miniZibaldone

From the homily “Today I want to emphasize only one thing,” the Pope concluded. “There is a moment where the attitude of sin, or a moment where our situation is so secure and we see well and we have so much power” that sin “stops” and becomes “corruption.” And “one of the ugliest things” about corruption is that the one who becomes corrupt thinks he has “no need for forgiveness.” [...]  “Today, let us offer a prayer for the Church, beginning with ourselves, for the Pope, for the Bishops, for the priests, for consecrated men and women, for the lay faithful: ‘Lord, save us, save us from corruption. We are sinners, yes, O Lord, all of us, but [let us] never [become] corrupt!’ Let us ask for this grace.”   [link] From the address Therefore, mercy constitutes the architrave that supports the life of the Church: the first truth of the Church, in fact, is the love of Christ. [...]  This attention to the works of mercy is important: they are not a devotion. It is the concr...

Three lessons from modern martyrs by Angelo Scola   [full text]

From the homily And this is one of the traits of a Christian who has received the light in Baptism and must give it. That is, the Christian is a witness. Testimony. One of the peculiarities of Christian behavior. [...]  “Another trait of the Christian,”  says the Pope, “is magnanimity, because he is the child of a magnanimous father, of great heart.  The Christian heart is magnanimous.  It is open, always. It is not a heart that is closed in on its own selfishness. Or one that’s calculating: up to this point, up to here. When you enter this light of Jesus, when you enter into Jesus’ friendship, when you let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit, the heart becomes open, magnanimous... The Christian, then, does not gain, but loses. But he loses to gain something else, and in this (between quotation marks) 'defeat' of interests, he gains Jesus; he gains by becoming Jesus’ witness.” [link] From an address Noted by all is how sensitive the Church is to ethical subj...

From the general audience [T]his Year of Mercy is a good occasion to meet again, to embrace and forgive one another and to forget the bad things. [...]  Moses, whom Divine Mercy saved from death in the waters of the Nile when he was newly born, becomes the mediator of that same mercy, enabling the people to be born to freedom, saved from the waters of the Red Sea. And in this Year of Mercy, we can also do the work of being mediators of mercy with works of mercy to come close, to give relief, to create unity. So many good things can be done. [...]  Well, we become so [special possession] for God by receiving His covenant and letting ourselves be saved by Him. The Lord’s mercy renders man precious, as a personal richness that belongs to Him, which He guards and with which He is pleased.   [full text]

Be Not Afraid by Andre Frossard and John Paul II Witness to Hope: Biography of John Paul II by George Weigel  Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla Karol Wojtyla's Theory of Participation by Rolyn Francisco  Stories of Karol by Gian Franco Svidercoschi   Spiritual Pilgrimage by John Paul II Memory and Identity by John Paul II  Crossing the Threshold of Hope by John Paul II Let Me Go to the Father's House by Stansilaw Dziwisz et al   Christ is the Answer by John Saward

From the homily of Cardinal Bo of Myanmar, papal legate, for the Opening Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress, January 24, 2016 The Eucharist and adoration is the intense faith encounter with Jesus. But this encounter needs others, the community. [...]  Adoring Jesus in the Eucharist is also accepting our fellow men and women as created in the image of God. In a world that kills children in the womb, in a world that spends more on arms than on food, in a world that continues to have millions of poor, Eucharist is a major challenge to the whole humanity. Can we feel the presence of God in our brothers and sisters? Pope John Paul talked about the culture of death. Pope Francis spoke of a culture of indifference. [...]  Christ is calling us to be disciples, to carry his cross; the Mass of the devotee ends in an hour. But the Mass of the disciple is unending. The Eucharist of the devotee is confined to the clean, decorated altars of the church. The Eucharist of the di...

A Student's Guide to Intellectual Life by Jean Guitton Human Love by Jean Guitton  The Soul of a Lion by Alice von Hildebrand  Man, Woman, and the Meaning of Love by Dietrich von Hildebrand  

From an address to seminarians and priests However, a temptation appears on the way that must be rejected: that of “normality,” of a Pastor for whom a “normal” life is enough. Thus this priest begins to be contented with some attention received, he judges the ministry on the basis of his successes and he abandons himself to research of what pleases him, becoming tepid and without a real interest in others. Instead, for us “normality” is pastoral holiness, the gift of life. If a priest chooses to be only a normal person, he will be a mediocre priest or worse. [...]  Entrusted to you during these years is the mission to train yourselves in this dialogue of life: knowledge of the various disciplines that you study is not an end in itself, but is concretized in the colloquy of prayer and in a real encounter with persons. It does no good to be formed “in watertight compartments”; prayer, education and pastoral care are bearer stones of one building. [...]  In fact, evangelizatio...

"We are not living an era of change but a change of era" (Pope Francis). A judgment on a historical circumstance of the Italian social scenario, relevant to other countries' human condition. [continue full text]

From a homily We bishops have this responsibility to be witnesses: witnesses to the fact that the Lord Jesus is alive, that the Lord Jesus is risen, that the Lord Jesus walks with  us, that the Lord Jesus saves us, that the Lord Jesus gave his life for us, that the Lord Jesus is our hope, that the Lord Jesus always welcomes us and forgives us.  Giving witness. Our life must be this: a testimony. True witness to the Resurrection of Christ. [...] The first task of a bishop is to be with Jesus in prayer. The first job of a bishop is not to prepare pastoral plans ... no, no!   Prayer: this is the first task. The second task is to be a witness, that is, to preach.   [link] From an address It is precisely because she is Mother and Teacher that the Church knows that, among Christians, some have a strong faith, formed by charity and reinforced by good  catechesis and nourished by prayer and the sacramental life, while others have a weak faith, neglected, not...

In anticipation of the international eucharistic congress (IEC) in Cebu , a contribution to familiarizing and deepening That “something more” that everyone desires, that vague but urgent “something more,” that “something more,” unknown, of which man is often or normally unaware, whose meaning he never manages to grasp, that “essential thing,” of which Yevtushenko speaks, and could not put a name to (“After every lesson,” quoted in L. Giussani, The Religious Sense , McGill-Queens, Montreal, 1997, p. 71), that vague “something more,” in such a situation, becomes a reality just as measurable, physically perceptible, physically detectable, feasible, familiar, clear, like a person with whom you are talking at table, with whom you live under the same roof, you eat, you discuss. (L. Giussani) Eucharist: A Present, Familiar Reality Notes from a meditation given by Luigi Giussani at the Spiritual Exercises for GS of Switzerland . Fribourg, November 1967 1. The Mystery has be...

From an address It would be an error to hold that one who goes on pilgrimage lives not a personal but a “mass” spirituality. In reality, the pilgrim bears within him his history, his  faith, the lights and shadows of his life. Everyone has in his heart a special desire and a particular prayer. [...]  A shrine is really a privileged place to encounter the Lord and to touch His mercy with the hand. To go to confession in a shrine is to have the experience of  touching God’s mercy with the hand. Therefore, the key word that I want to stress today together with you is welcome: to welcome pilgrims. With welcome, so to speak,  we stake all — an affectionate, festive, cordial and patient welcome. Patience is also necessary! The Gospels present Jesus to us always welcoming those who approach  Him, especially the sick, the sinners and the marginalized. And we recall His expression: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who  sent Me...

The Dwarf by Par Lagerkvist   Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist   The Magic Barrel by Bernard Malamud   The Assistant by Bernard Malamud  

A Fool's Alphabet by Sebastian Faulks   Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks Adventures in Two Worlds by A. J. Cronin  The Citadel by A. J. Cronin Lady With Carnations by A. J. Cronin   Shannon's Way by A. J. Cronin   Beyond This Place by A. J. Cronin  

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy   All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy   Jack Kerouac: King of Beats by Barry Miles On the Road by Jack Kerouac The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen  Freedom by Jonathan Franzen 

The Taste of Wine by Jilly Goolden   The Commonsense Book of Wine by Leon D. Adams The Philosopher's Diet by Richard Watson   The Red, White and Rose of Wines by William Masse Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany by Ben Schott Guide to Cigars by Jane Resnick  

On the God of the Christians by Remi Brague gratis Remi Brague Gentle Regrets by Roger Scruton Sexual Desire Roger Scruton

Theologies of the Body by Benedict Ashley Living the Truth in Love by Benedict Ashley The Way Toward Wisdom by Benedict Ashley gratis +Benedict Ashley Jesus and the Victory of God by N. T. Wright   The Resurrection of the Son of God by N. T. Wright Virtue Reborn by N. T. Wright

From the letter to the World Economic Forum  The dawn of the so-called “fourth industrial revolution” has been accompanied by a growing sense of the inevitability of a drastic reduction in the number of jobs.  Diminished opportunities for useful and dignified employment, combined with a reduction in social security, are causing a disturbing rise in inequality and poverty in  different countries. Clearly there is a need to create new models of doing business which, while promoting the development of advanced technologies, are also capable  of using them to create dignified work for all, to uphold and consolidate social rights, and to protect the environment. Man must guide technological development,  without letting himself be dominated by it! To all of you I appeal once more: “Do not forget the poor!” This is the primary challenge before you as leaders in the  business world. [...] We must never allow the culture of prosperity to deaden us, to make us...

Newman: His Inner Life by Zeno Newman and the Fullness of Christianity by Ian Ker   Newman the Theologian by Ian Ker Newman Today Callista by John Henry Newman Passion for Truth: the Life of John Henry Newman by Juan Velez   gratis Juan Velez Apologia Pro Vita Sua by John Henry Newman gratis Juan Velez