- Pope Looks at 3 Keys for Regenerative Medicine
- Pope’s May Prayer Intention: That Women Will Be Honored and Respected
- Pope’s Morning Homily: No to Double Lives!
- To Obey Is to Love
- Archbishop Named for Kingston, Jamaica
- Brooklyn Native Serving in Jamaica Named Auxiliary to Home Diocese
- Vatileaks Trial Continues
- Nuncio to Ireland Will Open Holy Door at ‘St. Patrick’s Purgatory’
- May #RosaryRelay in Armagh to Engage Students in Mysteries of Faith
- Pope’s Address to Regenerative Medicine Conference
From Vatican Radio:
Pope Francis on Friday addressed participants of an International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine and its Cultural Impact. The Conference is being sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Stem for Life Foundation, and the STOQ Foundation.
The 2016 conference focused on pediatric cancers and rare diseases, as well as diseases that occur with aging. It featured talks and discussions with leading cell therapy scientists, physicians, patient advocates, ethicists, philanthropists, leaders of faith and government officials.
In his address, Pope Francis focused on three aspects of the commitment of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and the institutions working with it.
“It is fundamentally important that we promote greater empathy in society,” the Pope said, “and not remain indifferent to our neighbour’s cry for help, including when he or she is suffering from a rare disease.” Pope Francis described this aspect of their work as “increasing sensitivity.”
The Holy Father also emphasized the importance of research, in terms of “education and genuine scientific study.” Education, he said, is necessary not only to develop students’ intellectual abilities, but also to ensure “human formation and a professionalism of the highest degree.” Research, meanwhile, “requires unwavering attention to moral issues if it is to be an instrument which safeguards human life and the dignity of the person.”
The third aspect highlighted by Pope Francis was “ensuring access to care.” A desire for profit should never prevail over the value of human life. This, the Pope said, “is why the globalization of indifference must be countered by the globalization of empathy.” By drawing attention to and educating people about rare diseases, by increasing funds for research, and by promoting “necessary legislation as well as an economic paradigm shift,” he continued, “the centrality of the human person will be rediscovered.”
Pope Francis concluded his address with a word of encouragement for those participating in the Conference. “During this Jubilee Year, may you be capable and generous co-operators with the Father’s mercy.”
Pope’s May Prayer Intention: That Women Will Be Honored and Respected by ZENIT Staff
The Apostleship of Prayer announced the prayer intentions chosen by the Pope for May.
The Holy Father’s universal prayer intention for May is: “That in every country in the world, women may be honoured and respected and that their essential contribution to society may be highly esteemed”.
His intention for evangelisation is: “That families, communities and groups may pray the Holy Rosary for evangelisation and peace”.
Pope’s Morning Homily: No to Double Lives! by ZENIT Staff
Pope Francis today exhorted Christians to avoid the “double life” of saying one thing and doing another.
This was a main message of his homily this morning in the Casa Santa Marta, reported Vatican Radio.
“If you say you are in communion with the Lord, then walk in the light. But no to double lives! Not that! That lie that we are so used to seeing and where we too sometimes fall (into temptation), don’t we? To say one thing and do another, right? It’s the never ending temptation. And we know where that lie comes from: in the Bible, Jesus calls the devil ‘the father of lies’, the liar. It’s for this reason that this grandfather [St John] says with infinite tenderness and meekness to the ‘adolescent’ Church: ‘Don’t be a liar! You are in communion with God, walk in the light. Do works of light, don’t say one thing and do another. No to double lives and all that.”
The Pope noted how John began his Letter with the greeting, ‘children’ and said this affectionate beginning is just like the tone of a grandfather towards his ‘young grandchildren’ and reveals the tenderness and light contained in this reading. It also recalls Jesus’ words when he promised “rest” to all those “who labour and are overburdened.” In the same way, the Pope continued, John urges his readers not to sin but if somebody does, to not be discouraged by this.
“We have a Paraclete, a word, an advocate, a defender at the Father’s side, it’s Jesus Christ, the Upright One. He makes us righteous. It is He who pardons us. A person may feel like saying to this grandfather who gives us this advice: ‘But is it such a bad thing to have sins?’ ‘No, a sin is a bad thing! But if you have sinned, look at who is waiting to pardon you.’ Always! That’s because He, our Lord, is greater than our sins.”
The Pope concluding by saying this is God’s Mercy and his greatness and it’s from Him alone that we can get our strength. “We must walk in the light because God is Light. Don’t walk with one foot in the light and the other in darkness. Do not be liars. And one other thing: we have all sinned. Nobody can say: ‘This man is a sinner, this woman is a sinner.’ I, thanks to God, am upright.’ No, only one is Upright, He who paid for us. And if somebody sins, He is waiting for us and pardons us because He is merciful and knows very well what we are shaped from and remembers that we are but dust. May the joy that this Letter gives us, carry us forward in the simplicity and the transparency of the Christian life, above all when we turn to the Lord… with truth.”
Readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:
Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 289
Reading 1 ACTS 15:22-31
The Apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole Church,
decided to choose representatives
and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas,
and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
This is the letter delivered by them:
“The Apostles and the presbyters, your brothers,
to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia
of Gentile origin: greetings.
Since we have heard that some of our number
who went out without any mandate from us
have upset you with their teachings
and disturbed your peace of mind,
we have with one accord decided to choose representatives
and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are sending Judas and Silas
who will also convey this same message by word of mouth:
‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us
not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,
namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols,
from blood, from meats of strangled animals,
and from unlawful marriage.
If you keep free of these,
you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’“And so they were sent on their journey.
Upon their arrival in Antioch
they called the assembly together and delivered the letter.
When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.
Responsorial Psalm PS 57:8-9, 10 AND 12
R. (10a) I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
My heart is steadfast, O God; my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and chant praise.
Awake, O my soul; awake, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn.
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
I will give thanks to you among the peoples, O LORD,
I will chant your praise among the nations.
For your mercy towers to the heavens,
and your faithfulness to the skies.
Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
above all the earth be your glory!
R. I will give you thanks among the peoples, O Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia JN 15:15B
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel JN 15:12-17
Jesus said to his disciples:
“This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”
To Obey Is to Love by Archbishop Francesco Follo
Roman rite
Sixth Sunday of Easter – Year C – May 1, 2016
Acts 15, 1-2.22-29; Ps 67; Rev 21, 10-14.22-23; Jn 14, 23-29
Ambrosian Rite
Acts 21, 40b-22.22; Ps 67; Heb 7.17 to 26; Jn 16.12 to 22
1) The journey of six Easter Sundays.
During Easter, the Church’s Liturgy reminds us (in the biblical sense of to make present) of the risen Christ concretely present and truly alive. For this reason, during the Masses of the first three Easter Sundays, the Gospel presented the passages that recount the meetings of the Risen Christ with Mary Magdalene, the disciples of Emmaus, the Apostles and Saint Thomas, and, at the end, with Peter who is confirmed in love because he has presented his pain to Christ.
On the fourth Sunday we had been reminded that Christ is the Good Shepherd and is present as a guide through priests and the bishops. In the Fifth Sunday we had been reminded that the risen Jesus is present in love concretely lived and mutually donated in the community of Christians, who have Christ “as” example.
Today, the teaching of the previous Sundays reaches its apex. In the Sixth Sunday of Easter the Gospel tells us that Jesus is not only happy to live among us, but asks to be listened (to follow his words) in order for him to be able to “dwell” in us. Christ, therefore, is no longer simply one with us or one of us, even if he is the best. He is now in us with his Spirit.
To us believers who listen to his word, He gives the Holy Spirit to bring us peace and “to remind our hearts all that Christ did and taught, and to enable us to bear witness in words and deeds” (see the Collect of the sixth Sunday of Easter).
To know and to experience the love of God in us and for us is a comforting and joyful peace, but it is also a great and daily responsibility.
2) To keep the Word, which is the gift of love.
From the meditation of today’s passage of John’s Gospel (14, 23-29) two issues surface: the obedient love of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit.
In fact, in this Gospel passage, the Son of God presents the unbreakable bond between the love for Him and the observance of His Word. In this regard, it should be noted that the Greek word used by St. John, “Logos”, according to the various contexts can mean: the “Word” who is Christ, the Word of God, the “word” that Christ addressed to his interlocutors, and the “commandment” given for love and to be observed with love. The third meaning is not strange because if one loves, he or she takes so seriously the “word” of the beloved so to carry it in the heart, to guard it and respect it. Therefore, if we love the Lord, it means that we carry Him in our hearts, guarding (abiding by) his words, because we want to live like Him and we want Him to become our life. In fact, if we love a person, that person becomes our life and we listen to her putting into practice what she says.
The evidence that we truly love the Lord is obedience. It is true that the verb “to love” also expresses desire, affection, friendship, belonging, but here it is emphasized that one cannot speak of true love if the observance of the commandments is missing: “Whoever loves me will keep my word” ( Jn 14, 23). And, immediately, in the same verse, Jesus adds, “and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home by him” (Jn 14, 23). In this way, the Son of God underlines another characteristic of love: that of being the place of the encounter with the love of the Father. Rather, it is the place where the Father and Jesus dwell.
The icon that is the most beautiful image of this house “built” by loving obedience, is Mary, Virgin and Mother. Our Lady welcomed in faith and in the flesh Jesus, the Son of God, in full obedience to the Word of God.
Obedience to God and to his action in the faith also includes the element of darkness. The human being’s relationship with God does not erase the distance between Creator and creature and does not eliminate what the Apostle Paul said in front of the depth of God’s wisdom: “How inscrutable are his judgments and unsearchable his ways!” (Rom 11, 33). However those who – like Mary – are open totally to God, come to accept the divine will, even though it is mysterious, often not corresponding to their will and a sword that pierces the soul, as the prophet Simeon said to Mary when she and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple (see Lk 2:35).
The journey of faith implies the joy of receiving the gift of love, but also the darkness due to the suffering and the crosses of life. So it was with Mary, whose faith made her live the joy of the Annunciation, but also go through the darkness of the crucifixion of the Son, in order to reach up to the light of the Resurrection.
For the Apostles then, and for each of us today, the path of obedience in faith is no different. We encounter moments of light, but we also encounter times when God seems absent, his silence weighs on our heart and his will does not correspond to ours. But the more we open ourselves to God, receive the gift of faith and put our trust completely in Him, the more He empowers us with his presence, to live every situation in life in peace and in the certainty of his loyalty and his love. This means to get out of ourselves and our own projects, so that the Word of God, observed with love, is the lamp that guides our thoughts and our actions.
How could the Mother of God live her journey next to the Son with such strong faith, even in darkness, without losing the full trust in the Providence? This question applies also to the Apostles: “How could they persevere on the journey with Christ and give their life for His gospel, namely, for his good and happy Word that takes to the joy of true life through the cross.
Mary and the apostles obeyed to love and have observed the word which was given to them and that stood before them. They have “talked” with Christ, guarding and observing his word. Mary and the Apostles have reflected on the meaning of the word of Christ, and have concluded that they could not leave him, because he alone has the words of eternal life. The Greek word used in the Gospel, to define this “reflection”, “dielogizeto”, recalls the root of the word “dialogue.” This means that we believers, observant “hearers of the Word”, must persevere in dialogue with the Word of God that is spoken to us, leaving it to penetrate the mind and the heart to understand what the Lord wants from each of us.
3) The gift of the Spirit.
In today’s Gospel we read: “I have told you this while I am still with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you “(Jn 14: 25-26).
What does Jesus mean in these two verses? The Risen wants to tell to his disciples then and now, that He does not leave us alone but sends us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth that gives life of God that is love. It is this love that makes us know what Jesus has said. The more we know him the more we love him; the more we love the more we know him and so on and on forever.
The teaching of the Spirit is still the teaching of Jesus. There is no contrast between the two. The task of the Spirit is to teach and remind. It is always the teaching of Jesus, but educated and understood in its fullness: “He will teach you everything.” This is not to add anything to the teaching of Jesus, as if it were incomplete. “Everything” means fullness, its roots, and its profound reason. Memory, the gift of the Spirit, is not a repetitive remembering, but a remembering that updates. The Spirit keeps open the history of Jesus, making it perennially actual and redeeming. The gift of the Spirit that Jesus gives to us on the cross, that He makes in history and that is his constant presence in history, is the Spirit of love that makes us understand and do what He said and did. The Spirit does not teach us or inspires to do strange things, but makes us understand what Christ said and did, giving us the strength to live it because it is only love that makes us understand and do.
Of course we all receive the gift of the Spirit, whose action in us makes us “remember” (give back to the heart) and “make present” Christ ever anew. However it must be especially invoked on the consecrated Virgins in the world, who are, in the Church, the visible sign of the mystery of the Church that is, at the same time, virgin and bride (see 2 Cor 11.2; Eph 5: 25-27) . While virginity announces from now what will be the future life (see Mt 22, 30), a life similar to that of the angels, it (virginity) also has a nuptial meaning as it is indicated in the ritual consecration by delivering of the insignia of the consecration, the veil and the ring, accompanied by this prayer: “Receive the veil and the ring as a sign of your bridal consecration. Always faithful to Christ, your Spouse, never forget that you have totally given yourselves to him and to his body which is the Church “(Rite of the consecration of the Virgins).
Patristic Reading
Saint Augustin of Hyppo
HOMILY LXXV.
“If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter,
that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him.”
Jn 14,15-30
[1.] We need everywhere works and actions, not a mere show of words. For to say and to promise is easy for any one, but to act is not equally easy. Why have I made these remarks?Because there are many at this time who say that they fear and love God, but in their works show the contrary; but God requireth that love which is shown by works. Wherefore He said to the disciples, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” For after He had told them, “Whatsoever ye shall ask,2 I will do it,” that they might not deem the mere “asking” to be availing, He added, “If ye love Me,” “then,” He saith, “I will do it.” And since it was likely that they would be troubled when they heard that, “I go3 to the Father,” He telleth them “to be troubled now is not to love, to love is to obey My words. I have given you a commandment that ye love one another, that ye do so to each other as I have done to you; this is love, to obey these My words, and to yield to Him who is the object of your love.”
“And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter.” Again His speech is one of condescension. For since it was probable, that they not yet knowing Him would eagerly seek His society, His discourse, His presence in the flesh, and would admit of no consolation when He was absent, what saith He? “I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter,” that is, “Another like unto Me.” Let those be ashamed who have the disease of Sabellius,4 who hold not the fitting opinion concerning the Spirit. For the marvel of this discourse is this, that it hath stricken down contradictory heresies with the same blow. For by saying“another,” He showeth the difference of Person, and by “Paraclete,” the connection of Substance. But why said He, “I will ask the Father”? Because had He said, “I will send Him,” they would not have so much believed and now the object is that He should be believed. For afterwards He declares that He Himselfsendeth Him, saying, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (Jn 20,22); but in this place He telleth them that He asketh the Father, so as to render His discourse credible to them. Since Jn saith of Him, “Of His fullness have all we received” (Jn 1,16); but what He had, how receiveth He from another? And again, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” (Lc 3,16). “But what had He more than the Apostles, if He was about to ask It of His Father in order to give It to others, when they often even without prayer appear to have done thus?” And how,5 if It is sent according to request from the Father, doth It descend of Itself? And how is that which is everywhere present sent by Another, that which “divideth to every man severally as He will” (1Co 12,11), and which saith with authority, “Separate Me Paul and Barnabas”? (Ac 13,2). Those ministers were ministering unto God, yet still It called them authoritatively to Its own work; not that It called them to any different work, but in order to show Its power. “What then,” saith some one, “is, ‘I will ask the Fathers’?” (He saith it) to show the time of Its coming. For when He had cleansed them by the sacrifice,6 then the Holy Ghost lighted upon them. “And why, while He was with them, came it not?” Because the sacrifice was not yet offered. But when afterwards sin had been loosed, and they were being sent forth to dangers, and were stripping themselves for the contest, then need was that the Anointer7 should come. “But why did not the Spirit come immediately after the Resurrection?” In order that being greatly desirous of It, they might receive It with great joy. For as long as Christ was with them, they were not in tribulation; but when He departed, being made defenseless and thrown into much fear, they would receive It with much readiness.
“He remaineth with you.” This showeth that even after death It departeth not. But lest when they heard of the “Paraclete,” they should imagine a second Incarnation, and expect to see It with their eyes, He setteth them right by saying, “Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not.” “He will not be with you as I have been, but will dwell in your very souls”; for this is the, “shall be in you.”8 He calleth it the “Spirit of truth”; thus explaining the types in the Old Testament. “That He may be9 with you.” What is, “may be with you”? That which He saith Himself, that “I am with you.” (Mt 28,20). Besides, He also implieth something else, that “the case of the Spirit shall not be the same as Mine, He shall never leave you.” “Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not.” “Why, what is there belonging to the other Persons that is visible?” Nothing; but He speaketh here of knowledge; at least He addeth, “neither knoweth Him.” For He is wont, in the case of exact knowledge, to call it “sight”; because sight is clearer than the other senses, by this He always representeth exact knowledge. By “world,” He here speaketh of “the wicked,” thus too comforting the disciples by giving to them a special gift. See in how many particulars He raised His discourse concerning It. He said, “He is Another like unto Me”; He said, “He will not leave you”; He said, “Unto you alone He cometh, as also did I”; He said, that “He remaineth in you”; but not even so did He drive out their despondency. For they still sought Him and His society. To cure then this feeling, He saith,
Jn 14,18. “I will not leave you orphans, I will come unto you.”
[2.] “Fear not,” He saith, “I said not that I would send you another Comforter, as thoughwere Myself withdrawing from you for ever; I said not that He remaineth with you, as though I should see you no more. For I also Myself will come to you, I will not leave you orphans.” Because when commencing He said, “Little children,” therefore He saith also here, “I will not leave you orphans.” At first then He told them, “Ye shall come whither I go”; and, “In My Father’s house there are many mansions”; but here, since that time was long, He giveth them the Spirit; and when, not knowing what it could be of which He spoke, they were not sufficiently comforted, “I will not leave you orphans,” He saith; for this they chiefly required. since the, “I will come to you,” was the saying of one declaring a “presence,” observe how in order that they might not again seek for the same kind of presence as before, He did not clearly tell them this thing, but hinted at it; for having said,
Jn 14,19. “Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me not”; He added, “but ye see Me.”
As though He had said, “I come indeed to you, but not in the same way as before, ever being with you day by day.” And lest they should say, “How then saidst Thou to the Jews, Henceforth ye shall not see Me?” He solveth the contradiction by saying, “to you alone”; for such also is the nature of the Spirit.
“Because I live, ye shall live also.”
For the Cross doth not finally separate us, but only hideth for a little moment; and by “life” He seemeth to me to mean not the present only, but the future also.
Jn 14,20. “At that day ye shall know that am in the 10 Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”
With regard to the Father, these words refer to Essence; with regard to the disciples, to agreement of mind and help from God. “And how, tell me, is this reasonable?” saith some one. And how, pray, is the contrary reasonable? For great and altogether boundless is the interval between Christ and the disciples. And if the same words are employed, marvel not; for the Scripture is often wont to use in different senses the same words, when applied to God and to men. Thus we are called “gods,” and “sons of God,” yet the word hath not the same force when applied to us and to God. And the Son is called “Image,” and “Glory”; so are we, but great is the interval between us. Again, “Ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1Co 3,23), but not in like manner as Christ is God’s are we Christ’s. But what is it that He saith? “When I am arisen,” He saith, “ye shall know that I am not separated from the Father, but have the same power with Him, and that I am with you continually, when facts proclaim the aid which cometh to you from Me, when your enemies are kept down, and you speak boldly, when dangers are removed from your path, when the preaching of the Gospel flourisheth day by day, when all yield and give ground to the word of true religion. “As the Father hath sent Me, so send I you.” (Jn 20,21). Seest thou that here also the word hath not the same force? for if we take it as though it had, the Apostles will differ in nothing from Christ. But why saith He, “Then ye shall know”? Because then they saw Him risen and conversing with them, then they learnt the exact faith; for great was the power of the Spirit, which taught them all things.
[3.] Jn 14,21. “He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.”
It is not enough merely to have them, we need also an exact keeping of them. But why doth He frequently say the same thing to them? as, “If ye love Me, ye will keep 11 My commandments” (Jn 14,15); and, “He that hath My commandments and keepeth them”; and, “If any one heareth My word and keepeth it, he it is that loveth Me—he that heareth not My words, loveth Me not.” (Jn 14,24). I think that He alluded to their despondency; for since He had uttered many wise sayings to them concerning death, saying, “He that hateth his life in this world shall save it unto life eternal” (Jn 12,25); and,“Unless a man take 12 his cross and follow Me, he is not worthy of Me” (Mt 10,38); and is about to say other things besides, rebuking them, He saith, “Think ye that ye suffer sorrow from love? The not sorrowing would be a sign of love.” And because He wished all along to establish this, as He went on He summed up His discourse in this same point; “If ye loved Me,” He saith, “ye would have rejoiced, because—I go to My Father” (Jn 14,28), but now ye are in this state through cowardice. To be thus disposed towards death is not for those who remember My commandments; for you ought to be crucified, if you truly loved Me, for My word exhorteth you not to be afraid of those that kill the body. Those that are such both the Father loveth and I. “And I will manifest Myself unto him. 13 Then saith Judas, 14
Jn 14,22. “How is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us?” 15
Seest thou that their soul was close pressed 16 with fear? For he was confounded and troubled, and thought that as we see dead men in a dream, so He also would be seen. In order therefore that they might not imagine this, hear what He saith.
Jn 14,23. “I and the Father will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.” 17
All but saying, “As the Father revealeth Himself, so also do I.” And not in this way only He removed the suspicion, but also by saying, “We will make Our abode with him,” a thing which doth not belong to dreams. But observe, I pray you, the disciple confounded, and not daring to say plainly what he desired to say. For he said not, “Woe to us, that Thou diest,and will come to us as the dead come”; he spake not thus; but, “How is it that Thou wilt show Thyself to us, and not unto the world?” Jesus then saith, that “I accept you, because ye keep My commandments.” In order that they might not, when they should see Him afterwards, 18 deem Him to be an apparition, therefore He saith these things beforehand. And that they might not deem that He would appear to them so as I have said, He telleth them also the reason, “Because ye keep My commandments”; He saith that the Spirit also will appear in like manner. Now if after having companied with Him so long time, they cannot yet endure that Essence, or rather cannot even imagine It, what would have been their case had He appeared thus to them at the first? on this account also He ate with them, that the action might not seem to be an illusion. For if they thought this when they saw Him walking on the waters, although His wonted form was seen by them, and He was not far distant, what would they have imagined had they suddenly seen Him arisen whom they had seen taken 19 and swathed? Wherefore He continually telleth them that He will appear, and why He will appear, and how, that they may not suppose Him to be an apparition.
Jn 14,24. “He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings; and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.”
“So that he that heareth not these sayings not only doth not love Me, but neither doth he love the Father.” For if this is the sure proof of love, the hearing the commandments, and these are of the Father, he that heareth them loveth not the Son only, but the Father also. “And how is the word ‘thine’ and ‘not thine’?” This means, “I speak not without the Father, nor say anything of Myself contrary to what seemeth good to Him.”
Jn 14,25. “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.”
Since these sayings were not clear, and since some they did not understand, and doubted about the greater number, in order that they might not be again confused, and say, “What commands?” He released them from all their perplexity, saying,
Jn 14,26. “The Comforter, whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you.” 20
“Perhaps these things are not clear to you now, but ‘He’ 21 is a clear teacher of them.” And the, “remaineth with you” (Jn 14,17), is the expression of One implying that Himself will depart. Then that they may not be grieved, He saith, that as long as He should remain with them and the Spirit should not come, they would be unable to comprehend anything great or sublime. And this He said to prepare them to bear nobly His departure, as that which was to be the cause of great blessings to them. He continually calleth Him “Comforter,” because of the afflictions which then possessed them. And since even after hearing these things they were troubled, when they thought of the sorrows, the wars, His departure, see how He calmeth them again by saying,
Jn 14,27. “Peace I leave to you.” 22
All but saying, “What are ye harmed by the trouble of the world, provided ye be at peace with 23 Me? For this peace is not of the same kind as that. The one is external, is often mischievous and unprofitable, and is no advantage to those who possess it; but I give you peace of such a kind that ye be at peace with one another, which thing rendereth you stronger.” And because He said again, “I leave,” which was the expression of One departing, and enough to confound them, therefore He again saith,
“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Seest thou that they were affected partly by loving affection, partly by fear?
Jn 14,28. “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice because I said, I go unto the Father; for My Father is greater than I.”
[4.] And what joy would this bring to them? What consolation? What then mean the words? They did not yet know concerning the Resurrection, nor had they right opinion concerning Him; (for how could they, who did not even know that He would rise again?) but they thought that the Father was mighty. He saith then, that “If ye are fearful for Me, as not able to defend Myself, and if ye are not confident that I shall see you again after the Crucifixion, yet when ye heard that I go to the Father, ye ought then to have rejoiced because I go away to One that is greater, and able to undo all dangers.” “Ye have heard how I said unto you.” Why hath He put this? Because, He saith, “I am so firmly confident about the things which come to pass, that I even foretell them, so far am I from fearing.” This also is the meaning of what follows.
Jn 14,29. “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe that I Am.” 24 As though He had said, “Ye would not have known, had I not told you. And I should not have told you, had I not been confident.” Seest thou that the speech is one of condescension? for when He saith, “Think ye that I cannot pray to the Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of Angels” (Mt 26,53), He speaketh to the secret thoughts of the hearers; since no one, even in the height of madness, would say that He was not able to help Himself, but needed Angels; but because they thought of Him as a man, therefore He spoke of “twelve legions of Angels.” Yet in truth He did but ask those who came to take Him a question, and cast them backwards. (Jn 18,6). (If any one say that the Father is greater, inasmuch as 25 He is the cause of the Son, we will not contradict this. But this doth not by any means make the Son to be of a different Essence). But what He saith, is of this kind: “As long as I am here, it is natural that you should deem that I am 26 in danger; but when I am gone ‘there,’ 27 be confident that I am in safety; for Him none will be able to overcome.” All these words were addressed to the weakness of the disciples, for, “I Myself am confident, and care not for death.” On this account, He said, “I have told you these things before they come to pass”; “but since,” He saith, “ye are not yet able to receive the saying concerning them, I bring you comfort even from the Father, whom ye entitle great.” Having thus consoled them, He again telleth them sorrowful things.
Archbishop Named for Kingston, Jamaica by ZENIT Staff
Pope Francis has named Bishop Kenneth David Oswin Richards, 57, of Saint John’s–Basseterre, Jamaica, as archbishop of Kingston in Jamaica.
He succeeds Archbishop Charles Henry Dufour, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.
Kenneth David Oswin Richards was born Aug. 16, 1958 in Linstead, St. Catherine, and ordained for the Kingston archdiocese on Sept. 29, 1985. In 2011, he was named bishop of Saint John’s–Basseterre.
Kingston has a population of 1,455,000, with Catholics numbering 58,600. They are served by: priests 52, deacons 36, religious 326.
Brooklyn Native Serving in Jamaica Named Auxiliary to Home Diocese by ZENIT Staff
Pope Francis has named Bishop Neil E. Tiedemann as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Bishop Tiedemann, 68, has served as bishop of Mandeville, Jamaica, since 2008.
Neil E. Tiedemann was born March 5, 1948, in Brooklyn. He entered the Congregation of the Passionists in 1970 and professed perpetual vows on August 22, 1974. He was ordained a priest May 16, 1975. Following ordination, he served as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish in Jamaica, New York (1975-1982) and was instructed to Caritas (1977-1978). He also served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Union City, New Jersey (1982-1984) and parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, Massachusetts (1984-1987).
He twice served in parish ministry in Honduras, from 1987-1994 and 2005-2006. In the interim, he did pastoral ministry at St. Joseph Parish in Union City (1995-1997) and Immaculate Conception Monastery in Jamaica (1997-1998). He was elected to the Provincial Council of the Passionist Congregation in 2006 and appointed bishop of Mandeville on March 20, 2008. He was consecrated a bishop on August 6, 2008.
The Diocese of Brooklyn comprises 179 square miles in the State of New York. It has a total population of 4,888,324 people, of whom 1,556,575, or 32 percent, are Catholic. The diocese currently has five other active auxiliary bishops.
Bishop Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio has been the bishop of Brooklyn since 2003.
Vatileaks Trial Continues by ZENIT Staff
Yesterday, Thursday 28 April, at 3.30 p.m. a further hearing was held in the ongoing trial for the dissemination of reserved information and documents in Vatican City State Tribunal, according to information provided by the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J.
It was attended by the members of the Tribunal (Professors Giuseppe Dalla Torre, Piero Antonio Bonnet, Paolo Papanti-Pelletier and Venerando Marano), the Promoter of Justice (Professors Gian Pietro Milano and Roberto Zannotti), and the defendants Ángel Lucio Vallejo Balda, Francesca Immacolata Chaouqui and Nicola Maio, with their respective legal representatives Emanuela Bellardini, Laura Sgrò and Rita Claudia Baffioni.
The defendants Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi were absent, but their legal representatives Lucia Teresa Musso and Roberto Palombi attended.
The hearing was dedicated fully to the examination of two witnesses, Paola Monaco and Paolo Pellegrino, who at the time of the events in question were secretary of the Cardinal President and archivist of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See respectively. Both witnesses were interrogated by the members of the Tribunal, the Promoter of Justice and the counsels for the defence. Following the interrogations, the report of the examination was read and approved.
The hearing ended at approximately 8 p.m. The next hearing will take place on Saturday, May 7 at 9.30 a.m., with the possibility of continuing in the afternoon, and will be dedicated to further examination of witnesses.
Nuncio to Ireland Will Open Holy Door at ‘St. Patrick’s Purgatory’ by ZENIT Staff
Papal Nuncio to Ireland Archbishop Charles Brown will open the Holy Door of Mercy at Saint Patrick’s Basilica, Lough Derg, on Sunday to inaugurate the Jubilee of Mercy Pilgrimage Season.
At Lough Derg, the pilgrimage season commences Sunday and ‘One Day Retreats’ continue on certain days until 30 May. ‘The Three Day Pilgrimage Season’ commences on Wednesday 1 June until 15 August.
Pilgrims can begin their pilgrimage on any day up to and including 13 August, with One Day Retreats recommencing after this on Sunday 21 August.
During the Three Day Pilgrimage, pilgrims make ‘Stations’: they walk barefoot, kneel on the hallowed beds, fast, pray and keep vigil. On One Day Retreats, pilgrims enter into a day of prayer and reflection and keep footwear on. 14,000 pilgrims visit Lough Derg every year, and since 1861 the number is estimated to be two million. On average, 70% of pilgrims have been female and 30% male. Eight out of ten pilgrims return to the island and each year a growing number of new younger people come to experience the sacred island.
Speaking ahead of the start of the 2016 pilgrimage season, Archbishop Brown, said, “I am looking forward to Sunday as Lough Derg is very special for me, as it is for all pilgrims. It is really wonderful that during this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, pilgrims have the opportunity to pass through a specially dedicated Holy Door on this holy island. By doing so we, the pilgrims to Lough Derg – in the words of Pope Francis himself – ask, “the Father to forgive our sins and to bathe us in his merciful ‘indulgence’” (cf. Misericordiae Vultus, 22).
Bishop Liam MacDaid of Clogher, said, “The faithful of the diocese are honoured that the Papal Nuncio will open a ‘Holy Door of Mercy’ on Lough Derg, on Sunday. Having a Door of Mercy, in this extraordinary Jubilee Year, puts Lough Derg on a par with the major shrines and holy places of pilgrimage and retreat throughout the world.”
Lough Derg Prior, Father Owen McEneaney, added, “The island shrine is a sacred space of mercy and everyone is invited to ‘Come and let God’s mercy find you on Lough Derg’. It is a special sanctuary of peace and personal challenge. There are no outsiders here: everyone is equal. During 2016, I invite pilgrims into a new a commitment: if you are seeking time out from the daily grind of the everyday to come and walk in the footsteps of our forebears. Lough Derg reaches out to those in need: whatever your creed, background, personal circumstances or religious practice, everyone is most welcome.”
Five hundred pilgrims are expected to attend the opening day of the 2016 pilgrimage on Sunday. Archbishop Brown will preach the homily at Mass.
Lough Derg – A place of faith history and pilgrimage
Saint Patrick’s Sanctuary – the pilgrimage site – is located on Station island in Lough Derg which is four miles north of the village of Pettigo, Co Donegal. It is often referred to as Saint Patrick’s Purgatory or simply Lough Derg. The Diocese of Clogher has been the sole custodian of Lough Derg since 1780. Historical records date the practice of pilgrimage here to the 7th Century.
Legend also presents the cave on the island as the place where Saint Patrick had his vision of Purgatory. Saint Patrick is said to have left a disciple in the area and the foundation of one of the earliest monastic Christian settlements followed. The remnants of the monastic prayer cells remain central to the pilgrimage tradition. Today, the Lough Derg Three Day Pilgrimage follows a pattern prayer from the Celtic monastic time and shows remarkable continuity with the earliest systematic account of the pilgrimage, which dates to the 1600s. Before this, several accounts of pilgrimage to Lough Derg survive from medieval times. A 1346 Purgatory fresco on the wall of a convent church in Todi depicts Saint Patrick, and witnesses the fame of Lough Derg in continental Europe at that period. Following the Celtic monastic period, history points to the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine (12th – 15th Century) and the Franciscans (late 15th Century – mid 18th Century). The Lough Derg pilgrimage continued through the religious persecution of post Reformation times. A detailed account survives in the 1714 Relatio Status of Bishop Hugh MacMahon. The Diocese of Clogher has been the sole custodian of Lough Derg since 1780. The island pilgrimage is currently overseen by the Prior, Father Owen McEneaney, a priest of the Diocese of Clogher. See www.loughderg.org
May #RosaryRelay in Armagh to Engage Students in Mysteries of Faith by ZENIT Staff
The Archdiocese of Armagh is holding a Rosary Relay during the month of May in schools and across the archdiocese as part of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Announcing the prayer initiative, Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of All Ireland, said “In my Pastoral Message for the Year of Mercy, I indicated my wish for schools throughout the diocese to participate in a Rosary initiative and this has become our Rosary Relay. My vision is firstly to unite the pupils of the Archdiocese of Armagh in prayer during the month of May and then, through their example, to pass on the good news about the Rosary to families and others in the community.
“My intention is that across the Archdiocese as many young people as possible will learn to pray together a decade of the Rosary at 12 noon each day during the month of May. Then, as if in a relay, they will pass on the story of the rosary to their families and friends. The aim of this Rosary Relay is to engage the pupils and staff in the mysteries of our faith and to be part of what Pope Francis has described as an ‘extraordinary moment of grace and spiritual renewal’ in this Year of Mercy”.
Already many of the schools of the diocese have responded to Archbishop Eamon’s invitation to participate in the Rosary Relay during May. To date the diocese has despatched 19,000 rosaries as well as 19,000 rosary prayer cards in readiness for 1 May. Many children will also bring their own rosaries into school.
Archbishop Eamon continued: “While the Rosary Relay will begin in our schools, I am also inviting all the faithful of the diocese to pick up the RosaryRelay baton and pass it on to others. We will be using social media #RosaryRelay to invite as many people as possible at home and in the community to say a decade of the Rosary themselves and then to pass on the invitation to their friends, colleagues and families. We have prepared some excellent online resources to accompany the RosaryRelay and to help people who may not know, or may have forgotten how to pray the Rosary.
I have always liked what the Dominicans teach about the Rosary – Rosarium magis est modus praedicandi quam orandi – that it is more than a method of prayer, but is also a mode of preaching.
As the great Lacordaire put it: the Rosary is the Gospel on its knees!
In extending this invitation I am mindful of what Pope Francis said about education of children in the faith in his recent Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia on love in the family. He said ‘Children need symbols, actions and stories.’ The Rosary has all of these things together – the wonderful symbolism of the Rosary beads, the stories contained in the Mysteries of the Rosary and the actions of offering a prayer.”
To assist schools new rosary resources, including a video of the Mysteries of the Rosary aimed at children, have been made available on the diocesan website at www.archdioceseofarmagh.com.
Pope’s Address to Regenerative Medicine Conference by ZENIT Staff
Here is a Vatican translation of the address Pope Francis gave today to a conference on “Cellular horizons: how science, technology, information and communication will impact society.”
The International Conference on the Progress of Regenerative Medicine and its Cultural Impact is being sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Stem for Life Foundation, and the STOQ Foundation.
__
Dear Friends,
I am pleased to welcome all of you. I thank Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi for his words and, above all, for having organized this meeting on the challenging problem of rare diseases within today’s social and cultural context. During your discussions, you have offered your professionalism and high-level expertise in the area of researching new treatments. At the same time, you have not ignored ethical, anthropological, social and cultural questions, as well as the complex problem of access to care for those afflicted by rare conditions. These patients are often not given sufficient attention, because investing in them is not expected to produce substantial economic returns. In my ministry I frequently meet people affected by so called “rare” diseases. These illnesses affect millions of people throughout the world, and cause suffering and anxiety for all those who care for them, starting with family members.
Your meeting takes on greater significance in the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy; mercy is “the fundamental law that dwells in the heart of every person who looks sincerely into the eyes of his brothers and sisters on the path of life” (Misericordiae Vultus, 2). Your work is a sign of hope, as it brings together people and institutions from diverse cultures, societies and religions, all united in their deep concern for the sick.
I wish to reflect, albeit briefly, on three aspects of the commitment of the Pontifical Council for Culture and institutions working with it: the Vatican Science and Faith Foundation–STOQ, the Stem for Life Foundation, and many others who are cooperating in this cultural initiative.
The first is “increasing sensitivity”. It is fundamentally important that we promote greater empathy in society, and not remain indifferent to our neighbour’s cry for help, including when he or she is suffering from a rare disease. We know that we cannot always find fast cures to complex illnesses, but we can be prompt in caring for these persons, who often feel abandoned and ignored. We should be sensitive towards all, regardless of religious belief, social standing or culture.
The second aspect that guides your efforts is “research”, seen in two inseparable actions: education and genuine scientific study. Today more than ever we see the urgent need for an education that not only develops students’ intellectual abilities, but also ensures integral human formation and a professionalism of the highest degree. From this pedagogical perspective, it is necessary in medical and life sciences to offer interdisciplinary courses which provide ample room for a human formation supported by ethical criteria. Research, whether in academia or industry, requires unwavering attention to moral issues if it is to be an instrument which safeguards human life and the dignity of the person. Formation and research, therefore, aspire to serve higher values, such as solidarity, generosity, magnanimity, sharing of knowledge, respect for human life, and fraternal and selfless love.
The third aspect I wish to mention is “ensuring access to care”. In my Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium I highlighted the value of human progress today, citing “areas such as health care, education and communications” (52). I also strongly emphasized, however, the need to oppose “an economy of exclusion and inequality” (53) that victimizes people when the mechanism of profit prevails over the value of human life. This is why the globalization of indifference must be countered by the globalization of empathy. We are called to make known throughout the world the issue of rare diseases, to invest in appropriate education, to increase funds for research, and to promote necessary legislation as well as an economic paradigm shift. In this way, the centrality of the human person will be rediscovered. Thanks to coordinated efforts at various levels and in different sectors, it is becoming possible not only to find solutions to the sufferings which afflict our sick brothers and sisters, but also to secure access to care for them.
I encourage you to nurture these values which are already a part of your academic and cultural programme, begun some years ago. So too I urge you to continue to integrate more people and institutions throughout the world into your work. During this Jubilee Year, may you be capable and generous co-operators with the Father’s mercy. I accompany you and bless you on this journey; and I ask you, please, pray for me. Thank you.© Copyright – Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Our mailing address is:
Innovative Media Inc.
30 Mansell Road, Suite 103
Roswell, Georgia 30076, United States
---------------------
---------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment