He exhorts those who dwell on Zion to go forth to meet him with song: “Shout aloud and sing for joy!” (12:6). The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. [209] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter, Deus Caritas Est (25 December 2005), 16: AAS 98 (2006), 230. At the same time, it unites “its own commitment to that made in the social field by other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, whether at the level of doctrinal reflection or at the practical level”. [206] There is always the risk that some moments of prayer can become an excuse for not offering one’s life in mission; a privatized lifestyle can lead Christians to take refuge in some false forms of spirituality. Some politicians take advantage of this confusion to justify acts of discrimination. Personal accompaniment in processes of growth. The challenge of an inculturated preaching consists in proclaiming a synthesis, not ideas or detached values. 38. Understood in this way, culture embraces the totality of a people’s life. The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak. Full of joy in the Spirit, he blesses the Father who draws the little ones to him: “I thank you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes” (Lk 10:21). In some people we see an ostentatious preoccupation for the liturgy, for doctrine and for the Church’s prestige, but without any concern that the Gospel have a real impact on God’s faithful people and the concrete needs of the present time. [54] This is in fact a grave responsibility, since certain present realities, unless effectively dealt with, are capable of setting off processes of dehumanization which would then be hard to reverse. It is worthy remembering that “the liturgical proclamation of the word of God, especially in the eucharistic assembly, is not so much a time for meditation and catechesis as a dialogue between God and his people, a dialogue in which the great deeds of salvation are proclaimed and the demands of the covenant are continually restated”. It is irksome when the question of ethics is raised, when global solidarity is invoked, when the distribution of goods is mentioned, when reference in made to protecting labour and defending the dignity of the powerless, when allusion is made to a God who demands a commitment to justice. 27, a. 93. This is a case of inequality. Ex 3:5). But the current model, with its emphasis on success and self-reliance, does not appear to favour an investment in efforts to help the slow, the weak or the less talented to find opportunities in life. Jesus was angered by those supposed teachers who demanded much of others, teaching God’s word but without being enlightened by it: “They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves will not lift a finger to move them” (Mt 23:4). She’s a cool chick into those warm colors.” Plewes adds that she figured Tabby for someone who shopped at Free People, Topshop and Urban Outfitters. [82] Cf. We said that the people of God, by the constant inner working of the Holy Spirit, is constantly evangelizing itself. For “here we discover a profound law of reality: that life is attained and matures in the measure that it is offered up in order to give life to others. 203. This inseparable bond between our acceptance of the message of salvation and genuine fraternal love appears in several scriptural texts which we would do well to meditate upon, in order to appreciate all their consequences. We also see how he is concerned for their needs: “When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer” (Jg 3:15). We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them. Who has turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of color and life?”[178]. If, as Saint Augustine says, we love only that which is beautiful,[131] the incarnate Son, as the revelation of infinite beauty, is supremely lovable and draws us to himself with bonds of love. But until exclusion and inequality in society and between peoples are reversed, it will be impossible to eliminate violence. Positive preaching always offers hope, points to the future, does not leave us trapped in negativity. Being Church means being God’s people, in accordance with the great plan of his fatherly love. Even if the homily at times may be somewhat tedious, if this maternal and ecclesial spirit is present, it will always bear fruit, just as the tedious counsels of a mother bear fruit, in due time, in the hearts of her children. The Son of God, by becoming flesh, summoned us to the revolution of tenderness. 155. [158] Conferência Nacional Dos Bispos Do Brazil, Exigências evangélicas e éticas de superação da miséria e da fome” (April 2002), Introduction, 2. Those who have fallen into this worldliness look on from above and afar, they reject the prophecy of their brothers and sisters, they discredit those who raise questions, they constantly point out the mistakes of others and they are obsessed by appearances. Mary herself experienced these things during the years of Jesus’ childhood in Nazareth: “This is the beginning of the Gospel, the joyful good news. Thirty-five years of racist housing policy. Plewes says that while the look may have channeled Alexander Wang — “That’s where the concept of that dress came from” — its spirit grew from one time as a teenager when she covered a T-shirt in pins. This is not our ambition, nor is it our mission. 28. Saint Paul’s exhortation is directed to each of us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). Seeing their poverty, hearing their cries and knowing their sufferings, we are scandalized because we know that there is enough food for everyone and that hunger is the result of a poor distribution of goods and income. 67. All evangelization is based on that word, listened to, meditated upon, lived, celebrated and witnessed to. Read Next: Ryan Murphy to Be Honored by Art Directors Guild With Cinematic Imagery Award (EXCLUSIVE), — the four elements of nature — were the inspirations for costumer Avery Plewes in designing the wardrobes for “, Going a step further to develop the characters’ witchy personas, Plewes and production designer Hillary G. urtler went to a local occult store in Toronto, where the film was shooting, to pick out crystals for each girl. We are told quite clearly: “do so with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet 3:15) and “if possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all” (Rom 12:18). As the bishops of the United States of America have rightly pointed out, while the Church insists on the existence of objective moral norms which are valid for everyone, “there are those in our culture who portray this teaching as unjust, that is, as opposed to basic human rights. 163. It is an ongoing process in which every new generation must take part: a slow and arduous effort calling for a desire for integration and a willingness to achieve this through the growth of a peaceful and multifaceted culture of encounter. Our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of society’s most neglected members. 138. In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule. [98] Herein lies the importance of popular piety, a true expression of the spontaneous missionary activity of the people of God. The word of God also invites us to recognise that we are a people: “Once you were no people but now you are God’s people” (1 Pet 2:10). Hence in the evangelization of new cultures, or cultures which have not received the Christian message, it is not essential to impose a specific cultural form, no matter how beautiful or ancient it may be, together with the Gospel. [154] Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 157. When preaching is faithful to the Gospel, the centrality of certain truths is evident and it becomes clear that Christian morality is not a form of stoicism, or self-denial, or merely a practical philosophy or a catalogue of sins and faults. In some cases, it is because lay persons have not been given the formation needed to take on important responsibilities. [23] Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Ecclesiam Suam (6 August 1964), 9, 10, 11: AAS 56 (1964), 611-612. Director Zoe Lister-Jones helms the Sony Pictures/Blumhouse Prods. It is about agreeing to live together, a social and cultural pact. This is an ongoing and developing process, of which the Holy Spirit is the principal agent. Just as goodness tends to spread, the toleration of evil, which is injustice, tends to expand its baneful influence and quietly to undermine any political and social system, no matter how solid it may appear. These gifts are meant to renew and build up the Church. I put her in random outfits that weirdly worked well together.”. Such claims usually follow from a form of moral relativism that is joined, not without inconsistency, to a belief in the absolute rights of individuals. This is a sign of the desire of many people to contribute to social and cultural progress. It is what we call lectio divina. 1). Ordinary pastoral ministry seeks to help believers to grow spiritually so that they can respond to God’s love ever more fully in their lives. It can also lead to a business mentality, caught up with management, statistics, plans and evaluations whose principal beneficiary is not God’s people but the Church as an institution. This Exhortation is not a social document, and for reflection on those different themes we have a most suitable tool in the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, whose use and study I heartily recommend. They are capable of fostering relationships and not just enabling escapism. When at last you present yourself before Christ? [206] John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (6 January 2001), 52: AAS 93 (2001), 304. The immense importance of a culture marked by faith cannot be overlooked; before the onslaught of contemporary secularism an evangelized culture, for all its limits, has many more resources than the mere sum total of believers. It is impossible to persevere in a fervent evangelization unless we are convinced from personal experience that it is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it, and not the same thing to contemplate him, to worship him, to find our peace in him, as not to. The difference between enlightening people with a synthesis and doing so with detached ideas is like the difference between boredom and heartfelt fervour. 140. Consequently, we need to grasp the variety of things in their multiple relationships (cf. Th., II-II, q. 162. The people of God is holy thanks to this anointing, which makes it infallible in credendo. The Gospel speaks of a seed which, once sown, grows by itself, even as the farmer sleeps (Mk 4:26-29). 179. The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community. When a society – whether local, national or global – is willing to leave a part of itself on the fringes, no political programmes or resources spent on law enforcement or surveillance systems can indefinitely guarantee tranquility. This is a very real danger for believers too. Standing at the foot of the cross with unyielding faith, you received the joyful comfort of the resurrection, and joined the disciples in awaiting the Spirit so that the evangelizing Church might be born. 98. Migrants present a particular challenge for me, since I am the pastor of a Church without frontiers, a Church which considers herself mother to all. 158. Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own. I am interested only in helping those who are in thrall to an individualistic, indifferent and self-centred mentality to be freed from those unworthy chains and to attain a way of living and thinking which is more humane, noble and fruitful, and which will bring dignity to their presence on this earth. 256. 69. It arises from the enjoyment of speaking and it enriches those who express their love for one another through the medium of words. Others, because they have lost real contact with people and so depersonalize their work that they are more concerned with the road map than with the journey itself. Every period of history is marked by the presence of human weakness, self-absorption, complacency and selfishness, to say nothing of the concupiscence which preys upon us all. [25] John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania (22 November 2001), 19: AAS 94 (2002), 390. The believer is essentially “one who remembers”. It is first in a qualitative sense because it is the principal proclamation, the one which we must hear again and again in different ways, the one which we must announce one way or another throughout the process of catechesis, at every level and moment. The Lord says: “Let us go on to the next towns that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mk 1:38). [74] Indeed, a woman, Mary, is more important than the bishops. A supposed soundness of doctrine or discipline leads instead to a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism, whereby instead of evangelizing, one analyzes and classifies others, and instead of opening the door to grace, one exhausts his or her energies in inspecting and verifying. We must never forget that sometimes “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14). [9] Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 7: AAS 68 (1976), 9. In all places and circumstances, Christians, with the help of their pastors, are called to hear the cry of the poor. To do so, he will sometimes go before his people, pointing the way and keeping their hope vibrant. We must not think that in catechesis the kerygma gives way to a supposedly more “solid” formation. 260. The great men and women of God were great intercessors. This is the joy which we experience daily, amid the little things of life, as a response to the loving invitation of God our Father: “My child, treat yourself well, according to your means… Do not deprive yourself of the day’s enjoyment” (Sir 14:11, 14). Solidarity, in its deepest and most challenging sense, thus becomes a way of making history in a life setting where conflicts, tensions and oppositions can achieve a diversified and life-giving unity. It can end up being incomprehensible because it is disorganized, lacks logical progression or tries to deal with too many things at one time. The Gospel is the leaven which causes the dough to rise and the city on the hill whose light illumines all peoples. We should not be afraid to re-examine them. In each case, “the Church speaks from the light which faith offers”,[186] contributing her two thousand year experience and keeping ever in mind the life and sufferings of human beings. With purple tones serving as the base, Plewes dressed her in stripes, “almost rainbow-like. The Church urgently needs the deep breath of prayer, and to my great joy groups devoted to prayer and intercession, the prayerful reading of God’s word and the perpetual adoration of the Eucharist are growing at every level of ecclesial life. I think of the steadfast faith of those mothers tending their sick children who, though perhaps barely familiar with the articles of the creed, cling to a rosary; or of all the hope poured into a candle lighted in a humble home with a prayer for help from Mary, or in the gaze of tender love directed to Christ crucified. This is an enrichment which does not consist in objects but in persons who share themselves in dialogue. The seventy-two disciples felt it as they returned from their mission (cf. [208] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio (7 December 1990), 45: AAS 83 (1991), 292. It is not “progressive” to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life. Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. The work of evangelization enriches the mind and the heart; it opens up spiritual horizons; it makes us more and more sensitive to the workings of the Holy Spirit, and it takes us beyond our limited spiritual constructs. God, by his sheer grace, draws us to himself and makes us one with him. [175] I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor! Such a life is nothing less than slow suicide. This too is a path of harmony and peace. Many of them also have a deep conviction that their life, in its entirety, is from God and for God. 157. [8] With this newness he is always able to renew our lives and our communities, and even if the Christian message has known periods of darkness and ecclesial weakness, it will never grow old. 1. This is an important principle of biblical interpretation which recognizes that the Holy Spirit has inspired not just a part of the Bible, but the Bible as a whole, and that in some areas people have grown in their understanding of God’s will on the basis of their personal experience. 103. Paul VI said that “the faithful… expect much from preaching, and will greatly benefit from it, provided that it is simple, clear, direct, well-adapted”. He won numerous awards for his works. Everyone needs to be touched by the comfort and attraction of God’s saving love, which is mysteriously at work in each person, above and beyond their faults and failings. To those who feel far from God and the Church, to all those who are fearful or indifferent, I would like to say this: the Lord, with great respect and love, is also calling you to be a part of his people! [180] Yet becoming a people demands something more. The biggest problem is when the message we preach then seems identified with those secondary aspects which, important as they are, do not in and of themselves convey the heart of Christ’s message. Let us also keep in mind that we should never respond to questions that nobody asks. 31. In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves. [132] Benedict XVI, Address for the Screening of the Documentary “Art and Faith” – Via Pulchritudinis (25 October 2012): L’Osservatore Romano (27 October 2012), 7. 161. Consequently, we need to be constantly trained in hearing the word. Neither can believers claim that a scientific opinion which is attractive but not sufficiently verified has the same weight as a dogma of faith. Here our model is not the sphere, which is no greater than its parts, where every point is equidistant from the centre, and there are no differences between them. 4: “We do not worship God with sacrifices and exterior gifts for him, but rather for us and for our neighbour. Evang., IV, 2: PG 73, 584-585: “I examined myself and I found myself unworthy. Expressions of popular piety have much to teach us; for those who are capable of reading them, they are a locus theologicus which demands our attention, especially at a time when we are looking to the new evangelization. [212], 286. Demands involving the distribution of wealth, concern for the poor and human rights cannot be suppressed under the guise of creating a consensus on paper or a transient peace for a contented minority. Nor does true peace act as a pretext for justifying a social structure which silences or appeases the poor, so that the more affluent can placidly support their lifestyle while others have to make do as they can. It has to do with the lifestyle of a given society, the specific way in which its members relate to one another, to other creatures and to God. The evils of our world – and those of the Church – must not be excuses for diminishing our commitment and our fervour. 2, ad 1; q. At the same time, what could be significant places of encounter and solidarity often become places of isolation and mutual distrust. [17] Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops, Aparecida Document, 29 June 2007, 548. This interest has nothing to do with shrewdness or calculation; it is profoundly religious and pastoral. The issue involves everyone! This fact has been brought up by bishops from various continents in different Synods. 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