Queenship of Mary, Mother of God - August 22nd, 2024 - What do we do in the face of many personal trials and troubles and of all the evil in the world?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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This reflection is in response to heartfelt cries for help from the parents of young families - in addition to the normal challenges of their daily routine - who are faced with unexpected and frightening troubles which, when they accumulate, can take on an appearance of evil.

I understand that you and your family are anxious because of all that has happened and is happening to you. I believe that you and and your spouse have yet to discover the full dignity and capacity you have received from God our Father to live as his children in the world. Jesus has commissioned all of us, and this includes each of you, to go out and labour confidently as his missionary disciples in the world. As we try to live in God, the Holy Spirit makes us "light for the world" and "salt for the Earth". I know you are comforted and encouraged by the presence and visit of the priest. I think you don't fully realize that Jesus gave not only to bishops, priests, and deacons, but to us all  a share in his authority over the darkness, to dispel it, because He is victorious over sin, death, and the evil one. Jesus wants all of us to become, in the power of the Holy Spirit, his missionary disciples to carry the light of his love into all the dark places in the world.

There is no such thing as "evil eye", which is an idea, image, or feeling left over from pagan times when people had no understanding of the order that exists in the universe under God our Creator and Father. That is only one among many images, ideas, or phenomena which make up what we can call the "shadows" where evil lurks, waiting to pounce on unwary victims. You must know and understand that there is no true power in the universe apart from the power of God. To his creatures, like the angels (which includes the rebellious or disobedient angels which we call demons), He has given a share, but only a partial share, in his power. His human children, that's us, He has made free, and the demons have no power over us except through fear, if we give in to it. 

Italy is one place where, like in Haiti, there persists what is called syncretism, which is an attempt to mix Christianity with the old pagan beliefs and superstitions. This never works because by making room for pagan beliefs and superstitions, we never actually put all our trust in God. Pagan ways only have power over us through fear. When we surrender ourselves to fear, or give in to fear, or focus on fear, or allow ourselves to become obsessed with fear; then we open the door of our mind, heart, body, imagination, and soul to the darkness. When we accept to play the role of victim, then we can experience bad things that we don't need to experience. 

There are already enough bad things in life without opening the door to the darkness through fear or playing with any of the various occult practices: ouija board, tarot cards, fortune tellers, reading tea leaves, seances, spells, witchcraft black of white, etc. etc. One of the most dangerous and wide open traps rapidly spreading throughout the world right now is every form of pornography. This includes what maskerades as art but in fact denigrates the dignity and beauty of the human body and person. Every form of porn or false art denies the beauty, goodness, and truth embedded in our human nature by God our Creator, and tries to distract our attention away from our true identity and dignity as children of God and tries to seduce us to another way of living, which in the end can only lead to loneliness and death. The proof is everywhere around us in the wholesale slaughter of the innocents in the womb. 

More innocent lives have been ripped from the womb and deprived of their right to be born and live than all the victims of wars and violence throughout the world in the 20th century, which is hard to believe but true. We cannot assign blame to women who have abortions without asking: "Where are the men? Why are the men not taking responsibility for themselves, and why are they abandoning the women they pretended to love and care for? What happened to the mothering and fathering of children that has produced human beings so insecure in themselves that they need to have recourse to sex in a desperate attempt to feel some human warmth and intimacy; however shallow and fleeting?

God our Creator and Father made our human sexuality as only one part of our human life. It is beautiful and powerful and adds colour to life, in addition to generating new life. It is designed to "cement" husband and wife to each other, to strengthen them against all the trials and troubles of life.Whenever we use our sexuality outside of the bond of husband and wife, the power of sex binds us to other things: selfishness, situations and combinations that are not part of God's plan for human life and happiness, exploitation, violence, and the destruction of the innocence of children and youth. 

We must renounce ALL these things, all these forms of evil and the occult, and all degraded forms of sex and false and empty intimacy, and get them out of our houses, purge all our electronic devices, and put all of this trash out of our minds, imaginations, and memories, confess having used them, or even having entertained such thoughts and ideas. We renounce all these forms of darkness and evil when we renew our baptismal promises every Easter. We also do it at the beginning of every Holy Mass and also every time we pray the prayer that Jesus, Our Lord, taught us... the "Our Father". 

We need to go in the opposite direction of the fear, the dark images, the dark feelings, the temptations, the threats, the shadows where evil lurks trying to intimidate us, and instead go in the opposite direction and walk towards God our loving Father, and keep deciding to put our trust in Him and in his Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the one and only Saviour of the world.

That is why I recommend to you some practices for you and your spouse and your children as a family. Don't try to do all those things by yourself, if you are the wife and mother, but tell your husband that you need his support and leadership as head of your home. If you who are reading this are the husband and father, please also don't try to do these things by yourself, but first chat with your wife, and let her know that you don't want to do anything without her consent and support. You each have a part to play. It is up to each of you to decide to practice faith and putting trust in God through prayer and practicing silence, meditation, and the peace given by the Holy Spirit deep within us, but only if we want it. 

God never imposes, but only offers. It is up to us to want it, to ask for it, to do it, to receive it, and to accept it; to live it. This is how, by dwelling in love and in God, it is God Himself who pushes away the darkness from inside of us. The darkness outside will remain until the end of time at the final victory of Jesus Christ; we need to understand that life will always be a battle between light and dark, and the battle line runs through the middle of our mind, heart, body, and soul. 

God wants us to do battle and have the satisfaction of participating in the victory Jesus won; remember that first He suffered and died, and only then did He win the victory. God our Father wanted to demonstrate to all of humanity that even when evil would do its worst against Jesus, even killing Him; still, evil could not have a definitive victory. It was through dying that Jesus overcame death itself. It was by taking all the bad effects of sin on Himself that Jesus overcame sin. In the end, all that remains is the powerful and victorious love of God. 

Here, then, are the practices I encourage you to do together.

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Priests are generally glad to visit your family and home, but please remember that God wants you to do your part; you cannot expect the priest to solve all your problems without doing your part to take responsibility for yourselves, your lives, your marriage, your family, your home, and every aspect of your lives.

In the meantime, don't wait, but, first of all, the best you can all do as a family is to go to confession regularly, all of you, in order to allow darkness not to get any foothold within you. No matter how often we must confess a similar sin, we refuse to give up or be discouraged, and by continuing to confess, we practice putting our trust not in our own power to be perfect but in God's mercy and love. 

Second, obtain some holy water in a jar from the church (for the purpose of going through your entire house sprinkling it generously and abundantly, and praying the Rosary at the same time - see "fourth").

Third, pray together as a family. You could pray the Rosary together every day for a month, and it could become a good daily habit. (If your girls are to learn to live with God, you need to show them by doing it yourselves and also doing it with them.)

Fourth, while praying the Rosary, go around the house sprinkling the holy water in each and every room, closet, and cupboard, sprinkling with clean hands into all the corners of each space.

Finish with joining hands and praying in thanksgiving to God: one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.... Then, give each other the sign and kiss of peace. Our Father wants us to be filled with his peace and joy; even in the face of troubles, threats, dangers, and sufferings.

How to pray the Rosary by meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary - events in the life of Jesus and Mary, which the Holy Spirit uses to make connections with our own daily lives....

After praying the prayers connected to the Crucifix, the first bead, the next 3 beads, and the last bead, before starting the first decade, read the text for the first mystery in the set of mysteries you have chosen. Then pray each prayer in the decade, contemplating the mystery as you say the prayers. Do this for each decade. At the end, pray the "Hail, Holy Queen", the "Prayer to St. Michael", and any other prayer(s) you may wish to add.

By praying together as a family, the Lord Jesus will definitely be with you and drive away any dark influences.

I and all the bishops, priests, and deacons - including and especially Pope Fancis - are with you all in spirit. The role of the priest is to lead and show the way, but each baptized person must then actually walk in the way... and Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." To see the way He walks and walk in it, to perceive Him as the truth and take it into us to absorb it, and to receive Jesus with the Father and the Holy Spirit and have their life within us... for all of this, we need to look at Jesus, begin to notice that He looks at us with love, let Him touch our hearts, let Him bring his light into our mind, let the Holy Spirit fill us with the peace that comes from the love of the Father and the Son.... 

All other ideas, fears, troubles, trials, feelings... they are all distractions trying to make us forget to keep looking to Jesus, to keep welcoming Him into us.... Don't be fooled by the superficial trials of life... they are only opportunities for us to practice putting our trust in God while we do our best to do what is in our power to do. What isn't in our power, that's what we put into God's hands, trusting that He will take care of his part, when and how He decides to do that. Our part is to hope and wait with confidence; while continuing to do what is ours to do, especially to pray and visit with God often during the day as we go about our occupations.

God doesn't want us to suffer going through life as though we were alone, or as orphans... but instead to make room for God in our mind and heart as we go about our occupations; knowing He is looking on us with love all day long and all through the night.... 

Please show this to your spouse, chat together, ask God to guide you, and decide what steps you will take. Then, let your priest know what you are doing together about all of this. Good priests who are good shepherds are glad to know what the faithful are doing to walk in the ways of the Lord, and are glad to offer counsel and encouragement. As you prepare and take good steps, know that the whole Church, the Bride of Christ, the entire Body of Christ consisting of all the baptized, all the ordained, and all the religious, are constantly praying for you all and with you in the Holy Spirit, 24/7! 

In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

Fr. Gilles

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My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2024 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2024 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano - What is the meaning of his excommunication by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican? Friday, July 5th, 2024

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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How do we handle conflicts?

People in authority in the Church and in society are much like you and me.

In the face of a difficult situation, we generally want to give other people the benefit of the doubt.

If it's serious enough or it keeps happening, then, we must take a closer look, and even investigate the situation ourselves or ask someone else to do it. This may or may not lead to clarity and to appropriate action. The more complicated the situation, the more time and effort are needed to clarify it and take steps toward the most desirable resolution. 

When complaints accumulate against a person, or when we ourselves come to a well deliberated conclusion that we must intervene, that's usually when we do it.

Each case is unique and there aren't really any cut and dry policies in our lives, and it's pretty much the same with our Church. At certain times in the past, Church authorities deemed it necessary to make judgments and excommunications more frequently, because there were open attacks on the Church or the truths of the Gospel and the Word of God, or the Church itself as the living organism founded by our Lord Jesus Christ on Peter and the Apostles. 

There have been eras in history when people looked at issues more in a black and white perspective, but with the extremely rapid development this past century in the social sciences, as well as the pure sciences, this has enhanced our understanding of the complexities of human life and behaviour. As a result, the Church now tends to be more circumspect and cautious, rather committed to investing more time and focused attention to details, and even reluctant to be shooting off frequent condemnations. In our lifetime, the shooting off of condemnations hasn't been anything resembling common practice; so, this latest excommunication seems unusual, but it really isn't.

Sooner or later, we must all render accounts, and those who make more noise are likely to attract more attention. There is another dimension to this; the personal dimension. So far, we've really only considered the issues, right and wrong, truth and falsehood.

The difference between the ways of the Lord and those of the enemy of humankind

There is also the difference between the ways of the Lord and the ways of the enemy of humankind, which of these we have been integrating into ourselves, and by which of these we live our lives and relations with others.

The enemy makes everything black and white, cut and dried, with no room for nuance, and quick to assign blame and condemn. It is the way of war and the culture of death.

The ways of the Lord reflect the awesome attributes of the Most Holy Trinity. There is truth, but also goodness and beauty. There is justice, but also mercy. God is never quick to judge, but always slow to condemn and eager to save.

When Church authorities, especially those of the Vatican, approach someone against whom there have been complaints or who stands out in criticizing the Pope or the Church itself - as Archbishop Vigano has consistently done since his retirement - the authorities are interested not only in the issues to be clarified, but equally in the attitude, words, behaviour, and actions of the other person.

Will the other approach peacefully, openly, with a docile spirit and willingness to accept the authority of the Church and manifest eagerness to obey and do the will of God? Such a person manifests a soul that is integrating the ways of the Lord into their own life, a life of holiness; a soul that is living in the Kingdom of God.

On the contrary, a person who is belligerent, condemning others left and right, accusing everyone, giving the impression that only THEY have the truth, and that everyone should be obeying THEM; well, such a soul is manifesting itself as caught up in the ways of the enemy of humankind, and the kingdom of this world, and most likely under the influence of the prince of this world; the same one who tempted Jesus in the desert.

What exactly is an excommunication?

Jesus declared that the only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin against the Holy Spirit, which simply put, is the sin of a soul setting itself up against God, accusing God, closing itself off from God, pushing God aside and trying to take God's place as it were. As long as the gates of the mind, heart, and soul are closed to God, then it stands to reason that his grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love cannot enter into such a soul. It is basically condemning itself.

So, a declaration of excommunication is simply the Church declaring that such a soul has already cut itself off from God and the Church. Therefore, it would be sacrilegious for them in their rebellion to take the sacraments, because they are not in a proper disposition of soul. The excommunication is not a condemnation but an act of justice and mercy that is made in the hope that it will shake the person up and open them up to repentance and conversion.

Secular society, which has adopted the closed perspective of the enemy, sees everything in black and white; therefore, it is almost incapable of understanding the above dynamic and how the Church is ever seeking to help souls open themselves up to the truth, the goodness, the beauty, the justice and mercy of God, and to give God the first place in our lives; rather than setting ourselves up on any kind of personal throne or chair of authority.

Being ordained a deacon, priest, or bishop, or being appointed archbishop or cardinal, is a heavy burden of responsibility which only God's grace can help us carry. It is the same with the daily grace of Marriage. Those who accept daily their grace of vocation are able to carry themselves with humility before God, and are eager to show everyone else kindness and understanding, patience and goodness, mercy, forgiveness, and love, unconditionally; just as God shows each of us all these graces unconditionally and liberally. 

So, you can see from all this, that we are very much in need of having sympathy for one another, of showing kindness and understanding to one another, but also of standing up for the truth, for goodness, for beauty, for justice and mercy. We also need to do this with a calm and peaceful disposition, with only love towards those who disagree with us or cause trouble of any kind. For this we need the grace of God, the power, presence, and action of the Holy Spirit within us, enabling us to stand fast against any and all attacks against God and his purposes in the world and in Creation.

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My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2024 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2024 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Jesus sends us out to "make disciples".... In the face of the world as it now is, how exactly do we do that?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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How do we go out and "make disciples" in our world in 2023?

Chand Barkat, a persecuted Christian now living in Canada 

        In reflecting on this question, I'd like to relate a glimpse of the life story of a devout Roman Catholic Christian man I have come to know these past ten years. He works in our residence as a kitchen aid and sometimes assistant cook. He is in his sixties, is married, and has six grown children. Until last year, he enriched our lives by labouring joyfully at our service five days a week, from Monday through Friday. Last year, as he began to receive pensions, he cut back his work to half time, coming in two days one week and three days the next. His joy is so infectious, that we miss him on those other days, just as previously, we missed him on the weekends. 

        Chand Barak's story is relevant to our question because he is a remarkable witness to the Good News by his attitude and behaviour as well as by what he likes to tell. In the early years of our acquaintance, I simply assumed that he was a remarkable and unique individual, but that his story could not be imitated and therefore was not all that relevant for the issue at hand.

        You will find at this link a record and summary of his case as a persecuted Christian in Pakistan in the early 1990's, dated from mid-1994. You will find the pertinent text in section "3. Cases of abuse of the blasphemy law". He was a small merchant with a stall in a public market when another merchant saw him as a competitor and threatened him to remove his stall. When Chand didn't, the other accused him of blasphemy in order to make use of the law against him. However, this account does not tell how Chand's story unfolded, but which he has related on a number of occasions. As indicated in the record, the judge wanted to release him, but under the threats from his persecutors, the judge was loath to release him and suffer along with him the wrath of the mob. 

        The judge informed him that he would be released late at night or early in the morning, but that he would need help to be taken to a safe refuge. Help was found and in time Chand found refuge in the house of some missionaries who arranged for his safe departure from the country and travel to Canada as a refugee. In time, he was able to obtain similar help for his wife and six children, and they all found refuge here among us. He was generously helped by his local Pastor, Fr. Paul Pomkoski of St. Brendan Parish in the Rosemont district of Montreal, and finally able to obtain gainful employment. His wife and children, as they were able and desired, were also able to find work and are doing well. 

Chand Barkat, a missionary disciple 

        Chand does not proselytize nor go around proclaiming the Good News; so, how could he be a missionary disciple? The answer is both complex and simple. It is complex in that he "effects a jolly demeanour", to quote Kris Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street" the 1993 movie. Here is a brief story which perfectly expresses this. One day, while still in Pakistan, he was approached by a small gang who threatened to kill him and demanded he hand over all his personal effects. 

        He smiled at the ruffians and gladly emptied his pockets, treating them like long-lost relatives, to whom he was eternally grateful for the privilege of handing over to them all his effects. Grumbling, they took his effects, threatened to kill him if he reported this, and turned to leave. Chand called after them, "Wait. Wait." He said. "You forgot my wedding ring; here it is." Saying this, he pulled off his wedding ring and extended it to the leader, with a broad, warm, and sincere smile.

        So far, the story is complex due to this extraordinary warmth and compassion of this man even for his enemies. Now, the story becomes simple. So, the leader of the hoodlums barks to him, "What is the meaning of this? Why are you handing us your wedding ring?" Chand answered, "But you told me you needed everything I possess, and you forgot about my wedding ring; so, here it is. I give it to you gladly. You obviously need it more than I do." 

        Dumbfounded, the leader stood there for a moment. He asked Chand, "Why are you behaving like this towards us?" Chand gently explained, "I am a Christian; so you are my brothers. In Jesus Christ, I am so rich, that I don't need anything. That is why I am so glad to share with you everything that I have, including my faith." Then, the leader, turning to his comrades, ordered them to return everything to their victim. Chand accepted to receive back his personal effects as graciously as he had accepted to surrender them. Herein is the simplicity of Chand's Christian witness: Jesus Christ alone is his treasure, and all other things are of lesser value and importance and subordinate to this "one thing necessary". 

The relevance of Chand Barkat's testimony for us missionary disciples 

        Having known Chand now for almost ten years, and having heard innumerable stories of his encounters with people in surprising circumstances and a variety of places all over the world, I can attest to the genuineness of his character and behaviour. This man is in a constant state of joy, and it all exudes from within, rooted in his personal relationship with the Most Holy Trinity, and his undying gratitude for the multiple ways in which Divine Providence has cared for him and his family, and also touched the hearts of many of his enemies, but more importantly, of all those he encounters. 

        Even as he meets people in airports and other places, Christians of various denominations ask him to come and share his testimony with their congregations. When he apologizes for being a Roman Catholic and of a different Christian tradition; they want him to come all the more to speak to their members and their families. They even pay for his travel expenses and accommodations. 

        When he and his family, relatives, or friends travel and they encounter all sorts of restrictions, Chand gently says to them, "Wait here. I'll go and speak to them." Even in Germany, where people are so strict on timeliness and rules, when Chand approaches them explains his situation, and places himself at their mercy, people generally make an exception for him and allow him to pass. He of course warmly expresses his gratitude to them and may even express his wish for God's blessing on them. 

        So, what do I take away from Chand's example in seeking an answer to our question: "How do we go out and "make disciples" in our world in 2023?" There is a word from Jesus that comes to mind and may be applicable to me, to us in some situations: "O you of little faith. Why did you doubt?" Like Peter walking on the water towards Jesus, we become distracted by the force of the wind and we take our eyes off Jesus and begin to sink. 

        We also, due to our human condition and mortal insecurities, cling to our meager worldy goods, even when we profess to live according to the evangelical counsels, and in so doing, we turn our gaze again away from the Lord Jesus; whom we profess to be our only treasure. 

        It seems that, in order to become fully activated as Jesus' missionary disciples in our world today, we need to daily let go of whatever we hold in our hands, minds, hearts, or souls; so as to cling to Jesus alone, and only Him. This attitude becomes real moment by moment as we accept to endure all things, to let go of all things,  to trust in Him in all things, and to love all others at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances. This, of course, is humanly impossible; all the more reason, then, to cling to the Lord and continually offer Him our poverty that He might fill us with his riches, and offer Him our weakness and frailty, that He may bring to bear the fullness of his power to save in and through us.

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My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian witnesses and writers in reflecting on life, encounters, and various situations, in a desire to enhance our understanding of what it means to be a missionary disciple of Jesus Christ at the service of the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2023 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2023 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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Pope Francis - What on Earth is he doing?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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Christ is risen, alleluia!

There is so much controversy and confusion surrounding polemics around the pandemic and vaccines that it is hard to find the truth. I have read reliable testimony that many of the stem cells used in research were not from aborted babies at all but were taken ethically from ordinary people... all human beings have stem cells.... There are also innumerable other controversial issues surrounding Pope Francis that he really does merit a closer look and a great deal of reflection and introspection....

It is true to say that Pope Francis is, at first view, very confusing; that is, until we realize what it is that he is actually doing.

Jesus is a human being, now risen from the dead and at the Father's "right hand" in heaven. He is also the only-begotten Son of the Father, which makes Him infinitely rich, wonderful, deep, and attractive. No single pope could ever completely represent Him. Jesus seems to have been pleased to allow his chosen popes to represent "something" of Him in each generation....

Pope Pius XII represented Jesus in his scholarly, rabbinical dimension... among other things....

Pope John XXIII represented Jesus in his human, grandfatherly dimension, but also as a reformer... among other things....

Pope Paul VI represented Jesus in his thoughtful, prayerful dimension, and as a "man rejected"... among other things....

Pope John Paul I represented Jesus in his warm attractive dimension, and as one who died young... among other things....

Pope John Paul II represented Jesus in his outgoing missionary dimension, and as a bold lover of God... among other things....

Pope Benedict XVI represented Jesus in his authentic one-on-one dimension, and as brilliant teacher... among other things....

Pope Francis is representing Jesus in his fierce dedication to sinners, the poor, the outcasts, as a fearless reformer, and as a joyful man of peace close to the ordinary people... among other things....

All these wonderful popes have been gifts of God to his Church and to humanity, bringing nobility and profound qualities of humanity to be "put on display" before all of humanity. All of them have been authentic and faithful witnesses to Jesus, "the way, the truth, and the life", adhering closely to the Word of God, the Tradition of the Faith, and the teachings of the Magisterium. I would challenge anyone to prove any of these bishops of Rome as defaulting in any of these respects. Pope Francis, in particular, is probably one of the best formed of all these popes, having been schooled as he has in Saint Ignatius of Loyola's "Rules for the Discernment of Spirits".

If you are interested, Dear Reader, I would highly recommend as the absolute best biographer and "interpreter" of Pope Francis Austen Ivereigh, who has known him personally since the time he was a bishop in Argentina. He has published three authoritative "biographies" of Pope Francis:

2014 - "The Great Reformer" Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope

2019 - "Wounded Shepherd" Pope Francis and His Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church

2020 - "Let Us Dream" The Path to a Better Future - the author is actually Pope Francis because these are all his words, but Austen worked with the Holy Father in a close dialogue to help the Pope develop this text.

You know, my genuine impression is that Pope Francis is giving us a taste of exactly what it was like for people - religious leaders as well as ordinary people - when they encountered, saw, and heard Jesus. Jesus definitely comforted the disturbed and disturbed the comfortable, much as Mother Teresa and all the saints have done in every age.

Our western world definitely has a strong bias in favour of the wealthy, influential, and powerful, which explains why such a large segment of the world population is confined irremediably to the peripheries of life. It was exactly so in Jesus' day too. As Jesus put the sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers and other "undesirables" front and centre - and why the religious leaders ground their teeth at Him; so too does Pope Francis do this. This is the principal reason why he is so hated, misunderstood, and maligned worldwide, and especially in the U.S.A., the most favoured nation on Earth with one of the greatest gaps between the wealthy and powerful and the rest of society.

When in 2004 I was on a 4-month sabbatical in Chicago, at a market at a booth I met a representative of a sort of association representing what they call the "working poor". These are people who don't want welfare and hold 1 or 2 or 3 jobs but still can't afford proper health insurance. At that time they numbered 75 million, which was around 22% of the population. I was shocked to discovery that what we take for granted here, in Canada, as a normal family home and life - in the U.S.A. for a family to live as an ordinary family here lives - the couple both need professional salaries in the six figures. This is due to the high cost of health care, among other things, such as the high cost of legal fees. People are constantly at risk of being sued by some shark out to destroy them or seize their assets. Only the poor don't need to worry too much about lawyers, but if they get sick, then they lose their homes and they're out on the street, literally. Pope Francis preaches against financial and economic interests that treat people as disposable.

Pope Francis doesn't put people from the peripheries into the centre for political reasons or to make any points. He does it because Jesus did it and calls us to do the same. When I was in seminary, our professor for the mission of the Church told us that all of our Church history, the Magisterium, the Scriptures, Canon Law, and Jesus Himself all make the same point, namely, that we cannot "be Church" without all categories of the poor and discarded in our very midst, in the very centre of us. Without them, all we can be is a variety of "country clubs" of those who are young, beautiful, talented, well established, comfortable, healthy, and successful. I was shocked, and quite frankly, this truth continues to be very shocking, and this is one of the reasons why they felt that Jesus had to be killed, He had to disappear. It is the principal reason they hate Pope Francis, though they may deny it or not even be conscious of it.

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My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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A Catholic wants to come back to the Church... Where do you begin?

My purpose in these posts is to bring a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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You're a Roman Catholic who simply walked away, or were in some way hurt or turned away, or who may actually have been "drawn" by God to other churches for a number of years. Now, you have begun to feel dissatisfied with your isolation or with various points and elements in those various Christian churches or "exotic" religions, and, ironically, you feel drawn - again by the Lord - to have another look at the Roman Catholic Church.

Where do you begin?

Well, a good place to start would be of course to ask God to guide you as you try to follow his calling and to continue to do your best to walk in the steps of Jesus. Then, as you continue to pray in this way every day, even several times a day and night, take a step. Visit a Catholic church, or if your city is in lock-down and the churches are closed, visit nearby R.C. parishes via their websites. In addition, you can visit Pope Francis via the Vatican website, and through various Catholic news outlets, you can "listen in" on Pope Francis' homilies and read his writings.

You could then take a more personal step by getting in touch with your local Parish and then your Parish Priest. If you don't like the reception you get, shake the dust off your feet and try another parish and another priest until you find the "one" to whom the Lord is guiding you; where you feel welcomed, respected, and where you sense you can bring your questions and not be given a "bum's rush".

During this exploration, you will also benefit from praying every day, often during the day - which just means "visiting with God" within your spirit - and opening the Word of God in the Bible to "listen" to the Lord speaking. It is, after all, his millenially inspired and "living Word". You can also explore various additional sites and resources on the Internet.

So here are a few links which will help you find additional resources for your ongoing study, reflection, and prayer; as, like Mary the Mother of Jesus, you "ponder" the "things of the Lord and his ways" and allow the Most Holy Trinity to continue to guide and form you from within. Here now is a link to my "Home Page" on Blogger leading to a number of other pages. I regret this somewhat "impersonal" or distant connection, but those Blogger pages provide a good overview of the essentials of the Christian faith and life in response to the Lord Jesus' call in the Roman Catholic Tradition. This is not exhaustive, because after all, this Tradition has been developing for two millennia. Also, most Catholics take a lifetime to become more personally connected with the Most Holy Trinity by faith through Jesus Christ, and over time, more intimately familiar with all the riches of what God is offering to humanity through his Church in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The Pillar, Heart, and Soul of discipleship in Jesus is of course the Most Holy Trinity, God Himself.

God manifests his presence and ongoing creative and life-giving action in Nature or the Universe, sometimes called the "Book of Creation"; so we do well to walk outside, look up at the stars, and contemplate the wonders of Creation. This is also done by scientists and us who read their work as they contemplate the intricacies of biology, astronomy, and so on. As we explore we can "wonder as we wander" and send up glory, praise, and thanks to God our Creator.

The Father manifests his will in his Son Jesus as He founds his Church on Simon Peter, aka "Petros" which in Greek means "Rock" or, in American English, "Rocky". There is only one Church as testified in the Nicene Creed, which is common to all principal Christian denominations. Our RC Tradition witnesses to the Church as the "Mystical Body of Christ" of which He is our "Head". Where He has gone first, we hope to follow, that is, through death and resurrection. 

So the Church is all those who have been baptized, in whom the Holy Spirit has come as in a temple with the Father and the Son, and begun the work of sanctification - also called divinization - whereby the Most Holy Trinity distills into a human soul the divine life of the Most Holy Trinity; granting us to participate by spiritual adoption through faith in Jesus in the divine life enjoyed by the Most Holy Trinity - in a partial way for now - but which will become full in eternity, in heaven.

So the Church is made up of all the baptized, whether we are aware of them or not, whether they belong to "our group" or not, whether on Earth (the Church militant) or in Purgatory (the Church suffering) or in Heaven (the Church triumphant). At the end of time all things will be accomplished in accord to God's holy will and all will be in their proper places in accord with the choices they have made.

Purgatory will no longer exist, for it is simply the "time of purgation" needed by those souls destined for heaven but who are not yet ready for heaven because something of Earth still clings to their soul; such that they are still in need of God's mercy to set them completely free of mortality or "sinful attachment or inclination"; until such time as there remains in them only the one holy desire given by God, namely, to love God above all things and to love everyone for love of God.

The first step is opening your mind, heart, and soul to God; then reaching out to his Church

The next steps are guided by the Holy Spirit and take up the rest of our lives on Earth

RESOURCES and PILLARS FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE OF FAITH AND DISCIPLESHIP

The Liturgy of the Hours
The Sacred Scriptures
Prayer: alone, with spouse, with family, with community
The Sacramental Life - encountering Jesus in accord with his wishes through his mysteries
Christian disciplines and resources

THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS - The Prayer of the Church - for example in the app Divine Office

The Prayer of the Church - which originated with the "fathers of the desert" who learned the Scriptures by heart and recited them in prayer and fasting to escape the sinful distractions of the big city and await the coming of Jesus in glory or the end of their earthly lives, whichever would come first. Over the centuries this sacred and life giving practice developed into the normal way of daily prayer for clergy - deacons, priests, and bishops - and for religious - all men and women who sought to help each other live the Christian life by turning away from the ways of the world in order to erect a "Christian society" and community, such as in monasteries.

Since Vatican Council II from 1962-1965 in Rome, the Liturgy of the Hours has been renewed in many languages and the laity are invited to pray as much of it as they can; meanwhile the clergy and religious make a life long commitment to pray all the hours daily. You can sign up for it at this link, there is no cost because they work on donations alone, and this link is for today, Thursday. Once you're "in" it, read the brief bio of the saint of the day, Saint Agnes, and then click on the Morning Prayer tab and you will find there a typical "hour" which includes a hymn, psalms, a reading from the Word of God, intentions, the Lord's Prayer, and a concluding prayer and blessing.

Today's Morning Prayer expresses well a key dimension of the life of faith and discipleship in the Roman Catholic Tradition. We understand that Jesus, in Himself as divine pre-existing Son of God and as human son of Mary is in effect and in fact a "marriage" between God and humanity. That is why Jesus refers to Himself as the Bridegroom with his Church (all of us) as his Bride. John wrote that Jesus' first "sign" He performed at the wedding banquet at Cana where he turned water into wine at the request of his Mother Mary. The Wedding Banquet is an image of Heaven where we will be immersed in the joy of the "Wedding Feast of the Lamb of God". DIVINE OFFICE:     https://divineoffice.org/0121-mp/?date=20210121

THE SACRED SCRIPTURES - THE DIVINELY INSPIRED WORD OF GOD - The Bible contains the Jewish Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures - in our day there are many versions available, even on line, such as the NRSVCE - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition - which is used at Mass in English

The Apostles were the first - actually Jesus was the first as witnessed by Luke in Luke 24:13-35 (Jesus meets the two disciples on the road to Emmaus) - to interpret everything in the Old Testament - the Jewish Scriptures - that applied to Him as the Messiah, the Lord, send by God the Father for the salvation of humanity. Thus began the divinely inspired INTERPRETATION of the Jewish Scriptures as correctly and truthfully applicable to Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

The initial interpretations, teachings, and writings of the Apostles became the letters, Gospels, Acts, and Revelation of the New Testament. After that first generation, those who followed them came to be known as the "Fathers of the Church" and these continued to "ponder" as Mary did the "ways of the Lord" and to further develop this sacred tradition of divinely inspired interpretation of the Old Testament in light of the New. In their preaching, teaching, life witnessing, writing, and dying, these Fathers of the Church made practical applications of the Word of God to everyday living and faith in action.

The Church has prepared a banquet of all this sacred Tradition of the Word of God and the teaching, preaching, and witnessing of the Church in the Liturgy of the Hours, and especially in the Office of Readings, which gives us every day a lengthy passage from Scripture (both Testaments) and a second lengthy passage from the Fathers and Saints of the Church.

In addition, zealous Christians accept the grace offered by God and the invitation of the Holy Spirit to open the Bible every day and "feed on" the Word of God. The Liturgy of the Hours provides a "carefully prepared diet and banquet" from the Lord, and personal reading of the Bible is a more spontaneous initiative and approach. Both are needed: our personal initiative and the guidance God offers us through his Church.

PERSONAL, SPOUSAL, FAMILY, AND COMMUNAL PRAYER - Praying daily alone, with one's spouse, with one's family, and with one's community of faith. You can check out my various web pages on Blogger where you will find an abundance of resources. Here is Father Gilles' "Home Page" with several links to other pages, some of which also lead to even more pages....

Prayer is simply "visiting with God". All the Gospels give witness that Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer with his Father. Jesus' entire life was focused on his Father's love, to do his Father's will, and to commune with his Father. Luke testifies that even at 12 years of age Jesus had a highly developed sense of being called to "be about his Father's business". In the prologue to his Gospel, John declares that "to all who believe in Jesus He gives the power to become children of God. All the baptized are called to remain open to God, to welcome the Most Holy Trinity within them, in their soul, and to be open to communing with the Father, in Jesus, by the Holy Spirit. God grants us to become more familiar, to come to know and to love the Father, and Jesus his Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can pray to each singly as well as to all three together.

Whenever we address one or more of the saints - Mother Mary, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Agnes, Francis of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, Dominic, Benedict, his sister Scholastica, Brother André, Pope John Paul II, etc.... - we are merely "communing" with our sisters and brothers in Christ, and this "great cloud of witness" amplify our own zeal and love of God and encourage us on our way of faith, hope, and love. All good prayers and hymns addressed to one or more of the saints always end with a doxology, that is, giving glory and praise to the Most Holy Trinity.

Prayer alone can be silent, or include "murmuring" or moving the lips, or voicing out loud, or two or all three of these ways. We can let Scripture lead us into prayer, especially the psalms, but there are hymns also embedded in other sacred Bible books, including the New Testament; such as Jesus' own prayer to the Father in John 17 or N.T. hymns also called canticles, e.g. Phil 2:6-11; Ephesians 1:3-10; Colossians 1:12-20; 1 Peter 2:21-24; Revelation 4:11, 5:9, 10, 12; Rev 11:17-18, 12:10b-12a; Rev 15:3-4; Rev 19:1-7. Of course the most famous and frequently used canticles are the Canticle of Zechariah - Luke 1:46-55; of Mary also called the Magnificat - Luke 1:68-79; and of Simeon - Luke 2:29-32.

Spouses and families need to explore and configure their ways of praying together in such ways as to include everyone, to respect everyone, and to include both silence and oral (out loud) texts and prayers. Different postures can also enhance praying: standing, kneeling, prostrations, sitting, lying down, even walking. Intentions can also be voiced and shared so as to create oneness of mind and heart in making intercession to God.

THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE - encountering Jesus in accord with his wishes through his mysteries

Jesus fully intended to remain faithful and fulfill his promise - recorded in Matthew 28:16-20 - to remain always with us: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." That is why He initiated immediately or allowed the Apostles to develop in response to emerging needs what are now called the Seven Sacraments. You can find a lot on the Internet from Catholic sources, most of which are good and true, but one must always be vigilant.

BAPTISM - Jesus clearly commanded his apostles to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." 

CONFIRMATION - After his resurrection, Jesus clearly poured out his spirit, the Holy Spirit, onto his apostles. The Holy Spirit confirmed this divine gift at Pentecost by coming down upon and filling all 120 people gathered to wait and pray for "the promise of the Father".

HOLY EUCHARIST - Jesus never intended to leave a "symbolic meal" but literally commanded his Apostles to eat his body "broken for you" and drink his blood "poured out for you" and that they should "do this in memory of me." The Apostles, the authors of the N.T. Letters, and the Evangelists all offer united testimony that they all experienced this gift of Jesus are real, true, authentic, and although illogical from a human point of view, God's wisdom and truth for God's outpouring of his divine life into us who believe and receive Jesus in faith. The N.T. references are too numerous to list here. RC's are under obligation to receive Holy Communion at least once a year during the Easter Season. Since Jesus declared what unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood we have no life within us; it is highly recommended and useful to our soul to receive the Lord at least every Sunday, if not also during the week. During a pandemic such as we now endure, when churches are closed, we are encouraged to welcome the Lord into our soul by way of a "Spiritual Communion".

PENANCE & RECONCILIATION aka CONFESSION - Jesus went about for three years forgiving sins, even that is not what people asked. He was preceded and his way was prepared by his cousin John the Baptist who preached a baptism of water for repentance, declaring that one greater than he was coming after him who would baptize "with Spirit and with fire". Jesus clearly gave the Apostles, in the person of the one He chose to lead them, Peter, the authority to forgive sins or to retain sins. This has always been clearly understood from the time of the Apostles through the time of their successors, later known as the "Fathers of the Church".

How this "mysterious encounter" with the Risen Lord Jesus happened and was offered to the faithful evolved over time as the society changed and the needs of the faithful for repentance and forgiveness changed; until this sacrament took its present form around 1200 A.D. In the early Church, for the first half of the first millennium, the confession of sins was made in public in front of the bishop, and the penance was also public; such as wearing sack cloth with ashes on one's head for months or even years, depending on the gravity of the sin and its impact on the community of faith; such as in the case of sexual scandals or offering sacrifice to the Roman gods so as to avoid execution.

Since the 13th century it has been our experience that the Lord Jesus effectively forgives sins, as He once did in Palestine, and also reconciles the sinner to Himself and to the living Body of his Church, through this Sacrament of Reconciliation consisting of confession to a priest, sincere regret and contrition, a firm resolution to repent and live a life of ongoing conversion, a brief, discreet, and respectful dialogue as needed, absolution worded by the priest and given by Jesus, and an appropriate penance for the sake of reparation and some step or steps towards doing the will of God by prayer or action or both.

RC's are under obligation to confess at least once a year if they have serious sin. However, this sacrament has been experienced universally as a great aid in coming closer to Jesus and opening more widely the gates of our heart to Him and also to forgiving others.

Here is Bishop (Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA) Robert Barron's YouTube Channel, where you will find a number of short talks on various topics of interest. He also has his own website and Internet apostolate called Word on Fire where you will find different resources.

CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINES AND RESOURCES

FASTING, PENANCE, ALMS, AND WORKS OF MERCY - Unlike many Protestant denominations which minimize the importance of works and over emphasize the place of justifying faith; the Roman Catholic Tradition has always understood, taught, and preached a proper balance between faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour (by which God justifies us in Jesus' Blood shed) on the one hand, and on allowing this grace of God to unfold and bear fruit, thereby giving honour and praise to God, in a whole variety of practices, such as fasting, penance, and mortification of the flesh, and works of mercy - both physical or corporal works of mercy and spiritual works of mercy - to the benefit of those who receive these acts of love. In 2016 Pope Francis called on all Christians to add an 8th work of mercy: "Care for our common home".

PONDERING THE MYSTERIES OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY - Our RC Tradition understands the practice of praying the Rosary of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and the Life of Jesus to have developed over time from the middle of the first millennium until the middle of the second millennium - over a period of around a thousand years - to the form it has today. Then in 2002 Saint Pope John Paul II published his "Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae to the bishops, clergy, and faithful on the Most Holy Rosary". In this letter he declared the Rosary to be his favourite prayer because in the course of meditating on the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary - so many windows in the life of Jesus which also includes his Mother Mary - she actually accompanies us and helps us to "contemplate the light shining on the face of Jesus".

In the history of the Church the praying of the Rosary with faith, devotion, and trust in God has been the occasion for God to work wonders and miracles, as reported in the Wikipedia article linked above. I was told and later confirmed by research on the Internet that in the mid-1950's the Archbishop of Vienna together with all the bishops of Austria - which since 1945 had been occupied, oppressed, and controlled the the U.S.S.R. - appealed to all the faithful of Austria and all people of good will to unite in pledging to meditate prayerfully the Rosary everyday as an offering to God of one million people united in prayer of the Rosary; as a plea to God through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary to free Austria from the yoke of the U.S.S.R.

Well, since 1945 the governments of France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States had divided Austria into for zones of occupation. In the 1950's they talked of re-establishing the independence of Austria, but the U.S.S.R. in particular dragged their feet. In 1954 - the centenary of the Papal Declaration of the God given privilege of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary - the bishops called on the people to pray the Rosary with the intention of reaching one million pledges of daily Rosary praying. Once that goal of one million pledges was achieved and surpassed, on May 15th, 1955 those four occupying governments signed what they called the "Austrian State Treaty"; thereby agreeing to lift their occupation and leave. The treaty came into effect July 27th and on October 25th the country was free of occupying troops. Our Lady interceded with God in response to the people's prayers and God helped the process along which had been stuck and stalled. At the time people were stunned that it actually worked and, especially, that the Soviet Union left.

LIVES OF THE SAINTS, DEVOTIONS, & SPIRITUAL READING - This whole dimension of R. C. Tradition is our "hall of heroes", the stories of our "elder sisters and brothers in the faith", a "great cloud of witnesses" that spur us on to victory in the Kingdom of God. Paul in chapter 11 went through the list of the key Israelite witnesses; so in our time, that would include all the martyrs and saints since Jesus' day. We can only be enriched by getting to know them, allowing the Holy Spirit to activate the "communion of saints" to grant us a living connection with the saints - as we have in our own families on Earth - and confiding in them our hopes and fears, needs and aspirations; that they might join us through the communion of saints in presenting to God our prayers for ourselves and others. The various "devotions to the saints" are like a family home having a "rogue gallery of family pictures", and venerating relics of the saints (particles of their bone or clothing or hair) is like families keeping a lock of hair of their children in the family album. Relics are better and more effective "bonds of love" to the saints because the saints are right now alive in God's radiant Presence in Heaven.

PILGRIMAGES & RETREATS - One can go on pilgrimage as simply as visiting a church or cemetery or monastery or site of supernatural apparitions. A pilgrimage is a journey of faith undertaken by a Christian in order to get in touch with the roots of our faith or with one or more of the saints; for the purpose of growing in faith, in knowledge and love for God, and in personal experience of our faith Tradition and Church. Spiritual Retreats are pockets of time during which we stay put in a particular place in an appropriate environment where we can remain in safety, in silence, in prayer, and hopefully also in community of faith, and there to experience daily spiritual exercises such as the celebration of Holy Mass, communal prayer, and silent adoration.

SPIRITUAL ACCOMPANIMENT, GUIDANCE, or DIRECTION - Since the time of the Apostles, as shown by Luke in 24:13-35, Christian disciples have shared their faith and struggles with one another, encouraged one another, and sought the Lord together. This happens in many ways, at many levels, and with varying degrees of competence and authority. There is in Montreal "The Ignatian Spirituality Centre" which offers spiritual accompaniment and formation at various levels of progress in the faith journey. There are throughout the Church many such centres, but one must always remain vigilant to assure that what is offered does not include any admixture of "new age" confusion that only try to take our attention and focus away from the Lord Jesus Christ.

VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT, COMMITMENT, & ONGOING FORMATION - The Roman Catholic Tradition witnesses to the development of the Church Jesus founded into dioceses under the spiritual leadership, pastoring, and fatherhood of a bishop appointed by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, and answerable to him. Each diocese is an independent "living cell" of the universal Church, the Body of Christ. However there is a kind of "oversight" exercised by the Pope and his officers to assure that bishops don't stray from the truth or from the essentials of the RC Tradition, Teaching, and Practice. In each diocese, the Bishop ordains and sends out deacons and priests to assist him in caring for the Lord's flock. These are all responsible and answerable to their bishop. No cleric can just "hop" from one diocese to another; they can only move to another diocese with the approval of both bishops. Here is Montreal Diocese.

FORMATION TOWARDS DISCIPLESHIP & STEWARDSHIP - There is a great variety of materials on the Internet touching on what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus and to exercise good Stewardship as his Disciple. Another document explores these two dimensions of our faith response to the Lord as "Making the Journey of Discipleship & Stewardship". The primary reason why there are such materials is because we can simply benefit from the experience of others, which includes what pitfalls to avoid.

MISSIONARY DISCIPLESHIP - In his letter "The Joy of the Gospel" Pope Francis wrote about our call as Christians to be "missionary disciples" and respond to Jesus' call to go out into our world to proclaim the Good News; so that, hearing our words and seeing our example, people who do not yet know God or his love and mercy might look up towards Jesus and "recover their sight". Here is a report on what Pope Francis means and how that is essential to our faith response to the Lord Jesus in our own lives. Along these lines, here is a R.C. site that gives witness to what the Holy Spirit is now doing, right now, in R.C. parishes throughout Canada, the U.S.A. and around the world. Here is another, more personal reflection on this topic from the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

CARRYING THE CROSS, PERSECUTION, MARTYRDOM, & FORGIVENESS OF ENEMIES - This is a topic and a basic dimension of the Christian faith and life in the steps of Jesus which is often forgotten or outright avoided by denominations or churches preaching a "prosperity gospel", which as Saint Paul warned in his letters, is a "different gospel or different Jesus" than the one he preached. Jesus made it abundantly clear - and all the Gospels testify to this truth - that if we want to truly be his disciples, we must deny ourselves, carry our cross, and follow Him. Moreover, we should not expect better treatment from the world than the treatment He himself got, namely, persecution, false accusation, false condemnation, torture, and death. Some literally follow Jesus in all these steps, but most Christians only do so to lesser degrees. However, there is no avoidance of the cross in one shape or other.

THE COMMANDMENTS & THE BEATITUDES - The Ten Commandments are the absolute minimum requirements for human beings to live a good life, a life that avoids offending God. However, Christians are called to far surpass this minimum, and in his sermon on the mount, Jesus summed up the new life He has come to offer in God in the Eight Beatitudes. These give the key points or elements in our new life in Jesus as children of God. There are unlimited reflections and meditations on the Beatitudes in print and on the Internet. Again, we must be vigilant to weigh what we find and, with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Church's teaching, keep what is good and reject what is defective.

God's peace to you and to your family, dear sister, dear brother in the Lord Jesus.... Happy, Healthy, and Holy New Year!

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My purpose in these posts is to help spread the contributions of a variety of Christian and other writers in a desire to share significant writings that in my estimation contribute to the common good and directly or indirectly give glory to God and extend the Lord's work of salvation to all of humanity. G.S.

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© 2004-2021 All rights reserved Fr. Gilles Surprenant, Associate Priest of Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montreal  QC
© 2004-2021 Tous droits réservés Abbé Gilles Surprenant, Prêtre Associé de Madonna House Apostolate & Poustinik, Montréal QC 

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