I am going through a phase where I do not feel close to Jesus at all.

Yet I am super-interested in philosophy, theology, liturgy, etc.

I guess I am going through a Dork Night of the Soul.

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My joke has a grain of truth as far as it goes. I have never had a pietistic emotional attachment to Jesus. More of an intellectual attachment to Christ. One that only grows in my certitude. I would like it if my emotions lined up with my intellect (such as it is), but still am filled with thankfulness and gratitude to where he has brought me so far. So being too abstract intellectually is a cross for me, especially as I read the various Carmelite saints.

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

Angelus

• 14 March 2021

General Audiences

• 17 March 2021

Homilies

• 14 March 2021 – Holy Mass for the 500th Anniversary of the Evangelization of the Philippines

Letters

• 20 February 2021 – Letter of the Holy Father to the Cardinal Vicar for the diocese of Rome for the cultural valorisation of the Lateran Palace

Speeches

• 8 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Press Conference on the return flight to Rome
• 12 March 2021 – To participants in the Course on the Internal Forum organized by the Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary
• 12 March 2021 – To Managers and Players of the Water Polo Team of Genoa

Papal Tweets

• “All of us have spiritual infirmities that we cannot heal on our own. We need Jesus’ healing, we need to present our wounds to him and say: “Jesus, I am in your presence, with my sin, with my sorrows. You can set me free. Heal my heart”. #Lent” @Pontifex 11 March 2021
• “The beginning of the return to God is the recognition of our need for him and his mercy. This is the right path, the path of humility. #Lent #24hoursfortheLord” @Pontifex 12 March 2021
• “I encourage you to dedicate time to the Word of God, to the Sacraments, and to fasting and prayer, in order to renew our relationship with God, ourselves, and our neighbor. #Lent #24hoursfortheLord” @Pontifex 12 March 2021
• “By receiving forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that is the heart of our process of conversion, we spread forgiveness. Having received forgiveness, we can offer it through attentive dialogue and giving comfort to those experiencing sorrow and pain. #Lent” @Pontifex 12 March 2021
• “#Lent is about discerning where our hearts are directed. Let us ask: Where is my life’s navigation system taking me – towards God or towards myself?” @Pontifex 13 March 2021
• “In Jesus, God went in search of us where we were lost. In Jesus, he came to raise us up when we fell. In Jesus, he wept with us and healed our wounds. In Jesus, he blessed our life forever. #Laetare” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
• “If God so loves us that he gives himself to us, the Church too has this mission. She is not sent to judge but to welcome; not to impose, but to sow; not to condemn, but to bring Christ who is our salvation. [Homily[(http://vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2021/documents/papa-francesco_20210314_omelia-cristianesimo-filippine.html)” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
• “Dear brothers and sisters from the #Philippines, five hundred years have passed since the Christian message first arrived in your land and you received the joy of the Gospel. And this joy is evident in your people. Thank you for the joy you bring to the whole world!” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
• “Ten years ago, the bloody conflict in Syria began that has caused one of the most serious humanitarian catastrophes. Let us #PrayTogether so that all the suffering experienced by beloved and tortured Syria might not be forgotten and so that our solidarity might revive their hope.” @Pontifex 14 March 2021
• “To experience #Lent with love means caring for those who suffer or feel abandoned and fearful because of the #Covid–19 pandemic.” @Pontifex 15 March 2021
• “In these days of uncertainty about our future, in our charity may we speak works of reassurance and help others to realise that God loves them as sons and daughters. #Lent” @Pontifex 16 March 2021
• “The Holy Spirit writes the history of the Church and of the world. We are open books, willing to receive his handwriting. And in each of us the Spirit composes original works, because there is never one Christian who is completely identical to another. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 17 March 2021
• “With great sorrow, I must recall the dramatic situation in #Myanmar, where many people, especially young people, are losing their lives to offer hope to their country. I too kneel in the streets of Myanmar and say: End the violence! May dialogue prevail!” @Pontifex 17 March 2021

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 February 2021 to 10 March 2021.

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

Angelus

• 28 February 2021
• 7 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Angelus at the Church of “Immaculate Conception” in Qaraqosh, 7 March 2021

General Audiences

• 3 March 2021
• 10 March 2021

Homilies

• 6 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Holy Mass at the Chaldean Cathedral of “Saint Joseph” in Baghdad
• 7 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Holy Mass at the “Franso Hariri” Stadium in Erbil

Messages

• 17 February 2021 – Message of the Holy Father in occasion of the presentation of his encyclical “Fratelli tutti” in Russian
• 4 March 2021 – Video message of the Holy Father on the occasion of his upcoming Apostolic Journey to Iraq [5–8 March 2021]

Motu Proprio

• 8 February 2021 – Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio of the Supreme Pontiff Francis, on amendments in matters of justice

Prayers

• 7 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Prayer of Suffrage for the Victims of the War at Hosh al-Bieaa (Church square) in Mosul

Speeches

• 1 March 2021 – To the Delegation of the Franciscan Solidarity Center, in Florence
• 5 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Meeting with Bishops, Priests, Religious, Consecrated Persons, Seminarians, Catechists (Syro-Catholic Cathedral of “Our Lady of Salvation” in Baghdad, 5 March 2021)
• 5 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Meeting with Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps in the hall of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad
• 5 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Greeting to journalists on the flight to Iraq
• 6 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Interreligious meeting at the Plain of Ur
• 7 March 2021 – Apostolic Journey to the Republic of Iraq: Visit to the Qaraqosh Community at the Church of “Immaculate Conception” in Qaraqosh

Papal Tweets

• “Through recollection and silent prayer, hope is given to us as interior light, illuminating the challenges and choices we face in our mission. Hence the need to pray and, in secret, to encounter the Father of tender love (Mt 6:6). #Lent” @Pontifex 27 February 2021
• “A year ago today the #RomeCall for Artificial Intelligence was signed and I hope that more and more people of goodwill will cooperate to promote the common good, protect the lasts and develop a shared algorethics.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
• “The #GospelOfTheDay (Mk 9:2–10) calls us to contemplate Jesus’s transfiguration. It is an invitation to remember, especially when we pass through a difficult trial, that the Lord is Risen and does not permit darkness to have the last word.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
• “I join my voice to that of the Bishops of Nigeria to condemn the vile kidnapping of the 317 girls, taken away from their school in Jangebe. I am praying for these girls so they might return home soon. I am near to their families.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
• “In the case of rare diseases, a support network among family members is more important than ever. I encourage those initiatives that support research and cures and I express my closeness to those who ill, especially the children, and their families.” @Pontifex 28 February 2021
• “I ask government leaders, businesses, international organizations to cooperate and to seek a solution for everyone regarding #Covid: vaccines for everyone, especially for the world’s most vulnerable and needy people. #ZeroDiscriminationDay” @Pontifex 1 March 2021
• “All of us are specialists in crucifying others to save ourselves. Jesus, instead, allowed himself to be crucified, to teach us not to shift evil onto others. #Lent” @Pontifex 1 March 2021
• “The center of confession is Jesus who waits for us, who listens to us and forgives us.” @Pontifex 2 March 2021
• “Let us #PrayTogether that we may experience the sacrament of reconciliation with renewed depth, to taste the forgiveness and infinite mercy of God. #PrayerIntentions” @Pontifex 2 March 2021
• “We would not have had the courage to believe in a God who loves humanity, if we had not known Jesus. What kind of God is prepared to die for people? What kind of God loves always and patiently, without demanding to be loved in return? #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 3 March 2021
• “Sad news of bloody clashes and loss of life reach us from Myanmar. I appeal to the authorities involved that dialogue may prevail over repression, and ask the international community to ensure that the aspirations of the people of Myanmar are not stifled.” @Pontifex 3 March 2021
• “#Lent is a time to believe, or rather to receive God into our life so that we may “make our home with Him” (Jn 14: 23)” @Pontifex 4 March 2021
• “Tomorrow I will go to #Iraq for a three-day pilgrimage. I have long wanted to meet those people who have suffered so much. I ask you to accompany this apostolic journey with your prayers, so it may unfold in the best possible way and bear hoped-for fruits.” @Pontifex 4 March 2021
• “My dear Christian brothers and sisters from #Iraq, who have testified to your faith in Jesus amid harsh sufferings: I cannot wait to see you. I am honoured to encounter a Church of martyrs: thank you for your witness! Video Message” @Pontifex 4 March 2021
• “I come as a penitent, asking forgiveness from Heaven and our brothers for so much destruction and cruelty; a pilgrim of peace, in the name of Christ, Prince of Peace. How we have prayed, in these years, for peace in #Iraq! God always listens. It is up to us to walk His paths.” @Pontifex 5 March 2021
• “Only if we succeed in regarding each other, with our differences, as members of the same human family, can we begin an effective process of reconstruction and leave a better, more just and more human world to the future generations. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
  ” @Pontifex 5 March 2021
• “Let us remember our brothers and sisters who have paid the extreme price for their fidelity to the Lord. May their sacrifice inspire us to renew our trust in the strength of the Cross and its saving message of forgiveness, reconciliation and rebirth #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 5 March 2021
• “#Peace does not demand winners or losers, but brothers and sisters who, despite past hurts, journey from conflict to unity. Let us ask for this in praying for the whole Middle East, especially for war-torn Syria. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
• “Where does the journey of peace begin? From the decision not to have enemies. Anyone who believes in God, has no enemies to fight. He or she has only one enemy to face, one that stands at the door of the heart and knocks to enter: it is hatred. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
• “It is up to us, today’s humanity, especially believers, to turn instruments of hatred into instruments of #peace, to appeal firmly to the leaders of nations to make the increasing proliferation of arms give way to the distribution of food for all. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
• “Almighty God, our Creator, you love our human family, we, children of Abraham, ask you to welcome into your abode of peace and light all victims of violence and war. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq Speech” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
• “To be blessed, we do not need to become occasional heroes, but witnesses day after day. Witness is the way to embody the wisdom of Jesus. That is how the world is changed: not by power and might, but by the Beatitudes. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
• “Love is our strength, strength of so many brothers and sisters who here too have suffered prejudice and indignities, mistreatment and persecutions for the name of Jesus. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq Video” @Pontifex 6 March 2021
• “Lord, to you we entrust all those whose span of earthly life was cut short by the violent hand of their brothers and sisters; we also pray to you for those who caused such harm. May they repent, touched by the power of your mercy. Video” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
• “Fraternity is more durable than fratricide, hope is more powerful than hatred, peace more powerful than war. This conviction can never be silenced by the blood spilled by those who pervert the name of God to pursue paths of destruction. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
• “God can bring peace to this land. We trust in him and, together with all people of good will, we say “no” to terrorism and the manipulation of religion. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
• ““Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19). Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body, and about the Church as well. By the power of his Resurrection he can raise our communities from the ruins left by hatred. #ApostolicJourney #Iraq
  ” @Pontifex 7 March 2021
• “I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the women, especially the women of #Iraq, courageous women who continue to give life, in spite of wrongs and hurts. May women be respected and protected! May they be shown respect and provided with opportunities! #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 8 March 2021
• “Iraq will always remain in my heart. I ask all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to work together, united for a future of peace and prosperity that leaves no one behind and discriminates against no one. I assure you of my prayers for this beloved country. #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex 8 March 2021
• “#Lent is a journey that involves our whole life, our entire being. It is a time to reconsider the path we are taking, to find the route that leads us home and to rediscover our profound relationship with God, on whom everything depends.” @Pontifex 9 March 2021
• “The response to war is not another war. The response to weapons is not other weapons. The response is fraternity. This is the challenge not only for Iraq. It is the challenge for many regions in conflict and, ultimately, for the entire world. #Peace #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
• “Let us continue to pray for Iraq and for the Middle East. Despite the destruction, in #Iraq, the palm, the country’s symbol, has continued to grow and bear fruit. So it is for fraternity: it does not make noise, but is fruitful and grows. #GeneralAudience #PrayTogether” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
• “Thinking of the many Iraqis who have emigrated, I would like to say to them: you have left everything, like Abraham; like him, keep the faith and hope and be weavers of friendship and of fraternity wherever you are. And if you can, return. #Iraq #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
• “After my Visit in #Iraq, I am filled with gratitude to God and to all those who made it possible: the President of the Republic,
  @BarhamSalih
  , and the Government, the Patriarchs and Bishops.” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
• “I am grateful to the religious Authorities as well, beginning with the Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani, with whom I had an unforgettable meeting. May God, who is peace, grant a future of fraternity to Iraq, the Middle East and the entire world!” @Pontifex 10 March 2021
• “A message of fraternity came from Erbil as well, the city in which I was received by the President of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan,
  @IKRPresident
  , and its Prime Minister, by the Authorities and by the people. I thank the dear Kurdish population for their warm welcome.” @Pontifex 10 March 2021

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 18 February 2021 to 21 February 2021.

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

Angelus

• 21 February 2021

Messages

• 19 February 2021 – Video Message of the Holy Father to the participants in the Religious Education Congress sponsored by the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese

Speeches

• 19 February 2021 – To managers and players of Sampdoria Football TeamTo managers and players of Sampdoria Football Team

Papal Tweets

• “#Lent is precisely the season of hope when we turn our gaze back to the God who is patient. Saint Paul passionately urges us to place our hope in reconciliation: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20).” @Pontifex 18 February 2021
• “Fasting, prayer and almsgiving, as preached by Jesus (cf. Mt 6:1–18), enable and express our conversion. #Lent” @Pontifex 19 February 2021
• “Lord, Our God, grant that we Christians may live the Gospel, and recognize Christ in each human being, so as to see him crucified in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world, and risen in each brother or sister who makes a new start. #WorldDayOfSocialJustice” @Pontifex 20 February 2021
• “In this #LentenSeason, accepting and living the truth revealed in Christ means, first of all, opening our hearts to God’s word, which the Church passes on from generation to generation.” @Pontifex 20 February 2021
• “May the example of so many doctors and healthcare workers who have risked their life to the point of losing it due to the #pandemic move us to feeling truly grateful for how generously, and sometimes heroically, they carry out their profession.” @Pontifex 20 February 2021
• “During the Season of #Lent, the Holy Spirit drives us too, like Jesus, into the desert (Mk 1:12–15). It is not a physical place, but rather an existential dimension in which we can be silent and listen to the word of God, so that a true conversion might be effected in us.” @Pontifex 21 February 2021

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 11 November 2020 to 17 February 2021.

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

Angelus

• 14 February 2021

Homilies

• 17 February 2021 – Holy Mass, Blessing and Imposition of the Ashes

Messages

• 11 November 2020 – Lent 2021: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem” (Mt 20:18). Lent: a Time for Renewing Faith, Hope and Love
• 12 February 2021 – Message of the Holy Father, signed by Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relation with States of the Holy See, on the occasion of the virtual event promoted by the FAO for “World Pulses Day”
• 15 February 2021 – Video Message of the Holy Father in memory of the Coptic Martyrs killed in Libya

Speeches

• 12 February 2021 – To a Delegation from the European Institute of International Studies, in Stockholm

Papal Tweets

• “Through the intercession of #OurLadyOfLourdes, patroness of the sick, let us ask the Lord to grant health of soul and body to all those who suffer due to illness and the current pandemic. May He give strength to those who assist them in this time of trial.” @Pontifex 11 February 2021
• “On the #WorldDayOfTheSick special attention goes toward those who are ill and to those who assist them. I think especially of those who suffer the consequences of the #coronavirus pandemic. I express my nearness to everyone, especially to the poorest.” @Pontifex 11 February 2021
• “Those who put arms into the hands of children instead of food, books and toys commit a crime not only against the little ones, but against all of humanity. #ChildrenNotSoldiers” @Pontifex 12 February 2021
• “#Radio has this beautiful trait: it carries the word to the most distant places #WorldRadioDay” @Pontifex 13 February 2021
• “Each of us might experience wounds, failure, suffering, selfishness that make us close ourselves off from God and others. In the face of all this, Jesus draws near with compassion and touches our life to heal it. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex 14 February 2021
• “May the intercession of Saints Cyril and Methodius, evangelizers of the Slavic people, help us find new ways to communicate the Gospel and that the Christian churches grow in their desire to walk toward full unity while respecting differences.” @Pontifex 14 February 2021
• “We are created to love and through the conjugal union of a man and a woman, this vocation is lived reciprocally and in complete and definitive communion of life. On this memorial of St Valentine, I accompany engaged and married couples with my prayer.” @Pontifex 14 February 2021
• “May the Lord inspire everyone to draw near to those who suffer, especially children, and to put the weakest in first place. I entrust the doctors and all sick children to the Virgin Mary so that with her mother affection she might look after them. #ICCDay” @Pontifex 15 February 2021
• “To understand God’s plan for our lives better, let us seek to strengthen our relationship with Him through #Prayer. Thus we will discover that God is a compassionate Father who always takes care of us” @Pontifex 15 February 2021
• “Let us pray together today in memory of twenty-one Coptic Martyrs: may they intercede for us all before the Father. Video Message” @Pontifex 15 February 2021
• “This haste, this everything right now, does not come from God. If we get worked up about the right now, we forget what remains forever: we follow the passing clouds and lose sight of the sky.” @Pontifex 16 February 2021
• “During this season of #conversion, let us renew our faith, draw from the “living water” of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God, who makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. #Lent
  Message” @Pontifex 17 February 2021
• “We are now embarking on our #LentenJourney, which opens with the words of the prophet Joel. They point out the path we are to follow. We hear an invitation that arises from God: “Return to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). Lent is a journey of return to God.” @Pontifex 17 February 2021
• “Today we bow our heads to receive #ashes. #Lent is a humble descent both inwards and towards others. It is about realizing that salvation is not an ascent to glory, but a descent in love. It is about becoming little. Homily” @Pontifex 17 February 2021
• “Let us return to the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, to the Fire that resurrects our #ashes. Let us pray once more to the Spirit and rediscover the fire of praise, which consumes the ashes of lamentation and resignation. #Lent” @Pontifex 17 February 2021

Papal Instagram

• Franciscus