The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 157 – 9 November 2016

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 27 September 2016 to 9 November 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Homilies

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Let us try always to be united with Jesus, following him especially on the way of the cross.” @Pontifex 20 October 2016
  • “The sick, the poor, as well as the unborn, are all made in the image of God and worthy of the highest respect.” @Pontifex 21 October 2016
  • ““Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!” – Saint John Paul II, 22 October 1978” @Pontifex 22 October 2016
  • “We are disciples, but also missionaries, bringing Christ wherever he asks us to be present.” @Pontifex 23 October 2016
  • “Today there is an urgent need for politics and economics to be centered on the service of life.” @Pontifex 25 October 2016
  • “Love is a patient effort by persons who dedicate themselves to listening and drawing closer to others.” @Pontifex 26 October 2016
  • “The logic behind charity is to be willing to give up everything so that unity and love prevail.” @Pontifex 27 October 2016
  • “Let us pray for our brothers and sisters who encounter discrimination and pay a personal price for their fidelity to the Gospel.” @Pontifex 28 October 2016
  • “Let us abbandon a language of condemnation and embrace one of mercy.” @Pontifex 29 October 2016
  • “I ask you to please pray that my journey to Sweden might contribute to the unity of all Christians.” @Pontifex 30 October 2016
  • “Let us ask the Lord that his word, source of light and life, may help Christians be ever more united.” @Pontifex 31 October 2016
  • “Christian unity is a priority, because we realize that much more unites us than separates us.” @Pontifex 31 October 2016
  • “The saints have found the secret of authentic happiness, which lies deep within the soul and has its source in the love of God.” @Pontifex 1 November 2016
  • “The Father watches over us, and his gaze of love inspires us to purify our past and to journey towards unity.” @Pontifex 1 November 2016
  • “With faith we visit the graves of our loved ones, where we can also pray for those who no one remembers.” @Pontifex 2 November 2016
  • “Christian life is a journey, but not a sorrowful journey; it is joyful.” @Pontifex 3 November 2016
  • “Let us be moved by God’s watchful gaze. The one thing he desires is for us to abide like living branches in his Son Jesus.” @Pontifex 4 November 2016
  • “Forgiveness is the essence of the love which can understand mistakes and mend them.” @Pontifex 5 November 2016
  • “No cell is so isolated that it is shut to the Lord. His love reaches everywhere. I pray that each one may open his heart to this love.” @Pontifex 6 November 2016
  • “Prophecy is saying that there is something truer, more beautiful, greater, of greater good to which we are all called.” @Pontifex 7 November 2016
  • “May we make God’s merciful love ever more evident in our world through dialogue, mutual acceptance and fraternal cooperation.” @Pontifex 9 November 2016

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Book Review

Hostile Witnesses – Book Review

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Hostile Witnesses: How the Historic Enemies of the Church Prove Christianity is one of the latest books from Catholic Answers Press and continue their excellence in offerings. I had previously read Gary G. Michuta’s book Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger and was impressed by his thoroughness.

This book takes a very interesting tack. It is sort of a compilation of back-handed compliments to the Church. How the assumptions made by her attackers in fact gave credibility to what the Church proclaims.

I had assumed that the book would take up the common extra-biblical sources of earlier non-Christian historians that I was somewhat familiar with. Instead it starts with the New Testament itself as the apt historical source for how people reacted to Jesus. For example assigning the source of Jesus’ miracles to demons, shows that they admit hew was a miracle worker. Time and time again he takes the New Testament critiques of Jesus and his disciples and shows what it affirms. Surprising how much information he was able to cull from this.

Later he does move on to Pagan and Jewish sources concerning what we can find from those hostile witnesses. Again the detective work he engages in confirm so many of Christianity’s claims from those who would deny them. There is a good deal more of this from sources than I expected. One detail concerning a change in law regarding the Holy Land I found quite surprising in that I had never run across it before. Not that I am such a scholar or expert – it is just that this piece of information would be one you would think would be more well-known.

He covers information in this period from the 2nd century to the time of Julian the Apostate. Besides the previous mentioned Pagans and Jewish writers, there is also information to be retrieved from Christian heretics of historical value.

Interestingly later chapters involve Islam, the Inquisition, the Protestant “Reformation”, Lourdes and Fatima, up to WWII. Once again there is a surprising amount of information to be gleamed from the Church’s enemies that actually validates the Church and her teachings.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable book and not dry reading at all. He addresses various controversies regarding some historical sources fairly and makes sure to spell out where there are disputes regarding historical writings.

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Book Review

Book Review – Image and Likeness

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Image and Likeness: Literary Reflections on the Theology of the Body is a collection of short stories with a theme involving the Theology of the Body.

If St. John Paul II ever summarized his Theology of the Body, it may have been when he said, “Man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.” But how does this sincere gift look when lived out by human beings with all their failings? What happens to our humanity when we withhold that sincere gift? What does life require of us when we give most deeply?

I have mixed feelings about this collection of stories. Mainly because I have mixed feelings regarding message fiction.

Still I found myself involved in most of the stories and the thematic tellings isn’t blunt instrument message fiction. It mostly succeeds in telling stories about people and their difficulties that feel pretty true-to-life. Since these are all ToB related they of course involve the sexual sphere and the consequences involved.

Most of the stories are cautionary tales that try to provide insight into the characters situations and the natural consequences. So mostly I enjoyed the stories, but it is pretty hard to get theological nuance without exposition. Although surprisingly one of the stories which is Science Fiction was rather good in that regard.

I struggle to think exactly what the audience for this book is. As just a collection of thematic short stories, it works to some extent. As a teaching tool it better succeeds into opening up a ToB viewpoint in a relaxed way.

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 156 – 19 October 2016

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 September 2016 to 19 October 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

Papal Instagram

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Politics

The attempts to bring the Church under control

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Ross Douthat in a Twitter essay yesterday (21 tweets) said in one tweet. Tweet’s listed here

That’s what there is to see here: Not anti-Catholic “bigotry” (an overused word), but a window into how the Catholic civil war is fought.

This is something that resonated with me as I was already thinking about how anti-Catholic was being overused. Not agreeing with Catholics is not anti-Catholic. No more than not agreeing with atheists or Protestants makes you anti-atheist or anti-Protestant in the pejorative way of reflexive bigotry. They are bigots in the classic sense of “prejudiced person who is intolerant of any opinions differing from his own”. There is pretty much zero-striving towards understanding the arguments of those you disagree with. But there is a lot of that going around. This is not to deny true the existence of true anti-Catholicism.

No they are just fine with Catholics who reject the Magisterium like Biden/Kaine/Kerry. It is Catholics who actually believe and follow the faith they have trouble with on most issues. This is why they shift the terminology of “Religious Freedom” to “Freedom of Worship”.

In C.C. Pecknold’s fine article on The Progressives’ Plot to Change Catholicism he references:

In some ways, the Investiture Controversies of the 12th and 13th centuries never ended. Kings continue to want to bring the Church under their control.

There will always be efforts to bring the Church under control. The Chinese government has their Patriotic churches and John Podesta and others create astroturf groups to project their secular values as the faith of the Church. This is doomed to fail as it historically has always failed. Catholics keep trying to bring the Church under control.

If the Church is merely a human institution as the Church’s critics maintain then it makes perfect sense to try to subvert it to your own message. It is not anti-Catholic to do so, it is just mistaken as to the reality of Christ’s church.

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 155 – 12 October 2016

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from
2 October 2016 to 11 October 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

General Audiences

Homilies

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “It is by loving that the God-who-is-Love is proclaimed to the world.” @Pontifex 6 October 2016
  • “The Rosary is a prayer which always accompanies me. It’s also the prayer of ordinary people and the saints…and a prayer from my heart.” @Pontifex 7 October 2016
  • “Our Lady also wants to bring the great gift of Jesus to us all; and with him she brings us his love, his peace, and his joy.” @Pontifex 8 October 2016
  • “We Christians have a Mother, the same Mother that Jesus had; we have a Father, the same as Jesus. We are not orphans!” @Pontifex 9 October 2016
  • “Punishment should necessarily include hope! #NoDeathPenalty” @Pontifex 10 October 2016
  • “To live joyfully we must let go of anger, wrath, violence, and revenge.” @Pontifex 11 October 2016

Papal Instagram

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 154 – 5 October 2016

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 8 September 2016 to 5 October 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Homilies

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “God never tires of offering His forgiveness each time we ask for it.” @Pontifex 23 September 2016
  • “Let us walk together taking care of each other and of Creation, our common home.” @Pontifex 24 September 2016
  • “The world needs concrete signs of solidarity, especially before the temptation of indifference.” @Pontifex 25 September 2016
  • “In the brother we help we recognize the face of God which no one sees anymore.” @Pontifex 26 September 2016
  • “Let us promote a sustainable tourism, which stimulates development and encounter with local peoples and avoids every sort of discrimination.” @Pontifex 27 September 2016
  • “How beautiful would it be to leave the world a better place than the way we found it.” @Pontifex 28 September 2016
  • “The Lord has entrusted the Archangels with the task of defending humanity.” @Pontifex 29 September 2016
  • “Today I leave for Georgia and Azerbaijan. Please accompany me with your prayers so we can sow peace, unity and reconciliation together.” @Pontifex 30 September 2016
  • “Lord Jesus, cast forth the shadow of your cross over peoples at war: may they learn the way of reconciliation, dialogue and forgiveness.” @Pontifex 30 September 2016
  • “God is not known through grand ideas and extensive study, but rather through the littleness of a humble and trusting heart.” @Pontifex 1 October 2016
  • “The poor and weak are the flesh of Christ, who call upon Christians of every confession.” @Pontifex 1 October 2016
  • “God changes the world by transforming our hearts. When God finds an open and trusting heart, he can work wonders there.” @Pontifex 2 October 2016
  • “Dialogue with others, prayers for all: these are our means to give rise to love where there is hatred, forgiveness where there is offence.” @Pontifex 2 October 2016
  • “May the Lord, who creates harmony out of diversity, forever protect this beloved land of the Caucasus.” @Pontifex 2 October 2016
  • “I entrust to Mary the anxieties and sufferings of those peoples who are innocent victims of conflicts in many parts of the world.” @Pontifex 3 October 2016
  • “Saint Francis, teach us to be instruments of peace which has its source in God. #LaudatoSi” @Pontifex 4 October 2016
  • “Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue is not a luxury, but something which our world, wounded by conflict and division, increasingly needs.” @Pontifex 5 October 2016

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Book Review

Book Review: Discovery

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Karina Fabian latest novel is a SF first contact called Discovery.

First off there was just so much I enjoyed. I just love the concept of an order of Religious sisters dedicated to rescuing people involved in accidents in space (Our Lady of the Rescue).

An apparently dead alien starship is detected in the Kuiper Belt on an asteroid and a team has been sent out to investigate. The “Rescue Sisters” were sought out to join the mission and to provide training and oversee safety.

An interesting premise, but what I think I loved most was the characters in the story. There is lots of tension involving competing groups and individuals with there own ideas on what first contact might bring. A clash of worldviews. Their is some depth to the characters in the story. Various levels of brokenness among the crew and the sisters.

The faith of the sisters play a large part in the novel and the resolution of it. Villians in the plot are not two-dimensional characters just to provide tension and to move the plot. They have a realism to their motives and for the Rescue Sisters there is more than just physical rescuing.

Sister Rita, a central character, is having to face a situation she in part ran from as someone from her past is part of the crew. There were many ways this plot point could have gone cliche, but didn’t. The character of Sister Ann was quite memorable. She had a way of speaking in non-linear way of expressing the spiritual dimension of things. Perceptive and wise, but also having her own problems to resolve.

Add to this the discovery of something on the alien ship that throws the crew into conflict.

As a SF novel I thought the story was quite good on it’s own merit. How character-driven this novel was enhanced the story. I have read several of Karina Fabian’s books and the majority were comic novels making the most of a fun concept. Discovery is a more serious SF novel, but her wit does poke through from time to time. I would certainly like to read more of the Rescue Sisters.

While the Catholicism of the book is central to the main characters, it is integral with the story and is in no way “hit-you-over-the-head-message-fiction.”

Here is a recent interview she did with Ellen Gable Hrkach that I found interesting.

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 153 – 22 September 2016

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from
3 September 2016 to 22 September 2016.

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also post at Jimmy Akin’s The Weekly Francis. Jimmy Akin came up with this idea when he started “The Weekly Benedict” and I have taken over curation of it.

Angelus

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Speeches

Papal Tweets

Papal Instagram

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