(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday asked people to pray for all those in Religious and Consecrated Life, who have been called to profess the evangelical counsels. He was speaking on Wednesday during his General Audience , in anticipation of Thursday’s celebration of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which is also the World Day of Consecrated Life. “I ask you to pray for the priests, sisters, and brothers belonging to contemplative and apostolic Religious Institutes,” Pope Francis said. “Their life dedicated to the Lord, and their charismatic service, will bear abundant fruit for the good of the faithful, and for the evangelizing mission of the Church.” The Holy Father asked the faithful to pray that “through their witness of life, they may radiate to the world the love of Christ and the grace of the Gospel.” Pope Francis is scheduled to celebrate Mass for the World Day of Consecrated Life on Thursday afternoon in St. Peter’s Basilica. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday invited Christians to “wear the hope of salvation like a helmet (1 Thess 5:8), in the knowledge that, because Christ is risen, the object of our hope is certain.” The Holy Father was quoting from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians during his weekly General Audience in the Paul VI Hall where he continued his catechesis on Christian hope. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report
The Pope recalling the freshness and beauty of this first Christian proclamation described the community of Thessalonica at the time as one “ rooted in faith which celebrated with enthusiasm and joy the resurrection of the Lord Jesus”, despite its difficulties and the many trials. Pope Francis noted how this letter of St Paul is more timely than ever because, “before the mystery of death, and the loss of our loved ones, we Christians are challenged to hope more firmly in the Lord’s promise of eternal life.” Christian hope, the Pope continued, “is the expectation of something that has already been accomplished, and that will certainly be realized for each of us.” Giving an example, he spoke of the woman who when realizing she is pregnant, waits every day for the arrival of her baby. In that same hope, and in the communion of the Church, he added, “we pray too that those who have gone before us will live forever in Christ.” Concluding his catechesis, Pope Francis said, St. Paul writes: “Jesus died for us so that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him”. These words, he underlined, “are always a source of great consolation and peace.” Greeting pilgrims at the end of the audience, the Pope thanked the delegation from the World Catholic Movement for climate for their commitment to caring for our common home at a time of, what he called, a “serious socio-environmental crisis.” He also encouraged them to continue to build networks so that ‘the local churches respond with determination to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. ” (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis during his General Audience on Wednesday continued his catechesis on Christian hope telling pilgrims in the Paul VI Hall that, “we Christians are challenged to hope more firmly in the Lord’s promise of eternal life.”
Below find the Pope’s words read out in English at the weekly General Audience
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on Christian hope, today we turn to the earliest writing of the New Testament, Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. The Apostle writes to confirm this young Christian community in its faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, but he also speaks of the meaning of this mystery for the life of each believer. For Christ is the firstfruits of the future resurrection. Before the mystery of death, and the loss of our loved ones, we Christians are challenged to hope more firmly in the Lord’s promise of eternal life. Paul tells the Thessalonians to wear the hope of salvation like a helmet (1 Thess 5:8), in the knowledge that, because Christ is risen, the object of our hope is certain. Christian hope, then, is a way of life; we live daily in expectation of the resurrection. In that same hope, and in the communion of the Church, we pray too that those who have gone before us will live for ever in Christ. Let us ask the Lord to strengthen us in the sure expectation that one day we will be united with him, and all our loved ones, in the joy of the resurrection.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) If we keep our eyes constantly fixed on Jesus, we will discover with surprise that it is he who looks lovingly upon each of us. That was Pope Francis’ message on Tuesday at his morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta.
Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
Jesus does not seek popularity, but is always among people
The author of Hebrews exhorts us to run in the faith “with perseverance, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.” In the Gospel, Jesus looks at us and sees us. Pope Francis explained that he is close to us, he “is always in the crowd”:
“He didn’t walk around with guards to protect him, so that the people could not touch him. No, no! He stayed there and people surrounded him. And there were more people around every time Jesus went out. Statisticians might have been inclined to publish: ‘Rabbi Jesus’ popularity is falling’. But he sought something else: he sought people. And the people sought him. The people had their gaze fixed on him and he had his fixed on them. ‘Yes, yes, on the people, on the multitude’ – ‘No, on each individual!’. This is the peculiarity of Jesus’ gaze: He does not standardize people; He looks at each person.”
Jesus sees both great and small things
The Gospel of Mark narrates two miracles: Jesus heals a woman suffering from hemorrhaging for 12 years who, though pressed by the crowd, was able to touch his cloak. And he realizes that he was touched. Then, he raises the twelve year-old daughter of Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He understands that the girl is hungry and tells her parents to give her something to eat:
“The gaze of Jesus falls on both the big and the small. That’s how Jesus sees us all: He sees all things, but looks at each of us. He sees our big problems, our greatest joys, and also looks at the little things about us. Because he is close. Jesus is not afraid of the big things, but also takes account of the small ones. That’s how Jesus looks at us.”
The surprise of encountering Jesus
If we run “with perseverance, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus”, Pope Francis said, “we will be ‘completely astonished’, just as happened to the people after the raising of Jairus’ daughter”:
“I go forward, looking at Jesus. I walk ahead, keeping my gaze fixed on Jesus, and what do I find? That he has his gaze fixed on me! And that makes me feel this great astonishment. This is the astonishment of the encounter with Jesus. But let us not be afraid! We are not afraid, just as that woman was not afraid to touch Jesus’ mantle. Let us not be afraid! Let us run down this road with our gaze ever fixed on Jesus. And we will have a beautiful surprise: He will fill us with awe. Jesus himself has his gaze fixed on me.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Holy See, is currently visiting Madagascar from 26 January to 1 February. The Cardinal is in that country to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Madagascar. On the first day of his visit, the Secretary of State met with President Hery Rajaonarimampianina at the Presidential Palace. The Head of State was flanked by the Prime Minister and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Cardinal Parolin was accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio and some of the country’s Bishops. Also present was Cardinal Maurice Piat, the Bishop of Port-Louis in Mauritius. Leaders of other Christian denominations joined the reception that followed the meeting. President Rajaonarimampianina expressed appreciation for the visit, recalling the good relations between the Holy See and Madagascar, over the last 50 years. He spoke in glowing terms of his visit to Pope Francis in June 2014. The President recognised the important role that the Catholic Church plays with its institutions contributing to the social development of all citizens in Madagascar, particularly in the education and health sector. Rajaonarimampianina hoped that the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations would serve to strengthen ties between the Holy See and Madagascar. For his part, Cardinal Parolin conveyed the affectionate greetings of Pope Francis to the people of Madagascar. The Cardinal Secretary of State expressed his sincere gratitude for the extraordinarily warm welcome that was reserved for him in Madagascar. Building on the reason for his visit, he expressed the readiness of the Holy See to continue the fruitful collaboration with Madagascar. The Holy See prelate encouraged the local Church in Madagascar to continue contributing to the spiritual and social well-being of all citizens. He hoped that his visit would help support an agreement towards the full legal recognition of institutions of the Church. Later, the Cardinal Secretary of State was decorated with the Grand Officer of the National Order of Madagascar award. From Madagascar, Cardinal Parolin is scheduled to travel to Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo with a brief stop-over in Nairobi, Kenya. (Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va) (from Vatican Radio)…