Thursday, May 31, 2012

Guided by Faith that Works through Charity


Mosaic in the Garden of the Church of the Visitation, Ein Karem

Brothers and sisters:
Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;
do not be wise in your own estimation.


Romans 12: 9-16


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Church of the Visitation, Ein Karem

…You have climbed this hill where you spiritually relived, as the Evangelist Luke recounts, the experience of Mary from Nazareth in Galilee, who "went with haste into the hill country" (Lk 1: 39) to reach the village in Judea where Elizabeth lived with her husband Zechariah. What drove Mary, a young woman, to undertake that journey? What, above all, led her to forget herself, to spend the first three months of her pregnancy at the service of her cousin in need of help?

The response is written in a Psalm: "I will run in the way of your commands when you enlarged my understanding" (Ps 119[118]: 32). The Holy Spirit, who makes the Son of God present in Mary's flesh, enlarged her heart to God's dimensions and urged her along the way of charity.

The Visitation of Mary is understood in light of the event that immediately preceded it in Luke's account in the Gospel: the Annunciation of the Angel and the conception of Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit descended upon the Virgin, the power of the Most High overshadowed her (cf. Lk 1: 35).

That same Spirit impelled her to "rise" and depart without hesitation (cf. Lk 1: 39) in order to help her aged relative. Jesus had just begun to form himself in the womb of Mary, but his Spirit had already filled her heart so that the Mother was already beginning to follow her divine Son. On the way that leads from Galilee to Judea it was Jesus himself who "urged" Mary on, instilling in her a generous desire to go to the aid of her neighbour in need, the courage not to put her own legitimate needs, difficulties, worries, the dangers to her own life first. It is Jesus who helped her to overcome everything, allowing her to be guided by faith that works through charity (cf. Gal 5: 6).

Meditating on this mystery we see why Christian charity is a "theological" virtue. We see that the heart of Mary is visited by the grace of the Father, is permeated by the power of the Spirit and interiorly compelled by the Son; that is, we see a perfectly human heart inserted into the dynamism of the Most Holy Trinity.


His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
31 May 2007



For the complete text please visit:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2007/may/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20070531_mese-mariano_en.html



His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for June is:
“That believers may recognize in the Eucharist the living presence of the Risen One who accompanies them in daily life”.


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Mosaic floor detail, Church of the Visitation
 
L’Osservatore Romano:  An insert for women

For the first time in its more than 100-year-old history, beginning 30 May 2012 the Italian daily edition of L’Osservatore Romano will publish an insert intended for women in the issue of the last Thursday of every month. It will consist of four pages in full colour, conceived of and edited with enthusiasm and determination by several women colleagues, to extend the outlook of the Holy See's newspaper to ”women, Church, world”. This is in fact the title of this new initiative….


The insert places the new project explicitly under the sign of Mary, the most perfect human creature who, before the mystery of her son, the definitive revelation, “kept all these things pondering them in her heart”.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/an-insert-for-women

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Iron Gate, Church of the Visitation

During my most recent pilgrimage to Ein Karem, the village where Mary went to visit Elizabeth, the view of the hill country, usually seen from the gates of the Church of the Visitation, was partially obscured by a sandstorm that was blowing across the Holy Land from Saudi Arabia.  A yellowish-gray “smog” hung overhead in place of a clear blue sky.  Drinking water offered relief from the sandy feeling in my throat, though other pilgrims found respite by eating gelato or ice cream, which looked like a very delicious option.

From the vantage point on top of the hill (or mountain, depending on your perspective) it is awe-inspiring that Mary would have traveled such a great distance across country, in haste, to be with Elizabeth.  But our Blessed Mother has a way of simply and lovingly doing God’s will without hesitation.  She models the virtues expressed by St. Paul to the Romans (12: 9-16).  She understands and has experienced the “storms” of life.  She will always point us to the “water of life” and guide us “to do whatever He tells you”.

May we prayerfully unite our heart to the heart of Mary which “is visited by the grace of the Father, is permeated by the power of the Spirit and interiorly compelled by the Son….”

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Wall Tiles of the Magnificat in many languages surround the courtyard
of the Church of the Visitation.
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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Lord, Send Out Your Spirit!

Church of the Transfiguration, Mount Tabor


When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4

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 Dove of the Holy Spirit
Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican


The Solemnity of Pentecost which we are celebrating today concludes the liturgical season of Easter.  In fact, the paschal mystery — the passion, death and resurrection of Christ and his ascension into Heaven — finds its fulfilment in the powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles gathered together with Mary, Mother of the Lord, and the other disciples. It was the “baptism” of the Church, baptism in the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:5). As the Acts of the Apostles recount, on the morning of the feast of Pentecost, a noise as of wind burst into the Upper Room and tongues of fire, as it were, came to rest upon each of the disciples (cf. Acts 2:2-3). St Gregory the Great commented: “Today, the Holy Spirit has come down upon the disciples with an unexpected sound and changed the minds of carnal beings within his love; and while he appeared externally in tongues of fire, their hearts blazed within them, because in receiving God in the vision of fire, they burned gently with love”.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Regina Caeli, Pentecost 2011



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Mosaic Detail, Church of the Visitation, Ein Karem
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On my first pilgrimage to the Holy Land I was with a small group of 5 women from 5 different countries.  While every holy site triggers thoughts which touch the soul, in my mind’s eye I am now seeing the Upper Room in Jerusalem where we sang “Come, Holy Ghost” as our priest chaplain prayed over each of us in turn.  I can still sense the Spirit moving over and around and through us that day, the Spirit that descended upon Blessed Mother Mary and the disciples on that first Pentecost.
On my most recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land I was leading a group of 12 people, who referred to themselves as “the disciples”.  We were privileged to be received by His Beatitude Fouad Twal, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.  His Beatitude greeted the group by telling us that “Jerusalem has not been the same since Karen came with 500 women from 50 countries,” referring to the 2010 World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) Centenary Assembly.  When he later told me that I should bring a group every month, I chuckled and shook my head thinking that would not coordinate well with my work at the parish.  Little did I know at the moment that more than 21 years of employment would come to a sudden and unexpected end upon my return from the Holy Land.


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Now I have discerned that His Beatitude, and several friends in Christ whom I have had the privilege to come to know during my service to the Universal Church, are affirming what has been in my mind and on my heart.  I believe that the Holy Spirit is calling me to share with others more deeply the unique, incredible experiences with which God has blessed me.  Please will you prayerfully consider allowing me to share with you the global experiences God has bestowed?
It would be my privilege to accompany you on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to go to the roots of our faith and walk in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus and His Blessed Mother Mary.  The Holy Scriptures come alive there in ways you never imagined as you visit the holy places. We will meet the local Christians who look forward to welcoming you “home” as a member of their family.
We could go on pilgrimage to Rome, the Eternal City, where the universality of the Church becomes a reality as the arms of the colonnade of Saint Peter’s Square embrace you.  Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI has declared a Year of Faith from October 2012 – November 2013 and is encouraging us all to go on pilgrimage especially to Rome, the Holy Land, and to sites dedicated to our Blessed Mother Mary.
The pilgrimage possibilities are as limitless as God’s creation, Jesus’ love, and the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.  Will you allow me to share these adventures with you?  Will you entrust me with organizing a journey in faith for you, your family and friends, your parish or organization?  Please God, your answer is, “Yes!” 
I hope to hear from you soon at k.m.hurley1@gmail.com.
Come, Holy Spirit!
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Church of Saint Peter, Jaffa, Israel
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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Renew the Quality of Our Faith and Prayer

At midday today His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI received participants in the sixty-fourth general assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference, to whom he delivered an address focusing on the challenges of the new evangelisation in a society increasingly distanced from God. "Our situation requires renewed drive, aimed at the essential aspects of Christian faith and life", he said. "At a time in which God has, for many people, become the great Unknown and Jesus is simply an important figure of the past, we cannot relaunch missionary activity without renewing the quality of our own faith and prayer. ... We will not be able to win mankind to the Gospel unless we ourselves first return to a profound experience of God".
 

The Pope identified a number of worrying trends, including a drop in religious practice and diminishing participation in the Sacraments. "Many baptised have lost their identity. They do not know the essential contents of the faith, or believe they can cultivate that faith without ecclesial mediation. And while many look doubtfully at Church teaching, others reduce the Kingdom of God to certain broad values, which are certainly related to the Gospel but which do not touch the central nucleus of Christian faith".
 

The Holy Father continued: "The fundamental condition in order to be able to speak about God is to speak with God… nourished by an intense life of prayer and moulded by His Grace. ... We must allow ourselves to be found and seized by God so as to help the people we meet be touched by the Truth. ... The old and new mission facing us is that of introducing the men and women of our time to a relationship with God, to help them to open their minds and hearts to the God Who seeks them and wants to come close to them, leading them to understand that doing His will does not curb freedom; rather, it means being truly free, it means achieving true goodness in life….”


For more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/returning-to-the-essential-aspects-of-christian-li


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When the Spirit of truth comes, he will teach you all truth and will proclaim to you the things to come, alleluia!

Father, let you Spirit come upon us with power, to fill us with his gifts.  May he make our hearts pleasing to you, and ready to do your will.
 

Liturgy of the Hours
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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Let us live each moment united in faith, hope, and love, according to God’s holy will.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Each One of Us is a Miracle of God

"God is our Father because He is our Creator. Each one of us, each man and each woman, is a miracle of God, desired by Him and known personally by Him. ... For Him we are not anonymous and impersonal, we have a name. The Holy Spirit, which speaks within us and says 'Abba! Father!', leads us to this truth, communicating it to the most intimate depths of our being and filling our prayer with serenity and joy". These words were pronounced this morning by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to more than 20,000 faithful filling St. Peter's Square for his weekly general audience.


The Holy Father focused his catechesis on two passages from the Letters of St. Paul, wherein the Apostle speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit which enables us to call God "Abba", our Father. The Pope explained that "that great master of prayer which is the Holy Spirit teaches us to address God with the affectionate terms of children, calling Him 'Abba, Father'. This is what Jesus did, even at the most dramatic moment of His earthly life. He never lost faith in the Father and always invoked Him with the intimacy of a beloved Son".
 

The Pope concluded his catechesis by exhorting the faithful: "When we pray, let us learn to appreciate the beauty of being friends, or rather children, of God, invoking Him with the confidence and trust of a child addressing his parents who love him. Let us open our prayers to the action of the Holy Spirit, that it may cry out within us: 'Abba! Father!'".


For more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/each-human-being-is-a-miracle-of-god


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"Together with Mary and the Apostles, let us persevere in prayer."

"With Christ, let us ask our Father God for His Spirit to permeate our thoughts and actions, that we may become increasingly worthy of the dignity of children of God".

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
23 May 2012


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Come, Holy Spirit, and make us courageous witnesses of Christ!

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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

United in the Holy Spirit

When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that He might continually sanctify the Church, and thus, all those who believe would have access through Christ in one Spirit to the Father….

It is not only through the sacraments and the ministries of the Church that the Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the people of God and enriches it with virtues, but, "allotting his gifts to everyone according as He wills, He distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church, according to the words of the Apostle: "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit". These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church….

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium
Pope Paul VI, 1964

For the complete text, please visit:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
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The moral life of Christians is sustained by the gifts of the Holy Spirit…
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, No.1830-1832

For the complete text, please visit:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P67.HTM

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God of mercy,
unite your Church in the Holy Spirit
that we may serve you with all our hearts
and work together with unselfish love.

Liturgy of the Hours
Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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Monday, May 21, 2012

The Ascension of the Lord

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI dedicated remarks before praying the Regina Coeli on 20 May to the Ascension of the Lord, which he explained "marks the fulfillment of the salvation which began with the Incarnation. Having instructed His disciples for the last time, Jesus ascended into heaven. Nevertheless, He 'did not separate Himself from our condition' because, in His humanity, he drew mankind into intimacy with the Father and thus revealed the final destination of our earthly pilgrimage. Just as, for us, He descended from heaven and suffered death on the cross, so too, for us, He arose and returned to God, Who is thus no longer distant, but is 'our God', 'our Father'. The Ascension is the last act of our liberation from the yoke of sin….  When the disciples saw the Master arise from the earth and ascend towards heaven, they were not discouraged but experienced great joy and felt impelled to proclaim Christ's victory over death".

"The Ascension", the Holy Father concluded, "tells us that in Christ our humanity is raised to the heights of God and so, each time we pray, earth unites with heaven".

For more information please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/the-ascension-the-last-act-of-liberation-from-the

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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Saint Paul's Expression of Prayer

After having examined prayer in the Acts of the Apostles, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will dedicate his next series of catechesis to prayer in the Letters of St. Paul, which always begin and end with an expression of prayer and which have given us a rich range of forms of prayer.

In today's General Audience, celebrated in St. Peter's Square before more than 11,000 people, the Pope explained that the Apostle to the Gentiles wants us to understand that prayer "should not be seen as a simple good deed made to God, an action of our own. It is above all a gift, fruit of the living [and] revitalizing presence of the Father and of Jesus Christ in us"....

"Many times", the Pope said, "we ask God to deliver us from physical and spiritual evil ... however, we often have the impression that He doesn't hear us and we run the risk of becoming discouraged and of not persevering. In reality, there is no human cry that God does not hear. ... God the Father's answer to His son was not the immediate freedom from suffering, from the cross, or from death: through the cross and His death, God answered with the Resurrection".

The apostle, Paul, the Holy Father concluded, teaches us that when we pray "we have to open ourselves to the presence and the action of the Holy Spirit ... in order to turn ourselves to God with our whole heart and our whole being. Christ's Spirit becomes the strength of our 'weak' prayer, the light of our 'dim' prayer, ... teaching us to live while facing the trials of existence, in the certainty that we are not alone, opening ourselves to the horizons of humanity and the creation that 'is groaning in labour pains'".

For more information, please visit:

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Monday, May 14, 2012

Invoke God's Consolation Through Mary

"As Mother of the Church, Our Lady always wants to comfort her children at the time of their greatest difficulty and suffering", said the Pope on 13 May before praying the Regina Coeli with thousands of faithful who had attended his Mass at the "Il Prato" park in the Italian city of Arezzo.

“So, today too, we commit to her intercession, all the people and families of your community which find themselves in situations of serious need.”
"Through Mary, we invoke moral consolation from God…."


For more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/regina-coeli-resist-the-temptation-to-become-disco
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… The Church sees the Blessed Mother of God in the saving mystery of Christ and in her own mystery. She sees Mary deeply rooted in humanity's history, in man's eternal vocation according to the providential plan which God has made for him from eternity She sees Mary maternally present and sharing in the many complicated problems which today beset the lives of individuals, families and nations; she sees her helping the Christian people in the constant struggle between good and evil, to ensure that it "does not fall," or, if it has fallen, that it "rises again."

Redemptoris Mater, Encyclical of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, 1987

For the complete text, please visit:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater_en.html

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Update from the Women’s Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity:

May the Month of Mary

It is the month of May, the month of Our Lady. This is the month when nature is flowering and life is reborn. All around us we breathe the perfume of the resurrection, of hope and of eternity. To spread Marian devotion in the month of May is a way to awaken Christian life in the hearts of the faithful. It asks us to grow and flourish spiritually under the gaze of Our Lady… The tradition of celebrating the month of Mary was to be found in the colleges of the religious and in private homes until the end of the 1600s. Then it spread to parish life, and by 1800 it had become a practice in the whole Church.

Last year, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about this tradition: “we feel in communion with every community, even with the smallest, in which the tradition of dedicating the month of May to Marian devotion is kept alive. This finds expression in very many signs: shrines, churches, works of art, and especially in the prayer of the Holy Rosary, through which the People of God give thanks for the gifts they continually receive from the Lord, through the intercession of Mary Most Holy, and entreat him for their many needs…."

May we never lose our devotion to Mary, a woman of strength who sustains our faith; a woman who is closely united to God and God’s work; a woman who grew in wisdom through suffering, living and sharing; a woman who communicates with words and with silence; a woman with roots planted deep and with wide horizons; a woman who generates abundant life.

Nuria Calduch-Benages, MN

For the complete text and other new articles of interest, please visit:
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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Supported by Prayers at Moments of Great Difficulty

"From the first moment of my election as Successor of St. Peter I have always felt supported by the prayers of the Church, by your prayers, especially at moments of greatest difficultly, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart", said His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today during his General Audience.

As part of a series of catecheses dedicated to the early Church, this morning our Holy Father focused his remarks on the last episode of St. Peter's life recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, when he was imprisoned by Herod Agrippa then freed by an angel of the Lord….  While the Apostle was in prison, the Church prayed for him constantly. Thus, the Holy Father explained, "the power of the Church’s incessant prayer rose up to God; the Lord listened and sent His angel to ensure the Apostle was freed by an inconceivable and unexpected act of liberation".
The Pope then considered Peter's actions while in prison, and the fact that he was sleeping which the angel came. "In such a critical and dangerous situation, this may seem strange, but it actually denotes tranquility and trust", he said. "Peter trusted in God, he knew he was surrounded by the solidarity and support of his followers and so abandoned himself entirely into the hands of the Lord. This is how our prayer must be: assiduous, united with others, an expression of complete trust in God Who knows us in our most intimate selves and looks after us"….
The liberation of St. Peter, the Holy Father concluded, "tells us that the Church, and each one of us, must suffer difficulties, but the incessant vigilance of prayer supports us. ... With constant and trusting prayer the Lord frees us from our chains and guides us. ... He gives us serenity of heart to face the difficulties of life, even rejection, opposition and persecution. ... The Apostle Peter, though in chains, was calm and certain that he was not alone: the community was praying for him, the Lord was close. He knew that 'the power of Christ is fully expressed in weakness'".
For more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/benedict-xvi-at-moments-of-difficult-i-have-felt-t

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Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, make intercession for Holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and since thou art the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning charity and the precious gift of final perseverance.
(from Our Lady of Guadalupe Novena and Prayers, William J. Hirten)

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Even in the midst of suffering, we must pray without ceasing, united with others in faith, expressing total trust in God Who knows us, loves us, and wants us to experience His profound peace.   

Thank you for your union of prayers which are deeply felt and greatly appreciated.  You are an angel sent by God to help encourage abandonment into His hands:  day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.  Your prayerful support offers freedom, just as the angel of the Lord freed St. Peter.  Deo gratias. Thanks be to God for the gift of serenity which defies description but which is a tangible expression of His great power and love. 

Be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

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Monday, May 7, 2012

An Abundant Spiritual Harvest

On the fifth Sunday of Easter, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his private study overlooking Saint Peter's Square, to pray the Regina Coeli with faithful gathered below.


Commenting on the day's Gospel in which Jesus tells His disciples "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower", the Holy Father explained that "the true vineyard is God and the true vine is Jesus, Who with His sacrifice of love gave us salvation and opened the way for us to become part of that vineyard. And just as Christ abides in the love of God the Father, so the disciples, pruned by the Master's word, united themselves profoundly to Him, becoming fruitful branches which produced abundant fruit"….

"Each of us", Pope Benedict continued, "is like a branch which lives only if it grows every day through prayer and participation in the Sacraments, through charity and union with the Lord. Those who love Christ, the true vine, produce fruits of faith for an abundant spiritual harvest".

For more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/regina-coeli-christ-is-the-vine-we-are-the-branche


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From the Homily of His Excellency William Shomali, Auxilliary Bishop of Jerusalem:

“…The vine in the Old Testament symbolized Israel. When Israel obeyed the commandments of the Lord, it was a fruitful vine. When Israel disobeyed his commandments, it became a sterile vine. In the context of today’s Gospel, the Vine is Jesus Christ. We are honored to be His branches.

I was impressed by the number of times Jesus, in Saint John’s Gospel, describing the relation between the vine and the branches, used the verb “remain”. I counted 11 times. The same verb is mentioned twice in the second reading. This points to the importance of this verb.

The disciples should remain in Jesus as he remains in them.

The branch should remain in the vine. The words of Jesus should remain in the disciples.

The disciples remain in the love of Jesus if they keep his commandments. The fruits of the disciple should remain.

Another expression is also repeated often. “To bear fruits”. It is repeated 6 times:

We can easily note that remaining in Jesus and bearing fruits are related as a cause to its effect. The dictionary defines “To remain” by these verbs: to stay, to stay united, to stay in the same place or in the same status, to continue, to go on being, to continue to exist, to endure, to persist. These synonyms are important. But as the Gospel relates to a supernatural sphere which cannot be described in words, the metaphor of the vine is the best way to make us aware of our wonderful and vital relationship with Jesus.

But how does Jesus remain in us?

There are three ways:

The first way is through his words: Jesus remains in us if we remain in his words: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want” (John 15:7). Jesus and his word are one. When we listen to him, we become one with him. His words are like the vital fluid which proceeds from the vine and nourishes the branches to make them bear fruits. Consequently, let us ask ourselves: Do we read a paragraph of the Bible daily in order to remain in Him and He in us? Do we draw power and consolation from the daily meditation of the Gospel?

The words of Jesus remain in us if we keep His commandments. “Those who keep His commandments remain in Him, and He in them”, says the second reading.

The second way to remain in Him is through love:

Here it is sufficient to quote Jesus himself: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. … My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:9-10.12).

It is relevant to ask ourselves some more questions: Do we love our neighbors, the people we work with? Are we ready to forgive the evil that they did to us? Are we ready, like Saint Paul, to follow Jesus Christ and to break down the dividing wall of enmity? (Eph. 2:14). Do we love for the sake of God and not for personal interest?

To remain in Jesus is to remain in His love and in the love of our brothers and sisters.

The third way we remain in Jesus is through the Eucharist.

The sacrament of the Eucharist illustrates our unity with Him in a better way than the image of the vine and the branches. The image of food is strong. What is a stronger image of unity than eating bread, this bread that becomes part of our body? What is stronger than drinking wine, which becomes part of our blood? How strong is the expression used by Jesus: eat my flesh and drink my blood? It is an impressive image to convey and realize unity between Him and ourselves. This image says more than itself. It produces what it means and means what it produces.

In conclusion, I would like to talk about the fruits that are supposed to be borne by the branches. Which are they?

They are the same fruits mentioned in the letter to Galatians: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galations 5:22). We all long to bear such good fruits in our life.

So, under which condition can the branch bear fruits? It needs only to remain attached to the vine and accept to be pruned and cleaned. What is the condition which makes us bear fruits of love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity etc ….?” It is to remain united to Jesus through hearing his words, through our fidelity to his love, through keeping his commandments, through accepting the difficulties of life through which the Lord prunes and purifies us.
 

For more information, please visit:
http://en.lpj.org/2012/05/07/homily-of-bishop-william-shomali-at-jerusalem-kehilla/


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