Our world 28
catholicnewsherald.com | May 10, 2013 CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD
The words of Pope Francis
Christians must learn to patiently endure each other VATICAN CITY — Patiently putting up with other people is a mark of Christian maturity, Pope Francis said in a homily May 7 at an early morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives. Jesus calls His disciples to follow “the path of love, of patience, of putting up with tribulations and – if I may say so – of putting up with each other. We must do this with charity and love because if I have to put up with you, I am sure you will put up with me and we’ll walk together on the path of Jesus,” the pope said. Looking at the Acts of Apostles’ account of the persecution of Sts. Paul and Silas, Pope Francis said their patience and joy in the midst of tribulation are signs of Christian maturity that every follower of Jesus must learn. Learning how to patiently carry “the weight of difficulties, the weight of contradictions” is something people learn gradually, he said. It’s a process of maturation that lasts a lifetime. “It’s like fine wine.” “When difficulties occur, temptations arrive,” he said. One of the most frequent temptations is that of complaining, saying, “’Look what’s happening to me.’ A Christian who continually complains, neglects being a good Christian and becomes Mr. or Mrs. Whiner, no?” Patiently accepting trials and continuing to thank God for the gifts one is given “is not a masochistic attitude, but an attitude that leads you to the path of Jesus,” he said.
Only defense against devil is word of God, humility Dialogue doesn’t work with the devil; the only defense is the word of God, humility and meekness, especially in response to his works of hatred and persecution, Pope Francis said. “Humility and meekness: These are the weapons that the prince of the world, the spirit of the world does not tolerate, because he makes proposals for worldly power, proposals of vanity, proposals for riches,” he said in his daily morning Mass homily May 4. The pope celebrated Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. In his homily, the pope talked about the origin of hatred and how Jesus told His disciples of the spite and persecution awaiting them, as told in the day’s reading from chapter 15 of the Gospel according to St. John. “Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecute me, they will also persecute you,” he cited from the Gospel.
Be courageous in spreading the Gospel People are courageous in pursuing their careers, personal ambitions and jealousies, but they really should be using that courage to believe in the resurrected Christ, pray to Him and spread the Gospel, Pope Francis said. When the Church loses courage, it is enveloped by a “tepid atmosphere,” with “lukewarm Christians without courage. This hurts the Church so much,” he said in his daily morning Mass homily May 3. — Catholic News Service
More online from our new pope At www.catholicnewsherald.com: Read the homilies of Pope Francis during his daily Masses at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives. Recent homilies have included: n Saying ‘yes’ to God’s love makes saying ‘no’ to sin easier n Unemployment, slave labor go against God’s plan, human dignity n Young people: ‘Swim against the tide; it’s good for the heart’ n Confession is an encounter with Jesus, not trip to the dry cleaners n Christian life is the time to prepare for heaven n Prepare for Last Judgment by serving the poor n The Church is led by the Holy Spirit, not bureaucrats
Pope Francis incenses the icon of Mary “Salus Populi Romani” (health of the Roman people) after praying the rosary during a service at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome May 4.
CNS | Paul Haring
Mary is a mother who helps Christians grow, pope says at rosary Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
ROME — Mary is a mother who helps Christians grow, face the difficulties of life and use their freedom to make lasting commitments, Pope Francis said. Marking Catholics’ traditional celebration of May as the month of Mary, Pope Francis led the recitation of the rosary May 4 at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. After the service, he went to the steps of the basilica to greet thousands of people who were unable to get inside, and he asked them to say three Hail Marys “for me, because I need it.” He also led the crowd in chanting “Viva la Madonna” (Long live the mother of God). At the beginning and end of the service, Pope Francis venerated the basilica’s famous icon of Mary “Salus Populi Romani” (health of the Roman people). In a reflection after the recitation of the glorious mysteries of the rosary, Pope Francis said there are three primary ways in which Mary, as a mother with “great and tender love,” promotes the healthy growth of Christians. Like a good mother, he said, Mary “wants her children to grow and to grow well; for that reason she teaches them not to give in to laziness,” but to take responsibility for their actions, to commit themselves to projects and tasks, and to hold on to their ideals. “She helps us to grow humanly and in the faith, to be strong and not give in to the temptation of being men and Christians in a superficial way, but to live with
responsibility, always reaching upward,” the pope said. Also like a good mother, he said, Mary does not try to shield believers from every difficulty, but gradually teaches them how to face and overcome problems. “A life without challenges does not exist; and a young man or woman who does not know how to face challenges,” he said, simply will be “spineless.” “Like a good mother, she is close to us so that we never lose the courage to face the adversities of life, to face our own weaknesses, our own sins,” Pope Francis said. With her example of saying “yes” to God’s plan for her life and with her encouragement, he said, Mary also helps Christians make lasting commitments, using their freedom to do good and to follow God’s will. Freedom “certainly isn’t doing everything we want, allowing passions to dominate us, moving from one experience to another without discernment, following the fads of the moment; freedom doesn’t mean throwing everything we don’t like out the window,” he said. True freedom is the ability to say “yes” to what is good and to make “definitive choices.” “How difficult it is in our time to make definitive choices. The ephemeral seduces us. We are victims of a tendency that pushes us toward the provisional, as if we wanted to remain adolescents.” “We must not be afraid of definitive commitments, of commitments that involve and have an effect on our whole lives,” the pope said. “In this way our lives will be fruitful.”
Ready - 2 - Retire™?
There are two things that you can do right now that will make a BIG difference when you retire. ✔ Set Goals & Priorities ✔ Understand your risks Take 15 minutes and complete our Ready -2-Retire planning tool at: www.metlife.ready-2-retire.me/KennethAltman Forward the completed information back to me or just keep a copy for your self. Call: 704-839-3755 or email: kaltman@metlife.com Retirement Planning – Life – LTC – Auto & Home Information L0213304211(exp1215) NC
Ken Altman