(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).