Pope Francis tells the faithful to accept the risen Christ

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/8609030890/i

Accept the risen Jesus into your life. Even if you have been far away, take a small step towards him: he awaits you with open arms.

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Pope Francis appeals for peace

As a tradition, the pope will address the city of Rome and the world during the Easter Sunday celebration.

This year, in his first Urbi et Orbi, Pope Francis appealed for peace especially in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula.

Read below the full text of Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi (City and the World) Message  (taken from Vatican Radio)

http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/?p=16727

Dear brothers and sisters in Rome and throughout the world, Happy Easter! 

What a joy it is for me to announce this message: Christ is risen! I would like it to go out to every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons …

Most of all, I would like it to enter every heart, for it is there that God wants to sow this Good News: Jesus is risen, there is hope for you, you are no longer in the power of sin, of evil! Love has triumphed, mercy has been victorious!

We too, like the women who were Jesus’ disciples, who went to the tomb and found it empty, may wonder what this event means (cf. Lk 24:4). What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom.

This same love for which the Son of God became man and followed the way of humility and self-giving to the very end, down to hell - to the abyss of separation from God - this same merciful love has flooded with light the dead body of Jesus and transfigured it, has made it pass into eternal life. Jesus did not return to his former life, to earthly life, but entered into the glorious life of God and he entered there with our humanity, opening us to a future of hope.

This is what Easter is: it is the exodus, the passage of human beings from slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness. Because God is life, life alone, and his glory is the living man (cf. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, 4,20,5-7).

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ died and rose once for all, and for everyone, but the power of the Resurrection, this passover from slavery to evil to the freedom of goodness, must be accomplished in every age, in our concrete existence, in our everyday lives. How many deserts, even today, do human beings need to cross! Above all, the desert within, when we have no love for God or neighbour, when we fail to realize that we are guardians of all that the Creator has given us and continues to give us. God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14).

So this is the invitation which I address to everyone: Let us accept the grace of Christ’s Resurrection! Let us be renewed by God’s mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish.

And so we ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him we implore peace for all the world.

Peace for the Middle East, and particularly between Israelis and Palestinians, who struggle to find the road of agreement, that they may willingly and courageously resume negotiations to end a conflict that has lasted all too long. Peace in Iraq, that every act of violence may end, and above all for dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort. How much blood has been shed! And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found?

Peace for Africa, still the scene of violent conflicts. In Mali, may unity and stability be restored; in Nigeria, where attacks sadly continue, gravely threatening the lives of many innocent people, and where great numbers of persons, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups. Peace in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Central African Republic, where many have been forced to leave their homes and continue to live in fear.

Peace in Asia, above all on the Korean peninsula: may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow.

Peace in the whole world, still divided by greed looking for easy gain, wounded by the selfishness which threatens human life and the family, selfishness that continues in human trafficking, the most extensive form of slavery in this twenty-first century. Peace to the whole world, torn apart by violence linked to drug trafficking and by the iniquitous exploitation of natural resources! Peace to this our Earth! Made the risen Jesus bring comfort to the victims of natural disasters and make us responsible guardians of creation.

Dear brothers and sisters, to all of you who are listening to me, from Rome and from all over of the world, I address the invitation of the Psalm: “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his steadfast love endures for ever. Let Israel say: ‘His steadfast love endures for ever’” (Ps 117:1-2).

Dear brothers and sisters, who have come from all over the world to this Square, the heart of Christianity, and all of you joining us via communications media, I renew my wishes for a Happy Easter! Bring to your families and your nations the message of joy of hope and peace that each year is powerfully renewed on this day. May the Risen Lord, who defeated sin and death, support us all especially the weakest and those most in need. Thank you for your presence and the witness of your faith. A thought and a particular thanks for the gift of these beautiful flowers from the Netherlands. I affectionately repeat to all of you: May the Risen Christ guide you and all humanity on the paths of justice, love and peace! 

(http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/31/pope:_urbi_et_orbi_message,_easter,_2013_[full_text]/en1-678468)

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Pope Francis talks about service of others

Pope Francis made headlines during the celebration of the Last Supper when he washed and kissed the

(This article is taken from L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOà http://bit.ly/Ynvuk1)

At the service of others

In the afternoon of 28 March, Holy Thursday, the Pope went to the Roman reform centre for minors, Casal del Marmo, where he celebrated the Mass “in cena Domini”, the Lord's supper, and washed the feet of 12 detainees. The following is the English text of the Pope's Homily, which was given  in Italian.

This is moving. Jesus, washing the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t understood it at all, he refused. But Jesus explained it for him. Jesus — God — did this! He himself explains to his disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:12-15).

It is the Lord’s example: he is the most important, and he washes feet, because with us what is highest must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign, right? Washing feet means: “I am at your service”. And with us too, don’t we have to wash each other’s feet day after day? But what does this mean? That all of us must help one another. Sometimes I am angry with someone or other ... but... let it go, let it go, and if he or she asks you a favour, do it.

Help one another: this is what Jesus teaches us and this what I am doing, and doing with all my heart, because it is my duty. As a priest and a bishop, I must be at your service. But it is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do. But you too, help one another: help one another always. One another. In this way, by helping one another, we will do some good.

Now we will perform this ceremony of washing feet, and let us think, let each one of us think: “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?”. Let us think about this, just this. And let us think that this sign is a caress of Jesus, which Jesus gives, because this is the real reason why Jesus came: to serve, to help us.

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Pope Francis talks about service of others

Pope Francis made headlines during the celebrationo f

(This article is taken from L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOà http://bit.ly/Ynvuk1)

At the service of others

In the afternoon of 28 March, Holy Thursday, the Pope went to the Roman reform centre for minors, Casal del Marmo, where he celebrated the Mass “in cena Domini”, the Lord's supper, and washed the feet of 12 detainees. The following is the English text of the Pope's Homily, which was given  in Italian.

This is moving. Jesus, washing the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t understood it at all, he refused. But Jesus explained it for him. Jesus — God — did this! He himself explains to his disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:12-15).

It is the Lord’s example: he is the most important, and he washes feet, because with us what is highest must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign, right? Washing feet means: “I am at your service”. And with us too, don’t we have to wash each other’s feet day after day? But what does this mean? That all of us must help one another. Sometimes I am angry with someone or other ... but... let it go, let it go, and if he or she asks you a favour, do it.

Help one another: this is what Jesus teaches us and this what I am doing, and doing with all my heart, because it is my duty. As a priest and a bishop, I must be at your service. But it is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do. But you too, help one another: help one another always. One another. In this way, by helping one another, we will do some good.

Now we will perform this ceremony of washing feet, and let us think, let each one of us think: “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?”. Let us think about this, just this. And let us think that this sign is a caress of Jesus, which Jesus gives, because this is the real reason why Jesus came: to serve, to help us.

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Pope Francis talks about service of others

Pope Francis

(This article is taken from L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOà http://bit.ly/Ynvuk1)

At the service of others

In the afternoon of 28 March, Holy Thursday, the Pope went to the Roman reform centre for minors, Casal del Marmo, where he celebrated the Mass “in cena Domini”, the Lord's supper, and washed the feet of 12 detainees. The following is the English text of the Pope's Homily, which was given  in Italian.

This is moving. Jesus, washing the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t understood it at all, he refused. But Jesus explained it for him. Jesus — God — did this! He himself explains to his disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:12-15).

It is the Lord’s example: he is the most important, and he washes feet, because with us what is highest must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign, right? Washing feet means: “I am at your service”. And with us too, don’t we have to wash each other’s feet day after day? But what does this mean? That all of us must help one another. Sometimes I am angry with someone or other ... but... let it go, let it go, and if he or she asks you a favour, do it.

Help one another: this is what Jesus teaches us and this what I am doing, and doing with all my heart, because it is my duty. As a priest and a bishop, I must be at your service. But it is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do. But you too, help one another: help one another always. One another. In this way, by helping one another, we will do some good.

Now we will perform this ceremony of washing feet, and let us think, let each one of us think: “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?”. Let us think about this, just this. And let us think that this sign is a caress of Jesus, which Jesus gives, because this is the real reason why Jesus came: to serve, to help us.

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Pope Francis talks about service of others

Pope Francis made headlines during the celebration of the Last Supper when he washed and kissed the feet of two young women.

When he celebrated the Mass at Roman Reform Center, he delivered a homily calling the faithful to service like what Jesus did to His apostles.

Read the ENGLISH translation of this homily in Italian.

(This article is taken from L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOà http://bit.ly/Ynvuk1)

At the service of others

In the afternoon of 28 March, Holy Thursday, the Pope went to the Roman reform centre for minors, Casal del Marmo, where he celebrated the Mass “in cena Domini”, the Lord's supper, and washed the feet of 12 detainees. The following is the English text of the Pope's Homily, which was given  in Italian.

This is moving. Jesus, washing the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t understood it at all, he refused. But Jesus explained it for him. Jesus — God — did this! He himself explains to his disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:12-15).

It is the Lord’s example: he is the most important, and he washes feet, because with us what is highest must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign, right? Washing feet means: “I am at your service”. And with us too, don’t we have to wash each other’s feet day after day? But what does this mean? That all of us must help one another. Sometimes I am angry with someone or other ... but... let it go, let it go, and if he or she asks you a favour, do it.

Help one another: this is what Jesus teaches us and this what I am doing, and doing with all my heart, because it is my duty. As a priest and a bishop, I must be at your service. But it is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do. But you too, help one another: help one another always. One another. In this way, by helping one another, we will do some good.

Now we will perform this ceremony of washing feet, and let us think, let each one of us think: “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?”. Let us think about this, just this. And let us think that this sign is a caress of Jesus, which Jesus gives, because this is the real reason why Jesus came: to serve, to help us.

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At the service of others

(This article is taken from L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOà http://bit.ly/Ynvuk1)

At the service of others

In the afternoon of 28 March, Holy Thursday, the Pope went to the Roman reform centre for minors, Casal del Marmo, where he celebrated the Mass “in cena Domini”, the Lord's supper, and washed the feet of 12 detainees. The following is the English text of the Pope's Homily, which was given  in Italian.

This is moving. Jesus, washing the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t understood it at all, he refused. But Jesus explained it for him. Jesus — God — did this! He himself explains to his disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:12-15).

It is the Lord’s example: he is the most important, and he washes feet, because with us what is highest must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign, right? Washing feet means: “I am at your service”. And with us too, don’t we have to wash each other’s feet day after day? But what does this mean? That all of us must help one another. Sometimes I am angry with someone or other ... but... let it go, let it go, and if he or she asks you a favour, do it.

Help one another: this is what Jesus teaches us and this what I am doing, and doing with all my heart, because it is my duty. As a priest and a bishop, I must be at your service. But it is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do. But you too, help one another: help one another always. One another. In this way, by helping one another, we will do some good.

Now we will perform this ceremony of washing feet, and let us think, let each one of us think: “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?”. Let us think about this, just this. And let us think that this sign is a caress of Jesus, which Jesus gives, because this is the real reason why Jesus came: to serve, to help us.

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(This article is taken from L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOà http://bit.ly/Ynvuk1)

At the service of others

In the afternoon of 28 March, Holy Thursday, the Pope went to the Roman reform centre for minors, Casal del Marmo, where he celebrated the Mass “in cena Domini”, the Lord's supper, and washed the feet of 12 detainees. The following is the English text of the Pope's Homily, which was given  in Italian.

This is moving. Jesus, washing the feet of his disciples. Peter didn’t understood it at all, he refused. But Jesus explained it for him. Jesus — God — did this! He himself explains to his disciples: “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord — and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13:12-15).

It is the Lord’s example: he is the most important, and he washes feet, because with us what is highest must be at the service of others. This is a symbol, it is a sign, right? Washing feet means: “I am at your service”. And with us too, don’t we have to wash each other’s feet day after day? But what does this mean? That all of us must help one another. Sometimes I am angry with someone or other ... but... let it go, let it go, and if he or she asks you a favour, do it.

Help one another: this is what Jesus teaches us and this what I am doing, and doing with all my heart, because it is my duty. As a priest and a bishop, I must be at your service. But it is a duty which comes from my heart: I love it. I love this and I love to do it because that is what the Lord has taught me to do. But you too, help one another: help one another always. One another. In this way, by helping one another, we will do some good.

Now we will perform this ceremony of washing feet, and let us think, let each one of us think: “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?”. Let us think about this, just this. And let us think that this sign is a caress of Jesus, which Jesus gives, because this is the real reason why Jesus came: to serve, to help us.

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Pope Francis meets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

I visited Castel Gandolfo, pope's summer residence, in 2003.  It was a beautiful place suited for prayer and rest.  

Why I recall this place?  This is where the two popes, Francis and Benedict XVI, met after the election to the pontificate of the former.

www.guardian.co.uk

The footage of the two popes embracing each other was awesome. It was a a very rare picture of two great leaders who consider themselves as brothers.  In fact, the popular words of Francis to his predecessors were "We are brothers".  Read the full-text of the report below from L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO.

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We are brothers

"We are brothers". Those three words which Pope Francis addressed to Benedict XVI are enough to describe the atmosphere of their meeting on Saturday, 23 March, in the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo, Fr Federico Lombardi, Director of the Holy See Press Office, told journalists. 

Pope Francis arrived by helicopter at 12:15 p.m. He was accompanied by Archbishop Angelo Becciu, Substitute of the Secretariat of State; Mons. Leonardo Sapienza, Regent of the Prefecture of the Papal Household; and Mons. Alfred Xuereb. Benedict XVI met Francis at the heliport in the Villas and the two warmly embraced. Then the Pope greeted Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano and Mr Saverio Petrillo, Director of the Pontifical Villas, before boarding the car with Benedict XVI to go to the Palace. Pope Francis "got in on the right", Fr Lombardi said, "in the Pope's place and Benedict XVI sat on the left". Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Papal Household, accompanied them.

On arriving at the papal residence and stopping first in the apartment, the two then went to the chapel for a moment of prayer. Again, the Director of the Holy See Press Office said, Benedict XVI "motioned Pope Francis to the place of honour, but the latter said 'we are brothers'" and knelt beside the Pope emeritus in the same pew.

After the prayer, Pope Francis gave Benedict XVI a Marian icon, which had been given to him by Metropolitan Hilarion of the Patriarchate of Moscow. "They tell me", he explained, "that it is Our Lady of Humility. May I tell you something: when I heard this I immediately thought of you and the many marvellous examples of humility and tenderness you gave us during your Pontificate".

Around 12:30 p.m. their private discussion began and lasted for roughly 45 minutes. Fr Lombardi said that Benedict XVI wore "a simple white cassock without the sash and mozzetta", which were worn instead by Pope Francis.
They had lunch in the apartment with Archbishop Gänswein and Mons. Xuereb. Benedict XVI then accompanied Pope Francis to the heliport, who returned to the Vatican around 2:50 p.m.

(http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_eng/text.html#1)

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Pope Francis asks faithful to support his priests

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40936370@N00/

During the celebration of Holy Thursday's Chrism mass, the pope challenged the priests to live like Christ did.

He also encouraged the faithful to support the priests.  This is his short message.

"Support your priests with your love and prayers, that they may always be shepherds after Christ’s heart."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21074909@N06/

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Pope Francis breaks another church tradition

Associated Press/L'Osservatore Romano, ho

Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of two young women making him the first pope to ever do this.  

The washing and kissing of feet is part of the ritual during the celebration of the Last Supper, a celebration of the Holy Eucharist during Holy Thursday.

For sure the action of Pope Francis will spark debate among the conservatives.

However, I would like to believe that the pope is sending a very strong message to all faithful.  Why women?  I have the obvious answer.  What's yours?

To read the whole news article, visit http://news.yahoo.com/pope-washes-womens-feet-break-church-law-002454620.html)

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Pope Francis Message for priests

One of the highlights of the Chrism mass is the renewal of vows for priests.  Few years back, Chrism mass has been a bit controversial in our diocese because there are some priests who don't attend this very important mass.  The people learned that these priests have  disagreement with the bishops. For those active in the church, they observed who are absent during Chrism mass.  

Without judging the intentions of these priests, I am reminded of how important the role of priests in the church. 

Taking advantage of the occasion, Pope Francis delivered a strong message for all priests.

Below is the homily of Pope Francis during the Chrism Mass.

This is taken from (http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-homily-for-chrism-mass-full-text)

(Vatican Radio) Below please find the official text of Pope Francis’ Homily for Chrism Mass, Holy Thursday 2013:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, This morning I have the joy of celebrating my first Chrism Mass as the Bishop of Rome. I greet all of you with affection, especially you, dear priests, who, like myself, today recall the day of your ordination.

The readings of our Mass speak of God’s “anointed ones”: the suffering Servant of Isaiah, King David and Jesus our Lord. All three have this in common: the anointing that they receive is meant in turn to anoint God’s faithful people, whose servants they are; they are anointed for the poor, for prisoners, for the oppressed… A fine image of this “being for” others can be found in the Psalm: “It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down upon the collar of his robe” (Ps 133:2). The image of spreading oil, flowing down from the beard of Aaron upon the collar of his sacred robe, is an image of the priestly anointing which, through Christ, the Anointed One, reaches the ends of the earth, represented by the robe.

The sacred robes of the High Priest are rich in symbolism. One such symbol is that the names of the children of Israel were engraved on the onyx stones mounted on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, the ancestor of our present-day chasuble: six on the stone of the right shoulder-piece and six on that of the left (cf. Ex 28:6-14). The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were also engraved on the breastplate (cf. Es 28:21). This means that the priest celebrates by carrying on his shoulders the people entrusted to his care and bearing their names written in his heart. When we put on our simple chasuble, it might well make us feel, upon our shoulders and in our hearts, the burdens and the faces of our faithful people, our saints and martyrs of whom there are many in these times…

From the beauty of all these liturgical things, which is not so much about trappings and fine fabrics than about the glory of our God resplendent in his people, alive and strengthened, we turn to a consideration of activity, action. The precious oil which anoints the head of Aaron does more than simply lend fragrance to his person; it overflows down to “the edges”. The Lord will say this clearly: his anointing is meant for the poor, prisoners and the sick, for those who are sorrowing and alone. The ointment is not intended just to make us fragrant, much less to be kept in a jar, for then it would become rancid … and the heart bitter.

A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed. This is a clear test. When our people are anointed with the oil of gladness, it is obvious: for example, when they leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news. Our people like to hear the Gospel preached with “unction”, they like it when the Gospel we preach touches their daily lives, when it runs down like the oil of Aaron to the edges of reality, when it brings light to moments of extreme darkness, to the “outskirts” where people of faith are most exposed to the onslaught of those who want to tear down their faith. People thank us because they feel that we have prayed over the realities of their everyday lives, their troubles, their joys, their burdens and their hopes. And when they feel that the fragrance of the Anointed One, of Christ, has come to them through us, they feel encouraged to entrust to us everything they want to bring before the Lord: “Pray for me, Father, because I have this problem”, “Bless me”, “Pray for me” – these words are the sign that the anointing has flowed down to the edges of the robe, for it has turned into prayer. The prayers of the people of God. When we have this relationship with God and with his people, and grace passes through us, then we are priests, mediators between God and men.

What I want to emphasize is that we need constantly to stir up God’s grace and perceive in every request, even those requests that are inconvenient and at times purely material or downright banal – but only apparently so – the desire of our people to be anointed with fragrant oil, since they know that we have it. To perceive and to sense, even as the Lord sensed the hope-filled anguish of the woman suffering from hemorrhages when she touched the hem of his garment. At that moment, Jesus, surrounded by people on every side, embodies all the beauty of Aaron vested in priestly raiment, with the oil running down upon his robes. It is a hidden beauty, one which shines forth only for those faith-filled eyes of the woman troubled with an issue of blood. But not even the disciples – future priests – see or understand: on the “existential outskirts”, they see only what is on the surface: the crowd pressing in on Jesus from all sides (cf. Lk 8:42). The Lord, on the other hand, feels the power of the divine anointing which runs down to the edge of his cloak.

We need to “go out”, then, in order to experience our own anointing, its power and its redemptive efficacy: to the “outskirts” where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters. It is not in soul-searching or constant introspection that we encounter the Lord: self-help courses can be useful in life, but to live by going from one course to another, from one method to another, leads us to become pelagians and to minimize the power of grace, which comes alive and flourishes to the extent that we, in faith, go out and give ourselves and the Gospel to others, giving what little ointment we have to those who have nothing, nothing at all.

A priest who seldom goes out of himself, who anoints little – I won’t say “not at all” because, thank God, our people take our oil from us anyway – misses out on the best of our people, on what can stir the depths of his priestly heart. Those who do not go out of themselves, instead of being mediators, gradually become intermediaries, managers. We know the difference: the intermediary, the manager, “has already received his reward”, and since he doesn’t put his own skin and his own heart on the line, he never hears a warm, heartfelt word of thanks. This is precisely the reason why some priests grow dissatisfied, become sad priests, lose heart and become in some sense collectors of antiques or novelties – instead of being shepherds living with “the smell of the sheep”, shepherds in the midst of their flock, fishers of men.

True enough, the so-called crisis of priestly identity threatens us all and adds to the broader cultural crisis; but if we can resist its onslaught, we will be able to put out in the name of the Lord and cast our nets. It is not a bad thing that reality itself forces us to “put out into the deep”, where what we are by grace is clearly seen as pure grace, out into the deep of the contemporary world, where the only thing that counts is “unction” – not function – and the nets which overflow with fish are those cast solely in the name of the One in whom we have put our trust: Jesus.
Dear lay faithful, be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may always be shepherds according to God’s heart.

Dear priests, may God the Father renew in us the Spirit of holiness with whom we have been anointed. May he renew his Spirit in our hearts, that this anointing may spread to everyone, even to those “outskirts” where our faithful people most look for it and most appreciate it. May our people sense that we are the Lord’s disciples; may they feel that their names are written upon our priestly vestments and that we seek no other identity; and may they receive through our words and deeds the oil of gladness which Jesus, the Anointed One, came to bring us. Amen.

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Pope Francis on Twitter

Pope Francis knows the power of social media.  He is now into twitter.  You can follow him (@pontifex).

Below are some of his tweets:

Let us keep a place for Christ in our lives, let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation.

True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.

I am looking forward to next July in Rio de Janeiro! I hope to see all of you in that great Brazilian city!

We must not believe the Evil One when he tells us that there is nothing we can do in the face of violence, injustice and sin.

Being with Jesus demands that we go out from ourselves, and from living a tired and habitual faith

To experience Holy Week is to enter more and more into God's logic of love and self-giving

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Pope Francis declines a sweet apartment

by Randy Tudy

news.discovery.com -

True to his simplicity and humility, Pope Francis preferred to stay at  St. Martha Guest house and declined to transfer to a lavish  luxurious home overlooking St. Peter's Square.

As reported, he must be the first pope in 110 years who declines such privilege.

By the way, the new pontiff stayed in this place during the conclave.  It is a five-story building intended for cardinals who will visit Rome.

Once again, Pope Francis showed great humility and simplicity.  May this action inspired Christians all over the world, and especially church leaders.

For more complete report, check this out (http://news.yahoo.com/francis-may-first-pope-110-years-decline-swank-195224067.html)

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