sinners.” The devotion shouldn't be just for the devotees, the same people in the parish showing up for the service and then going home. We're not saying that the prayer services are bad, but if they're not coupled with action, there won't be fruit from it. Not that there isn't a place for contemplative prayer life, but if you can we must couple prayer with bringing the message to people. God loves you, God forgives your sins, mercy is available. God isn't just a judge sitting on a throne waiting to throw the book at you. He wants to jump off the throne and run to embrace you like the prodigal son. Scot said a central message of Divine Mercy is that the Church is meant to be a refuge for sinners, not a museum for saints. What is being said is that members of the Divine Mercy apostolate must focus outward ,not inward. We must look for the one sheep that isn't part of the 99 or the 75 not joined to the 25. He suggested people learn more. 2nd segment: On page two of the Pilot this week, we see that Fr. Gerry Dorgan of St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish in Danvers has been granted Senior Priest/retirement status by Cardinal Sean effective June 5, 2012. Fr. Dorgan was on our program a few months ago. Fr. Dorgan was Fr. Mark O'Connell's first pastor out of the seminary. Dom said he remembers from the show Fr. Dorgan's devotion to art history and how he incorporated it in pastoral ministry. It's impressive how he used his talents and interests in parish service. Scot said Fr. Dorgan's been a priest for about 50 years and noted that many legendary priests will be retiring in the coming year. Scot then noted another article in the Anchor about the 40 Days for Life campaign in the Diocese of Fall River. He noted that the Archdiocese hasn't embraced it officially because of the difficulty of the John Salvi murders an the complications it presents. Antonio said this campaign has been effective in changing hearts and minds since it started in 2004. That these warriors for life can bring attention to this issue is welcome. Antonio noted that the 40 Days for Life did take place in Lynn and Haverhill, even though officially sponsored by the Archdiocese. Scot said this apostolate started at a college campus ministry at College Station, Texas, at Texas A&M. Some young people wanted to take concert action. Dom said it's inspiring to see how many young people take part in the pro-life movement. He recalled at Franciscan University of Steubenville about 20 years ago that some of his classmates organized a walk across America , stopping along the way to witness to life and it's ongoing. It's an opportunity for young people to put their faith into action. Dom explained that 40 Days for Life is that during Lent there is someone standing outside a clinic every day from morning to evening, praying for everyone there, talking to to those who would work. And there is great fruit from it: conversions of clinic workers, clinics that close, and women who decide to keep their babies. Also in the Anchor is that Ana Maria College near Worcester, Mass., rescinded an invitation to Vickie Kennedy to be commencement speaker. In the article, Bishop McManus of Worcester said: ‘“My difficulty is not primarily with Mrs. Kennedy:' Bishop McManus told The Catholic Free Press, newspaper of the Worcester Diocese. “My difficulty is with the college choosing her to he honored by allowing her to be commencement speaker and giving her an honorary degree. “My concern basically was that to give this type of honor to Mrs. Kennedy would in fact undercut the Catholic identity and mission of the school.” he said. “And that in so far as that that happens, the ‘communio' (communion) or the unity that exists between the local Church and the local Catholic college is strained and hurt.” Scot said McManus was concerned that it would give the impression that someone could hold positions contrary to the Church's teachings and still be honored by a Catholic institution. Scot said McManus thought he was doing his job as bishop and wasn't trying to be harsh toward Vickie Kennedy. Dom said this is right in line with the US bishops' 2004 statement Faithful Citizenship, where they said people who hold views contrary to Catholic doctrine on impotent moral issues should not be given platforms or honors at Catholic institutions. The bishop doesn't want to give the impression that it's okay to oppose the Church's moral teachings as a Catholic. We don't want to tell these graduates that we don't take our own teachings seriously. Bishop McManus wasn't being strident. He only said he couldn't attend the graduation and it was the school's decision to rescind. Scot said as a Catholic college they said they value the bishops' role. Scot compared it to what happened at Notre Dame where then-Bishop D'Arcy said he couldn't attend a graduation where President Obama was going to receive an honorary doctorate. Notre Dame decided to go ahead anyway. Antonio said we're going to find this more and more in the Church as society moves away from critical values. The Church has a prophetic role and the bishop has to be able to star we can't condone an event like that. He describe a way of thought called proportionalism, in which people say they will believe differently in their personal lives. He said the Church needs to clarify that the Church teaches one thing and some issues are not negotiable. Scot said this issues can be controversial because not every bishop applies the standard in the same way in his own diocese, and interprets what positions go beyond the limits to say the person doesn't deserve the honors or platform. Another local story is that the seniors at Fontbonne Academy had their annual social justice fair. The students take on projects related to the topic of social justice. Antonio said he was struck by the part of the story about Chinese exchange students talking about being survivors of China's one-child policy, being given up by their mothers to relatives so they could live. Antonio was struck by the sadness in the girl who said her mother had to act like she hadn't been born. He also said sometimes there is distinction made between social justice and pro-life issues as if they were different. He's glad that wasn't the case here. 3rd segment: This week's benefactor card raffle winner is Therese Willette-Rudolph of Saugus, MA She wins by St. Faustina Kowalska. If you would like to be eligible to win in an upcoming week, please visit . For a one-time $30 donation, you'll receive the Station of the Cross benefactor card and key tag, making you eligible for WQOM's weekly raffle of books, DVDs, CDs and religious items. We'll be announcing the winner each Wednesday during “The Good Catholic Life” program. 4th segment: The US Conference of Catholic Bishops today issued a major new statement on the topic of religious liberty. It begins: We are Catholics. We are Americans. We are proud to be both, grateful for the gift of faith which is ours as Christian disciples, and grateful for the gift of liberty which is ours as American citizens. To be Catholic and American should mean not having to choose one over the other. Our allegiances are distinct, but they need not be contradictory, and should instead be complementary. That is the teaching of our Catholic faith, which obliges us to work together with fellow citizens for the common good of all who live in this land. That is the vision of our founding and our Constitution, which guarantees citizens of all religious faiths the right to contribute to our common life together. Freedom is not only for Americans, but we think of it as something of our special inheritance, fought for at a great price, and a heritage to be guarded now. We are stewards of this gift, not only for ourselves but for all nations and peoples who yearn to be free. Catholics in America have discharged this duty of guarding freedom admirably for many generations. In 1887, when the archbishop of Baltimore, James Gibbons, was made the second American cardinal, he defended the American heritage of religious liberty during his visit to Rome to receive the red hat. Speaking of the great progress the Catholic Church had made in the United States, he attributed it to the “civil liberty we enjoy in our enlightened republic.” Indeed, he made a bolder claim, namely that “in the genial atmosphere of liberty [the Church] blossoms like a rose.”1 From well before Cardinal Gibbons, Catholics in America have been advocates for religious liberty, and the landmark teaching of the Second Vatican Council on religious liberty was influenced by the American experience. It is among the proudest boasts of the Church on these shores. We have been staunch defenders of religious liberty in the past. We have a solemn duty to discharge that duty today. We need, therefore, to speak frankly with each other when our freedoms are threatened. Now is such a time. As Catholic bishops and American citizens, we address an urgent summons to our fellow Catholics and fellow Americans to be on guard, for religious liberty is under attack, both at home and abroad. Scot said the statement goes on to provide lots of concrete examples of where religious liberty is under attack in this country, like the HHS mandate. It then describes how religious liberty is more than just freedom of worship in our churches and homes, but freedom to live faith in public. It describes how religious liberty is the most cherished freedom in the eyes of our founding fathers and should continue to be. It describes our Christian teaching on religious liberty and how it is in jeopardy across the world. It then desrcibes all the actions the Catholic community can muster: What we ask is nothing more than that our God-given right to religious liberty be respected. We ask nothing less than that the Constitution and laws of the United States, which recognize that right, be respected. They then announced a “fortnight for freedom” that recommends we “that we focus “all the energies the Catholic community can muster” in a special way this coming summer. As pastors of the flock, our privileged task is to lead the Christian faithful in prayer.” It would be 14 days from June 21 to July 4 and they ask everyone to pray this prayer: Almighty God, Father of all nations, For freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1). We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty, the foundation of human rights, justice, and the common good. Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect and promote our liberties; By your grace may we have the courage to defend them, for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land. We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness, and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Scot said this statement has been anticipated after the US bishops formed this committee last year for this purpose. This document creates the framework by which we will defend our rights. Dom said our liberties have been attack for many years. It should also concern those beyond our borders. The US has been a leader in the fight for freedom in the world, as a beacon of freedom and hope. If that freedom erodes here in this country, how will that light be extinguished elsewhere. And when we lose this freedom, what freedom will we lose next? What other rights will they decide we don't need? Scot said the document's objective seems to inform the broader community about what we stand for, what is the history of religious liberty in this country, and then the real call to action through prayer in the fortnight for freedom. Antonio said it's not just the bishops who must act, but all of us. Jesus said we are the salt of the earth and we are obligated to influence others and to speak up. We have an obligation to follow the government, but not when it contradicts the will of God. He also noted that contrary to the French revolution which said rights came from the state, in the United States our Declaration of Independence declares our rights as inalienable and descending from God. We are going through a fundamental change in this country. In Europe, the government can decide how people can use or lose their rights. This is a key moment in how we understand our rights within our society. Scot said the bishops are clear that religious heritage in our country appreciates religious freedom for all, whatever their faith and that we should be able to live our belief systems in the public square and not have those beliefs be seen as contradictory to our American citizenship. the bishops are saying it's un-american to say we can't live our faith in the public square. Dom said he hopes that other faiths join in this fortnight for freedom because this applies to all of them. Scot said the bishops make that very point. This year, we propose a special “fortnight for freedom,” in which bishops in their own dioceses might arrange special events to highlight the importance of defending our first freedom. Our Catholic institutions also could be encouraged to do the same, especially in cooperation with other Christians, Jews, people of other faiths, and indeed, all who wish to defend our most cherished freedom.

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The Good Catholic Life #0242: Wednesday, February 22, 2012