“The tendency to debase the sick man as a machine to be repaired, without respect for moral principles, and to exploit the weakest, discarding what does not correspond to the ideology of efficiency and profit, must be opposed,” the Pope stressed.

Papa ai medici cattolici: il malato non è una macchina da riparare





Pope urges respect for moral norms regarding human life - Monday, May 28th, 2018

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-05/pope-francis-catholic-doctors-life.html

Pope Francis on Monday addressed representatives of the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC) ahead of their 25th world congress in the Croatian capital Zagreb.

By Robin Gomes

Pope Francis on Monday encouraged Catholic doctors to continue being faithful and consistent in their commitment to spread and implement the pro-life teaching of the Church, so that nothing goes against human life in its concrete existence, no matter how weak,  defenceless, undeveloped or less advanced it may be.

He made the exhortation to some 22 representatives of the World Federation of the Catholic Medical Associations (FIAMC) ahead of their 25^th world congress in the Croatian capital Zagreb.    “Sanctity Of Life and the Medical Profession from ‘Humanae Vitae’ to ‘Laudato Si’”, is the theme of the May 30-June 2 congress. 

Right to life vs efficiency, profit

Speaking in Italian, the Holy Father noted that even the field of medicine and health care has not been spared by the advance of what he called the “technocratic cultural paradigm”, by the adoration of human power without limits and by a practical relativism, where everything becomes irrelevant if it does not serve one’s own interests.

Listen to our report

In this situation, he said, Catholic doctors are “called to affirm the centrality of the sick person as a person and his dignity with inalienable rights, first and foremost his right to life.”  

“The tendency to debase the sick man as a machine to be repaired, without respect for moral principles, and to exploit the weakest, discarding what does not correspond to the ideology of efficiency and profit,  must be opposed,” the Pope stressed.

Humanizing medicine

The Holy Father called for the defence of the personal dimension of the sick person, saying it is essential for the humanization of medicine, and also in a sense of “human ecology”.   

He called on the doctors whether in their respective countries or at the international level, to involve themselves not just in specialist circles but also in discussions on legislation on sensitive ethical issues, such as the termination of pregnancy, the end of life and geneticmedicine.  

The Pope also called on them to show concern for the “defence of freedom of conscience of doctors and of all health care workers.”  He said,  “It is unacceptable that your role be reduced to simply carry out the will of the sick person or the needs of the health system in which you work.” 

The Pope said that today it necessary and urgent that the action of the Catholic doctor  have a “character of unmistakable clarity” on the level of both personal and associative witness.

 

 

 

.

Holy Father, Pope Francis explains the Hail Mary phrase by phrase. Know the True Face Of the Prayer We Love

https://mysticpost.com/2018/05/holy-father-explains-the-hail-mary-phrase-by-phrase-know-the-true-face-of-the-prayer-we-love/

https://aleteia.org/2018/05/14/pope-francis-explains-the-hail-mary-phrase-by-phrase-check-it-out/

 

We all recite the Hail Mary, but how many of us know its true meaning? What is the prayer really saying?

In the book, "Mary, Mother of All" ("María, Mamma di tutti"), Pope Francis himself teaches us the meaning of the words of this essential prayer.

Full of Grace

The Angel Gabriel calls Mary "full of grace" (Lk 1:28); in her, the pope explains, "there is no room for sin, because God has chosen her from all eternity to be the mother of Jesus, and has preserved her from original sin."
"The Word became flesh in her womb. We, too, are asked to listen to God, who speaks to us, and to accept His will. The Lord always speaks to us."

The Lord is with you

What happened in a unique way in the Virgin Mary, Francis says, "happens on a spiritual level in us as well when we welcome the Word of God with a good and sincere heart, and put it into practice. It happens as if God were to become flesh in us; He comes to live in us, because He makes His home in those who love Him and obey His Word. It's not easy to understand this, but, yes, it's easy to feel it in your heart."
"Do we think that the incarnation of Jesus is only a past event, that it doesn't affect us personally? Believing in Jesus means offering Him our body, with the same humility and courage as Mary."

Blessed are you among women

How did Mary live her faith? "She lived it," the pope answers, "in the simplicity of the many daily occupations and worries of every mom, such as providing food and clothing, and taking care of the house... Precisely this normal existence of the Virgin was the ground on which a singular rapport and profound dialogue between her and God, between her and her Son, developed."

Blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Mary is receptive, but not passive, Francis explains.
"Just as she receives the power of the Holy Spirit at a physical level, but then gives flesh and blood to the Son of God who takes form in Her, so also on a spiritual level, she receives grace and responds to it with faith. For this reason, Saint Augustine says that the Virgin 'conceived in her heart before in her womb.' She conceived faith first, and then the Lord."

Holy Mary, Mother of God

The Mother of the Redeemer, the pope continues, "precedes us and constantly confirms us in the faith, in our vocation, and in our mission. With her example of humility and readiness to obey God's will, she helps us to translate our faith into a joyful proclamation of the Gospel, without borders.”

Pray for us sinners

In order to explain the meaning of this passage of the prayer, Francis relates an anecdote:
"I remember how once, at the Shrine of Luján, I was in the confessional, in front of which there was a long line. There was also a young man who was very modern, with earrings, tattoos, all those things... And he had come to tell me what was going on with him. It was a big problem, very difficult. And he said to me, 'I told my mom all of this, and my mom said: Go to the Blessed Virgin and she will tell you what to do.' Now, that's a woman who had the gift of counsel. She didn't know how to solve her son's problem, but she pointed out the right path: go to the Blessed Virgin, and she will tell you. This is the gift of counsel. That humble, simple woman gave her son the best advice. In fact, the young man said to me, 'I looked at the Blessed Virgin and I felt that I should do this, this, and this...' I didn't need to talk; his mom and the young man himself had already said everything. This is the gift of counsel. You moms, who have this gift: ask that it be given to your children. The gift of counseling your children is a gift of God."

Now, and at the hour of our death 

Let us entrust ourselves to Mary, Pope Francis says, "so that she, as the Mother of our first-born brother, Jesus, can teach us to have the same maternal spirit towards our brothers, with a sincere ability to accept, to forgive, to strengthen, and to infuse confidence and hope. And this is what a mom does."
Mary's path towards Heaven began "with that 'yes' she spoke in Nazareth, in reply to the heavenly Messenger who announced to her God's will for her. In reality, that's exactly how it is: every 'yes' to God is a step toward Heaven, toward eternal life."









.

HELPING THE POTENTIAL IN EVERY PERSON TO BE EXPRESSED --- ARASAAC: Aragonese Portal of Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Are we sure that those who don't speak have nothing to say? Luca Errani states that, in order to communicate, all you need is to find the most appropriate way. He explains this together with his daughter Chiara who, despite her cognitive difficulties, was able to find her own personal language.

Luca Errani is a courageous father. His daughter Chiara has a cognitive disability and complex communicative needs. When Chiara was four, the Errani family started to feel the need to find a better way to communicate with their daughter. So, after trying speech therapy, aimed at stimulating a voice output as well as the desire to find new strategies to be able to interact with others, Chiara started to practice the AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). Through this technique, words become symbols and the miracle of reading occurs. Luca Errani translated 'The Hobbit', the novel by J. R. R.  Tolkien, and, thanks to the AAC tools, he has started building a network of sharing and debate with other organizations.

************

ARASAAC: Aragonese Portal of Augmentative and Alternative Communication

The portal offers ARASAAC graphic resources and materials to facilitate communication for those with some sort of problem in this area. This project has been financed by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports of the Aragonese Government and coordinated by the General Directorate of Innovation, Equality and Participation of this department.

http://www.arasaac.org/

http://www.arasaac.org/software.php

http://www.arasaac.org/software_caa.php


http://www.arasaac.org/pictogramas_color.php?busqueda=basico&id_subtema=112&p=2|3|6#136


http://aulaabierta.arasaac.org/

=============================

 

Audio: "I visit parishes (during Catechism classes) to help children with autism" These learn by visual aid and not by audio only.

Awdjo: “Indur il-parroċċi biex ngħin it-tfal bl-awtiżmu”

https://www.newsbook.com.mt/artikli/2018/08/22/awdjo-indur-il-parrocci-biex-nghin-it-tfal-bl-awtizmu/

.

MAY 16 - St Margaret of Cortona. Penitent of the Third Order of St. Francis

In the homily for the Memorial of St. Margaret of Cortona (Franciscan Tertiary,  May 16), Fr Terrance explains how Margaret's transformation from "vain" to "saint" can be an appropriate example for many young women today.

From "Vain" to "Saint" Margaret - May 16 - Homily - Fr Terrance

TENDOR OF THE SICK

Born -1247 Perugia, Italy

Died - 22 February 1297 (aged 49–50) Cortona, Italy

Venerated in - The Third Order of St. Francis, Roman Catholic Church

Canonized - 16 May 1728 by Pope Benedict XIII

Feast - 22 February  /  16 May

Patronage - against temptations; falsely accused people; homeless people; insanity; loss of parents; mental illness; mentally ill people; midwives; penitent women; single mothers; people ridiculed for their piety; reformed prostitutes; sexual temptation; single laywomen; third children

.

“COR ORANS” (“Praying Heart”): instructions for the Contemplative Life of Women

Vatican updates norms for female religious: We feel privileged - May 15, 2018

____________

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2018-05/cor-orans-contemplative-life-women-instructions.html

A document containing instructions for the Contemplative Life of Women was presented on Tuesday in the Vatican.

By Linda Bordoni
"Cor Orans" (“Praying Heart”) is the title of a document that provides instructions on how to apply Pope Francis’ 2016 Apostolic Constitution – “Vultum Dei Quaerere” (“Seek the Face of God”) addressed to Catholic women religious in contemplative communities.
In it, the Pope calls for  changes to be implemented in 12 diverse areas from prayer life to work habits.
“Cor Orans” was presented during a press conference in the Holy See Press Office led by Archbishop José Rodriguez Carballo, Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and by the undersecretary of the same Congregation, Father Sebastiano Paciolla.
Noting that in the world today there are almost 38,000 cloistered nuns, and for this reason the contents of the new document are interesting not only for the Church and for the nuns themselves but also for society at large, Archbishop Rodriguez Caballo explained that the document aims to “clarify the provisions of the law, developing and determining the procedures for its execution”.
The document provides precise guidelines regarding all the practical, administrative, legal and spiritual aspects pertaining to the founding and running of Monasteries for contemplative nuns.
These include detailed specifications regarding the autonomy of monasteries, the foundation and the erection of the monasteries themselves, their transferal and eventual suppression,  the need for ecclesial vigilance over the monasteries, relations with the bishop of the diocese in question,  rules and regulations regarding “the separation of the nuns from the outside world,” means of communication, the various forms of cloister including “papal enclosure”  and formation.
The official English translation of the document is available here.

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_doc_20180401_cor-orans_en.html










.

MALATTIE SPIRITUALI - SPIRITUAL ILLNESSES --- Opening of the Ecclesial Convention of the Diocese of Rome, with Pope Francis 14 May 2018

MALATTIE SPIRITUALI

·      L’economia dell'esclusione

·      L’accidia egoista

·      L individualismo comodo

·      La guerra fra noi

·      Il pessimismo sterile

·      La mondanità spirituale

Opening of the Ecclesial Convention of the Diocese of Rome, an annual Diocesan Pastoral Conference, from the Papal Arch basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome, Italy.

________________________________________

2018_02_11-Foglio-parrocchiale.pdf

http://www.gesubuonpastore.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018_02_11-Foglio-parrocchiale.pdf


&&&&&&&&&&&&

 

also ...

 

10 Spiritually Transmitted Diseases

By Mariana Caplan, Ph.D.

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mariana-caplan-phd/spiritual-living-10-spiri_b_609248.html

 

 

It is a jungle out there, and it is no less true about spiritual life than any other aspect of life. Do we really think that just because someone has been meditating for five years, or doing 10 years of yoga practice, that they will be any less neurotic than the next person? At best, perhaps they will be a little bit more aware of it. A little bit.

It is for this reason that I spent the last 15 years of my life researching and writing books on cultivating discernment on the spiritual path in all the gritty areas—power, sex, enlightenment, gurus, scandals, psychology, neurosis — as well as earnest, but just plain confused and unconscious, motivations on the path. My partner (author and teacher Marc Gafni) and I are developing a new series of books, courses and practices to bring further clarification to these issues.

Several years ago, I spent a summer living and working in South Africa. Upon my arrival I was instantly confronted by the visceral reality that I was in the country with the highest murder rate in the world, where rape was common and more than half the population was HIV-positive — men and women, gays and straights alike.

As I have come to know hundreds of spiritual teachers and thousands of spiritual practitioners through my work and travels, I have been struck by the way in which our spiritual views, perspectives and experiences become similarly “infected” by “conceptual contaminants” — comprising a confused and immature relationship to complex spiritual principles can seem as invisible and insidious as a sexually transmitted disease.

The following 10 categorizations are not intended to be definitive but are offered as a tool for becoming aware of some of the most common spiritually transmitted diseases.

 

1. Fast-Food Spirituality: Mix spirituality with a culture that celebrates speed, multitasking and instant gratification and the result is likely to be fast-food spirituality. Fast-food spirituality is a product of the common and understandable fantasy that relief from the suffering of our human condition can be quick and easy. One thing is clear, however: spiritual transformation cannot be had in a quick fix.

2. Faux Spirituality: Faux spirituality is the tendency to talk, dress and act as we imagine a spiritual person would. It is a kind of imitation spirituality that mimics spiritual realization in the way that leopard-skin fabric imitates the genuine skin of a leopard.

3. Confused Motivations: Although our desire to grow is genuine and pure, it often gets mixed with lesser motivations, including the wish to be loved, the desire to belong, the need to fill our internal emptiness, the belief that the spiritual path will remove our suffering and spiritual ambition, the wish to be special, to be better than, to be “the one.”

4. Identifying with Spiritual Experiences: In this disease, the ego identifies with our spiritual experience and takes it as its own, and we begin to believe that we are embodying insights that have arisen within us at certain times. In most cases, it does not last indefinitely, although it tends to endure for longer periods of time in those who believe themselves to be enlightened and/or who function as spiritual teachers.

5. The Spiritualized Ego: This disease occurs when the very structure of the egoic personality becomes deeply embedded with spiritual concepts and ideas. The result is an egoic structure that is “bullet-proof.” When the ego becomes spiritualized, we are invulnerable to help, new input, or constructive feedback. We become impenetrable human beings and are stunted in our spiritual growth, all in the name of spirituality.

6. Mass Production of Spiritual Teachers: There are a number of current trendy spiritual traditions that produce people who believe themselves to be at a level of spiritual enlightenment, or mastery, that is far beyond their actual level. This disease functions like a spiritual conveyor belt: put on this glow, get that insight, and — bam! — you’re enlightened and ready to enlighten others in similar fashion. The problem is not that such teachers instruct but that they represent themselves as having achieved spiritual mastery.

7. Spiritual Pride: Spiritual pride arises when the practitioner, through years of labored effort, has actually attained a certain level of wisdom and uses that attainment to justify shutting down to further experience. A feeling of “spiritual superiority” is another symptom of this spiritually transmitted disease. It manifests as a subtle feeling that “I am better, more wise and above others because I am spiritual.”

8. Group Mind: Also described as groupthink, cultic mentality or ashram disease, group mind is an insidious virus that contains many elements of traditional co-dependence. A spiritual group makes subtle and unconscious agreements regarding the correct ways to think, talk, dress, and act. Individuals and groups infected with “group mind” reject individuals, attitudes, and circumstances that do not conform to the often unwritten rules of the group.

9. The Chosen-People Complex: The chosen people complex is not limited to Jews. It is the belief that “Our group is more spiritually evolved, powerful, enlightened and, simply put, better than any other group.” There is an important distinction between the recognition that one has found the right path, teacher or community for themselves, and having found The One.

10. The Deadly Virus: “I Have Arrived”: This disease is so potent that it has the capacity to be terminal and deadly to our spiritual evolution. This is the belief that “I have arrived” at the final goal of the spiritual path. Our spiritual progress ends at the point where this belief becomes crystallized in our psyche, for the moment we begin to believe that we have reached the end of the path, further growth ceases.

“The essence of love is perception,” according to the teachings of Marc Gafni, “Therefore the essence of self love is self perception. You can only fall in love with someone you can see clearly—including yourself. To love is to have eyes to see. It is only when you see yourself clearly that you can begin to love yourself.”

It is in the spirit of Marc’s teaching that I believe that a critical part of learning discernment on the spiritual path is discovering the pervasive illnesses of ego and self-deception that are in all of us. That is when we need a sense of humour and the support of real spiritual friends. As we face our obstacles to spiritual growth, there are times when it is easy to fall into a sense of despair and self-diminishment and lose our confidence on the path. We must keep the faith, in ourselves and in others, in order to really make a difference in this world.

Adapted from Eyes Wide Open: Cultivating Discernment on the Spiritual Path (Sounds True)

 

 

 

.

 

MAY 3 - SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES --- Pope at Mass: ‘Transmitting the faith is a birth process’

03 May 2018

Pope at Mass: ‘Transmitting the faith is a birth process’

 

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-05/pope-francis-homily-transmitting-faith-holy-spirit-attraction.html

On the Feast of Saints Philip and James, Pope Francis focuses his homily at Casa Santa Marta’s chapel on the characteristics needed to accompany the transmission of the faith.

 

 

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

 

Using the first reading from 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Pope Francis spoke about the transmission of the faith during his homily on Thursday at Casa Santa Marta.

 

What transmission of the faith is not

 

Transmitting the faith is not to be confused with proselytism, Pope Francis said. The Church is not about looking for cheering fans; neither is it simply reciting the Creed, which is an expression of the faith. Neither is it merely the passing on of information as if it were as easy as: “Here, take this book, study it and then I will baptize you”, Pope Francis said.

 

Faith is not given, it is birthed

 

Rather, transmitting the faith is “rooting the heart in faith in Jesus Christ”, the Pope said. This is the Church’s challenge: “to be a fruitful mother, giving birth to children in the faith.” Grandparents, and parents are especially apt to transmit the faith because they “perfume it with love”, the Pope continued. And he added that care-givers, even if they are foreigners, can also effectively transmit the faith to those whom they care for.

 

 

Testimony provokes attraction and curiosity

 

Quoting Benedict XVI, Pope Francis reminds us that the faith is transmitted when people are attracted by our testimony. At times, that testimony ends in martyrdom. “Testimony provokes curiosity,” he said. It is when others see a consistency in someone’s life that they are led to ask: “Why does so-and-so live like that? Why would a person spend their life in service to others?” “The Holy Spirit uses that curiosity and he goes to work within” the person, Pope Francis said.

 

The Pope concluded saying, “Transmitting the faith makes us just, it justifies us. The faith justifies us and by transmitting it we give true justice to others”.

 

--------------------

 

The Gospel on May 3
- Feast of St Philip & St James, Apostles - Jn 14:6-14 - San Filep u San Gakbu, Festa

--- To have seen me is to have seen the father ---

Evanġelju
Min ra lili ra lill-Missier ukoll.
Ġw 14: 6-14

 

Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Ġwann

 

F’dak iż-żmien: Ġesù qal lil Tumas: [Ġw:14:6]: "Jiena hu t-Triq, il-Verità u l-Ħajja. Ħadd ma jmur għand il-Missier jekk mhux permezz tiegħi. [Ġw:14:7] Kieku għaraftu lili, kontu tagħrfu wkoll lil Missieri. Minn issa 'l quddiem tagħrfuh, anzi diġà rajtuh."

 

[Ġw:14:8] Qallu Filippu: "Mulej, urina l-Missier, u jkun biżżejjed għalina." Ġw:14:9] Ġesù wieġeb: "Ili daqshekk magħkom, Filippu, u għadek ma għaraftnix? Min ra lili ra lill-Missier. Kif tgħidli, 'Urina l-Missier'? [Ġw:14:10] Ma temminx li jiena fil-Missier u l-Missier fija? Il-kliem li ngħidilkom jien, ma ngħidux minn moħħi iżda l-Missier li jgħammar fija qiegħed jagħmel l-opri tiegħu. [Ġw:14:11] Emmnuni! Jiena fil-Missier u l-Missier huwa fija. Jekk m'hux għal ħaġ'oħra, emmnuni minħabba dawn l-opri stess. [Ġw:14:12] Tassew tassew ngħidilkom, min jemmen fija hu wkoll għad jagħmel l-opri li qiegħed nagħmel jien, u akbar minnhom għad jagħmel, għax jiena sejjer għand il-Missier. [Ġw:14:13] U jekk titolbu xi ħaġa f'ismi jiena nagħmilha, biex il-Missier ikun igglorifikat permezz ta' Ibnu. [Ġw:14:14] Iva, jekk titolbuni xi ħaġa f'ismi, jiena nagħmilha.

 

Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
R/. Tifħir lilek Kristu.

 

 

 

 

 

.

May 8, 2018 - Pope at Mass: Don't dialogue with the devil, the great liar

 

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope-francis/mass-casa-santa-marta/2018-05/pope-francis-santa-marta-devil.html

At Mass at Casa Santa Marta, Tuesday morning, Pope Francis talked about how to deal with the devil who though defeated and dying is still dangerous.

By Robin Gomes

Never approach the devil nor talk to him: he is "defeated" but dangerous because he seduces and, like a chained angry dog, bites if you go to pat him.  Pope Francis offered this advice in his homily at Mass, Tuesday morning, in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.  

Commenting on John’s Gospel where Jesus says “the ruler of this world has been condemned," the Pope spoke about the seduction of the devil and how to deal with him.

The Pope said that even though the devil is defeated and dying he has a great power and capacity to seduce.  He promises many things, bringing us beautifully packed  gifts, without revealing their contents. 

Dying but dangerous

The Pope compared the devil to a dying crocodile, who hunters advise not to approach because it can still strike you dead with its tail.  Hence the devil is very dangerous, his proposals are all lies and we foolishly believe him. 

The Pope described the devil as the father of lies, saying he speaks well, he can sing in order to deceive and he is loser who moves about like a winner.  His light dazzles like the fireworks but does not last. Instead the light of the Lord is "gentle and permanent".

Never dialogue with the devil

The devil, the Pope said, knows how to seduce us in our vanity and curiosity and we buy everything, falling into temptation.  Knowing that a thought, a desire or move is dangerous and we still go there, it is like approaching the devil who is like a chained angry dog that can still bite.  

Unlike Eve who thought herself  a “great theologian” and fell, the Pope said we must never dialogue with the devil because he wins, he is more intelligent than us. On the contrary, Jesus in the desert responds to the devil with the Word of God, hunts down demons, sometimes asking his name but doesn't dialogue.

Pray, watch, fast

Recalling the advice of Jesus to watch, do penance and fast, Pope Francis said we too must do so but never enter into dialogue with the devil. And in moments of temptation we must approach the mother, like frightened children do.  According to the Russian mystics, in times of spiritual upheavals, take refuge under the mantle of the great Mother of God, the Pope said. 

 

 ------------------------

 

THE GOSPEL

Jn 16:5-11 -- Unless I go, the Advocate will not come to you - Jekk ma mmurx, id-Difensur ma jiġix għandkom.

TUESDAY GOSPEL OF WEEK 6 OF EASTERTIDE

Evanġelju
Jekk ma mmurx, id-Difensur ma jiġix għandkom.
Ġw 16, 5-11

 

Qari mill-Evanġelju skont San Ġwann

 

F’dak iż-żmien, Ġesù qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu: [Ġw:16:5] Issa sejjer għand dak li bagħatni, u ħadd minnkom ma jistaqsini, 'Fejn sejjer?' [Ġw:16:6] Imma għax għedtilkom dan, qalbkom imtliet bin-niket. [Ġw:16:7] Madankollu, ngħidilkom is-sewwa, jaqblilkom li jiena mmur; għaliex, jekk ma mmurx, id-Difensur ma jiġix għandkom; imma jekk immur, nibgħathulkom. [Ġw:16:8] U meta huwa jiġi, juri lid-dinja li għandha żball dwar id-dnub, il-ġustizzja u l-ġudizzju; [Ġw:16:9] id-dnub, filli huma ma jemmnux fija; [Ġw:16:10] il-ġustizzja, filli jien sejjer għand il-Missier, u intom m'intomx se tarawni iżjed; [Ġw:16:11] il-ġudizzju, filli l-Prinċep ta' din id-dinja huwa ġa kkundannat.

Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
R/. Tifħir lilek Kristu

.

 

 

 

 

.

WHAT IS LOVE ? Love is not just what we see in movies – it takes work, Pope Francis says

Real love is more than what we see in movies, Pope Francis says





LOVE IS TAKING CARE OF OTHERS --- LOVE IS WORKING FOR OTHERS















Pope speaks of family love at Rome parish: do you have TIME to play with your kids?





Pope Francis: Protect life from conception to natural death

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/love-is-not-just-what-we-see-in-movies---it-takes-work-pope-francis-says-29427

By Hannah Brockhaus

Rome, Italy, May 6, 2018 / 04:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Love is not empty words or what is depicted in romantic films – it is action and service toward others, Pope Francis said in a homily at a Roman parish Sunday.

“Love is not what they say in movies... Love is not playing violins, all romantic. No, love is work. Love shows itself in works, not in words,” he said at Santissimo Sacramento parish May 6.

Sometimes people might think that love is what they see between a couple in a film, but love is actually found in “always working for others,” Francis said.

 

Referencing the day’s Gospel, he invited Catholics to strive to remain in God’s love, looking into the heart and asking themselves: “Do I remain in the love of the Lord or [do I] go out to look for other amusements and conduct of life?”

For example, if you speak badly of others, then you do not have love, the pope said, inviting Catholics to pray to the Lord for help to remain in his love and to serve others well.

Follow the example of Jesus, who gave his life as a servant, he said. Because the Lord always loves first, “love is always first.”

Pope Francis’ homily was given during a Mass which was part of a pastoral visit to a parish in the Tor de’ Schiavi neighbourhood of Rome. Before Mass, Francis inaugurated the new “House of Joy,” a day centre for people with disabilities on the parish property, run by Caritas International.

“I was at the ‘House of Joy,’” the pope commented during his homily, “but for me it is also the House of Love.”

 

At Mass, Pope Francis administered the sacrament of Confirmation to Maia, a little girl with a mitochondrial disease, and to her mother, Paola.

Beforehand, Francis met the managers of the local Caritas and spoke with people with disabilities and their families. He also visited a new family home, blessing the rooms and speaking with the seven boys who will live there with two women religious and a lay person.

He also heard the confessions of several parishioners.

Meeting parishioners and neighbourhood residents gathered outside the church before Mass, Francis also listened to and answered four questions, one each from a parent, a young adult, a teenager, and a child.

Responding to a little boy, he told children to pray for their parents, because it is what Christians do: pray for each other. He noted that it does not have to be a long prayer, but that children should pray every day.
 

 

 

 

.

May 1st 2018 - AT THE SANCTUARY TO OUR LADY OF DIVINE LOVE - RECITATION OF THE ROSARY LED BY POPE FRANCIS TO OPEN THE MARIAN MONTH

  

PAPA FRANCESCO - RECITAZIONE DEL ROSARIO AL SANTUARIO DELLA MADONNA DEL DIVINO AMORE 2018-05-01









.