miniZibaldone

This common belonging, which flows from Baptism, is the breath that frees one from self-reference that isolates and imprisons From the speech Our priest is barefooted in respect to a land that persists in believing and considering itself holy. He is not scandalized by the frailties that shake the human  spirit, aware that he himself is a cured paralytic; he is removed from the coldness of the rigorist, as well as from the superficiality of one who wants to show  himself accommodating to a good market. Instead, he accepts to take charge of the other, feeling himself participant and responsible for his destiny. [...]  With the oil of hope and consolation, he makes himself a neighbour to everyone, careful to share with them abandonment and suffering. Having accepted not to dispose  of himself, he does not have an agenda to defend, but every morning gives his time to the Lord, to allow himself to meet and encounter people. So our priest is not a  bureaucrat or ...

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” Who can speak like that? Only Jesus, because the “hand” of Jesus is one with the “hand” of the Father, and the Father is “greater than all.” From Regina Caeli These words convey a sense of absolute security and immense tenderness. Our life is completely safe in the hands of Jesus and the Father, Who are one, one love, one mercy, revealed once and for all in the sacrifice of the Cross. To save the lost sheep that is all of us, the Pastor became Lamb and let Himself be sacrificed to take upon Himself, and take away, the sin of the world. In this way, He has given us life, but life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10)! This mystery is renewed, in an always surprising humility, the Eucharistic table. That’s where the sheep gather to feed themselves; that’s where they become one single [thing], among themselves and with the Good Shepherd.   [full text]

But we too remember that each of us knows the extent to which we too are often blind, lacking the radiant light of faith, not because we do not have the Gospel close at hand, but because of an excess of complicated theology. We feel that our soul thirsts for spirituality, not for a lack of Living Water which we only sip from, but because of an excessive “bubbly” spirituality, a “light” spirituality. We feel ourselves also trapped, not so much by insurmountable stone walls or steel enclosures that affect many peoples, but rather by a digital, virtual worldliness that is opened and closed by a simple click . From the Chrism Mass homily The first area where we see God showing excess in his ever-increasing mercy is that of encounter . He gives himself completely and in such a way that every encounter leads to rejoicing. [...]  It would be good for us to ask ourselves: after going to confession, do I rejoice? Or do I move on immediately to the next thing, as we would after going...

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...

A  Generative Thought: Introduction to the Works of Luigi Giussani ed. Elisa Buzzi gratis CL Together on the Road by Massimo Camisasca gratis CL At the Service of the Church by Henri de Lubac gratis Joseph Fessio Is It Possible to Live This Way: Vol. 1, Faith by Luigi Giussani Is It Possible to Live This Way: Vol. 2, Hope by Luigi Giussani Is It Possible to Live This Way: Vol. 3, Charity by Luigi Giussani gratis CL The Journey to Truth Is an Experience by Luigi Giussani gratis CL Why the Church? by Luigi Giussani gratis Ambrogio