Tag: John Paul II
Our Age is Marked by a Great Crisis
In the light of these and other texts of the New Testament it is possible to understand what is meant by the “civilization of love”, and why the family is organically linked to this civilization. If the first “way of the Church” is the family, it should also be said that the civilization of love… Read More ›
Work as an Expression of Love
22. Work was the daily expression of love in the life of the Family of Nazareth. The Gospel specifies the kind of work Joseph did in order to support his family: he was a carpenter. This simple word sums up Joseph’s entire life. For Jesus, these were hidden years, the years to which Luke refers… Read More ›
To Jesus through Mary
2. St Louis Marie proposes the loving contemplation of the mystery of the Incarnation with unusual effectiveness. Authentic Marian devotion is Christocentric. Indeed, as the Second Vatican Council recalled, “Devoutly meditating on her [Mary] and contemplating her in the light of the Word made man, the Church reverently penetrates more deeply into the great mystery… Read More ›
Love and concern for all families
. . . prayer should first of all be an encouraging witness on the part of those families who live out their human and Christian vocation in the communion of the home. How many of them there are in every nation, diocese and parish! With reason it can be said that these families make up… Read More ›
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
Hail Mary, poor and humble Woman, Blessed by the Most High! Virgin of hope, dawn of a new era, We join in your song of praise, to celebrate the Lord’s mercy, to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and the full liberation of humanity. Hail Mary, lowly handmaid of the Lord, Glorious Mother of Christ!… Read More ›
World Day for Consecrated Life
In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted 2 February as a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. In the US the celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life is transferred to Sunday, 7 February 2010, in order to enable as much participation as possible. Consecrated Life Sunday is an annual day… Read More ›
Prayer Makes Jesus Present in the Family
… I wish to speak not to families “in the abstract” but to every particular family in every part of the world, wherever it is located and whatever the diversity and complexity of its culture and history. The love with which God “loved the world” (Jn 3:16), the love with which Christ loved each and… Read More ›
The Family – Way of the Church
… With these words I wanted first of all to evoke the many paths along which man walks, and at the same time to emphasize how deeply the Church desires to stand at his side as he follows the paths of his earthly life. The Church shares in the joys and hopes, the sorrows and… Read More ›
The Source of the Human Love Between Spouses
. . . How far removed are some modern ideas from the profound understanding of masculinity and femininity found in Divine Revelation! Revelation leads us to discover in human sexuality a treasure proper to the person, who finds true fulfilment in the family but who can likewise express his profound calling in virginity and in… Read More ›
When it is Difficult to Pray
When it is difficult to therefore to pray, the most important thing is not to stop praying, not to give up the effort. At these times, turn to the Bible and go to the Church’s liturgy. Meditate on the life and teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. Ponder the wisdom and counsel of… Read More ›