(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis had special greetings on Wednesday for the players, coaches, and staff of Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer club, who were present at the weekly General Audience .
“My desire for you is that you grow in the wisdom that comes from God,” said Pope Francis in greetings to Potruguese-speaking pilgrims, which included the soccer club-members, “in order that, having been made experts in the things of God, you might be able to communicate to others the sweetness of His love.”
Air tragedy
Chapecoense suffered tragedy on November 28 th , 2016, when the LaMia Flight 2933 carrying the club’s first team crashed en route from Bolivia to Colombia, killing all but three members of the squad. Two of the survivors, Jackson Follman and Alan Ruschel, were in attendance, and met with Pope Francis along with the other members of the club on the sidelines of the Audience on Wednesday.
Friendly match in spirit of solidarity
Chapecoense is in Rome for a friendly against A.S. Roma at Olympic Stadium on Friday, organized to raise funds for the Brazilian club.
“This is a friendly organized for purposes of solidarity,” A.S. Roma ’s ticketing manager, Carlo Feliziani, explained earlier this week to Radio Roma. “We hope our fans will come to the stadium, both to see the match and to help Chapecoense get back on their feet,” he continued. “Ticket prices will be very low,” he explained, “€10 for end-zone seats and €25 for more central seats.”
Kick-off is scheduled for 20:45 on Friday, September 1 st .
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) In this week’s edition of There’s More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye , Jill Bevilacqua and Seàn-Patrick Lovett bring us readings and reflections for the Twentysecond Sunday in Ordinary Time. Listen:
Gospel – Mt 16: 21-27
Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
“God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”
He turned and said to Peter,
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis continued his catechesis on Christian hope at his Wednesday General Audience in St Peter’s Square.
Please find below the official English-language summary:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: I wish to reflect again on the relationship between hope and memory. In the Gospel passage we have heard, Saint John shares with us the precious memory of when Jesus called the first disciples and asked them: “What do you seek?” It is a question that he asks each of us in our own time. Jesus recognizes that a young heart, and a healthy one at that, is a searching heart, full of a desire for life and happiness. For the first disciples, this encounter was only the beginning of their relationship with Jesus and the living out of their vocation; it ignited a flame in their hearts, which transformed them into missionaries who always treasured the memory of that first encounter with Christ. Their story reminds us how we discover our vocation. Whether we are called to marriage, consecrated life or priesthood, our vocation finds its origin in our first encounter with Jesus. It is that first spark which, even in the midst of trials, leads to an ever-deeper relationship with the Lord and which brings us hope and joy. Let us treasure this flame of love that burns in our hearts, by recalling our first encounter with Christ. May we be joyful disciples, who dream with God of a better world, and who share the reason for our hope with all whom we meet.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican on Monday released the official logos for Pope Francis’ Apostolic Journey to Myanmar and Bangladesh . The Pope travels to Myanmar (also known as Burma) on 27-30 November and to Bangladesh on 30 November-2 December 2017. Myanmar logo The logo for his visit to Myanmar depicts Pope Francis releasing a white dove from within a heart drawn in the colors of Myanmar’s flag: yellow, green, and red. An outline of Myanmar’s landmass sits beside the Pope within the heart, while the motto for his journey is shown above: “Love & Peace”. Bangladesh logo The logo for Pope Francis’ visit to Bangladesh has colored streamers in the shape of a dove, with a cross raised over a water lily (Bangladesh’s national flower) within it. Above, the official motto for the Apostolic Journey, “Harmony and Peace”, is written in red. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Myanmar from 27 to 30 November 2017 and to Bangladesh from 30 November to 2 December 2017.
Greg Burke, Director of the Holy See Press Office, made the official announcement in a statement on Monday.
He said the Pope had welcomed “the invitation of the respective heads of state and bishops”.
Whilst in Myanmar (also known as Burma), Pope Francis will visit the cities of Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw. In Bangladesh the Pope will visit Dhaka.
The programme for the Pope’s Apostolic Journey will be published shortly.
(from Vatican Radio)…