miniZibaldone

When we are indebted to others, we expect mercy; but when others are indebted to us, we demand justice! This is a reaction unworthy of Christ’s disciples, nor is it  the sign of a Christian style of life. Jesus teaches us to forgive and to do so limitlessly From the reflection/message Forgiveness – pardon – is surely our direct route to that place in heaven. Here at the Porziuncola everything speaks to us of pardon! What a great gift the Lord has  given us in teaching us to forgive and in this way to touch the Father’s mercy! We have just heard the parable where Jesus teaches us to forgive (cf. Mt 18:21-35).  Why should we forgive someone who has offended us? Because we were forgiven first, and of infinitely more. The parable says exactly this: just as God has forgiven  us, so we too should forgive those who do us harm. So too does the prayer that Jesus taught us, the Our Father, in which we say: “Forgive us our debts, as we also  have forgiven our debtors...

We might think that slaves no longer exist: they exist. It’s true, people no longer go to Africa to capture them in order to sell them in America, no. But it is in  our cities. And there are these traffickers, these people who treat the working people without justice. From the homily When riches are created by exploiting the people, by those rich people who exploit [others], they take advantage of the work of the people, and those poor people  become slaves. We think of the here and now, the same thing happens all over the world. “I want to work.” “Good, they’ll make you a contract, from September to  June.” Without a pension, without health care… Then they suspend it, and in July and August they have to eat air. And in September, they laugh at you about it. Those  who do that are true bloodsuckers, and they live by spilling the blood of the people who they make slaves of labour.  We consider this drama of today: the exploitation of the people, the blood of...

God is greater than our sin. Let us not forget this: God is greater than our sin! From the general audience Today we finish the catecheses on mercy in the Old Testament, and we do so meditating on Psalm 51, known as the Miserere . [...]  The “title” that the ancient Jewish tradition gave this Psalm makes reference to King David and his sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. We know the  affair well. King David, called by God to tend His People and to lead them on paths of obedience to the Divine Law, betrays his mission and, after having committed  adultery with Bathsheba, has her husband killed. Terrible sin! Nathan, the prophet, reveals his guilt to him and helps him to acknowledge it. It is the moment of  reconciliation with God, in the confession of his sin. And here David was humble; he was great! [...]  The Psalmist entrusts himself to God’s goodness; he knows that divine forgiveness is extremely effective, because it creates that which...

The Church at the End of the 20th Century by Francis Schaeffer Celebrating the Eucharist by L. Alonso Schokel Theology and Sanity by Frank Sheed Peace of Soul by Fulton Sheen A Practical Guide to Ecumenism by John Sheerin The Bible and the Mass by Peter Stravinskas The Church, Community of Salvation by George Tavard God, the Father of Mercy Jesus Christ, Word of the Father The Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life Eucharist, Gift of Divine Life The New World Dictionary-Concordance NAB Economic Justice for All With Us Today by John Hardon 

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre Christians in the Face of Injustice by Ricardo Antoncich  The Book of Miracles by Zsolt Aradi  A Doctor at Calvary by Pierre Barbet  The Church Speaks to the Modern World by Leo XIII Mother and Disciple by Charles Miller   All About Angels by Paul O'Sullivan   How To be Happy How To Be Holy by Paul O'Sullivan   Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer  The Real Presence by Michael Parker  Mary Mother of Christ and Christians by Joseph-Marie Perrin Your God is Too Small by J. B. Phillips 

The people of God, namely the Church, does not need dirty money; she needs hearts open to God’s mercy.   From the general audience Salvation implies the decision to listen and to let oneself be converted, but it is always a free gift. Therefore, in His mercy, the Lord indicates a way that is not that of ritual sacrifices, but rather of justice. The worship is criticized not because it is useless in itself, but because, instead of expressing conversion, it pretends to substitute it, and so becomes the search for one’s own justice, creating the deceitful conviction that it is the sacrifices that save, not divine mercy that forgives sin. To understand this well: when one is sick one goes to the doctor; when one feels himself a sinner one goes to the Lord. However, if instead of going to the doctor, one goes to a magician, one is not healed. So many times we do not go to the Lord, but prefer to go on mistaken paths, seeking outside of Him justification, justice and peace.   [...

Philippine Star  "Recipe for conflagrations" This is the season for renewing business permits, and the hawkers of fire extinguishers are again busy with their moneymaking activity rather than the work for which they are being paid by taxpayers. Combined with the inadequacy of firefighting capabilities and low public awareness of fire prevention measures, you have a recipe for more deadly conflagrations.   [full text] Sun.Star Cebu "Burying Marcos" If the sacrifices of the victims of the Marcos dictatorship are to be extolled, wouldn't it be awkward if the perpetrator would be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani? That is the essence of Poe's stance, which is a roundabout way of saying no. But she couldn't say it because she was dealing with a big bloc of voters loyal to the Marcoses—an act that exposes a chink in her leadership armor.  Although to be fair, some other presidential bets possess that leadership flaw.   [full text] Mindanao Times   ...

From the general audience See where the exercise of authority leads without respect for life, without justice, without mercy. And see to what the thirst for power leads: it becomes cupidity  that wishes to possess everything. In this regard, a text of the prophet Isaiah is particularly illuminating. In it, the Lord puts one on guard against the avidity of  rich landowners that always want to possess more houses and lands. [...]  And the prophet Isaiah was not a Communist! God, however, is greater than the iniquity and dirty games played by human beings. In his mercy, He sent the prophet  Elijah to help Ahab to convert. Now we turn the page, and how does the story continue? God sees the crime and knocks on Ahab’s heart and, faced with his sin, the King  understands, humbles himself and asks for pardon. How good it would be if the exploiting powerful of today did the same! [...]  In this case also, mercy shows the masterful way that must be followed. Merc...

From an address I have contemplated and I have allowed myself to be gazed upon by She who carries imprinted in her eyes the gaze of all of her children, gathering up the sorrows caused by violence, kidnapping, assassinations, the violence against so many poor people, against so many women. [...]  I desire that this conference [For a World Without the Death Penalty] might give new strength to efforts to abolish the death penalty. An increasing strong opposition to the death penalty, even as an instrument of legitimate social defense, has developed in public opinion, and this is a sign of hope. In fact, modern societies have the ability to effectively control crime without definitively removing from the criminal the possibility of redeeming himself. The issue lies in the context of a perspective on penal justice that is ever more conformed to the dignity of man and God’s design for man and for society. And also penal justice open to the hope of being reintegrated in society. The...

From an address When faced with tenets of the Church’s Social Doctrine, it is objected frequently: “These teachings would have us be charitable organizations or that we transform our  businesses into philanthropic institutions”. We have heard this criticism. The only aspiration of the Church’s Social Doctrine is to guard over the integrity of  people and social structures. Every time that, for whatever reason, this integrity is threatened or reduced to a consumer good, the Church’s Social Doctrine will be a  prophetic voice to protect us all from being lost in the seductive sea of ambition. Every time that a person’s integrity is violated, society, in a certain sense,  begins to decline. And this Social Doctrine of the Church is against no one, but in favour of all. Every sector has the obligation of looking out for the good of all;  we are all in the same boat. We all have to struggle to make sure that work is a humanizing moment which looks to the future;...

Today’s world, overcome by convenience, needs to learn anew the value of gratitude! From the homily In this expression, one hears the yearning to live in freedom, there is a longing which contemplates a promised land where oppression, mistreatment and humiliation  are not the currency of the day.  In the heart of man and in the memory of many of our peoples is imprinted this yearning for a land, for a time when human corruption  will be overcome by fraternity, when injustice will be conquered by solidarity and when violence will be silenced by peace. Our Father not only shares this longing,  but has himself inspired it and continues to do so in giving us his son Jesus Christ.  In him we discover the solidarity of the Father who walks by our side.  In him,  we see how the perfect law takes flesh, takes a human face, shares our history so as to walk with and sustain his people.  He becomes the Way, he becomes the Truth,  he becomes the Li...

The heart of a Father that goes beyond our little concept of justice to open us to the limitless horizons of His mercy.  From the homily It is only by responding to it with goodness that evil can be truly defeated. Here, then, is another way of doing justice, which the Bible presents to us as the masterful way to follow. [...]  This is the way to resolve disputes within families, in relations between spouses and between parents and children, where the offended one loves the guilty one and desires to save the relation that links him to the other. Do not cut that relationship, that relation. [...]  And here, in fact, forgiveness and mercy come in. [...] T he Lord offers us His forgiveness constantly and He helps us to receive it and to become aware of our wrongdoing to be able to be free of it, because God’s does not want our condemnation, but our salvation.  [full text]

A Spiritual Friendship Anonymous Christians in the Face of Injustice by Ricardo Antoncich  The Book of Miracles by Zsolt Aradi  A Doctor at Calvary by Pierre Barbet  The Noonday Devil by Bernard Basset  Frequent Confession by Benedict Baur  The Gospel and Epistle of John by Raymond Brown  The Community of the Beloved Disciple by Raymond Brown  The Churches the Apostles Left Behind by Raymond Brown  The Way to Freedom by Nicolas Caballero  

Inquirer  about VFA and justice system A pity we don’t protect our own as zealously as the Americans protect their soldiers. The issue is that a crime was proven beyond reasonable doubt to have been  committed against a Filipino citizen, in her own country. Conviction should carry the penalty that would have been meted out to a Filipino; the convicted should  suffer the same sanctions as Filipinos convicted of the same crime would suffer, regardless of “the conditions inside Bilibid.” [full text] Sun.Star Cebu  on Duterte and presidency THE candidacy for president of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and the subsequent controversy he whipped up over his supposed cursing of Pope Francis during a  traffic gridlock caused by his visit to the Philippines in January seems to have put a different spin to the current electoral discourse. The question on what kind of  president the country needs at this stage has been put to the fore. Duterte, after all,...