Year of Mercy - Intensive Care for the World

Listening to Pope Francis speaking this year, it becomes quite evident how accurately he has diagnosed what ails our world today. We have a heart condition - heart failure - failure to love the way the world needs to be loved.  

Each month the Apostleship of Prayer, will provide a video with Pope Francis prayer intention for that month. This months intention is Interreligious Dialogue. Bigger guns and higher fences will not heal the world. But remedies will be found in a wisdom that comes from God. That is why people of faith must put on the white coasts of healers and get to work. But first, Pope Francis points out, they must enter into dialogue with each other to discover what healing wisdom God is revealing.

In France the publication, Charlie Hebdo, as well as many other secular voices blames religion for the world's problems, and terrorism in the name of religion clearly reinforces their thinking. 

Terrorism is no wisdom from God, but it is the strategy of God's enemy, and the enemy of all faiths. Pope Francis is calling all people of faith to unite in dialogue, in a common struggle with the disease of falsehood that can infect the heart of all religions.

Each one of us needs take a (C.T.) scan, Contamination of Truth - prayerfully scanning, by the Prayer of Discernment, for any falsehood that may be infecting God's truth in our hearts. Thus we will be ready and fit to engage with the Holy Father in the Works of Mercy, in this Year of Mercy.

The following is a link to the Apostleship of Prayer site where you will find additional resources. [... LINK ...]

Mary Mother of Mercy

Holy Doors of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome

On January 1, 2016, the feast of Mary Mother of God, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. In his homily, Pope Francis referred to Mary as the Mother of Mercy.

"It is most fitting that on this day we invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary above all as Mother of mercy. The door we have opened is, in fact, a Door of Mercy. Those who cross its threshold are called to enter into the merciful love of the Father with complete trust and freedom from fear; they can leave this Basilica knowing – truly knowing – that Mary is ever at their side." 

When we think of mercy, two considerations are before us, the state of the heart of the one who has been offended, the state of the heart of the one who is guilty of the offence. Who could imagine the grief that overwhelmed Mary's heart as she held her son taken down from the cross. The prophesy of Simeon is fulfilled, "... a sword of sorrow will pierce your heart too." Two hearts pierced, Jesus and Mary.

But from the cross and the heart of Jesus, we hear these words, "... Father forgive them ..." As the life-blood of Jesus flows out of his heart, these words flow with them, and flow strait into the heart of Mary, making her the first of the instruments the Father chooses to carry these words into the world.

As Mary was the "Theotocos", the womb that held and gave birth to God, she is now the "Eleostocos" the heart that gave birth to Mercy.

When we suffer a grave injustice, our spirit is wounded, a lance pierces our heart, draining from it the capacity to love. Bitterness, resentment, retaliation floods in. Will we be able to love again? Can we forgive?

At the foot of the Cross, Mary sees her Son offer himself totally, showing us what it means to love as God loves. At that moment she heard Jesus utter words which probably reflected what he had learned from her as a child: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:24). 

At that moment, Mary became for all of us the Mother of forgiveness. Following Jesus’ example and by his grace, she herself could forgive those who killed her innocent Son.

Why forgiveness? There is no other choice. Nothing else will heal our hearts, nothing else can restore unity and peace. When repentance meets forgiveness, there is new life. It is God's remedy for sin, and so it must be ours as well.

Mary is the Mother of God, she is the Mother of God who forgives, who bestows forgiveness, and so we can rightly call her Mother of forgiveness. Continue reading Pope Francis homily .... link.

Follow the Voice - 2016

Bishop Robert Barron has an interesting and informative video on listening to the Voice of Providence guiding us through our life. (I might add that it compliments well the purpose that motivated the establishing this blog, Voices) 

Before we put forth a single step into a new day, a destination, as well as a plan for getting to this destination already exists for us. What we need is a strategy for hearing and following the "Voice", as it lays out this plan before us.

Providence speaks to us through many different voices, but the art of listening is taught through prayer - especially the Prayer of Discernment which I have explored many times in this blog. (Insert the word "discernment" in [ Search This Blog ] for a list of links.)

PSALM 139  LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all. Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, far too lofty for me to reach. Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, there you are. If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea, Even there your hand guides me, your right hand holds me fast. If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light” Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one. You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know. My bones are not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me unformed; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be. How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands; when I complete them, still you are with me. When you would destroy the wicked, O God, the bloodthirsty depart from me! Your foes who conspire a plot against you are exalted in vain. Do I not hate, LORD, those who hate you? Those who rise against you, do I not loathe? With fierce hatred I hate them, enemies I count as my own. Probe me, God, know my heart; try me, know my thoughts. See if there is a wicked path in me; lead me along an ancient path.

   

January 1, 2016 Pope Francis Message

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE XLIX WORLD DAY OF PEACE 1 JANUARY 2016 Overcome Indifference and Win Peace

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