The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 406

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 30 March 2022 to 5 April 2022.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Prayers

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “The elderly can teach the younger generations how to trust in God, how to be merciful, and how to pray fervently not only in good times, but especially in difficult ones. #BlessingOfTime @PontAcadLife @LaityFamilyLife” @Pontifex, 30 March 2022
  • “If prayer is real, it necessarily bears fruit in charity. And charity sets us free from the worst form of enslavement, which is slavery to self. Lenten charity brings us back to what is essential, to the deep joy to be found in giving. #Lent” @Pontifex, 31 March 2022
  • “Tomorrow I will go to #Malta on an #ApostolicJourney in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. It will be an opportunity to know at first hand a Christian community with a millennia-old history. I ask every one of you to accompany me in prayer. Thank you!” @Pontifex, 1 April 2022
  • “I feel shame for the role that a number of Catholics with educational responsibilities have had in the abuse and lack of respect for the identity, culture and spiritual values of the Indigenous Peoples in Canada. All these things are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” @Pontifex, 1 April 2022
  • “Listening to the voices of the brothers and sisters of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, I heard the suffering, hardship, discrimination and various forms of abuse experienced, particularly in the residential schools. I bear these stories with great sorrow in my heart.” @Pontifex, 1 April 2022
  • “Let’s not view the migrant as a threat. Others are not a virus to protect ourselves from, but people to be welcomed. Certainly, hospitality requires renunciations. Yet every sacrifice, every renunciation made for a greater good, for life of another who is God’s treasure, is holy!” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “We have been saved by the same blood, we are one family, so let us welcome each other, love each another, heal each other’s wounds. Let us be a “synod”, in other words, “journey together”. For God is present wherever love reigns! #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “Fraternal love and the welcome we show our neighbor is so important in the Church! The Lord reminds us of this on the cross in entrusting Mary and John to each other’s care. He urges the Christian community of every age not to lose sight of this priority. #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “Saint Paul unexpectedly came to #Malta’s coast and found ready assistance. He was a man in need of assistance. In the name of the Gospel that he lived and preached, let us open our hearts and rediscover the beauty of serving our neighbours in need! #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “Let’s hear people’s thirst for #peace and go back to international peace conferences gatherings where the central theme is disarmament! May the enormous funds that continue to be destined to weapons be diverted to development, health care and nutrition. #ApostolicJourney #Malta” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “The growing migration emergency – here we can think of the refugees from war-torn Ukraine – calls for a broad-based and shared response. Some countries cannot respond to the entire problem, while others remain indifferent onlookers! #ApostolicJourney #Malta” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “The Mediterranean needs co-responsibility on the part of Europe, in order to become a new theatre of solidarity and not the harbinger of a tragic shipwreck of civilization. #ApostolicJourney #Malta” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “This is the #Gospel we are called to live: to welcome others, to be experts in humanity and to light fires of tender love when the coldness of life engulfs those who suffer. #AposolicJourney #Malta” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “The tender love of mothers, who give life to the world, and the presence of women are the true alternative to the baneful logic of power that leads to war. We need compassion and care, not ideologies fueled by words of hatred. #ApostolicJourney” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “Once again, some potentate is provoking and fomenting conflicts, ordinary people sense the need to build a future that, will either be shared, or will not be at all. Now in the night of the war, let us not allow the dream of #peace to fade! #ApostolicJourney #Malta” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “Today is the World #Autism Awareness Day. Let us walk together with people with autism, not only for them, but above all with them!” @Pontifex, 2 April 2022
  • “Let us respond to the challenge of migrants and refugees with humanity, lighting fires of fraternity around which people can warm themselves, get up again and rediscover hope. Let us strengthen the fabric of social friendship and the culture of encounter!” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “We listen to the stifled plea of millions of migrants whose fundamental rights are violated, sadly at times with the complicity of the competent authorities. They are not statistics, but flesh and blood people with faces and dreams, dreams that are sometimes dashed.” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “Thousands of people have been forced to flee Ukraine because of war. Many others have also had to leave their own lands in Asia, Africa and the Americas. All of them are in my thoughts and prayers. #Apostolic Journey #Malta” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “Pour out upon us your Holy Spirit and grant us a new heart capable of hearing the pleas of our brothers and sisters who have lost the warmth of their homes and homeland. Grant that we may give them hope through our humanitarian deeds. Amen. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “I thank all those who worked hard to prepare this #ApostolicJourney and the citizens of #Malta for your welcome. I will remember the luminous face of Malta! You are a treasure in the Church and for the Church. Do not forget: the joy of the Church is to evangelize.” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “To save ourselves from this shipwreck which brings the risk of sinking the ship of civilization, we must conduct ourselves with humanity, regarding people not merely as numbers, but for what they really are: brothers and sisters. #migrants #Apostolic Journey #Malta” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for #peace, thinking of the humanitarian tragedy in war-torn #Ukraine, which continues to be bombarded. Let us not tire of praying and offering assistance to those who suffer! #ApostolicJourney #Malta” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “Those who believe they are upholding the faith by pointing their finger at others may have a certain “religiosity”, but they have not embraced the spirit of the Gospel, for they disregard mercy, which is the heart of God. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 8:1–11)” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “The Lord wants that we, his disciples, forgiven by Him, become tireless witnesses of reconciliation, of a God who always forgives and gives us the chance to live a new and different life under the banner of mercy. #ApostolicJourney #Malta” @Pontifex, 3 April 2022
  • “The logic of war has imposed itself yet again because we are no longer used to thinking with the logic of peace. We are stubborn, we are in love with war, with the spirit of Cain. #Peace #Ukraine” @Pontifex, 4 April 2022
  • “Знову нав’язалася логіка війни, бо ми вже більше не звикли мислити згідно з логікою миру. Ми вперті, ми закохані у війни, в дух Каїна. #Мир #Україна” @Pontifex, 4 April 2022
  • “Логика войны была снова навязана, потому что мы отвыкли мыслить согласно логике мира. Мы упрямы, мы влюблены в войны, в дух Каина. #Мир #Украина” @Pontifex, 4 April 2022
  • “We need to cry over their tombs. Don’t our youth matter? I am grieved by what is happening today. We never learn. May the Lord have mercy on us, on all of us. Every one of us are guilty! #Peace #Ukraine” @Pontifex, 4 April 2022
  • “На могилах потрібно плакати. Молодь не береться до уваги? Я засмучений тим, що сьогодні відбувається. Ми не вчимося. Нехай же Господь буде милостивий з нами, з нами всіма. Всі ми винні! #Мир #Україна” @Pontifex, 4 April 2022
  • “Нужно плакать над могилами. Неужели нам безразлична молодежь? Мне горько оттого, что происходит сегодня. Мы ничему не учимся. Да смилуется над всеми нами Господь. Вина – на каждом из нас. #Мир #Украина” @Pontifex, 4 April 2022
  • “In this season of conversion, sustained by God’s grace and by the communion of the Church, let us not grow tired of doing good. The soil is prepared by fasting, watered by prayer and enriched by charity. #Lent” @Pontifex, 5 April 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for health care workers who serve the sick and the elderly, especially in the poorest countries. May they be adequately supported by governments and local communities. #PrayerIntention Video” @Pontifex, 5 April 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 8:1-11
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 8:1-11

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

John 8:1–11 ESV – Bible Gateway

Each year for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, we get a selection from the Gospel of John. The chapter division here seems awkward as it splits a sentence after Jesus speaks, and there is division among the people thinking Jesus is a prophet and the Pharisees deny this. “The early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53–8:11.”[1] and so do not include this story. ”St. Jerome says the story was found in both Latin and Greek; St. Ambrose says it was always famous in the Church, and St. Augustine expounds the story.“ It seems to have been known in second-century Syria. This passage is even found in some ancient manuscripts of the Gospel of Luke. This passage is referred to as the pericope adulterae. A periscope *_pronounced_ ”peh-RIH-cuh-pee“) is an individual ”passage“ within the Gospels, with a distinct beginning and ending so that it forms an independent literary ”unit.”

In an article on this passage, Jimmy Akin references Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu and principles are used in assessing the pericope adulterae. He concludes:

This means that the pericope adulterae–by being included in the Vulgate–does not contain errors of faith or morals when properly understood.

And so those would be the two points that–in the absence of a current, binding statement from the Magisterium on the authenticity of the passage–one would naturally conclude regarding it: Critical scholarship must determine whether the passage was in the originals but, even if it was not, the passage does not contain errors of faith or morals when understood in a Catholic sense and so it may safely be appealed to as a passage from which Christians may learn.

The circumstance here is Jesus teaching people at the temple in Jerusalem and sitting down with a group when some Pharisees bring a woman to him who they say they caught in the act of adultery. There is no mention of the man she was with or that he would have equally been liable to death by stoning. This seems like a setup in which to trap Jesus. I find it hard to imagine the circumstance of how a group of Pharisees come upon this act, grab the woman, and then head to the temple to bring her before Jesus. Even Admiral Ackbar would realize this is a trap.
John Bergsma, in his commentary[2], writes that there is some possibility that this woman is just a paid actor to entrap Jesus, we just don’t know. The Pharisees lay out the charge and ask Jesus’ opinion hoping that it would go against the law Moses gave. Pure duplicity with no interest in the truth.

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen puts the circumstance well in his book Life of Christ.

“They had invoked the Law of Moses. So would He! Whence did the Law of Moses come? Who wrote it? Whose finger? The Book of Exodus answers: Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Tokens in his hands, inscribed on both sides, on the front and on the back they were inscribed. The tablets were the handiwork of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved on the tablets (Ex 32:15–17).

“They reminded Him of the Law! He in turn reminded them that He had written the Law! The same finger, in a symbolical sense, that was now writing in the tablets of stone of the temple floor, also wrote on the tablets of stone on Sinai! Had they eyes to see the Giver of the law of Moses standing before them? But they were so bent on ensnaring Him in His speech that they ignored the writing and kept on hurling questions; so sure were they that they had trapped Him.” [3]

Meanwhile, Jesus bends down and starts writing with his finger in the dirt. The Pharisees continue to challenge him and he stands and says “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” After this, he actually bends down once more and continues to write in the dirt.

John Bergsma has some insightful commentary on the situation and the question Jesus asks them:[4]

By saying this, Jesus puts the responsibility for the woman’s execution squarely on the shoulders of the scribes and Pharisees. They certainly do think that they themselves are without sin, but they do not dare take up a stone to throw at the woman because they would immediately be arrested by the Roman soldiers who were keeping an eye on the Temple courts from the massive, adjacent Antonian fortress. The whole proceedings were probably being watched by soldiers from the parapets of this fortress, which Rome had built precisely for keeping peace in this most volatile area of Jerusalem.

So now Jesus has turned the trap on the Pharisees. If they throw stones, they will be arrested by the Romans. If they don’t throw stones, they will appear to be admitting that they have sin. In the end, they choose the shame of being outwitted in public rather than arrest, torture, and incarceration by the Roman authorities. The oldest and wisest are the first to figure out that Jesus has outwitted them; the youngest and most foolish keep hanging around, hoping there is some way out of their “checkmate.” Do not think for a moment that their decision not to throw stones was actually some kind of sincere conviction in their hearts that they truly were sinners in need of forgiveness! Certainly not! They just didn’t want to be arrested.

I had always assumed that Jesus’ question shamed them and they walked away knowing they were hypocrites. I now see his point as being more likely.

Now as to Jesus writing in the dirt, we do have to wonder why is this detail here? What was he writing? There are several common theories regarding this.

  • Jesus gives “a sign of indifference, showing that he refuses to be drawn into this trap.” [5]
  • That he is writing down the sins of the Pharisees.
  • Or that this is an allusion to scripture.

As the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture points out regarding the third theory.

…Jesus’ gesture is a subtle allusion to Jer 17:13, which literally reads, “O Hope of Israel, O †YHWH, all who abandon you will be put to shame, those who turn away will be written in the earth because they have abandoned the Fountain of Living Waters.” By writing on the ground, Jesus would be reminding the woman’s accusers that they too are sinners subject to God’s judgment, sinners who refuse Jesus’ invitation to come in faith to him, the “Fountain of Living Waters” (Jer 17:13; John 7:37).

I find this interesting in that towards the end of the previous chapter in the Gospel of John, Jesus references the “Fountain of Living Waters” after he says “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. This interpretation goes back to Saints Augustine and Ambrose and is the one most well-attested to today.

After the Pharisees leave there are no longer any witnesses left to accuse her. Jesus says “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Again we see the same mercy Jesus shows us when we go to confession that forgiveness is contingent on contriteness and a genuine desire to avoid the specific sin.

Closing off with John Bergsma:[6]

The Lord is ever forgiving. He does not condemn but encourages us to “go and from now on do not sin any more.” Yet he does not lie to us by telling us we can attain eternal life while indulging in sin. The Lord never tells us an untruth. Since salvation is by definition an “exodus” or freedom from sin, we cannot be saved while we are still sinning. Sin is what we are saved from. In the words of Pope Francis, “God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”[7]

Sources

  1. St. John’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups. Steve Ray, 2002  ↩
  2. bergsma  ↩
  3. Fulton Sheen, Life of Christ (New York: Image Books/ Doubleday, 1990), 184–85.  ↩
  4. bergsma  ↩
  5. Francis Martin, William M. Wright IV  ↩
  6. bergsma  ↩
  7. Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World Evangelii Gaudium (November 24, 2013), §I.3.  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 405

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 18 March 2022 to 29 March 2022.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Messages

Prayers

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Let us ask the Lord of life to deliver us from war. Everything is lost with war. There is no victory in a war. May the Lord send His Spirit to make us understand that war is a defeat of humanity. #PrayTogether #Peace” @Pontifex, 23 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе также о том, дабы правители осознали, что покупка и производство оружия не является решением проблемы. Решение заключается в совместных трудах во имя #мира. #Мир” @Pontifex, 23 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом також і за те, щоби правителі зрозуміли, що вирішенням проблем не є закупівля та виготовлення зброї. Вирішенням є разом трудитися на користь #миру.” @Pontifex, 23 March 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for government leaders, that they might understand that buying and making weapons is not the solution to the problem. The solution is to work together for #peace.” @Pontifex, 23 March 2022
  • “Попросим у Господа жизни избавить нас от войны. С войной всё потеряно, в войне не бывает победы. Да ниспошлёт Господь Своего Духа и да поможет нам понять, что война – это поражение человечества. #МолимсяВместе #Мир” @Pontifex, 23 March 2022
  • “The elderly enter the promised land, which God desires for every generation, when they offer to the young the beautiful initiation of their witness. Then, guided by the Lord Jesus, the old and the young together enter into His Kingdom of life and love. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 23 March 2022
  • “Просімо у Господа життя, щоби визволив нас від війни. З війною все втрачається; у війні немає перемоги. Нехай же Господь пошле Свого Духа і дасть нам зрозуміти, що війна – це поразка людства. #МолімосяРазом #Мир” @Pontifex, 23 March 2022
  • “Let us prepare ourselves to live a day of prayer on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, asking the Mother of God to lift up the hearts of those who are afflicted by the cruelty of war. May the Act of Consecration to her Immaculate Heart bring #peace to the world.” @Pontifex, 24 March 2022
  • “Подготовимся ко дню молитвы в торжество Благовещения, испрашивая у Божьей Матери сердечного утешения для всех, кто сокрушен жестокостью войны. Акт посвящения Её Непорочному Сердцу да принесёт #мир всему миру.” @Pontifex, 24 March 2022
  • “Приготуймося пережити день молитви в урочистість Благовіщення, просячи, щоби Божа Мати підбадьорила серця пригнічених жорстокістю війни. Нехай же акт посвячення Її Непорочному Серцю принесе світові #мир.” @Pontifex, 24 March 2022
  • “We consecrate ourselves to the #ImmaculateHeart of Mary in order to be fully at the disposal of God’s plans. May she now take our own journey into her hands: may she guide us through the steep and arduous paths of fraternity and dialogue, along the way of #peace.” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Если мы хотим, чтобы мир изменился, сначала должны измениться наши сердца. Воззрим на Непорочное Сердце Марии: с ней Господь смог начать новую историю спасения и мира. Бог изменил историю, постучавшись в сердце Марии. #НепорочноеСердце” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “The Consecration to the #ImmaculateHeart of Mary is an act of complete trust as children who, amid tribulation turn to their Mother, entrusting themselves to her, placing in that pure and undefiled Heart all that we have and are, so that she may protect us and watch over us.” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Посвячення #НепорочномуСерцюМарії є жестом повного ввірення дітей, що в скорботі прибігають до Матері, віддаючи Їй себе самих. Це означає віддати тому чистому Серцю все, що маємо і чим ми є, щоб саме Вона нас захищала й оберігала.” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Посвящение Непорочному Сердцу Марии – это жест всецелого доверия детей, которые прибегают к Матери, вверяя ей самих себя. Это означает поместить в её пречистое сердце всё, что мы имеем, и всё, чем мы являемся, дабы она защищала нас и хранила. #НепорочноеСердце” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “If we want the world to change, then our hearts must change first. Let us look to the #ImmaculateHeart of Mary. God was able to begin a new story of salvation and peace with her. God changed history by knocking at the door of Mary’s Heart.” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Якщо ми хочемо, щоб світ змінився, спочатку повинно змінитися наше серце. Погляньмо на #НепорочнеСерцеМарії: через Неї Бог зміг розпочати нову історію спасіння та миру. Бог змінив історію, постукавши в Серце Марії.” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Мы посвящаем себя Непорочному Сердцу Марии, чтобы полностью отдать себя в распоряжение Божьих планов. Пусть Матерь Божья возьмёт в свои руки наше паломничество: да поведёт его непростыми и утомительными тропинками братства и диалога в направлении мира. #НепорочноеСердце #мир” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace Xi Prayer Image” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир N Vatican Image” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир Vatican Image” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Ми присвячуємо себе #НепорочномуСерцюМарії, щоб повністю віддати себе Божим задумам. Нехай же Пресвята Богородиця сьогодні візьме нас за руку на нашому шляху: нехай провадить нас на стрімких та виснажливих стежках братерства та діалогу, на шляху #миру.” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Одно лишь Божье прощение в силах истребить зло, погасить обиду, возвратить мир в сердце. Вернемся же к Богу, к Его прощению! D Event” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Марии, Матери Искупителя, вверяем вопль о мире народов, угнетенных войной и насилием, дабы мужество диалога и примирения возобладало над искушениями мести, высокомерия, коррупции. #БлаговещениеГосподне” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Only God’s forgiveness eliminates evil, disarms resentment, restores peace to our hearts. Let us return to God and to his forgiveness! https://t.co/yIKVVMLJpd Event” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Приглашаю всех верных присоединиться ко мне сегодня в 17.00 (по римскому времени) во время совершения Акта посвящения всего человечества, в особенности России и Украины, Непорочному Сердцу Марии. #МолимсяВместе ZEW YouTube Image” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Запрошую всіх вірних єднатися зі мною сьогодні о 17:00 римського часу в урочистому Акті посвячення людства, й особливо, Росії та України, Непорочному Серцю Марії. #МолімосяРазом k YouTube Image” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “I invite all the faithful to join me to day at 5:00pm (Rome time) to perform a solemn Act of Consecration of humanity, especially of Russia and Ukraine, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. #PrayTogether py https://t.co/COztLtbKge YouTube Image” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Марії, Матері Відкупителя, ввіряємо благання про мир, яке підносять народи, гноблені війною і насильством, аби мужність діалогу та примирення перевищили спокуси помсти, деспотизму й корупції. #Благовіщення” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “To Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer, we entrust our cry for peace for the people who are oppressed by war and violence so that the courage of dialogue and reconciliation might prevail over the temptation to revenge, tyranny and corruption. #AnnunciationOfTheLord” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “Боже прощення – це єдине, що викреслює зло, знешкоджує образу, повертає мир у серце. Повернімося до Бога, до Його прощення! D Event” @Pontifex, 25 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Мир #НепорочноеСердце PYrhbpVh Video” @Pontifex, 26 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Мир #НепорочномуСерцюМарії g Video” @Pontifex, 26 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Peace #ImmaculateHeart Lm Video” @Pontifex, 26 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир https://t.co/eAzfqSTyNM Image” @Pontifex, 26 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир Q Image” @Pontifex, 26 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace q Image” @Pontifex, 26 March 2022
  • “Кожен день війни погіршує ситуацію для всіх. Тому знову звертаються із закликом: досить, потрібно зупинитися, нехай змовкне зброя, нехай ведуться серйозні переговори задля миру!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Ми не повинні звикати до війни! Ми повинні, натомість, перетворити сьогоднішнє обурення на завтрашнє зобов’язання. Бо якщо з цієї історії ми вийдемо такими самими, якими були перед тим, то всі, певним чином, будемо винними.” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Перед обличчям небезпеки самознищення, людство повинно усвідомити, що настав час скасувати війну, стерти її з людської історії, перш ніж вона викреслить з історії людину. Кожен політичний лідер замислитися і візьме на себе зобов’язання щодо цього!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “We need to reject war, a place of death where fathers and mothers bury their children, where men kill their brothers and sisters without even having seen them, where the powerful decide and the poor die.” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Every war worsens everyone’s situation. Therefore, I renew my appeal: Enough. Stop it. Silence the weapons. Move seriously toward peace!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “We should not accustom ourselves to war. Instead, we need to convert today’s anger into a commitment for tomorrow, because if, after what is happening, we remain like we were before, we will all be guilty in some way.” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Before the danger of self-destruction, may humanity understand that the moment has come to abolish war, to erase it from human history before it erases human history. May every political leader reflect and dedicate themselves to this!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Війна нищить не лише теперішнє, але й майбутнє. Від початку агресії проти України кожна друга дитина стала біженцем. Це нищить майбутнє, завдає болючі травми найменшим і невинним. В цьому – звірство війни, що є варварською і святотатською дією!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “War doesn’t devastate only the present but the future too. From the start of the aggression in Ukraine 1 of every 2 children has been displaced. This destroys the future, traumatizing the smallest and most innocent. This is the bestiality of war, a barbarous and sacrilegious act!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Потрібно відкинути війну, яка є місцем смерті, де батьки і матері хоронять своїх дітей, де люди вбивають братів, навіть не бачивши їх, де могутні приймають рішення, а вмирають убогі.” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Перед лицом опасности самоуничтожения человечество обязано понять, что пришёл момент упразднить войну, стереть её из истории человечества, пока она не стёрла человека из истории. Я прошу каждого политического лидера задуматься над этим и взять на себя обязательства.” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Война не может быть чем-то неизбежным: к ней нельзя привыкать. Напротив, мы должны превратить сегодняшнее возмущение в старание о завтрашнем дне. Ибо если мы выйдем из этой ситуации такими же как прежде, то вина каким-то образом ляжет на каждого.” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Я читал, что с начала агрессии каждый второй украинский ребёнок покинул страну как беженец. Это означает разрушать будущее, наносить драматические травмы самым маленьким и невинным среди нас. Таков зверский облик войны, варварского и кощунственного злодеяния!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Необходимо отвергнуть войну – место смерти, где отцы и матери хоронят детей; где люди убивают своих братьев, даже не видя их; где сильные мира сего принимают решения, а бедные умирают.” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Two years ago in this piazza, we lifted up our plea for the end of the pandemic. Today, we have done so for an end to the war in #Ukraine. #PrayTogether #Peace https://t.co/UiBrOuIagl YouTube” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Два роки тому з цієї площі ми підносили благання про завершення пандемії. Сьогодні ми це зробити за завершення війни в #Україні. #МолімосяРазом #Мир
    a YouTube” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир l YouTube” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Those who have make mistakes often feel reproached in their own hearts. Distance, indifference and harsh words do not help. Therefore, like the Father, it is necessary to offer them a warm welcome that encourages them to go ahead. #GospelOfTheDay (Lk 15:11–32)” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “каждый день войны ухудшает ситуацию для всех. Поэтому я вновь обращаюсь с призывом: хватит, остановитесь, да умолкнет оружие, займитесь всерьёз делом мира!” @Pontifex, 27 March 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether untiringly to the Queen of Peace, to whom we consecrated humanity, in particular Russia and Ukraine, with such a large and intense participation for which I thank all of you.” @Pontifex, 28 March 2022
  • “Будем молиться снова, не уставая, Царице Мира, которой мы посвятили человечество, особенно Россию и Украину, с широким и интенсивным участием, за которое я благодарю всех вас. #Помолимсяместе” @Pontifex, 28 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом, не втомлюючись, до Цариці миру, Якій ми посвятили людство, а зокрема Росію та Україну, за великої та активної участі вірних, за що дякую вам усім.” @Pontifex, 28 March 2022
  • “#Lent invites us to conversion, to a change in mindset, so that life’s truth and beauty may be found not so much in possessing as in giving, not so much in accumulating as in sowing and sharing goodness.” @Pontifex, 29 March 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 15:1-3, 11-3)
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 15:1-3, 11-3)

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Luke 15:1–3, 11–3 ESV – Bible Gateway

The Gospel starts with three verses giving context to what Jesus is replying to. The Pharisees and scribes focus only on apparent scandal and do not see Jesus’ mission to come to save sinners. He tells three parables on the common theme of something being lost and then being found, starting with the parables of the “Lost Sheep” and the “Lost Coin” before proceeding on to the parable referenced today.

This is commonly referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and there has been plenty of homilies and commentaries and why the common title might not be the best. As Brant Pitre references, “whatever you call the parable has an effect on the way you interpret it because it puts a certain emphasis somewhere.”[1] This is true, and what you read can be narrowed by the interpretive lens you use. Others have come up with titles that emphasize the merciful father or the two sons. Brant Pitre proposes “The Parable of the Lost Son” because it is the last of three parables emphasizing this point, and the language of lost is used in the parable itself. I like the both/and approach here in that all of these titles accurately emphasize parts of this complex parable.

First off, looking at the issue of the inheritance, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz, in his commentary, writes:

An inheritance was typically distributed after death (Num 27:8–11), but it was possible, though not advised, to do so while a person was still alive (Sir 33:20–24). However, the younger son takes the initiative here with his demand: give me my share. For him, the father might as well be dead. Under no obligation and despite the shame incurred, the father nonetheless complies out of respect for the younger son’s free decision. Since the firstborn son would receive a double portion (Deut 21:17), the younger son apparently received a third of the property. The remaining two-thirds is destined for the older son, so the father does not exaggerate when he later says, “Everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:31).[2]

The son was willing to sunder his relationship with his father and go off to a far country and live a life of the flesh. To show no concern for his relationships with his family and to be like the Epicureans, who argued that pleasure was the chief good in life. A version of YOLO, ’You Only Live Once.“ As we would expect, this did not go well for him to live a life of dissipation. When he hits rock bottom, He decides that he will arise and return to the father. The repeating of arise or ”get up“ is ”one of the verbs used for Jesus’ resurrection (18:33; 24:7, 46). Thus, by his repentance, the “dead” son is already coming “to life again” (15:24, 32).”[2] He sees the effects of his sin as exile and that it is leading him into despair. He has descended to live as a beast, even envying the very food he feeds the pigs.

This son’s motive to return to the father is still quite imperfect. He was motivated primarily to place himself in a better position as he realized his previous circumstances were materially better. On his way, he is practicing his speech in how he would be able to reconcile with his father. Still, sin has taught him some humility as he is not just blaming the famine for being brought low. Willing to work as a hired worker without any entitlement.

That he had been in a far-off country was no deterrent to his father, who still saw him when he was a long way off. He allows his son to start his apology but quickly moves into celebration mode. He knows his son is not perfectly contrite, but just like with us, the Father takes any movement towards contrition and will give us the grace to make that deeper. Just as in confession, sorrow for sin, even on the level of the fear of hell, is enough to be forgiven. The father’s reaction seems to be overblown, yet this is the level of mercy with which we are all treated. In the wiping away of sin, we also come to life again.

The father’s gifts have many interpretations, and this is a sampling from the Church Fathers.[3]

(St. Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan, A.D. 374) He rightly returns to himself, because he departed from himself. For he who returns to God restores himself to himself, and he who departs from Christ rejects himself from himself.

(St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, A.D. 396). (de Quæst. Ev. l. ii. q. 33.) Or the best robe is the dignity which Adam lost; the servants who bring it are the preachers of reconciliation.

(ut sup.) Or the ring on the hand is a pledge of the Holy Spirit, because of the participation of grace, which is well signified by the finger.

(St. Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan, A.D. 374). Or the robe is the cloke of wisdom, by which the Apostle covers the nakedness of the body. But he received the best wisdom; for there is one wisdom which knew not the mystery. The ring is the seal of our unfeigned faith, and the impression of truth; concerning which it follows, And put a ring on his hand.

If the parable had ended here, it would have already seemed complete and not as challenging. Jesus then tells of the older son working in the field and hears the celebration. Instead of the joy of seeing his younger brother again, he is filled with envy thinking he was being treated unjustly. He is not willing to acknowledge any relationship with his lost brother. He has followed all the rules and been obedient. Perhaps rather sterile obedience to follow the rules because that was what was expected and not one out of love. Possibly jealousy of the previous lifestyle of his brother.

The father reassures that everything he has is also his. The parable ends, and we are left wondering about the elder son’s reaction to this. This ties it back to how Jesus was replying to the Pharisees and scribes with the themed parables. How to view this was left to the original audience and for us. It was meant as a challenge when we are also small-hearted and can only see someone’s previous sins. When we are proud of the rules, we keep and have a similar merciless attitude towards others.

At what level do we adopt the father’s generosity?

From John Bergsma’s commentary:

Living in the “new creation” of Christ means operating by the father’s “logic” of love, forgiveness, and familial communion, both in our relationship to God and our relationships with others, both with those who seek reconciliation with us (the younger son) and with those who do not want reconciliation (the older son).[4]

This parable on a meta-level involves a history of the Tribes of Israel where the younger son is the northern kingdom which had split off and quickly started to worship other gods. “The “older son” is Judah, (the oldest patriarch not cursed by his father Jacob), the head of the southern kingdom of Judah, which to external appearances was more faithful to the LORD and still lived in the land of Judea, surrounding Jerusalem and the Temple (the “house of the Father”). [4]” The Church Fathers would go on to interpret the younger son as the gentiles, and the oldest as Israel—an interpretive scheme fitting other parables Jesus taught.

To leave off is paragraph 1439 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father: the fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father’s house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father’s generous welcome; the father’s joy—all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life—pure, worthy, and joyful—of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father’s love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way.

References

  1. Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre  ↩
  2. The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz  ↩
  3. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected out of the Works of the Fathers: St. Luke  ↩
  4. The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year C, John Bergsma  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 404

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 2 March 2022 to 22 March 2022.

Angelus

General Audiences

Letters

Messages

  • [15 March 2022 – Message of the Holy Father Francis to Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius and President of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe for the opening of the European Catholic Social Days Bratisl

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “God entrusts the task of saving humanity from the flood to the eldest of all, the “righteous” Noah. In his care for life in all its forms, Noah obeys God’s command, repeating the tender and generous gesture of creation. #BlessingOfTime #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex, 16 March 2022
  • “Дорогие братья и сёстры, среди боли, причинённой этой войной, помолимся вместе, испрашивая у Господа прощение и #мир. #МолимсяВместе #Украина LMWL Image” @Pontifex, 16 March 2022
  • “Cеред болю цієї війни усі разом помолімося, просячи у Господа прощення і просячи миру. Ми прокажемо молитву. #МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир E Image” @Pontifex, 16 March 2022
  • “Dear brothers and sisters, in the pain of this war we all pray together, asking the Lord for forgiveness and asking for #peace. #PrayTogether #Ukraine PXWp Image” @Pontifex, 16 March 2022
  • “#Lent is a journey of healing, to live each day with a renewed spirit, a different “style”. Prayer, charity and fasting are aids to this: they restore us to a living relationship with God, our brothers and sisters, and ourselves.” @Pontifex, 17 March 2022
  • “#Lent is the time granted us by the Lord to be renewed, to nurture our interior life and to journey towards Easter, towards the things that do not pass away, towards the reward we are to receive from the Father.” @Pontifex, 18 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace #StJoseph AwAr Image” @Pontifex, 19 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир Image” @Pontifex, 19 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир T Image” @Pontifex, 19 March 2022
  • “Мені приємно знати, що людям, які залишилися під бомбами, не бракує підтримки душпастирів, які в ці трагічні дні життям свідчать Євангеліє милосердя та братерства. Дякую за це свідчення! #Україна #Мир” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Let us be close to this martyred people, let us embrace them with affection with concrete commitment and prayer. And please let us not get used to war and violence, let us not tire of welcoming them with generosity, not only now, but also in the weeks and months to come. #Ukraine” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Будем же близки к этому истерзанному народу, обнимем его нашей любовью, конкретными обязательствами и молитвой. Пожалуйста, не будем привыкать к войне и насилию, но без устали, великодушно принимать людей не только сейчас, но и в предстоящие недели и месяцы. #Украина” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Let us think of these women and children who in time, without work, separated from their husbands, will be sought out by the ‘vultures’ of society. Please, let us protect them. #Ukraine #Peace #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Не забуваймо про жінок, про дітей, які з часом, без роботи, далеко від своїх чоловіків, можуть стати жертвами суспільних ”стерв’ятників“. Захистімо їх, будь ласка. #Україна #Мир #МолімосяРазом” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Подумаем о детях и женщинах, которые со временем – без работы, разлученные со своими мужьями – будут разыскиваться ‘стервятниками’ общества. Пожалуйста, защитим их. #Украина #Мир #МолимсяВместе” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “It comforts me to know that the people left under the bombs do not lack the closeness of their pastors, who in these tragic days are living the Gospel of charity and fraternity. Thank you for this witness! #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Будьмо поруч із цим багатостраждальним народом і обіймімо його конкретними зусиллями та молитвою. Прошу вас, не звикаймо до війни та насильства, не втомлюймося великодушно приймати, не лише тепер, але й наступними тижнями та місяцями. #Україна” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Меня утешает, что люди, оставшиеся под бомбами, не лишены близости пастырей, которые в эти трагические дни живут по Евангелию милосердия и братства. Спасибо за это свидетельство! #Украина #Мир” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Також і цього тижня ракети та бомби падали на цивільних, літніх людей, дітей, вагітних матерів. Все це – нелюдяне, більше того, це є також святотатством, бо виступає проти сакральності людського життя, яке є понад будь-якими стратегіями! #Україна #Мир” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “На этой неделе ракеты и бомбы падали также на мирных жителей, стариков, детей и беременных матерей. Всё это бесчеловечно! Более того, это даже кощунственно, ибо противоречит священному характеру человеческой жизни, которая гораздо важнее любой стратегии! #Украина #Мир” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “The violent aggression against #Ukraine does not stop, a senseless massacre where every day there is a repetition of slaughter and atrocities. There is no justification for this! I plead with the international community to truly commit to ending this abhorrent war. #Peace” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Не припиняється сповнена насильства агресія проти #України, безглузде кровопролиття, де кожного дня здійснюється спустошення та жорстокість. Немає виправдання для цього! Благаю всіх діячів міжнародної спільноти докладати зусилля для того, щоби припинити цю огидну війну. #Мир” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “Не прекращается насильственная агрессия против Украины, бессмысленная бойня, в которой зверства повторяются каждый день. Этому не может быть оправдания! Я призываю всех лидеров международного сообщества постараться положить конец этой отвратительной войне. #Мир” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “God is Father and looks after you as the best of fathers: He does not look at the achievements you have not yet reached, but the fruits you can bear. He does not keep track of your shortcomings but encourages your potential. He does not dwell on the past, but bets on your future.” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “In the #GospelOfTheDay (Lk 13:1–9) the Lord asks us for conversion. It is an urgent call, especially during this time of #Lent. Let us turn from evil, let us be open to the logic of the Gospel because where love and fraternity reign, evil has no more power!” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “This week again missiles and bombs have fallen on civilians, the elderly, children, and pregnant mothers. All this is inhuman! Indeed, it is also sacrilegious because it goes against the sacredness of human life, and this comes before any strategy! #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 20 March 2022
  • “During this Lenten season, let us pray by looking at the Crucified Lord. Let us open our hearts to the touching tenderness of God, and in his wounds place our own wounds and those of our world. #Lent” @Pontifex, 21 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир geFvKbZ Image” @Pontifex, 22 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace AS Image” @Pontifex, 22 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир Image” @Pontifex, 22 March 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 13:1-9
Punditry

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 13:1-9

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Luke 13:1–9 ESV – Bible Gateway

Jesus and his disciples continue on their journey to Jerusalem after leaving Galilee for the last time. This section of today’s Gospel is unique to Luke.

Overall we are given a sense of urgency and that if we do not repent, we will perish. The first two examples Jesus gives would have at some point been topical events. These two events also seem to have a connection to the future. The impending destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 provides context to this. While we do not have any details of the event that led to the slaughter of the Galileans, it seems to have happened in the Temple and is entirely in keeping with Pilate’s violent putting down of any rebellion. St. Cyril of Alexandria wrote, “or these were followers of the opinions of Judas of Galilee, of whom Luke makes mention in the Acts of the Apostles, (Acts 5:37.).”[1]

There is also a symbolic reference to the temple regarding the tower’s collapse in Siloam. “A tower (see Luke 13:4; 14:28) often represents the Jerusalem temple (see Matt 21:33; Mark 12:1) on account of Isaiah’s song of the vineyard (Isa 5:1–2)”[2]

It seems Jesus is making a couple of points in these two examples regarding the urgency of repentance. The Galileans and those killed in the tower collapse would not have expected this to be the day of their deaths. This comes to all men, to the good and the bad. What befell them was not because they were worse sinners than those around them. We can’t put our repentance on a schedule. Later on, we will give up those comfortable sins when it suits us. We know that growing in holiness involves suffering; what we usually forget is that not advancing in holiness will involve more suffering.

Catechism 1431 Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart)

The parable of the fig tree also hinges on this. The Catholic Commentary of Sacred Scripture[2] puts this parable rather succinctly:

However, in the context of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and in view of the biblical background, the parable first of all refers to Israel. The tree is planted in an orchard—that is, a “vineyard” (NRSV and other versions), a common image for Israel in the Old Testament (see Isa 5:1–7, which also mentions a tower and inhabitants of Jerusalem, as Jesus just did in Luke 13:4). The owner may represent God, but since the gardener addresses him as sir (kyrios), he may also represent Jesus the “Lord” (kyrios, 12:41–42; 13:15). The three years may even refer to the length of Jesus’ public ministry … Identifying Jesus with the one who comes in search of fruit on a fig tree also correlates with the tradition of Jesus actually doing such a thing (Matt 21:19; Mark 11:13), at the time that he cleansed the temple. Luke is undoubtedly familiar with this tradition but instead includes the similar parable to teach the same lesson about the impending judgment on Jerusalem and its temple.

In John 15, Jesus uses a similar image where he talks about “I am the vine and you are the branches, and every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit will be cut down (or cut off) and thrown into the fire.”[3]

Father Jordan Schmidt, OP, in an article about this passage gives some background on the fig tree and how this parable also applies to us in the life of the Church.

The fig tree had been cultivated by human beings since at least 5000 B.C., making it one of the earliest domesticated plants. The types of figs that came to populate Israel and Judah were particularly beneficial because, in contrast to similar types of figs grown in Egypt and Cyprus, the figs found in the Judean countryside would produce good, edible fruit even without human labor. Nonetheless, Judean farmers adopted the practice of planting their fig trees within an orchard or vineyard, thus providing the trees with a steady water supply and protection against grazing animals. This enabled them to produce as many as six harvests in a single year. These trees thus came to be known for their fecundity, and all inhabitants of the region were dependent on them for their abundant fruit.
…
Like that tree, we have been given two great benefits: First, we are planted in the fertile vineyard of the Church; and, second, we are watered and fertilized through the power of the sacraments. Therefore, Christ, much like the vineyard owner, expects us to produce the fruit of good works in our lives — it is required, not optional.

Theophylact comments:

Theophylact, Archbishop of Ohrid, A.D. 1078. Or the master of the household is God the Father, the dresser is Christ, who will not have the fig tree cut down as barren, as if saying to the Father, Although through the Law and the Prophets they gave no fruit of repentance, I will water them with My sufferings and teaching, and perhaps they will yield us fruits of obedience.[1]

Sources

  1. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected out of the Works of the Fathers: St. Luke  ↩
  2. The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz  ↩
  3. Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 403

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 March 2022 to 15 March 2022.

Angelus

Homilies

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace ux Image” @Pontifex, 12 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир Pc Image” @Pontifex, 12 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #Mир Image” @Pontifex, 12 March 2022
  • “For the followers of Jesus, now is not a time for sleeping, for letting our souls be sedated. One of the great tragedies of our time is the refusal to open our eyes to reality and instead to look the other way. #PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 12 March 2022
  • “To pray is to bring the beating heart of current affairs into God’s presence, so that his gaze will shine out upon history. #PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 12 March 2022
  • “If #prayer is living, it “unhinges” us from within and continually prompts us to allow ourselves to be troubled by the plea of all those who suffer in our world. Let us also ask ourselves how we are bringing the present war to our prayers. #PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 12 March 2022
  • “Прошу всі дієцезальні та чернечі спільноти помножувати молитви за мир. Бог є тільки Богом миру, Він не є Богом війни, і той, хто підтримує насильство, профанує Його ім’я. #МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “The city that bears the name of the Virgin Mary, Mariupol, has become a city martyred by the ruinous war that is devastating Ukraine. #LetsPrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Before the barbarism of killing children and innocent and defenceless citizens, no strategic reasons hold: the only thing to be done is to cease the unacceptable armed aggression before cities are reduced to cemeteries. #LetsPrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “I would like once again to urge the welcoming of the many refugees, in whom Christ is present, and to give thanks for the great network of solidarity that has formed. #LetsPrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Хочу ще раз закликати приймати численних біженців, в яких перебуває Христос, і подякувати за велику мережу солідарності, що сформувалася. #МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “I ask all diocesan and religious communities to increase their moments of prayer for peace. God is only the God of peace, he is not the God of war, and those who support violence profane his name. #LetsPrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “With an aching heart I add my voice to that of the common people, who implore the end of the war. In the name of God, listen to the cry of those who suffer, and put an end to the bombings and the attacks! #LetsPrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “З болем у серці приєдную мій голос до голосу простих людей, що благають про кінець війни. Нехай же в ім’я Боже буде почутим крик страждаючих… У Боже ім’я, прошу вас: припиніть цю різанину! #МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Like the disciples, we too are in need of God’s light, that makes us see things in a different way: it attracts us, it reawakens us, it reignites our desire and strength to pray, to look within ourselves, and to dedicate time to others. #GospelOfTheDay (Lk 9:28–36)” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Місто, яке носить ім’я Діви Марії, Маріуполь, стало містом-мучеником лютої війни, яка спустошує Україну. #МолімосяРазом #Україна #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Прошу все епархиальные и монашеские общины приумножить моменты молитвы о мире: Бог – это всецело Бог мира, а не Бог войны, и кто поддерживает насилие, оскверняет Его имя. #МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Я хотел бы еще раз призвать к приему многочисленных беженцев, в которых пребывает Христос, и поблагодарить за создание большой сети солидарности. #МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “С болью в сердце я присоединяю свой голос к голосу обычных людей, взывающих к прекращению войны. Во имя Бога, да будет услышан вопль страждущих… Во имя Бога прошу вас: остановите это кровопролитие! #МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Перед варварством убийства детей, невинных и беззащитных гражданских лиц не может быть убедительных стратегических доводов: нужно прекратить это недопустимую вооруженную агрессию прежде, чем она превратит города в кладбища. #МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Город, носящий имя Пресвятой Девы Марии, Мариуполь, стал городом-мучеником раздирающей душу войны, которая изнуряет Украину. #МолимсяВместе #Украина #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Перед варварством вбивства дітей, невинного і беззбройного цивільного населення, не існує жодних стратегічних причин, якими це можна обґрунтувати: єдине, що потрібно, – це припинити неприйнятну збройну агресію, перше ніж вона перетворить міста в цвинтарі. #Україна #Мир” @Pontifex, 13 March 2022
  • “Temptations often appear seemingly in the form of good: the devil uses deception, he arrives “with an angelic face”. If we give in to his flattery, we end up justifying our falsity, masking it with good intentions.” @Pontifex, 14 March 2022
  • “В пятницу 25 марта, во время покаянного богослужения в 17 часов в базилике Святого Петра, совершу акт посвящения России и Украины Непорочному Сердцу Пресвятой Богородицы.
  • “#МолимсяВместе #мир #Россия #Украина” @Pontifex, 15 March 2022
  • “#Lent is a favourable time to seek out – and not to avoid – those in need; to reach out – and not to ignore – those who need a sympathetic ear and a good word; to visit – and not to abandon – those who are lonely.” @Pontifex, 15 March 2022
  • “On Friday 25 March, during the Celebration of Penance at 17.00 in Saint Peter’s Basilica, I will consecrate #Russia and #Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. #PrayTogether #Peace” @Pontifex, 15 March 2022
  • “У п’ятницю, 25 березня, під час Покаянного богослужіння в базиліці Святого Петра о 17:00, я посвячу #Росію та #Україну Непорочному Серцю Марії. #МолімосяРазом #Мир” @Pontifex, 15 March 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 9:28b-36
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 9:28b-36

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Luke 9:28b–36 ESV – The Transfiguration – Bible Gateway

This passage references that this event occurred eight days after the previous course in Luke with Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus going on to say “Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” In Matthew and Mark, the parallel passage indicates six days. This discrepancy is something some Church Fathers reconcile, but what is important here is how the promise about some of them seeing the kingdom of God is unlocked. Peter, John, and James did see this revealed in the Transfiguration. Each of the Synoptic Gospels provides this time cue to help us to connect the dots.

Luke provides us with some extra details not found in the parallel passages. For example, Jesus went up to the mountain to pray. We see this detail provided in the Gospels to emphasize the importance of what is happening. That Jesus always prays first before such events. In Luke, we see this also before The Sermon on the Mount.

As Jesus is praying his whole appearance changes and he is talking with Moses and Elijah. Luke also gives us a detail about what they were talking about. Specifically, they were talking about Jesus’ exodus and what he was going to accomplish. Just from this information, we don’t know if the two men were “in on his” plan before or if Jesus had just told them. I like the idea of his previously sharing his plan with them and what would be accomplished. Just how excited they would be in this regard.

Another important aspect is Jesus the new Moses and the new exodus. The original exodus starts in Egypt and ends in Jerusalem. The new exodus starts in Jerusalem and as Brant Pitre notes “His exodus is his passion, death, resurrection and ascension into the heavenly Promised Land.”[1]

In regards to Moses and Elijah’s appearance, I have typically read that the two men represent the “Law and the Prophets.” There might be a lot more going on than just this typology. In the Cathechism paragraph [# 2853](http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2853.htm), it alludes to the fact that of all the people in the Old Testament, Moses and Eli’jah both went up Mt. Sinai and experienced theophanies with a desire to see the face of God, but they couldn’t do it.

We have two trios, Jesus, Moses, and Elijah along with Peter, John, and James. So why were these Apostles singled out to see this? We have seen taken along in other cases such as the raising of Jairus’s daughter. St. John Damascene has some interesting speculation to prevent Judas from seeing the glory of God, that he might have been provoked to greater wickedness.

But He took with Him three, that in the mouths of two or three witnesses every word should be established. He took Peter, indeed, because He wished to shew him that the witness he had borne to Him was confirmed by the witness of the Father, and that he was as it were to preside over the whole Church. He took with Him James, who was to be the first of all the disciples to die for Christ; but He took John as the clearest singer of the sacred doctrine, that having seen the glory of the Son, which submits not to time, he might sound forth, In the beginning was the Word. (John 1:1) [2]

This is such an important event, and yet Luke gives us the detail that while all this was happening they were heavy with sleep. At the Garden of Gethsemane, we see another instance of this behavior. It is an interesting question as to whether their sleep was natural, or like the passage in the First Reading where a deep sleep falls upon Abram before the covenant was made.

One thus wonders whether the three apostles’ sleep is a taste of death (see Luke 9:27), so that, becoming fully awake and seeing his glory, they have a taste of their future share in his resurrection. [3]

Still, the important detail is that they were fully awake when they witnessed the Transfiguration.

Peter Kreeft notes:

St. Peter, said about it years later when he wrote his second epistle: “We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, ‘This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Pet. 1:16–18).[4]

Peter’s reaction seems typical for him, that is, mouth engaging first before thinking this through. Yet he clearly sees this in connection with exodus and the later Feast of Booths in celebration of arriving in the promised land. His mistake, it seems to me, is equating Jesus with Moses and Elijah and not thinking through the implications of what he and the other two apostles witnessed. He and the others finally fall silent when they witness the theophany with the Holy Spirit present and God the Father saying “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” The Apostles will keep their silence and not talk about this or tell others “anything of what they had seen.” In the face of mystery, that should also be our reaction and to do as Mary did, that she “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” (Luke 3:19)

Sources

  1. Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre  ↩
  2. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected out of the Works of the Fathers: St. Luke  ↩
  3. The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz  ↩
  4. Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 402

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

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 10 January 2022 to 8 March 2022.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “2 March, Ash Wednesday, Day of prayer and fasting for peace in #Ukraine. #PrayTogetherImage” @Pontifex, 2 March 2022
  • “2 March, Ash Wednesday, Day of prayer and fasting for peace in #Ukraine. #PrayTogetherImage” @Pontifex, 2 March 2022
  • “The alliance between the two extreme generations of life – children and the elderly – also helps the other two – young people and adults – to bond with each other, to make everyone’s existence richer in humanity. #GeneralAudience #BlessingOfTime @LaityFamilyLife @PontAcadLife” @Pontifex, 2 March 2022
  • “The #ashes remind us that worldliness is like the dust that is carried away by a slight gust of wind. Sisters and brothers, we are not in this world to chase the wind; our hearts thirst for eternity.Homily” @Pontifex, 2 March 2022
  • “2 March, Ash Wednesday, Day of prayer and fasting for peace in #Ukraine. #PrayTogetherImage” @Pontifex, 2 March 2022
  • “Today we enter the time of #Lent. Our prayer and fasting will be a plea for #peace in #Ukraine, bearing in mind that peace in the world always begins with our personal conversion, following Christ.” @Pontifex, 2 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #UkraineImage” @Pontifex, 3 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #УкраїнаImage” @Pontifex, 3 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #УкраинаImage” @Pontifex, 3 March 2022
  • “Prayer, charity and fasting are not medicines meant only for ourselves but for everyone: they can change history, because they are the principal ways for God to intervene in our lives and in the world. They are weapons of the spirit. #Lent” @Pontifex, 4 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #PeaceImage” @Pontifex, 5 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #МирImage” @Pontifex, 5 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #МирImage” @Pontifex, 5 March 2022
  • “Along with the collaborators of the Roman Curia, the Spiritual Exercises will begin. We keep all the needs of the Church and the human family in our prayer. And you too, please, pray for us.” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “I would also like to thank the journalists who put their lives at risk to provide information. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for this service that allows us to be close to the tragedy of that population and enables us to assess the cruelty of a war. #Ukraine #Peace” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #PeaceImage” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #МирImage” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #МирImage” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом #Україна #МирImage” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “#МолимсяВместе #Украина #МирImage” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “No compromises with evil! We must not fall into that slumber of the conscience that makes us say: “But after all, it’s not serious, everyone does it”! Let us look at Jesus, who does not make agreements with evil. He opposes the devil with the #WordOfGod and overcomes temptation.” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “#PrayTogether #Ukraine #PeaceImage” @Pontifex, 6 March 2022
  • “#8мартаImage” @Pontifex, 8 March 2022
  • “#8marchImage” @Pontifex, 8 March 2022
  • “#8березняImage” @Pontifex, 8 March 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for Christians facing new bioethical challenges; may they continue to defend the dignity of all human life with prayer and action. #PrayerIntention Video” @Pontifex, 8 March 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 4:1-11
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 4:1-11

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Luke 4:1–11 ESV – The Temptation of Jesus – And Jesus, – Bible Gateway

This passage in Luke is just so rich in meaning and parallels it is difficult to limit it to some quick observations. Just the first line relates to Jesus being baptized by John and that the Holy Spirit descended and now Jesus is filled and led by the Holy Spirit is filled with mystery.

The first Sunday in Lent always uses a reading dealing with an account of Jesus’s temptations in the desert. Since it is year C, we are using Luke’s account. In scripture, we see the significance of the number “40” as it relates to a period of purification, testing, and also of preparation. We see this first used as it related to Noah and we especially see this in the Exodus account. In Exodus, the Israelites start their journey by passing through the Red Sea before entering the wilderness. St. Paul in 1 Corinthians (10:1–4) describes this event as them being baptized into Moses. An allusion that was also picked up by the Church Fathers. Jesus is baptized and then also enters into the desert.

Jesus spend these 40 days fasting from all food and at the end, Luke says “he was hungry.” This seems like such an understatement while also pointing to the humanity of Jesus. He is then presented with a series of temptations from the devil.

Jimmy Akin notes:

The Greek verb used here (peirazō) means not only tempt but also test. The devil can be seen as testing Jesus—putting pressure on Jesus to see whether it is possible to get him to give in to sin. [1]

As he also notes this could be a test by the devil to find out if Jesus is actually the Son of God or that this is just done out of sheer spite, without actual hope of corrupting him.

In Luke’s account, the order of the three temptations is different than that of Matthew. In Mark, it is only mentioned briefly that Jesus was tempted by Satan. Brant Pitre writes that “we don’t exactly know which order they happened in but you can make a strong case—is that in Luke’s account, he’s highlighting the order that corresponds to the order of Adam’s fall.”[2] In Luke, “Jesus’ genealogy is presented, going back to Adam. Like Adam, Jesus is tempted by the devil. Unlike Adam, Jesus is victorious over temptation, thus revealing that he is the one who can save humanity from sin.”[3]

In 1 John 2:16, we see a formulation of three dominant temptations. “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life.”

We can see this plainly in Genesis 3:6:

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Brant Pitre’s summary of the Threefold Concupiscent states:

It’s basically the universal, human, experience of a disordered desire for pleasure (the pleasure of the flesh, that’s the lust of the flesh), whether it be sexual pleasure or the pleasure of food and drink. Number 2, a disordered desire for possessions, that’s the lust of the eyes. We see something that doesn’t belong to us and we want to possess it, like Eve saw the fruit and wanted to possess it, even though it didn’t belong to her. And the third one is pride or vanity. It’s a disordered love of self to the exclusion of the love of God, and that’s what happens to Adam and Eve. It was desirable to make one wise like God. In other words, they want the wisdom of God, they want to be wise like God, by breaking God’s commandment (which is irrational, but it’s what drives them). So they choose three things that are actually good. The fruit is good, food’s good; possessions are good, God gives Adam and Eve the whole word; and even the desire to be like God is a good thing, to be wise is a good thing. But in this case, they want good things but in a bad way.[2]

The devil’s first question seems to be a test of Jesus if he will serve his own needs or those of others? In the second question, the devil assumes what Jesus would later call the Prince of the World. That he has authority over the kingdoms and thus control over their ultimate destination. That if only Jesus would bow down to him, he would release his grip on the world and give control to him. Jesus again answers him again with scripture in that it is only God we should worship and serve.

Peter Kreeft offers what he calls an original and unusual interpretation of the second temptation.

If you do things your way, only some of your beloved children will be saved and I will keep some of them forever in hell. But if you do things my way—if you bow down to me and my will—I will release all those souls from hell and you will get what you most want: to save everybody, all these children you so dearly love. And that—universal salvation—would be the very best thing that could possibly happen, the greatest good in the world. So that was a real temptation to Christ. But the means to that end would be the worst sin, idolatry, worshiping a false God instead of the true God. So this is a temptation to let the good end justify an evil means, to be a moral relativist, a utilitarian, a pragmatist.[4]

The third time the devil decides to quote scripture himself and uses part of Psalm 91 as a proof text. A test of pride to see who Jesus is. That if he is really the Son of God why go through this slow reveal and get right to it and show his power. Possibly hoping that Jesus might have a “Don’t you know who I am?” moment. The fallen angels, who are beings of pure intellect, fell through the only sin they could seem to commit—pride. To place oneself always before others. Jesus’ humility was something he could not grasp.

Philippians 2:8: And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Ironically the devil quotes from a Psalm that was used in Jesus’ time for exorcisms and he leaves out a subsequent verse.

You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

This is a good reminder that when someone throws a proof text at you, to read for context.

To summarize this section of Luke we can look at Paragraph 539 of the Catechism:

The evangelists indicate the salvific meaning of this mysterious event: Jesus is the new Adam who remained faithful just where the first Adam had given in to temptation. Jesus fulfills Israel’s vocation perfectly: in contrast to those who had once provoked God during forty years in the desert, Christ reveals himself as God’s Servant, totally obedient to the divine will. In this, Jesus is the devil’s conqueror: he “binds the strong man” to take back his plunder. Jesus’ victory over the tempter in the desert anticipates victory at the Passion, the supreme act of obedience of his filial love for the Father.[5]

And then Paragraph 540:

Jesus’ temptation reveals the way in which the Son of God is Messiah, contrary to the way Satan proposes to him and the way men wish to attribute to him. This is why Christ vanquished the Tempter for us: “For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sinning.” By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.[5]

Sources

  1. Jimmy Akin. (2014). Mark, A Commentary  ↩
  2. Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre  ↩
  3. The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz  ↩
  4. Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C  ↩
  5. Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed). United States Catholic Conference.  ↩
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