The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 416

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 4 June 2022 to 14 June 2022.

Angelus

General Audiences

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Those who pass through the period of old age can discover a new mission in the light of the Gospel: to be signs and instruments of God’s love that indicate what the definitive goal is to which we are called, eternal life with God. #BlessingofTime” @Pontifex, 8 June 2022
  • “The Holy Spirit enables us to discern God’s presence and activity not in great things, not in outward appearances or shows of force, but in littleness and vulnerability.” @Pontifex, 9 June 2022
  • “May the #LongNightoftheChurches, taking place in many churches in several European countries, be a moment of encounter. And may it light many lights of hope in the darkness of the night.” @Pontifex, 10 June 2022
  • “I add my voice to that of the Pan-American and Pan-African Committees of Judges for Social Rights in calling on the @WTO to adopt measures to ensure access to Covid–19 vaccines for all, especially the peoples of Africa. #MC12” @Pontifex, 10 June 2022
  • “Equitable access to safe and effective vaccines is fundamental to saving lives and livelihoods. Africa must not be left behind. No one is safe until everyone is safe. @WTO #MC12” @Pontifex, 10 June 2022
  • “If we can truly invoke God, calling him “Abba — Dad”, it is because the Holy Spirit dwells in us; he is the One who transforms us deep within and makes us experience the soul-stirring joy of being loved by God as his true children.” @Pontifex, 11 June 2022
  • “У моєму серці не згасає думка про населення України, що страждає від війни. Нехай же час, який минає, не охолодить наш біль та наше занепокоєння цими багатостраждальними людьми. Будь ласка, не звикаймо до цієї трагічної дійсності! #МолімосяРазом” @Pontifex, 12 June 2022
  • “The thought of the people of Ukraine, afflicted by war, remains vivid in my heart. Let the passage of time not temper our grief and concern for that suffering population. Please, let us not grow accustomed to this tragic situation! Let us #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 12 June 2022
  • “Today is the World Day against Child Labour. Let us all work to eliminate this scourge, so that no child is deprived of his or her fundamental rights and forced or coerced to work. #EndChildLabour” @Pontifex, 12 June 2022
  • “Love not only means that we wish others well or that we are good to others, but first and foremost, at the root, that we welcome others, make room for others, make space for others.” @Pontifex, 12 June 2022
  • “The #MostHolyTrinity teaches us that a person can never be without the other. We are not islands, we are in the world to live in God’s image: open, in need of others and in need of helping others.” @Pontifex, 12 June 2022
  • “Jesus summarized his commandments in a single one: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12). To love like Christ loves means to put yourself at the service of your brothers and sisters, especially those in greatest need, as we are and with what we have.” @Pontifex, 13 June 2022
  • “What great poverty is produced by the senselessness of war! Wherever we look, we can see how violence strikes those who are defenseless and vulnerable. #WorldDayOfThePoor j Message” @Pontifex, 14 June 2022

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 415

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 30 May 2022 to 7 June 2022.

General Audiences

Homilies

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Every educational process must be centred on persons and concentrate on what is essential; everything else is secondary. But never without roots and hope for the future. #GlobalCompactOnEducation” @Pontifex, 1 June 2022
  • “Блокада экспорта зерна из Украины угрожает жизни миллионов людей. Я настойчиво призываю гарантировать всеобщее право человека на питание. Пожалуйста, не используйте пшеницу, основной продукт питания, в качестве орудия войны!” @Pontifex, 1 June 2022
  • “Блокування експорту зерна з України ставить під загрозу життя мільйонів людей. Звертаюся із палким закликом гарантувати загальнолюдське право на харчування. Будь ласка, не використовуйте зерно, основний продовольчий продукт, як зброю на війні!” @Pontifex, 1 June 2022
  • “The elderly, in their weakness, can teach those in other ages of life that we all need to surrender ourselves to the Lord, to invoke his help. For God is always our hope and our support. #BlessingofTime” @Pontifex, 1 June 2022
  • “The blocking of grain exports from Ukraine endangers the lives of millions of people. I make a heartfelt appeal that every effort be made to guarantee the universal human right to food. Please do not use wheat, a staple food, as a weapon of war!” @Pontifex, 1 June 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for Christian families around the world; may each and every family embody and experience unconditional love and advance in holiness in their daily lives. #PrayerIntention rPc Video” @Pontifex, 2 June 2022
  • “We ask the Lord for many things, but how often do we forget to ask him for what is most important and what he desires most to give us: the Holy Spirit, the power to love. Indeed, without love, what can we offer to the world?” @Pontifex, 3 June 2022
  • “The culture of encounter is built in the search for harmony among diversity, a harmony that requires acceptance, openness and creativity. At the root of this style of life there is the Gospel. Never tire of invoking the Holy Spirit, Creator of harmony.” @Pontifex, 4 June 2022
  • “#LetsPrayTogether for the orphaned children fleeing from the war, who suffer throughout our world from hunger or lack of medical care, abuse and violence, and those denied the right to be born.” @Pontifex, 4 June 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом за дітей, які осиротіли і які втікають від війни; за тих, що страждають в усьому світі через голод, брак лікування, від зловживань і насильства; за тих, яким заперечено право народитися. Захистімо всіх дітей!” @Pontifex, 4 June 2022
  • “#ПомолимсяВместе о детях, оставшихся сиротами и бегущих от войны, о детях во всем мире, страдающих от голода, от отсутствия ухода, от жестокого обращения и насилия; о тех, кому отказано в праве родиться. Давайте защитим всех детей!” @Pontifex, 4 June 2022
  • “Теперь, когда бушует ярость разрушения и смерти, когда разгораются конфликты, подпитывая эскалацию, всё более опасную для всех, я вновь призываю лидеров государств: пожалуйста, не ведите человечество к гибели!” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “Let the desperate cry of the people who suffer be heard! May human life be respected! Let the macabre destruction of cities and villages in Eastern Ukraine stop! Let us #PrayTogether and commit ourselves untiringly to peace.” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “Нехай буде почутим сповнене відчаю волання людей, що страждають, нехай зберігається пошана до людського життя, нехай зупиниться моторошне знищення міст і сіл на сході України. #МолімосяРазом і невтомно докладаймо зусилля на користь миру.” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “У той час, як шаленіє безумство руйнування і смерті та розпалюються протистояння, підживлюючи ескалацію, дедалі небезпечнішу для всіх, повторюю свій заклик до провідників народів: будь ласка, не доведіть людство до знищення!” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love, fills us with love, makes us feel loved, and teaches us how to love. He is the “motor” of our spiritual lives. #Pentecost
    f Homily” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “A sound and sustainable ecology, one capable of bringing about change, will not develop unless people change, unless they are encouraged to opt for another style of life, one less greedy and more serene, more respectful and less anxious, more fraternal. #WorldEnvironmentDay” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “Да будет услышан отчаянный крик страдающих людей, да сохранится уважение к человеческой жизни, да прекратится чудовищное разрушение городов и деревень на востоке Украины. #ПомолимсяВместе, без устали трудясь ради мира.” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “While the madness of destruction and death rages, and clashes flare up, fueling an even more dangerous escalation for everyone, I renew my appeal to the leaders of nations: please do not bring humanity to destruction!” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “#Мир eOYp Image” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “#Peace https://t.co/YWdjyavNux Image” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “Let us invoke the Holy Spirit each day, so that He can remind us to make God’s gaze upon us our starting point, to make decisions by listening to His voice, and to journey together as Church, docile to Him and open to the world. #Pentecost” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “The Holy Spirit teaches the Church how to walk – the vital importance of going forth to proclaim the Gospel, not to remain closed in on herself, so that all can be nourished by God’s beauty. #Pentecost” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “The Spirit makes us see everything in a new way, with the eyes of Jesus. On the great journey of life, the Spirit teaches us where to begin, which paths to take, and how to walk. #Pentecost” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “#Мир lnAHBOO Image” @Pontifex, 5 June 2022
  • “I was deeply saddened to learn of the horrific attack at Saint Francis church in Owo in #Nigeria. #PrayTogether for all those affected by this act of unspeakable violence and for the conversion of those blinded by hatred and violence.” @Pontifex, 6 June 2022
  • “Mary is the Mother who gives us her Son Jesus. Mary is the path that guides us to the Heart of Christ, who gave his life for love of us. This is why we love her and venerate her. #MotheroftheChurch” @Pontifex, 6 June 2022
  • “I encourage all of you to invoke the Holy Spirit often during the day. His good and creative strength allows us to go out of ourselves and to be a sign of comfort and hope for others.” @Pontifex, 7 June 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 20:19-23
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 20:19-23

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

John 20:19–23 ESV – Bible Gateway

For Pentecost, like the Ascension, the Gospel reading, in a sense, is trumped by the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles; which goes into more details. In this case, our Gospel reading takes place on the night of the Ressurection when Jesus first meets with the majority of the Apostles in the upper room. For the Ascension, Jesus leaves the Apostles who are in a state of joy and are fully preparing themselves for the promise of the Holy Spirit spending time day and night in prayer.

This reading shows the Apostles in the midst of uncertainty and fear. They know something is going on and they have reports of Jesus’ return, but also knew their own precarious position regarding the authorities.

The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture for this Gospel points out:

As he did in regard to Mary Magdalene, John provides insight into the spiritual disposition of Jesus’ disciples as they are gathered in Jerusalem. Mary came to Jesus’ tomb “while it was still dark” (20:1). The disciples are similarly gathered in the evening darkness, †signifying the absence of Christ the light and their own hopelessness. [1]

Peter Kreeft notes:

The disciples were cowering in fear behind locked doors because they thought, quite naturally, that those who had succeeded in killing Jesus would now come after them too. But Christ came through their locked doors, and he also comes through ours. For it’s not just keys but fear that locks our doors, especially the fear that God does not wholly love us and understand us and our weaknesses; that we cannot trust him completely. And pride, and the refusal to admit that we are in the wrong. But faith and love cast out fear. Even weak faith and love let him in. Open the door to him one inch, and he will come in a mile. [2]

Jesus appears amidst them and tells them “Peace be with you.” I think it is difficult to really envision this scene and the apostle’s reaction. The doors are locked to prevent intrusion and Jesus appears directly among them. They would be so very aware that the doors are locked. They truly were in need of that peace that Jesus was giving them in this circumstance. Plus what would they make of the fact that right after this Jesus shows them his hands and side, a demonstration of the wounds that still appear in his glorified body.

Returning to the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture:

The presence of the wounds of crucifixion on the risen Jesus’ body is significant. They indicate that the body resurrected to glory is the same one that died on the cross (see Luke 24:39). Resurrection is not the return of a human being to ordinary mortal life but total transformation into a glorified mode of existence. As St. Paul wrote, the natural body is transfigured by the Holy Spirit into a glorified, “spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:44). The wounds on Jesus’ resurrected body reveal that he is forever fixed in the act of love in which he died. The love and sacrifice that he offered on the cross are forever present before the Father as “expiation for our sins, and … for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). Jesus’ wounds also signify that the victory of the resurrection comes only through the cross. Similarly, the Lamb in the book of Revelation bears the wound of his slaughter by which he accomplished the work of redemption (Rev 5:6, 9). In this way, St. Thomas Aquinas, drawing on the Venerable Bede, can speak of the wounds on Jesus’ resurrected body as “trophies” of his victory.[3]

Jesus shows them his wounds to show them that he can heal their wounds. That he would be healing and preparing them so that they in turn can heal and prepare others. Jesus makes this explicit when he repeats a blessing of peace on them and then tells them that he is passing on a mission to them given by his father. When Jesus breathes on them and institutes the sacrament of reconciliation, he is equipping them in the good news, the Evangelium, for the forgiveness of sins. The very healing we all need the most. The shalom Jesus gives them, they, in turn, will give and pass on to others who will find true peace in this sacrament. There is and will always be woundedness in the body of Christ, but there will also always be access to a remedy.

CCC 1462 Forgiveness of sins brings reconciliation with God, but also with the Church. Since ancient times the bishop, visible head of a particular Church, has thus rightfully been considered to be the one who principally has the power and ministry of reconciliation: he is the moderator of the penitential discipline. Priests, his collaborators, exercise it to the extent that they have received the commission either from their bishop (or religious superior) or the Pope, according to the law of the Church

In his book titled “The Life of Christ”, Venerable Fulton J. Sheen wrote:

“Then Our Lord breathed on them as He conferred some power of the Holy Spirit. When love is deep, it is always speechless or wordless; God’s love is so deep that it can be expressed humanly by a sigh or a breath. Now that the Apostles had learned to lisp the alphabet of Redemption, He breathed on them as a sign and an earnest of what was to come. It was but a cloud that would precede the plenteous rain; better still, it was the breath of the Spirit’s influence and a foretelling of the rushing wind of Pentecost. As He had breathed into Adam the breath of natural life, so now He breathed into His Apostles, the foundation of His Church, the breath of spiritual life. As man became the image of God in virtue of the soul that was breathed into him, so now they became the image of Christ as the power of the Spirit was breathed into them. The Greek word used to express His breathing on them is employed nowhere else in the New Testament; but it is the very word which the Greek translators of the Hebrew used to describe God’s breathing a living soul into Adam. Thus there was a new creation as the first fruit of the Redemption.…

“Three times the Holy Spirit is mentioned with some external sign; as a dove at Christ’s baptism betokening His innocence and Divine Sonship; as fiery tongues on the day of Pentecost as a sign of the Spirit’s power to convert the world; and as the breath of the Risen Christ with all of its regenerative power.”[4]

The mission that the Holy Spirit empowers is not for the Apostles and their descendants alone. We are also sent forth into the world to empower the spread of the good news.

St. Cyril of Alexandria wrote:

All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father’s and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us, … and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ’s sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity.[5]

Sources

  1. Francis Martin, William M. Wright IV, The Gospel of John (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture)  ↩
  2. Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C  ↩
  3. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologica 3, q. 54, a. 4.  ↩
  4. Fulton Sheen, Life of Christ (New York: Image Books/Doubleday, 1990), 420.  ↩
  5. St. Cyril of Alexandria, In Jo. ev., 11, 11: PG 74, 561.  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – 31 May 2022

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 20 May 2022 to 31 May 2022.

General Audiences

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Rich in wisdom and humour, #elderly people do so much good for the young! They save young people from the temptation of a knowledge of the world that is sad and devoid of the wisdom of life. #BlessingOfTime @LaityFamilyLife @PontAcadLife” @Pontifex, 25 May 2022
  • “In Christ, true God and true man, our humanity has been brought to God. Christ opened the path for us. He attracts us to himself and leads us to God. If we entrust our lives to him we are certain to be in the hands of our Saviour. #AscensionOfTheLord” @Pontifex, 26 May 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for educational institutions, schools and universities in particular, that they might be transparent, active, welcoming, responsible communities, in a fruitful climate of cooperation, exchange and dialogue, valuing each and every person. #LaudatoSi7” @Pontifex, 26 May 2022
  • “True wealth does not consist simply in multiplying the things we have, but in sharing them fairly with those around us.” @Pontifex, 27 May 2022
  • “Today I invite you to #PrayTogether for our religious communities: may they be prophetic servants in the care of our common home and for the least among us. #LaudatoSi7 #LaudatoSiWeek” @Pontifex, 28 May 2022
  • “Listening is the first indispensable ingredient of dialogue and good #communication. Communication does not take place if listening has not taken place, and there is no good journalism without the ability to listen. #WCD xSdRWgdI Message” @Pontifex, 29 May 2022
  • “Ascending to Heaven, instead of remaining beside a few people with his body, Jesus becomes close to all with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes Jesus present in us, beyond the barriers of time and space, to make us his witnesses in the world. #AscensionOfTheLord” @Pontifex, 29 May 2022
  • “Religious differences do not justify indifference or enmity. Rather, on the basis of our religious faith we are enabled to become peacemakers, rather than standing passively before the evil of war and hatred. #Peace” @Pontifex, 30 May 2022
  • “Mary’s faith is prophetic. By her very life, Mary is a prophetic sign pointing to God’s presence in human history, his merciful intervention that confounds the logic of the world, lifts up the lowly and casts down the mighty (Lk 1:52). #Visitation” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022
  • “Today at 6 pm, in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, we will pray the Rosary for peace. #LetsPrayTogether to obtain from God, by the intercession of the Queen of Peace, the gift the world awaits. #HolyRosary #Peace WJFa YouTube Image” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022
  • “Today we lift our hearts to You, Queen of Peace: intercede for us before Your Son, reconcile hearts filled with violence and vengeance, let your lasting peace reign over all the earth. Amen. #HolyRosary #Peace” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022
  • “Сьогодні підносимо наші серця до Тебе, Царице миру: заступайся за нас перед Своїм Сином, примири серця, переповнені насильством і помстою, нехай же по всій землі тривало запанує Твій мир. Амінь. #СвятийРозарій #Мир” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022
  • “Сегодня мы возносим наши сердца к Тебе, о Царица мира: ходатайствуй за нас перед Сыном Твоим, примири сердца, исполненные насилием и местью, да воцарится на всей земле Твой прочный мир. Аминь. #СвятойРозарий #Мир” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022
  • “We are sure that with the weapons of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and with the gift of grace, the hearts of people and the fortunes of the entire world can be changed. #HolyRosary #Peace” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022
  • “Ми впевнені, що зброєю молитви, посту, милостині та з даром Твоєї благодаті можливо перемінити серця людей і долю всього світу. #СвятийРозарій #Мир” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022
  • “Мы уверены, что с помощью орудий молитвы, поста, милостыни и дара Твоей благодати можно изменить сердца людей и судьбы всего мира. #СвятойРозарий #Мир” @Pontifex, 31 May 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 24:46–53
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel Luke 24:46–53

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Luke 6:39–45 ESV – Bible Gateway

One of the themes of Jesus’s post-Resurrection appearances is an emphasis on the need that the Christ would suffer. On the first day of his resurrection, talking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, he says in Luke 24:26

“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”

That same night tells a gathering of the Apostles in Luke 24:45:

Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

The very purpose of his suffering was for the forgiveness of sins, and it was this that was to be proclaimed to all nations.

The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture comments:

In the next part of the scene, Jesus instructs his disciples about the fulfillment of Scripture and then announces their future mission. First, he reiterates how it was necessary that everything written about him in the Old Testament come to pass (18:31; 22:37). The two verbs used—must and fulfilled—have been repeated throughout the Gospel and here emphasize one last time that all the events of Jesus’ life have unfolded in accord with God’s plan, especially as revealed in Scripture. As he did with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (24:32), he thus opened their minds to understand the scriptures. Whereas there he referred to two parts of the Old Testament (“Moses and all the prophets,” 24:27), here he indicates three parts: the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms. In particular, he highlights that the Scriptures foretold that the Messiah (24:26) would both suffer and rise from the dead on the third day (Hosea 6:2).

Second, he explains that repentance, for the forgiveness [aphesis] of sins, will be preached [kēryssō] in his name. This is the mission now announced to the apostles and the other disciples. Indeed, in Acts, repentance and forgiveness of sins through the name of Jesus will become the core message of the apostles’ preaching (“kerygma”). The beginning of the apostles’ mission in Jerusalem will thus recall the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in Nazareth, when he read from Isaiah and announced a jubilee, explaining that he was sent to proclaim liberty (Luke 4:18; kēryssō and aphesis). Now this jubilee is being extended in time and space: from Jerusalem the liberty that is forgiveness will be preached to all the nations(Acts 1:8). The apostles and disciples will be the witnesses of all these things about Jesus: his words and deeds (Acts 1:1)—his life, death, and resurrection.[1]

Jesus then says he is sending the promise of the Father to them and that they are to wait in the city until they are clothed with power from on high. He then leads them out of Jerusalem. “The Greek verb exagō (lead or bring out), which occurs only here in Luke’s Gospel, is the verb typically used in the †Septuagint—and even by Luke himself in Acts—to describe the exodus from Egypt under Moses.”[1]

In this last chapter of Luke, we can lose a sense of time as events move quickly from the events of that first Easter Sunday to the Ascension. Only through Luke’s “The Acts of the Apostles” that we get more time cues, such as the Ascension falling on the 40th day.
John Bergsma makes an interesting observation regarding verse 49:

“Behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you,” is in the Greek present tense. Translated quite literally, the verse reads, “Look, I send the promise of my Father upon you.” This is often thought to be a reference to the sending of the Spirit at Pentecost, but again, the verb is present, not future. Plausibly, these words of the Lord were uttered while he “breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22, RSV2CE). In my view, Luke 24:44–49 is an independent account of the same meeting in the Upper Room with the Apostles and bestowal of the Spirit recorded in John 20:19–23.[2]

Jesus takes them as far as Bethany. This village on the Mount of Olives was earlier mentioned only when Jesus was drawing near to Jerusalem (Luke 19:29). It was then and there that he was acclaimed “king”. His triumphal entry then is now completed by his “triumphal exit.” At his transfiguration, Jesus had discussed with Moses and Elijah his own “exodus” from Jerusalem. As a prophet like Moses, Jesus now completes his exodus from Jerusalem to heaven. Moreover, as a prophet like Elijah (Jesus is taken up to heaven, and his followers will then receive his Spirit[1]

Before leaving, Jesus blesses them, lifting his hands. Early Church Fathers referenced the Gospel of Luke as the gospel of Jesus’ priesthood. This was a gesture explicitly used by the high priests starting with Aaron.

Brant Pitre says:

Luke here is deliberately emphasizing Jesus’ identity as priest. So he’s not just a prophet, he’s not just the king of Israel, Jesus is also the Messianic priest, the Messianic high priest. You can actually see this if you look at Luke’s gospel as a whole, because if you recall, how did Luke’s gospel begin? It began with the priest, Zechariah, going into the Temple to offer the incense and then coming out of the temple, and what were the people waiting for him to do? They were waiting for him to give them his priestly blessing. But he can’t do it because he’s mute after doubting Gabriel’s message to him about the birth of John the Baptist. So by contrast, then the gospel ends with Jesus (the true high priest), not mute at all, but blessing the Apostles and then telling them to go out and bear witness to the good news of his Passion, Death and Resurrection. So it’s kind of like an inclusio (scholars call it this way), beginning and ending with a similar theme to reveal Jesus’ identity as high priest.[3]

in Paragraph 662 of the Catechism:

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”The lifting up of Jesus on the cross signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven and indeed begins it. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, “entered, not into a sanctuary made by human hands … but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” There Christ permanently exercises his priesthood, for he “always lives to make intercession” for “those who draw near to God through him.”As “high priest of the good things to come,” he is the center and the principal actor of the liturgy that honors the Father in heaven.

I was thinking further of these time cues, and most are relatively straightforward significations, such as the 40 days Jesus spent with them to purify and lead them. The Holy Spirit comes on Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover and the beginning of the harvest season, bringing the first fruits to the Temple in thanksgiving to God.

During this period that Jesus was with them, they were remarkably strengthened. Jesus’s departure this time would not force them into bewilderment. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy and continually praised God in the Temple. During the Agony in the Garden the Apostles were not even able to stay awake and pray with Jesus. This time they would not only go to the Temple and praise God, but to meet together in the upper room each night, preparing themselves for Jesus’s promises.

I also started thinking about the significance of the nine days they stayed in the upper room until the day of Pentecost, which is sometimes called the birthday of the Church. What I thought of in this connection is a symbol of nine days mirroring the nine months of human gestation. The Church was born into the world fueled by prayer. Prayer fueled first by God and through grace helps us catch fire in prayer for the Church. You cannot receive tongues of fire without preparation and being docile to the movements of the Holy Spirit.

One last note in regards to Jesus ascending into Heaven. St Thomas Aquinas explains that it was inappropriate for Christ to remain on earth after the Resurrection, whereas it was appropriate that he should ascend into heaven, because, although his risen body was already a glorified one, it now receives an increase in glory due to the dignity of the place to which it ascends (cf. Summa theologiae, 3, 57, 1).

Sources

  1. The Gospel of Luke, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Rev. Pablo T. Gadenz  ↩
  2. The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year C, John Bergsma  ↩
  3. Catholic Productions, Brant Pitre  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 413

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 12 May 2022 to 24 May 2022.

General Audiences

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “When we find ourselves faced with evil, we need to learn, from the example of so many older people, to unite our prayer to that of Jesus, who abandons himself to the Father on the cross. #BlessingOfTime @LaityFamilyLife @PontAcadLife
    l General Audience” @Pontifex, 18 May 2022
  • “As a Church, we need to return to what is essential instead of losing ourselves in so many secondary things, running the risk of losing sight of the simple purity of the Gospel.” @Pontifex, 18 May 2022
  • “The Church remains grateful for every expression of fraternal charity and care shown to all who have been enslaved and exploited, for in this way, God’s loving mercy becomes visible and the fabric of society is strengthened and renewed.” @Pontifex, 19 May 2022
  • “We need profound change, a conversion, that demilitarizes hearts, that would allow everyone to recognize the other as a brother or sister. #Peace #FratelliTutti” @Pontifex, 20 May 2022
  • “Mary is the icon of our own vocation, since we, like her, are called to be holy and blameless in love (Eph 1:4), becoming images of Christ.” @Pontifex, 21 May 2022
  • ““My peace I give you” (Jn 14:27). Jesus knows that on our own we are not able to cultivate peace, that we need help, a gift, the Holy Spirit. It is He who disarms the heart and fills it with serenity. #GospelOftheDay” @Pontifex, 22 May 2022
  • “#LaudatoSiWeek #LaudatoSi7 zugxyadu Image” @Pontifex, 22 May 2022
  • “Whoever welcomes a person in need performs not only an act of #charity, but also of #faith, because he or she recognizes Jesus in the brother or sister.” @Pontifex, 23 May 2022
  • “Mary, Help of Christians, we entrustthe journey of the faithful in #China to you. We ask you to present to the Lord of history the trials and tribulations, the petitions and the hopes of all those who pray to you, O Queen of Heaven! #PrayTogether #MaryHelpOfChristians” @Pontifex, 24 May 2022
  • “We must regenerate the economy, so it may be more just, sustainable, solidale, and respectful of the Earth, our common home. With our eyes fixed on Jesus, we can to journey together towards a better future. #LaudatoSi’ #LaudatoSiWeek” @Pontifex, 24 May 2022

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 412

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 9 May 2022 to 17 May 2022.

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “I address a special thought to the people of #SriLanka, especially the young. I urge everyone to maintain a peaceful approach, without giving in to violence. I appeal to all those with responsibility to listen to the aspirations of the people, respecting human and civil rights.” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “A long life – so the Bible teaches – is a blessing. The #ElderlyAndGrandparents are signs of the goodness of God who bestows life in abundance. Blessed is the house where an older person lives! Blessed is the family that honours its grandparents! #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “Part of the vocation of grandparents is to support their sons and daughters in raising their children. The little ones learn the power of tenderness and respect for frailty: irreplaceable lessons that are easier to impart and receive with grandparents. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “Old people lose some sight, but their inner gaze becomes more penetrating. They become capable of seeing things that previously escaped them. The Lord does not give his talents only to the young and the strong. He has talents for everyone, made to fit each person. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 11 May 2022
  • “A better future can exist only if it is built by everyone for everyone. No one must be excluded! I dedicated my Message for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees to this. #BuildingtheFutureTogether #WDMR2022 @M_RSection
    Sh Message” @Pontifex, 12 May 2022
  • “#BuildingtheFutureTogether #WDMR2022 @M_RSection YouTube” @Pontifex, 12 May 2022
  • “#OurLadyOfFatima https://t.co/RcIjWUqzbR Image” @Pontifex, 13 May 2022
  • “The tears of those who suffer are not sterile. They are a silent prayer rising up to heaven. In Mary they always find a place under her mantle. With her, God becomes our companion on the way. He carries our crosses with us so we are not crushed by our pain.” @Pontifex, 14 May 2022
  • “#Holiness does not consist of a few heroic deeds, but of loving a lot every day.
    DKitWPh Homily” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “As tensions and wars increase in the world, may the new Saints inspire paths of dialogue, especially in the hearts and minds of those who hold positions of great responsibility and are called to be agents of #peace, not war.” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “Let us support the #family! Let us defend it from what compromises its beauty. Let us approach this mystery of love with discretion and tenderness. And let us commit ourselves to safeguarding its precious and delicate bonds that allow it to flourish make humanity more fraternal.” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “Each of us is called to #holiness, to a unique and unrepeatable form of holiness. The Lord has a design of love for everyone. He has a dream for your life. Welcome it! Pursue it joyfully! DKiclXJ Homily” @Pontifex, 15 May 2022
  • “Beatitude, holiness, is not a life plan made up only of effort and renunciation, but is above all the joyful discovery of being God’s beloved children.” @Pontifex, 16 May 2022
  • “Let us allow Jesus the Living Bread to heal us of our self-absorption. May he open our hearts to sharing, heal us from rigidity and turning in on ourselves, and inspire us to follow him wherever he wants to lead us.” @Pontifex, 17 May 2022

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 411

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 12 April 2022 to 10 May 2022.

General Audiences

Letters

Messages

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Dear elderly brothers and sisters, please look at the young people. The young people are watching us and our consistency can open up a beautiful path of life for them. Hypocrisy, on the other hand, will do so much harm. Let us #PrayTogether for one another. #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 4 May 2022
  • “We need to be careful of the mentality that separates priests from laity, considering the first as protagonists and the second as executors, and carry out the Christian mission as one People of God. The entire Church is an evangelizing community. #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex, 5 May 2022
  • “For the 59th World Day of Prayer for #Vocations, I would like to reflect with you on the bigger meaning of ”vocation“ in the context of a synodal Church that listens to God and the world. YAMF Message” @Pontifex, 5 May 2022
  • “As Christians, we are individually called to a #vocation, but also called together. Each of us shines like a star in the heart of God, but we are called to form constellations that can guide the path of humanity.” @Pontifex, 6 May 2022
  • “The word of God frees us from self-centeredness, and is able to purify, enlighten and recreate us. So let us listen to that Word, to open us to the vocation that God entrusts to us! #Prayer #Vocations” @Pontifex, 6 May 2022
  • “Let us often turn to Mary, Mother of believers! The various forms of Marian devotion, and especially the recitation of the #HolyRosary, will help us live our journey of faith and Christian witness. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 7 May 2022
  • “Christ’s followers go where He goes, on the same path. They seeks the lost, are interested in those who are far-off, take to heart the situation of the suffering, weep with those who weep, take their neighbour by the hand, placing them on their shoulders. #GospelOfTheDay” @Pontifex, 8 May 2022
  • “Today is Mother’s Day in many countries. Let us affectionately remember our mothers, even those who are no longer with us down here, but who live in our hearts. Our prayer, our affection, and our best wishes for all our mothers.” @Pontifex, 8 May 2022
  • “Before the madness of war, please, let us continue to pray the Rosary for peace each day. And let us pray for the leaders of nations, so they might not lose the “pulse of the people” who want peace and who know well that weapons never achieve it, never.” @Pontifex, 8 May 2022
  • “We should not fear the crises of life and faith. Crises help us recognize that we need God and thus allow us to return to the Lord, to experience his love anew.” @Pontifex, 9 May 2022
  • “Dear #GrandparentsAndElderly, in our world, we are called to create a revolution of tenderness, to together free the world from the darkness of loneliness and the demon of war! Message” @Pontifex, 10 May 2022

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My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 10:27-30
Scripture

My Reflection on Sunday’s Gospel John 10:27-30

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

John 10:27–30 ESV – Bible Gateway

Steve Ray in his commentary on the Gospel of John references this fact:

“The relationship between sheep and shepherd is quite different in Palestine. In Britain the sheep are largely kept for killing, but in Palestine largely for their wool. It thus happens that in Palestine the sheep are often with the shepherd for years and often they have names by which the shepherd calls them.… It is strictly true that the sheep know and understand the eastern shepherd’s voice; and that they will never answer to the voice of a stranger.… ‘The shepherd calls sharply from time to time, to remind them of his presence. They know his voice, and follow on; but, if a stranger call, they stop short, lift up their heads in alarm, and if it is repeated, they turn and flee, because they know not the voice of a stranger. I have made the experiment repeatedly’.… Every detail of the shepherd’s life lights up the picture of the Good Shepherd whose sheep hear his voice and whose constant care is for his flock.”[1]

At the surface level, this gives some insight into this metaphor. If we come to really know Jesus, we will not answer the call of his imitators. We will not be tempted by even the good things of the world and forget that he gave them to us. We will prioritize our relationship with Jesus over all worldly things.

One day I wish to know Jesus enough to say that I truly know Jesus. That I will not only hear his voice but trust and follow him. I know facts about Jesus, but that is not the knowledge that I truly need.

Peter Kreeft writes regarding this passage:

What kind of knowledge is that? Personal knowledge, not just factual knowledge. Not knowledge about a person but knowledge of a person. Most languages have two different words for those two different kinds of knowledge; English has only one. In French, they’re connaitre and savoir, in German they’re kennen and wissen. One kind of knowledge is like marriage; the other is like science. One kind is a personal relationship; the other is a set of ideas. Ideas are terribly important, but you don’t get to heaven by a set of ideas, by passing a theology test. It’s not what you know but who you know. Jesus’ sheep follow the good shepherd because they know him; they hear his voice and recognize it.[2]

In the Old Testament to know someone was used as a metaphor for sexual intimacy. The type of knowing God has for each of us is the most profound intimacy. We are totally open before him and he loves us. The intimacy of friendship is what he calls us to as his adopted children. He lifts us up in grace so that we can reply in gratitude and thanksgiving.

Jesus goes on to promise a supernatural life that never ends. A promise of salvation in that we will not experience eternal death. That he will protect us more so than a good shepherd protects his flock. There is nothing that can affect this, but our own will. Nobody can snatch us from his protection, but we can wander off and forego the protection of the shepherd.

Theophylact makes this point when he wrote:

But how then did Judas perish? Because he did not continue to the end. Christ speaks of them who persevere. If any sheep is separated from the flock, and wanders from the Shepherd, it incurs danger immediately.[3]

There is a lot going on here when Jesus identifies himself as our shepherd. An identification that directly invokes the famous lines in Psalm 23. In Ezekiel 34, Ezekiel makes a prophecy against the shepherds of Israel, who failed to hear the words of the Lord. God says “I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.” How he will care for them and also bring judgment to those who preyed on the sheep. Jesus identifies himself as this very shepherd referenced and then lays it out saying “I and the Father are one.”

Historically there is much quibbling over what Jesus meant by saying this. There was no confusion among those who heard him identify himself with God. They picked up stones and intended to kill him for committing blasphemy. There had been claimants before and after Jesus to be the messiah. This claim in itself was not considered blasphemy. It was not a capital offense. There was no confusion between what Jesus said and the implication of this to the hearers.

Still, even if they had given some time to reflect on Jesus’ words and his identification with the Father, what he said was shocking and this truth about God’s interior life could only be known through divine revelation. The early Church would grapple with this and all the heresies that tried to simplify what Jesus said.

Paragraph 590 of the Catechism says:

Only the divine identity of Jesus’ person can justify so absolute a claim as “He who is not with me is against me”; and his saying that there was in him “something greater than Jonah, … greater than Solomon,” something “greater than the Temple”; his reminder that David had called the Messiah his Lord,and his affirmations, “Before Abraham was, I Am”; and even “I and the Father are one.”

Going on to say in Paragraph 256:

St. Gregory of Nazianzus, also called “the Theologian,” entrusts this summary of Trinitarian faith to the catechumens of Constantinople:

Above all guard for me this great deposit of faith for which I live and fight, which I want to take with me as a companion, and which makes me bear all evils and despise all pleasures: I mean the profession of faith in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I entrust it to you today. By it I am soon going to plunge you into water and raise you up from it. I give it to you as the companion and patron of your whole life. I give you but one divinity and power, existing one in three, and containing the three in a distinct way. Divinity without disparity of substance or nature, without superior degree that raises up or inferior degree that casts down … the infinite co-naturality of three infinites. Each person considered in himself is entirely God … the three considered together.… I have not even begun to think of unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendor. I have not even begun to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me.[4]

Sources

  1. St. John’s Gospel: A Bible Study Guide and Commentary for Individuals and Groups. Steve Ray, 2002  ↩
  2. Peter Kreeft, Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings Year C  ↩
  3. Theophylact, Archbishop of Ohrid, A.D. 1078. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected out of the Works of the Fathers: St. John.  ↩
  4. St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 40, 41: PG 36, 417.↩︎  ↩
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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 410

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller
pope-francis2-300x187

The Weekly Francis is a compilation of the Holy Father’s writings, speeches, etc which I also cross-post at Jimmy Akin’s blog.

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 23 April 2022 to 3 May 2022.

General Audiences

Regina Caeli

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “If the young open themselves to gratitude for what they have received, and if the elderly take the initiative of relaunching their future, nothing can stop the flourishing of God’s blessings among peoples! #BlessingOfTime” @Pontifex, 27 April 2022
  • “Working safely allows everyone to express the best of themselves while earning their daily bread. The more we take care of the dignity of work, the more certain we are that the quality and beauty of the work carried out will increase.” @Pontifex, 28 April 2022
  • “A Christianity that seeks the Lord among the ruins of the past and encloses him in the tomb of habit is a Christianity without Easter.” @Pontifex, 29 April 2022
  • “The joy of knowing we are loved by God, despite our infidelities, enables us to face the trials of life to emerge from them better. It is in living this joy that constitutes our being true witnesses, because joy is the distinctive sign of a Christian.” @Pontifex, 30 April 2022
  • “Я задаюсь вопросом, действительно ли существует стремление к миру; есть ли желание избежать непрестанной военной и словесной эскалации; делается ли всё возможное, чтобы заставить замолчать оружие?” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “I beg you, let us not surrender to the logic of violence, to the perverse spiral of weapons. May the path of dialogue and peace be taken! #PrayTogether” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Прошу вас, не підаваймося логіці насильства, спотвореній спіралі озброєнь. Нехай буде обрана дорога діалогу та миру! #МолімосяРазом” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Пожалуйста, не поддавайтесь логике насилия, извращённой спирали вооружений. Встанем на путь диалога и мира! #Молимсявместе” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “I wonder if peace is truly being sought, whether there is the will to avoid a continued military and verbal escalation, whether everything possible is being done so to silence the weapons.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Запитую себе, чи дійсно відбуваються пошуки миру; чи існує воля запобігати безперервній військовій і вербальній ескалації; чи робиться все можливе для того, щоби замовкла зброя.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “I suffer and weep thinking of the sufferings of the Ukrainian people, and, in particular, the weakest, the elderly and the children.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Я страдаю и плачу, думая о мучениях украинского народа, особенно самых слабых, стариков и детей.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Every day of May, let us #PrayTogether the Rosary for peace. My thought goes to the Ukrainian city of Mariupol’, ”Mary’s City“, barbarically bombed and destroyed. I renew the request that secure humanitarian corridors might be arranged for the people trapped in that city.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “#МолімосяРазом кожного дня травня Розарій за мир. Думка відразу лине до українського міста Маріуполя, “Міста Марії”, варварськи бомбардованого та знищеного. Повторюю заклик надати безпечні гуманітарні коридори для людей, що заблоковані в цьому місті.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Каждый день мая будем молиться Святым Розарием о мире. Мои мысли обращаются к украинскому городу Мариуполю, «городу Марии», варварски разбомбленному и разрушенному. Я вновь призываю к созданию безопасных гуманитарных коридоров для людей, оказавшихся в ловушке в этом городе.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “When our nets are empty in life, it is not the time to feel sorry for ourselves, to have fun, to return to old pastimes. It is the time to start again with Jesus, to find the courage to begin again, to set out with him. #GospelOfTheDay (Jn 21:1–19)” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “Страждаю і плачу, коли думаю про страждання населення України, особливо, про найслабших, похилих віком, дітей.” @Pontifex, 1 May 2022
  • “In this month dedicated to the Virgin Mary, let us learn from her that #prayer is the best weapon of Christian life; without persistent prayer, no victory over evil is possible.” @Pontifex, 2 May 2022
  • “On this World #PressFreedom Day, let us #PrayTogether for the journalists who pay in person, with their lives or imprisonment, to serve this right. Special thanks to those who courageously inform us of the wounds of humanity.” @Pontifex, 3 May 2022
  • “Let us #PrayTogether so that all young people, called to live life to the fullest, may discover in Mary’s life the way to listen, the depth of discernment, the courage of faith, and dedication to service. #PrayerIntention MyIEZOC Video” @Pontifex, 3 May 2022

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