This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 January 2019 to 10 February 2019.

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

Angelus

• 3 February 2019

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

• 8 January 2019 – No to the culture of indifference

General Audiences

• 6 February 2019

Messages

• 10 February 2019 – Video message of the Holy Father to the participants in the World Government Summit [Dubai, 10–12 february 2019] (10 february 2019)

Speeches

• 1 February 2019 – To Participants at the General Chapter of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God (Fatebenefratelli) (1th February 2019)
• 1 February 2019 – To the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches (1th February 2019)
• 3 February 2019 – Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates: Greeting to journalists on the flight to Abu Dhabi (Papal flight, 3 February 2019)
• 4 February 2019 – Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates: Interreligious meeting at the Founder’s Memorial (Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019)
• 5 February 2019 – Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates: Press Conference on the return flight from Abu Dhabi to Rome (Papal flight, 5 February 2019)
• 7 February 2019 – To Personnel of the “Regina Coeli” District House of Rome
• 8 February 2019 – To Members of the Galileo Foundation
• 9 February 2019 – To teachers and students of the Alphonsian Academy Higher Institute of Theology
• 9 February 2019 – To the National Association of Magistrates

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

Towards the end of last year, I returned to go to meetings for lay Carmelites (OCDS). I started doing this on my way into the Church almost twenty years ago, but life got in the form of being able to attend meetings.

So with this new group, I am going to be starting from scratch and going through the process again. That was the decision made by the priest in charge of our group. I have no problem with this as I see it as returning to the basics. All the more so, since this group has a religious as a spiritual assistant. The first group I was part of did not have specific training for aspirants. It was less organized and any instruction given, was given to all. So it is great being part of a group of people going through this together. It is always amazing to think you know something and find out all the things you did not know.

Recently I have gotten a greater appreciation for getting back to basics. I had dabbled off and on playing the guitar over the years, but never really advancing much. So I started a course initially via YouTube that is detailed, went through the basics and built on this little by little. Again I was amazed at how much I was learning regarding skills I thought I had already learned.

One thing this guitar course has focused on for me is demolishing the idea of talent as only something that is inate. That if you are not a natural, or born with this skill – then you just aren’t going to get far with it. This view was something I already partly knew. I remember Fr. Dubay some years ago focusing on this where he interviewed a bunch of people in different fields who were at the top of their trades. Again and again, the stories were of people that had to work hard at developing their skills, and that usually it did not come naturally to them. So I am relearning this, even as I already knew that in my career I had achieved some mastery of things, by working on them.

The idea of 30 minutes of mental prayer a day was pretty scary for me. I envisioned 29 to 30 minutes of distractions. Chesterton’s “If it’s worth doing, it is worth doing badly” is handy because the truth to this is not to worry about doing it poorly. The context of what Chesterton said was in the context of hobbies, but I think it is applicable generally. That doing it badly over and over again will lead to doing it less “badly.” Practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes it less “bad.” Although the lesson he gives is to do things worth doing, spending that time in prayer is worth doing.

Note: The guitar course I was referring to is from is from Erich Andreas at YourGuitarSage. The video’s on YouTube along with the free 30 lesson beginner course are an intro to sell the paid training course and system I have found his teaching style to be encouraging without falling into motivational speaker lingo. There are plenty of such offerings now on the internet. I just saw his teaching style and methodological approach to be very helpful for me.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 25 August 2018 to 7 February 2019.

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

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

• 7 January 2019 – The concreteness of Christian love
• 10 January 2019 – Honey drops
• 17 January 2019 – Defeating the hardness of hearts
• 21 January 2019 – The style of the Beatitudes

General Audiences

• 30 January 2019

Homilies

• 2 February 2019 – Holy Mass on the 23rd World Day For Consecrated Life
• 5 February 2019 – Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates: Holy Mass in the Zayed Sports City (Abu Dhabi, 5 February 2018)

Messages

• 31 January 2019 – Video message of the Holy Father on the occasion of his upcoming Apostolic Journey to the United Arab Emirates

Speeches

• 25 August 2018 – Apostolic Visit to Ireland: Greeting to journalists on the flight to Ireland (Papal flight, 25 August 2018)
• 22 September 2018 – Apostolic Journey to Lithuania, Lettonia and Estonia: Greeting to journalists on the flight to Vilnius (Papal flight, 22 September 2018)
• 28 September 2018 – To Participants at the Plenary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
• 29 September 2018 – To Members of the National State Police Association
• 22 December 2018 – To Members of the National Civil Protection Service
• 12 January 2019 – To Participants at the Meeting of the Association of Professors of Church History
• 17 January 2019 – To the Management and Staff of the Office Responsible for Public Security at the Vatican
• 27 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Press Conference on the return flight from Panama to Rome (Papal flight, 27 January 2019)

Papal Tweets

• “Don Bosco had the courage to look at reality with human eyes and with the eyes of God. May every priest imitate him by seeing reality with human eyes and with the eyes of God. #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 31 January 2019
• “May the Lord give us the grace of memory and of hope, in order to go forward with perseverance on the journey of our life. #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 1 February 2019
• “I am about to leave for the United Arab Emirates. I am visiting that Country as a brother, in order to write a page of dialogue together, and to travel paths of peace together. Pray for me!” @Pontifex 3 February 2019
• “God is with those who seek peace. From heaven He blesses every step which, on this path, is accomplished on earth. #UAE #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 4 February 2019
• “The Document on Human Fraternity, which I signed today in Abu Dhabi with my brother the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, invites all persons who have faith in God and faith in human fraternity to unite and work together. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/travels/2019/outside/documents/papa-francesco_20190204_documento-fratellanza-umana.html …” @Pontifex 4 February 2019
• “Prayer purifies the heart from turning in on itself. Prayer of the heart restores fraternity. #UAE #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 4 February 2019
• “Saint Francis reminds us that Christians set out armed only with their humble faith and concrete love. If we live in the world according to the ways of God, we will become channels of His presence. #UAE #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 5 February 2019
• “The Beatitudes are a roadmap for our life: they invite us to keep our hearts pure, to practice meekness and justice, to be merciful to all, to live affliction in union with God. #UAE #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 5 February 2019
• “We all need to be healed, and we can all heal others if we are humble and meek: with a good word, with patience, with a glance. #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 7 February 2019
• “Video” @Pontifex 7 February 2019

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 17 January 2019 to 29 January 2019.

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

Angelus

• 20 January 2019
• 27 January 2019

Homilies

• 25 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Penitential liturgy with young detainees in the Centro de Cumplimiento de Menores Las Garzas de Pacora (25 gennaio 2019)
• 26 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Holy Mass with the dedication of the altar of the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria la Antigua with priests, consecrated persons and lay movements
• 27 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Holy Mass for World Youth Day (Campo San Juan Pablo II – Metro Park, 27 January 2019)

Messages

• 17 January 2019 – Message of the Holy Father to the participants in the Fourth International Conference for World Balance [Havana, 28–31 January]
• 24 January 2019 – LIII World Communications Day, 2019 – « “We are members one of another” (Eph 4,25). From social network communities to the human community »

Motu Proprio

• 17 January 2019 – Apostolic Letter “Motu proprio” regarding the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”

Speeches

• 23 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Greeting to journalists on the flight to Panama (Papal flight, 23 January 2019)
• 24 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Welcome ceremony and opening of WYD at Campo Santa Maria la Antigua – Cinta Costera
• 24 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Meeting with central american Bishops (Church of San Francisco de Asis, 24 January 2019)
• 24 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Meeting with the Authorities, with the Diplomatic Corps and with Representatives of Society in Palacio Bolivar – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• 25 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Via Crucis with young people at Campo Santa Maria la Antigua – Cinta Costera
• 26 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Vigil with young people (Campo San Juan Pablo II – Metro Park, 26 January 2019)
• 27 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Meeting with the WYD volunteers (Rommel Fernandez Stadium, 27 January 2019)
• 27 January 2019 – Apostolic Journey to Panama: Visit to the Casa Hogar del Buen Samaritano
• 29 January 2019 – Inauguration of the Judicial Year of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota

Papal Tweets

• “This is the network we want, a network created not to entrap, but to liberate, to protect a communion of people who are free. http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/communications/documents/papa-francesco_20190124_messaggio-comunicazioni-sociali.html …” @Pontifex 24 January 2019
• “What prompts us to encounter each other in this WYD? The certainty of knowing that we have been loved with a profound love that we neither can nor want to keep quiet about a love that challenges us to respond in the same way: with love. #Panama2019” @Pontifex 24 January 2019
• “In this WYD #Panama2019 I invite you to pray all together the Holy Rosary for Peace through @clicktoprayapp.” @Pontifex 24 January 2019
• “Friends, Jesus teaches us to believe. Seek out and listen to the voices that encourage you to look ahead, not those that pull you down. #Panama2019” @Pontifex 25 January 2019
• “Let us not quench our thirst with just any water but with the “spring of water welling up to eternal life”. #Panama2019” @Pontifex 26 January 2019
• “With her “yes”, Mary became the most influential woman in history. Without social networks, she became the first “influencer”: the “influencer” of God. #Panama2019” @Pontifex 26 January 2019
• “Only what is loved can be saved. Only what is embraced can be transformed. #Panama2019” @Pontifex 27 January 2019
• “Let us not forget the victims of the Holocaust. Their unspeakable suffering continues to cry out to humanity: We are all brothers and sisters! #RemembranceDay” @Pontifex 27 January 2019
• “To you, dear young people, a big “thank you” for #Panama2019. Keep walking. Keep living the faith and sharing it. See you in Lisbon in 2022!” @Pontifex 27 January 2019
• “Here in Panama, I have thought a lot about the Venezuelan people, to whom I feel particularly united in these days. In the face of the serious ongoing situation, I ask you to pray that a just and peaceful solution may be reached.” @Pontifex 27 January 2019
• “Let us pray for the victims of the terrorist attack on the Cathedral of Jolo, in the Philippines. May the Lord, Prince of Peace, convert the hearts of the violent, and grant the inhabitants of that region a peaceful coexistence.” @Pontifex 27 January 2019
• “Go forth and bear witness to what you have seen and heard, not with lots of words but with simple, daily actions. I don’t know if I’ll be present at the next WYD, but Peter will certainly be there, and he will confirm you in the faith. #Panama2019” @Pontifex 27 January 2019
• “I thank God for having given us the opportunity to share these days together and to experience once more this World Youth Day. My thanks go to all those who have supported us with their prayers, and who have helped by their efforts and hard work! #Panama2019” @Pontifex 27 January 2019
• “Meekness and tenderness: these human virtues seem small, but they can overcome the most difficult conflicts.” @Pontifex 29 January 2019
• “The secret to navigating life well is to invite Jesus on board. The helm of life should be given to Him, so that He can direct the route.” @Pontifex 30 January 2019

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

Initially, I was going to title this post “Unnecessary thoughts on stuff.” That it is only my opinion, and thus does not matter or could be wrong. Then I remembered what G.K. Chesterton said in his Introduction to the Book of Job:

The modern habit of saying “This is my opinion, but I may be wrong” is entirely irrational. If I say that it may be wrong, I say that is not my opinion.

Still, life has been a process for me of finding out I was wrong and having to correct myself. Thankfully for me, I take some delight in this process. As an atheist I thought I loved truth, now I literally love Truth as in the “Way, the Truth, and the Light”. So enough of a rambling preamble.

Now back to Chesterton:

Sanity consists in seeing the big things big and the small things small.” (From his biography in the chapter titled “The Fantastic Suburb”)

It seems to me that we have entirely reversed this. We have inverted the telescope and see flies as giants walking the earth. It is not that some of the relatively small things are not of importance. All that affects some peoples lives is of significance and should not be casually tossed aside. More obscure stories should not eclipse more momentous happenings. As a Catholic, I am legally obligated to say “Both/And” at least once a day.

As a Catholic blogger, I am also legally obligated to write about the March for Life and the Covington students. While I have been tardy in commenting about this, if only the majority of the population had been somewhat slow in discussing this, you will be thankful to hear, that I will not be saying much about this at all.

My opprobrium is mainly directed to rush to judgment and all the virtue signaling that occurred. My initial reaction was I would not have been surprised to find that high school kids had acted like jerks, but that the story seemed to be a perfect storm for the media. I expect the media to blow things out of proportion as they have no filter other than confirmation bias. Catholics really should be quite used to such reporting and taking a “wait and see” attitude to reporting in general. So most of my anger is directed towards those who should know better and should take media coverage with at least one grain of salt, preferably a Salt Lake’s worth.

Instead, we had high profile Catholics condemn these students. This condemnation included bishops and their diocese. That they even doubled-down after finding the initial reporting was wrong in every single aspect. Once again a diocese has failed to protect children. Subsequently, there have been some apologies. Notably, their bishop has piled on instead.

So often it seems to me that bureaucrats and not pastors run most diocese. That they respond to media outcry without apparent care for souls. That now they talk about investigations and looking into the facts when initially they did no such thing. It is as if bishops are playing a game of limbo with Congress. “How low can our approval ratings go.”

So while I a certainly not ready to approve every response of the students involved, it is the supposed adults that failed us. I expect the Green Arrow to be making an appearance to bishops saying “You have failed this Diocese.”

Now on to the big things. In the ramp-up to the Deathaversary of Roe v. Wade, we have seen stories in New York state regarding their proposed abortion law.

On Tuesday, New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the most radical state abortion law in the country. By explicitly restricting legal personhood to those who are “born,” the new law would seem to preempt any effort to curb abortion access in any circumstance. It also looks like the law will prevent criminal or civil courts from pursuing homicide charges when an unborn baby—even one that is “wanted” by the mother— is killed through malice or negligence. Source

Bishop Scharfenberger of Albany had pleaded “Mr. Cuomo, do not build this Death Star,”. Apparently few detected the disturbance in the force. Instead, we get a statement from New York bishops about a “sad chapter.” Abortion up through nine months – sad trombone sound. We will see more states go this route with the perceived threat that abortion will be overturned by the Supreme Court (not holding my breath).

While this story has gotten some virtual ink in Catholic media and social media, it was a nowhere the same level as garnered regarding the Covington students. I am guilty of this myself. It is easy to start seeing every story as a David against Media Goliath story. Meanwhile, the Philistines have invaded and set up permanent camp.

There now are increased calls that Gov. Cuomo be excommunicated. I am certainly sympathetic to this. More accurately I am more like a Dalek rolling around repeatedly shouting “Excommunicate” is an annoying nasally voice. Even as an “armchair canon lawyer,” I will defer to Canonist Ed Peters regarding this. He is always worth reading.

The skeptic in my defaults to them sustaining a status quo regarding the Governor. It seems his bishop does not love him enough to intervene. I am though confused as to who would have jurisdiction. Is it Cardinal Dolan or the Bishop of Albany? Or perhaps both? Regardless I love the Governor enough to pray for him, or at least I want to in a more Aquinas technical sense of love. Again the inner-skeptic tells me the priority is media outcry repercussions over the salvation of souls. I down want to dismiss actual prudential questions as negligible.

Say for example they had concluded that excommunication as a medicidal remedy was not likely to be effective. Reportedly the Governor had stopped going forth for Communion after reports of his openly living with a woman to whom he is not married. Even so, this does not mean all avenues are closed. Indeed, another statement about the bishops being “sad” about his conduct won’t do it. I think that excommunication is the route to go to rouse him towards repentance. I am open to other avenues. For example what if the Bishops conference there announced a day of prayer and fasting for Governor Cuomo and the Catholic politicians that signed the bill? The subsequent rejoicing at the signing of the law, was despicable as they washed their hands in the blood of the unborn. What is truth? There would be a media onslaught regarding the Church interfering in politics, but so what? We need to grow a backbone to save souls. Indifference is not loving your neighbor. The question is could they pull this off as a genuine act of a call to conversion over just a stunt? Regardless, these actions should not be ignored. This evil will only avalanche to other states, and when we look up under the rocks, it will not be the time to wonder “what we could have done.”

(Vatican City) In a new cost-cutting move the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Giovanni Angelo Becciu, has decided on a controversial hire to slash the rising costs of investigations required for beautifications and canonizations. This process guided by the Apostolic constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister requires extensive studies for the gathering of information along with the cost of medical boards of outside doctors for the examination of presumed miracles.

While the initial costs of the investigation into the lives of these presumed holy men and women are covered by the diocese or religious order, the congregation spends considerable time and money reviewing the depositions and the further processes involved.

Previously it has been rumored that the Congregation for the Causes of Saints was pushing for only the causes for martyrs to be put forward in the future. Since martyrs just need one verified miracle to become a saint, it reduces both the time spent and other costs.

Recently there were news reports that Lady Gaga stopped while performing at a concert to let her audience know something concerning Vice President Pence and his wife “You are the worst representation of what it means to be a Christian.” It is unclear as to whether this was received as a locution or as a prophetic gift.

She went on to say “I am a Christian woman, and what I do know about Christianity is that we bear no prejudice, and everybody is welcome,” she continued. “So you can take all that disgrace, Mr. Pence, and you can look yourself in the mirror, and you’ll find it right there.”

Apparently, she was born again this way.

When a lower official working at the Congregation heard this news report, he realized just how vital Lady Gaga’s gift was and how it could positively impact the long, drawn-out process for beautifications and canonizations. “If she could decern the worst representations for what it means to be a Christian, certainly her gift would recognize the best image of Christianity – the Saints.

While Cardinal Becciu was initially skeptical of this suggestion, after viewing the Video and seeing her supernatural ecstasy in denouncing the Vice President along with his wife, he became convinced. “God often uses people of low estate and her speaking skills and diction were of the lowest estate.”

While this proposal has met with some concerns and push-back, it will be up to Pope Francis as to whether a new Apostolic constitution governing the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to allow this will be issued.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 21 November 2018 to 23 January 2019.

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

Angelus

• 13 January 2019

General Audiences

• 16 January 2019

Homilies

• 13 January 2019 – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (13 January 2018)
• 18 January 2019 – Friday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time – Vespers for the beginning of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity

Messages

• 21 November 2018 – Videomessage of the Holy Father to young people on the occasion of the 34th World Youth Day 2019 [Panama, 22–27 January 2019]
• 18 January 2019 – Video Message of the Holy Father to the participants in the World Indigenous Youth Gathering (EMJI) [Soloy-Panama, 17–21 January 2019]

Speeches

• 19 January 2019 – To members of the Ecumenical Delegation of the Lutheran Church of Finland on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Henrik

Papal Tweets

• “Let us be careful not to have a perverse heart that leads to cowardice; an obstinate heart that leads to being shut off; a heart that is slave to the seduction that leads to a Christian life of compromise. #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 17 January 2019
• “Today marks the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: all of us are asked to implore from God this great gift.” @Pontifex 18 January 2019
• “Prayer from a humble heart is heard by God.” @Pontifex 19 January 2019
• “What will remain on the threshold of eternity is not how much we earned, but how much we gave away.” @Pontifex 20 January 2019
• “The Christian way is that of the Beatitudes: meekness, humility, patience in suffering, love for justice, ability to endure persecution, not judging others… #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 21 January 2019
• “Saying “yes” to God’s love is the first step to being happy, and to making many other people happy.” @Pontifex 22 January 2019
• “I am leaving for the World Youth Day in Panama. I ask you to pray for this very beautiful and important event on the path of the Church.” @Pontifex 23 January 2019

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

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

Angelus

• 6 January 2019

General Audiences

• 9 January 2019

Letters

• 6 January 2019 – Letter of His Holiness Pope Francis to the President of the Pontifical Academy for Life for the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Academy

Messages

• 10 January 2019 – Message to the Participants in the Meeting of the Presidents of Doctrinal Commissions of the Episcopal Conferences in Asia

Papal Tweets

• “The spirit of the world is conquered with the spirit of faith: believing that God is really in the brother and sister who are close to me. #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 10 January 2019
• “The first step in prayer is to be humble, go to the Father and say: “Look at me, I am a sinner.” And the Lord listens.” @Pontifex 11 January 2019
• “Smallness is freedom. One who is small, in the Gospel sense, is unencumbered and free from any urge to show off, and from any claim to success.” @Pontifex 12 January 2019
• “Baptism is the best gift we have received. Through it, we belong to God and we possess the joy of salvation.” @Pontifex 13 January 2019
• “Let us look at our hands, often so empty of love, and today let us try to think of some gift we can offer freely.” @Pontifex 14 January 2019
• “Don’t let the sufferings you see frighten you. Place them before the Crucifix and the Eucharist from which we draw patient and compassionate love.” @Pontifex 15 January 2019
• “The Spirit of God speaks freely to each person through feelings and thoughts. The Spirit cannot be confined with simple reasoning, but must be welcomed with the heart!” @Pontifex 16 January 2019

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 25 November 2018 to 9 January 2019.

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

Angelus

• 23 December 2018
• 26 December 2018
• 30 December 2018
• 1 January 2019

General Audiences

• 2 January 2019

Homilies

• 31 December 2018 – Celebration of Vespers and Te Deum in Thanksgiving for the past year
• 6 January 2019 – Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Letters

• 22 December 2018 – Holy Father’s letter to Prof. Giovanni Maria Vian on concluding his term as Director of the “L’Osservatore Romano”
• 1 January 2019 – Letter sent by the Holy Father to the Bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (1st January 2019)

Messages

• 25 November 2018 – 27th World Day of the Sick 2019
• 6 January 2019 – Holy Father’s videomessage to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt to mark the dedication of the new Cathedral of the Nativity near Cairo

Speeches

• 7 January 2019 – To the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See for the traditional exchange of New Year Greetings

Papal Tweets

• “If we live as Jesus taught us, and in harmony with what we proclaim, our witness will bear fruit.” @Pontifex 3 January 2019
• “Jesus is the gift of God for us. If we welcome Him, we too can be a gift of God to others.” @Pontifex 4 January 2019
• “The Church grows in silence, in prayer, and with the good works that give witness.” @Pontifex 5 January 2019
• “The Magi offered their precious gifts to the Christ Child. Today, let us ask God: Lord, help me rediscover the joy of giving.” @Pontifex 6 January 2019
• “God became man in Jesus in order to share our lives. Let us keep this relationship alive with Him and with one another. Happy Christmas to our Christian brothers and sisters from the East.” @Pontifex 7 January 2019
• “Love does not tolerate indifference; love is compassionate. Love means putting your heart on the line for others. #SantaMarta” @Pontifex 8 January 2019
• “Video” @Pontifex 8 January 2019
• “Do not be afraid to weep when you encounter difficult situations: tears are drops that irrigate life. Tears of compassion purify hearts and feelings.” @Pontifex 9 January 2019

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

Warning indulgent post as I talk about myself

This year continued to be a year of transitions for me.

I found this C.S. Lewis quote to be fairly accurate for me.

“Grief is not, as I thought, a state but a process: like a walk in a winding valley which gives you a new landscape every few miles.” (Letter to Dom Bede Griffiths, O.S.B.)

I never quite know when tinges of grief will come to me — triggers regarding specific dates and places I expected. The sporadic suddenness of grief sometimes leaves me unprepared. Mostly I live in the more abstract reality of this. Daily prayers for the repose of her soul I never forget to do. Praying the Divine Mercy chaplet for her and others is also a daily occurrence. Still, I often feel this more as a responsibility than as an active entering into the reality of the Communion of Saints. I know my limitations and am joyful that I do intellectually accept this reality and that this is an area where doubt does not intrude.

Tending to be rather bookish I can too easily stay at home and amuse myself. Trying to overwhelm loneliness, by distracting myself. I just never expected to be without my wife. I always figured I would die first. In reaction to my tendencies, I have been working on getting out of myself and not just let the world pass by.

Last year I made efforts to anchor myself within my parish. I felt like an interloper. Attending events, but not knowing anybody even casually. So this year I wanted to correct this. I had signed up for the Christ Renews His Parish Retreat mainly to get to know some people in my parish. I rather dreaded the retreat itself since I suspected phony team-building and other aspects not favorable to being an introvert.

So I was quite delighted to find that this retreat was not what I feared and it was filled with witnessing and men making an effort to draw closer to Christ and his Church. At the time I had no idea that bi-weekly meetings were part of this and I thought it was a one-time thing. I have indeed found myself looking forward to these meetings. As I have come to know better the people in my team I have come to respect them all the more. I feel grateful to be some part of their journeys.

One aspect of the meetings I struggle with is my own “know-it-all” pride and the temptation to afflict others with this. Since I have come into the Church, I have been doing so much reading regarding the faith along with consuming so much Catholic media. So I have been absorbing knowledge from others for years with limited avenues to talk about the faith. I was kind of like a pressure cooker building up with knowledge and my love of the Church. So I inflict my team members with what I have learned, but too often having something to say. To be fair to myself part of this is because I do love talking about the faith, but am also very aware of my intellectual pride. I know what gifts I do have I should use for Christ’s glory, I do not want to fool myself regarding my mixed motives. Even admitting this is a temptation to pride “Look at how he accuses himself.”

The reason this blog came about in the first place was part of that same pressure cooker build up. I just needed to express what I was learning. One thing I have been very thankful for this year is the multiple times’ people have reached out to me letting me know how my blog at some point helped them. It was quite humbling to take the Balaam’s Ass role in this. To receive a number of these unsolicited thanks during this specific year was an affirmation given to me that I was not just fumbling pridefully in the dark.

There have been other signs of God working in my life. I am a man of routines and can get very static in those daily routines. There are some various positive aspects regarding this, but it also limits some growth. Around the time of my conversion, I am especially drawn to Carmelite spirituality. So for a couple of years, I was attending meetings with a local OCDS group. Life intruded on my attending these meetings, and the group broke up after my first pastor died. When I saw in my parish bulletin notices for an OCDS group meeting there, I put it into the back of my mind to possibly attend. I finally got around to visiting and this has become an essential step for me as it has challenged me.

As a man of routine, my daily prayer walks involving the Rosary, Divine Mercy chaplet, and intercessory prayers were my God punchcard. I don’t want to diminish how this is an integral part of my prayer life, just that it can become a mere habit than developing a further friendship with God. So being back with the Carmelite group and dedicating myself to thirty minutes of contemplative prayer daily made me structure my life to make this part of my routine (without being just routine). Part of my God punchcard was making it to Eucharistic Adoration twice-a-week. I am blessed that now I can go daily. The parish I attend daily Mass on my way into work has perpetual adoration, so now I show up an hour earlier. My parish also has Eucharistic Adoration during the week for limited hours (although they are expanding hours in January), so I go there too. A dedicated Perpetual Adoration Chapel within reasonably short driving distance rounds out my opportunities. I might suck at contemplative prayer, but as Chesterton said: “That if a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” Jesus is worth the effort.

This year also marked a year of attending conferences. I wrote previously about my experience going to the Chesterton Conference in Orlando and Catholic Answers Conference on Faith and Science. Greatly enjoyed both of these experiences and the people I met. I plan to attend the same conferences in 2019. The Chesterton Conference led me to seek out going to monthly Chesterton Society meetings. Unfortunately, none are local, so I end up driving to Orlando. The drive is worth it. I was impressed with the members of the Orlando group I met at the conference and have totally enjoyed the meetings. Plus how could I not love people who love Chesterton?

A final aspect of this year’s journey has been my Latin Mass experience. In early 2017, I started to attend the Latin Mass and was later asked to join the choir. This year I have gotten to know a little better those also attending. There has been an effort made to bring us together and to work together to promote the Latin Mass within the parish along with planning for the future. I do love to sing and having to learn Gregorian Chant has stretched my abilities. This forces me to practice, especially as the other members of the choir are much more talented than Ib (not false humility). Somehow I got roped into leading the Rosary in Latin before Mass. This was indeed not a plan of my introvert nature. I was super nervous the first time doing this and was worried about how others would react. I did a lot of practicing listening to the Rosary in Latin so I would not butcher it too much. Later it was requested we sing the Salve Regina at the end. Back to practicing countless times. Pretty happy though as to how others have joined in and integrated this into parish life. That it still happens when I am unable to attend.

So this has been a year of stepping out along with being asked to do things. Volunteering goes against my natural tendencies, but I am better for doing so.

Next year I am going to nail humility and perfect it.