Apostleship of Prayer

As we anticipate the great Solemnity of the Annunciation which we will celebrate tomorrow, we recall that salvation entered the world through a woman, and we pray with Pope Benedict that the nations of the world will recognize the value of women and their unique role. Our reflection is from a homily the Holy Father gave on this feast in 2006.

And yet – today of all days we contemplate this aspect of the Mystery – the divine wellspring flows through a privileged channel: the Virgin Mary. St Bernard speaks of this using the eloquent image of aquaeductus. In celebrating the Incarnation of the Son, therefore, we cannot fail to honor his Mother. The Angel’s proclamation was addressed to her; she accepted it, and when she responded from the depths of her heart: “Here I am… let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1: 38), at that moment the eternal Word began to exist as a human being in time. …

In fact, the Angel, “appearing to her”, does not call her by her earthly name, Mary, but by her divine name, as she has always been seen and characterized by God: “Full of grace”, and the grace is none other than the love of God; thus, in the end, we can translate this word: “beloved” of God (Luke 1: 28). Origen observes that no such title had ever been given to a human being, and that it is unparalleled in all of Sacred Scripture.

It is a title expressed in passive form, but this “passivity” of Mary, who has always been and is for ever “loved” by the Lord, implies her free consent, her personal and original response: in being loved, in receiving the gift of God, Mary is fully active, because she accepts with personal generosity the wave of God’s love poured out upon her. In this too, she is the perfect disciple of her Son, who realizes the fullness of his freedom and thus exercises the freedom through obedience to the Father.

Today’s Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12;  Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9;  John 5:1-16

We continue our prayer for Christian families by reflecting once again on the Holy Father’s speech during the Vigil of the Fifth World Meeting of Families in 2006.

Christ has shown us what is always be the supreme source of our life and thus of the lives of families: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one had greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12-13). The love of God himself has been poured out upon us in Baptism. Consequently, families are called to experience this same kind of love, for the Lord makes it possible for us, through our human love, to be sensitive, loving and merciful like Christ. Together with passing on the faith and the love of God, one of the greatest responsibilities of families is that of training free and responsible persons. For this reason the parents need gradually to give their children greater freedom, while remaining for some time the guardians of that freedom. If children see that their parents – and, more generally, all the adults around them – live life with joy and enthusiasm, despite all difficulties, they will themselves develop that profound “joy of life” which can help them to overcome wisely the inevitable obstacles and problems which are part of life. Furthermore, when families are not closed in on themselves, children come to learn that every person is worthy of love, and that there is a basic, universal brotherhood which embraces every human being.

This Fifth World Meeting invites us to reflect on a theme of particular importance, one fraught with great responsibility: the transmission of faith in the family. This theme is nicely expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “As a mother who teacher her children to speak and so to understand and communicate, the Church our Mother teaches us the language of faith in order to introduce us to the understanding and the life of faith” (# 171). This is symbolically in the liturgy of Baptism: with the handing over of the lighted candle, the parents are made part of the mystery of new life as children of God given to their sons and daughters in the waters of baptism.

Today’s Readings: Proverbs 30:5-9;  Psalm 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163;  Luke 9:1-6

Today’s saint was a Spanish Jesuit and missionary to South America where he dedicated himself to serving the African people who were kidnapped, transported to Colombia, and sold into slavery. When he canonized St Peter in 1888, Pope Leo XIII declared him the patron saint of all missions to black people and nations. Let pray with St. Peter Claver today for refugees forced from their homes like the people he served. Our reflection is from a talk that Fr. John Hardon, S.J. gave and which appears on the Real Presence Eucharistic Education and Adoration Association’s web site.

Now something about Peter Claver’s missionary apostolate. It was by all odds, one of the most unique in the Church’s missionary history. Claver recognized that these people are not to be just baptized; before being baptized they must first be instructed. … His hardest task was to restore some self-respect to these people who had been treated so inhumanly for so long. His principle effort … was to try to show to these naked slaves that they were still loved. …The lowest estimate reported in Peter Claver’s canonization was three hundred thousand baptisms. And we’re told the slaves persevered and they made better Christians than their slave owners. …

Now something about his spirituality. First of all, there are few saints in the Church’s calendar that teach us more about the virtue of mercy than Peter Claver. … Our Holy Father defines mercy as love overcoming resistance. He tells us that mercy is costly love. Mercy is love that loves in spite of obstacles, difficulties, natural reluctance, and in this case, positive revulsion. Few canonized … more clearly illustrate St. Ignatius’ teaching about the nature of love. “Love … is shown more in deeds than in words. Love does not mean that I like to do what I’m doing, love means that I do it.” … And the doing is your love. The resistance, the revulsion, the dislike – Claver had all of that. He would admit more than once that it took all his human power to penetrate that den of stench when he climbed into the holes of those slave ships. We need that. And that’s why God every so often raises a saint like this, to teach us who can be so finicky, so particular and in our affluent United States, so spoiled. That’s the first lesson. And remember that statement revealed by the Holy Spirit. Learn this. ‘I want mercy, not sacrifice.’ In other words, the sacrifice, even the sacrifice of the Mass, the sublimest that we can offer, is only as pleasing to God as it is joined with mercy, which means that I love in spite of the fact that nature holds me back.

Today’s Readings: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11;  Psalm 149:1b-6a, 9b;  Luke 6:12-19

In our General Intention this month we are praying with Pope Benedict that the human family may know how to respect God’s design for the world and become more aware of the great gift that God has given us in creation. Concern for creation, for the environment, is not some passing fad. It is part of our responsibility as stewards of creation. This concern is so important that Pope Benedict even wrote about it in his Apostolic Exhortation about the Eucharist—“Sacramentum Caritatis”. The following is from Section 92, entitled “The sanctification of the world and the protection of creation.”

Finally, to develop a profound Eucharistic spirituality that is also capable of significantly affecting the fabric of society, the Christian people, in giving thanks to God through the Eucharist, should be conscious that they do so in the name of all creation, aspiring to the sanctification of the world and working intensely to that end. The Eucharist itself powerfully illuminates human history and the whole cosmos. In this sacramental perspective we learn, day by day, that every ecclesial event is a kind of sign by which God makes himself known and challenges us. The Eucharistic form of life can thus help foster a real change in the way we approach history and the world. The liturgy itself teaches us this, when, during the presentation of the gifts, the priest raises to God a prayer of blessing and petition over the bread and wine, “fruit of the earth,” “fruit of the vine” and “work of human hands.” With these words, the rite not only includes in our offering to God all human efforts and activity, but also leads us to see the world as God’s creation, which brings forth everything we need for our sustenance. The world is not something indifferent, raw material to be utilized simply as we see fit. Rather, it is part of God’s good plan, in which all of us are called to be sons and daughters in the one Son of God, Jesus Christ. The justified concern about threats to the environment present in so many parts of the world is reinforced by Christian hope, which commits us to working responsibly for the protection of creation. The relationship between the Eucharist and the cosmos helps us to see the unity of God’s plan and to grasp the profound relationship between creation and the “new creation” inaugurated in the resurrection of Christ, the new Adam. Even now we take part in that new creation by virtue of our Baptism (Colossians 2:12ff.). Our Christian life, nourished by the Eucharist, gives us a glimpse of that new world – new heavens and a new earth – where the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven, from God, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).Today’s Readings: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3a, 14-17;  Psalm 96:10-13;  Matthew 23:23-26

Hippolytus was a theologian and Pontian was pope. Unfortunately, they were enemies. Hippolytus struggled with several popes whom he thought were too lenient in dealing with heretics who repented. He even allowed himself to be elected the first “anti-pope.” But then they were both exiled to the island of Sardinia where they were reconciled and died from the mistreatment they received. In our reflection today, we conclude Pope Benedict’s remarks at the opening ceremony for the recent World Youth Day. His words remind us to pray that all may know God’s plan for humanity and for creation; may the knowledge of God’s plan and the Holy Spirit help all to become holy.

Dear friends, life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose (Genesis 1:28)! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences, helpful though many of them are. It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this – in truth, in goodness, and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy. Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth. Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life. Thus the “way” which the Apostles brought to the ends of the earth is life in Christ. …

My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable. Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through the gifts of the Spirit at Confirmation. Let this be the message that you bring from Sydney to the world!

Today’s Readings: Ezekiel 9:1-7, 10:18-22;  Psalm 113:1-6;  Matthew 18:15-20

Humanity, made in God’s image and likeness, was designed by God to care for creation, to be stewards of creation. But because we have not followed God’s plan, a great moral as well as environmental pollution has resulted. Let us pray that the human family may learn to respect God’s plan for the world and care for creation as God’s gift. Our reflection continues Pope Benedict’s speech at the beginning of World Youth Day 2008.

What of man, the apex of God’s creation? Every day we encounter the genius of human achievement. From advances in medical sciences and the wise application of technology, to the creativity reflected in the arts, the quality and enjoyment of people’s lives in many ways are steadily rising. … All of us, young and old, have those moments when the innate goodness of the human person – perhaps glimpsed in the gesture of a little child or an adult’s readiness to forgive – fills us with profound joy and gratitude.

Yet such moments do not last. So again, we ponder. And we discover that not only the natural but also the social environment – the habitat we fashion for ourselves – has its scars; wounds indicating that something is amiss. Here too, in our personal lives and in our communities, we can encounter a hostility, something dangerous; a poison which threatens to corrode what is good, reshape who we are, and distort the purpose for which we have been created. Examples abound, as you yourselves know. Among the more prevalent are alcohol and drug abuse, and the exaltation of violence and sexual degradation, often presented through television and the internet as entertainment. I ask myself, could anyone standing face to face with people who actually do suffer violence and sexual exploitation “explain” that these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are considered merely “entertainment”?

Today’s Readings: Ezekiel 2:8-3:4;  Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131;  Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

St. Clare was a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi and was so impressed by him that she resolved to follow his way of life. She gave away all her possessions and received the religious habit from St. Francis in 1212. As other women joined her in a life of prayer, penance, and poverty—including her mother and two of her sisters—the Order of Poor Clares was formed. In 1958 Pope Pius XII named her the patron saint of television because of the tradition that when she was too ill to participate in the Mass in her convent chapel she was miraculously able to see and hear it on the wall of her room. As we pray that the human family may know how to respect God’s design for the world and be good stewards of creation, let us pray for an end to pollution—in the natural world and in the media. Our reflections for the next three days will be from Pope Benedict’s speech at the welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day on July 17.

For people of your age, however, any flight is an exciting prospect. But for me, this one was somewhat daunting! Yet the views afforded of our planet from the air were truly wondrous. The sparkle of the Mediterranean, the grandeur of the north African desert, the lushness of Asia’s forestation, the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, the horizon upon which the sun rose and set, and the majestic splendor of Australia’s natural beauty which I have been able to enjoy these last couple of days; these all evoke a profound sense of awe. It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story – light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth, and living creatures; all of which are “good” in God’s eyes (1:1 – 2:4). …

And there is more – something hardly perceivable from the sky – men and women, made in nothing less than God’s own image and likeness (1:26). At the heart of the marvel of creation are you and I, the human family “crowned with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:5). How astounding! With the Psalmist we whisper: “what is man that you are mindful of him?” (8:4). And drawn into silence, into a spirit of thanksgiving, into the power of holiness, we ponder.

What do we discover? Perhaps reluctantly we come to acknowledge that there are also scars which mark the surface of our earth: erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world’s mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption. Some of you come from island nations whose very existence is threatened by rising water levels; others from nations suffering the effects of devastating drought.

Today’s Readings: Ezekiel 1:2-5,24-28c;  Psalm 148:1-2,11-14;  Matthew 17:22-27

The first International Eucharistic Congress was held in France in 1881. The 49th Congress will be held next week in Quebec City, Canada and will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of that city and the first Catholic diocese north of Mexico City. In his Mission Intention this month Pope Benedict has asked us to pray for the upcoming Congress. Let us do so today by reflecting on part of the Introduction to the “foundational theological document” which was issued to help the Church prepare for the Congress.

The central theme of the Congress, approved by Pope Benedict XVI, is “The Eucharist, God’s gift for the life of the world.” It is particularly important today to remember God’s gift, for, in the midst of remarkable technological progress, notably in the area of communication, our world experiences a deep interior emptiness that it perceives as an absence of God. Fascinated by its own creative capacities, contemporary humanity tends to forget its Creator and set itself up as the sole master of its own destiny. …

Today’s Readings:  1 Kings 17:7-16; Psalm 4:2-5, 7b-8;  Matthew 5:13-16

These early Church martyrs were brothers and soldiers who, according to tradition, were baptized by St. Peter the Apostle. They gave their lives as Jesus and Peter did—in witness to the truth. May they intercede today for all Christians, that we will be courageous in standing for the truth of human dignity and in working against a culture that demeans the human person. Our reflection is from Pope Benedict’s 2008 Message for World Communications Day.

Man thirsts for truth, he seeks truth; this fact is illustrated by the attention and the success achieved by so many publications, programs or quality fiction in which the truth, beauty and greatness of the person, including the religious dimension of the person, are acknowledged and favorably presented. Jesus said: “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). The truth which makes us free is Christ, because only he can respond fully to the thirst for life and love that is present in the human heart. Those who have encountered him and have enthusiastically welcomed his message experience the irrepressible desire to share and communicate this truth. As Saint John writes, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing this that our joy may be complete” (1 John 1:1-3).

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to raise up courageous communicators and authentic witnesses to the truth, faithful to Christ’s mandate and enthusiastic for the message of the faith, communicators who will “interpret modern cultural needs, committing themselves to approaching the communications age not as a time of alienation and confusion, but as a valuable time for the quest for the truth and for developing communion between persons and peoples” (John Paul II, Address to the Conference for those working in Communications and Culture, 9 November 2002).

Today’s Readings:  James 1:1-11;  Psalm 119:67-68, 71-72, 75-76;  Mark 8:11-13

In our General Intention we are praying with Pope Benedict that Christians may use literature, art, and mass media to create a culture which defends and promotes the values of the human person. Our prayer is not only for those who create art and media but also for all of us who use them. We pray that our use of these things may not support a culture of death but a culture of life. Let us reflect today on part of Pope Benedict’s 2007 Message for World Communications Day—“Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education.”

Educating children to be discriminating in their use of the media is a responsibility of parents, Church, and school. The role of parents is of primary importance. They have a right and duty to ensure the prudent use of the media by training the conscience of their children to express sound and objective judgments which will then guide them in choosing or rejecting programs available. In doing so, parents should have the encouragement and assistance of schools and parishes in ensuring that this difficult, though satisfying, aspect of parenting is supported by the wider community.