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Calling Scotland's 841,000 Catholics to unite as one voice
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With Christianity dying out in Europe we need the family more than ever
Posted on April 6, 2017 at 4:44 AM |
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It's a real wake up call. Jesus is losing his influence in Europe. Christianity is dying out. We've known for some time now that Christianity is on the decline in Europe, but recent data released by the Pew Research Center reveals just how stark that decline is. Indeed, it is the only decline in any religion in any part of the world between 2010 and 2015. But for Christianity's decline in Europe, every religion across all continents witnessed an increase in numbers, including Christianity itself, which is growing rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Islam is also growing rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as Asia Pacific. But it is in Europe where the real story lies. An astonishing drop of 5.6 million Christian births to deaths has seen the religion plummet across the continent. There are many reasons for this, not least a much greater prevalence of lukewarm Christianity and an increasingly secular culture. Across the world Islam will continue to grow in greater numbers than Christianity, with a fertility rate of 2.9 compared to 2.6 for Christians. Islam also has the youngest median age in terms of adherents to the faith, at just 24. Hindus are at 27 with Christians at 30. We have known for some time that Islam would eventually catch up with Christianity in terms of numbers, and within twenty years births to women of Islamic faith will outnumber Christian births. But it is in Europe where there must be deep concern for Christians. Why is the faith struggling so much in that continent? For European Christians there is undoubtedly a crisis when it comes to the family. Europe's secular influence, with its liberal laws around contraception, abortion and marriage, has chipped away at the hearts and minds of the faithful, giving them an excuse to focus on the self and to set aside the call of Christ to first and foremost love God and neighbour. Families now come in all different shapes and sizes; their constitution often based on the ideological whim of selfish individuals. The idea that a young man and a young woman can look lovingly into one another's eyes, establish a firm and beautiful friendship that leads to the great sacrament of marriage and the bearing of fruit through the birth of new life is dumbed down by the culture of want. And we have all bought into it. It is a sad reflection on our lack of faith. As Pope John Paul II said, "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live." We Christians have let down the family, and Europe is the nation Pope John Paul refers to. It is going and if we don't reclaim it the world will eventually go with it. Europe, to coin a famous song, is most definitely losing its religion and losing Christ. If it is to recover, radical change in attitude is required. Starting with the family. |
Cadbury, don't let the bullies win
Posted on April 4, 2017 at 10:07 AM |
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So chocolate maker Cadbury and the National Trust have decided to drop the word 'Easter' from their annual egg hunt events across the UK. Is this a disgrace? Is it absurd? Or is it quite simply "absolutely ridiculous" as Theresa May put it. I guess companies like Cadbury can do what they want when it comes to their own events and the marketing of their own products which, Cadbury claim, will continue to bear the word 'Easter' on packaging. I personally think the whole thing is just a little disappointing but not in the least bit surprising. It's disappointing that tradition has been kicked into touch in favour of what I suspect Cadbury see as a more 'inclusive' approach. I mean, who on earth is going to refuse to attend an event simply because the title bears the word 'Easter'? And, if they did, would their hyper sensitive presence be missed? It's also disappointing, but not altogether surprising, that the real meaning of events like Easter has been lost in our increasingly secular culture of relativism. Is it any wonder terms like 'Easter' are being gradually removed in a world that has no interest in objective reality and truth? We are infinitely obsessed with ourselves and what effect certain things may have on us without any consideration whatsoever for others, or for the common good. A simple, harmless word is suddenly and no less conveniently turned into a term of intolerant discriminatory speak. For the poor sensitive souls who do not align with its meaning, they simply cannot bear the horror it brings. The only logical solution, it seems, is to kill it (oh how this resonates with the real Easter message). It is, of course, complete nonsense that people can somehow be hurt or offended by the word 'Easter'. But this is the culture that has been created by those who desire no religion in their lives nor indeed the lives of anyone else for that matter. Their goal is an authoritarian regime where religion is no more, and they are carefully taking very small steps towards that goal. Perhaps Cadbury and the National Trust will see sense and not let the bullies win in this rather sorry pointless debacle. But, in the meantime, lest us rest easy in the comfort of the reality of Easter and the salvation it brings. |
Cardinal Sarah warns against 'demonic gender ideology'
Posted on December 6, 2016 at 9:34 AM |
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This talk by Cardinal Robert Sarah took place earlier this year at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. It is essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of the ongoing assault on and subsequent destruction of the family in our so called 'progressive' world. Cardinal Sarah also considers what we, as Christians, can do to respond. Here is the text of Cardinal Sarah's address: Thank you for inviting me to this remarkable gathering, in the company of such a distinguished audience. As you well know, what happens in the United States has repercussions everywhere. The entire globe looks to you, waiting and praying, to see what America resolves on the pressing challenges the world faces today. Such is your influence and responsibility. I do not say this lightly, because we find ourselves in such portentous times. 1. The Situation of the World and the Mission of the Church Rapid social and economic development in the past half century has not been accompanied by an equally fervent spiritual progress, as we witness what Pope Francis calls “globalized indifference.” It is the result of giving in to the delusion that we are self-sufficient, that man is his own measure in a pervasive individualism. It is manifested in the fear of suffering in our societies, our closing our eyes and hearts to the poor and vulnerable, and, in a very despicable way, in how we discard the unborn and the elderly. When he prophetically announced the Second Vatican Council in the Apostolic Constitution Humanae Salutis,Saint John XXIII remarked that the human community was in “turmoil” as it sought to establish a new world order where humanity relies entirely on technical and scientific solutions instead of God. Today we are witnessing the next stage – and the consummation – of the efforts to build a utopian paradise on earth without God. It is the stage of denying sin and the fall altogether. But the death of God results in the burial of good, beauty, love and truth. Good becomes evil, beauty is ugly, love becomes the satisfaction of sexual primal instincts, and truths are all relative. So all manner of immorality is not only accepted and tolerated today in advanced societies, but even promoted as a social good. The result is hostility to Christians, and, increasingly, religious persecution. Nowhere is this clearer than in the threat that societies are visiting on the family through a demonic “gender ideology,” a deadly impulse that is being experienced in a world increasingly cut off from God through ideological colonialism. Saint Pope John XXIII observed in 1962: “Tasks of immense gravity and amplitude await the Church, as in the most tragic periods of her history. The Church must now inject the vivifying and perennial energies of the gospel into the veins of the human community.” This remains the challenge that the Church is facing presently, more even than in 1962, and it is our task today. This is what I spoke of in my book God or Nothing: “Today the Church must fight against prevailing trends, with courage and hope, and not be afraid to raise her voice to denounce the hypocrites, the manipulators, and the false prophets. For two thousand years, the Church has faced many contrary winds but at the end of the most difficult journey, the victory was always won.” 2. The Family “The future of the world and the Church passes through the family.” These prophetic words of Saint John Paul II show how the Church, in our time, must, above all, defend and promote the beauty of the Christian family in fidelity to God’s design. In his post-synodal Exhortation on the Family, Amoris Lætitia (“The Joy of Love”), Pope Francis states clearly: “In no way must the Church desist from proposing the full ideal of marriage, God’s plan in all its grandeur … proposing less than what Jesus offers to the human being.” This is why the Holy Father openly and vigorously defends Church teaching on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, reproductive technologies, the education of children and much more. In my first five years as Archbishop of Conakry (Guinea, Africa), I made it my task to dedicate all of my pastoral letters to the family. Perhaps only the beauty of the family can reawaken the longing for God in the innermost recesses of the conscience of our brothers and sisters, and heal the wounds inflicted on our humanity by sin. Saint John Paul, the Pope of the new evangelization, describes in Familiaris Consortio how the family is the first place where the Gospel is welcomed and is also the first herald of the Gospel. How true this is! The generous and responsible love of spouses, made visible through the self-giving of parents, who welcome and nurture children as a gift of God, makes love visible in our generation. It makes present the perfect charity of the Trinity. “If you see charity, you see the Trinity,” wrote Saint Augustine. From the beginning of creation, God, who is a communion of persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three different Persons, yet one – has built a Trinitarian structure into our very nature. In the continent of my origin, Africa, we declare: “Man is nothing without woman, woman is nothing without man, and the two are nothing without a third element, which is the child.” The Triune God dwells within each of us and imbues our whole being: God’s own image and likeness. Every human being, like the persons of the Trinity, has the capacity to be united with other persons in communion through the vinculum caritatis – the bond of charity – of the Holy Spirit. The family is a natural preparation and anticipation of the communion that is possible when we are united with God. The family, as it were, is a natural praeparatio evangelica – written into our nature. This is why the devil is so intent on destroying the family. If the family is destroyed, we lose our God-given, anthropological foundations and so find it more difficult to welcome the saving Good News of Jesus Christ: self-giving, fruitful love. St. John Paul explained: if it is true that the family is the place where more than anywhere else human beings can flourish and truly be themselves, it is also a place where human beings can be humanly and spiritually wounded. The rupture of the foundational relationships of someone’s life – through separation, divorce or distorted impositions of the family, such as cohabitation and same sex unions – is a deep wound that closes the heart to self-giving love unto death, and even leads to cynicism and despair. These situations cause damage to little children through inflicting upon them a deep existential doubt about love. They are a scandal – a stumbling block – that prevents the most vulnerable from believing in such love, and a crushing burden that can prevent them from opening to the healing power of the Gospel. Advanced societies, including – I regret – this nation have done and continue to do everything possible to legalize such situations. But this can never be a truthful solution. It is like putting bandages on an infected wound. It will continue to poison the body until antibiotics are taken. Sadly, the advent of artificial reproductive technologies, surrogacy, so-called homosexual “marriage”, and other evils of gender ideology, will inflict even more wounds in the midst of the generations we live with. This is why it is so important to fight to protect the family, the first cell of the life of the Church and every society. This is not about abstract ideas. It is not an ideological war between competing ideas. This is about defending ourselves, children and future generations from a demonic ideology that says children do not need mothers and fathers. It denies human nature and wants to cut off entire generations from God. 3. Religious Freedom I encourage you to truly make use of the freedom willed by your founding fathers, lest you lose it. In so many other countries, on almost a daily basis, we hear of merciless beheadings, futile bombings of churches, torching of orphanages and ruthless expulsions of entire families from homes that religious minorities suffer worldwide simply because of their beliefs. Even in this yet young twenty-first century of barely 16 years, one million people have been martyred around the world because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Yet the violence against Christians is not just physical, it is also political, ideological and cultural. This form of religious persecution is equally damaging, yet more hidden. It does not destroy physically but spiritually; it demolishes the teaching of Jesus and His Church and, hence, the foundations of faith by leading souls astray. By this violence, political leaders, lobby groups and mass media seek to neutralize and depersonalize the conscience of Christians so as to dissolve them in a fluid society without religion and without God. This is the will of the Evil One: to close Heaven … out of envy. Do we not see signs of this insidious war in this great nation of the United States? In the name of “tolerance,” the Church’s teachings on marriage, sexuality and the human person are dismantled. The legalization of same sex marriage, the obligation to accept contraception within health care programs, and even “bathroom bills” that allow men to use the women’s restrooms and locker rooms. Should not a biological man use the men’s restroom? How simpler can that concept be? How low we are sinking for a nation built on a set of moral claims about God, the human person, the meaning of life, and the purpose of society, given by America’s first settlers and founders! God is named in your founding documents as “Creator” and “Supreme Judge” over individuals and government. The human person endowed with God-given and therefore inalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” George Washington wrote that “the establishment of Civil and Religious Liberty was the motive that induced me to the field of battle.” Today, we find ourselves before the battle of a sickness that has pervaded our world. I repeat: the battle of a sickness. That is what we face. I call this sickness “the liquidation, the eclipse of God.” Pope Francis describes the causes of this “sickness.” I quote: “Religious liberty is not only that of thought or private worship. It is freedom to live according to ethical principles consequent upon the truth found, be it privately or publicly. This is a great challenge in the globalized world, where weak thought – which is like a sickness – also lowers the general ethical level, and in the name of a false concept of tolerance ends up by persecuting those who defend the truth about man and the ethical consequences.” What are the remedies to this sickness? What should we do to protect the family, religious freedom, and marriage – as revealed to us by God? Concluding Remarks Before such a distinguished gathering, I offer three humble suggestions. 1. First: Be prophetic. The Book of Proverbs tells us: “Where there is no vision, discernment, the people perish” (29, 18). Discern carefully – in your lives, your homes, your workplaces – how, in your nation, God is being eroded, eclipsed, liquidated. Blessed Paul VI saw that in 1968 when, for the Church, he so courageously wrote Humanae Vitae. What are the threats to Christian identity and the family today? ISIS, the growing influence of China, the colonization of ideologies such as gender? How do we react? 2. Be faithful. This is my second suggestion. Specifically for you, as men and women called to influence even the political sphere you have a mission of bringing Divine Revelation to bear in the lives of your fellow citizens. Uphold the wise principles of your founding fathers. Do not be afraid to proclaim the truth with love, especially about marriage according to God’s plan, just as courageously as Saint John the Baptist, who risked his life to proclaim the truth. The battle to preserve the roots of mankind is perhaps the greatest challenge that our world has faced since its origins. In the words of Saint Catherine of Siena: “Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.” 3. Third: Pray. Sometimes, in front of happenings in the world, our nation or even the Church, the results of our prayer might tempt us to become discouraged. Like Sisyphus in the Greek myth: condemned to roll a large boulder uphill, only to see it roll down again as soon as he had reached the top. Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est encourages us : “People who pray are not wasting their time, even though the situation appears desperate and seems to call for action alone.” Whether in doctrine or morality or everyday decisions, the heart of prayer is to discern God’s will. This can only happen in prolonged moments of silence where, like Elijah before the horrendous threats of Queen Jezebel, we allow the “gentle breeze” of God to enlighten us and confirm us along our journey to do God’s will. Such was the virginal silence of the Blessed Mother. At a marriage, the wedding feast of Cana, when for a new family “they have no wine,” Mary our Mother trusted in the grace given by Jesus to bestow the joy of love overflowing – Amoris Lætitia. She pronounced her very last words, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2: 1-12).Then she remained silent. Be prophetic. Be faithful. Pray. That is why I came to this prayer breakfast. To encourage you. Be prophetic. Be faithful. And, above all, pray. These three suggestions make present that the battle for the soul of America, and the soul of the world, is primarily spiritual. They show that the battle is fought firstly with our own conversion to God’s will every day. And so I wholly welcome this initiative, and join you in prayer that this great country may experience a new great “spiritual awakening”, and help stem the tide of evil that is spreading in the world. I am confident that your efforts will no doubt contribute to protecting human life, strengthening the family, and safeguarding religious freedom not only here in these United States, but everywhere in the world. For in the end: it is “God or nothing.” |
Standing up for God (Dwelling on the Word of God)
Posted on November 11, 2016 at 5:47 PM |
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From Sunday's Gospel: “But before all this
happens, men will seize you and persecute you; they will hand you over to the
synagogues and to imprisonment, and bring you before kings and governors
because of my name – and that will be your opportunity to bear witness. Keep
this carefully in mind: you are not to prepare your defence, because I myself
shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be
able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and
brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death. You will
be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be
lost. Your endurance will win you your lives” Jesus warns us time and again through the gospels that we
will be persecuted for believing in him.
We are perhaps tempted to brush over this, given the relative comfort
and freedom we enjoy as Catholics in the Western world of the 21 Century. And indeed it is unlikely that any of us will
be martyred for the faith, imprisoned or seized and brought before governors
and kings. So can we happily skip these
passages of scriptures, confident that they are not relevant to us, needed
perhaps for another time and place, but not now? I would suggest that we would do this at our
peril. Christians remain the most
persecuted people in the world today. But even in our apparently “tolerant”
society, Christian beliefs are scoffed at and looked upon scornfully. It is worth meditating upon in prayer: in what ways does your Christian faith
disadvantage you in the world? Do colleagues
laugh or look at you askance when you mention you went to Mass at the weekend? Do family members dismiss some of your views,
as they are based on faith and therefore are somehow less important? Do disbelieving friends aggressively try to engage
you in debate to point out the flaws in your theology? Do people stare if you say grace in a
restaurant before meals? To help us to consider this further, it is perhaps
worth pondering the times when we fail to stand up for Jesus for fear of
ridicule. Do we stay quiet when others
discuss ‘hot topics’ like abortion or same-sex marriage? Do we bite our tongue when we overhear someone
taking the Lord’s name in vain? Do we
agree with the relativist position “that’s true for you but not for me” when
challenged? These might seem like small
points, compared to the crown of martyrdom.
But these are the persecutions of our time, put in our path to lead us
to holiness. These are the “opportunities”
talked about in today’s gospel passage. We
must “keep this carefully in mind” and pray about these things, asking Jesus to
give us the grace to be bold and confident in his love and help. And we must look on any ridicule or challenge
as a blessing, ever keeping our eye on the prize of eternal life. In staying true in these small persecutions,
our souls will be prepared, with God’s grace, for martyrdom, should we ever be
called to that. |
Unity in Christ
Posted on June 17, 2016 at 11:11 AM |
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Sunday’s Second Reading (Galatians 3:26-29): ‘You are, all of you, sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus. All baptised in Christ, you have all clothed
yourselves in Christ, and there are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek,
slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Merely
by belonging to Christ you are the posterity of Abraham, the heirs he was
promised.’ This Sunday’s second reading reveals a teaching that is
fundamental to the Christian life, that of unity. Jesus Christ unites. He doesn’t desire to separate or divide. Rather, his intention is to bring all people
together in his name so that he can one day bring them to share in the glory of
the Kingdom of God. Do we unify people?
Do we seek to be at one with others as we go about our daily lives? Or do we create divisions through pride,
selfishness and cynicism? Christ’s love demands unity, not division. If we love as Christ loves, we will
unite. |
Peace must reign as yet more precious lives are lost
Posted on June 14, 2016 at 7:03 AM |
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People gather to mourn the dead The tragic events in Orlando provide yet another glaring
example of man’s inhumanity to man. Very
few of us can even begin to imagine what was going through the minds of the
hundreds of young partygoers in Pulse nightclub as the horrid truth about what
was unfolding became clear. It wasn’t a
case of exuberant pyrotechnics or sophisticated indoor fireworks. It was the crackling of gunfire and the flash
of bullets as one hate-filled individual felt compelled to walk into the club
and shoot dead 49 innocent people and injure many others. Islamic State militants have claimed that Omar Mateen acted
on their instruction. Whether he did or
not is perhaps not important because, at the end of the day, both Islamic State
and Omar Mateen are callous murderers, with no consideration for their fellow
man and woman, and little thought to the pain and hurt that their actions
cause. The cries of parents, siblings, and friends have rung out
from the devastated city of Orlando ever since Mateen decided to walk into the
Pulse nightclub early on Sunday morning and shoot unashamedly at his unsuspecting
victims. The world has joined them in
mourning their precious loved ones who have been taken so suddenly and without
warning. Little did they know that when
they waved the young revellers off on Saturday night, it would be the last time
they would see them alive. It is truly
horrific. At this time of great uncertainty with no little hate
flowing through our world it is important that we Christians stand firm with all people of goodwill to continue to promote peace.
There is no life that isn’t precious in God’s eye. This is our fundamental belief and we must
fight hard to promote the sanctity of human life, be it the unborn child, the
frail old woman, or the young lad enjoying quality time with his friends in a
nightclub. All life is precious and worthy
of protection. We pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of the dead,
and we pray for their families that they will find some comfort in knowing that
their loved ones are at the mercy of a loving Father. We also pray for those who are inclined to such violence,
that their hearts be changed to see the inherent value of all people, even if
some of them do not conform to their own beliefs. |
The Good News of Eternal Life
Posted on May 24, 2016 at 9:19 AM |
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‘You will
shine in the world like bright stars because you
are offering it the word of life.’ (Ph2:15-16) Today’s Gospel acclamation is a beautiful
summary of our mission as Christians. At
a time when Christianity - despite being on the rise worldwide - is gradually being
eroded across the western world, this little piece of scripture is a timely
reminder of our call to evangelise. By evangelising and spreading the Gospel, as
instructed to by Christ himself, we aren’t simply passing on a simple
historical message in order to preserve it and keep it going for as long as possible. By evangelising and spreading the Gospel we
are offering people life. The Word of
God is life itself and if we allow it to penetrate our lives and the lives of
those around us the world will have life.
And it won’t be a temporary life that is over all too quickly. Rather, it is an eternal life. And this eternal life is not something that
is reserved for the select few. It is for
everybody, and God wants every single human being to share in this great
gift. So why doesn’t God just guarantee everybody
eternal life from the get go? In a way
He has, but He still expects something in return. He wants us to use our free will to turn to
Him and to accept His gift. This is
something that should be very natural for those of us raised as Christians. But what about those who are not so
fortunate? How will they ever come to
know about this gift? This, brothers and
sisters, is why Jesus selected disciples and established a Church. His Church is charged with guarding the
message of eternal life, and it is charged with sharing that message with
everyone, taking it to all four corners of the earth. And what is the Church? It is me, and it is you. Brothers and sisters, let us live out our
mission as disciples for Christ; taking the Gospel to all people. Let us leave
no stone unturned and no person untouched by the beauty and goodness of God’s
most incredible gift….the gift of eternal life. |
Speaking about matters of faith
Posted on May 6, 2016 at 12:32 PM |
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‘Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and
saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven
thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At
this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with
their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned
him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called
Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this
sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep.’ While sitting at my desk at work earlier this week a
conversation about religion was struck up among my colleagues. Religious chat is generally taboo these days
and where it does exist it tends to take the form of an attack on whatever
religion happens to be in the spotlight.
This time it was the Catholic faith; my faith. I was asked to explain the Catholic Church’s
belief in the Eucharist. No easy task in
a very secular environment I can assure you.
But I tried my best to explain it in terms acceptable to the ears of my
audience. My colleagues listened to what I had to say and once I had
finished a stony silence followed. This
was followed soon thereafter by a change of subject, diverting away from the ridiculous
notion that a piece of bread and a cup of wine could be turned into the body
and blood of a two thousand year old Jew.
The truth is, my colleagues probably felt not only confused but also a little
uncomfortable by all the body and blood chat.
And I can assure you that I most certainly felt uncomfortable with
having to explain it to a cynical crowd.
Yet our discomfort at explaining our faith can never match
the discomfort that must have been experienced by the Christian martyrs. In today’s first reading St Stephen shows
incredible courage as he stands before a cynical crowd and tells them that he
has seen ‘heaven thrown open’ and that he has also seen ‘the Son of Man sitting
at the right hand of God’. Despite
knowing that such words would likely lead to his death he was still not afraid
to speak them. And he even echoed the
words of Christ on the Cross when he begged God to forgive those who were
killing him. Like any human being in
that situation he would have been absolutely terrified, but he never once
denied his faith in order to save his earthly life. It’s not easy to talk about our faith to others. We can feel embarrassed, afraid, and even
silly. But thankfully the UK is not like
the world St Stephen lived in. It is a
place where, despite some arguments to the contrary, people are generally free
to talk openly about their faith. We
must not be afraid to use this freedom, but to do it sensibly and
proportionately. Our world needs a
message of love, mercy and peace; a message that was so profoundly illustrated
in the words and actions of St Stephen just before his death. We can give the world hope with our message;
a message that comes in the shape of one man….Jesus Christ. |
Do you love Jesus?
Posted on April 29, 2016 at 10:11 AM |
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We Christians will be known by our love
Posted on April 26, 2016 at 9:03 AM |
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Pope Francis has given a lesson in love and freedom during
his homily at the Jubilee Mass for Young People in Rome. The Pope, speaking to thousands of youth in St Peter’s
Square, said that Jesus himself declared that Christians would be known “by the
way they love one another.” The Pope
continued saying, “love, in other words, is the Christian’s identity card.” The Pope then tackled the meaning of love, stating that love
is something you give. He also added: “it
[love] is caring for others, respecting them, protecting them, and waiting for
them.” Francis then challenged the young people on the true meaning
of freedom, stating that “freedom is not the ability to simply do what I want. This makes us self-centred and aloof.” “Freedom” he said “is the gift of being able to
choose the good: this is true freedom. The free person is the one who
chooses what is good, what is pleasing to God, even if it requires effort, even
if it is not easy.” He then called on the young people to grow in love and
told them how they could do this: “the secret, once again, is the Lord: Jesus
gives us himself in the Mass, he offers us forgiveness and peace in Confession.” The Pope’s call to the young people can be summed up
nicely in the term ‘free love’. He wants
Christians to give themselves freely to
others in love, and he wants us to choose to do this as it is
pleasing to God. He then tells us that
the nourishment we need for this task can be found in the Holy Mass and in the
Sacrament of Confession. Let us be under no illusions. Our mission as Christians is to spread the
love of Christ throughout the world. We
must let his Truth be known to all people and we must deliver this Truth in a
spirit of love; a love that is freely given and that always has the other
person’s best interests at its core. This
message is not just for our young, but for all Christian people. The Christian message is one of great hope, mercy and peace for all
people. But, above all, it is a message
of love. Click this link for the full text of Pope Francis’ homily: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-homily-at-jubilee-mass-for-teens/ |
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