The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 413

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 12 May 2022 to 24 May 2022.

General Audiences

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “When we find ourselves faced with evil, we need to learn, from the example of so many older people, to unite our prayer to that of Jesus, who abandons himself to the Father on the cross. #BlessingOfTime @LaityFamilyLife @PontAcadLife
    l General Audience” @Pontifex, 18 May 2022
  • “As a Church, we need to return to what is essential instead of losing ourselves in so many secondary things, running the risk of losing sight of the simple purity of the Gospel.” @Pontifex, 18 May 2022
  • “The Church remains grateful for every expression of fraternal charity and care shown to all who have been enslaved and exploited, for in this way, God’s loving mercy becomes visible and the fabric of society is strengthened and renewed.” @Pontifex, 19 May 2022
  • “We need profound change, a conversion, that demilitarizes hearts, that would allow everyone to recognize the other as a brother or sister. #Peace #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex, 20 May 2022
  • “Mary is the icon of our own vocation, since we, like her, are called to be holy and blameless in love (Eph 1:4), becoming images of Christ.” @Pontifex, 21 May 2022
  • ““My peace I give you” (Jn 14:27). Jesus knows that on our own we are not able to cultivate peace, that we need help, a gift, the Holy Spirit. It is He who disarms the heart and fills it with serenity. #GospelOftheDay” @Pontifex, 22 May 2022
  • “#LaudatoSiWeek #LaudatoSi7 zugxyadu Image” @Pontifex, 22 May 2022
  • “Whoever welcomes a person in need performs not only an act of #charity, but also of #faith, because he or she recognizes Jesus in the brother or sister.” @Pontifex, 23 May 2022
  • “Mary, Help of Christians, we entrustthe journey of the faithful in #China to you. We ask you to present to the Lord of history the trials and tribulations, the petitions and the hopes of all those who pray to you, O Queen of Heaven! #PrayTogether #MaryHelpOfChristians” @Pontifex, 24 May 2022
  • “We must regenerate the economy, so it may be more just, sustainable, solidale, and respectful of the Earth, our common home. With our eyes fixed on Jesus, we can to journey together towards a better future. #LaudatoSi’ #LaudatoSiWeek” @Pontifex, 24 May 2022

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 412

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 9 May 2022 to 17 May 2022.

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “I address a special thought to the people of #SriLanka, especially the young. I urge everyone to maintain a peaceful approach, without giving in to violence. I appeal to all those with responsibility to listen to the aspirations of the people, respecting human and civil rights.” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “A long life – so the Bible teaches – is a blessing. The #ElderlyAndGrandparents are signs of the goodness of God who bestows life in abundance. Blessed is the house where an older person lives! Blessed is the family that honours its grandparents! #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “Part of the vocation of grandparents is to support their sons and daughters in raising their children. The little ones learn the power of tenderness and respect for frailty: irreplaceable lessons that are easier to impart and receive with grandparents. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “Old people lose some sight, but their inner gaze becomes more penetrating. They become capable of seeing things that previously escaped them. The Lord does not give his talents only to the young and the strong. He has talents for everyone, made to fit each person. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “A better future can exist only if it is built by everyone for everyone. No one must be excluded! I dedicated my Message for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees to this. #BuildingtheFutureTogether #WDMR2022 @M_RSection
    Sh Message” @Pontifex, 12 May 2022
  • “#BuildingtheFutureTogether #WDMR2022 @M_RSection YouTube” @Pontifex, 12 May 2022
  • “#OurLadyOfFatima https://t.co/RcIjWUqzbR Image” @Pontifex, 13 May 2022
  • “The tears of those who suffer are not sterile. They are a silent prayer rising up to heaven. In Mary they always find a place under her mantle. With her, God becomes our companion on the way. He carries our crosses with us so we are not crushed by our pain.” @Pontifex, 14 May 2022
  • “#Holiness does not consist of a few heroic deeds, but of loving a lot every day.
    DKitWPh Homily” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “As tensions and wars increase in the world, may the new Saints inspire paths of dialogue, especially in the hearts and minds of those who hold positions of great responsibility and are called to be agents of #peace, not war.” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “Let us support the #family! Let us defend it from what compromises its beauty. Let us approach this mystery of love with discretion and tenderness. And let us commit ourselves to safeguarding its precious and delicate bonds that allow it to flourish make humanity more fraternal.” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “Each of us is called to #holiness, to a unique and unrepeatable form of holiness. The Lord has a design of love for everyone. He has a dream for your life. Welcome it! Pursue it joyfully! DKiclXJ Homily” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “Beatitude, holiness, is not a life plan made up only of effort and renunciation, but is above all the joyful discovery of being God’s beloved children.” @Pontifex, 16 May 2022
  • “Let us allow Jesus the Living Bread to heal us of our self-absorption. May he open our hearts to sharing, heal us from rigidity and turning in on ourselves, and inspire us to follow him wherever he wants to lead us.” @Pontifex, 17 May 2022

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 411

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 12 April 2022 to 10 May 2022.

General Audiences

Letters

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Dear elderly brothers and sisters, please look at the young people. The young people are watching us and our consistency can open up a beautiful path of life for them. Hypocrisy, on the other hand, will do so much harm. Let us #PrayTogether for one another. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 4 May 2022
  • “We need to be careful of the mentality that separates priests from laity, considering the first as protagonists and the second as executors, and carry out the Christian mission as one People of God. The entire Church is an evangelizing community. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex, 5 May 2022
  • “For the 59th World Day of Prayer for #Vocations, I would like to reflect with you on the bigger meaning of ”vocation“ in the context of a synodal Church that listens to God and the world. YAMF Message” @Pontifex, 5 May 2022
  • “As Christians, we are individually called to a #vocation, but also called together. Each of us shines like a star in the heart of God, but we are called to form constellations that can guide the path of humanity.” @Pontifex, 6 May 2022
  • “The word of God frees us from self-centeredness, and is able to purify, enlighten and recreate us. So let us listen to that Word, to open us to the vocation that God entrusts to us! #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex, 6 May 2022
  • “Let us often turn to Mary, Mother of believers! The various forms of Marian devotion, and especially the recitation of the #HolyRosary, will help us live our journey of faith and Christian witness. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 7 May 2022
  • “Christ’s followers go where He goes, on the same path. They seeks the lost, are interested in those who are far-off, take to heart the situation of the suffering, weep with those who weep, take their neighbour by the hand, placing them on their shoulders. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex, 8 May 2022
  • “Today is Mother’s Day in many countries. Let us affectionately remember our mothers, even those who are no longer with us down here, but who live in our hearts. Our prayer, our affection, and our best wishes for all our mothers.” @Pontifex, 8 May 2022
  • “Before the madness of war, please, let us continue to pray the Rosary for peace each day. And let us pray for the leaders of nations, so they might not lose the “pulse of the people” who want peace and who know well that weapons never achieve it, never.” @Pontifex, 8 May 2022
  • “We should not fear the crises of life and faith. Crises help us recognize that we need God and thus allow us to return to the Lord, to experience his love anew.” @Pontifex, 9 May 2022
  • “Dear #GrandparentsAndElderly, in our world, we are called to create a revolution of tenderness, to together free the world from the darkness of loneliness and the demon of war! Message” @Pontifex, 10 May 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 10:27-30
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 10:27-30

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

John 10:27–30 ESV – Bible Gateway

Steve Ray in his commentary on the Gospel of John references this fact:

“The relationship between sheep and shepherd is quite different in Palestine. In Britain the sheep are largely kept for killing, but in Palestine largely for their wool. It thus happens that in Palestine the sheep are often with the shepherd for years and often they have names by which the shepherd calls them.… It is strictly true that the sheep know and understand the eastern shepherd’s voice; and that they will never answer to the voice of a stranger.… ‘The shepherd calls sharply from time to time, to remind them of his presence. They know his voice, and follow on; but, if a stranger call, they stop short, lift up their heads in alarm, and if it is repeated, they turn and flee, because they know not the voice of a stranger. I have made the experiment repeatedly’.… Every detail of the shepherd’s life lights up the picture of the Good Shepherd whose sheep hear his voice and whose constant care is for his flock.”[1]

At the surface level, this gives some insight into this metaphor. If we come to really know Jesus, we will not answer the call of his imitators. We will not be tempted by even the good things of the world and forget that he gave them to us. We will prioritize our relationship with Jesus over all worldly things.

One day I wish to know Jesus enough to say that I truly know Jesus. That I will not only hear his voice but trust and follow him. I know facts about Jesus, but that is not the knowledge that I truly need.

Peter Kreeft writes regarding this passage:

What kind of knowledge is that? Personal knowledge, not just factual knowledge. Not knowledge about a person but knowledge of a person. Most languages have two different words for those two different kinds of knowledge; English has only one. In French, they’re connaitre and savoir, in German they’re kennen and wissen. One kind of knowledge is like marriage; the other is like science. One kind is a personal relationship; the other is a set of ideas. Ideas are terribly important, but you don’t get to heaven by a set of ideas, by passing a theology test. It’s not what you know but who you know. Jesus’ sheep follow the good shepherd because they know him; they hear his voice and recognize it.[2]

In the Old Testament to know someone was used as a metaphor for sexual intimacy. The type of knowing God has for each of us is the most profound intimacy. We are totally open before him and he loves us. The intimacy of friendship is what he calls us to as his adopted children. He lifts us up in grace so that we can reply in gratitude and thanksgiving.

Jesus goes on to promise a supernatural life that never ends. A promise of salvation in that we will not experience eternal death. That he will protect us more so than a good shepherd protects his flock. There is nothing that can affect this, but our own will. Nobody can snatch us from his protection, but we can wander off and forego the protection of the shepherd.

Theophylact makes this point when he wrote:

But how then did Judas perish? Because he did not continue to the end. Christ speaks of them who persevere. If any sheep is separated from the flock, and wanders from the Shepherd, it incurs danger immediately.[3]

There is a lot going on here when Jesus identifies himself as our shepherd. An identification that directly invokes the famous lines in Psalm 23. In Ezekiel 34, Ezekiel makes a prophecy against the shepherds of Israel, who failed to hear the words of the Lord. God says “I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.” How he will care for them and also bring judgment to those who preyed on the sheep. Jesus identifies himself as this very shepherd referenced and then lays it out saying “I and the Father are one.”

Historically there is much quibbling over what Jesus meant by saying this. There was no confusion among those who heard him identify himself with God. They picked up stones and intended to kill him for committing blasphemy. There had been claimants before and after Jesus to be the messiah. This claim in itself was not considered blasphemy. It was not a capital offense. There was no confusion between what Jesus said and the implication of this to the hearers.

Still, even if they had given some time to reflect on Jesus’ words and his identification with the Father, what he said was shocking and this truth about God’s interior life could only be known through divine revelation. The early Church would grapple with this and all the heresies that tried to simplify what Jesus said.

Paragraph 590 of the Catechism says:

Only the divine identity of Jesus’ person can justify so absolute a claim as “He who is not with me is against me”; and his saying that there was in him “something greater than Jonah, … greater than Solomon,” something “greater than the Temple”; his reminder that David had called the Messiah his Lord,and his affirmations, “Before Abraham was, I Am”; and even “I and the Father are one.”

Going on to say in Paragraph 256:

St. Gregory of Nazianzus, also called “the Theologian,” entrusts this summary of Trinitarian faith to the catechumens of Constantinople:

Above all guard for me this great deposit of faith for which I live and fight, which I want to take with me as a companion, and which makes me bear all evils and despise all pleasures: I mean the profession of faith in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I entrust it to you today. By it I am soon going to plunge you into water and raise you up from it. I give it to you as the companion and patron of your whole life. I give you but one divinity and power, existing one in three, and containing the three in a distinct way. Divinity without disparity of substance or nature, without superior degree that raises up or inferior degree that casts down … the infinite co-naturality of three infinites. Each person considered in himself is entirely God … the three considered together.… I have not even begun to think of unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendor. I have not even begun to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me.[4]

Sources

  1. St. John’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups. Steve Ray, 2002  ↩
  2. Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C  ↩
  3. Theophylact, Archbishop of Ohrid, A.D. 1078. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected out of the Works of the Fathers: St. John.  ↩
  4. St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 40, 41: PG 36, 417.↩︎  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 410

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 23 April 2022 to 3 May 2022.

General Audiences

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “If the young open themselves to gratitude for what they have received, and if the elderly take the initiative of relaunching their future, nothing can stop the flourishing of God’s blessings among peoples! #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 27 April 2022
  • “Working safely allows everyone to express the best of themselves while earning their daily bread. The more we take care of the dignity of work, the more certain we are that the quality and beauty of the work carried out will increase.” @Pontifex, 28 April 2022
  • “A Christianity that seeks the Lord among the ruins of the past and encloses him in the tomb of habit is a Christianity without Easter.” @Pontifex, 29 April 2022
  • “The joy of knowing we are loved by God, despite our infidelities, enables us to face the trials of life to emerge from them better. It is in living this joy that constitutes our being true witnesses, because joy is the distinctive sign of a Christian.” @Pontifex, 30 April 2022
  • “Я задаюсь вопросом, действительно ли существует стремление к миру; есть ли желание избежать непрестанной военной и словесной эскалации; делается ли всё возможное, чтобы заставить замолчать оружие?” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “I beg you, let us not surrender to the logic of violence, to the perverse spiral of weapons. May the path of dialogue and peace be taken! #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Прошу вас, не підаваймося логіці насильства, спотвореній спіралі озброєнь. Нехай буде обрана дорога діалогу та миру! #МолімосяРазом” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Пожалуйста, не поддавайтесь логике насилия, извращённой спирали вооружений. Встанем на путь диалога и мира! #Молимсявместе” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “I wonder if peace is truly being sought, whether there is the will to avoid a continued military and verbal escalation, whether everything possible is being done so to silence the weapons.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Запитую себе, чи дійсно відбуваються пошуки миру; чи існує воля запобігати безперервній військовій і вербальній ескалації; чи робиться все можливе для того, щоби замовкла зброя.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “I suffer and weep thinking of the sufferings of the Ukrainian people, and, in particular, the weakest, the elderly and the children.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Я страдаю и плачу, думая о мучениях украинского народа, особенно самых слабых, стариков и детей.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Every day of May, let us #PrayTogether the Rosary for peace. My thought goes to the Ukrainian city of Mariupol’, ”Mary’s City“, barbarically bombed and destroyed. I renew the request that secure humanitarian corridors might be arranged for the people trapped in that city.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом кожного дня травня Розарій за мир. Думка відразу лине до українського міста Маріуполя, “Міста Марії”, варварськи бомбардованого та знищеного. Повторюю заклик надати безпечні гуманітарні коридори для людей, що заблоковані в цьому місті.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Каждый день мая будем молиться Святым Розарием о мире. Мои мысли обращаются к украинскому городу Мариуполю, «городу Марии», варварски разбомбленному и разрушенному. Я вновь призываю к созданию безопасных гуманитарных коридоров для людей, оказавшихся в ловушке в этом городе.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “When our nets are empty in life, it is not the time to feel sorry for ourselves, to have fun, to return to old pastimes. It is the time to start again with Jesus, to find the courage to begin again, to set out with him. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 21:1–19)” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Страждаю і плачу, коли думаю про страждання населення України, особливо, про найслабших, похилих віком, дітей.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “In this month dedicated to the Virgin Mary, let us learn from her that #prayer is the best weapon of Christian life; without persistent prayer, no victory over evil is possible.” @Pontifex, 2 May 2022
  • “On this World #PressFreedom Day, let us #PrayTogether for the journalists who pay in person, with their lives or imprisonment, to serve this right. Special thanks to those who courageously inform us of the wounds of humanity.” @Pontifex, 3 May 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether so that all young people, called to live life to the fullest, may discover in Mary’s life the way to listen, the depth of discernment, the courage of faith, and dedication to service. #PrayerIntention MyIEZOC Video” @Pontifex, 3 May 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel – John 21:1-19
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel – John 21:1-19

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

John 21:1–19 ESV – Bible Gateway

Today’s reading discusses the third appearance of Jesus to a group of Apostles. Peter tells six other apostles that he will go fishing, and they agree to join him. They all labor that night to no avail. There has been discussion regarding their return to fishing and its reason.

Pope St. Gregory.

“It may be asked why Peter, who was a fisherman before his conversion, returned to fishing, when it is said, ‘No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ ” St. Augustine on the other hand said, “If the disciples had done this after the death of Jesus, and before His resurrection, we should have imagined that they did it in despair. But now after that He has risen from the grave, after seeing the marks of His wounds, after receiving, by means of His breathing, the Holy Ghost, all at once they become what they were before, fishers, not of men, but of fishes. We must remember then that they were not forbidden by their apostleship from earning their livelihood by a lawful craft, provided they had no other means of living.”

This makes the most sense of their motive, just as St. Paul would return to his craft of tentmaking to support himself. In Mark 16, it is clear that Jesus tells the women to tell the apostles to go ahead to Galilee. So they are where they should be awaiting Jesus’ arrival there.

Jesus is standing on the shore and calls out to them, asking, “Children, do you have any fish?” None of the apostles recognize him. This is like the other post-resurrection appearances with Mary Magdalene and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He then gives them instructions on where to cast their nets, and they comply. This seems rather strange at first that they would listen to instructions given by some stranger, especially after a night of effort from men who were professionals of their trade.

Steve Ray, in his commentary on John, clarifies this:[1]

It happens very often that the man with the hand-net must rely on the advice of someone on shore, who tells him to cast either to the left or the right, because in the clear water he can often see a shoal of fish invisible to the man in the water.’ Jesus was acting as guide to his fishermen friends, just as people still do today.

The result is a miraculous catch such that they were overwhelmed to handle this. At this point, John recognizes Jesus and states this fact. Peter Kreeft asks and answers, “how did they then eventually recognize him? The answer, in that case, is clear: they recognized him by what he did.”[2] Peter puts on his outer garment and jumps into the sea to get to shore.

There is just so much going on here. The large catch and the difficulty of handling it and only being able to drag it. Peter returned to the catch and hauled the net ashore.

Give a man a fish, and he is satisfied for one day. Give a man 153 fish, and he will spend the rest of Church history trying to understand the symbolism involved. There are plenty of theories projected from St. Jerome and St. Augustine onto the present day. Some very complicated mathematical proofs, such as from Augustine. Jeff Cavins says the number 153 is the numerical total for the Hebrew phrase Ani Elohim, which means “I am God.”

Other symbolism entails the untorn net, which has been interpreted to represent the unity of the apostles or the Church. That the Church will prevail to the end of time, holding its adherents.

We then come to the theologically and symbolically rich telling of Jesus’ questions to Peter.

From John Bergsma:[3]

Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” (v. 15). The question is ambiguous. Who are the “these”? Does Jesus mean:

  • (1) “Do you love me more than [you love] these [other men]?” In other words, Do you love me above all other persons in your life?
  • (2) “Do you love me more than these [fish]?” In other words, Do you love me more than your profession, your way of life, your livelihood, your “comfort zone”?
  • (3) “Do you love me more than these [other men do]?” In other words, Do you have greater love for me than others do? Do you excel in love so as to be suitable to excel also in authority?

Ambiguity abounds in the Gospel of John, and I think it is intentional. All three interpretations may well be meant. Jesus is eliciting from Peter a comprehensive love to correspond to the comprehensive role of shepherding that he will bestow.

It has long been commented on that these three questions parallel Peter’s three denials. Less commented on in that in both of these episodes in the Gospel of John, a “charcoal fire” is mentioned.

Ascension Press’ study “Jesus – The Way, the Truth, and the Life” references:

There are only two places in the New Testament where a charcoal fire is mentioned, both in John. The first being Peter’s triple denial that he knew Jesus, the second being Peter’s triple affirmation that he loved Jesus. There is an interesting detail about charcoal fires over a bonfire. A charcoal fire requires closeness to get warmed. Peter was recognized because of his closeness of people trying to get warm in the courtyard. Our affirmation of love for Jesus can only be close, not a distance, or it is not affirmation of love at all.

There has often been much made of the underlying Greek words Jesus used. John Bergsma offers an important caveat:

This gives the impression that Jesus asks twice, “Do you love me with divine love?” And Peter responds twice, “I love you with brotherly love.” And at last Jesus condescends to Peter’s capabilities: “Do you love me with brotherly love?” thus implying that such love will suffice: Jesus will accept what Peter, no longer brash and now painfully cognizant of his human weakness, knows he can offer. This interpretation is suggestive, but it must be entertained with caution because both phileō and agapaō are used elsewhere in John for both divine and human love.[4]

Other biblical scholars, such as Michael Barber, also say that the different meanings of these two words are a myth most famously popularized by C.S. Lewis.

Peter is hurt not because of the different Greek words used, but the question is asked of him three times in parallel to his three-fold denial. The awareness of our sinful actions often hurts us the most.

Jesus is “condescending to Peter’s human weakness.”[5] As Peter Kreeft writes:[2]

Jesus is always doing this: first bringing his disciples down and out of their pride when they feel up, then bringing them up and out of their despair when they feel down. He does that to us too.

Peter gets dressed down, but nevertheless, Jesus calls him to “Follow me.”

References

  1. St. John’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups. Steve Ray, 2002  ↩
  2. Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C  ↩
  3. bergsma  ↩
  4. bergsma  ↩
  5. bergsma  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 409

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 14 April 2022 to 26 April 2022.

Homilies

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “With Jesus, the Risen Lord, no night will last forever. Even in the darkest night, the morning star still shines.” @Pontifex, 21 April 2022
  • “We all need to make a contribution to halt the destruction of our common home and to restore nature: governments, businesses and citizens – we must act like brothers and sisters who share the Earth, the common home that God has given us. #EarthDay” @Pontifex, 22 April 2022
  • “How beautiful is a Church that can run through the streets of our world with the desire to bear the joy of the Gospel to everyone. That is what we are called to do: to roll away the stone from the tomb where we have often enclosed the Lord, in order to spread his joy in the world” @Pontifex, 22 April 2022
  • “Let us ask for the grace to feeling that we are in need of mercy: this is the only way that the salvation of God operates in us. #DivineMercy” @Pontifex, 23 April 2022
  • “I ask everyone to increase their prayers for peace and to have the courage to say, to show that peace is possible. Political leaders, please, listen to the voice of the people who want peace, not an escalation of the conflict.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Христос воскрес! Он воистину воскрес! Да наполнит Господь надеждой благие ожидания сердец, да принесёт Он мир, оскорблённый варварством войны.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Печально, что в эти дни – самые святые и торжественные для всех христиан – чаще раздаётся смертоносный грохот оружия, чем звон колоколов, возвещающих о Воскресении; печально, что оружие всё больше занимает место слов.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Я вновь призываю к пасхальному перемирию. Наступление обязано прекратиться, чтобы облегчить страдания измученного населения; необходимо остановиться, повинуясь словам Воскресшего, Который в день Пасхи повторяет Своим ученикам: ‘Мир вам!’.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Я прошу всех умножить молитвы о мире и смело заявить и показать, что мир действительно возможен. Политические лидеры, пожалуйста, прислушайтесь к голосу людей, которые хотят мира, а не эскалации конфликта.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Я прошу всіх посилити молитву за мир і мати сміливість говорити та демонструвати, що мир є можливим. Політичні лідери, будь ласка, прислухайтесь до голосу людей, які прагнуть миру, а не ескалації конфлікту.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Повторюю заклик до великоднього перемир’я. Нехай припиниться наступ, щоби вийти назустріч стражданням виснаженого населення; нехай зупиниться, слухаючись слів Воскреслого, Який в день Пасхи повторює Своїм учням: «Мир вам!»” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “I renew my appeal for an Easter truce. Stop the attack, so as to respond to the suffering of the exhausted population. Let it stop, in obedience to the words of the Risen Lord, who on Easter repeats to his disciples: “Peace be with you!” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “It is sad that in these days, which are the holiest and most solemn for all Christians, the deadly roar of weapons is heard rather than the sound of bells announcing the Resurrection. And it is sad that weapons are increasingly taking the place of words” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Сумно, що в ці дні, найсвятіші та найурочистіші для всіх християн, смертельний гуркіт зброї звучить гучніше, аніж передзвін, що звіщає Воскресіння; сумно, що зброя дедалі більше займає місце слова.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Христос Воскрес! Він воістину воскрес! Нехай же Він наповнить надією добрі очікування сердець! Нехай же Він дарує мир, скривджений варварством війни” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “This Sunday, we discover three ways the #DivineMercy acts in us: it gives joy, it grants forgiveness and comforts in difficulties. https://t.co/TlkICgagAb Event” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “There are difficult times when life seems to belie faith. It’s precisely then that we rediscover the Lord’s heart. In those situations, Jesus doesn’t perform earth-shattering miracles, but instead offers us heartwarming signs of #mercy. He comforts us by offering us his wounds.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Jesus is not afraid of our crises. He always comes back when the doors are closed and when we doubt. He always comes back, not with powerful signs that would make us feel inadequate, but with his wounds, the signs of his love. #GospelOfTheDay Jn 20:19–31” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Christ is risen, he is truly risen! May he fill with hope the good expectations of hearts. May he grant peace, outraged by the barbarity of war.” @Pontifex, 24 April 2022
  • “Let’s remember the forgiveness and peace we have received from Jesus. Let’s put the memory of God’s warm embrace before the memory of our own mistakes and failings. In this way, we will grow in joy. For nothing will ever is ever the same for anyone who has experienced God’s joy!” @Pontifex, 25 April 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом за всі жертви насильства та війни. VtSsQHCgO Image” @Pontifex, 26 April 2022
  • “When we bring peace to someone who is suffering physically or spiritually, when we spend some time listening, being present, or consoling someone, we encounter Jesus who repeats to us through the eyes of all those who are weighed down by the trials of life: Peace be with you!” @Pontifex, 26 April 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for all the victims of violence and war. Image” @Pontifex, 26 April 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе обо всех жертвах насилия и войны. vvYDnDlQ Image” @Pontifex, 26 April 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 20:19-31
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 20:19-31

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

John 20:19–31 ESV – Bible Gateway

This Gospel passage is used on the Second Sunday of Easter for each liturgical year. The use of these verses goes back to before the liturgical reform of the lectionary and is the same reading still used for the Tridentine Rite of the Church. The reason being is that it details also the second appearance of Jesus to the Apostles “eight days later” and so is perfectly fitting for the Second Sunday of Easter.

Confession is very much the Sacrament of Divine Mercy. So it’s fitting that on this day we will both recall the appearance to Thomas that took place eight days after the resurrection and the institution of Confession which is the Sacrament of Divine Mercy. [1]

The Apostles gathered together are basically hunkering down for the duration. Gathered together in a locked room. “Proper residences were equipped with bolts and locks. Bolted doors would prevent anyone from entering (a heavy bolt could be slid through rings attached to the door and its frame).”[2] They are in fear, in fact, fear for their lives. As John writes “For fear of the Jews, they were hiding out.” They would have been afraid of any knock on the door. Jesus mysteriously comes and stands among them. Such an awkward moment as they both fear and rejoice at seeing Jesus again.

John Bergma comments on this[3]:

The last time he saw this band of eleven men, he was looking at their backs, in the dark, as they all ran away from him rather than accompany him through his suffering and death (Matt 26:56). But Jesus does not mention this. He does not say, “Hey guys! Guess you didn’t think you’d see me again! Thanks for sticking by me there, in my hour of need.” Instead, he overlooks their dismal infidelity, and the word of Jesus is simply, “Peace be with you.”

Jesus would say “Peace be with you.” twice in this first encounter and again during the second one. They really need to let their fear go and for the peace of Christ to settle on them. Jesus is completing the commission he started at the Last Supper when he breaths on them and gives them the ability to forgive and retain sins.

When Jesus does this it recalls the book of Genesis when it says that “God breathed into the clay,” “breathed into the nostrils of Adam and he became a living being.” So what Jesus is doing here is, in a sense, inaugurating once again the new creation. But in this case the power that is being revealed through that action is not the Sacrament of Baptism as with the man born blind, but here it is the power to forgive and retain sin that will be passed down in the Church through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, through the Sacrament of Confession.[1]

The Council of Trent says:

“The Church has always understood—and has in fact defined—that Jesus Christ here conferred on the Apostles authority to forgive sins, a power which is exercised in the sacrament of Penance. ‘The Lord then especially instituted the sacrament of Penance when, after being risen from the dead, he breathed upon his disciples and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit.…” The consensus of all the Fathers has always acknowledged that by this action so sublime and words so clear the power of forgiving and retaining sins was given to the Apostles and their lawful successors for reconciling the faithful who have fallen after Baptism’ (Council of Trent, De Paenitentia, chap. 1).

Now we come to the Apostle Thomas who is now with the other Apostles on this second encounter with the risen Christ. We don’t know why he was not there the first time. Yet it is to our edification that he wasn’t.

St. Gregory the Great[4]:

It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question

When he joins up with them he is told the story about how Jesus came upon them although the doors were locked. There is one distinct difference between how the other Apostles acted and how Thomas acted. When Mary Magdalene informed the Apostles, Peter and John ran to the tomb. Based on witness testimony they were willing to believe that this might be true and dashed off to verify it. Thomas on the other hand heard testimony from his friends and did not believe them. He not only discounted his friends but was not even willing to see how this was consistent with what Jesus told them ahead of time. He demands empirical proof, but when Jesus offers him that very proof—he no longer demands or needs it.

New Testament scholar John Barclay writes:

“There was no halfway house about Thomas. He was not airing his doubts just for the sake of mental acrobatics; he doubted in order to become sure; and when he did, his surrender to certainty was complete. And when a man fights his way through his doubts to the conviction that Jesus Christ is Lord, he has attained to a certainty that the man who unthinkingly accepts things can never reach.”

One consideration from Brant Pitre, regarding what Jesus asks Thomas:

Since ancient Greek manuscripts do not use punctuation marks, it is not clear whether Jesus’ words to Thomas in 20:29a are a question or a statement. The NABRE translates it as a question, Have you come to believe because you have seen me?, which hints at disapproval that Thomas needed tangible proof to believe. However, it is also possible to translate it as a statement, “You have believed because you have seen me,” in which case Jesus does not disapprove of Thomas’s faith but simply declares that Thomas has arrived at full Easter faith because of the tangible proof that has been given him.

The Catechismi[5] in paragraph 156 says:

156 What moves us to believe is not the fact that revealed truths appear as true and intelligible in the light of our natural reason: we believe “because of the authority of God himself who reveals them, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.”[1] So “that the submission of our faith might nevertheless be in accordance with reason, God willed that external proofs of his Revelation should be joined to the internal helps of the Holy Spirit.”[2] Thus the miracles of Christ and the saints, prophecies, the Church’s growth and holiness, and her fruitfulness and stability “are the most certain signs of divine Revelation, adapted to the intelligence of all”; they are “motives of credibility” (motiva credibilitatis), which show that the assent of faith is “by no means a blind impulse of the mind.

References

  1. Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre  ↩
  2. St. John’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups. Steve Ray, 2002  ↩
  3. The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year C, John Bergsma  ↩
  4. Gregory the Great, Forty Gospel Homilies 26; trans. J. C. Elowsky, ACCS, p. 367  ↩
  5. Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed). United States Catholic Conference.  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 408

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 7 April 2022 to 20 April 2022.

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “God’s presence is so humble, hidden, so invisible, that it needs an attentive, awake and welcoming heart to be recognized. #Eucharist #HolyThursday” @Pontifex, 14 April 2022
  • “Let us place ourselves before the Crucified One, the wellspring of our peace, and ask him for peace of heart and peace in the world. #GoodFriday” @Pontifex, 15 April 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #GoodFriday #Peace OSRuw Image” @Pontifex, 15 April 2022
  • “On this night let us allow the women of the Gospel to lead us by the hand, so that, with them, we may glimpse the first rays of the dawn of God’s life rising in the darkness of our world.” @Pontifex, 16 April 2022
  • “The light of the resurrection generates missionary disciples who return from the tomb in order to bring to all the Gospel of the risen Christ. That is why, after seeing and hearing, the women ran to proclaim to the disciples the joy of the resurrection.” @Pontifex, 16 April 2022
  • “Our hope has a name: the name of Jesus. He entered the tomb of our sin; he descended to those depths where we feel most lost, bore the weight of our burdens and from the dark abyss of death restored us to life and turned our mourning into joy.” @Pontifex, 16 April 2022
  • “Jesus is alive! Today, too, he walks in our midst, changes us and sets us free. Thanks to him, evil has been robbed of its power; failure can no longer hold us back from starting anew; and death has become a passage to the stirrings of new life.” @Pontifex, 16 April 2022
  • “The women proclaimed the joy of the resurrection. Easter did not occur simply to console those who mourned the death of Jesus, but to open hearts to the extraordinary message of God’s triumph over evil and death.” @Pontifex, 16 April 2022
  • “Давайте позволим победить себя миру Христову! Мир – возможен, мир – необходим, мир – это главная ответственность каждого! #Мир wRKgh Image” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “May there be #peace also for Libya and for Yemen, for Myanmar and for Afghanistan, for the entire African continent – particularly in the Sahel region –, for Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Let’s pray for the people in the eastern part of South Africa too.” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “May there be #peace for the Middle East, racked by years of conflict and division. May there be peace and reconciliation for the peoples of Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, and in particular for all the Christian communities of the Middle East.” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “В моём сердце – все многочисленные жертвы украинского народа: миллионы беженцев и внутренних переселенцев, разделённые семьи, оставшиеся в одиночестве старики, разбитые жизни и стёртые с лица земли города. У меня перед глазами – взгляд осиротевших детей, бежавших от войны.” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “Ношу в своєму серці всі численні українські жертви, мільйони біженців і внутрішньо переміщених осіб, розділені сім’ї, похилих віком, які залишилися самотніми, розбиті життя та міста, стерті з лиця землі. Маю перед очима погляд осиротілих дітей, що втікають від війни.” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “I hold in my heart all the many Ukrainian victims, the millions of refugees and internally displaced persons, the divided families, the elderly left to themselves, the lives broken and the cities razed to the ground. I see the faces of the orphaned children fleeing from the war.” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “Пусть наступит мир для истерзанной Украины, тяжко страдающей от насилия и разрушений жестокой и бессмысленной войны, в которую она была втянута. Пусть над этим страшным мороком страданий и смерти поскорее взойдёт новая заря надежды! Да будет сделан выбор в пользу мира. #Мир” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “Нехай настане мир для багатостраждальної України що переживає дуже важке випробування насильством та руйнуваннями жорстокої та безумної війни в яку вона була втягнута. Нехай над цією жахливою ніччю страждання та смерті якнайшвидше зійде новий світанок надії! Нехай буде обрано мир” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “May there be peace for war-torn #Ukraine, so sorely tried by the violence and destruction of the cruel and senseless war into which it was dragged. In this terrible night of suffering and death, may a new dawn of hope soon appear! Let there be a decision for #peace.” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “Раны на теле воскресшего Иисуса – это знак сражения, которое Он вёл и выиграл за нас оружием любви, дабы мы могли иметь мир, быть в мире, жить в мире. #Мир R Image” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “Рани на Тілі воскреслого Ісуса є знаком боротьби, якою Він боровся та переміг за нас, зброєю любові, щоби ми могли мати #мир, перебувати в мирі, жити в мирі. jC Image” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “The wounds on the body of the risen Jesus are the sign of the battle he fought and won for us, won with the weapons of love, so that we might have #peace and remain in peace. https://t.co/GVgQvBODaQ Image” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “The Lord is risen! Let us lift up our gaze, remove the veil of sadness and sorrow from our eyes, and open our hearts to the hope that God brings! https://t.co/laMdZhXIBe Homily” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “Дозвольмо, щоби Христовий #мир переміг нас! Мир є можливим, мир є обов’язковим, мир є першочерговою відповідальністю всіх! e Image” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “May the risen Christ accompany and assist the people of Latin America and the journey of reconciliation that the Catholic Church in Canada is making with the indigenous peoples.” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “May we be won over by the #peace of Christ! Peace is possible; peace is a duty; peace is everyone’s primary responsibility! qxaoyN Image” @Pontifex, 17 April 2022
  • “The Easter joy is not to be kept to oneself. The joy of Christ is strengthened by giving it, it multiplies sharing it. If we open ourselves and carry the Gospel, our hearts will open and overcome fear. #GospelOfTheDay (Mt 28:8–15).” @Pontifex, 18 April 2022
  • “The Lord is risen! Let us not tarry among the tombs, but run to find him, the Living One! Nor may we be afraid to seek him also in the faces of our brothers and sisters, in the stories of those who hope and dream, in the pain of those who we suffer: God is there!” @Pontifex, 19 April 2022
  • ““Honour your father and mother” is a solemn commitment. It is not just about our own father and mother, but about the old age of life… We received the love of our parents, of our grandparents, and now we return this love to them. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 20 April 2022

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 407

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 6 April 2022 to 13 April 2022.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Papal Tweets

  • “: Це жертви, невинна кров яких взиває до неба та благає: нехай буде покладено край цій війні! Змусьте зброю замовкнути! Нехай більше не сіється смерть і руйнування! #МолімосяРазом” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “Let us not forget the children who have had to flee and come to a foreign land: this is one of the fruits of war. Let us not forget them, and let us not forget the Ukrainian people. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “They are victims whose innocent blood cries to Heaven and implores: put an end to this war! Silence the weapons! Stop sowing death and destruction! #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “Не будем забывать о детях, которым пришлось бежать на чужую землю, – это один из плодов войны. Не будем забывать о них, не будем забывать об украинском народе. #МолимсяВместе” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “Не забуваймо про дітей, які мусіли втікати і прибути до чужої землі: це однин із плодів війни. Не забуваймо про них, не забуваймо про український народ. #МолімосяРазом” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “Невинная кровь этих жертв взывает к Небесам и умоляет: да прекратится эта война! Да умолкнет оружие! Хватит сеять смерть и разрушение! #МолимсяВместе” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “The recent news from #Ukraine, reports new atrocities, like the massacre in Bucha: ever more horrendous cruelty done even against defenseless civilians, women and children.” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “Новости с Украины свидетельствуют о новых зверствах, таких как резня в Буче: всё более чудовищная жестокость, также в отношении беззащитных гражданских лиц, женщин и детей.
    #Украина” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “I chose the words ”with unusual kindness“ as the motto of my Journey to Malta because they indicate the path to follow so that the world might become more fraternal, more livable, and might be saved from a “shipwreck” that menaces all of us who are in the same boat.” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “Новини з #України засвідчують нові звірства, як от різанина в Бучі: дедалі жахливіші акти жорстокості, скоєні також проти цивільних, безборонних жінок і дітей.” @Pontifex, 6 April 2022
  • “The Season of #Lenten calls us to place our faith and hope in the Lord, since only if we fix our gaze on the risen Christ will we be able to respond to the Apostle’s appeal, “Let us never grow tired of doing good” (Gal 6:9).” @Pontifex, 7 April 2022
  • “Jesus spoke of this hope when he announced his passion and death saying he would “be raised on the third day” (Mt 20:19). He was speaking of the future opened up by the Father’s mercy. Hoping with him and thanks to him means receiving from his open Heart the Father’s forgiveness.” @Pontifex, 8 April 2022
  • “We are like little toddlers who try to walk, but keep falling, and need to be picked up each time by their father. It is the Father’s forgiveness that always sets us back on our feet. God’s forgiveness, #Confession, is the first step on our return journey to the Lord.” @Pontifex, 8 April 2022
  • “I ask Mary Most Holy to pray that this #Lent will open our hearts to hear the call to be reconciled to God, to fix our gaze on the paschal Mystery, and to be converted to an open and sincere dialogue with God.” @Pontifex, 9 April 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace Image” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “Немає нічого неможливого в Бога. (Лк 1,37). Також зробити так, аби припинилася війна, якій не видно кінця. Війна, яка кожного дня ставить перед нашими очима нелюдські масові вбивства та нещадні акти жорстокості, скоєні проти беззахисних цивільних. #МолімосяРазом #Мир Image” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “‘У Бога не останется бессильным никакое слово’ (Лк 1,37). Для Бога нет ничего невозможного, даже прекратить войну, конца которой не видно, – войну, из-а которой каждый день у нас перед глазами чудовищные массовые убийства и зверские жестокости против беззащитных гражданских лиц. UjE Image” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “Nothing is impossible for God (Lk 1:37). He can even bring an end to a war whose end is not in sight, a war that daily places before our eyes heinous massacres and atrocious cruelty committed against defenseless civilians. #PrayTogether #Peace gxm Image” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Мир #Украина Q Image” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Мир #Україна https://t.co/YWhssGjLgI Image” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “Jesus is crucified in the refugees who flee from bombs with children in their arms. He is crucified in the elderly left alone to die, in the young people deprived of a future; in the soldiers sent to kill their brothers and sisters.” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do (Lk 23:34). When violence is used, it shows that we know nothing about God, who is Father, or even about others, our brothers and sisters. We forget why we are in the world and end up committing senseless acts of cruelty.” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “Jesus instead says: Father, forgive them (Lk 23:34). Jesus did not rebuke his executioners or threaten punishments in God’s name. Rather, he prays for the evildoers. Hanging from the gibbet of humiliation, the intensity of his giving increases until it becomes forgiving.” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “Save yourself. Take care of yourself. Think of yourself, not of others, only of your own well-being, your own success, your own interests, your possessions, your power, your image. Save yourself (Lk 23:37), is the constant refrain of that humanity that has crucified the Lord.” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “On Calvary, two ways of thinking collided. Against this self-centred mindset is God’s way of thinking. The mantra “save yourself” contrasts with the words of the Saviour who offers his self. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “The folly of war, where Christ is crucified yet another time. Christ is once more nailed to the Cross in mothers who mourn the unjust death of husbands and children.” @Pontifex, 10 April 2022
  • “During this week let us welcome the certainty that God can forgive every sin, every distance; the certainty that with Jesus there is always a place for everyone; that with Jesus, it is never over, never too late. With God, we can always come back to life.” @Pontifex, 11 April 2022
  • “Let us journey toward Easter with his forgiveness. For Christ constantly intercedes for us before the Father. Gazing upon our violent and wounded world, he never tires of repeating: Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” @Pontifex, 11 April 2022
  • “Let us gaze upon the Crucified One. It is from his painful holes caused by the nails of our sinfulness, that forgiveness gushes forth. Let us look to Jesus on the cross and realize that we have never been looked on with greater gentleness and compassionate.” @Pontifex, 12 April 2022
  • “If we want to evaluate our following of Christ, let us look at how we behave toward those who have hurt us. The Lord asks us to respond like He does with us. He does not separate us into good and bad, friends and enemies. For Him, all of us are beloved children.” @Pontifex, 12 April 2022
  • “While worldly power leaves only destruction and death in its wake, Christ’s #peace builds up history, starting from the heart of every person who welcomes us. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex, 13 April 2022
  • “The #peace of the Lord follows the way of meekness and the cross: it is taking responsibility for others. Indeed, Christ took on himself our evil, sin and death. In this way he freed us. His peace is not the fruit of some compromise, but rather is born of self-giving.” @Pontifex, 13 April 2022
  • “The weapons of the #Gospel are prayer, tenderness, forgiveness and freely-given love for one’s neighbour, to any neighbour. This is how God’s #peace is brought into the world. This is why the armed aggression of these days, like every war, represents an outrage against God.” @Pontifex, 13 April 2022

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