miniZibaldone

F aith does not take us out of the world but inserts us more profoundly in it. Not like those perfect and immaculate ones that think they know it all, but as persons that have known the love that God has for us. From the address In fact, to look at our families with the delicacy with which God looks at them helps us to put our consciences in His same direction. The accent put on mercy puts us before the reality in a realistic way, not, however, with just any realism but with God’s realism. Our analyses are important and necessary and they will help us to have a healthy realism. But nothing is comparable to the evangelical realism, which does not halt at the description of situations, of problems, — even less of sin — but always goes beyond and succeeds, seeing behind every face, every story, every situation an opportunity, a possibility. Evangelical realisms is committed to the other, to others and does not make ideals and of “having to be” an obstacle to encounter others in the...

This (is the) healthy realism of the Catholic Church: the Church never teaches us "or this or that." That is not Catholic. The Church says to us: "this and that." Strive for perfectionism: reconcile with your brother.  Do not insult him. Love him. And if there is a problem, at the very least settle your differences so that war doesn’t break out. This (is) the healthy realism of Catholicism. It is not Catholic (to say) "or this or nothing" From the homily Jesus, said the Pope, urged his confused people to look beyond and go forward.  But at the same time, Christ warned about the harm caused to the people of God by Christians who do not follow their own teachings.  “How many times do we in the Church hear these things: how many times!  ‘But that priest, that man or that woman from the Catholic Action, that bishop, or that Pope tell us we must do this this way!’ and then they do the opposite. This is the scandal that wounds the people and prevents the ...

From "Page One" of Tracce - Litterae Communionis , March 2016 It is obvious to everyone that we are in a time of great changes and that is not easy to navigate in the current cultural context. We are facing a great turning point  that requires patience and time to understand, without thinking that we can solve problems by just discussing them. The pages that follow are intended to contribute to the journey of each and every person, for a dialogue amongst us. [full text]

The most beautiful inheritance, the greatest inheritance a man, a woman, can leave to their children is the faith.  From the homily Thinking about death is “a light that illuminates life” and “a reality that we should always have before us” [...] "In one of the Wednesday audiences there was among those who were sick a very old sister, but with face of peace, a luminous countenance: ‘But how old are you, sister?’ With a smile she said, ‘Eighty-three, but I am finishing my course in this life, to begin another with the Lord, because I have pancreatic cancer.’ And so, in peace, that woman had lived her consecrated life with great intensity. She did not fear death: ‘I am finishing my course of life, to begin another.’ It is a passage. These things do us good.” [...]  “What is the inheritance I will leave with my life?”  “Will I leave the inheritance of a man, a woman of faith? Will I leave this inheritance to my children? Let us ask two things of the Lord: to not be...

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...

The Immutability of God in the Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar by Gerard O'Hanlon gratis Gerard O'Hanlon Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger Truth and Tolerance by Joseph Ratzinger The Dialectics of Secularization by Joseph Ratzinger and Jurgen Habermas Explorations in Theology, Volume IV by Hans Urs von Balthasar gratis Raymond Gawronski The Glory of the Lord I: Seeing the Form by Hans Urs von Balthasar gratis D.C. Schindler