Halloween party ideas 2015
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Dewi Fortuna Membalas Tangisan Ronaldo

gambar dari Frank Fife/AFP


Dewi fortuna datang tiba-tiba. Tidak ada yang bisa memprediksinya. Itulah sebabnya, jika ia datang, banyak yang kaget.

Rasa kaget itu juga yang menghinggapi seantero dunia malam ini di Prancis-Eropa atau pagi-pagi buta waktu Indonesia-Asia. Sungguh, para fans dari Ronaldo dkk merasa kaget. Rasa kaget itu muncul tak lain karena dewi fortuna mengantarnya pada Ronaldo dkk.

Dewi fortuna itulah kekuatan dari klub Portugal pada piala Eropa tahun 2016 ini. Dewi fortuna itu sempat kami perbincangan usai makan malam Minggu kemarin. Teman saya yang Italia menjagokan Prancis. Tetapi, ia tidak yakin.

Katanya, “Saya menjagokan Prancis karena Italia sudah kalah.”
Saya menjawabnya, “Io tifoso per il portogallo, saya menjagokan Portugal.”

Dia lalu menatap sinis, “Prancis lebih kuat dari Portugal.”
“Memang Prancis lebih kuat tetapi dewi fortuna selalu datang membantu Portugal,” balas saya.

Dialog tentang dewi fortuna ini rupanya benar-benar terjadi. Jika benar Prancis menang malam ini, teman saya benar-benar bangga. Meski dia tidak 100% mendukung Prancis, bagaimana pun prediksinya tepat. Sebaliknya, jika Portugal menang, apa yang saya ramalkan, benar-benar terjadi. Jadi, dewi fortuna itu memang lagi-lagi datang pada saya.

gambar dari www.telegraph.co.uk

Saya benar-benar senang dengan kemenangan Ronaldo dan kawan-kawan. Kemenangan yang tak terbayangkan. Memang, itulah ciri-ciri dewi fortuna. Tidak ada yang membayangkannya. Kalau pun ada, bisa jadi benar dan bisa jadi kalah. Sulit memberi prediksi yang lebih dari 50%.

Portugal memang tidak dijagokan. Publik cenderung menjagokan Prancis. Di status media sosial seperti facebook, dukungan untuk Prancis datang bertubi-tubi. Sebelum pertandingan dan saat pertandingan berlangsung.

Dukungan itu semakin kuat, kala Ronaldo harus keluar di menit ke 24. Kepergian Ronaldo seolah-olah menjadi penentu kemengan untuk Prancis. Maka, Portugal pun hampir pasti akan kalah di mata publik. Pandangan publik ini kiranya makin dikuatkan dengan tetesan air mata Ronaldo.

Sejak cedera lutut kiri untuk pertama kalinya, Ronaldo memang sudah meneteskan air mata. Seolah-olah, dia tidak punya harapan lagi. Kehadiran teman-temannya di lapangan untuk membangkitkan semangatnya tak mampu membuatnya bangkit. Dia duduk lemas sambil meminta bantuan.

Dia pun keluar untuk sementara. Di luar, regu kesehatan memberinya semangat. Lantas, dia masuk lagi meski tidak bangkit 100%. Ronaldo memang tak beruntung. Banyak yang berkomentar, dia masuk dengan kekuatan hanya lutut kanan saja. Mengandalkan satu kaki saja memang akan sulit.

perayaan kemenangan 


Kesulitan ini bertambah saat pemain Prancis, Payet, memberinya sekali lagi teken tepat pada lutut kiri. Ronaldo betul-betul hilang harapan. Dia mengekspresikan suasana hatinya bukan saja dengan tetesan air mata lagi. Tetapi, dia mencabut ban kapten dari lengan kirinya. Membuangnya ke lapangan, lalu menjatuhkan diri. Saat itulah dia merasa kalah. Menatap regu kesehatan dengan tatapan kekecewaan. Ronaldo pun dibawa keluar.

Portugal sampai titik ini betul-betul dinilai tak berdaya lagi. Publik pun setuju dengan penilaian ini. Harapan untuk menang telak ada pada pihak Prancis. Puyet dan kawan-kawan merasa akan dengan mudah meraih kemenagan itu. Ini yang terbaca oleh publik.

Kalau pun Prancis akan menang, hati Puyet kiranya tidak tenang. Dialah ujung tombak yang membuat permainan malam ini kurang indah. Payet menguburkan impian publik Portugal untuk melihat langsung aksi idola mereka, Ronaldo. Payet memang merasa tidak tenang. Tekelannya membuatnya tidak bisa bermain indah. Dia pun akhirnya keluar pada menit ke-56. Publik Portugal pun risau.

Kerisauan publik Portugal ini berubah menjadi kekuatan baru bagi pemain Portugal. Setelah menerima ban kapten dari Ronaldo, Nani menjadi pemimpin Portugal di lapangan hijau. Di hadapan penonton Prancis dan Portugal, dia mengarahkan teman-temannya untuk bermain dengan semangat baru. Semangat inilah yang membuat mereka bermain dengan tenang.

Pelatih Portugal Fernando Santos pun dengan tenang membimbing anak asuhnya. Nani, Pepe, Fonte, dan Sanches berusaha untuk mengimbangi permainan Prancis. Nani dan Sanches berjuang dengan sekuat tenaga. Mereka lah yang dengan tenang mengejar bola di segala lini. Depan dan belakang. Sanches dengan kemampuannya berlari kencang dan kelincahan mengocek bola, mampu merebut bola dari para pemain Prancis.

Pepe dan Fonte juga demikian. Mereka berdua berusaha bukan saja menghadang ujung tombak Prancis seperti Griezmann dan Evra, tetapi juga berusaha membuang bola ke depan. Uniknya mereka bermain tenang. Sesekali mereka mengamankan bola di wilayah bek, maju sedikit ke wilayah tenang, atau juga mengembalikan ke penjaga gawang. Inilah cara mereka bertahan.

Usaha Nani dkk pun berbuah. Mereka bisa bertahan imbang sampai babak kedua. Mereka laju ke babak berikutnya yakni 2 kali 15 menit. Di sini, ritme permainannya agak riskan. Siapa yang pertama mencetak gol, dialah yang menang. Tidak ada lobi-lobi lagi.



Dengan tenang juga, Nani dkk mampu menahan imbang laju permainan Prancis yang menguasai 55% pertandingan itu. Boleh dibilang, babak pertama dari pertambahan waktu itu berjalan mulus untuk kedua kesebelasan. Kemenangan itu kiranya muncul di babak kedua dari perpanjangan waktu ini. Hanya berharap pada keuntungan.

Dan benar yang diprediksikan. Keberuntungan, dewi fortuna, itu berpihak pada Nani dkk. Eder yang menggantikan Sanches pada menit ke-79 mampu menjebol gawang tuan rumah Prancis pada menit ke-109. Melewati dua bek Prancis, Eder maju dengan percaya diri yang tinggi. Tendangannya tak mampu dihadang oleh kiper Prancis Hugo Lloris. Bola pun masuk jala pertahan mereka. Portugal menang.
Eder berlari, menjauh dari gawang Prancis. Teman-temannya berlari ikut mengejarnya. Di luar lapangan pelatih dan Ronaldo serta para pemain cadangan berjingkrak-jingkrak merayakan kemenangan ini. Ya, betul-betul kemenangan yang tak terduga.

Dewi fortuna memang datang tak terduga. Ronaldo beruntung lagi. Dewi fortuna betul-betul menjawab keinginannya. Boleh jadi sang dewi, melihat tetesan air mata Ronaldo. Ronaldo ingin mengukir sejarah untuk bangsanya tahun ini. Dan, sejarah itu pun benar-benar terjadi malam ini.

Sejarah itu mengizinkan Ronaldo, Nani, Pepe dkk mengangkat piala kemenangan itu. Di hadapan para petinggi publik sepak bola Eropa, pelatih Portugal, Fernando Santos, mengambil piala. Ronaldo mengangkatnya untuk pertama kali. Lalu, Pepe dan Nani.

Nani dkk menampilkan wajah kerendahan hati yang mendalam. Nani menerima ban kapten dari Ronaldo lalu menyerahkannya pada Ronaldo saat mereka menang. Dengan sikap rendah hatinya ini, Nani menunjukkan pada publik bahwa kemenangan itu adalah keberuntungan. Maka, dia pun tidak ingin tampil sebagai kapten saat mengangkat piala itu. Dia hanya beruntung menjadi kapten dalam pertandingan yang menegangkan ini. Ronaldo tetaplah kapten mereka.

Selamat untuk Ronaldo, Nani, Pepe dkk yang memenangkan pertandingan final Piala Eropa 2016 ini. Parabens.

PRM, 11/7/2016
Gordi

Dipublikasikan pertama kali di kompasiana



Read more »
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Monday, July 11, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 3 July 2016




Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
Today’s Gospel passage, taken from the tenth Chapter of the Gospel of Luke (vv. 1-12, 17-20), makes us consider how necessary it is to invoke God, “the Lord of harvest to send out laborers” (v. 2). The “laborers” whom Jesus speaks of are the missionaries of the Kingdom of God, whom he himself calls and sends on “ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come” (v. 1). Their task is to proclaim a message of salvation addressed to everyone. Missionaries always proclaim a message of salvation to everyone; not only those missionaries who go afar, but we too, [are] Christian missionaries who express a good word of salvation. This is the gift that Jesus gives us with the Holy Spirit. This message is to say: “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (v. 9), because God has “come near” to us through Jesus; God became one of us; in Jesus, God reigns in our midst, his merciful love overcomes sin and human misery.

This is the Good News that the “laborers” must bring to everyone: a message of hope and comfort, of peace and charity. When Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him into the villages, he tells them: “first, say ‘Peace be to this house!’ [...]; heal the sick in it” (vv. 5, 9). All of this signifies that the Kingdom of God is built day by day and already offers on this earth its fruits of conversion, of purification, of love and of comfort among men. It is a beautiful thing! Building day by day this Kingdom of God that is to be made. Do not destroy, build!

With what spirit must disciples of Jesus carry out this mission? First of all they must be aware of the difficult and sometimes hostile reality that awaits them. Jesus minces no words about this! Jesus says: “I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (v. 3). This is very clear. Hostility is always at the beginning of persecutions of Christians; because Jesus knows that the mission is blocked by the work of evil. For this reason, the laborer of the Gospel will strive to be free from every kind of human conditioning, carrying neither purse nor bag nor sandals (cf. v. 4), as Jesus counseled, so as to place reliance solely in the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. This means abandoning every motive of personal advantage, careerism or hunger for power, and humbly making ourselves instruments of the salvation carried out by Jesus’ sacrifice.

A Christian’s mission in the world is splendid, it is a mission intended for everyone, it is a mission of service, excluding no one; it requires a great deal of generosity and above all setting one’s gaze and heart facing on High, to invoke the Lord’s help. There is a great need for Christians who joyfully witness to the Gospel in everyday life. The disciples, sent out by Jesus, “returned with joy” (v. 17). When we do this, our heart fills with joy. This expression makes me think of how much the Church rejoices, she revels when her children receive the Good News thanks to the dedication of so many men and women who daily proclaim the Gospel: priests — those brave parish priests whom we all know —, nuns, consecrated women, missionary men and women.... I ask myself — listen to the question —: how many of you young people who are now present today in the Square, hear the Lord’s call to follow him? Fear not! Be courageous and bring to others this guiding light of apostolic zeal that these exemplary disciples have given to us.

Let us pray to the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that the Church may never lack generous hearts that work to bring everyone the love and kindness of our heavenly Father.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I express my closeness to the families of the victims and those injured in the attack that happened yesterday in Dhaka, and also in that which happened in Baghdad. Let us pray together. Let us pray together for them, for the deceased and let us ask the Lord to convert the hearts of the violent blinded by hate. Hail Mary....

I greet all of you, faithful of Rome and pilgrims coming from all over Italy and from other countries.

In the Holy Year of Mercy I dearly recall that next Wednesday we will celebrate the memory of St Maria Goretti, the young martyr who forgave her murderer before she died. This courageous young lady deserves a round of applause from the entire Square!

And I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


Read more »
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Thursday, July 07, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS

SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES

Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 29 June 2016



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
Today we celebrate the Feast of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, praising God for their preaching and their witness. On the faith of these two Apostles was founded the Church of Rome, which has always venerated them as Patrons. However, the entire universal Church, which looks to them with admiration, considers them as two pillars and two great lights that shine not only in the sky of Rome, but in the heart of believers of the East and of the West.

In the narrative of the Apostles’ mission, the Gospel tells us that Jesus sent them out two by two (cf. Mt 10:5; Lk 10:1). In a certain sense Peter and Paul too, from the Holy Land, were sent as far as Rome to preach the Gospel. The two men were very different from one another: Peter a “humble fisherman”, Paul a “teacher and doctor”, as recited in today’s liturgy. But if we know Jesus here in Rome, and if the Christian faith is a living and fundamental part of the spiritual patrimony and of the culture of this territory, it is due to the apostolic courage of these two sons of the Near East. Out of love for Christ they left their homeland and, undaunted by the difficulty of the long journey or by the risks and diffidence they were sure to encounter, they arrived in Rome. Here they proclaimed and witnessed to the Gospel among the people, and with their martyrdom they sealed their mission of faith and charity.

Today Peter and Paul return ideally among us, retracing the streets of this City, knocking at the doors of our houses, but above all of our hearts. They want yet again to bring Jesus, his merciful love, his consolation, his peace. We have great need of this! Let us receive their message! Let us treasure their testimony! The sincere and steadfast faith of Peter, the great and universal heart of Paul will help us to be joyful Christians, faithful to the Gospel and open to the encounter with everyone.

During the Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica this morning, I blessed the Pallia of the Metropolitan Archbishops appointed this past year, who have come from various countries. I renew my greeting and my prayerful good wishes to them, to their relatives and to those who have accompanied them on this pilgrimage; and I encourage them to continue with joy their mission in service to the Gospel, in communion with the whole Church and especially with the See of Peter, as expressed by the very symbol of the Pallium. In the same celebration, with joy and affection I welcomed the Members of the Delegation who have come to Rome on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarch, my dearest Brother Bartholomew. This presence, too, is a sign of the fraternal bonds existing between our Churches. Let us pray that the bonds of communion and common witness may be strengthened ever more.

To the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani, let us entrust today the entire world, and in particular the City of Rome, that it might always find in its spiritual and moral wealth and values the foundation of its civil life and of its mission in Italy, in Europe, and in the world.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, last evening, in Istanbul, a brutal terrorist attack was carried out, killing and injuring many people. Let us pray for the victims, for the families and for the dear people of Turkey. May the Lord convert the hearts of violent people and support our steps on the path of peace. Let us all pray in silence.

[A moment of silence]
Hail Mary....

Recently concluded in Rome was the International Conference on impact investing, entitled: “Making the Year of Mercy a Year of Impact for the Poor”. May both private and public investments enable many marginalized people to overcome poverty.

I address a cordial greeting to all of you, families, parish groups, associations and individual faithful from Italy and from many parts of the world, particularly from Spain, Ukraine and China. I greet Catholic-school students from London and from the United States of America, as well as Sisters of the USMI from Lombardy.

Today my greeting goes above all to the faithful of Rome, on the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul, Patrons of the City! For this occasion the Pro Loco of Rome has sponsored the traditional Infiorata, created by various artists and Civil Service volunteers. Thank you for this initiative and for the beautiful floral decorations! I also wish to acknowledge the fireworks display that took place last evening in Piazza del Popolo, the proceeds of which will go to support works of charity in the Holy Land and in countries of the Middle East.

I wish you all a happy feast day, the Feast of the Patron Saints of Rome. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch!Arrivederci!


© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


Read more »
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Sunday, July 03, 2016


Lo sguardo lungo, ricordando questa parola del Signore: ^La messe è molta, ma gli operai sono pochi. Pregate dunque il padrone della messe perché mandi operai per la sua messe. Andate: ecco io vi mando come agnelli in mezzo a lupi; non portate borsa, né bisaccia, né sandali e non salutate nessuno lungo la strada. In qualunque casa entriate, prima dite: Pace a questa casa^. — presso Casatico City-Parma



Read more »
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Saturday, July 02, 2016
PRIMO LUGLIO 


bel terrazzo  
è passato un anno ma questa esperienza di un mese a Bologna rimane sempre viva. Grazie a coloro che ci hanno aiutato ad entrare in questo mondo di silenzio per conoscersi meglio, chi sono io e chi è Dio e come è la nostra relazione. — presso Bologna, villa san giuseppe
la strada verso il santuario
imparare da questo gruppo, Gesu' e i suoi 

sala d'incontro

la chiesa

sala d'incontro vista da fronte

il colloquio con la guida

sala d'incontro

il reffettorio 

il giardino, luogo adatto per meditazione

vista dal giardino al santuario di san luca


Read more »
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Wednesday, June 29, 2016
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
St Peter's Square
Wednesday, 22 June 2016

24. Mercy purifies the heart (cf Lk 5:12-16)


Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean” (Lk 5:12) is the request that we heard addressed to Jesus by a leper. This man did not ask only to be healed, but to be “made clean”, that is, wholly restored, in body and in heart. Indeed, leprosy was considered a form of a curse of God, of profound uncleanliness. A leper had to stay away from everyone; he could not access the temple nor any divine service. Far from God and far from men. These people lived a sad life!

Despite this fact, that leper did not resign himself to the disease nor to the dispositions that made him an excluded man. In order to reach Jesus, he was not afraid to break the law and enter the city — something he should not have done, it was prohibited — and when he found Jesus, the man “fell on his face and besought him, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean’” (v. 12). All that is done and said by this man, who was considered unclean, is an expression of his faith! He recognizes Jesus’ power: he is certain that Jesus has the power to heal him and that all depends on His will. This faith is the force that allows him to break every convention and seek the encounter with Jesus and, kneeling before Him, he calls Him “Lord”. The supplication of the leper demonstrates that when we present ourselves to Jesus it is not necessary to make long speeches. A few words are enough, provided that they are accompanied by complete trust in his omnipotence and in his goodness. Entrusting ourselves to God’s will in fact means remitting ourselves to his infinite mercy. I will even share with you a personal confidence. In the evening, before going to bed, I say this short prayer: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”. And I pray five “Our Fathers”, one for each of Jesus’ wounds, because Jesus has cleansed us with his wounds. If I do this, you can do it too, in your home, and say: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”, and think about Jesus’ wounds and say an “Our Father” for each of them. Jesus always hears us.

Jesus is deeply struck by this man. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes that “moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I will; be clean’” (1:41). Jesus’ gesture accompanies his words and renders the teaching more explicit. Contrary to the dispositions of the Law of Moses, which prohibited a leper from drawing near (cf. Lev 13:45-46), Jesus extends his hand and even touches him. How often do we encounter a poor person who comes to meet us! We can also be generous, we can have compassion, but usually we do not touch him. We offer him coins, we toss them there, but we avoid touching his hand. And we forget that that person is the Body of Christ! Jesus teaches us not to be afraid to touch the poor and the excluded, because He is in them. Touching the poor can cleanse us from hypocrisy and make us distressed over their condition. Touching the excluded. Today these young people accompany me. So many people think that it would be better if they stayed in their land, but they suffer so much there. They are our refugees, but so many consider them excluded. Please, they are our brothers! A Christian excludes no one, gives a place to everyone, allows everyone to come.

After healing the leper, Jesus commands him not to speak of this to anyone, but tells him: “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people” (Lk 5:14). This disposition of Jesus demonstrates at least three things. First: the grace that acts in us does not seek sensationalism. Usually it is moved with discretion and without clamour. To treat our wounds and guide us on the path of holiness it works by patiently modelling our heart on the Heart of the Lord, so as to increasingly assume his thoughts and feelings. Second: by making the priest officially verify the healing and by celebrating an expiatory sacrifice, the leper is readmitted to the community of believers and to social life. His reintegration completes the healing. As he himself had supplicated, now he is completely made clean. Lastly, by presenting himself to the priests, the leper bears witness to them regarding Jesus and his messianic authority. The power of compassion with which Jesus healed the leper led this man’s faith to open itself to the mission. He was excluded, now he is one of us.

Let us consider ourselves, our miseries.... Each has his own. Let us think sincerely. How often we cover them with the hypocrisy of “good manners”. And precisely then it is necessary to be alone, to kneel before God and pray: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”. Do it, do it before going to bed, every evening. Now together let us say this beautiful prayer: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”.

Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Scotland, Sweden, China and the United States of America. In a special way I greet the many student groups present. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lastly, I address a special greeting to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Dear young people, Jesus calls you to be “ardent hearts”: correspond with generosity to his invitation each according to your own talent; dear sick people, offer your suffering to Christ crucified so as to cooperate in the redemption of the world; and you, dear newlyweds, be cognizant of the irreplaceable mission to which the sacrament of marriage commits you.


© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


Read more »
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Monday, June 27, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 19 June 2016



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
The Gospel passage this Sunday (Lk 9:18-24) calls us to once again confront Jesus “face to face”, so to speak. In one of the rare quiet moments when he is alone with his disciples, he asks them: “Who do the people say that I am?” (v. 18). They responded to him, saying: “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; others say one of the ancient prophets who has risen” (v. 19). Therefore, people esteemed Jesus and considered him to be a great prophet, but they were not yet aware of his true identity, that is, that He was the Messiah, the Son of God sent by the Father for the salvation of everyone.

Then Jesus directly addresses the Apostles — because this is what most interests him — asking: “But who do you say that I am?”. Immediately, on behalf of everyone, Peter responds, “The Christ of God” (v. 20), that is to say: You are the Messiah, the Anointed of God, sent by Him to save his people according to the Covenant and the promise. Therefore Jesus realizes that the Twelve, and Peter in particular, have received the gift of faith from the Father; and for this reason he begins to speak with them openly — this is how the Gospel puts it: “openly” — of what awaits him in Jerusalem. “The Son of Man must suffer many things”, he says, “and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and rise on the third day” (cf. v. 22).

These same questions are proposed to each of us today: “Who is Jesus for the people of our time?”, and more importantly: “Who is Jesus for each of us?”, for me, for you, for you, for you, and for you ...? Who is Jesus for each one of us? We are called to make Peter’s answer our own response, joyfully professing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Eternal Word of the Father, who became man to redeem mankind, pouring out the abundance of divine mercy upon it. The world needs Christ more than ever: his salvation, his merciful love. Many people feel an empty void around and within themselves — perhaps, at certain times, we do too —; others live in restlessness and insecurity due to uncertainty and conflict. We all need adequate answers to our questions, to our concrete questions. Only in Him, in Christ, is it possible to find true peace and the fulfillment of every human aspiration. Jesus knows the human heart better than anyone. This is why he can heal, giving life and consolation.

After concluding the dialogue with the Apostles, Jesus addressed everyone, saying: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me” (v. 23). This is not an ornamental cross or an ideological cross, but it is the cross of life, the cross of one’s duty, the cross of making sacrifices for others with love — for parents, for children, for the family, for friends, and even for enemies — the cross of being ready to be in solidarity with the poor, to strive for justice and peace. In assuming this attitude, these crosses, we always lose something. We must never forget that “whoever loses his life [for Christ] will save it” (v. 24). It is losing in order to win. Let us remember all of our brothers and sisters who still put these words of Jesus into practice today, offering their time, their work, their efforts and even their lives so as to never deny their faith in Christ. Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, gives us the strength to move forward along the path of faith and of witness: doing exactly what we believe; not saying one thing and doing another. On this path Our Lady is always near to us: let us allow her to hold our hand when we are going through the darkest and most difficult moments.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, yesterday, Maria Celeste Crostarosa, nun and Foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer, was beatified in Foggia, [Apulia, Italy]. May the newly Blessed, by her example and intercession, help us to conform our whole life to Jesus our Saviour.

Today — the Solemnity of Pentecost according to the Julian calendar, followed by the Orthodox Church — the Pan-Orthodox Council began in Crete with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Let us unite ourselves in prayer with our Orthodox brothers, invoking the Holy Spirit to assist the Patriarchs, Archbishops and Bishops assembled in the Council, with His gifts. Let us now pray together to Our Lady for all of our Orthodox brethren. “Hail Mary...”.

Tomorrow is World Refugee Day, promoted by the UN, which has as its theme this year: “With refugees. We stand together with those who are forced to flee”. Refugees are people like everyone else, but people who have lost their homes, jobs, relatives and friends due to war. Their stories and their faces call us to renew our commitment to create peace in justice. For this reason, we want to be with them: to meet them, welcome them, listen to them, so as to become peacemakers together according to God’s will.

I wish you all a good Sunday; and please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and Arrivederci!

© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


Read more »
Tweet Share Share Share Share Share

Saturday, June 25, 2016
JUBILEE AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS

EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY
St Peter's Square
Saturday, 18 June 2016

Mercy and conversion (cf. Lk 24:45-48)

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
After his Resurrection, Jesus appeared several times to his disciples before ascending to the glory of the Father. The Gospel passage that we have just heard (Lk 24:45-48) recounts one of these manifestations, in which the Lord indicates the fundamental content of the preaching that they must offer the world. We can synthesize it in two words: “conversion” and “forgiveness of sins”. These are the two qualifying aspects of the mercy of God who lovingly cares for us. Today let us take into considerationconversion.

What is conversion? It is present throughout the Bible, and particularly in the preaching of the prophets, who continually urge the people to “return to the Lord” by asking him for forgiveness and changing their ways. Conversion, according to the prophets, means changing direction and turning to the Lord anew, relying on the certainty that He loves us and his love is ever steadfast. Returning to the Lord.


Jesus made conversion the first word of his preaching: “Repent and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15). With this proclamation he presents himself to the people, asking them to accept his Word as God’s final and definitive words to humanity (cf. Mk 12:1-11). Speaking of conversion with regard to the preaching of the prophets, Jesus insists even more on the interior dimension. In fact, it involves the whole person, heart and mind, in order to become a new creature, a new person. Change your heart and you will be renewed.

When Jesus calls one to conversion, he does not set himself up as judge of persons, but he calls from a position nearby, because he shares in the human condition, and therefore calls from the street, from the home, from the table.... Mercy towards those who needed to change their lives came about through his lovable presence so as to involve each person in his salvation history. Jesus persuaded people with his kindness, with love and with his way of being, he touched the depths of people’s hearts and they felt attracted by the love of God and urged to change their lifestyle. For example, the conversion of Matthew (cf. Mt 9:9-13) and of Zacchaeus (cf. Lk 19:1-10) happened in exactly this manner, because they felt loved by Jesus and, through Him, by the Father. True conversion happens when we accept the gift of grace, and a clear sign of its authenticity is when we become aware of the needs of our brothers and are ready to draw near to them.

Dear brothers and sisters, how many times have we also felt the need to effect a change which would involve our entire person! How often do we say to ourselves: “I need to change, I can’t continue this way.... My life on this path will not bear fruit; it will be a useless life and I will not be happy”. How often these thoughts come, how often!... And Jesus, who is near us, extends his hand and says, “Come, come to me. I’ll do the work: I’ll change your heart, I’ll change your life, I will make you happy”. But do we believe this, yes or no? What do you think: do you believe this or not? Less applause and more voice! Do you believe or not? [‘Yes!’]. So it is. Jesus who is with us invites us to change our life. It is He, with the Holy Spirit, who sows in us this restlessness to change our life and be a little better. Let us follow, therefore, this invitation of the Lord and let us not put up resistance, because only if we open ourselves to His mercy will we find true life and true joy.

All we have to do is open the door wide, and He will do the rest. He does everything, but we must open our heart wide so that he can heal us and make us go forward. I assure you that we will be much happier. Thank you.

Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the current Jubilee of Mercy may be a time of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I extend a special greeting to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Next Saturday we will celebrate the memory of St William Abbot (or St William of Montevergine). Dear young people, may his evangelical zeal inspire you to courageous choices for the good; dear sick people, may his gentleness sustain you in carrying your cross in spiritual union with the heart of Christ; dearnewlyweds, may his bond with Christ the Saviour help you to unite your family with love. Thank you.
  

© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


Read more »
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL © 2010. All Rights Reserved. "FROM INDONESIA TO THE WORLD, ADESSO SONO IN THAILANDIA"
Powered by Blogger
Powered by Blogger.