Following and Proclaiming Christ

St. Paul's experience of contemplation and the power of prayer, as recounted in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, provided the central theme of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's catechesis, during his general audience held this morning in the Paul VI Hall.

Paul did not respond to the voices questioning the legitimacy of his apostolate by enumerating the communities he had founded, nor did he limit himself to recounting the difficulties he had had to face in announcing the Gospel. Rather, the Pope explained, "he pointed to his relationship with the Lord, ... which was so intense as to be marked by moments of ecstasy and profound contemplation". Indeed, the Apostle says: "I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me".

Thus the Apostle of the Gentiles helps us to understand "that all the difficulties we meet in following Christ and bearing witness to His Gospel can be overcome by opening ourselves trustingly to the action of the Lord. ... St. Paul clearly understood how to face and experience each event in his life, especially those involving suffering, difficulty and persecution: at the moment we feel our own weakness the power of God becomes manifest, a power which does not abandon or leave us alone but becomes our support and our strength".

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/contemplation-of-christ-does-not-distance-us-from

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-at-weekly-general-audience-prayers-for-euchar

+

International Eucharistic Congress - Dublin, Ireland

…There is a profound relationship between celebrating the Eucharist and proclaiming Christ. To enter into communion with Him means, at the same time, to be transformed into missionaries of the event that the celebration makes real. It involves making it contemporary in every age, until the Lord comes.

 

For that reason the saints, each one in a unique way in his or her own particular context, reveals or manifests Christ. Saint Anthony of Padua lived an intimate and passionate personal relationship with the Eucharist; which marked his life, filling it with confident hope…..

 
-       Oscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez-Maradiaga SDB

For the complete text of His Eminence’s Homily of today, “Saint Anthony of Padua and His Eucharistic Devotion,” please visit:

http://www.iec2012.ie/media/CardinalRodriquezMaradiaga13June1.pdf

+

Religious Freedom and the New Evangelization on the USA Bishops’ Agenda

Today the Assembly of Bishops of the United States of America begins, after a long campaign in the local Churches so that the Bishops can officially express their worries about violations concerning religious freedom on behalf of governments and courts. On this issue the U.S. Bishops will dedicate a significant part of their spring meeting in Atlanta which ends on June 15….The debate on religious freedom includes the analysis of national and international events, and ways in which the Bishops must continue to raise public awareness on violations of religious rights, in the United States and abroad….

On the agenda there is also a space to organize the pastoral plans related to the theme "New Evangelization: Faith, Worship, Testimony." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 13/6/2012)

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/americaunited-states-religious-freedom-and-the-new

http://www.usccb.org/

 +

Contemplate Jesus with the Gaze of Faith

On 10 June 2012 His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI addressed the faithful gathered at midday in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.  This feast "is a great public act of worship of the Eucharist, the Sacrament in which the Lord's presence is extended beyond the time of celebration, to remain among us always, through the hours and the days….”   

Pope Benedict XVI noted how the Solemnity of Corpus Christi calls our attention to the importance of Eucharistic adoration. "The prayer of adoration can be performed individually, kneeling before the tabernacle, or as a community with psalms and songs, but always laying the emphasis on silence so as to hear the Lord speaking within us, the Lord Who is alive and present in the Sacrament. The Virgin Mary is our guide also in this prayer, because no one better or more than her was able to contemplate Jesus with the gaze of faith, and to welcome in her heart the intimate echo of His human and divine presence".

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/dividing-the-eucharistic-bread-renews-our-capacity

+

Lord Jesus,
You were sent by the Father
to gather together those who are scattered.
You came among us, doing good and bringing healing,
announcing the Word of salvation
and giving the Bread which lasts forever.
Be our companion on life’s pilgrim way.
May your Holy Spirit inflame our hearts,
enliven our hope and open our minds,
so that together with our sisters and brothers in faith
we may recognise you in the Scriptures
and in the breaking of bread.
May your Holy Spirit transform us into one body
and lead us to walk humbly on the earth,
in justice and love,
as witnesses of your resurrection.
In communion with Mary,
whom you gave to us as our Mother
at the foot of the cross,
through you
may all praise, honour and blessing be to the Father
in the Holy Spirit and in the Church,
Now and forever.
Amen.

Please visit the website of the 50^th International Eucharistic Congress being held in Dublin, Ireland, June 10 – 17, 2012:

http://www.iec2012.ie/

http://www.iec2012.ie/index.jsp?p=159&n=168&a=0

+

The Importance of Evangelization

On 9 June 2012 His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI received in audience prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, who just completed their "ad limina" visit. The Pope began by highlighting how the Church provides for the basic needs of the poor, the marginalised and the sick, especially those suffering from HIV/AIDS, through the work of diocesan agencies. He also noted that the bishops exercise an important aspect of their pastoral ministry when they "speak publicly as an objective moral voice on behalf of those in need".

The Holy Father went on: "When the Church voices her concern in the public square, she does so legitimately and in order to contribute to the common good, not proposing concrete political solutions, but rather helping to 'purify and shed light upon the application of reason to the discovery of objective moral principles'. Such principles are accessible to all through right reason and are necessary for the just ordering of civil society. In view of this, I encourage you to continue to dialogue and to work with the civil authorities so that the Church may be free to speak and to provide services for the common good in a manner fully consonant with Gospel values".

In their reports the bishops had spoken of spoken of pastoral efforts aimed at the evangelisation of culture. "This", the Holy Father noted, "is of great importance since the human person can 'achieve true and full humanity only by means of culture'. We also observe the essential role of culture in salvation history, since the Triune God gradually revealed Himself in time, culminating in the sending of His only Son, Who Himself was born into a particular culture".

The family plays a key role in this aspect of evangelisation, since it is "the first place where faith and culture are appropriated. Although society has recognised the important role of the family throughout history, particular attention needs to be given at the present time to the religious, social and moral goods of fidelity, equality and mutual respect that must exist between husband and wife. The Church tirelessly proclaims that the family is based on the natural institution of marriage between a man and a woman and, in the case of baptised Christians, it is a covenant which has been raised by Christ to the supernatural level of a Sacrament".

Finally the Holy Father turned his attention to the importance of "a properly catechised laity and well-formed clergy and religious" in order that they may "resist the temptations of the secular world" and "be wise enough not to be deceived by attempts to convert them to overly simplistic versions of Christianity that are often based solely on false promises of material prosperity. ... These witnesses and those they teach, with your guidance and support, will help to ensure that the Church in your countries will continue to be an effective instrument of evangelisation, attracting those who do not yet know Christ and inspiring those who have become lukewarm in their faith".

For more information, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-the-pope-to-the-bishops-of-papua-new-guine

+

Gathering, Walking, Adoring

How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

 Psalm 116:  12-13

+

After the strong season of the liturgical year which, focusing on Easter spreads over three months - first the 40 days of Lent, then the 50 days of Eastertide -, the liturgy has us celebrate three Feasts which instead have a "synthetic" character: the Most Holy Trinity, then Corpus Christi, and lastly, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. What is the precise significance of today's Solemnity, of the Body and Blood of Christ? The answer is given to us in the fundamental actions of this celebration we are carrying out: first of all we gather around the altar of the Lord, to be together in his presence; secondly, there will be the procession, that is walking with the Lord; and lastly, kneeling before the Lord, adoration, which already begins in the Mass and accompanies the entire procession but culminates in the final moment of the Eucharistic Blessing when we all prostrate ourselves before the One who stooped down to us and gave his life for us….

Corpus Christi reminds us first of all of this: that being Christian means coming together from all parts of the world to be in the presence of the one Lord and to become one with him and in him….

God created us free but he did not leave us alone: he made himself the "way" and came to walk together with us so that in our freedom we should also have the criterion we need to discern the right way and to take it….

Adoring the Body of Christ, means believing that there, in that piece of Bread, Christ is really there, and gives true sense to life, to the immense universe as to the smallest creature, to the whole of human history as to the most brief existence. Adoration is prayer that prolongs the celebration and Eucharistic communion and in which the soul continues to be nourished: it is nourished with love, truth, peace; it is nourished with hope, because the One before whom we prostrate ourselves does not judge us, does not crush us but liberates and transforms us.…

This is why gathering, walking and adoring together fills us with joy. In making our own the adoring attitude of Mary…let us pray for ourselves and for every person that he or she may know you, O Father and the One whom you sent, Jesus Christ and thus have life in abundance.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Homily, Solemnity of Corpus Christi, 2008

For the complete text, please visit:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20080522_corpus-domini_en.html

For more information on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi 2012, please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/eucharistic-communion-and-contemplation-are-insepa

  

+

More than one million people had attended the VII World Meeting of Families in Milan which was, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI concluded, "an 'epiphany' of the family. Families were present in their many different forms, but also in that unicity which is their fundamental identity: a communion of love founded upon marriage and called to be a shrine of life, a small Church, a cell of society. A message of hope went out from Milan to the whole world, a message backed up by real experience that it is possible and joyful, though demanding, to experience a faithful love 'forever', open to life; it is possible to participate as families in the mission of the Church and in the construction of society. ... May the experience of Milan bring abundant fruits to the Church and favour increased attention to the cause of the family, which is the cause of man and of civilisation".

http://www.news.va/en/news/world-meeting-in-milan-an-epiphany-of-the-family

For complete information regarding the VII World Meeting of Families, please visit:

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/travels/2012/index_milano_en.htm

http://www.family2012.com/en/

+

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

+

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”.

http://www.news.va/en/news/benedict-xvis-prayer-intentions-for-june-2

+

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

+

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….”

+

Wall Tiles of the Magnificat in many languages surround the courtyard
of the Church of the Visitation.

+

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

+

 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

For the complete text, please visit:  http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/angelus/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_reg_20110612_pentecoste_en.html

+

Mosaic Detail, Church of the Visitation, Ein Karem

+

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.

+

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!

+



Church of Saint Peter, Jaffa, Israel

+

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

http://www.news.va/en/news/let-us-start-afresh-from-god

+

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

+

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

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

+

"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

http://www.news.va/en/news/may-the-gift-of-the-holy-spirit-support-the-faith

+

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

+