Star War Day and Catholic Puns
Yesterday on May the 4th, Catholic Answers posted:
To which I had to reply:
“He used to be Han Solo Scriptura”
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 26 April 2021 to 5 May 2021.
The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post on Jimmy Akin’s blog.
General Audiences
Letters
Messages
Motu Proprio
- 26 April 2021 – Apostolic Letter issued “Motu proprio” of the Supreme Pontiff Francis on on provisions on transparency in the management of public finances
- 30 April 2021 – Apostolic Letter issued “Motu Proprio” by the Supreme Pontiff Francis amending the jurisdiction of the judicial bodies of Vatican City State
Regina Caeli
Speeches
Papal Tweets
- “The Christian journey begins from the grace of receiving mercy. If we trust in our own abilities, in the efficiency of our structures and projects, we will not go far. Only if we accept the love of God, will we be able to offer something new to the world.” @Pontifex 29 April 2021
- “In life, the worst anxiety, arises from the sensation of not being able to cope. We need Jesus’ help. And so we can say to Him: “Jesus, I believe you are beside me and that you are listening to me. I bring to you my troubles. I have faith in you and I entrust myself to you”.” @Pontifex 30 April 2021
- “Saint Joseph’s work reminds us that God himself, in becoming man, did not disdain work. Let us implore #SaintJosephTheWorker to help us find ways to express our firm conviction to say: no young person, no person at all, no family should be without work!” @Pontifex 1 May 2021
- “During the month of May, let us lift our eyes toward the Mother of God, our consolation and sure hope, and #LetUsPrayTogether the Rosary to face the trials of this moment together and to be ever more united as a spiritual family. Rosary” @Pontifex 1 May 2021
- “In the #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 15:1–8), the Lord wants to say to us that before the observance of his commandments, before the beatitudes, before the works of mercy, it is necessary to be united to Him, to remain in Him.” @Pontifex 2 May 2021
- “To remain in Him is to abide actively and also reciprocally. The branches without the vine can do nothing, they need the sap to grow and to bear fruit; but the vine, too, needs the branches, since fruit does not grow on the tree trunk.” @Pontifex 2 May 2021
- “Let us ask our Mother of Heaven to speak to the hearts of all leaders in Myanmar, so that they may find the courage to walk the path of encounter, of reconciliation, and of peace.” @Pontifex 2 May 2021
- “Let us use everything we can, especially the powerful instrument of the media, to build and strengthen the common good. Let’s use the #MediaforPeace. #Signis” @Pontifex 3 May 2021
- “The saints show us that we can praise God always, in good times and in bad, because He is the faithful friend, and his love never fails.” @Pontifex 3 May 2021
- “Let us #PrayTogether that those in charge of finance will work with governments to regulate financial markets and protect citizens from its dangers. #PrayerIntention” @Pontifex 4 May 2021
- “Loving contemplation, typical of the most intimate #prayer, does not need many words. A gaze is enough. It is enough to be convinced that our life is surrounded by an immense and faithful love that nothing can ever separate us from. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 5 May 2021
Papal Instagram
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 15 April 2021 to 28 April 2021.
The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post on Jimmy Akin’s blog.
General Audiences
Messages
- 15 April 2021 – Video Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the International Congress “Mujer exceptional”, or Exceptional Woman, dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the proclamation of St. Teresa of Ávila as a Doctor of the Church [St Teresa of Ávila Catholic University, 12–15 April 2021]
- 22 April 2021 – Video Message of the Holy Father to participants in the international “Leaders Summit on Climate”
- 22 April 2021 – Video Message of the Holy Father to mark the “Earth Day”
Regina Caeli
Speeches
- 22 April 2021 – Greetings of the Holy Father to the “Pro Recco Waterpolo 1913” team
- 26 April 2021 – To the Poor Clare Nuns of the Monastery of Saint Clare, in Paganica (L’Aquila)
Papal Tweets
- “We have broken the bonds of our relationship with the Creator, with our fellow human beings, and with the rest of creation. We need to heal the damaged relationships that are essential to supporting us and the entire fabric of life. #EarthDay” @Pontifex 22 April 2021
- “The fullness of life and of joy is found by giving oneself for the Gospel and for our brothers and sisters, with openness, welcoming and goodness.” @Pontifex 22 April 2021
- “The Lord of life wants us to be full of life, and he tells us the secret of life: we come to possess it only by giving it away.” @Pontifex 23 April 2021
- “How do we prevent conflicts? No people, no social group, can single-handedly achieve #peace, prosperity, security and happiness. None. The lesson learned from the recent pandemic is the awareness that we are a global community, all in the same boat. #DiplomacyForPeace” @Pontifex 24 April 2021
- “The Lord wants to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers to be open, capable of great initiatives, generous, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes. The priesthood and consecrated life greatly need these qualities. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
- “St Joseph is an outstanding example of accepting God’s plans. May he help everyone, especially those who are discerning, to make God’s dreams for them come true. May he grant them the courage to say “yes” to the Lord who always surprises and never disappoints. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
- “Do not be afraid: these are words the Lord addresses to you, dear sister and brother, whenever you feel you can no longer delay your desire to give your life to him. It is a refrain accompanying all who say yes to God with their lives, through daily fidelity. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
- “Jesus the #GoodShepherd defends, knows, and above all loves his sheep. This is why He gives His life for them. Love for his sheep, for each one of us, would lead him to die on the cross. For this is the Father’s will: that no one should be lost. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 10:11–18)” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
- “As the Good Shepherd, Jesus consoles his shepherds. If you remain close to the Lord, to the bishop, among yourselves, and to the people of God; if you maintain God’s style – nearness, compassion and tenderness – you need not be afraid: everything will go well. #PriestlyOrdination” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
- “I am extremely sad over the tragedy that has once again taken place in the Mediterranean. 130 migrants died in the sea. They are people. They are human beings. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters, and for all those who continue to die in these tragic crossings.” @Pontifex 25 April 2021
- “Let’s not wait for our neighbours to be good before we are good to them, for others to respect us before we serve them. Let’s begin with ourselves.” @Pontifex 26 April 2021
- “In daily life, we can find the Risen One in the faces of our brothers and sisters above all in the poor and those on the fringes. We will be amazed how the greatness of God is revealed in littleness, how his beauty shines forth in the poor and simple.” @Pontifex 27 April 2021
- “There is no page of the Gospel on which there is no place for us. For us Christians, meditating is a way of coming into contact with Jesus. And in this way, only in this way, can we discover ourselves. #Prayer #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 28 April 2021
Papal Instagram
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 14 April 2021 to 21 April 2021.
The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.
General Audiences
Messages
- 15 April 2021 – Video Message of the Holy Father for the 58th General Assembly of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil
- 15 April 2021 – Video Message of the Holy Father to participants in the International Conference “A Politics Rooted in the People”
Regina Caeli
Papal Tweets
- “Even death trembles when a Christian prays, because it knows that everyone who prays has an ally who is stronger than it: the Risen Lord. #Prayer #Easter” @Pontifex 15 April 2021
- “Sadly, in this world, with all its highly developed technology, great numbers of children continue to live in inhuman situations, exploited, maltreated, enslaved, refugees. Today, in acknowledging this, we feel shame before God, before God who became a child. #EndChildSlavery” @Pontifex 16 April 2021
- “Only the love of Jesus can transform our life, heal our deepest hurts and set us free from the vicious circles of disappointment, anger and constant complaint.” @Pontifex 17 April 2021
- “Being Christian is not first of all a doctrine or a moral ideal; it is a living relationship with the Risen Lord. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex 18 April 2021
- “I invite you to pray for the population of eastern Ukraine. I truly hope that an escalation of the tensions might be avoided and, instead, that actions capable of promoting reciprocal trust and which foster reconciliation and peace might be undertaken.” @Pontifex 18 April 2021
- “God does not give up. You are close to His heart, you who do not yet know the beauty of His love, you who have not yet welcomed Jesus as the center of your life, you who cannot overcome your sin.” @Pontifex 19 April 2021
- “For God, you are that little coin that the Lord seeks without pause. He wants to tell you that you are precious and unique in His eyes. No one can take your place in the heart of God.” @Pontifex 20 April 2021
- “Let us not abandon the simple prayers we learned in our families as children that we preserve in our memories and hearts. They are sure ways to access the Father’s heart. #Prayer #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 21 April 2021
Papal Instagram
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 4 April 2021 to 14 April 2021.
The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.
Homilies
Letters
Regina Caeli
Papal Tweets
- “#Easter is the most important feast of our faith because it is the feast of our salvation, the feast of God’s love for us.” @Pontifex 8 April 2021
- “The Lord calls us to cooperate in the construction of history, becoming, together with Him, peacemakers and witnesses of hope in a future of salvation and resurrection.” @Pontifex 9 April 2021
- “The Lord does not want us to keep thinking about our failings. He wants us to look to Him. In our failings He sees children to help up; in our misery He sees children in need of His merciful love. #DivineMercy” @Pontifex 10 April 2021
- “The wounds of Jesus are open channels between him and us, shedding mercy upon our misery. They are pathways that God has opened up for us to enter into his tender love and actually “touch” who he is. Let us never again doubt his mercy. #DivineMercy” @Pontifex 11 April 2021
- “So let us be renewed by the peace, forgiveness and wounds of the merciful Jesus. Only in this way will our faith be alive. Only in this way will we proclaim the Gospel of God, which is the Gospel of mercy. Homily” @Pontifex 11 April 2021
- “Mercy is made tangible, it becomes closeness, service, care for those in difficulty. I hope you will always feel you have been granted mercy, so as to be merciful to others in turn.” @Pontifex 11 April 2021
- “Jesus is the Risen One, the Lord who passed through death in order to lead us to safety. Even before we begin to seek Him, He is present beside us. He lifts us back up after our falls. He helps us grow in faith. #Easter” @Pontifex 12 April 2021
- “In the midst of the contradictions and perplexities we must confront each day, the din of so many words and opinions, there is the quiet voice of the Risen Lord who keeps saying to us: “Peace be with you!”” @Pontifex 13 April 2021
- “The breath of faith is #prayer: we grow in faith inasmuch as we learn to pray. #GeneralAudience General Audience” @Pontifex 14 April 2021
Papal Instagram
Tomorrow I will be going through the Rite of Admission for the Secular Discalced Carmelites. Also known as the clothing ceremony, where you receive a larger brown scapular.
Admission should have happened in 2019. Delayed since I was at a conference during the time the community was to interview me, and later COVID–19 stepped in to prevent any retreats.
Perhaps all to the good to spend more time preparing myself in developing a life of prayer. I am not doing this because I am so inclined towards mental prayer and working towards contemplation. Seriously, I was once offered a book contract to write on “Praying badly.” They must have thought I was a Subject Matter Expert on this. I am doing this for what Carmel can teach me in being prayer at the heart of the Church. Maybe I could write a book on “Persevering in prayer despite praying badly.”
I had to choose a religious name before this admission rite. There is something so cool about choosing a religious name and something daunting about it. First, I was thinking of something super-pious. Something impressive sounding. At least I recognized quickly how ridiculous this thought process was.
I ended up picking “Thomas of the Sacred Heart” for several reasons. In part because of the Apostle Thomas. He went from demanding empirical knowledge that Jesus had risen to say “My Lord and my God.” Thomas feels close to my track from my atheist days, wanting all truth to be empirical and provable to the senses, to acknowledging and worshiping Jesus. So the name is aspirational to me that you can finally get things right.
I double the Thomas with St. Thomas Aquinas since this saint I identify with the first crack I saw in my atheist beliefs. His life is also aspirational to me since the saint replies towards the end of his life Domine, non nisi Te—that is, “Lord, nothing except you.”
The Sacred Heart reminds that God is Love, Deus caritas est. In the last year, I started to notice how tied this devotion was in Carmel.
St. Saint Therese of Lisieux wrote this poem for her sister, Marie of the Sacred Heart.
To be able to gaze on your glory,
I know we have to pass through fire.
So I, for my purgatory,
Choose your burning love, O heart of my God!
On leaving this life, my exiled soul
Would like to make an act of pure love,
And then, flying away to Heaven, its Homeland,
Enter straightaway into your Heart.
This year I also had read the biographies of St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart and St. Teresa of the Andes; she also had this devotion.
Today on Fr. Mike Schmitz “Bible in a Year” podcast, Jeff Cavins in an introduction to the Gospel of John was talking about John 21:11
“So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them.”
He was explaining that the number 153 is the numerical total for the Hebrew phrase Ani Elohim, which means “I am God”.
The Church Fathers had a range of opinions on the significance of 153 since it seems an odd number for John to mention (Plus it is an odd number).
St. Jerome said that at the time there were 153 known species of fish according to Oppian’s Halieutica. This was written after the Gospel of John and does not even clearly provide such a list adding up to that number.
St. Augustine had a couple of interpretations. Focusing on seven apostles being present or the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit along with the Ten Commandments. Some inventive theological math – see Tractates on the Gospel of John (Augustine). Also noting that 153 is the sum of all the numbers from 1 to 17. He also has several more mystical interpretations.
St. Gregory the Great mentions that Seven and ten multiplied by three make fifty-one. So multiply that by 3.
My theory is that St. John was trolling future commentators by picking that number. Well, that is not really my theory, but there is just no really solid one.
What annoyed me with the talk about this on the podcast was how the Gematria technique of interpretation was presented. It would have been better to present it as a possible interpretation and not as “the” interpretation. I happen to like this interpretation especially with the high Christology of the Gospel of John.
This podcast follows Jeff Cavins timeline and they are at the point where they will be reading the Gospel of John and thus today’s introduction to this Gospel. Coincidentally today’s Gospel included this specific passage, which I don’t think was planned.
Some selections from St. Thomas Aquinas’ “Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Gospel of John”:
St. Augustine. (Tract. cxxii.) It is not then signified that only a hundred and fifty-three saints are to rise again to eternal life, but this number represents all who partake of the grace of the Holy Spirit: which number too contains three fifties, and three over, with reference to the mystery of the Trinity. And the number fifty is made up of seven sevens, and one in addition, signifying that those sevens are one. That they were great fishes too, is not without meaning. For when our Lord says, I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil, by giving, that is, the Holy Spirit through Whom the law can be fulfilled, He says almost immediately after, Whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. In the first draught the net was broken, to signify schisms; but here to shew that in that perfect peace of the blessed there would be no schisms, the Evangelist continues: And for all they were so great, yet was not the net broken; as if alluding to the case before, in which it was broken, and making a favourable comparison.
St. Gregory. (Hom. xxiv.) Seven and ten multiplied by three make fifty-one. The fiftieth year was a year of rest to the whole people from all their work. In unity is true rest; for where division is, true rest cannot be.
St. Augustine. (Tract. cxxii.) Mystically, in the draught of fishes He signified the mystery of the Church, such as it will be at the final resurrection of the dead. And to make this clearer, it is put near the end of the book. The number seven, which is the number of the disciples who were fishing, signifies the end of time; for time is counted by periods of seven days
This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 1 April 2021 to 7 April 2021.
The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post on Jimmy Akin’s blog.
General Audiences
Homilies
- 1 April 2021 – Holy Chrism Mass
- 3 April 2021 – Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter
- 4 April 2021 – Easter Sunday – Mass of the Day
Messages
- 4 April 2021 – Video Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 500th Anniversary of the Evangelization of the Philippines
- 4 April 2021 – “Urbi et Orbi” – Easter 2021
Regina Caeli
Papal Tweets
- “The cross expresses love, service, unreserved self-giving: it truly is the “tree of life”, of overabundant life. #GoodFriday” @Pontifex 2 April 2021
- “Jesus’s cross is God’s silent throne. Let us daily contemplate his wounds. In those gashes, we recognize our emptiness, our shortcomings, the wounds of our sin. His wounds were inflicted for our sake, and by those wounds we have been healed. #GoodFriday” @Pontifex 2 April 2021
- “From the cross God reigns with the disarmed and disarming power of love. He continues to amaze our minds and hearts. Let us allow ourselves to be filled with that amazement. Let us gaze upon the Crucified One and say: “Truly, You are the Son of God.” You are my God. #GoodFriday” @Pontifex 2 April 2021
- “This is the first #Easter message that I would offer you: it is always possible to begin anew, because there is a new life that God can awaken in us in spite of all our failures. From the rubble of our hearts, God can create a work of art.” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
- “This is the second message of #Easter: faith is not an album of past memories; Jesus is not outdated. He is alive here and now. He walks beside you each day, in every situation you are experiencing, in every trial you have to endure, in your deepest hopes and dreams.” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
- “This is the third message of #Easter: Jesus, the Risen Lord, loves us without limits and is there at every moment of our lives. He invites us to overcome barriers, banish prejudices and draw near to those around us every day in order to rediscover the grace of everyday life.” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
- “Dear brother, dear sister: if on this night you are experiencing an hour of darkness, a day that has not yet dawned, a light dimmed or a dream shattered, open your heart with amazement to the message of #Easter: “Do not be afraid, he has risen!”” @Pontifex 3 April 2021
- “Amid the many hardships we are enduring, let us never forget that we have been healed by the wounds of Christ. In the light of the Risen Lord, our sufferings are now transfigured. Where there was death, now there is life. Where there was mourning, now there is consolation.” @Pontifex 4 April 2021
- “There are still too many wars and too much violence in the world! May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to overcome the mindset of war. Message” @Pontifex 4 April 2021
- “Let us never tire of seeking the risen Christ who gives life in abundance to those who meet him. To find Christ means to discover peace in our hearts. #Easter #ReginaCoeli” @Pontifex 5 April 2021
- “In these dark months of the #pandemic, let us listen to the Risen Lord as he invites us to begin anew and never lose hope. #Easter” @Pontifex 6 April 2021
- “Video” @Pontifex 6 April 2021
- “Everyone needs assistance, especially the most vulnerable. Only together can we build a more just and health world. All of us are called to combat the pandemic and vaccines are an essential tool in this fight. #worldhealthday” @Pontifex 7 April 2021
- “The first way to pray for someone is to speak to God about him or her. If we do this frequently, each day, our hearts are not closed, but open to our brothers and sisters. To pray for others is the first way to love them and it moves us toward concretely drawing near. #Prayer” @Pontifex 7 April 2021
Papal Instagram
As part of my parish bible study class, I have a role to provide some commentary on the Gospel for the upcoming Sunday. Usually, this means basically stealing good stuff from Brant Pitre’s Sunday commentaries, other commentaries, and of course the Church Father.
So I was reading part of the Gospel reading in John 20:22-23 “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
This passage was fairly well-known to me and that it is the institution of the sacrament of confession.
“If you look at a thing 999 times, you are perfectly safe; if you look at it for the 1000th time, you are in danger of seeing it for the first time.” G.K. Chesterton
What I noticed for the first time was the context along with being more focused having just gone through the Triduum.
On Holy Thursday we have the institution of the new covenant priesthood. I would have assumed that then they received the fullness of what we now see as the effects of episcopal ordination.
What actually happened was that Jesus waited until he rose and for when all the Apostles were gathered together to breathe on them to be able to either retain or forgive sins. This seems pretty important to me that Jesus highlighted this sacrament with a separate action. I certainly do not have a grasp of all the implications concerning this. There are plenty of commentaries regarding the implication of Jesus breathing on them and how this relates to creation. I just have not seen discussed why Jesus broke out this sacrament from those conferred on Holy Thursday.
Or possibly I am just misunderstanding this.
Looking through Aquinas Catena Aurea, the Church Father quotes for this passage in John doesn’t mention this aspect.
I am thinking and praying for those who will be received into the Church tonight at the Easter Vigil. So welcome home! God is great!
It also marks my own anniversary as a Catholic as I also came into the Church on April 3rd, 1999 at the Easter Vigil.
I count myself lucky that by the time I was received into the Church I had read enough Church history to not have been expecting an idealized Church. That the Church was made up by fellow sinners like me. I expected to be frustrated by the hierarchy, fellow Catholics, and my own sinfulness. That we are all on a journey and that we must constantly fix our focus on Christ and our final end. That our consciences can be like a GPS to always say “redirecting” as we once again go off track.
If you don’t have the time to go in-depth into Church history, it is contained in this summary.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” – Dickens’ ”A Tale of Two Cities”
Despite this truth—in all conditions, God has raised up saints. That it is in the here and now that we are called to holiness.
I am so grateful to God for how far he has brought me and also thankful that he will not just leave me in my current miserable state, but desires to bring me closer to him.
In Saint John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter “Salvifici Doloris” he writes:
“Christ did not conceal from his listeners the need for suffering. He said very clearly: ”If any man would come after me… let him take up his cross daily ’’, and before his disciples he placed demands of a moral nature that can only be fulfilled on condition that they should “deny themselves”. The way that leads to the Kingdom of heaven is “hard and narrow”, and Christ contrasts it to the “wide and easy” way that “leads to destruction”. On various occasions Christ also said that his disciples and confessors would meet with much persecution, something which—as we know—happened not only in the first centuries of the Church’s life under the Roman Empire, but also came true in various historical periods and in other parts of the world, and still does even in our own time.”
It might seem like a bit of a buzzkill to talk about welcoming people to the Church and saying that her disciples will suffer. This quote is from his chapter on the “The Gospel of Suffering”, literally the “Good News of Suffering.” It is indeed good news that our sufferings have meaning and can be salvific in cooperation with Christ.