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| Senor de los Milagros – the Lord of Miracles |
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From William -
Fw: Comment:
Mass Homily by Fr. Raymond
On Monday, 27 October 2014, 16:42, William Wardle
<williamwardle2bp@btinternet.com> wrote:
Comment (if I may)
Dear Fathers,
Attending Church services and functions over the
years, I have sensed in certain stalwarts an expression of confidence in their
lives of devotion. They love the Lord their God by their attention to the
decrees passed down over the centuries. Their devotion to the Sabbath, for
example, produced at one meeting a stunning statement from one that they would
never have taken a job that entailed their working on a Sunday (yet in an
emergency, would they find the hospital closed? I remained silent).
Rather, I sense that Jesus was not delimiting the
love of God to human observance but expanding it so far beyond human
limitations as to reveal the full extent of God's love for us! God the
Father embraces us, and asks each one of us to respond to His all
embracing love.
The commandment is about our response to God's
love, not as justified by our own structures of religion, to justify our
inadequacy in the face of such overpowering love. We are not left to fall
back on our own inadequacy and its justification: Jesus gave us His Spirit
which cries out to us and for us.
The ocean of God's love stretches out before us as
far as the eye can see. We cannot swim its entire length to reach those distant
far shores of devotion and saintliness, but we can delight in the water of life
that supports us in our endeavour. Sometimes, I think there is even greater joy
in discovering that we are able to float freely upon such waters! Such is the
love of God.
Yet dreaming of those far distant shores,
With my love in Our Lord,
William
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| Pope Francis: Love of God and neighbour are inseparable |
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| Posted: Sunday, October 26, 2014 10:15 pm |
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 El Senor de los Milagros |
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“Today's Gospel reminds us that the whole law of God is summed up in love for God and neighbour,” said Pope Francis, during his address to pilgrims before the Angelus in St Peter's Square on Sunday. In his reflections on the day's Gospel readings, the Holy Father said: “You cannot love God without loving your neighbour and you cannot love your neighbour without loving God.”
The “novelty” of Christ’s teaching consists in the union of the two commandments, he said. Pope Francis also recommended the reflection of his predecessor, Benedict XVI. on the teaching, which is found in paragraphs 16-18 of his first Encyclical letter, Deus caritas est. See below*
Pope Francis went on to say: “Jesus completes the law of the covenant, which He unites in himself, in his flesh, divinity and humanity, in a single mystery of love,” and, “In the light of the word of Jesus, love is the measure of faith, and faith is the soul of love: we cannot separate the religious life – the life of piety – from that of service to our brothers and sisters – to those flesh-and-blood brothers and sisters we actually meet.”
Following the Angelus, Pope Francis recalled the beatification, on Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil, of Mother Assunta Marchetti: the Italian-born co-founder of the Missionary Sisters of St Charles Borromeo, known as “Scalabrinians” after the late 19th century bishop of Piacenza, Giuseppe Scalabrini, who helped found the missionary congregation originally dedicated to maintaining Catholic faith and practice among emigres to the New World, which now focuses its missionary work on migrants, refugees and displaced persons.
“Blessed Assunta Marchetti saw Jesus present in the poor, in orphans, in the sick, in migrants, said Pope Francis. “We thank the Lord for this woman,” he continued, “a model of tireless missionary spirit and courageous dedication to the service of charity,” who serves as an example and a confirmation of the truth that we can and must seek the face of God in the brother and sister in need.”
Pope Francis also had greetings for pilgrims from all over Italy and from around the world, especially those of the Schoenstatt movement, with whom he met on Saturday, and for the Peruvian community in Rome, which came to the Angelus in procession with an image of El Senor de los Milagros – the Lord of Miracles – an image of Christ crucified that was painted by an anonymous freed slave in the 17th century in Lima, and that has become a focus of deep veneration and intense devotion, especially among Peruvians.
Source: Vatican Radio
*From Pope benedict's Deus caritas est |
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