Pope greets women on International Women's Day 2015-03-08 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) In his remarks following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis had a special greeting for “all the women throughout the world who are seeking, every day, to build a more human and welcoming society.” Pope Francis continued with a “a fraternal ‘thank you’ for all those women who, in a thousand ways, bear witness to the Gospel and work in the Church.” March 8th, celebrated around the world as International Women’s Day, is an occasion, he said, “to repeat the importance of women, and the necessity of their presence in life.” Pope Francis said, “A world where women are marginalized is a sterile world, because women don’t just bear life but transmit to us the ability to see otherwise, they see things differently. They transmit to us the ability to understand the world with different eyes, to understand things with hearts that are more creative, more patient, more tender.” The Pope then offered “a prayer, and a special blessing, for all the women present here in the Square, and for all women.” (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis: Let us allow Jesus to cleanse our hearts 16 136 Print 2015-03-08 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday based his Angelus address on the Gospel account of Jesus cleansing the Temple. Jesus’ prophetic words and actions, the Pope said, which refer to His death and resurrection, “are fully understood in the light of His Pasch.” Jesus Christ Himself, in His Resurrection, becomes the meeting place between God and man. During Lent, the Pope continued, we prepare for Easter, when we will renew our baptismal promises. The Holy Father called on each of us to follow Jesus, so that people might encounter God in us and in our witness. But this leads us to ask ourselves if we allow the Lord “to ‘cleanse’ our hearts and to drive out the idols, those attitudes of cupidity, jealousy, worldliness, envy, hatred, those habits of gossiping and tearing down others.” Jesus, the Pope said, cleanses our hearts not with a whip, as He cleansed the Temple, but with tenderness, mercy, and love. “Every Eucharist that we celebrate with faith makes us grow as a living temple of the Lord,” the Pope said, “thanks to the communion with His crucified and risen Body… Let us allow Him to enter into our lives, into our families, into our hearts.” Below, please find the complete text of the Pope’s Angelus address for Sunday, 8 March 2015: Dear brothers and sisters, Today’s Gospel presents the episode of the of the expulsion of the merchants from the temple (Jn 2:13-25). Jesus “made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen” (Jn 2:15), the money, everything. Such a gesture gave rise to strong impressions in the people and in the disciples. It clearly appeared as a prophetic gesture, so much so that some of those present asked Jesus: “[But] what sign can you show us for doing this?” (v. 18), who are you to do these things? Show us a sign that you have authority to do them. They are seeking a divine sign, a prodigy that would certify Jesus as being sent by God. And He responded: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). They replied: “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” (v. 20). They had not understood that the Lord was referring to the living temple of His body, that would be destroyed in the death on the Cross, but would be raised on the third day. For this, in “three days.” “When He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken” (v. 22). In effect, this gesture of Jesus and His prophetic message are fully understood in the light of His Pasch. We have here, according to the evangelist John, the first proclamation of the death and resurrection of Christ: His body, destroyed on the Cross by the violence of sin, will become in the Resurrection the universal meeting place between God and men. And the Risen Christ is Himself the universal meeting place – for everyone! – between God and men. For this reason, His humanity is the true temple where God is revealed, speaks, is encountered; and the true worshippers, the true worshippers of God are not only the guardians of the material temple, the keepers of power and of religious knowledge, [but] they are those who worship God “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23). In this time of Lent we are preparing for the celebration of Easter, when we will renew the promises of our Baptism. Let us travel in the world as Jesus did, and let us make our whole existence a sign of our love for our brothers, especially the weakest and poorest, let us build for God a temple of our lives. And so we make it “encounterable” for those who we find along our journey. If we are witnesses of this living Christ, so many people will encounter Jesus in us, in our witness. But, we ask – and each one of us can ask ourselves – does the Lord feel at home in my life? Do we allow Him to “cleanse” our hearts and to drive out the idols, those attitudes of cupidity, jealousy, worldliness, envy, hatred, those habits of gossiping and tearing down others. Do I allow Him to cleanse all the behaviours that are against God, against our neighbour, and against ourselves, as we heard today in the first Reading? Each one can answer for himself, in the silence of his heart: “Do I allow Jesus to make my heart a little cleaner?” “Oh Father, I fear the rod!” But Jesus never strikes. Jesus cleanses with tenderness, with mercy, with love. Mercy is the His way of cleansing. Let us, each of us, let us allow the Lord to enter with His mercy – not with the whip, no, with His mercy – to cleanse our hearts. The whip of Jesus with us is His mercy. Let us open to Him the gates so that He would make us a little cleaner. Every Eucharist that we celebrate with faith makes us grow as a living temple of the Lord, thanks to the communion with His crucified and risen Body. Jesus recognizes that which is in each of us, and knows well our most ardent desires: that of being inhabited by Him, only by Him. Let us allow Him to enter into our lives, into our families, into our hearts. May Mary most holy, the privileged dwelling place of the Son of God, accompany us and sustain us on the Lenten journey, so that we might be able to rediscover the beauty of the encounter with Christ, the only One Who frees us and saves us. (from Vatican Radio)
Glen many thanks for your reply to my question about the 24 hours of Wold Wide prayer requested by Holy Father Francis on 13th 14th Mach 2015. Holy Father starts at 5.00pm in Rome. I saw another reply on Charliej site in answer to Janet's question about this. I have tried to be clever and copy and paste here. I don't know if this is a USA site or UK. For you and if anyone else is interested. Our UK parish is already geared up to join Holy Father . ============================================= It’s here: http://www.novaevangelizatio.va/content/nvev/en.html I believe National Catholic Register also ran an article. ============================================= God bless you Glenn and thank you once again.
The Pope said election campaigns should be free from backers Pope Francis calls for transparency in politics http://www.neurope.eu/article/pope-francis-calls-transparency-politics Pope Francis has called for greater transparency in politics and consulted politicians to avoid big elections campaigns backed by private sponsors. Francis said elections should be free from backers who fund campaigns in order for politicians to promote independent politics. “We must achieve a free sort of election campaign, not financed,” Francis said in an interview published by a Buenos Aires magazine, La Carcova News. “Because many interests come into play in the financing of an election campaign and then they ask you to pay back. So the election campaign should be independent from anyone who may finance it.” The Argentine pontiff added in the interview given on February 7 at the Vatican speaking to a priest who is a friend of his, Father Pepe, in an interview with La Carcova News, the magazine of a Buenos Aires slum: “A candidate must present himself to society with a clear, well thought-out election platform,” Francis said. “They should say if I get elected an MP, or mayor, or governor, I'll do this because I think this and that's what should be done. They should be honest in presenting their position.” In Argentina the Presidential elections will take place in October. The head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics added that one gets a better view of the reality from the peripheries because if “we go out from the centre and move away from it, we discover more things.” Since being elected pope two years ago, Francis has repeatedly said he wanted a "poor" Church and told the clergy to reach out to those at the margins of society.
Pope Francis Asks God, If Assassination's Your Will, Let It Be Smooth: 'I'm a Scaredy Cat For Pain' http://www.people.com/article/pope-francis-accepts-assassination-chances-but-asks-it-be-painless Amid renewed talk of an ISIS threat against Pope Francis, the straight-talking pontiff says he's already prayed about assassination and made his peace with the possibility – up to a point. "I have said to the Lord: take care of me. But if your will is that I should die or that they do something to me, I ask you one favor – that they don't hurt me," Francis said in an interview with an Argentine magazine released Tuesday. "Because I'm a real scaredy cat when it comes to physical pain."
Pope Francis kisses the cane of St. Teresa of Avila to celebrate her fifth centenary 2015-03-11 "We bring the stick of St. Teresa of Jesus." It has traveled to 28 countries across 5 continents to mark the 5th centenary of its owner, St. Teresa of Avila. It's hard to believe. "She walked with this? Yes, it is saved in her native home in Avila." This is the group of Spanish pilgrims who have managed to get the relic to the Pope. They're part of the "Way of Light" initiative. Since October 2014, they have traveled the world to promote devotion to one of the great religious leaders of all time. ALVAREZ AMAYA Coordinator, Way of Light pilgrimage "We have been in Latin America or in Africa where the music, joy, and jubilation has been more intense. FLASH. A favorite country would be very difficult. In almost all there have been many special moments. The amazing thing about this pilgrimage has been the amount of people who have heard the call of St. Teresa and seen the arrival of the cane." P. ANTONIO GONZALEZ Secretary General, Fifth Centenary of the Birth of St. Teresa of Jesus "Here you can see that it says 'It's time to walk.' This cane reminds us of the pilgrim life of St. Teresa. We also were invited to travel the roads she traveled. The path of prayer, the way of faith." The kiss from Pope Francis was the perfect finale for this initiative. After the visit in Rome, they will continue their journey back to Spain. They passed it to the Pope at the end of the general audience. It is of the most special times of the week because that's when people can see the Pope up close. "We have been very close to him. He received the cane and well, the truth is that today's audience was very nice, very beautiful, dedicated to the elderly." "Well, look, for me it was the biggest dream of my life because we thought the Pope was coming to Avila, Salamanca and Alba. We had prepared for everything. When we were told he could not come we said: 'Why don't we go there?'" Minutes earlier the Pope mentioned the anniversary of the saint to end his Wednesday catechesis. POPE FRANCIS "This month we remember the fifth centenary of the birth in Avila of St. Teresa of Jesus. Her spiritual force will encourage you, dear young people, to witness joyfully faith in your life ". March 28 will mark 500 years since the birth of Saint Teresa of Avila. The Pope will celebrate it by starting a global prayer for peace. http://www.romereports.com/pg160655...-of-avila-to-celebrate-her-fifth-centenary-en
Pope Francis: Grandparents provide important lessons for young people 2015-03-11 Pope Francis began his weekly general audience by discussing the elderly's role in the family and society. He said that he has first-hand experience with the topic. POPE FRANCIS "When I was in the Philippines, Filipinos, the inhabitants of the Philippines, the Filipino people greeted me saying 'Lolo Kiko', that is 'Grandfather Francis.'" The Pope acknowledged that aging can be difficult. It has challenges, but it also elevates spirituality. He said that it isn't a time to give up and relax, but instead is a time to be creative. POPE FRANCIS "We, the elderly, can remind young ambitious people that a life without love is arid. We can say to young people who are afraid that anxiety about the future can be beaten. We can teach young people too in love with themselves that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. " The Pope said with sadness that there are cynical elders who "despise the young" because they have lost sight of the value of their testimony experience to their grandchildren. POPE FRANCIS "The words of grandparents have something special for young people. And they know it. The words that my grandmother wrote for me on the day of my ordination, I still carry them with me in the breviary." Pope Francis concluded his catechesis with a profound reflection: "How I wish that the Church could overcome the throwaway culture and promote the joyful reunion and mutual acceptance of different generations." http://www.romereports.com/pg160649...provide-important-lessons-for-young-people-en
Pope Francis: Saints carry the Church forward, not hypocrites or the powerful 2015-03-12 In his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis explained that many saints endured lawmakers who believe that life is governed only by the laws that they establish. POPE FRANCIS "This has also happened in the history of the Church! Think of poor Joan of Arc: today she is a Saint! She was burnt at the stake because she was considered a heretic… the inquisitors, those who followed the rules, those Pharisees: they were far from the love of God. And closer in time to us think of the Blessed Antonio Rosmini: all of his writings were placed upon the Index. You could not read them; it was considered a sin to read them. Today he is a Blessed. In the History of God with his people the Lord sent forth the prophets to tell His people that He loved them. In the Church, the Lord sends forth the Saints. And it is the Saints who carry forward the life of the Church, not the powerful, not the hypocrites: the Saints.” The Pope also asked Christians to consider if they carry out God's will or their own. He said those who only follow their own desires harden their hearts and do not let God in. POPE FRANCIS' COMPLETE HOMILY (Source: Vatican Radio) "This is the History of God. It’s as if God were weeping. And when Jesus looked at Jerusalem he too wept. Because in Jesus’ heart was this history where faithfulness had disappeared. "We follow our will, but doing so our heart hardens and becomes of stone. And the Word of the Lord cannot penetrate. Thus the people get more and more distant. This is also the risk in our personal histories. Now, on this day of lent, we must ask ourselves: ‘Do I listen to the voice of the Lord or do I do what I please?’ "This has also happened in the history of the Church! Think of poor Joan of Arc: today she is a Saint! She was burnt at the stake because she was considered a heretic… the inquisitors, those who followed the rules, those Pharisees: they were far from the love of God. And closer in time to us think of the Blessed Antonio Rosmini: all of his writings were placed upon the Index. You could not read them; it was considered a sin to read them. Today he is a Blessed. "In the History of God with his people the Lord sent forth the prophets to tell His people that He loved them. In the Church, the Lord sends forth the Saints. And it is the Saints who carry forward the life of the Church, not the powerful, not the hypocrites: the Saints. "Jesus says: ‘Whoever is not with me is against me’. And there is no compromising. You are either on the path of love or on the path of hypocrisy. You either let yourself be loved by God’s mercy, or you do as you please according to your own heart that hardens days by day along this path. Whoever is not with me is against me: there is no third choice to be made. Either you are a saint or you take the other route. Whoever is not receptive loses out… No, it is worse: he wastes and wrecks. He is corrupt and he corrupts.” http://www.romereports.com/pg160662...rch-forward-not-hypocrites-or-the-powerful-en
Pope Francis: “Confession should not be torture” 2015-03-12 Participants in the Apostolic Penitentiary's annual course met with Pope Francis the day before the second anniversary of his election. CARD. MAURO PIACENZA Major Penitentiary "I have the pleasure to extend a respectful and filial greeting that translates into prayer for him and the fruitfulness of his Petrine ministry on the eve of the anniversary of his election. Congratulations." The Pope gave the panel of confession experts some tips on how to best administer the sacrament. He warned that neither moral laxity nor cold legal rigorism were actually merciful. POPE FRANCIS "The sacraments, as we know, put humans in a place of closeness and tenderness to God. Reconciliation certainly renders present with special efficacy the merciful face of God." Pope Francis said that confession cannot be "an annoying and intrusive interrogation." Rather, he continued, it is a rich gathering of humanity in which one tries to repair the evil that has been done. The good confessor, said the Pope, knows he is a sinner. He told them to try as penitental brothers to "accompany” people on their way. http://www.romereports.com/pg160665-pope-francis-oeconfession-should-not-be-torture-en
Pope Francis Gives In-Depth Interview to Mexican Televisa News http://vatican.com/news/frame.aspx?...s-in-depth-interview-to-mexican-televisa-news Francis said in the interview that his Pontificate "will be brief" but "I have the feeling that the Lord has me for something brief, no more, but it is just a feeling." Regarding the possibility of resigning, he noted his belief that "what Pope Benedict did was open a door." He added that it is not the idea of placing an age limit on emeritus bishops but rather what Benedict did. He remembered seeing him at the recent Consistory, saying that he was "happy, content. He is respected by the whole world. I go to visit him. Sometimes I speak to him over the telephone. As I said, it is like having a wise grandfather at home." Another important point that is spoken of in the interview is on the Synod of the Family. The Pope believes that there are "unmeasured expectation" and clarified that the Synod of the Family was "not desired by me. The Lord wanted it. And it is something that is his." The Pope noted that "there is a crisis within the family" and from that point of vew, he believes that what the Lord wants confronted is "the preparation to marriage, accompanying those who live together, accompanying those who marry and carry their families forward well, accompanying those who have failed, in the family and have made a new union, preparation for the Sacrament of marriage, not all are prepared." And regarding to the way the Synod developed, the Pope said that he is opposed to publish everything that each one says with first and last name, "that it is known what was said, I have no problem. But not who said it. That way they can feel free to say what they want." The issue of pedofilia and Marcial Maciel was also one of the points of the interview. "When I found out about that "great scandal" I was truly hurt, I was scandalized. How can this person do this?, the Pope asked. And he explained that "here, when we realized what happened, strong action took place. And he made clear that the then Cardinal Ratzinger and Saint John Paul II were aware and said: forward. One, with the investigation. The other who gave the green light.
Pope Francis announces Extraordinary Jubile, a year of Mercy for sinners. I think this our last chance to seek conversion, God is waiting for us , he does not want to lose one single soul, is time for preparation and he is is giving us all we need, he just needs our fiat. http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/201...ly_with_announcement_of_year_of_mercy/1129218
Dear brothers and sisters, I have often thought about how the Church might make clear its mission of being a witness to mercy. It is journey that begins with a spiritual conversion. For this reason, I have decided to call anextraordinary Jubilee that is to have the mercy of God at its center. It shall be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live this Year in the light of the Lord's words: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (cf. Lk 6:36)” This Holy Year will begin on this coming Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8th 2015) and will end on November 20, 2016, the Sunday dedicated to Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – and living face of the Father’s mercy. I entrust the organization of this Jubilee to the Pontifical Council for Promotion of the New Evangelization, that [the dicastery] might animate it as a new stage in the journey of the Church on its mission to bring to every person the Gospel of mercy. Getting us prepared for the Warning!!
Pope calls Jubilee of Mercy to “comfort every man and woman of our time” 2015-03-13 The Pope used a penitential meeting at the Vatican to make one of the most important announcements of his pontificate: the call for a Jubilee. POPE FRANCIS "I have often thought about how the Church can do more to make clear its mission of being a witness of mercy. It is a path that begins with a spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to convene a special jubilee focused on God's mercy. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy.” In history there have been only 28 Jubilees. The last one was called by John Paul II in 2000, and before that he also called one in 1983. This one will begin on December 8 and will end on November 20, 2016. POPE FRANCIS "I am convinced that the whole Church will find in this jubilee joy to rediscover and make fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to comfort every man and woman of our time.” Minutes before announcing the jubilee, he stressed in his homily the importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He said, "God always forgives and never gets tired of forgiving.” The Pope invited people to confession and, leading by example, confessed himself. Then he heard confessions from several people at the same place that Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI once confessed. http://www.romereports.com/pg160712...-oecomfort-every-man-and-woman-of-our-time-en
Why Pope Francis has convened an Extraordinary Holy Year dedicated to Mercy 2015-03-13 A few days after his election, during the first Angelus of his pontificate, the Pope spoke about mercy. POPE FRANCIS Angelus, March 17, 2013 "Feeling mercy. This word changes everything. This is the best thing we can feel: it changes the world.” And to change the world, Pope Francis wants to reiterate the meaning of the word. Mercy is God's invitation to the men who have been wrong to return to Him. And mercy, says the Pope, is what the world needs now. POPE FRANCIS Angelus, January 11, 2015 "There is so much need of mercy today, and it is important that the lay faithful live it and bring it into different social environments. Go forth! We are living in the age of mercy, this is the age of mercy.” Francis chose 'Miserando atque eligendo' as the motto for his coat of arms. It means: "By having mercy and by choosing.” In the programmatic document of his pontificate, "Evangelii Gaudium,” Pope Francis uses the word 31 times. It is no coincidence that Pope Francis decided to announce this Holy Year at a ceremony dedicated to confession, the sacrament of forgiveness and mercy.
"Liberal liturgists try to explain away a key appointment by Pope Francis" http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otn.cfm?id=1080
Pope urges laity to live their vocation in the world 41 186 Print 2015-03-14 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met members of the Rome-based lay association Seguimi (Follow Me) on Saturday on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. In his message, the Pope spoke of the importance of the lay vocation in the Church. Listen to the report by Laura Ieraci: Lay people are called to permeate the family, work and social environments with Christian values through their witness and words and by meeting people in the concrete situations of their lives, so that they may live in “full dignity” and be “reached by the salvation of Christ,” said Pope Francis. “Jesus is the fullness for every human person, revealing the mystery of the Father and of his love,” he said. “As lay people, you are immersed in the world and you are committed to serving the human good within earthly realities,” he said. The Pope encouraged the members of the lay association to be “lay people on the front lines, to feel part of the mission of the Church” and “to live their secularity dedicated to the realities” of the world. “This way, you can contribute, like leaven, and put the spirit of the Gospel in the wounds of history with the witness of faith, hope and love,” he said. The Pope noted that the lay association was founded during the Second Vatican Council and encouraged its members to continue to live their lives centered on Christ. “Many times, even in the Church, we believe we are good Christians because we do well-organized social and charitable work,” the Pope said. “They are good things but we must not forget that the lifeblood that transforms hearts is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. Allow the Lord to occupy the centre of your heart and of your work.” The Pope also told the association, which is comprised of married, single and consecrated lay people, to preserve and to develop their fraternal communion and exchange of talents, aimed at the human and Christian grown of all. “Celibates and married, each in their proper state of life, meet and share an enriching experience of complementarity,” he said. For those who are consecrated, he said the evangelical counsels in the general context of secularism requires faithfulness to the love of the Father, to Christ and his Gospel, and to the action of the Holy Spirit, who is love and freedom, as well as faithfulness to the vocation of each person in the community. He also encouraged them to be countercultural when necessary. “Be vigilant on your spiritual journey and help each other always to practice mutual charity, which means fending off egoism in order to be true witnesses of the Gospel,” he said. (from Vatican Radio)
Pope Francis condemns attacks against Christians in Pakistan 54 343 Print 2015-03-15 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has made an appeal for peace in Pakistan and for solidarity with the country’s persecuted Christian minority, in the wake of a pair of terror attacks that left at least 14 people dead and scores of others wounded in the city of Lahore, and accused the world of, “trying to hide” the persecution of Christians. “With pain, with much pain,” said Pope Francis to the crowd of pilgrims and tourists gathered for the Angelus prayer this Sunday in St. Peter's Square, “I learned of the terrorist attacks today against two churches in the city Lahore in Pakistan, which have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries,” for which a Taliban splinter group, calling itself Jamatul Ahrar, has claimed responsibility. Click below to hear our report The twin attacks took place on churches only a few hundred metres apart from one another in one of the largest Christian neighbourhoods of the city, Youhanabad. One of the churches was the Catholic church of St. John, the other was the Anglican Christ Church. The Holy Father went on to say, “These are Christian churches: Christians are being persecuted. Our brothers' and sisters' blood is shed only because they are Christians. As I assure you of my prayers for the victims and their families, I ask the Lord, I beseech the Lord, source of all good, for the gift of peace and harmony to this country.” Concluding his appeal, Pope Francis prayed, “That this persecution against Christians, which the world tries to hide, might end, and that there be peace.” “These attacks have led people into the thought that they are unsafe anywhere,” said Sadaf Saddique, who heads the Good Shepherd Ministry in Pakistan, an outreach to exploited and at-risk children. Speaking to Vatican Radio from Lahore, shortly after the attacks, Saddique, a lawyer, said, “We never thought that Youhanabad could be attacked, we never thought that people would dare to come into this place, and would attack such a big Christian town.” Christians comprise roughly 2% of Pakistan’s more than 182 million people, and have been the target of increasingly intense and deadly violence in recent years. (from Vatican Radio) http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-condemns-attacks-against-christians-i
Pope Francis: Believing is making room for God to change us 2015-03-16 During his homily at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis discussed the very personal relationship that God has with every person. He said that God is in love with all of humanity and that he has dreams for us. The Pope also said that faith is giving God the space to enter our lives and change us for the better. The answer to humanity's problems is to believe, he said. POPE FRANCIS "To have faith is to make space for God’s love, to make space for his power, for God’s power. Not for the power of a powerful person, but for the power of one who loves me, who is in love with me and who wants to rejoice with me. God's love is beyond explanation according to Pope Francis. He concluded that he doesn't believe there is a theologian alive today who could explain it. POPE FRANCIS' COMPLETE HOMILY (Source: Vatican Radio) "We find that the Lord has so much enthusiasm: he speaks of joy and says ‘I will exult in my people’. The Lord thinks of what He will do and of how He will rejoice with His people. It’s almost as if he has a dream. He has a dream. His dream is about us. ‘Oh, how beautiful it will be when we are all together, when this and that person will walk with me… I will exult in that moment!’ To bring you an example that can help us better understand, it’s like when a girl or a boy think of their beloved: ‘when we will be together, when we marry…’. It’s God’s ‘dream.’” "Have you thought about it? The Lord dreams of me! He thinks of me! I am in the Lord’s mind and in His heart! The Lord can change my life! And he has many projects: ‘we will build houses and plant vineyards, we will share our meals’… these are the dreams of someone who is in love…. Thus we can see that the Lord is in love with his people. And when he says to his people: ‘I haven’t chosen you because you are the strongest, the biggest, the most powerful. I have chosen you because you are the smallest of them all. You could add: the most miserable. This is whom I have chosen’. This is love.” "I don’t think a theologian exists who can explain this: it is impossible to explain. We can only think about it, we can feel, we can cry with joy. The Lord can change us. ‘And what must I do?’ Believe. I must believe that the Lord can change me, that He has the power to do so: just like the man in the Gospel whose son was sick. ‘Sir, come down before my child dies’. ‘You may go (Jesus said to him). Your son will live!’ That man believed in the words of Jesus and had set off. He believed. He believed that Jesus had the power to change his child, the health of his child. And he won. To have faith is to make space for God’s love, to make space for his power, for God’s power. Not for the power of a powerful person, but for the power of one who loves me, who is in love with me and who wants to rejoice with me. This is faith. This is believing: making space for the Lord so that he can come and change me.” http://www.romereports.com/pg160721-pope-francis-believing-is-making-room-for-god-to-change-us-en
Pope: Be merciful, do not close the doors of the heart 27 59 Print 2015-03-17 Vatican Radio (Vatican Radio) The Church "is the home of Jesus," a house of mercy that welcomes all, and therefore not a place where Christians should close the doors to those seeking to enter. This was the message at the heart of Pope Francis’ homily Tuesday morning at Mass at the Santa Marta guesthouse in the Vatican. It is a message that Pope Francis has repeated many times in the past: that of Jesus who opens the doors to anyone who seeks Him and especially to those far from Him. But, the Pope laments, some Christians shut out those who knock at the door of the Church. While Christ offers complete mercy, those who profess to believe in Him sometimes fail Him by closing the door on others. Do not stop those seeking Christ The Pope's reflection begins with water, the protagonist of Tuesday’s liturgical readings. Calling it "the water that heals," Francis comments on the Prophet Ezekiel’s description of the trickle of water emerging from the doorway of the temple, and which becomes a raging torrent rich with fish, capable of healing anyone. And, in the Gospel: the water of the pool of Bethesda where a sad paralyzed man lies just on the edge. The Pope describes him as a little '"lazy" - never having found a way to immerse himself in the moving waters to seek healing. Instead, Jesus heals him and encourages him to "go on", but this triggers the criticism of the doctors of the law because the healing took place on Saturday. It’s a tale notes the Pope, which occurs "many times" today: "A man - a woman – who feels sick in the soul, sad, who made many mistakes in life, at a certain time feels that the waters are moving - the Holy Spirit is moving something - or they hear a word or ... 'Ah, I want to go!' ... And they gather up their courage and go. And how many times in Christian communities today will they find closed doors! 'But you cannot, no, you cannot [come in]. You have sinned and you cannot [come in]. If you want to come, come to Mass on Sunday, but that’s it – that’s all you can do.’ So, what the Holy Spirit creates in the hearts of people, those Christians with their ‘doctors of the law’ mentality, destroy ". The Church is the house of Jesus "This pains me," the Pope says, reiterating that the Church always keeps its doors open: "It’s Jesus’ home and Jesus welcomes [all]. But not only does He welcome, He goes out to see people just as He went out to find this man. And if people are hurt, what does Jesus do? Scold them because they are hurt? No, He comes and He carries them on His shoulders. And this is called mercy. And when God rebukes his people - 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice!' – He’s talking about this. " Love is the law "Who are you,” the Pope continues, “ who shut the door of your heart to a man, a woman, who wants to improve, to return within the people of God - because the Holy Spirit has stirred his or her heart?" Lent, concludes Francis, helps us to avoid making the same mistake as those who regarded with contempt Jesus’ love towards the paralytic, solely because it was contrary to the law: "We call today on the Lord in the Mass for us, for each of us and for the whole Church, a conversion to Jesus, a conversion to Jesus, a conversion to the mercy of Jesus. And so the Law will be fully accomplished, because the Law is to love God and our neighbor as ourselves. " (from Vatican Radio) http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-be-merciful-do-not-close-the-doors-of-the-hea
Here is what some of the more sensational secular sites are saying "Out-There": “THIS IS THE END? POPE GIVES UP CRYPTIC HINT - Comments on short papacy show possible awareness of ancient forecast” http://www.wnd.com/2015/03/this-is-the-end-pope-gives-up-cryptic-hint/ GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
