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Thursday, November 27, 2014
The Church on the path to the Kingdom of Heaven


GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS

St. Peter's Square
Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning.
Today’s weather is a bit unpleasant but you are all brave, my compliments! Let’s hope to be able to pray together today.

In presenting the Church to the men and women of our time, the Second Vatican Council kept well in mind a fundamental truth, one we should never forget: the Church is not a static reality, inert, an end in herself, but is on a continual journey through history, towards that ultimate and marvelous end that is the Kingdom of Heaven, of which the Church on earth is the seed and the beginning (cf. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, n. 5). When we turn to this horizon, we discover that our imagination falls short, hardly able to intuit the splendour of a mystery which surpasses our senses. And several questions spontaneously rise up in us: when will that final step happen? What will the new dimension which the Church enters be like? What will become of humanity then? And of Creation around us? But these questions are not new, the disciples had already asked Jesus about them at that time: “When will this come to pass? When will the Spirit triumph over creation, over creatures, over everything...”. These are human questions, time-old questions. And we too are asking these questions.

1. The Conciliar Constitution Gaudium et Spes, faced with these questions that forever resonate in the hearts of men and women, states: “We do not know the time for the consummation of the earth and of humanity, nor do we know how all things will be transformed. As deformed by sin, the shape of this world will pass away; but we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth where justice will abide, and whose blessedness will answer and surpass all the longings for peace which spring up in the human heart” (n. 39). This is the Church’s destination: it is, as the Bible says, the “new Jerusalem”, “Paradise”. More than a place, it is a “state” of soul in which our deepest hopes are fulfilled in superabundance and our being, as creatures and as children of God, reach their full maturity. We will finally be clothed in the joy, peace and love of God, completely, without any limit, and we will come face to face with Him! (cf. 1 Cor 13:12). It is beautiful to think of this, to think of Heaven. We will all be there together. It is beautiful, it gives strength to the soul.

2. In this perspective, it is good to grasp the kind of continuity and deep communion there is between the Church in Heaven and that which is still a pilgrim on earth. Those who already live in the sight of God can indeed sustain us and intercede for us, pray for us. On the other hand, we too are always invited to offer up good works, prayer and the Eucharist itself in order to alleviate the tribulation of souls still awaiting never-ending beatitude. Yes, because in the Christian perspective the distinction is not between who is dead and who is not, but between who is in Christ and who is not! This is the point of determination, what is truly decisive for our salvation and for our happiness.

3. At the same time, Sacred Scripture teaches us that the fulfillment of this marvellous plan cannot but involve everything that surrounds us and came from the heart and mind of God. The Apostle Paul says it explicitly, when he says that “Creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). Other texts utilize the image of a “new heaven” and a “new earth” (cf. 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1), in the sense that the whole universe will be renewed and will be freed once and for all from every trace of evil and from death itself. What lies ahead is the fulfillment of a transformation that in reality is already happening, beginning with the death and resurrection of Christ. Hence, it is the new creation; it is not, therefore, the annihilation of the cosmos and of everything around us, but the bringing of all things into the fullness of being, of truth and of beauty. This is the design that God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, willed from eternity to realize and is realizing.

Dear friends, when we think of this magnificent reality awaiting us, we become aware of how marvellous a gift it is to belong to the Church which bears in writing the highest of vocations! So, let us ask the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, to keep constant watch over our journey and to help us to be, as she is, a joyful sign of trust and of hope among our brothers and sisters.


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Thursday, November 27, 2014
Jesus does not ask us to conserve talents in a safe

ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square Sunday, 16 November 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning, 

The Gospel this Sunday is the Parable of the Talents. The passage from St Matthew (25:14-30) tells of a man who, before setting off on a journey, calls his servants and entrusts his assets to them in talents, extremely valuable ancient coins. That master entrusts five talents to the first servant, two to the second, and one to the third. During the master’s absence, the three servants must earn a profit from this patrimony. The first and second servants each double the initial value of the capital. The third, however, for fear of losing it all, buries the talent he received in a hole. Upon the master’s return, the first two receive praise and rewards, while the third, who returned only the coin he had received, is reproached and punished.

The meaning of this is clear. The man in the parable represents Jesus, we are the servants, and the talents are the inheritance that the Lord entrusts to us. What is the inheritance? His Word, the Eucharist, faith in the Heavenly Father, his forgiveness..., in other words, so many things, his most precious treasures. This is the inheritance that He entrusts to us, not only to safeguard, but to make fruitful! While in common usage the term “talent” indicates a pronounced individual quality, for example talent in music, in sport, and so on, in the parable, talent represent the riches of the Lord, which He entrusts to us so that we make them bear fruit. The hole dug into the soil by the “wicked and slothful servant” (v. 26) points to the fear of risk which blocks creativity and the fruitfulness of love, because the fear of the risks of love stop us. Jesus does not ask us to store his grace in a safe! Jesus does not ask us for this, but He wants us to use it to benefit others. All the goods that we have received are to give to others, and thus they increase, as if He were to tell us: “Here is my mercy, my tenderness, my forgiveness: take them and make ample use of them”. And what have we done with them? Whom have we “infected” with our faith? How many people have we encouraged with our hope? How much love have we shared with our neighbour? These are questions that will do us good to ask ourselves. Any environment, even the furthest and most impractical, can become a place where our talents can bear fruit. There are no situations or places precluded from the Christian presence and witness. The witness which Jesus asks of us is not closed, but is open, it is in our hands.

This parable urges us not to conceal our faith and our belonging to Christ, not to bury the Word of the Gospel, but to let it circulate in our life, in our relationships, in concrete situations, as a strength which galvanizes, which purifies, which renews. Similarly, the forgiveness, which the Lord grants us particularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation: let us not keep it closed within ourselves, but let us allow it to emit its power, which brings down the walls that our egoism has raised, which enables us to take the first step in strained relationships, to resume the dialogue where there is no longer communication.... And so forth. Allow these talents, these gifts, these presents that the Lord has given us, to be, to grow, to bear fruit for others, with our witness.

I think it would be a fine gesture for each of you to pick up the Gospel at home today, the Gospel of St Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 14 to 30, Matthew 25:14-30, and read this, and meditate a bit: “The talents, the treasures, all that God has given me, all things spiritual, all goodness, the Word of God, how do I make this grow in others? Or do I merely store it in a safe?”.

Moreover, the Lord does not give the same things to everyone in the same way: He knows us personally and entrusts us with what is right for us; but in everyone, in all, there is something equal: the same, immense trust. God trusts us, God has hope in us! And this is the same for everyone. Let us not disappoint Him! Let us not be misled by fear, but let us reciprocate trust with trust! The Virgin Mary embodied this attitude in the fullest and most beautiful way. She received and welcomed the most sublime gift, Jesus himself, and in turn she offered Him to mankind with a generous heart. Let us ask Her to help us to be “good and faithful servants” in order to participate “in the joy of our Lord”.

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Monday, November 24, 2014
La preghiera 23 novembre 2014
di Roberto Laurita

FOTO da google
Quel giorno il tuo giudizio, Gesù, Spiazzerà tutti, buoni e cattivi, perché nessuno si aspetterà di essere giudicato su gesti di carità e di solidarietà, azione concrete che hanno a che fare con la fame e con la sete, con la mancanza di alloggio e di vestito, con la malattia e con ogni situazione difficile.

E, contrariamente a quanto si ritiene da parte dei più, l’omissione apparirà in tutta la sua evidente colpevolezza, come una mancanza decisiva che ci tiene lontani dal Regno.

Quel giorno il tuo giudizio, Gesù, Non ammetterà scuse. Non potremo giustificarci dicendo: Non sapevo, non immaginavo, non ti avevo riconosciuto, non mi ero accorto di te…Le nostre parole non potranno coprire la durezza e l’insensibilità, l’egoismo e l’avarizia che hanno ispirato le nostre scelte.

Quel giorno il tuo giudizio, Gesù, Farà entrare nella squadra dei beati uomini e donne considerati lontani dal tuo regno e invece condannerà a restarne fuori quanti hanno pensato che bastassero le loro professioni di fede, i loro gesti devoti.

*del foglietto per la messa alla Chiesa Santa Cristina-Parma.
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Sunday, November 23, 2014
I was Thirsty and you gave me Drink


Love Sunday 27. I try to write this column every week. I chose the Sunday for writing. Today is the special day, the last Sunday in the ordinary time. Next week, we will in the advent week. The Catholic Church of Rome uses this system. I don’t know in the Protestant Church or in the others Catholic Church. 

The Catholic Church of Rome today celebrated The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. It is the great solemn. I want to rewrite these some verses of the reading today. ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’

It is interesting to me, maybe for you, the readers. When I hungry, you give me food. How many people without the food today? In the city of Parma, I see the people without food. They eat something before some people give them food. Four weeks ago, I had lunch with some people without food for a week. Pope Francis some days ago said that we have food for all but some people don’t have food. It means some people have more. In other words, he takes the food of others.

On the altar of Saint Cristina Church, we put the pasta and the milk. And, we put also the cross. These things are the symbol of the solemn today. The cross is the Christ, King of Universe. The pasta is the food. We want to invite the people to share with others, particularly they that don’t have food.

Parma, 23 November 2014
Happy Sunday.
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Sunday, November 23, 2014
We are all called to be holy 


GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our catechesis on the Church, we now consider the universal call to holiness. Thanks to Baptism, each member of the Church shares in this vocation; every one of us is called to be a saint. Holiness is first and foremost God’s gift, and not our own achievement. Christ loved the Church, Saint Paul tells, and gave himself up for her, to make her holy (cf. Eph 5:26). In the communion of the Church, each of us has been sanctified by the grace of Baptism and is called to grow in this holiness. Whatever our state of life, we are called to live our daily lives and to fulfil our various responsibilities in prayerful union with the Lord and our brothers and sisters. Today let us ask ourselves how well we have responded to this call. By asking us to become holy in our daily lives, Christ is inviting us to experience in all things his own deep joy and to become a gift of love to all around us. Growing in holiness thus means becoming better persons, free of selfishness and self-absorption, and ever ready to place ourselves at the service of our brothers and sisters in the Church as “good stewards of God’s manifold grace” (1 Pet 4:10).

St. Peter's Square, Wednesday, 19 November 2014

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Sunday, November 23, 2014

By virtue of Baptism we are part of God's edifice

ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS, Saint Peter's Square, Sunday, 9 November 2014

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!

Today the liturgy commemorates the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which is the Cathedral of Rome and which tradition defines as “mother of all Churches of the city and of the world”. The term “mother”, refers not as much to the sacred building of the Basilica, as to the work of the Holy Spirit who is made manifest in this building, bearing fruit through the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, and in all communities which abide in unity with the Church over which he presides.

Each time we celebrate the dedication of a church, an essential truth is recalled: the physical temple made of brick and mortar is a sign of the living Church serving in history, that is to say, of that “spiritual temple”, as the Apostle Peter says, in which Christ himself is the “living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious” (1 Pt 2:4). In the Gospel from today’s liturgy, Jesus, speaking about the temple, reveals a shocking truth: that the Temple of God is not only a building made of brick and mortar, but is his Body, made of living stone. Through the power of Baptism, every Christian takes part in “God’s building” (1 Cor 3:9), indeed they become the Church of God. The spiritual structure, the Church community of mankind sanctified by the Blood of Christ and by Spirit of the Risen Lord, asks each one of us to be consistent with the gift of the faith and to undertake a journey of Christian witness. And we all know that in life it is not easy to maintain consistency between faith and testimony; but we must carry on and be coherent in our daily life. “This is a Christian!”, not so much in what he says, but in what he does, and the way in which he behaves. This coherence, which gives us life, is a grace of the Holy Spirit which we must ask for. The Church, at the beginning of her life and of her mission in the world, was but a community constituted to confess faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God and Redeemer of Man, a faith which operates through love. They go together! In today’s world too, the Church is called to be the community in the world which, rooted in Christ through Baptism, humbly and courageously professes faith in Him, witnessing to it in love.

The institutional elements, the structures and the pastoral entities must also be directed toward this goal, this essential goal of bearing witness to the faith in love. Love is the very expression of faith and also, faith is the explanation and the foundation of love. Today’s celebration invites us to meditate on the communion of all Churches, that is, of this Christian community. By analogy she spurs us to commit ourselves in order that humanity may overcome the confines of enmity and indifference, to build bridges of understanding and dialogue, to make of the entire world one family of people reconciled among themselves, in fraternal solidarity. The Church herself is a sign and preview of this new humanity, as she lives and, through her witness, spreads the Gospel, the message of hope and reconciliation for all mankind.

Let us invoke the intercession of the Most Holy Mary, that she may help us to become like her, the “House of God”, the living temple of his love.

© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014
From five to ten


Sunday, 16 November 2014. There are three numbers, five, two, and one. These are the number of talents that the master gives to his servants. After that, he goes long. We spend a long time on the tour. Then, he come back and meet the servants.

The servant of five talents has ten talents now. He has looked for five talents. The servant of two talents has four talents now. But, the servant of one talent has yet one talent. He doesn’t look for the others talent. He thinks, he must care this talent.

This is a parable. God gives us many talents. We must use them for the common good. But, God also gives us the main talents like faith, love, friendship, fraternity, and so on. These are the main talents must we seek in this world. My friend, Patty explained this to the children today. We have learned it from Father Luciano.

Yes, yesterday when we did the lectio divina we talked about it. In the second session, we shared our reflection, our experiences about the talent. We have talked that the talent is not identify or just reduce at the material or the money. Not. The greatest talent is the common good. We make the concretes of the talent in faith, hope, love, friendship, and so on.

Happy Sunday

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Sunday, November 16, 2014
The characteristics of the ministers of the Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
In the preceding catechesis on the Church, we pointed out how the Lord continues to shepherd his flock through the ministry of bishops, assisted by priests and deacons. It is in them that Jesus makes himself present, in the power of his Spirit, and continues to serve the Church, nourishing within her faith, hope and the witness of love. These ministers are thus a great gift of the Lord for every Christian community and for the whole of the Church, as they are a living sign of the presence of his love. 

Today we want to ask ourselves: what is asked of these ministers of the Church, in order that they may live out their service in a genuine and fruitful way.

1. In the “Pastoral Letters” sent to his disciples, Timothy and Titus, the Apostle Paul carefully pauses on the figures of bishop, priest and deacon, also on the figures of the faithful, the elderly and young people. He pauses on a description of each state of a Christian in the Church, delineating for bishops, priests and deacons what they are called to and what prerogatives must be acknowledged in those chosen and invested with these ministries. Today it is emblematic that, along with the gifts inherent in the faith and in spiritual life — which cannot be overlooked, for they are life itself — some exquisitely human qualities are listed: acceptance, temperance, patience, meekness, trustworthiness, goodness of heart. This is the alphabet, the basic grammar, of every ministry! It must be the basic grammar of every bishop, priest and deacon. Yes, this beautiful and genuine predisposition is necessary to meet, understand, dialogue with, appreciate and relate to brothers in a respectful and sincere way — without this predisposition it is not possible to offer truly joyous and credible service and testimony.

2. There is also a basic conduct which Paul recommends to his disciples and, as a result, to all those who are called to pastoral ministry, be they bishops, priests, presbyters or deacons. The Apostle says that the gift which has been received must be continually rekindled (cf. 1 Tm 4:14; 2 Tm 1:6). This means that there must always be a profound awareness that one is not bishop, priest or deacon because he is more intelligent, worthier or better than other men; he is such only pursuant to a gift, a gift of love bestowed by God, through the power of his Spirit, for the good of his people. This awareness is very important and constitutes a grace to ask for every day! Indeed, a Pastor who is cognizant that his ministry springs only from the heart of God can never assume an authoritarian attitude, as if everyone were at his feet and the community were his property, his personal kingdom.

3. The awareness that everything is a gift, everything is grace, also helps a Pastor not to fall into the temptation of placing himself at the centre of attention and trusting only in himself. They are the temptations of vanity, pride, sufficiency, arrogance. There would be problems if a bishop, a priest or a deacon thought he knew everything, that he always had the right answer for everything and did not need anyone. On the contrary, awareness that he, as the first recipient of the mercy and compassion of God, should lead a minister of the Church to always be humble and sympathetic with respect to others. Also, in the awareness of being called to bravely guard the faith entrusted (cf. 1 Tm 6:20), he shall listen to the people. He is in fact cognizant of always having something to learn, even from those who may still be far from the faith and from the Church. With his confreres, then, all this must lead to taking on a new attitude marked by sharing, joint responsibility and communion.

Dear friends, we must always be grateful to the Lord, for in the person and in the ministry of bishops, priests and deacons, he continues to guide and shape his Church, making her grow along the path of holiness. At the same time, we must continue to pray, that the Pastors of our communities can be living images of the communion and of the love of God.

St. Peter's Square, Wednesday, 12 November 2014

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Sunday, November 16, 2014
The Lateran Basilica in Rome


Sunday, 11 November 2014, I remember the Basilica of Lateran in Rome, Italy. Today, the Catholic Church of Rome celebrated the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. In the letters we read today, we can see how the home of God is very saint. The temple in the ancient and the temple in Jesus’ era were saints. The temple is the home of God. God lives there. This was the vision at that time. I think, this vision has not changed. Now, we have this vision. The temple is the home of God. In Christian or Catholic, the temple is the Church. The temple, the synagogue, the church, the mosque, and others are the home of God. We go there to meet God. 

I remember, one year a go, I have visited the Basilica of Lateran with my friend Fonsi and Sergio and Father Eugenio, SX. Long time ago, I have known this post. I have read in the story books and in the school books. Every year we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of this basilica. But, at that time, I was happy because I see the place. Not in imagining like I have seen before. It appears the great home, great building. Yes, this is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome. This basilica also is called the mother of Churches. It is the mother of all churches. I don’t find the significance of ‘all churches’. I don’t know how the meaning of all churches. There are many church, the Catholic Churches and the Protestant Churches. I think, this name was formed before the conflict in the Church. So, the mother of all churches aims the mother of the Churches of all Christians, the protestant and the catholic.
Happy Sunday all.

San Pietro in Vincoli, Ravenna, Italy.
Gordi
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
We have listened to what the Apostle Paul says to Bishop Tito. How many virtues do we bishops have? We heard everything, did we not? It’s not easy, it’s not easy, because we are sinners. But we entrust ourselves to your prayers, so that we may at least come closer to these things that the Apostle Paul advises all bishops. Do you agree? Will you pray for us? 

We have already had the occasion to stress, in preceding catecheses, how the Holy Spirit is always abundantly filling the Church with his gifts. Now, by the power and grace of His Spirit, Christ does not fail to set up ministries in order to build up Christian communities as his Body. Among these ministries, one can distinguish that of the episcopate. In the bishop, assisted by priests and deacons, it is Christ himself who makes himself present and who continues to care for his Church, by ensuring his protection and his guidance.

1. In the presence and in the ministry of the bishops, of the priests and deacons, we can recognize the true face of the Church: it is the Hierarchical Holy Mother Church. And truly, through these brothers chosen by the Lord and consecrated through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the Church exercises her motherhood: she gives birth to us in Baptism as Christians, giving us a new birth in Christ; she watches over our growth in the faith; she accompanies us into the arms of the Father, to receive his forgiveness; she prepares the Eucharistic table for us, where she nourishes us with the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Jesus; she invokes upon us the blessing of God and the power of his Spirit, sustaining us throughout the course of our life and enveloping us with her tenderness and warmth, especially in those most delicate moments of trial, of suffering and of death.

2. This motherhood of the Church is expressed in particular in the person of the bishop and in his ministry. In fact, as Jesus chose the Apostles and sent them out to proclaim the Gospel and to tend his flock, so bishops, his successors, are set at the head of Christian communities, as guarantors of the faith and as living signs of the presence of the Lord among them. We understand, then, that this is not a position of prestige, an honorary title. The episcopate is not an honour, it’s a service. This is how Jesus wanted it. There should be no place in the Church for a worldly mentality. The worldly mentality says: “This man took the ecclesiastical career path, he became a bishop”. No, no, in the Church there must be no place for this mindset. The episcopate is a service, not an honour to boast about. Being a bishop means keeping before one’s eyes the example of Jesus who, as the Good Shepherd, came not to be served, but to serve (cf. Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45) and to give his life for his sheep (cf. Jn 10:11). Holy bishops — and there are many in the history of the Church, many holy bishops — show us that this ministry is not sought, is not requested, is not bought, but is accepted in obedience, not in order to elevate oneself, but to lower oneself, as Jesus did who “humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). It is sad when one sees a man who seeks this office and who does so much just to get there; and when he gets there, he does not serve, he struts around, he lives only for his own vanity.

3. There is another precious element that deserves to be pointed out. When Jesus chose and called the Apostles, He did not think of them as separate from one another, each one on his own, but together, because they were to stay with Him, united, like a single family. Furthermore, bishops also constitute one single College, gathered around the Pope, who is the guardian and guarantor of this profound communion that was so close to Jesus’ heart and to his Apostles’ too. How beautiful it is, then, when bishops, with the Pope, express this collegiality and always seek to be better servants to the faithful, better servants in the Church! We recently experienced it in the Assembly of the Synod on the Family. Just think of all the bishops spread around the world who, despite living in widely different places, cultures, sensibilities and traditions — one bishop said to me the other day that it takes him more than 30 hours by plane to come to Rome — they each feel part of the other and they become an expression of the intimate bond, in Christ, between their communities. And in the common prayer of the Church, all bishops place themselves together in listening to the Lord and to the Holy Spirit, paying profound attention to man and to the signs of the times (cf. Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, n. 4).

Dear friends, all this makes us understand that Christian communities recognize in the bishop a great gift, and are called to nourish a sincere and profound communion with him, beginning with the priests and deacons. No Church is healthy if the faithful, the deacons and the priests are not united to the bishop. This Church, that is not united to the bishop, is a sick Church. Jesus wanted this union of all the faithful with the bishop, including the deacons and priests. And this they do aware that it is precisely in the bishop that the bond is made visible with each Church, with the Apostles and with all other communities, united to their bishops and the Pope in the one Church of the Lord Jesus, that is our Hierarchical Holy Mother Church. Thank you.

GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS St. Peter's Square, Wednesday, 5 November 2014

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014
COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, and today the liturgy invites us to commemorate the faithful departed. These two recurrences are intimately linked to each other, just as joy and tears find a synthesis in Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of our faith and our hope. On the one hand, in fact, the Church, a pilgrim in history, rejoices through the intercession of the Saints and the Blessed who support her in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel; on the other, she, like Jesus, shares the tears of those who suffer separation from loved ones, and like Him and through Him echoes the thanksgiving to the Father who has delivered us from the dominion of sin and death.

Yesterday and today, many have been visiting cemeteries, which, as the word itself implies, is the “place of rest”, as we wait for the final awakening. It is lovely to think that it will be Jesus himself to awaken us. Jesus himself revealed that the death of the body is like a sleep from which He awakens us. With this faith we pause — even spiritually — at the graves of our loved ones, of those who loved us and did us good. But today we are called to remember everyone, even those who no one remembers. We remember the victims of war and violence; the many “little ones” of the world, crushed by hunger and poverty; we remember the anonymous who rest in the communal ossuary. We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they were Christian; and those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have left us during the past year.

Church Tradition has always urged prayer for the deceased, in particular by offering the Eucharistic Celebration for them: it is the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to those who are the most forsaken. The foundation of prayer in suffrage lies in the communion of the Mystical Body.

As the Second Vatican Council repeats, “fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead” (Lumen Gentium, n. 50).

Remembering the dead, caring for their graves and prayers of suffrage, are the testimony of confident hope, rooted in the certainty that death does not have the last word on human existence, for man is destined to a life without limits, which has its roots and its fulfillment in God. Let us raise this prayer to God: “God of infinite mercy, we entrust to your immense goodness all those who have left this world for eternity, where you wait for all humanity, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ your Son, who died as a ransom for our sins. Look not, O Lord, on our poverty, our suffering, our human weakness, when we appear before you to be judged for joy or for condemnation. Look upon us with mercy, born of the tenderness of your heart, and help us to walk in the ways of complete purification. Let none of your children be lost in the eternal fire, where there can be no repentance. We entrust to you, O Lord, the souls of our beloved dead, of those who have died without the comfort of the sacraments, or who have not had an opportunity to repent, even at the end of their lives. May none of them be afraid to meet You, after their earthly pilgrimage, but may they always hope to be welcomed in the embrace of your infinite mercy. May our Sister, corporal death find us always vigilant in prayer and filled with the goodness done in the course of our short or long lives. Lord, may no earthly thing ever separate us from You, but may everyone and everything support us with a burning desire to rest peacefully and eternally in You. Amen” (Fr Antonio Rungi, Passionist,Prayer for the Dead).

With this faith in man’s supreme destiny, we now turn to Our Lady, who suffered the tragedy of Christ’s death beneath the Cross and took part in the joy of his Resurrection. May She, the Gate of Heaven, help us to understand more and more the value of prayer in suffrage for the souls of the dead. They are close to us! May She support us on our daily pilgrimage on earth and help us to never lose sight of life’s ultimate goal which is Heaven. And may we go forth with this hope that never disappoints!

ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS, Saint Peter's Square, Sunday, 2 November 2014

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Monday, November 03, 2014
The relationship between the Visible Reality and Spiritual Nature of the Church

Vatican City, 29 October 2014 (VIS) – The Church: spiritual nature and visible reality. “Two different things or a single Church?”, said the Pope in this Wednesday's general audience, returning in his catechesis to the theme of the Church. “If the Church is always one”, he continued, “how can we understand the relationship between the visible and spiritual reality?”. 

Francis commented that when we speak about visible reality we must not think only of the Pope, bishops, priests, nuns and consecrated persons. “The visible reality of the Church is constituted by the many baptised brothers and sisters throughout the world who believe, hope and love. … The Church is all of us”. Therefore, the visible reality of the Church cannot be measured or known in its entirety. “How can we know all the wonders that Christ is capable of achieving through us, in the hearts and lives of people?” he said. “See: even the visible reality of the Church goes beyond our control, beyond our strength, and it is a mysterious reality, as it comes from God”.

To understand the relationship between the visible and spiritual realities of the Church we must look to Christ, “whose body is the Church and from whom She is generated, in an act of infinite love. Indeed, also in Christ, through the mystery of the Incarnation, we recognise a human nature and a divine reality, united in the same person in a wonderful and indissoluble way. This applies in a similar way to the Church … who is a mystery too, in which what we are unable to see is more important than what we can see, and can be recognised only with the eyes of faith”.

The Holy Father went on to ask how visible reality could be placed at the service of the spiritual nature of the Church, explaining that it is possible by following the example of Christ, “who made use of His humanity, as He was also a man, to announce and implement the divine plan for redemption and salvation, as He was God. Through her visible reality, from all that we see, the sacraments and the witness of all Christians, the Church is called each day to be close to every person, beginning with the poor; to the suffering and the marginalised, so as to make them aware of Jesus' compassionate and merciful gaze”.

Before concluding, he asked all the faithful present to pray for the gift of faith, “so that we are able to comprehend how, despite our limits and our poverty, the Lord has truly made us instruments of His grace and the visible sign of His love for all humanity. We can become the source of scandal, it is true. But we can also become the source of witness, saying through our lives what Jesus wants from us”.

© VIS, Vatican Information Service

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Monday, November 03, 2014
Love is the Measure of Faith

Vatican City, 26 October 2014 (VIS) – More than eighty thousand people prayed the Angelus with Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square this Sunday. Before the Marian prayer the Holy Father commented on today's Gospel reading, in which he reiterated that all of the divine Law may be summarised in love for God and neighbour: two sides of the same coin. 

Pope Francis explained that according to the evangelist Matthew, some Pharisees agreed to put Jesus to the test by asking him which commandment was the most important in the Law. Jesus, citing the book of Deuteronomy, answered: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment”. “He could have stopped there”, said the bishop of Rome. “Instead, Jesus adds something else that was not asked by the expert of the Law. Indeed, he said: 'And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself'. Even this second commandment is not invented by Jesus, but rather taken from the Book of Leviticus. Its newness consists precisely in putting together these two commandments - the love for God and love for one's neighbour - revealing that they are inseparable and complementary, they are two sides of the same coin. You cannot love God without loving your neighbour and you can’t love your neighbour without loving God”.

Indeed, “the visible sign that a Christian can show to give witness to the world … of the love of God is the love of his brethren. The commandment of love for God and one's neighbour is the first not because it is the first in the list of commandment. Jesus does not place it at the top, but rather at the centre since it is the heart from which everything must begin and to which everything must return and refer to. … In the light of Jesus' words, love is the measure of faith, and faith is the soul of love. We can never separate religious life from the service of the brothers and sisters, to those real brethren we meet. We can never divide prayer, the encounter with God in the Sacraments, from listening to others, from closeness to their lives and especially to their wounds”.

“In the midst of the dense forest of precepts and prescriptions – the legalisms of yesterday and today – Jesus opens up a gap through which we can glimpse two faces: the face of the Father and that of the brother. He does not give us two rules or two precepts: he gives us two faces. Or rather, it is one face: that of God that is reflected in the faces of so many, because in the face of every brother and sister, especially the least, the fragile, the helpless and the needy, the very image of God is present”.

“In this way, Jesus offers every man and woman the fundamental criteria on which to base their lives”, concluded Francis. “But above all, He gives us the Holy Spirit, which enables us to love God and our neighbour like Him, with a free and generous heart. Through the intercession of Mary, our Mother, let us open ourselves to receive this gift of love, always to follow the path of this law, of the two faces that are one face, the law of love”.

Following the Marian prayer, the Holy Father commented that on Saturday in Sao Paulo in Brazil, Mother Assunta Marchetti was proclaimed Blessed. Born in Italy, she was the co-founder of the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo (the “Scalabrini”). “She was a nun who was exemplary in the service of orphans of Italian immigrants. She saw Jesus in the poor, in orphans, in the sick, in migrants. Let us give thanks to the Lord for this woman, a model of tireless missionary spirit and courageous dedication in the service of charity”.

© VIS, Vatican Information Service
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Sunday, November 02, 2014
The First and Second November


I am sorry for all. I have left again this column for a long time. I remember every Sunday, I write an article, but the last days, I have many tasks. I must leave this column. But, I always remember. I think, this is my task must I do. I cannot leave this.

In this article, I want to share my experience for two days, yesterday and today. Yesterday, we celebrated the solemnity of all saints. I have participated at Santa Cristina Church. Like the Sunday. But, the people are not completed. The children are not coming. There were just two. It’s happening because, maybe, today is Saturday. The Saturday is the fine days, the weekend. Many people take this day like the rest. Usually, many people take rest on Sunday. Not Saturday. But why today has not come? I think they take today as a holiday. So, they have two days for resting.

Father Luciano in his homily said that, we must pray for the saints. Some people have an experience with the some saints. The experience about the praying or the special relation for saints, like the adoration, and so on. Yes, the praying is like the bridge among us in the world ant they in the eternity.


Today, we celebrated the memory of the all the deaths. I want to remember my brother Yosep that has died at 2008. I love him. I pray for him. I pray every year for him. Not also in this memory, but every month, I remember and pray for him. He is my brother, my friend, which I remember always.

Yosep, thanks for your attention to me. I always remember you. I feel lost any things when you have gone and you leave me in this world. I think, you pray for me from there. You love me, love our family, love your wife, and your child, Defrin. I feel you near when I pray for you. I think you always near me, but I am not conscience your presence.





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Sunday, November 02, 2014

Siamo venuti dal sud al nord. Siamo i ragazzi che partecipiamo al campo dei missionari saveriani ad Ancona. Da Salerno, Ancona, Piacenza e Udine-Friuli.

Che bella stare insieme in questi giorni. Da ieri, oggi, domani, dopo domani, fino Martedì mattino. Non siamo simili ma siamo simili come cittadinanza, italiana. Siamo italiani ma non siamo venuti da una città. Siamo venuti da qualche città.

Siamo italiani ma non siamo dello stesso posto. Siamo dal sud, centro, e nord, italia. Dal sud, non da Napoli ma da Salerno. Dal centro, non da Roma ma da Ancona e Macerata. Dal Nord non da Milano ma da Udine-Friuli.

Ancona, 25 luglio 2014

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Sunday, November 02, 2014

Il giorno del viaggio. Da Salerno ad Ancona. Eravamo in quattordici. Cinque maschi e nove femmine. Io e Padre Simone SX da parte dei saveriani. Due donne sono le ragazze della parte degli animatori.


Siamo partiti in due macchine. Un pulmino e una macchina FIAT-Punto. Siamo partiti dalle 8.30 e arrivati alle 13.30. E’ un viaggio lungo. Non mi ricordo quanti chilometri. Più di tre cento, mi pare.

Siamo fermati a un posto, dove c’è la pompa di benzina. Abbiamo fatto la merenda. Siamo fermati circa 30 minuti. Poi, abbiamo continuato.

Per me è un viaggio interessante. Ho visto i bei panorami nella strada. Valle, montagne, ecc. Per fortuna non c’èra il traffico. Siamo venuti direttamente senza rimasta a una fila lunga.

Quando siamo arrivati, gli altri ragazzi hanno appena finito il pranzo. Noi abbiamo pranzato in ultimo momento. Dopo, abbiamo qualche d’ora di riposo poi alle 16.30, abbiamo iniziato il campo.

Diego, un mio amico, sta studiando la teologia in Cameroun, ha iniziato con una testimonianza. Un’esperienza missionaria a Younde-Cameroun. Prima, abbiamo presentato i nostri nomi e provieni. Alle 18.30, abbiamo celebrato la messa. dopo cena, abbiamo partecipato a una serata meraviglia con un piccolo gioco.

Io e Alexander, abbiamo una stanza nella sala TV. C’è la tv e ci sono tanti libri. Era biblioteca. Adesso, è sala tv e sala dei libri. Se volesse leggere, prendere i libri da qui. Buona notte.

Ancona, 24 luglio 2014. 
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Sunday, November 02, 2014

Questa sera ho ascoltato qualche canzone inglese e italiano su sky tv poi seguito un film. Non mi ricordo il titolo. Il film era da disney chanel.

Il film parla di storia tra i professori in un’università e anche parla delle relazioni tra gli studenti. 

Era interessante perché solo questa sera, ho guardato la tv durante 14 giorni qui, a Salerno. Proprio il momento speciale, ero solo io, non c’era gli altri. Di solito non ho il tempo ma oggi era il giorno speciale per me.

Salerno, 23 luglio
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Sunday, November 02, 2014

Una domanda da una suora a me, “Vuoi diventare prete?”
“Sì,” la risposto.
“Bravo,” ancora mi risponde. 

È una domanda meraviglia perché come mai un giovane straniero come me vuole diventare prete.

Una domanda meravigliosa per me anche perché mi ha detto che vuole pregare per me. “Io prego per te,” diceva ancora.

Spero che prega per me finche possa finire bene la studia teologia e alla fine riceverò l’ordinazione e la professione perpetua nella famiglia saveriana.

Salerno, 22 luglio
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