Is following Jesus easy? Pope Francis answers at the Sunday Angelus - ZENIT - English

 Is following Jesus easy? Pope Francis answers at the Sunday Angelus - ZENIT - English https://zenit.org/2024/08/25/is-following-jesus-easy-pope-francis-answers-at-the-sunday-angelus/?eti=16383

Words of the Holy Father-he is the “Living Bread”-08-25-24

 Words of the Holy Father-he is the “Living Bread”-08-25-24

Peter makes his confession of faith on behalf of the other Apostles: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (v. 68). He does not say “where shall we go?”, but “to whom shall we go?”. The underlying problem is not about leaving and abandoning the work undertaken, but to whom to go. From Peter’s question we understand that fidelity to God is a question of fidelity to a person, to whom we bind ourselves to walk together on the same road. And this person is Jesus. All that we have in the world does not satisfy our infinite hunger. We need Jesus, to be with him, to be nourished at his table, on his words of eternal life! Believing in Jesus means making him the centre, the meaning of our life. Christ is not an optional element: he is the “Living Bread”, the essential nourishment. Binding oneself to him, in a true relationship of faith and love, does not mean being tied down, but being profoundly free, always on the journey. Each one of us can ask him- or herself: who is Jesus for me? Is he a name, an idea, simply an historical figure? Or is he truly that person who loves me and gave his life for me and walks with me? Who is Jesus for you? (……)  Silently, each one, answer in your heart. (Angelus, 23 August 2015)

Twenty-first 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: What about you, do you want to go away too? https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50490

‘Renew Your Hope in Jesus’: Pope Francis Prays for People of Nicaragua at Sunday Angelus| National Catholic Register

 ‘Renew Your Hope in Jesus’: Pope Francis Prays for People of Nicaragua at Sunday Angelus| National Catholic Register https://www.ncregister.com/cna/cna-20240825-pope-angelus-nicaragua?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=catholic_news_renew_your_hope_in_jesus_pope_francis_prays_for_persecuted_catholics_of_nicaragua_at_sunday_angelus&utm_term=2024-08-25

Words of the Holy Father-To encounter Jesus is to experience his love-08-24-24 -baptism

 Words of the Holy Father-To encounter Jesus is to experience his love-08-24-24 -baptism

Indeed, the concrete sign that we have truly encountered Jesus is the joy that we show in communicating it to others. And this is not “proselytizing”, this is giving a gift: I give you what gives me joy. Reading the Gospel we see that this was the experience of the first disciples: after their first encounter with Jesus, Andrew went immediately to tell his brother Peter (cf. Jn 1:40-42), and Philip did the same with Nathanael (cf. Jn 1:45-46). To encounter Jesus is to experience his love. This love transforms us and makes us able to transmit to others the power it gives. In a way we could say that from the day of our Baptism each one of us is given a new name in addition to the one given to us by our mom and dad; this name is “Christopher”. We are all “Christophers”. What does that mean? “Bearers of Christ”. It is the name of our attitude, the attitude of a bearer of the joy of Christ, of the mercy of Christ. Every Christian is a “Christopher”, that is, a bearer of Christ! (Jubilee Audience, 30 January 2016)

Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

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

Gospel in Art: Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50486

Words of the Holy Father-Here I am is the key phrase for life.-08-22-24

 Words of the Holy Father-Here I am is the key phrase for life.-08-22-24

It is God who seeks mankind. But in the first case God goes to Adam, after the sin, and asks him: “Where are you?”, and Adam responds: “I hid myself”. In the second case, however, God goes to Mary, without sin, who responds: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”. Here I am is the opposite of I hid myself. (…)  Here I am is the key phrase for life. It marks the passage from a horizontal life, centred on oneself and one’s own needs, to a vertical life, ascending toward God. Here I am is being available to the Lord; it is the cure for selfishness, the antidote to a dissatisfied life, which is always lacking something. Here I am is the remedy against the aging of sin; it is the therapy for staying young within. Here I am is believing that God counts more than my ‘me’. It is choosing to bet on the Lord, docile to his surprises. This is why saying here I am to him is the highest praise we can offer him. Why not begin our days with a ‘here I am, Lord’? It would be beautiful to say each morning: “Here I am, Lord, today let your will be done in me”. We will say it in praying the Angelus, but we can repeat it now, together. Here I am, Lord, today let your will be done in me! (Angelus, 8 December 2018)

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Gospel in Art: Invite everyone you can to the wedding https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50474 

Pope: 'Once we've encountered Christ, we can't keep Him to ourselves' - Vatican News

 Pope: 'Once we've encountered Christ, we can't keep Him to ourselves' - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-08/pope-sends-prayers-to-eucharistic-congress-in-madagascar.html

Words of the Holy Father-Here I am is the key phrase for life.-08-22-24

 Words of the Holy Father-Here I am is the key phrase for life.-08-22-24

It is God who seeks mankind. But in the first case God goes to Adam, after the sin, and asks him: “Where are you?”, and Adam responds: “I hid myself”. In the second case, however, God goes to Mary, without sin, who responds: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord”. Here I am is the opposite of I hid myself. (…)  Here I am is the key phrase for life. It marks the passage from a horizontal life, centred on oneself and one’s own needs, to a vertical life, ascending toward God. Here I am is being available to the Lord; it is the cure for selfishness, the antidote to a dissatisfied life, which is always lacking something. Here I am is the remedy against the aging of sin; it is the therapy for staying young within. Here I am is believing that God counts more than my ‘me’. It is choosing to bet on the Lord, docile to his surprises. This is why saying here I am to him is the highest praise we can offer him. Why not begin our days with a ‘here I am, Lord’? It would be beautiful to say each morning: “Here I am, Lord, today let your will be done in me”. We will say it in praying the Angelus, but we can repeat it now, together. Here I am, Lord, today let your will be done in me! (Angelus, 8 December 2018)

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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

Gospel in Art: Invite everyone you can to the wedding https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/50474