(CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, OCTOBER, 2012—FEBRUARY, 2013.)
THE YEAR OF FAITH. WHAT IS FAITH (3)
OCTOBER 24, 2012
With the mystery of Christ’s death and Resurrection, God plumbs to the depths of our humanity to bring it back to him, to uplift it to his heights. Faith is believing in this love of God that is never lacking in the face of human wickedness, in the face of evil and death, but is capable of transforming every kind of slavery, giving us the possibility of salvation. Having faith, then, is meeting this “You”, God, who supports me and grants me the promise of an indestructible love that not only aspires to eternity but gives it…. I think we should meditate more often … on the fact that believing in a Christian manner means my trusting abandonment to the profound meaning that sustains me and the world, that meaning that we are are unable to give to each other but can only receive as a gift, and that is the foundation on which we can live without fear.
(CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, OCTOBER, 2012—FEBRUARY, 2013.)
THE YEAR OF FAITH. WHAT IS FAITH? (2)
OCTOBER 24, 2012
Faith is believing in this love of God that is never lacking in the face of human wickedness, in the face of evil and death, but is capable of transforming every kind of slavery, giving us the possibility of salvation…. And this possibility of salvation through faith is a gift that God offers all men and women. I think we should meditate more often … on the fact that believing in a Christian manner means my trusting abandonment to the profound meaning that sustains me and the world, that meaning that we are unable to give to each other but can only receive as a gift, and that is the foundation on which we can live without fear.
(CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, OCTOBER, 2012—FEBRUARY, 2013.)
THE YEAR OF FAITH: WHAT IS FAITH? (1)
OCTOBER 24, 2012
What is faith? Does faith still make sense in a world in which science and technology have unfolded horizons unthinkable until a short time ago? What does believing mean today? In fact, in our time we need a renewed education in the faith that includes, of course, knowledge of its truths and of the history of salvation, but that is born above all from a true encounter with God in Jesus Christ, from loving him, from trusting him, so that the whole of our life becomes involved.
(CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, OCTOBER, 2012—FEBRUARY, 2013.)
THE YEAR OF FAITH. INTRODUCTION (2)
OCTOBER 17, 2012
Jesus of Nazareth Crucified and Risen, the Saviour of the world who is seated at the right hand of the Father and is the judge of the living and the dead. This is the kerygma the central, explosive proclamation of faith.
But where can we find the essential formula of faith? Where can we find the truths that have been faithfully passed down to us and that constitute the light for our daily life? The answer is simple. In the Creed.
(TAKEN FROM HIS CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, OCTOBER, 2012—FEBRUARY, 2013.)
THE YEAR OF FAITH. INTRODUCTION (1)
OCTOBER 17, 2012
Having faith in the Lord is not something that solely involves our intelligence, the area of intellectual knowledge; rather, it is a change that involves our life, our whole self: feelings, heart, intelligence, will, corporeity, emotions and human relationships. With faith everything truly changes, in us and for us, and our future destiny is clearly revealed, the truth of our vocation in history, the meaning of life, the pleasure of being pilgrims bound for the heavenly Homeland.
Faith in a God who is love, who makes himself close to man by incarnating himself and by giving himself on the Cross, who saves us and opens the doors of Heaven to us once again, clearly indicates that man’s fullness consists solely in love.
(TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THE PERSECUTED FOR THE SAKE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
APRIL 29, 2020
[Today] we conclude our journey into the evangelical Beatitudes. [The] last one proclaims the escatological joy of those persecuted for righteousness’ sake… [and announces the same happiness as the first one: the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the persecuted as it does to the poor in spirit.
The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who thirst for holiness, mercy, the pure in heart and peacemakers may lead to persecution because of Christ. However, ultimately this persecution is a cause of joy and of great reward in heaven. With its idols, its compromises and its priorities, the world cannot accept this kind of life…
HAVE YOU BEEN BAPTIZED? Did you receive Confirmation and First Communion? Are you married in the Church? If not, RCIA is for you! If you were baptized in a different Christian denomination and want to come to full communion with the Catholic Church, we invite you to join us! If you are an active Catholic but have not received all the sacraments or would like to learn more about the faith, come along!
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a period of reflection, prayer, instruction, discernment, and formation for those who seek to join the Church. Upon completion, the Parish welcomes these new members at the Easter Vigil liturgy, bringing men and women into full communion with the Catholic Church.
With an unbroken line of shepherds guiding us for more than 2,000 years, the Catholic Church is over a billion strong . Come and embrace the Catholic identity, and become a witness to a journey full of beauty, and treasures of faith, as revealed through the saints and sacraments.
If you are 18 or over and want your questions about the faith answered, this is for you! Download the application from our website and bring it to the office. Then, watch this space for our starting date.
COME, LET US WALK TOGETHER!
(TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS
APRIL 15, 2020
Today’s catechesis is dedicated to the seventh Beatitude, the one on the “peacemakers” who are proclaimed children of God… In order to understand this Beatitude, we have to explain the meaning of the word “peace” which can be misinterpreted, or at times trivialized.
We must look at two ideas of peace: the first is the Biblical one, in which the beautiful word shalòm appears, which expresses abundance, flourishing, wellbeing. In Hebrew, when one says shalòm, one is wishing a beautiful, fulfilled and prosperous life… that will find fulfillment in the Messiah, the Prince of Peace (cf. Is 9:6; Mic 5:4-5).
(TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THE PURE OF HEART
APRIL 1, 2020
Today, let us read together the sixth Beatitude which promises the vision of God and has purity of heart as a condition.
There is a Psalm that reads: “my heart says to thee, ‘Thy face, Lord, do I seek.’ Hide not thy face from me” (Ps 27[28]:8-9). This language manifests the thirst for a personal relationship with God, not a mechanical one, not a somewhat vague one, no: personal… We know God from hearsay, but with our experience, we go forward, forward, forward, and in the end, we come to know him directly, if we are faithful … And this is the maturity of the Spirit. In order to see God, there is neither the need to change eyeglasses or vantage point, nor to change the theological authors who teach the path: we need to free the heart from its deception. This is the only path.
(TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS, WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL
MARCH 18, 2020
Today we will consider the fifth Beatitude which says: “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7). There is a peculiar aspect to this beatitude. It is the only one in which the cause and the fruit of happiness coincide: mercy. Those who show mercy will find mercy, they will be “shown mercy”.
This theme of reciprocity of forgiveness is not found only in this Beatitude, but is recurrent throughout the Gospel. How could it be otherwise? Mercy is the very heart of God!… But it is above all in the “Lord’s Prayer” that we pray: “forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Mt 6:12).
(TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS AT THE WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
MARCH 11, 2020
We shall continue to meditate on the luminous path of happiness that the Lord consigned to us in the Beatitudes. We have come to the fourth one: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Mt 5:6). We have already encountered poverty in spirit and weeping. Now we face another type of weakness, one that is linked to hunger and thirst, [which] are primary needs. They have to do with survival. This should be underscored: this does not concern a general desire, but rather a vital, daily need such as nourishment.
YOUR BAPTISM IS AN IMPORTANT EVENT TO CELEBRATE YEAR AFTER YEAR. HERE IS HOW TO PREPARE:
Where were you baptized?
The church where you were baptized is important. When you get ordained or married, you need to contact the parish of baptism and have them issue a new baptismal certificate with notations.
When were you baptized?
Do you know the date of your baptism? Have you ever celebrated it? If not, find out and plan to do something special on that day, perhaps going to Mass.
Who baptized you?
Were you baptized by a deacon, priest, bishop, or by some rare chance the pope? You may have been baptized by a lay person too in an emergency situation, as in a hospital.
Who are your godparents?
Hopefully you can readily answer because they have played an active role in your life. If not, that can encourage you to be a better godparent to your own godchild.
TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS AT THE WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
FEBRUARY 19, 2020
Today we consider the third of the eight Beatitudes from the Gospel of Matthew: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt 5:5). Here, the term “meek”, literally means sweet, docile, gentle, devoid of violence. Meekness manifests itself in times of conflict. It can be seen by how one reacts to a hostile situation. Anyone can appear meek when everything is peaceful, but how does one react “under pressure”, if one is under attack, offended, threatened?
In Scripture, the word “meek” also indicates one who does not have earthly property. Thus, we are struck by the fact that the third Beatitude says precisely that the meek “shall inherit the earth”. Indeed the possession of land is a typical setting for conflict…The stronger one prevails in war and conquers other lands.
(TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS AT THE WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN
FEBRUARY 12, 2020
[Today we] pause on the second Beatitude: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. In the Scriptures, this weeping, can have two aspects: the first is for the death or suffering of someone. The other aspect is the tears for the sin — for one’s own sin —, when the heart bleeds for the suffering of having offended God and neighbour.
It is therefore a case of loving the other in such a way as to be bonded to him/her to the point of sharing their suffering. … Can one love in a cold way?…Certainly not. There are some afflicted people who need comforting but sometimes there are also some comforted ones who need to be afflicted.
(TAKEN FROM THE HOLY FATHER’S CATECHESIS ON THE BEATITUDES, AT THE WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE, JANUARY—APRIL, 2020.)
BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
Jesus begins to proclaim his path to happiness with a paradoxical announcement: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3). It is a surprising path, and poverty is a strange condition for beatitude. We have to ask ourselves: what does he mean here by the “poor”? Matthew speaks about “poor in spirit”. What does this mean? According to the Bible, the spirit is the breath of life that God communicated to Adam: it is our most intimate dimension, let us say the spiritual dimension, the most intimate one, the one that makes us human beings, the profound core of our being.