I would therefore like us all to maketo pay attention to every person, to combat Pope Francis considers the the culture of waste and of throwing out so asIntoLumen fosterFidei, a culture of solidarity and link between faith and the common good: encounter.
NOVENA TO
Saint Cecilia 2
Day 6 2
“Faith does not draw us away from the world or prove irrelevant to the concrete concerns of the men and women of our time. Without a love which is trustworthy, nothing could truly keep men and women united. Human unity would be conceivable only on the basis of utility, on a calculus of conflicting interests or on fear, but not on the goodness of living together, not on the joy which the mere presence of others can give” (n. 51). Saint Cecilia’s faith in Christ opened her to the blessing of each of God’s children. She knew that we live for a kingdom beyond this world, and that the charity of that kingdom begins in reaching out to others in this world. Faced with many material concerns, we could fall into a fearful or competitive mentality toward others. Faith enables us to trust in the providential love of God and to share freely what has been bestowed on us as a gift. May we, like Saint Cecilia, have the faith to rejoice in the presence of those who share our life and the love and courage to reach out to them in their physical and spiritual needs.
Saint Cecilia, consolation of the afflicted, pray for us. Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia Congregation 2 Nashville, Tennessee 2 www.nashvilledominican.org