POPE TALK | KAIROS GLOBAL | AUGUST 2019

Author: Dr. Kochurani  Joseph

Animator, National  Professionals Ministry, India

The Catholic Church belongs to Christ

The Catholic Church is Christ’s beloved bride. To the Lord we are not a group of believers or a religious organization, we are His bride. He looks at His Church with tenderness; He loves it with absolute fidelity, despite our mistakes and betrayals. It is good to appreciate the qualities of others, to recognize the gifts of others without malice and without envy. Envy causes bitterness inside; it is vinegar on the heart. 

Saints Peter and Paul witness to the power of God’s forgiveness

Saints Peter and Paul are both witnesses to the transformative power of God’s forgiveness through which all Christians can experience a new beginning of peace and joy. Peter denied the Lord, while Paul persecuted the Church of God. Jesus called them by name and changed their lives. The Lord’s forgiveness was the secret that enabled Saints Peter and Paul to persevere in their mission despite their weaknesses. Both understood that holiness does not consist in exalting but rather in humbling oneself.

 The heart of the Church’s mission is prayer

The Sacred Heart of Jesus wishes to welcome all into ‘a revolution of tenderness’ through life-changing prayer. The closeness to the Heart of the Lord urges our hearts to approach our brother with love, and helps to enter into this compassion for the world.  It is a mission of compassion for the world, we could say a ‘journey of the heart,’ that is, a prayerful journey that transforms people's lives.

The Church’s unity is stronger than internal conflicts

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said that the unity of the Church has always prevailed over internal struggles.  The unity of the Church has always been in danger, for centuries. In the end the awareness that the Church is and must remain united has always prevailed. Its unity has always been stronger than internal struggles and wars. 

 God’s love can do great things with our littleness. .

  The Eucharist exemplifies how God’s love can accomplish great things with very little. Whatever we have can bear fruit if we give it away – that is what Jesus wants to tell us – and it does not matter whether it is great or small. The Lord does great things with our littleness. Being simple and essential, bread broken and shared, the Eucharist we receive allows us to see things as God does. It inspires us to give ourselves to others.

Mary arose and went with haste 

Pope Francis announced the theme of World Youth Day 2022 to be held in Lisbon: “Mary arose and went with haste.” Do not tune out the voice of God, who urges you to arise and follow the paths that he has prepared for you. Like Mary, and in union with her, may you daily bring to others all your joy and love.  Pope Francis said that he desires young people to reflect on this verse taken from St. Luke’s Biblical account of the Virgin Mary’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation.

Do not let us fall into temptation 

Pope Francis approves changes to the words of The Lord's Prayer finding that the English translation of the prayer was not correct.  Instead of saying “lead us not into temptation”, it will say “do not let us fall into temptation”.  This is because God being our Father doesn’t lead into temptation; rather a father helps you to get up immediately. It’s Satan who leads us into temptation, that’s his department. So this change made is closer to the original intent of the prayer.

Pope Francis says...

• Witness arises from an encounter with the living Jesus

• There is no room for selfishness in the Christian life

• Eucharist is a school of blessing and said that through the Mass, Catholics are blessed by the Lord and can in turn be a blessing to others as “channels of goodness’’ in the world.

• Young people, are called to be light in the dark night experienced by so many of your friends who do not yet know the joy of new life in Jesus

• The Holy Spirit is the creator of communion and the artist of reconciliation

• God sent us darkness of suffering to forgive and pray for the conversion of all.

AUGUST

Families, Schools of Human GrowthThat families, through their life of prayer and love, become ever more clearly "schools of true human growth."