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Pope Benedict to Those Afflicted by Sickness: You Are the Living Image of Christ

In 07 Observations on 2013/02/28 at 11:11 AM

“Go and do likewise” is the theme chosen by the Holy Father for his message on the 21st World Day of the Sick to be celebrated 11 February, the liturgical feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes, which will take place this year at the Marian Shrine of Altotting, Germany. In the message the Pope writes that “this Day represents for the sick, for health care workers, for the faithful and for all people of goodwill ‘a privileged time of prayer, of sharing, of offering one’s sufferings for the good of the Church, and a call for all to recognize in the features of their suffering brothers and sisters the Holy Face of Christ, who, by suffering, dying and rising has brought about the salvation of mankind’.”

“On this occasion,” the pontiff continues, “I feel especially close to you, dear friends, who in health care centres or at home, are undergoing a time of trial due to illness and suffering. May all of you be sustained by the comforting words of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council: ‘You are not alone, separated, abandoned or useless. You have been called by Christ and are his living and transparent image’.”

“So as to keep you company on the spiritual pilgrimage that leads us from Lourdes, a place which symbolizes hope and grace, to the Shrine of Altotting, I would like to propose for your reflection the exemplary figure of the Good Samaritan. The Gospel parable recounted by Saint Luke is part of a series of scenes and events taken from daily life by which Jesus helps us to understand the deep love of God for every human being, especially those afflicted by sickness or pain. With the concluding words of the parable of the Good Samaritan, “Go and do likewise”, the Lord also indicates the attitude that each of his disciples should have towards others, especially those in need. We need to draw from the infinite love of God, through an intense relationship with him in prayer, the strength to live day by day with concrete concern, like that of the Good Samaritan, for those suffering in body and spirit who ask for our help, whether or not we know them and however poor they may be”.

“This is true, not only for pastoral or health care workers, but for everyone, even for the sick themselves, who can experience this condition from a perspective of faith: ‘It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love’, Benedict XVI counsels, citing his encyclical “Spe Salvi”.

“Various Fathers of the Church saw Jesus himself in the Good Samaritan; and in the man who fell among thieves they saw Adam, our very humanity wounded and disoriented on account of its sins. Jesus is the Son of God, the one who makes present the Father’s love, a love which is faithful, eternal and without boundaries. But Jesus is also the one who sheds the garment of his divinity, who leaves his divine condition to assume the likeness of men, drawing near to human suffering, even to the point of descending into hell, as we recite in the Creed, in order to bring hope and light. He does not jealously guard his equality with God but, filled with compassion, he looks into the abyss of human suffering so as to pour out the oil of consolation and the wine of hope”.

“The Year of Faith which we are celebrating is a fitting occasion for intensifying the service of charity in our ecclesial communities, so that each one of us can be a good Samaritan for others, for those close to us. Here I would like to recall the innumerable figures in the history of the Church who helped the sick to appreciate the human and spiritual value of their suffering, so that they might serve as an example and an encouragement. Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, ‘an expert in the scientia amoris’, was able to experience ‘in deep union with the Passion of Jesus’ the illness that brought her ‘to death through great suffering’.”

Also, “the Venerable Luigi Novarese, who still lives in the memory of many, throughout his ministry realized the special importance of praying for and with the sick and suffering, and he would often accompany them to Marian shrines, especially to the Grotto of Lourdes. Raoul Follereau, moved by love of neighbour, dedicated his life to caring for people afflicted by Hansen’s disease, even at the world’s farthest reaches, promoting, among other initiatives, World Leprosy Day. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta would always begin her day with an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist and then she would go out into the streets, rosary in hand, to find and serve the Lord in the sick, especially in those ‘unwanted, unloved, uncared for’.”

“Saint Anna Schaffer of Mindelstetten, too, was able to unite in an exemplary way her sufferings to those of Christ: ‘her sick-bed became her cloister cell and her suffering a missionary service. Strengthened by daily communion, she became an untiring intercessor in prayer and a mirror of God’s love for the many who sought her counsel’. In the Gospel the Blessed Virgin Mary stands out as one who follows her suffering Son to the supreme sacrifice on Golgotha. She does not lose hope in God’s victory over evil, pain and death, and she knows how to accept in one embrace of faith and love, the Son of God who was born in the stable of Bethlehem and died on the Cross. Her steadfast trust in the power of God was illuminated by Christ’s resurrection, which offers hope to the suffering and renews the certainty of the Lord’s closeness and consolation”.

The Pope offers “a word of warm gratitude and encouragement to Catholic health care institutions and to civil society, to Dioceses and Christian communities, to religious congregations engaged in the pastoral care of the sick, to health care workers’ associations and to volunteers. May all realize ever more fully that ‘the Church today lives a fundamental aspect of her mission in lovingly and generously accepting every human being, especially those who are weak and sick’.”

Benedict XVI then concludes, entrusting the 21st World Day of the Sick “to the intercession of Our Lady of Graces, venerated at Altotting, that she may always accompany those who suffer in their search for comfort and firm hope. May she assist all who are involved in the apostolate of mercy, so that they may become good Samaritans to their brothers and sisters afflicted by illness and suffering”.

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Benedict XVI: Is It Rational to Believe?

In 07 Observations on 2013/02/28 at 11:11 AM

“As the Year of Faith progresses we carry in our hearts the hope of rediscovering our joy at believing and our enthusiasm for communicating the truth of faith to all. … This leads us to discover that our encounter with God brings value to, perfects and elevates that which is true, good and beautiful in mankind”, said the Pope in his catechesis during today’s general audience, held in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

Faith, he explained, “means knowing God as Love, thanks to His own love. The love of God … opens our eyes and allows us to know all reality beyond the limited horizons of individualism and subjectivism which distort our awareness”.

Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to the rationality of faith in God, emphasising that the Catholic tradition “has always rejected the so-called principle of ‘fideism’, that is, the will to believe against reason. … Indeed, although a mystery, God is not absurd. … If, in contemplating the mystery, reason sees only darkness, this is not because the mystery contains no light, rather because it contains too much. Just as when we turn our eyes directly to the sun, we see only shadow – who would say that the sun is not bright? Faith allows us to look at the ‘sun’ that is God, because it welcomes His revelation in history. … God has sought mankind and made Himself known, bringing Himself to the limits of human reason”.

“At the same time, God, with His grace, illuminates reason and opens up new horizons, immeasurable and infinite. Therefore, faith is a continuous stimulus to seek, never to cease or acquiesce in the inexhaustible search for truth and reality. … Intellect and faith are not foreign or antagonistic to divine Revelation, they are both prerequisites for understanding its meaning, for receiving its authentic message, for approaching the threshold of the mystery. … The Catholic faith is therefore rational and also nurtures trust in human reason. … Knowledge of faith, furthermore, is not contrary to reason. … In the irresistible desire for truth, only a harmonious relationship between faith and reason can show the correct path to God and to self-fulfilment”.

“A correct relationship between science and faith is also based on this fruitful interaction between comprehension and belief. Scientific research leads to the knowledge of new truths regarding mankind and the cosmos. The true good of mankind, accessible through faith, indicates the direction his path of discovery must follow. Therefore, it is important to encourage, for example, research which serves life and seeks to combat disease. Investigations into the secrets of our planet and the universe are also important for this reason, in the knowledge that man is placed at the peak of creation, not not in order exploit it senselessly, but rather to protect it and render it inhabitable.

“In this way, faith does not enter into conflict with science but co-operates with it, offering fundamental criteria to ensure it promotes universal good, and asking only that science desist from those initiatives that, in opposition to God’s original plan, may produce effects which turn against man himself. Another reason for which it is rational to believe is this: if science is a valuable ally of faith in our understanding of God’s plan for the universe, faith also directs scientific progress towards the good and truth of mankind, remaining faithful to that original plan.

“This is why it is vital for man to open himself to faith, and to know God and His plan for salvation through Jesus Christ. The Gospel establishes a new humanism, an authentic ‘grammar’ of humankind and reality”, the Holy Father concluded. “It is rational to believe, as it is our very existence that is at stake”.

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Benedict XVI: The Same Security That a Child Feels in the Arms of a Loving and All Powerful God

In 07 Observations on 2013/02/28 at 11:11 AM

Following are extracts:

“Although the world is sadly marked by ‘hotbeds of tension and conflict caused by growing instances of inequality between rich and poor, by the prevalence of a selfish and individualistic mindset which also finds expression in an unregulated financial capitalism,’ as well as by various forms of terrorism and crime, I am convinced that ‘the many different efforts at peacemaking which abound in our world testify to mankind’s innate vocation to peace. In every person the desire for peace is an essential aspiration which coincides in a certain way with the desire for a full, happy and successful human life. … Man is made for the peace which is God’s gift. All of this led me to draw inspiration for this Message from the words of Jesus Christ: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’. This beatitude ‘tells us that peace is both a messianic gift and the fruit of human effort … It is peace with God through a life lived according to His will. It is interior peace with oneself, and exterior peace with our neighbours and all creation’. Indeed, peace is the supreme good to ask as a gift from God and, at the same time, that which is to be built with our every effort.

We may ask ourselves: what is the basis, the origin, the root of peace? How can we experience that peace within ourselves, in spite of problems, darkness and anxieties? The reply is given to us by the readings of today’s liturgy. The biblical texts, especially the one just read from the Gospel of Luke, ask us to contemplate the interior peace of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. During the days in which ‘she gave birth to her first-born son’, many unexpected things occurred: not only the birth of the Son but, even before, the tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, not finding room at the inn, the search for a chance place to stay for the night; then the song of the angels and the unexpected visit of the shepherds. In all this, however, Mary remains even tempered, she does not get agitated, she is not overcome by events greater than herself; in silence she considers what happens, keeping it in her mind and heart, and pondering it calmly and serenely. This is the interior peace which we ought to have amid the sometimes tumultuous and confusing events of history, events whose meaning we often do not grasp and which disconcert us.

… Here, dear brothers and sisters, is the foundation of our peace: the certainty of contemplating in Jesus Christ the splendour of the face of God the Father, of being sons and daughters in the Son, and thus of having, on life’s journey, the same security that a child feels in the arms of a loving and all-powerful Father. The splendour of the face of God, shining upon us and granting us peace, is the manifestation of his fatherhood: the Lord turns his face to us, he reveals himself as our Father and grants us peace. Here is the principle of that profound peace – ‘peace with God’ – which is firmly linked to faith and grace, as Saint Paul tells the Christians of Rome. Nothing can take this peace from believers, not even the difficulties and sufferings of life. Indeed, sufferings, trials and darkness do not undermine but build up our hope, a hope which does not deceive because ‘God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us’.

May the Virgin Mary, whom today we venerate with the title of Mother of God, help us to contemplate the face of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. May she sustain us and accompany us in this New Year: and may she obtain for us and for the whole world the gift of peace. Amen!”

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Pope: Do Not Give In to Temptation to Instrumentalize God

In 07 Observations on 2013/02/15 at 9:11 AM

Vatican City, 13 February 2013 (VIS) – Benedict XVI dedicated the catechesis of today’s General Audience to the season of Lent, which begins today, Ash Wednesday. “Forty days,” he said, “that prepare us for the celebration of Easter. It is a time of particular commitment in our spiritual journey. … Forty days was also the period that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public life, when he was tempted by the devil.”

Reflecting on Jesus’ temptations in the desert, is “an invitation to each of us to respond to a fundamental question: What is truly important in our lives? … The core of the three temptations that Jesus faced is the proposal to instrumentalize God, to use Him for personal interests, for self-glory and success. In essence, it is putting oneself in God’s place, eliminating Him from our existence and making Him seem superfluous. … Giving God the first place is a path that each Christian has to undertake. ‘Conversion’ … means following Jesus, so that His Gospel becomes the practical guide of our lives. … It means recognizing that we are creatures who depend on God, on His love …This requires us to make our decisions in light of the Word of God. Today it is no longer possible to be a Christian as a simple consequence of living in a society that has Christian roots. Even those who come from a Christian family … must renew daily their decision to be Christian, to give God the first place in the face of the temptations continuously suggested by a secularized culture, in the face of the criticism of many of their contemporaries.”

“The tests that Christians are subjected to by society today are numerous and affect our personal and social life. It is not easy to be faithful to Christian marriage, to practice mercy in our everyday lives, or to leave space for prayer and inner silence. It is not easy to publicly oppose the decisions that many consider to be obvious, such as abortion in the case of an unwanted pregnancy, euthanasia in the case of serious illness, or the selection of embryos to avoid hereditary diseases. The temptation to set one’s faith aside is always present and conversion becomes a response to God that must be confirmed at various times throughout our lives.”

The Holy Father recalled that in history there have been “great conversions such as St. Paul’s on the road to Damascus or St. Augustine’s. But also in our age, when the sense of the sacred is eclipsed, God’s grace acts and works wonders in the lives of many people … as was the case for the Orthodox Russian scientist Pavel Florensky who, after a completely agnostic education … found himself exclaiming, ‘It’s impossible without God.’ He completely changed his life, even becoming a monk.” The Pope also cited the case of the intellectual Etty Hillesum (1914-1943), “a young Dutch woman of Jewish origin, who died in Auschwitz. Initially far from God, she discovered Him by looking deep within herself, writing: ‘There is a well deep within me. And God is that well.’ … In her scattered and restless life, she rediscovered God in the midst of the great tragedy of the twentieth century, the Shoah.”

“In our age, there are more than a few conversions that are seen as the return of those who, after a Christian education, perhaps a superficial one, have turned away from the faith for years, then later rediscover Christ and His Gospel. … In this time of Lent, in the Year of Faith, we renew our commitment to the path of conversion, overcoming the tendency to be wrapped up in ourselves and to make room for God, seeing our everyday reality with His eyes. Conversion means not being wrapped up in ourselves in the search for success, prestige, or social position, but rather of making each day, in the small things, truth, faith in God, and love, become what is most important,” the Pope concluded.

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Contact: God@worktoday.org by Barbara Reagan

In 07 Observations on 2013/02/11 at 9:11 AM

In the Holy Scriptures, Our Lord invites all who would hear, both then and now, to “come to me all you who are burdened and I will give you rest.”  He promises that all we need to do is “ask, and you shall receive.”

In the days that our Lord lived among us on this earth, a blind man approached Him, took Him at His word and asked for healing: “Lord, that I might see.”  Our Lord healed Him.

Thirteen years ago, I also took Our Lord at His word.

It was a routine cataract operation.  The first cataract operation had gone well, so there was no reason to expect the second would be any different.  You can imagine how shocking it was when the day after my second cataract surgery, I found that I could not even see the hand in front of my eyes.  The diagnosis: a staph infection.

I was immediately rushed by the head of the three-generation ophthalmological practice to a nearby hospital where two Chinese specialists performed a vitrectomy (a procedure in which they remove all the liquid out of the eyeball until it is totally flat and then refill it with antibiotics).

Then followed three months of daily visits to the doctors . . . with no exceptions.  Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day . . . everyday. Each day with dizzying thoroughness, doctors examined my eye leaving me feeling unbalanced in more ways than one.   At home, I had to put three drops, 5 minutes apart, into my eye around the clock every hour.  That meant I was only able to sleep in 45-minute increments.  Consequently, I lost track of time . . . and reality.  Friends who saw me during those months, tell me my eye looked like a squashed tomato.  The one thing, the only thing, I know for certain is that amidst those unsettling and disorienting days of physical blindness, I was given a spiritual clarity, a spiritual sight, that I had never had before.

My faithful husband was ever at my side for whatever I needed.  At one point the doctors informed him that they thought the infection might progress into my brain.  Realizing the fatal nature of this infection, I appealed to Our Lord for His mercy.  I remembered the stories of Our Lord, the promises of Our Lord, in Holy Scriptures.  My prayers were familiar, confident and submissive:

“Lord, I know that with you there is no time.  So, here I am standing right next to that fellow into whose eyes you are putting clay and spittle.  Please put some in mine.  If it is Your Will to heal me, I will appreciate it, but if it is your will that I be blind, I know you will give me the grace to cope.”

The next visit to the ophthalmologist left the doctors amazed.  My eye showed no signs of a problem or having been infected.  The Chinese doctors were speechless.  One of the American doctors  jumped up from his seat, shook my husband’s hand, saying to us: “Staph infections are the most virulent of all; there is no sign of there ever having been one.  This is a miracle.”

Having moved from California to Charlotte, North Carolina, I visit an ophthalmologist once a year for a check up.  The ophthalmologists here are also amazed.  One doctor said that although my records are the size of a telephone book, there is absolutely no sign that what they describe has ever happened to my eye.  I now have perfect vision in both eyes and do not need glasses to drive or watch TV.  I do, of course, use readers, a common reading companion for many people.

I learned through this harrowing experience to take Our Lord at His Word.  He means what He says.  His Words and His miracles are as fresh and potent today as they were in the time he walked among the people of the Holy Land.  We simply need to believe Him and, in submission to His Love, present our needs to Him.

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Can You Fool Mother Nature?

In 07 Observations on 2013/01/25 at 9:15 AM

 Birth control can interfere with a woman’s ability to assess a mate.

It’s hard enough trying to pick a long-term partner; throw birth control in the mix and a woman’s ability to meet Mr. Right can become completely twisted. Under normal circumstances, a woman subconsciously chooses a man who would make a good genetic match.

But if she’s on birth control, the hormonal deluge flips her senses. For biological purposes, women prefer a mate who is genetically different from them to decrease the chance of abnormalities in offspring.

But according to a 2007 University of Liverpool study, birth control throws a wrench in nature’s grand plan by causing women to choose men who are genetically similar to them. Though no one is 100% sure why the pill affects attraction, some scientists theorize it may affect marriages in the long run.

A woman on the pill might start dating a man similar to her genetically only to find she is no longer attracted to him once off the pill. Food for thought if you’re dating someone on the pill.

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Inspirational video of a beautiful but short life on earth

In 07 Observations on 2013/01/18 at 11:40 AM

Screen Shot 2013-01-18 at 10.42.04 AM

Dear family and friends,
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope and pray that you are all having a wonderful Christmas season.  We have a special gift for you: A dear friend of ours made a little video about Little James’ life. We received it on Christmas Eve and were able to watch it that night. How appropriate!
 
As our thanksgiving for all your love, support and prayers we want to share this with you and ask you to pray specially for all those couples who might just have received a difficult diagnosis about their babies. May God be with them, help them accept His Gift and allow them to love their baby with the love of a lifetime for however much time He blesses them with their child.
 
Here’s the link, click on it and it will take you to the video:     http://youtu.be/hkrXximFShk 
 
 Much love,:) 
+Joe and María Keller & Co.

 

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Merry Christmas

In 07 Observations on 2012/12/14 at 2:00 AM
What are we celebrating when we say Merry Christmas to each other?
Who is the this child, the Savior, who is born to us?The Incarnation is fundamentally about the Eternal Word of God who lies at the center of the Trinity.Last among God’s work of creation was man.  In Adam humanity fell; but then God took on a human nature.
In order to become perceptible to our human senses, the Word put on the form of flesh…the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us… The Word of God took on our humanity.God has come to us in a loving and personal way, making Himself visible and audible so that humanity could once again be united to God and contemplate Him.
As Eternal Word, Christ is the center of the Trinity;
As Incarnate Word, Christ is the center of creation;
As Inspired Word Christ is the center of the human heart.
The primary cause of the Incarnation is the love and mercy of God.  So, rejoice and be glad because unto us is born our Savior.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Note: photo of Nativity scene at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.  00000013

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Pope on Twitter…His First Three Answers to Questions

In 07 Observations on 2012/12/14 at 1:00 AM

 

Vatican City, 13 December 2012 (VIS) – @Pontifex, Pope Benedict XVI’s Twitter account, attracted over a million and a half followers on its first day of existence. The Pope, after his first tweet at the end of the usual Wednesday general audience, responded during the course of the day to three questions posed by members of the public from three different continents.

The first was: “How can we celebrate the Year of Faith better in our daily lives?”.

The Holy Father’s answer was “By speaking with Jesus in prayer, listening to what he tells you in the Gospel and looking for him in those in need”.

Shortly afterwards a second question was added:

“How can faith in Jesus be lived in a world without hope?”.

“We can be certain that a believer is never alone. God is the solid rock upon which we build our lives and his love is always faithful”,

responded Benedict XVI.

The final tweet, posted around 6 p.m., was:

“Offer everything you do to the Lord, ask his help in all the circumstances of daily life and remember that he is always beside you”,

in response to: “Any suggestions on how to be more prayerful when we are so busy with the demands of work, families and the world?”

Vatican Information Service 121213

Pope Benedict XVI hit the 1 million Twitter follower mark on Wednesday.  The 85 year old  pope is tweeting simultaneously in Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, German, Polish and Arabic. The words the Pope uses are his alone, culled from his speeches, homilies or catechism lessons. For English version, please go to www.twitter.com/pontifex

The Pope blessed his online fans and urged them to listen to Christ.

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Montini and Ratzinger

In 07 Observations on 2012/11/16 at 12:00 AM

Cardinal Montini (Pope Paul VI)

“I shall never be able to capture the full richness and depth of Our Lordʼs personality….once we begin to be interested in Christ, our interest can never cease. There is always something more to be known, more to be said….infinitely more. Everything to do with Christ is so rich, there are such depths to explore…”

  Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)

“It is in the Gospel we must learn the supreme knowledge of Jesus Christ: how to imitate Him and follow in His footsteps. To learn from Him, we must try to know His life….meditating on the scenes….reading and re-reading the Scriptures…in order to understand the divine meaning of His life on earth..We cannot get to know the real God by trimming Him to fit our normal standards.”

“The Gospels were not intent on giving some kind of biography of Jesus Christ, as a historian might write it, but on giving witness to those things that are essential for us…. Christianity is not an idea, a way of thinking, a plan of action. The essence of Christianity is a person: Jesus Christ Himself.”