The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 171 – 22 March 2017

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 27 February 2017 to 22 March 2017.

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

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “The Church wishes to be close to each person with the love, compassion and consolation that come from Christ.” @Pontifex 16 March 2017
  • “Fasting means not only abstaining from food, but also from any unhealthy attachment, and especially sin.” @Pontifex 17 March 2017
  • “I invite you not to build walls but bridges, to conquer evil with good, offence with forgiveness, to live in peace with everyone.” @Pontifex 18 March 2017
  • “May St Joseph, Spouse of Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, bless you and watch over you. And best wishes to fathers!” @Pontifex 19 March 2017
  • “t is vital that we sow the seeds of goodness in order to cultivate justice, foster accord, and sustain integration, without growing weary.” @Pontifex 21 March 2017
  • “Even if we may be men and women of little faith, the Lord saves us. We must always have hope in the Lord!” @Pontifex 22 March 2017

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HumorPolitics

Rivers has sediment not sentiment

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Via Wesley J. Smith:

Now, a proposal is being pushed in the UK to give “rights” to the Frome River. From the SomersetLive story:

The River Frome could soon be capable of bearing the same rights as humans and companies, if proposals to establish a nature rights by-law go ahead.

Sustainable Frome is campaigning to get Frome Town Council to create a new type of by-law which recognises the river as a legal system capable of bearing the same rights as us humans.

The key elements of a nature rights by-law for the river were laid out at a town council meeting last July. These would be:

1. That the river be given appropriate rights stemming from the function of rivers within the wider whole of nature.

2. That local people and the council be granted the power to enforce these rights on behalf of the river. Currently anyone trying to defend the nature of the river has to show sufficient interest in order to bring a case.

3. That the river must not be subordinated to the rights and interests of companies of natural persons, whose property claims must respect the rights of the river.

Now I like Fantasy stories just as much as my favorite genres. Always liked sentient rivers that struck deals in such stories. This is all just fine for fiction.

Now if rivers are sentient and has rights, Old Man River is due some Social Security back payments.

Ol’ man river, that ol’ man river
He don’t say nothin‘, but he must know somethin’
He just keeps rollin‘, he keeps on rollin’ along

Although they might consider all the back taxes rivers must owe since they have the same rights and thus duties as humans.

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 170 – 15 March 2017

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 15 February 2017 to 15 March 2017.

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

Angelus

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Let us strive to fast during Lent with a smile, rather than a long face.” @Pontifex 10 March 2017
  • “The road from love to hate is easy. The one from hate to love is more difficult, but brings peace.” @Pontifex 11 March 2017
  • “Lent is the favourable season for renewing our encounter with Christ, living in his word, in the sacraments and in our neighbour.” @Pontifex 12 March 2017
  • “May the Holy Spirit lead us on a true journey of conversion, so that we can rediscover the gift of God’s word.” @Pontifex 13 March 2017
  • “Let us pray for one another so that we may open our doors to the weak and poor.” @Pontifex 14 March 2017
  • “The word of God helps us to open our eyes to welcome and love life, especially when it is weak and vulnerable.” @Pontifex 15 March 2017

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – 08 March 2017

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 13 February 2017 to 5 March 2017.

Angelus

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Homilies

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “Do not underestimate the value of example, for it is more powerful than a thousand words, a thousand “likes”, retweets or YouTube videos.” @Pontifex 23 February 2017
  • “The Christian heart is always full of joy. Always. Joy received as a gift and kept in order to be shared with everyone.” @Pontifex 24 February 2017
  • “Proclaiming to all the love and tenderness of Jesus, we become apostles of the joy of the Gospel. And joy is contagious!” @Pontifex 25 February 2017
  • “I invite you to persevere in prayer, so that Jesus’ wish may be fulfilled: “that they may all be one”.” @Pontifex 26 February 2017
  • “When the journey is uncertain and you fall, God, rich in mercy, will extend his hand to pick you up.” @Pontifex 27 February 2017
  • “Lent is a new beginning, a path leading to the certain goal of Easter, Christ’s victory over death.” @Pontifex 1 March 2017
  • “God is always faithful and never stops for a moment loving us, following our steps, and running after us when we have strayed from him.” @Pontifex 2 March 2017
  • “Fasting is not only about abstaining from food. It also means sharing food with those who are hungry.” @Pontifex 3 March 2017
  • “Lent urgently calls us to conversion. We are called to return to God with all our heart.” @Pontifex 4 March 2017
  • “Jesus is the faithful friend who never abandons us. Even when we sin, he patiently awaits our return.” @Pontifex 5 March 2017
  • “I ask, please, for your prayers for me and my collaborators, who until Friday will be on retreat.” @Pontifex 5 March 2017

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Other

Memento mori

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

Some years ago I came across a story about Trappist Caskets where the monks of New Melleray Abbey in Iowa build hand-crafter caskets. This appealed to me in several ways. That they are hand-crafted, affordable, and that the effort supports Trappist monks. So I had told my wife this is what I wanted to buried in.

When we were staying at the hospice they gave us various materials including for funeral planning. Up to that point I really had not given any thought to this. Really I didn’t want to think about this at all. Still I realized that I had to deal with this. So I remembered the story about Trappist Caskets and called them to order one. I felt pretty creepy calling them about this since my wife was still alive at the time. When my wife died two days later, they were able to ship it to the funeral home in two days.

At her funeral Mass when I saw this casket I was pleased about the quality of the woodwork. Talk about mixed-feelings though. It is hard to appreciate the craftsmanship of something holding your wife’s body.

Still I did appreciate their customer service and how easy the process was. So I plan on setting up an ordering of one for myself. Just thinking about this is just so Lenten – Memento mori.

I was thinking about all this when I saw this recent post at Crux Loving Memory: Handcrafted Caskets Memorialize with Meaning. This was actually labeled as SPONSORED CONTENT so is a case of an advertisement disguised as an article. Still it does give some idea about them.

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LiturgyOther

Some Random Sunday Thoughts

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

If during the TLM you setup a projector to show a video of the Bishop’s Annual Stewardship Appeal, you should at least use a film projector for the correct ambiance. Perhaps some grainy black and white footage.

Oh and why do parishes think a video is a substitute for the homily? Seems like every year they treat it as such. I realize they do this because of time, but that doesn’t make it right. A shortened homily would at least make sense, no homily at all makes no sense.

Plus the Liturgy of Filling out the Form with more detail than the GIRM has got to go. Especially handing out forms and no writing implements. It always makes me feel like being in a captured audience and being guilt into contributing. I have no problem contributing, just with the clumsy attempts to make me do so.

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Theology

Scripture and the Sacraments

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

I heard about the following on Al Kresta’s show.

The St. Paul Center is offering limited-time access to its video Bible study series, The Bible and the Sacraments. Over the course of 11 lessons, beginning on March 1, this study presents the participant an opportunity for growth in knowledge of Scripture and the Sacraments.

As part of St. Paul Center’s mission, we want to share this study with as many people as possible. Please tell your friends and share this resource. You can also post comments to the page with your Facebook account, sharing your thoughts in a truly Catholic (universal) way.

Two new lessons will be posted each week and will be available for two weeks after the post date. Keep an eye out for a new email each week announcing that the new lessons are available.

You can sign up here.

FULL SCHEDULE

March 1: Lessons 1–2 posted

March 8: Lessons 3–4 posted (Lessons 1–2 still available)

March 15: Lessons 5–6 posted (Lessons 3–4 still available)

March 22: Lessons 7–8 posted (Lessons 5–6 still available)

March 29: Lessons 9–10 posted (Lessons 7–8 still available)

April 5: Lesson 11 posted (Lessons 9–10 still available)

April 12: (Lesson 11 still available)

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Pro-life

Demagoguery Dies in Darkness

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

People are having fun mocking the WaPo’s new slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness”, as if they knew anything about light. Good thing we live in a Republic.

This is how they ended their article when Norma McCorvey died.

“I don’t require that much in my life,” Ms. McCorvey told the Times in 1994. “. . . I just never had the privilege to go into an abortion clinic, lay down and have an abortion. That’s the only thing I never had.”

Hardly any mention in the article regarding here last 20 years working in the pro-life movement with a commitment that never wavered. Mention is made of her conversion under evangelical minister Flip Benham, but nothing regarding her becoming Catholic. Her disillusionment with the abortion cause was partly due to how she saw the various clinics she worked in how they treated women.

That the article ending with the above quote says everything about the Washington Post where narrative thrives in the darkness.

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The Weekly Francis

The Weekly Francis – Volume 168 – 22 February 2017

by Jeffrey Miller
written by Jeffrey Miller

pope-francis2-300x187

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 28 January 2017 to 22 February 2017.

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

Angelus

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Messages

Speeches

Papal Tweets

  • “I invite you to join in the fight against poverty, both material and spiritual. Together let’s build peace and bridges of friendship.” @Pontifex 16 February 2017
  • “A youthful heart does not tolerate injustice and cannot bow to a “throw-away culture” nor give in to the globalization of indifference.” @Pontifex 17 February 2017
  • “How often in the Bible the Lord asks us to welcome migrants and foreigners, reminding us that we too are foreigners!” @Pontifex 18 February 2017
  • “Let us be moved by the Holy Spirit in order to be courageous in finding new ways to proclaim the Gospel.” @Pontifex 19 February 2017
  • “If evil is contagious, so is goodness. Let us be infected by goodness and let us spread goodness!” @Pontifex 20 February 2017
  • “God knows better than we do about what we need. We must have faith, because his ways are different from ours.” @Pontifex 21 February 2017
  • “Jesus entrusted to Peter the keys to open the entrance to the kingdom of heaven, and not to close it.
    ” @Pontifex 22 February 2017

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