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Catholic Quote to SHARE by #StJohnPaulII "There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us"
"There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us" St. Pope John Paul II
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#PopeFrancis "...definitive experience of God’s love, a merciful love that gives joy, peace and eternal life." FULL TEXT at Audience - Video
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning.
In the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, Chapters 30 and 31 are said to be those “of consolation,” because in them, God’s mercy is presented with all His capacity to comfort and to open the heart of the afflicted to hope. Today we also want to hear this message of consolation.
Jeremiah addresses the Israelites, who were deported to a foreign land, and he predicts their return to the homeland. This return is a sign of the infinite love of God the Father, who does not abandon His children, but takes care of them and saves them. The exile was a devastating experience for Israel. Their faith wavered because, being in a foreign land, without the Temple, without worship, after seeing the country destroyed, it was difficult to continue to believe in the Lord’s goodness. The thought comes to mind of neighboring Albania and how, after so much persecution and destruction, it was able to rise in dignity and in faith. The Israelites thus suffered in exile.
At times, we too can live a sort of exile, when loneliness, suffering, and death make us think that God has abandoned us. How many times we have heard this word: “God has forgotten me”: they are persons that suffer and feel themselves abandoned. Instead, how many of our brothers are living at this time a real and tragic situation of exile, far from their homeland, with their eyes still beholding the ruin of their homes, with fear in their heart and often, unfortunately, sorrow for the loss of dear persons! In such cases, one can ask oneself: where is God? How is it possible that so much suffering can befall men, women and innocent children? And when they seek to enter somewhere they see the doors close. And they are there, at the border because so many doors and so many hearts are closed. The immigrants of today that suffer cold, are without food and cannot enter, do not experience hospitality. It pleases me so much when I see nations, rulers that open their heart and open the doors!
The prophet Jeremiah gives us an initial answer. The exiled people will be able to return to see their land and to experience the Lord’s mercy. It is the great proclamation of consolation. God is not absent, not even today, in these tragic situations. God is close and does great works of salvation for those who trust in Him. We must not give way to despair, but continue to be certain that good overcomes evil and that the Lord will wipe every tear and free us from all fear. Jeremiah lends his voice to God’s words of love for His people:
“from afar the LORD appears:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will build you, and you shall stay built,
virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with merrymakers.” (31:3-4)
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will build you, and you shall stay built,
virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with merrymakers.” (31:3-4)
The Lord is faithful, He does not abandon us to desolation. God loves with an everlasting love, which not even sin can stop, and thanks to Him man’s heart is filled with joy and consolation.
The consoling dream of returning to the homeland continues in the prophet’s words, who, addressing those who will return to Jerusalem, says:
“Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
flocks of sheep and cattle;
They themselves shall be like watered gardens,
never again neglected” (31:12).
The exiled will return to Zion in joy and in gratitude, going up to the holy mountain towards the house of God, and thus they will be able to raise hymns and prayers again to the Lord who liberated them. This returning to Jerusalem and to their properties is described with a verb that literally means “to flow, to run.” In a paradoxical movement, the people are seen as a full river that runs to the height of Zion, going up to the summit of the mountain – a bold image to say how great the Lord’s mercy is!
The land, which the people had to abandon, had become desolate and the prey of enemies. Now, instead, it revives and flowers. And the exiled themselves will be like a watered garden, like a fertile land. Israel, led back to its land by its Lord, witnesses the victory of life over death and of blessing over curse.
Thus, it is that the people are fortified and consoled by God. This word is important: consoled! The repatriated receive life from a source that freely waters them.
At this point, the prophet announces the fullness of joy, and always in the name of God, he proclaims:
“Then young women shall make merry and dance,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will show them compassion and have them rejoice after their sorrows. (31:13).
The Psalm tells us that when they returned to the homeland their mouth was full of smiles, so great was their joy! It is the gift that the Lord wants to give each one of us, with His forgiveness that converts and reconciles.
The prophet Jeremiah has given us the proclamation, presenting the return of the exiled as a great symbol of the consolation given to the heart that is converted. For His part, the Lord Jesus has brought this message of the prophet to fulfilment. The true and radical return from exile and the comforting light after the darkness of the crisis of faith is realized at Easter, in the full and definitive experience of God’s love, a merciful love that gives joy, peace and eternal life.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]
Greeting in Italian
A cordial welcome goes to the Italian-speaking pilgrims. I am happy to greet the faithful of the diocese of Ischia, accompanied by the Bishop, Monsignor Pietro Lagnese; the docents and students of the Pontifical University Auxilium of Rome; the Association of the Passion of Christ of Sezze and that for organ transplants of Marche.
I greet the young people of the University of Perugia; the National Amateur League of Lazio; the group of the Parliament of Legality of Monreale; the UNITALSI of Lombardy and the dependents and relatives of the Gepin Contact of Rome.
With the crossing of the Holy Door, may the Jubilee of Mercy be a propitious occasion to return to the arms of the Father, who always consoles us in difficulties.
Finally, I greet the young people, the sick and the newlyweds. Tomorrow we will remember Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland. May his spiritual vigor stimulate you, dear young people, to be coherent with your faith; may his trust in Christ the Savior support you, dear sick, in the moments of greatest difficulty; and may his missionary dedication remind you, dear newlyweds, of the importance of the Christian education of children.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by ZENIT]Today's Mass Readings and Video : Wed. March 16, 2016
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 253
Reading 1DN 3:14-20, 91-92, 95
King Nebuchadnezzar said:
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”
Responsorial PsalmDN 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Verse Before The GospelSEE LK 8:15
Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
and yield a harvest through perseverance.
GospelJN 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
Saint March 16 : St. Heribert of Cologne : Patron of Rain
ARCHBISHOP OF COLOGNE, CHANCELLOR OF EMPEROR OTTO III
Information:
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Archbishop of Cologne; born at Worms, c. 970; died at Cologne, 16 March, 1021. His father was Duke Hugo of Worms. After receiving his education at the cathedral school of Worms, he spent some time as guest at the monastery of Gorze, after which he became provost at the cathedral of Worms. In 994 he was ordained priest; in the same year King Otto III appointed him chancellor for Italy and four years later also for Germany, a position which he held until the death of Otto III on 23 January, 1002. As chancellor he was the most influential adviser of Otto III, whom he accompanied to Rome in 906 and again in 997. He was still in Italy when, in 999, he was elected Archbishop of Cologne. At Benevento he received ecclesiastical investiture and the pallium from Pope Sylvester II on 9 July, 999, and on the following Christmas Day he was consecrated at Cologne. In 1002 he was present at the death-bed of the youthful emperor at Paterno. While returning to Germany with the emperor's remains and the imperial insignia, he was held captive for some time by the future King Henry II, whose candidacy he first opposed. As soon as Henry II was elected king, on 7 June, 1002, Heribert acknowledged him as such, accompanied him to Rome in 1004, mediated between him and the House of Luxemburg, and served him faithfully in many other ways; but he never won his entire confidence until the year 1021, when the king saw his mistake and humbly begged pardon on the archbishop. Heribert founded and richly endowed the Benedictine monastery and church of Deutz, where he lies buried. He was already honoured as a saint during his lifetime. Between 1073 and 1075 he was canonized by Pope Gregory VII. His feast is celebrated on 16 March.
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source: EWTN
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