ENCUENTRO MUNDIAL DE LAS FAMILIAS 2015 / WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 2015

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En preparación para el Encuentro Mundial de Familias, estaremos publicando varios artículos en las próximas semanas para que juntos podamos vivir según el tema de este año: “El amor es Nuestra Misión: La Familia Plenamente Viva”

MADRE, MAESTRA, FAMILIA: LA NATURALEZA Y ROL DE LA IGLESIA

Desde la apertura de los primeros párrafos, esta catequesis explica como fuimos creados para la comunión con Dios y los unos para con los otros. La Iglesia tiene una forma institucional porque esta comunión debe ser visible y palpable, y active en el mundo. Los miembros, como venas terrenales de la Iglesia, son necesarias para proclamar una realidad espiritual: la Iglesia es la esposa de Cristo Jesús, y “ella” no es “algo” sino “alguien.” En las palabras del Papa San Juan XIII, la Iglesia es nuestra madre y maestra, nuestra ayuda y guía, y nuestra familia en la fe. Todos los bautizados son hijos e hijas de la Iglesia, dándole a los cristianos la más auténtica y fundamental identidad. Como miembros de la Iglesia, somos miembros de “un solo cuerpo” que no es definido por alguna calificación humana, como edad, nacionalidad, o inteligencia, o por algún logro humano, como eficiencia, organización o virtud moral. Aun cuando sus propios miembros o lideres pecan, nosotros necesitamos de la sabiduría de la Iglesia, sus sacramentos, su apoyo y proclamación de la verdad. Así como nuestra condición pecadora nunca borra nuestra humanidad creada a la imagen de Dios, cuando los católicos pecan, eso no borra la santidad de la Iglesia. La esencia de la Iglesia depende en Jesús, una fundación que nos hace responsables, pero que a la vez es mas segura que cualquier logro o fracaso humano. Dios nunca nos abandona. A pesar de sus muchas fallas, la Iglesia nunca olvida su responsabilidad de predicar y vivir el evangelio. “El Amor es Nuestra Misión,” y la Iglesia es la familia que enseña y manifiesta este amor.

To prepare for the World Meeting of Families, in the following weeks we will be publishing articles so together we can live according to this year’s theme: “Love is our Mission: The Family Fully Alive”

MOTHER, TEACHER, FAMILY: THE NATURE AND ROLE OF THE CHURCH

From its opening paragraphs, this catechism has explained how we were created for communion with God and one another. The Church has institutional forms because this communion must be visible and tangible, and active in the world. The Church’s earthen vessels are necessary for proclaiming a spiritual reality: the Church is the Bride of Christ, a “she,” not an “it.” In the words of Saint John XXIII, the Church is our mother and teacher, our comforter and guide, our family of faith. All the baptized are the Church’s sons and daughters, giving Christians our most fundamental and authentic identity. As members of the Church, we are members of the “one body” that is not defined by any human qualification, such as age, nationality, or intelligence, or by any human achievement, such as efficiency, organization, or moral virtue. Even when her people and leaders sin, we still need the Church’s wisdom, sacraments, support, and proclamation of the truth. Just as our own sinfulness never erases our creation in God’s image, when Catholics sin, that does not erase the Church’s holiness. The Church’s essence depends on Jesus, a foundation which holds us accountable, but which is also deeper and more secure than any human achievement or failure. God never abandons us. Despite her many failures, the Church cannot shirk the responsibility to preach and live the Gospel. “Love is our mission,” and the Church is the family that teaches and embodies this love.

 

ENCUENTRO MUNDIAL DE LAS FAMILIAS 2015 / WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 2015

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En preparación para el Encuentro Mundial de Familias, estaremos publicando varios artículos en las próximas semanas para que juntos podamos vivir según el tema de este año:

“El amor es Nuestra Misión: La Familia Plenamente Viva”

To prepare for the World Meeting of Families, in the following weeks we will be publishing articles so that together we can live according to this year’s theme:

“Love is our Mission: The Family Fully Alive”

UN HOGAR PARA EL CORAZON HERIDO

Jesús puso estándares altos acerca de la castidad, pidiéndole a sus seguidores que vivieran diferente al resto del mundo. Jesús enseño acerca de la sexualidad y el matrimonio, el cual nosotros podemos encontrar difícil de aceptar y vivir, tanto en tiempos antiguos como en nuestros días. Pero Jesús nos invita a vivir en sacrificio por una buena razón. Jesús nos dice la verdad acerca de como amar, y por eso si respetamos nuestros votos matrimoniales, practicamos dominio propio, y nos tratamos el uno al otro castamente, comunión y libertad espiritual vendrán sobre nuestros corazones y nuestras comunidades.

Por supuesto, todos caemos y pecamos, hiriéndonos a nosotros mismos y a otros en el proceso. El pecado causa un profundo dolor en la vida familiar. Por esta razón, el Papa Francisco, en una ocasión, comparó de una manera muy acertada a la Iglesia con “un hospital después de una guerra.”

En nuestra vida parroquial ordinaria, cada una de nosotros cumple su misión cuando cargamos las penas los unos de los otros y nos ayudamos a sanar las heridas. Nadie debe estar solo u olvidado en la parroquia. La Iglesia es una familia de aquellos quienes han encontrado a Jesús, quienes confiesan que Jesús es el Señor, quienes desean que la gracia de Jesús le de forma a sus vidas, y se ayudan los unos a otros a responder a su llamado. La persona de Jesús favorece la paciencia, perdón y confianza para que podamos convertir y renovar nuestro corazón en áreas que, de otra manera, se nos haría imposible. Aun con cualquier controversia que se alza en nuestra cultura o lo que otros hagan o dejen de hacer, Jesús y sus sacramentos están siempre con nosotros, y el Amor es siempre nuestra misión.

A HOME FOR THE WOUNDED HEART

Jesus set a high standard for chastity, asking his followers to live differently from the rest of the world. Jesus taught things about sexuality and marriage which we may find difficult to accept and live, both in ancient times and today. But Jesus asked us to live sacrificially for good reason. He tells us the truth about how to love, and so if we respect marriage vows, practice self-control, and treat each other chastely, communion and freedom of spirit will dawn in our hearts and in our communities.

Of course, we all stumble and sin, hurting ourselves and others in the process. Sin causes profound pain in family life. That is why Pope Francis once famously likened the Church to “a field hospital after battle.” Pope Benedict called each parish a “family of families.”

In our ordinary parish life, each of us fulfills our mission when we bear one another’s burdens and help each other heal the wounds. No one should be lonely or forgotten in a parish. The Church is a family of those who have encountered Jesus, who confess that he is Lord, who desire his grace to shape their lives, and so help each other respond to him. Jesus’s way enables patience, forgiveness, and trust, so that we can convert and renew our hearts in ways that would otherwise seem impossible. Whatever controversies might arise in our culture, whatever others might do or fail to do, Jesus and his Sacraments are always with us, and love is always our mission.

ENCUENTRO MUNDIAL DE LAS FAMILIAS 2015 / WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 2015

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En preparación para el Encuentro Mundial de Familias, estaremos publicando varios artículos en las próximas semanas para que juntos podamos vivir según el tema de este año:

“El amor es Nuestra Misión: La Familia Plenamente Viva”

To prepare for the World Meeting of Families, in the following weeks we will be publishing articles So that together we can live according to this year’s theme:

“Love is our Mission: The Family Fully Alive”

LUZ EN MEDIO DE LAS TINIEBLAS

El Papa Francisco ha reconocido que la Iglesia es popular cuando los Católicos trabajan por la justicia social. “Pero,” continuo el Papa, con respecto a “la crisis cultural” a la que se enfrenta la familia, “encontramos que es difícil hacerle ver a la gente que cuando creamos conciencia contraria a la opinión publica, lo hacemos precisamente por fidelidad a las mismas convicciones referentes a la dignidad humana y del bien común.” Este capitulo examina cuidadosamente temas como la pornografía, anticonceptivos, y los llamados, “matrimonio del mismo sexo.” Estos son los temas donde la Iglesia Católica parece estar en conflicto con la opinión popular. Leer este capitulo en su versión completa da un oportunidad para considerar la enseñanza de la Iglesia Católica. Cada uno de los temas mencionados merece un espacio mas amplio que lo que esta breve lectura puede ofrecer. Pero como ya mencionamos al principio de esta catequesis de preparación, toda la enseñanza de la Iglesia acerca del matrimonio, la familia y la sexualidad fluyen de la persona de Jesús. La teología moral Católica se basa en la convicción Cristiana de la creación de Dios y su alianza, la caída de la humanidad, y la encarnación de Jesús, su vida, muerte y resurrección. Estas enseñanzas llevan entre si un precio a pagar y un sufrimiento para todos los que se consideran seguidores de Jesús, pero también abren nuevas oportunidades para el embellecimiento y el florecimiento humano. Este capitulo ofrece una oportunidad para explorar como todo se complementa, aun cuando esto significa tomar un partido donde no se esta de acuerdo con la opinión popular. Este capitulo enseña como cuando la Iglesia dice “no” a algo que el mundo secular acepta, lo hace con un deseo profundo de decirle que “si “ a Dios y a su plan para nuestras vidas.

LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD

Pope Francis observed that the Church is popular with the world when Catholics work for social justice. But, the Pope continued, with respect to “the cultural crisis” facing the family, “we find it difficult to make people see that when we raise other questions less palatable to public opinion, we are doing so out of fidelity to precisely the same convictions about human dignity and the common good.” This chapter carefully examines subjects such as pornography, contraception, and so-called same-sex marriage. These are topics where Catholic teaching tends to be at odds with current worldly opinion. Reading this chapter in its entirety is an opportunity to consider the reasons for the Church’s teaching. Each one of these issues deserves more space than this summary paragraph can offer. But as we said at the start of this catechesis, all Church teaching about marriage, the family, and sexuality flows from Jesus. Catholic moral theology builds upon basic Christian convictions about God’s creation and covenant, humanity’s fall, and Christ’s incarnation, life, crucifixion, and resurrection. These teachings involve costs and suffering for all who would be Jesus’ disciples, but they also open up new opportunities for beauty and human flourishing. This chapter is your chance to explore how it all fits together, even when it might mean taking unpopular stances in our culture. This chapter explains how every time the Church says “no” to something which secular society accepts, it is for the sake of enabling a deeper “yes” to God and his plan for our lives.

ENCUENTRO MUNDIAL DE LAS FAMILIAS 2015 / WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 2015

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En preparación para el Encuentro Mundial de Familias, estaremos publicando varios artículos en las próximas semanas para que juntos podamos vivir según el tema de este año:

“El amor es Nuestra Misión: La Familia Plenamente Viva”

To prepare for the World Meeting of Families, in the following weeks we will be publishing articles so that together we can live according to this year’s theme:
“Love is our Mission: The Family Fully Alive”

EL AMOR ES FECUNDO

“El amor es nuestra misión” para todos – no solo para los casados. El matrimonio católico es un hermoso sacramento, pero no es necesario para complementar la vida humana. En cualquier sociedad muchos serán marginados cuando se ve al matrimonio como obligatorio, como si uno necesitara una pareja sexual para sentirse completo. El celibato en al Iglesia se contrapone a esta desviante idea, insistiendo que la vida fuera de un matrimonio es también con miras a ser hermosa, social y sacramental.

El celibato católico y el matrimonio tienen un mismo razonamiento, porque en ambos casos, el amor nos compromete al servicio y nos une a la cruz. La vida del celibato puede ser laical o clériga. El celibato puede ser una elección por botos a la vida religiosa o como resultado de no tener la capacidad de llegar al matrimonio por alguna discapacidad u otra circunstancia. Hay muchas maneras de ser célibe, cada uno con distinciones importantes, pero para ser fecundas, todas requieren una acción interna desde el alma, un ofrecimiento de nuestro corazón al Señor. Los célibes y matrimonios sabios y maduros practican muchas de la mismas habilidades espirituales. Ambos, el celibato y el matrimonio, proclaman que la intimidad sexual no puede ser un experimento temporal o audición condicional. Ambos, el celibato y el matrimonio, crean solidaridad entre ambos sexos, rechazando al sexo en el contexto de lo que el Papa Francisco llama “la cultura del desperdicio.” Crear comunidades donde hombres y mujeres solteros experimenten el gozo y vivan su misión es algo que los cristianos necesitan hacer los unos por los otros.

ALL LOVE BEARS FRUIT

“Love is our mission” for everyone – not just those who are married. Catholic marriage is a beautiful sacrament, but it is not necessary for a fully human life. In any society, many will be marginalized if marriage is seen as mandatory, as if one needs a sexual partner in order to be complete. Celibacy in the Church resists this misleading idea, insisting that life outside of marriage is also meant to be beautiful, social, and sacramental.

Catholic celibacy and marriage have the same inner rationale, for in both cases, love commits us to service and joins us to the cross. A life of celibacy may be lay or ordained. Celibacy can be chosen, as in vowed religious life, or as a result of being unable to marry, due to disability or other special circumstance. There are many ways of being celibate, each with important distinctions, but to be fruitful, they all require a similar internal motion of the soul, an offering of our heart to the Lord. Wise and mature celibates and spouses practice many of the same spiritual skills. Celibacy and marriage both proclaim that sexual intimacy cannot be a temporary experiment or a conditional audition. Both celibacy and marriage create solidarity between the sexes, rejecting sex in the context of what Pope Francis called the “throwaway culture.” To create communities where unmarried men and women experience joy and live their mission is something Christians need to do for one another.

March Homilies

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March Homilies

November 2, 2014: Pope Francis Angelus

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POPE FRANCIS: ANGELUS

COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED

Saint Peter’s Square
Sunday, 2 November 2014

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,

Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, and today the liturgy invites us to commemorate the faithful departed. These two recurrences are intimately linked to each other, just as joy and tears find a synthesis in Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of our faith and our hope. On the one hand, in fact, the Church, a pilgrim in history, rejoices through the intercession of the Saints and the Blessed who support her in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel; on the other, she, like Jesus, shares the tears of those who suffer separation from loved ones, and like Him and through Him echoes the thanksgiving to the Father who has delivered us from the dominion of sin and death.

Yesterday and today, many have been visiting cemeteries, which, as the word itself implies, is the “place of rest”, as we wait for the final awakening. It is lovely to think that it will be Jesus himself to awaken us. Jesus himself revealed that the death of the body is like a sleep from which He awakens us. With this faith we pause — even spiritually — at the graves of our loved ones, of those who loved us and did us good. But today we are called to remember everyone, even those who no one remembers. We remember the victims of war and violence; the many “little ones” of the world, crushed by hunger and poverty; we remember the anonymous who rest in the communal ossuary. We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they were Christian; and those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have left us during the past year.

Church Tradition has always urged prayer for the deceased, in particular by offering the Eucharistic Celebration for them: it is the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to those who are the most forsaken. The foundation of prayer in suffrage lies in the communion of the Mystical Body.

As the Second Vatican Council repeats, “fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead” (Lumen Gentium, n. 50).

Remembering the dead, caring for their graves and prayers of suffrage, are the testimony of confident hope, rooted in the certainty that death does not have the last word on human existence, for man is destined to a life without limits, which has its roots and its fulfillment in God. Let us raise this prayer to God: “God of infinite mercy, we entrust to your immense goodness all those who have left this world for eternity, where you wait for all humanity, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ your Son, who died as a ransom for our sins. Look not, O Lord, on our poverty, our suffering, our human weakness, when we appear before you to be judged for joy or for condemnation. Look upon us with mercy, born of the tenderness of your heart, and help us to walk in the ways of complete purification. Let none of your children be lost in the eternal fire, where there can be no repentance. We entrust to you, O Lord, the souls of our beloved dead, of those who have died without the comfort of the sacraments, or who have not had an opportunity to repent, even at the end of their lives. May none of them be afraid to meet You, after their earthly pilgrimage, but may they always hope to be welcomed in the embrace of your infinite mercy. May our Sister, corporal death find us always vigilant in prayer and filled with the goodness done in the course of our short or long lives. Lord, may no earthly thing ever separate us from You, but may everyone and everything support us with a burning desire to rest peacefully and eternally in You. Amen” (Fr Antonio Rungi, Passionist,Prayer for the Dead).

With this faith in man’s supreme destiny, we now turn to Our Lady, who suffered the tragedy of Christ’s death beneath the Cross and took part in the joy of his Resurrection. May She, the Gate of Heaven, help us to understand more and more the value of prayer in suffrage for the souls of the dead. They are close to us! May She support us on our daily pilgrimage on earth and help us to never lose sight of life’s ultimate goal which is Heaven. And may we go forth with this hope that never disappoints!

After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters, I greet the families, parish groups, associations and all the pilgrims from Rome, from Italy and from so many parts of the world. In particular, I greet the faithful from the Diocese of Seville, Spain, those from the Case Finali in Cesena and the volunteers from Oppeano and Granzette who do clown therapy in the hospitals. I see them there: continue to do this, which does the sick such good. Let us greet these good people!

I wish a happy Sunday to all, in Christian remembrance of our dear departed. Please, do not forget to pray for me.

Have a good lunch. Arrivederci!

To read more reflections and messages from Pope Francis, visit: The Vatican’s Website