Words of the Holy Father-the Church is faithful 11-25-24

 Words of the Holy Father-the Church is faithful 11-25-24

In a certain sense the Church is “a widow somewhat, because she is waiting for her Bridegroom to return...”. Of course, “she has her Spouse in the Eucharist, in the Word of God, in the poor: but she is waiting for Him to return”. What of “the figure of the Church can be seen in this woman”? She wasn’t important, her name didn’t appear in the newspapers, no one knew her. She had no degree... nothing. Nothing. She did not shine of her own light. Likewise, the great virtue of the Church is not shining of her own light, but rather reflecting the light that comes from her Spouse. Especially since over the centuries, when the Church wanted to have her own light, she was wrong. (…) The Church receives light from there, from the Lord, and all the services we do in the Church help her to receive that light. When a service is lacking this light, it’s not good because it causes the Church to become rich, or powerful, or to seek power, or to lose her way, as has happened so many times in history and, as it happens in our life when we want to have another light: our own light, which is not really that of the Lord. (…)

When the Church is humble and poor, and even when the Church confesses her misfortunes — we all have them — the Church is faithful. It’s as if the Church were saying: I am darkened, but light comes to me from there! and this does us so much good. Thus, let us pray to this widow who is surely in heaven that she may teach us to be like the Church, renouncing all we have and keeping nothing for ourselves but instead giving all for the Lord and for our neighbour. Always humble and without boasting of having our own light, but always seeking the light which comes from the Lord. (Santa Maria, 24 November 2014)

Monday of the Thirty-fourth 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 poverty-stricken widow put in two small coins https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/51166