One Shepherd

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Pope Francis sparks debate with call to investigate Gaza genocide allegations - ZENIT - English

Pope Francis sparks debate with call to investigate Gaza genocide allegations - ZENIT - English: Francis reflects on contemporary global conflicts, including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Words of the Holy Father-the gift of a new outlook on ourselves and on others-11-19-24

Brothers, sisters, let us remember this: the gaze of God never stops at our past, full of errors, but looks with infinite confidence at what we can become. And if at times we feel we are people who are “small of stature”, not up to the challenges of life and far less of the Gospel, mired in problems and sins,

Jesus always looks at us with love. As with Zacchaeus, he comes towards us, he calls us by name and, if we welcome him, he comes to our home. Then we might ask ourselves: how do we look at ourselves? Do we feel inadequate, and resign ourselves, or precisely there, when we feel down, do we seek

the encounter with Jesus? And then: what gaze do we have towards those who have erred, and who struggle to get up again from the dust of

their mistakes? Is it a gaze from above, that judges, disdains, that excludes? Let us remember that it is legitimate to look down on someone

only to help them get up again: nothing more. Only then is it legitimate to look down from above. But we Christians must have the gaze of Christ, who embraces from below, who seeks those who are lost, with compassion. This is, and must be, the gaze of the Church, always, the gaze of Christ, not the condemning gaze. Let us pray to Mary, whose humility the Lord looked upon, and ask her for the gift of a new outlook on ourselves and on others. (Angelus, 30 October 2022)

Date19/11/2024

Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel and Thought for the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Gospel in Art: Salvation comes to the house of Zacchaeus https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/51123

Words of the Holy Father-when Jesus passes by-11-18-24

The blind in those times — but also not so long ago — were able to live only by alms. The figure of this blind man represents the many people who, today too, are marginalized because of a disability, be it physical or of another kind. He is separated from the flock, sitting there while people pass by: busy, lost in their thoughts and in so many things.... And the road, which could be a place of encounter, for him is instead a place of solitude. Crowds pass by ... and he is alone. (…) The evangelist says that someone in the crowd explained to the blind man the reason why all those people had gathered, saying: “Jesus of Nazareth

is passing by!” (v. 37). Jesus’ passing by is indicated with the same verb with which the Book of Exodus speaks of the passing of the Angel of Death, who saves the Israelites in the land of Egypt (cf. Exodus 12:23). It is the “passage” of Easter, the beginning of the liberation: when Jesus passes by there is always liberation, there is always salvation! (…) Brothers and sisters, the Lord’s passing by is an encounter of mercy that unites everything around him to enable us

to recognize one who is in need of help and of consolation. Jesus also passes by in your Life; and when Jesus passes by, and I realize it, it is an invitation to draw near to him, to be better, to be a better Christian, to follow Jesus. (General audience, 15 June 2016

Date18/11/2024

Monday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel and Thought for the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Gospel in Art: Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/51115

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Words of the Holy Father-on what are we investing our lives-11-17-24

And we, brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves: on what are we investing our lives? On things that pass, such as money, success, appearance,

physical well-being? We will take away none of these things. Are we attached to earthly things, as if we were to live here forever? When we are young and healthy, everything is fine, but when the time comes to depart, we have to leave everything behind. The Word of God warns us today: this world will pass away. And only love will remain. To base one’s life on the Word of God, therefore, is not an escape from history, but an immersion into earthly realities in order to make them solid, to transform them with love, imprinting on them the sign of eternity, the sign of God. Here then is some advice for making important choices. When I

do not know what to do, how to make a definitive choice, an important decision, a decision that involves Jesus’ love, what must I do? Before

deciding, let us imagine that we are standing in front of Jesus, as at the end of life, before he who is love. And imagining ourselves there, in his presence, at the threshold of eternity, we make the decision for today. We must decide in this way: always looking to eternity, looking at Jesus. It may not be the easiest, it may not be the most immediate, but it will be the right one that is certain. (Angelus 14 November 2021)

Date17/11/2024

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel and Thought for the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Gospel in Art: The stars will come falling from heaven https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/51106

Words of the Holy Father-when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth-11-16-24

God invites us to pray insistently not because he is unaware of our needs or because he is not listening to us. On the contrary, he is always listening and he knows everything about us lovingly. On our daily journey, especially in times of difficulty, in the battle against the evil that is outside and within us, the Lord is not

far away, he is by our side. We battle with him beside us, and our weapon is prayer which makes us feel his presence beside us, his mercy and also his help.

But the battle against evil is a long and hard one; it requires patience and endurance, like Moses who had to keep his arms outstretched for the

people to prevail (cf Ex 17:8-13). This is how it is: there is a battle to be waged each day, but God is our ally, faith in him is our strength and prayer is the expression of this faith. Therefore Jesus assures us of the victory, but at the end he asks: “when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk 18:8). If faith is snuffed out, prayer is snuffed out, and we walk in the dark. We become lost on the path of life. (Angelus, 20 October 2013)

Date16/11/2024

Saturday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel and Thought for the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Gospel in Art: The parable of the unjust judge https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/51102

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Words of the Holy Father-God our Father today weeps-10-31-24

Someone said that God was made man in order to be able to mourn for what had been done to his children. Thus, the “tears before the tomb of Lazarus are the tears of a friend”. However, the tears recounted in the passage from Luke’s Gospel are the “tears of the Father”. Even today, faced with disasters, wars which are conducted out of the worship of the god of money, of many innocent people murdered by bombs which are launched by worshippers of the idol of money. Thus, “even today the Father weeps, and even today says: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, my children, what are you doing?”. And “he says this to the poor victims, as well as to arms traffickers, and all those who sell the lives of people”. Think about how God was made man in order to be able to weep. And we would do well to think that God our Father today weeps: he weeps for this humanity which does not end, to understand the peace which he offers us, the peace of love. (Santa Marta, 27 October 2016)

Date31/10/2024

Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel and Thought for the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Gospel in Art: A call to action - Make your voice heard against Assisted Suicide https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50984

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Words of the Holy Father-narrow doorway-ove God and neighbour-10-30-24

With these words, Jesus makes it clear that it is not a matter of numbers, there is no “limited number” in Paradise! Rather, it is a case of taking the right way from now, and this right way is for everyone, but it is narrow. This is the problem. Jesus does not want to give us false hopes by saying: “Yes, do not worry, it is easy, there is a beautiful highway with a large gate at the end ....”. He does not say this. He tells us things as they truly are: the doorway is narrow. In what sense? In the sense that, in order to save oneself, one has to love God and neighbour, and this is uncomfortable! It is a “narrow doorway” because it is demanding. Love is always demanding. It requires commitment, indeed, “effort”, that is, a determined and persevering willingness to live according to the Gospel. Saint Paul calls it “the good fight of the faith” (1 Tim 6:12). It takes a daily, all-day effort to love God and neighbour. (…)

No, claims do not count, they do not count. The Lord will recognize us only for our humble life and a good life, a life of faith that resulted in good works. (Angelus, 25 August 2019)

Date30/10/2024

Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel and Thought for the Day - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/word-of-the-day.html

Gospel in Art: Try your best to enter by the narrow door https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50976