Excerpt from the Holy Father's message to the bishops of Brazil:
(emphasis mine)
"We Bishops have come together to manifest this central truth, since we are directly bound to Christ, the Good Shepherd. The mission entrusted to us as teachers of the faith consists in recalling, in the words of the Apostle of the Gentiles, that our Saviour 'desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth' (1 Tim 2:4). This, and nothing else, is the purpose of the Church: the salvation of individual souls. For this reason the Father sent his Son, and in the Lord’s own words transmitted to us in the Gospel of Saint John, 'as the Father has sent me, even so I send you' (Jn 20:21). Hence the mandate to preach the Gospel: 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age' (Mt 28:19-20). These words are simple yet sublime; they speak of our duty to proclaim the truth of the faith, the urgent need for the sacramental life, and the promise of Christ’s continual assistance to his Church. These are fundamental realities: they speak of instructing people in the faith and in Christian morality, and of celebrating the sacraments. Wherever God and his will are unknown, wherever faith in Jesus Christ and in his sacramental presence is lacking, the essential element for the solution of pressing social and political problems is also missing. Fidelity to the primacy of God and of his will, known and lived in communion with Jesus Christ, is the essential gift that we Bishops and priests must offer to our people (cf. Populorum Progressio, 21).... (H/T: Rocco at Whispers)
Exactly, exactly, exactly! Not programs or mission statements or strategies or policies BUT fidelity to God's will and the preaching of the gospel! Exactly!
Fr. Philip, OP
P.S. I wonder if my provincial would let me change my religious name to "Benedict"???
(emphasis mine)
"We Bishops have come together to manifest this central truth, since we are directly bound to Christ, the Good Shepherd. The mission entrusted to us as teachers of the faith consists in recalling, in the words of the Apostle of the Gentiles, that our Saviour 'desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth' (1 Tim 2:4). This, and nothing else, is the purpose of the Church: the salvation of individual souls. For this reason the Father sent his Son, and in the Lord’s own words transmitted to us in the Gospel of Saint John, 'as the Father has sent me, even so I send you' (Jn 20:21). Hence the mandate to preach the Gospel: 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age' (Mt 28:19-20). These words are simple yet sublime; they speak of our duty to proclaim the truth of the faith, the urgent need for the sacramental life, and the promise of Christ’s continual assistance to his Church. These are fundamental realities: they speak of instructing people in the faith and in Christian morality, and of celebrating the sacraments. Wherever God and his will are unknown, wherever faith in Jesus Christ and in his sacramental presence is lacking, the essential element for the solution of pressing social and political problems is also missing. Fidelity to the primacy of God and of his will, known and lived in communion with Jesus Christ, is the essential gift that we Bishops and priests must offer to our people (cf. Populorum Progressio, 21).... (H/T: Rocco at Whispers)
Exactly, exactly, exactly! Not programs or mission statements or strategies or policies BUT fidelity to God's will and the preaching of the gospel! Exactly!
Fr. Philip, OP
P.S. I wonder if my provincial would let me change my religious name to "Benedict"???
Fr. Philip,
ReplyDeleteYay for Benedict!
Whether or not your provincial would let you change your religious name, our pope wouldn't mind if you were to change your name. ^_-
Pax,
Jimmy G.
Jimmy G,
ReplyDeleteOne more name change for me and my mom would disown me...
Fr. Philip