"Réalisez les choses avec perfection, apportez de l'amour aux petites activités de la journée, découvrez ce quelque chose de divin que renferment les détails: cette doctrine trouve une place spéciale dans l'espace vital, qui forme le cadre de l'amour humain."
Pope Francis
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Sunday, 24 February 2013
Divine Providence
In these momentous days, I ask you to pray for me and for the Church, trusting as always in divine Providence.
— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) February 24, 2013
Providência de Deus
Neste momento particular, peço-vos que rezeis por mim e pela Igreja, confiando sempre na Providência de Deus.
— Bento XVI (@Pontifex_pt) February 24, 2013
Providencia de Dios
En este momento particular, os ruego que recéis por mí y por la Iglesia, confiando como siempre en la Providencia de Dios.
— Benedicto XVI (@Pontifex_es) February 24, 2013
Provvidenza di Dio
In questo momento particolare, vi chiedo di pregare per me e per la Chiesa, confidando come sempre nella Provvidenza di Dio.
— Benedetto XVI (@Pontifex_it) February 24, 2013
Providence de Dieu
En ce moment particulier, je vous demande de prier pour moi et pour l’Église, confiant comme toujours en la Providence de Dieu
— Benoît XVI (@Pontifex_fr) February 24, 2013
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Forja (528) - Resurgir
"Esta es la verdad del cristiano: entrega y amor —amor a Dios y, por El, al prójimo—, fundamentados en el sacrificio."
San Josemaría Escrivá
San Josemaría Escrivá
In the silence of the ‘dark night,’ we can nevertheless hear the Word
"The
Holy Father said, we recognise that the goodness of Creation is
permanently contradicted by evil in the world. “Evil,” he said, “always
desires to spoil creation, to contradict God, and to make truth and
beauty unrecognisable.” But it is precisely into this world, marked by
evil, that the Incarnate Logos enters, crowned with thorns, so that, “in
the suffering figure of the Son of God, we can begin to see the most
profound beauty of our Creator and Redeemer. In the silence of the ‘dark
night,’ we can nevertheless hear the Word.”
Friday, 22 February 2013
Pope Benedict "please keep writing!"
"Church leaders across the globe are expressing their
thoughts regarding Pope Benedict XVIth's resignation from the Petrine
Ministry.
One of them is Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Cape Town and President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference.
Speaking to Vatican Radio's Linda Bordoni, he expresses his respect and his gratitude for a man and a Pope whom he says has shown deep intellectual honesty, and his honesty in wanting to serve the good of the Church."
One of them is Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Cape Town and President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference.
Speaking to Vatican Radio's Linda Bordoni, he expresses his respect and his gratitude for a man and a Pope whom he says has shown deep intellectual honesty, and his honesty in wanting to serve the good of the Church."
Furrow (797) - To love is...
"To love is... to cherish but one thought, to live for the person loved,
not to belong to oneself, to be happily and freely, with one’s heart and
soul, subjected to another’s will... and at the same time to one’s own."
Thursday, 21 February 2013
Não se deixem fascinar pela lógica do poder
Bento XVI aos cardeais: "Não se deixem fascinar pela lógica do poder"
(http://www.news.va/pt/news/bento-xvi-aos-cardeais-nao-se-deixem-fascinar-pela)
(http://www.news.va/pt/news/bento-xvi-aos-cardeais-nao-se-deixem-fascinar-pela)
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Sillon (795)
"Ce qui est nécessaire pour atteindre le bonheur, ce n'est pas une vie facile, mais un coeur plein d'amour."
Saint Josémaria Escriva
Saint Josémaria Escriva
Tornar a economia global num sistema mais ético
"O presidente da Cáritas Internacional (CI) agradeceu hoje o empenho
que Bento XVI colocou ao longo do seu pontificado na defesa da
“caridade” e da “justiça social”, através da sua oração, das suas
encíclicas e viagens pastorais.
Numa mensagem publicada na página da Cáritas Portuguesa, o cardeal
Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga enaltece a forma firme como o Papa colocou “a
caridade no coração da Igreja” e “do mundo”, denunciou “o sofrimento das
pessoas em perigo” e “falou de amor e compaixão” como valores a
promover e preservar.
“Ainda antes de fazer um ano desde o início do seu pontificado, o
Papa Bento já tinha claramente delineado o papel essencial de amar os
outros e ajudar os pobres e vulneráveis na encíclica Deus Caritas
Est”, recorda o líder da organização católica tutelada pelo Vaticano.
“Quatro anos mais tarde”, acrescenta o prelado hondurenho, Joseph
Ratzinger “deu” ao mundo a encíclica “Caritas in Veritate”, reflexão
“que enfatizou a necessidade de tornar a economia global num sistema
mais ético”."
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Pope as "authoritative moral leader" during global economic crisis
"Pope Benedict’s pontificate has coincided with a global economic crisis
that has seen poverty rates soaring in many countries around the world.
The Catholic-inspired development agency Progressio says the Pope has
been "an authoritative moral leader" during this time of crisis and
singles out the clear message contained in his social encyclical Caritas in Veritate. Daniel Hale is Progressio’s Head of Campaigns and he spoke to Vatican Radio’s Susy Hodges.
Hale describes Pope Benedict as “answerving in his commitment to speaking out on behalf of some of the very poorest people in the world.” Overall, he continues, the Pope has “taken a very clear view on the morality” of development issues and has been “a phenomenal advocate” in this field.
When it comes to his social encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Hale says the Pope has taken “some key themes” that existed in Catholic social teaching and has put “a contemporary spin on them.” He particularly singles out Pope Benedict’s teachings and statements on the need to protect our environment, noting that Benedict has often been dubbed “the green Pope”, after putting “solar panels” on the roofs of two buildings within the Vatican.
Hale also praises Pope Benedict for his “very empowering approach” when it comes to discussing development, social and economic issues where he stresses that we all “have a role to play in building a better future. Hale says what Pope Benedict has done when it comes to studying the global economic crisis is to “take a step back and recast the crisis as a moral problem and in so doing, invites us all to be part of the solution.”
Hale describes Pope Benedict as “answerving in his commitment to speaking out on behalf of some of the very poorest people in the world.” Overall, he continues, the Pope has “taken a very clear view on the morality” of development issues and has been “a phenomenal advocate” in this field.
When it comes to his social encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Hale says the Pope has taken “some key themes” that existed in Catholic social teaching and has put “a contemporary spin on them.” He particularly singles out Pope Benedict’s teachings and statements on the need to protect our environment, noting that Benedict has often been dubbed “the green Pope”, after putting “solar panels” on the roofs of two buildings within the Vatican.
Hale also praises Pope Benedict for his “very empowering approach” when it comes to discussing development, social and economic issues where he stresses that we all “have a role to play in building a better future. Hale says what Pope Benedict has done when it comes to studying the global economic crisis is to “take a step back and recast the crisis as a moral problem and in so doing, invites us all to be part of the solution.”
Women in Social Life and in the Life of the Church
"There are marriages in which the wife, for some reason or other, finds
herself separated from her husband in degrading and unbearable
conditions. In these cases it is difficult for her to accept the
indissolubility of the marriage bond. Women in these circumstances
complain that they are denied the possibility of building a new home.
What answer would you give to people in such a situation?
While understanding their suffering, I would tell them that they can
also see in their situation God's Will, which is never cruel, for God is
a loving Father. The situation may be especially difficult for some
time, but if they go to our Lord and His blessed Mother, they will
receive the help of grace.
The indissolubility of marriage is not a caprice of the Church nor is it
merely a positive ecclesiastical law. It is a precept of natural law,
of divine law, and responds perfectly to our nature and to the
supernatural order of grace. For these reasons, in the great majority of
cases, indissolubility is an indispensable condition for the happiness
of married couples and for the spiritual security of their children.
Even in the very sad cases we are talking about, the humble acceptance
of God's Will always brings with it a profound sense of satisfaction
that nothing can substitute. It is not merely a refuge, or a
consolation, it is the very essence of Christian life.
If women who are separated from their husbands have children in their
care, they should understand that their children continue to need their
loving motherly devotion, and especially now, to make up for the
deficiencies of a divided home. They should make a generous effort to
understand that indissolubility, which for them means sacrifice, is a
safeguard for the integrity and unity of the great majority of families
and ennobles the parent's love and prevents the abandonment of the
children.
Surprise at the apparent hardness of the Christian precept of
indissolubility is nothing new. The Apostles were surprised when Jesus
confirmed it. It can seem a burden, a yoke, but Christ Himself said that
His yoke was sweet and his burden light."
Monday, 18 February 2013
Santificar o trabalho, santificar-se no trabalho e santificar os outros com o trabalho
"Desde há muitos anos que tem vindo a dizer e a escrever que a vocação
dos leigos consiste em três coisas: “santificar o trabalho,
santificar-se no trabalho e santificar os outros com o trabalho”.
Poderia precisar-nos o que entende exactamente por santificar o
trabalho?
É difícil explicá-lo em poucas palavras, porque nessa expressão estão implicados conceitos fundamentais da própria teologia da Criação. O que sempre ensinei - desde há quarenta anos - é que todo o trabalho humano honesto, tanto intelectual como manual, deve ser realizado pelo cristão com a maior perfeição possível: com perfeição humana (competência profissional) e com perfeição cristã (por amor à vontade de Deus e em serviço dos homens). Porque, feito assim, esse trabalho humano, por humilde e insignificante que pareça, contribui para a ordenação cristã das realidades temporais - a manifestação da sua dimensão divina - e é assumido e integrado na obra prodigiosa da Criação e da Redenção do mundo: eleva-se assim o trabalho à ordem da graça, santifica-se, converte-se em obra de Deus, operatio Dei, opus Dei.
Ao recordar aos cristãos as palavras maravilhosas do Génesis - que Deus criou o homem para que trabalhasse -, fixámo-nos no exemplo de Cristo, que passou a quase totalidade da sua vida terrena trabalhando numa aldeia como artesão. Amamos esse trabalho humano que Ele abraçou como condição de vida, e cultivou e santificou. Vemos no trabalho - na nobre e criadora fadiga dos homens - não só um dos mais altos valores humanos, meio imprescindível para o progresso da sociedade e o ordenamento cada vez mais justo das relações entre os homens, mas também um sinal do amor de Deus para com as suas criaturas e do amor dos homens entre si e para com Deus: um meio de perfeição, um caminho de santificação.
Por isso, o único objectivo do Opus Dei sempre foi este: contribuir para que, no meio do mundo, das realidades e afãs seculares, homens e mulheres de todas as raças e de todas as condições sociais procurem amar e servir a Deus e a todos os outros, no seu trabalho ordinário e através dele."
São Josemaría Escrivá
É difícil explicá-lo em poucas palavras, porque nessa expressão estão implicados conceitos fundamentais da própria teologia da Criação. O que sempre ensinei - desde há quarenta anos - é que todo o trabalho humano honesto, tanto intelectual como manual, deve ser realizado pelo cristão com a maior perfeição possível: com perfeição humana (competência profissional) e com perfeição cristã (por amor à vontade de Deus e em serviço dos homens). Porque, feito assim, esse trabalho humano, por humilde e insignificante que pareça, contribui para a ordenação cristã das realidades temporais - a manifestação da sua dimensão divina - e é assumido e integrado na obra prodigiosa da Criação e da Redenção do mundo: eleva-se assim o trabalho à ordem da graça, santifica-se, converte-se em obra de Deus, operatio Dei, opus Dei.
Ao recordar aos cristãos as palavras maravilhosas do Génesis - que Deus criou o homem para que trabalhasse -, fixámo-nos no exemplo de Cristo, que passou a quase totalidade da sua vida terrena trabalhando numa aldeia como artesão. Amamos esse trabalho humano que Ele abraçou como condição de vida, e cultivou e santificou. Vemos no trabalho - na nobre e criadora fadiga dos homens - não só um dos mais altos valores humanos, meio imprescindível para o progresso da sociedade e o ordenamento cada vez mais justo das relações entre os homens, mas também um sinal do amor de Deus para com as suas criaturas e do amor dos homens entre si e para com Deus: um meio de perfeição, um caminho de santificação.
Por isso, o único objectivo do Opus Dei sempre foi este: contribuir para que, no meio do mundo, das realidades e afãs seculares, homens e mulheres de todas as raças e de todas as condições sociais procurem amar e servir a Deus e a todos os outros, no seu trabalho ordinário e através dele."
São Josemaría Escrivá
Sunday, 17 February 2013
Redescubrir la fe en Dios
La cuaresma es un tiempo favorable para redescubrir la fe en Dios como fundamento de nuestra vida y de la vida de la Iglesia.
— Benedicto XVI (@Pontifex_es) February 17, 2013
Redescobrir a fé em Deus
A Quaresma é um tempo favorável para redescobrirmos a fé em Deus como base da nossa vida e da vida da Igreja.
— Bento XVI (@Pontifex_pt) February 17, 2013
To rediscover faith in God
Lent is a favourable time in which to rediscover faith in God as the foundation of our lives and of the Church’s life
— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) February 17, 2013
Riscoprire la fede in Dio
La Quaresima è un tempo favorevole per riscoprire la fede in Dio come base della nostra vita e della vita della Chiesa
— Benedetto XVI (@Pontifex_it) February 17, 2013
Redécouvrir la foi en Dieu
Le Carême est un temps favorable pour redécouvrir la foi en Dieu comme base de notre vie et de la vie de l’Église !
— Benoît XVI (@Pontifex_fr) February 17, 2013
The Way (418) - Love
"The secret that ennobles the humblest, even the most humiliating thing, is Love."
St. Josemaría Escrivá
St. Josemaría Escrivá
The Way (274) - Love
"You've done well..., even though you have fallen so low. You have done
well, because you humbled yourself, because you put things right,
because you filled yourself with hope, and that hope brought you back
again to his Love. Don't look so amazed: you have done well! You rose up
from the ground: 'Surge — arise,' the mighty voice cried anew, 'et
ambula! — and walk!' Now — to work!"
Saturday, 16 February 2013
Bendita solidão
"Procura encontrar diariamente uns minutos dessa bendita solidão que tanta falta te faz para teres em andamento a vida interior."
Faith and charity
"Faith without charity bears no fruit, while charity without faith would
be a sentiment constantly at the mercy of doubt. Faith and charity each
require the other, in such a way that each allows the other to set out
along its respective path."
Caminho (212) - Amor (4)
"Esse Cristo que tu vês, não é Jesus. - Será, quando muito, a triste imagem que podem formar os teus olhos turvos... - Purifica-te. Clarifica o teu olhar com a humildade e a penitência. Depois... não te hão-de faltar as luzes límpidas do Amor. E terás uma visão perfeita. A tua imagem será realmente a sua: Ele!"
São Josemaría Escrivá
São Josemaría Escrivá
Dando più spazio a Dio
Nel Tempo di Quaresima che iniziamo, rinnoviamo il nostro impegno di conversione dando più spazio a Dio.
— Benedetto XVI (@Pontifex_it) February 13, 2013
Donnant plus de place à Dieu
Au début de ce temps du Carême, renouvelons notre engagement à la conversion en donnant plus de place à Dieu !
— Benoît XVI (@Pontifex_fr) February 13, 2013
Tema do 1º Domingo da Quaresma
"No início da Quaresma, a Palavra de Deus apela a repensar as nossas opções de vida e a tomar consciência dessas “tentações” que nos impedem de renascer para a vida nova, para a vida de Deus.
A primeira leitura convida-nos a eliminar os falsos deuses em quem às vezes apostamos tudo e a fazer de Deus a nossa referência fundamental.
Alerta-nos, na mesma lógica, contra a tentação do orgulho e da auto-suficiência, que nos levam a caminhos de egoísmo e de desumanidade, de desgraça e de morte.
O Evangelho apresenta-nos uma catequese sobre as opções de Jesus.
Lucas sugere que Jesus recusou radicalmente um caminho de materialismo, de poder, de êxito fácil, pois o plano de Deus não passava pelo egoísmo, mas pela partilha; não passava pelo autoritarismo, mas pelo serviço; não passava por manifestações espectaculares que impressionam as massas, mas por uma proposta de vida plena, apresentada com simplicidade e amor.
É claro que é esse caminho que é sugerido aos que seguem Jesus.
A segunda leitura convida-nos a prescindir de uma atitude arrogante e auto-suficiente em relação à salvação que Deus nos oferece: a salvação não é uma conquista nossa, mas um dom gratuito de Deus.
É preciso, pois, “converter-se” a Jesus, isto é, reconhecê-l’O como o “Senhor” e acolher no coração a salvação que, em Jesus, Deus nos propõe."
Abriendo nuestra vida cada vez más a Dios
En el tiempo de Cuaresma que iniciamos, esforcémonos por convertirnos, abriendo nuestra vida cada vez más a Dios.
— Benedicto XVI (@Pontifex_es) February 13, 2013
Dando mais espaço a Deus
No tempo da Quaresma que se inicia, renovemos o nosso esforço de conversão, dando mais espaço a Deus.
— Bento XVI (@Pontifex_pt) February 13, 2013
Making more room for God in our lives
During the season of Lent which begins today, we renew our commitment to the path of conversion, making more room for God in our lives.
— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) February 13, 2013
Friday, 15 February 2013
Reason and freedom
"As far as the two great themes of “reason” and “freedom” are concerned, here
we can only touch upon the issues connected with them. Yes indeed, reason is
God's great gift to man, and the victory of reason over unreason is also a goal of the Christian life. But
when does reason truly triumph? When it is detached from God? When it has become
blind to God? Is the reason behind action and capacity for action the whole of
reason? If progress, in order to be progress, needs moral growth on the part of
humanity, then the reason behind action and capacity for action is likewise
urgently in need of integration through reason's openness to the saving forces
of faith, to the differentiation between good and evil. Only thus does reason
become truly human. It becomes human only if it is capable of directing the will
along the right path, and it is capable of this only if it looks beyond itself.
Otherwise, man's situation, in view of the imbalance between his material
capacity and the lack of judgement in his heart, becomes a threat for him and
for creation. Thus where freedom is concerned, we must remember that human
freedom always requires a convergence of various freedoms. Yet this convergence
cannot succeed unless it is determined by a common intrinsic criterion of
measurement, which is the foundation and goal of our freedom. Let us put it very
simply: man needs God, otherwise he remains without hope. Given the developments
of the modern age, the quotation from Saint Paul with which I began (Eph
2:12) proves to be thoroughly realistic and plainly true. There is no doubt,
therefore, that a “Kingdom of God” accomplished without God—a kingdom therefore
of man alone—inevitably ends up as the “perverse end” of all things as described
by Kant: we have seen it, and we see it over and over again. Yet neither is
there any doubt that God truly enters into human affairs only when, rather than
being present merely in our thinking, he himself comes towards us and speaks to
us. Reason therefore needs faith if it is to be completely itself: reason and
faith need one another in order to fulfil their true nature and their mission."
Numa perspectiva não moralista
"Na sociedade contemporânea, parece que
a mensagem cristã incide cada vez menos na vida pessoal
e comunitária; e isto representa um desafio para todas
as Igrejas e Comunidades eclesiais. A unidade é em si
mesmo um instrumento privilegiado, como que um
pressuposto para anunciar de modo cada vez mais credível
a fé a quantos ainda não conhecem o Salvador ou que,
embora tenham recebido o anúncio do Evangelho, quase
esqueceram este dom inestimável. O escândalo da divisão
que impedia a actividade missionária foi o impulso que
depois deu início ao movimento ecuménico como hoje o
conhecemos. Com efeito, a comunhão plena e visível entre
os cristãos deve ser entendida como uma característica
fundamental, para um testemunho ainda mais claro. Então,
enquanto nos encontramos a caminho da unidade plena, é
necessário perseguir uma colaboração concreta entre os
discípulos de Cristo em prol da causa da transmissão da
fé ao mundo contemporâneo. Hoje há grande necessidade de
reconciliação, de diálogo e de compreensão recíproca,
numa perspectiva não moralista, mas precisamente em nome
da autenticidade cristã, para uma presença mais incisiva
na realidade do nosso tempo."
È Gesù che passa (1)
"Comincia l'anno liturgico e l'introito della Messa ci propone una riflessione intimamente connessa con l'inizio della nostra vita cristiana, una riflessione sulla vocazione che abbiamo ricevuto. Vias tuas, Domine, demonstra mihi, et semitas tuas edoce me (Sal 24, 4): Signore, fammi conoscere le tue vie, insegnami i tuoi sentieri. Chiediamo al Signore di guidarci, di mostrarci le sue vie, affinché possiamo raggiungere la carità, pienezza dei suoi comandamenti (cfr Mt 22, 37; Mc 12, 30; Lc 10, 27).
Immagino che anche voi, come me, nel ripensare alle circostanze che hanno accompagnato la vostra decisione di impegnarvi a vivere pienamente la fede, sentiate profonda riconoscenza verso il Signore e siate sinceramente convinti — senza falsa umiltà — che non vi è stato alcun merito da parte vostra. Di solito impariamo a invocare Dio nell'infanzia, dalle labbra dei genitori cristiani; successivamente, insegnanti, amici, conoscenti, ci hanno aiutato in mille modi a non perdere di vista Gesù.
Forse un giorno — non voglio generalizzare, apri il tuo cuore al Signore e raccontagli la tua storia — un amico, un comune cristiano come te, ti svelò un panorama profondo e nuovo, eppure vecchio come il Vangelo. Ti suggerì la possibilità di impegnarti seriamente a seguire Cristo, a essere apostolo di apostoli. Forse in quel momento hai perduto la tranquillità, per ritrovarla trasformata in pace, quando liberamente, perché ti andava di farlo — è questo il motivo più soprannaturale — rispondesti di sì a Dio. Sopraggiunse allora una gioia forte, incessante, che può scomparire soltanto se ti allontani da Lui.
Non mi piace parlare di eletti o di privilegiati. Eppure il Signore chiama e sceglie. Sono parole della Scrittura: Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem — dice san Paolo — ut essemus sancti (Ef 1, 4). Ci ha scelti prima della creazione del mondo perché fossimo santi. So che questo non ti riempie di orgoglio né ti fa considerare superiore agli altri.
Questa scelta, radice della tua chiamata, deve essere la base della tua umiltà. Si innalza forse un monumento ai pennelli di un grande pittore? Sono serviti per dipingere dei capolavori, ma il merito è dell'artista. Noi cristiani siamo soltanto strumenti del Creatore del mondo, del Redentore di tutti gli uomini."
San Josemaría Escrivá
Amis de Dieu (184) - Amour (1)
"Mon intimité avec le Seigneur a été alimentée, comme je vous l’ai
expliqué maintes fois, et je n’ai pas crainte qu’on le sache, par le
plaisir réel que j’éprouve à écouter les chansons populaires, qui ont
presque toujours l’amour pour thème. Le Seigneur nous a choisis, moi et
certains d’entre vous, pour que nous lui appartenions totalement et
transposions sur le mode divin cet amour noble des refrains profanes.
C’est ce que fait l’Esprit Saint dans le Cantique des Cantiques, et ce qu’ont fait aussi les grands mystiques de tous les temps.
Relisez ces vers de la sainte d’Avila :
Si vous voulez que je reste oisif
Je veux rester oisif par Amour ;
Si vous me mandez travailler je veux mourir au travail.
Dites-moi où, quand et comment ?
Dites, mon doux amour, dites :
Qu’attendez-vous de moi ?
Ou bien aussi cette chanson de saint Jean de la Croix, avec ce début merveilleux :
Un pastoureau solitaire avait du chagrin,
Privé de plaisir et de joie,
Il n’avait de pensée que pour sa pastourelle
Et son cœur était blessé d’amour.
L’amour humain, quand il est pur, m’inspire un immense respect, une indicible vénération. Comment ne pas apprécier l’affection sainte et noble de nos parents, à qui nous sommes en grande partie redevables de notre amitié avec Dieu ? Je bénis des deux mains cet amour-là, et quand on me demande pourquoi je dis des deux mains, je réponds aussitôt que c’est faute d’en avoir quatre.
Béni soit l’amour humain ! Mais le Seigneur m’a demandé davantage, et c’est ce qu’affirme la théologie catholique : se livrer pour l’amour du Royaume des cieux à Jésus seul et, pour l’amour de Jésus, à tous les hommes, est plus sublime encore que l’amour matrimonial, même si le mariage est un sacrement, sacramentum magnum.
Quoi qu’il en soit, chacun, à la place qu’il occupe et avec la vocation que Dieu lui a inspirée — célibataire, marié, veuf, prêtre — doit s’efforcer de vivre la chasteté avec délicatesse ; c’est une vertu accessible à tous, et qui exige de tous lutte, sensibilité, tact, vigueur, cette finesse que l’on ne comprend que lorsqu’on se place aux côtés du Cœur rempli d’amour du Christ sur la Croix. Ne soyez pas inquiets si, d’aventure, vous sentez la tentation vous guetter. Sentir est une chose, consentir en est une autre. On peut facilement repousser la tentation avec l’aide de Dieu. Ce qu’il ne faut à aucun prix, c’est se mettre à dialoguer."
Saint Josémaria Escriva
Relisez ces vers de la sainte d’Avila :
Si vous voulez que je reste oisif
Je veux rester oisif par Amour ;
Si vous me mandez travailler je veux mourir au travail.
Dites-moi où, quand et comment ?
Dites, mon doux amour, dites :
Qu’attendez-vous de moi ?
Ou bien aussi cette chanson de saint Jean de la Croix, avec ce début merveilleux :
Un pastoureau solitaire avait du chagrin,
Privé de plaisir et de joie,
Il n’avait de pensée que pour sa pastourelle
Et son cœur était blessé d’amour.
L’amour humain, quand il est pur, m’inspire un immense respect, une indicible vénération. Comment ne pas apprécier l’affection sainte et noble de nos parents, à qui nous sommes en grande partie redevables de notre amitié avec Dieu ? Je bénis des deux mains cet amour-là, et quand on me demande pourquoi je dis des deux mains, je réponds aussitôt que c’est faute d’en avoir quatre.
Béni soit l’amour humain ! Mais le Seigneur m’a demandé davantage, et c’est ce qu’affirme la théologie catholique : se livrer pour l’amour du Royaume des cieux à Jésus seul et, pour l’amour de Jésus, à tous les hommes, est plus sublime encore que l’amour matrimonial, même si le mariage est un sacrement, sacramentum magnum.
Quoi qu’il en soit, chacun, à la place qu’il occupe et avec la vocation que Dieu lui a inspirée — célibataire, marié, veuf, prêtre — doit s’efforcer de vivre la chasteté avec délicatesse ; c’est une vertu accessible à tous, et qui exige de tous lutte, sensibilité, tact, vigueur, cette finesse que l’on ne comprend que lorsqu’on se place aux côtés du Cœur rempli d’amour du Christ sur la Croix. Ne soyez pas inquiets si, d’aventure, vous sentez la tentation vous guetter. Sentir est une chose, consentir en est une autre. On peut facilement repousser la tentation avec l’aide de Dieu. Ce qu’il ne faut à aucun prix, c’est se mettre à dialoguer."
Saint Josémaria Escriva
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Prioridad de la razón, de la libertad, del amor
"¿Cómo debemos comprender las
narraciones del Génesis? La Biblia no quiere ser un manual de ciencias
naturales; quiere en cambio hacer comprender la verdad auténtica y profunda de
las cosas. La verdad fundamental que nos revelan los relatos del Génesis
es que el mundo no es un conjunto de fuerzas entre sí contrastantes, sino que
tiene su origen y su estabilidad en el Logos, en la Razón eterna de Dios,
que sigue sosteniendo el universo. Hay un designio sobre el mundo que nace de
esta Razón, del Espíritu creador. Creer que en la base de todo exista esto,
ilumina cualquier aspecto de la existencia y da la valentía para afrontar con
confianza y esperanza la aventura de la vida. Por lo tanto, la Escritura nos
dice que el origen del ser, del mundo, nuestro origen no es lo irracional y la
necesidad, sino la razón y el amor y la libertad. De ahí la alternativa: o
prioridad de lo irracional, de la necesidad, o prioridad de la razón, de la
libertad, del amor. Nosotros creemos en esta última posición."
Papa Benedicto XVI
Papa Benedicto XVI
Caminho (77) - Amor (3)
"Sujeitar-se a um plano de vida, a um horário... é tão monótono! - disseste-me.
E respondi-te: há monotonia porque falta Amor."
São Josemaría Escrivá
E respondi-te: há monotonia porque falta Amor."
São Josemaría Escrivá
Letting God Work
"I have always been struck by the interpretation which Josemaría Escrivá
gave of the name Opus Dei — an interpretation which we could call
biographical and which allows us to understand the founder in his
spiritual dimension. Escrivá knew that he should found something, but he
was always aware that it was not his work, that he had not invented
anything, that the Lord had simply made use of him. Thus it was not his
work, but Opus Dei [Latin for "work of God"]. He was only an instrument
with which God had acted.
While I was pondering this fact, there came to mind our Lord's words in
the Gospel of John (5:17): “My Father is always working.” These are
words spoken by Jesus in the course of a discussion with some religious
specialists who did not want to recognize that God could act even on the
Sabbath. This is a debate that is still going on, in a certain way,
among people and even Christians of our own time. Some people think that
after creation God “retired” and no longer has any interest in our
everyday affairs. According to this manner of thinking, God could no
longer enter into the fabric of our daily life. But the words of Jesus
affirm the opposite. A man open to the presence of God discovers that
God is always working and still works today: We should, then, let him
enter and let him work. And so things are born which open to the future
and renew mankind.
All this helps us to understand why Josemaría Escrivá did not consider
himself “founder” of anything, but only a person who wants to fulfill
the will of God, to second his action, the work, precisely, of God. In
this sense, the theocentrism of Escrivá, in accordance with the words of
Jesus, means this confidence in the fact that God has not retired from
the world, that God is working now and we ought only to put ourselves at
his disposal, to be ready, capable of reacting to his calling. This,
for me, is a message of greatest importance. It is a message which leads
to overcoming what could be considered the great temptation of our
times: the pretense, that is, that after the "big bang" God retired from
history. God’s action did not “stop” at the moment of the "big bang",
but continues throughout time in the world of nature and the world of
man.
The founder of Opus Dei said: I am not the one who invented anything;
there is Another who acts, and I am only ready to serve as an
instrument. So the name, and all the reality which we call Opus Dei, is
deeply bound up with the interior life of the founder. He, while
remaining very discreet on this point, makes us understand that he was
in permanent dialogue, in real contact, with Him who created us and
works through us and with us. The Book of Exodus (33:11) says of Moses
that God spoke with him “face to face, as a friend speaks with a
friend.” I think that, even if the veil of discretion hides many details
from us, still from some small references we can very well apply to
Josemaría Escrivá this “speaking as a friend speaks with a friend,”
which opens the doors of the world so that God can become present, to
work and transform everything.
In this light one can understand even better what holiness means, as
well as the universal calling to holiness. Knowing a little about the
history of saints, and understanding that in the causes of canonization
there is inquiry into “heroic” virtue, we almost inevitably have a
mistaken concept of holiness: “It is not for me,” we are led to think,
“because I do not feel capable of attaining heroic virtue. It is too
high a goal.” Holiness then becomes a thing reserved for some “greats”
whose images we see on the altars, and who are completely different from
us ordinary sinners. But this is a mistaken notion of holiness, a wrong
perception which has been corrected—and this seems to me the central
point—precisely by Josemaría Escrivá.
Heroic virtue does not mean that the saint performs a type of
“gymnastics” of holiness, something that normal people do not dare to
do. It means rather that in the life of a person God’s presence is
revealed—something man could not do by himself and through himself.
Perhaps in the final analysis we are rather dealing with a question of
terminology, because the adjective “heroic” has been badly interpreted.
Heroic virtue properly speaking does not mean that one has done great
things by oneself, but rather that in one’s life there appear realities
which the person has not done himself, because he has been transparent
and ready for the work of God. Or, in other words, to be a saint is
nothing other than to speak with God as a friend speaks with a friend.
This is holiness.
To be holy does not mean being superior to others; the saint can be very
weak, with many mistakes in his life. Holiness is this profound contact
with God, becoming a friend of God: it is letting the Other work, the
Only One who can really make the world both good and happy. And if,
then, Josemaría Escrivá speaks of the calling of all to be saints, I
think that he is actually referring to this personal experience of his
of not having done incredible things by himself, but of having let God
work. And thus was born a renewal, a force for good in the world, even
if all the weaknesses of mankind will remain ever present. Truly we are
all capable, we are all called to open ourselves up to this friendship
with God, to not leave the hands of God, to not neglect to turn and
return to the Lord, speaking with him as if speaking with a friend,
knowing well that the Lord really is a true friend of everyone,
including those who cannot do great things by themselves.
From all this I have better understood the inner character of Opus Dei,
this surprising union of absolute fidelity to the Church’s great
tradition, to its faith, and unconditional openness to all the
challenges of this world, whether in the academic world, in the field of
work, or in matters of the economy, etc. The person who is bound to
God, who has this uninterrupted conversation, can dare to respond to
these challenges, and no longer has fear. For the person who stands in
God’s hands always falls into God’s hands. And so fear vanishes, and in
its place is born the courage to respond to today’s world."
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Caminho (24) - Amor (1)
"Tens ambições: de saber..., de ser chefe.... de ser audaz.
Muito bem. - Mas... por Cristo, por Amor."
São Josemaría Escrivá
Muito bem. - Mas... por Cristo, por Amor."
São Josemaría Escrivá
Tuesday, 12 February 2013
The Way (77) - Love
"This tying of one's life to a plan, to a timetable, you tell me, is so monotonous! And I answer: there is monotony because there is little Love."
Monday, 11 February 2013
Communication and communion
"Because it is filled with truth, charity can be understood in the
abundance of its values, it can be shared and communicated. Truth, in
fact, is lógos which creates diá-logos, and hence communication
and communion. Truth, by enabling men and women to let go of their subjective
opinions and impressions, allows them to move beyond cultural and historical
limitations and to come together in the assessment of the value and substance of
things. Truth opens and unites our minds in the lógos of love: this is
the Christian proclamation and testimony of charity. In the present social and
cultural context, where there is a widespread tendency to relativize truth,
practising charity in truth helps people to understand that adhering to the
values of Christianity is not merely useful but essential for building a good
society and for true integral human development. A Christianity of charity
without truth would be more or less interchangeable with a pool of good
sentiments, helpful for social cohesion, but of little relevance. In other words,
there would no longer be any real place for God in the world. Without truth,
charity is confined to a narrow field devoid of relations. It is excluded from
the plans and processes of promoting human development of universal range, in
dialogue between knowledge and praxis."
We have come to believe
"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his
hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved
his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end." The reader of
this verse from St John's Gospel is brought to understand that a great
event is about to take place. The introduction, full of tender
affection, is similar to that which we find in St Luke: "I have
earnestly desired," says our Lord, "to eat this Passover with you before
I suffer."
Let us begin by asking the Holy Spirit, from this moment on, to give us
the grace to understand every word and gesture of Christ. Because we
want to live a supernatural life, because our Lord has shown his desire
to give himself to us as nourishment for our soul, and because we
acknowledge that only he has "words of eternal life."
Faith makes us profess in the words of Peter that "we have come to
believe and to know that you are the Christ, the Son of God." It is this
faith, together with our devotion, that leads us to emulate the daring
of John, to come close to Jesus and to rest on the breast of the
Master, who loved those who were with him ardently, and who was to love
them, as we have just read, to the end.
Any words we might use to explain the mystery of Holy Thursday are
inadequate. But it is not hard to imagine the feelings of Jesus' heart
on that evening, his last evening with his friends before the sacrifice
of Calvary.
Think of the human experience of two people who love each other, and yet
are forced to part. They would like to stay together forever, but duty —
in one form or another — forces them to separate. They are unable to
fulfil their desire of remaining close to each other, so man's love —
which, great as it may be, is limited — seeks a symbolic gesture. People
who make their farewells exchange gifts or perhaps a photograph with a
dedication so ardent that it seems almost enough to burn that piece of
paper. They can do no more, because a creature's power is not so great
as its desire.
What we cannot do, our Lord is able to do. Jesus Christ, perfect God and
perfect man, leaves us, not a symbol, but a reality. He himself stays
with us. He will go to the Father, but he will also remain among men. He
will leave us, not simply a gift that will make us remember him, not an
image that becomes blurred with time, like a photograph that soon fades
and yellows, and has no meaning except for those who were
contemporaries. Under the appearances of bread and wine, he is really
present, with his body and blood, with his soul and divinity."
Control your temper
"Never correct anyone while you are still indignant about a fault committed. Wait until the next day, or even longer. And then, calmly, and with a purer intention, make your reprimand. You will gain more by one friendly word than by a three-hour quarrel. Control your temper."
This is one of the most sad days in my life: the most extraordinary Pope of the Church is going away
"Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
From the Vatican, 10 February 2013"
Pope Benedict XVI
Sunday, 10 February 2013
We are all sinners
We must trust in the mighty power of God’s mercy. We are all sinners, but His grace transforms us and makes us new.
— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) February 10, 2013
Embora sejamos todos pecadores
Devemos ter confiança na força da misericórdia de Deus. Embora sejamos todos pecadores, a sua graça nos transforma e renova.
— Bento XVI (@Pontifex_pt) February 10, 2013
Todos somos pecadores
Confiemos siempre en el poder de la misericordia de Dios. Todos somos pecadores, pero su gracia transforma y renueva nuestra vida.
— Benedicto XVI (@Pontifex_es) February 10, 2013
Nous sommes tous pécheurs
Ayons confiance en la puissance de la miséricorde de Dieu ! Nous sommes tous pécheurs mais sa grâce nous transforme et nous renouvelle.
— Benoît XVI (@Pontifex_fr) February 10, 2013
Noi siamo tutti peccatori
Dobbiamo avere fiducia nella potenza della misericordia di Dio. Noi siamo tutti peccatori, ma la Sua grazia ci trasforma e ci rende nuovi.
— Benedetto XVI (@Pontifex_it) February 10, 2013
Saturday, 9 February 2013
Libertà e pace
Ogni cosa è dono di Dio: solo riconoscendo questa vitale dipendenza dal Creatore troveremo libertà e pace.
— Benedetto XVI (@Pontifex_it) February 6, 2013
La liberté et la paix
Tout est don de Dieu. C’est seulement en reconnaissant cette dépendance vitale du Créateur que nous trouverons la liberté et la paix.
— Benoît XVI (@Pontifex_fr) February 6, 2013
Libertad y paz
Todo es don de Dios. Y sólo reconociendo esta dependencia vital del Creador, encontraremos libertad y paz.
— Benedicto XVI (@Pontifex_es) February 6, 2013
Liberdade e paz
Tudo é dom de Deus: só reconhecendo esta dependência vital do Criador é que encontraremos liberdade e paz.
— Bento XVI (@Pontifex_pt) February 6, 2013
Freedom and peace
Everything is a gift from God: it is only by recognizing this crucial dependence on the Creator that we will find freedom and peace.
— Benedict XVI (@Pontifex) February 6, 2013
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