The Beauty of the Papacy

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  -Matthew 16:13-19

If we look back in history to Jesus' time, we would see that Caesare'a Philip'pi was a place of worship of the Greco-Roman god, Pan, and also, later on, of the worship of Tiberius Caesar who considered himself a god. It is here that Jesus asks the question, "Who do you say that I am?"


In front of all of these other "gods" Simon Peter makes the bold proclamation, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In a place teeming with worship of pagan gods, Simon Peter is the one who is not afraid to speak the truth. He is not deceived by the falsehoods being spoken or practiced around him. Simon Peter makes this declaration without Jesus telling him; it was through the inspiration of the Divine. Because of this, Jesus says,

"And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Jesus calls Simon Peter. In Greek, Peter means Petros, meaning rock. He continues to say that on this "rock",  Petros, Peter, He will build his Church, "and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." If we go back 9 chapters in Matthew's Gospel to Chapter 7, verses 24-25,  Jesus tells us that the wise man builds his house on rock, but not just on any rock. He says, "this rock".  When we build our "house", our foundation for life and all that we stand for on the rock, the Church, the Bride of Christ, when the rains come and the winds blow, our "house" will NOT fall!


The beauty of the Church is all in all the Eucharist, for it is our "source and summit"! (CCC 1324) Another beautiful aspect of our faith is the papacy. Jesus himself implemented it. Up until the profession of faith by Peter, Jesus has avoided occasions of danger (Rf. John 7:30, 7:44, 8:59, 10:39), but now that the Church has a foundation, Peter, His time for offering up the one Sacrifice for all has come. (See Matthew 16:21) Jesus entrusts all that He taught and did to Peter to continue to hand on in His place. It is up to the Holy Father to "watch[] over the transmission of the true faith." (YOUCAT 141)


This is the beauty of the Papacy! We have, as a guide, a man to whom Jesus Himself has entrusted His Church. If Jesus has entrusted this to him, we should, in turn, trust and follow the guidance of the Holy Father; for his mission is to continue the work of Jesus and to lead the faithful towards their heavenly home! 


Let us pray for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that he may continue to guide us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that he may be protected from all harm so as to bring glory and honor to Our Lord Jesus Christ! 

O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all Your faithful people, mercifully look upon Your servant Pope Benedict XVI, whom You have chosen as the chief Shepherd to preside over Your Church. We beg You to help him edify, both by word and example, those over whom he has charge, that he may reach everlasting life together with the flock entrusted to him. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm.

Praise

     What are reasons for praise? Do we praise God in moments of joy? Do we praise God in moments of peace and contentment? Do we praise God in moments of weakness or in moments of sorrow and suffering? Praise is due to God in moments of happiness and joy just as David shows us in 2 Samuel 6 when he dances before the Lord, however, it is not our only reason for praise. In our moments of weakness, we must praise! "'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) In moments of sorrow and suffering, our souls must praise! Job, after losing everything he owned and all of his children, "arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshipped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'" (Job 1:20) There is beauty in praising God in moments of pure joy and freedom in praising God in times of sorrow and suffering.

     Praise allows us the opportunity to realize our place in relation to Him who created us. "Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory...simply because HE IS" (CCC 2639). It teaches us humility and graciousness like Our Lady. Mary is a woman of praise! "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant...." (Luke 1:46-48) When we seek to live a life of praise, we seek to live a life modeled after that of Our Lady and of the saints.
     We were created for praise! This praise, which finds it's climax in the celebration of the Mass, should permeate our daily lives! Praise is so much more than routine monotonous recitation of prayers. Praise moves the soul; sometimes even to tears. More than that, praise is not about what we can receive from it but what we have to offer to Him who gave us everything! Praise isn't about what you're feeling while you're praising. It's about what you offer up to God even in moments when you get nothing in return. Praise is beautiful in moments of pure elation when a soul is moved to tears for love of the Savior and beautiful even in moments when there is no feeling, just praise.
     There are so many forms of praise. Vocal. Silent. Visible. Invisible. All of these forms of praise are crucial to the spiritual life. We experience these types of praise in every Mass (GIRM 39-45) and should strive to live these types of praise in our everyday lives for they stretch us and push us beyond ourselves! They free us from the limitations we place upon our selves and allow us to elevate to union with the Divine!

Consoling the Heart of Jesus

"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28

     I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with a very wise three year old. She was in the kitchen making milkshakes with her grandmother for the rest of the family on a particularly hot day. The noise of the ice cream maker scared her. As she came running towards me and I leaned over to scoop her into my arms, I heard, "I want to hold you! I want to hold you!" Which, translated, meant, 'I want you to hold me!' As I held her in my arms, she squeezed me tight and I gladly returned the squeeze and all the love that her little squeeze entailed. 
     Reflecting back on the preciousness of that moment, I realized that as much consolation as I had brought to her sweet heart in that moment, she, in turn, brought much consolation to my heart. When we love someone, we desire to console their hearts in moments of fear and sorrow. It is, naturally, the way God created us. It was consoling to my heart that she felt security in my arms. It was consoling that I had the opportunity to hold her and reassure her that even though the ice cream maker was loud, the whole family was safe. If I felt this way, I can only imagine how her mother and father feel! The same is with the Lord! This thought amazed me. In our moments of fear and anxiety, because of his great love for us, he longingly waits for us to run into his arms, seeking shelter from the trials of this world. How consoling must it be to Jesus' heart when we run to him with our fears and anxieties, and how he must love the opportunity to just hold us in his merciful arms! 
     Let us pray this week for the grace to run, more often, to his arms in moments of uncertainty!


Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

Mary Ark of the New Covenant: Extending to All Generations

Mary is the New Eve sent to crush the head of the serpent. Mary is the Mother of all Generations given to us at the foot of the Cross through the beloved disciple John. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant more precious than the golden ark of old, carrying within herself the divine Treasure, the New Covenant Himself. It is in this way that she ascends the hills of the countryside to meet her older cousin Elizabeth.

Salvation history reminds us of the broken reality of our human nature. God created us with hearts to love and intellects to choose Him or another, from covenant to covenant. God is a God of mercy, restoring covenant after covenant until sending His own Son to restore and renew all covenants in the new covenant for all ages. 

We begin in Genesis. God made a covenant in the Garden of Eden; humanity rejected the covenant[1]. God makes a covenant with Noah and restores the covenant demolished by man in the Garden.  After the flood Noah breaks the covenant and gets drunk and falls asleep naked in his tent[2]. God makes a covenant with the Israelites. They get impatient while Moses is on Sinai and worship a false god. Moses smashes the covenant and goes back up the mountain to have it restored.  This covenant is contained in part by the Ten Commandments and is later concealed in an ark as a place of glory and respect. Even as this covenant is stored in an elevated place, God continues to fulfill and establish covenants with humanity that are thrown away, such as with David and his infidelity and murderous act.

God, in His great mercy, once and for all sends His own Son, concealed in a new Ark, to establish the new and final covenant that cannot be broken. It cannot be broken by humanity because Christ will both establish this new covenant at the Last Supper and carry out this new covenant in His passion, death, and resurrection.

When we close our eyes and meditate on the image of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, we see a young girl with an older woman, sharing in a celebration of life deep within them. If we look deeper we see an expression of love extended from the infant Lord to all generations from infants to elders. Mary makes haste to see Elizabeth in the hill country. We see in this image the likeness of the hastening of David to that same region to the ark and upon his arrival he dances before the Lord.[3] Mary hastens and the infant John, the new Elijah sent to prepare the way of the Lord, dances within the womb before the new Ark.

 Here we have the restoration and beginning of the new covenant in the new Ark, the womb of Mary.  “The Ark is the place par excellence of the presence of God, being kept therein the tablets of the Law, the flowering rod of Aaron, and a vase full of manna. Now, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the reality of all that the ark contained in figure, because Mary is she ‘who bears in herself not the word of God written ‘on stone’ (the tablets of the Law), but the very word of God, the Logos, made flesh, become her son; who carries in herself not the ‘flowering rod of Aaron, but the flower of Jesse’; who carries in herself not the manna, figure of the Eucharist, but the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Eucharistic Christ, adorned by the golden cherubim!”[4]

In His great love and mercy, the Father extends His grace in the womb of the new Ark, to all generations from covenant to covenant. How beautiful the new Ark—more pure than any gold or silver, containing within Her an infinite treasure!

Written by Nicolette, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, used with permission

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[1] Genesis 2-3

[2] Genesis 9

[3] 1 Sam 6

[4] Manelli, Fr. Stephano. & Miravalle, Mark. Mariology. (Goleta: Queenship Publishing, 2007), 36

Youth Today (World Youth Day)

 "The youth of today, with weakened existential roots due to a rampant spiritual and moral relativism, "imprisoned by the dominant power" (Benedict XVI. Message for WYD 2011, 1), and can find no solid foundation on which to build your life in today’s culture and society, even sometimes, in the family. You are tempted to your absolute limit to lose your way in life: How could your faith not be sometimes shaken?

Youth of the 21st century need, even more than previous generations, to find the Lord through the only path that has proven spiritually effective: that of a humble and simple pilgrim seeking God’s face. The youth of today need to see Jesus Christ when He comes to meet them in the Word, the sacraments, “as well, and most importantly, in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance, the poor and the sick, in those brothers experiencing difficulty and in need of help” (Benedict XVI. Message, 4). They need to see and enter into an intimate dialogue with Him, who loves them without asking anything in return except that you answer with your own love.

The intention of the Pope who loves you so much, is to guide you in this very way: that you may experience in the communion of the Catholic Church the truth and the urgency of making the theme of World Youth Day 2011your life: "rooted and built upin Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2.7)."

- An excerpt from Cardinal Rouco's Homily at World Youth Day 2011 

HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II FOR THE CANONIZATION OF EDITH STEIN

 1. “Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14).
St Paul’s words to the Galatians, which we have just heard, are well suited to the human and spiritual experience of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, who has been solemnly enrolled among the saints today. She too can repeat with the Apostle: Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 The Cross of Christ! Ever blossoming, the tree the Cross continues to bear new fruits of salvation. This is why believers look with confidence to the Cross, drawing from its mystery of love the courage and strength to walk faithfully in the footsteps of the crucified and risen Christ. Thus the message of the Cross has entered the hearts of so many men and women and changed their lives.

The spiritual experience of Edith Stein is an eloquent example of this extraordinary interior renewal. A young woman in search of the truth has become a saint and martyr through the silent workings of divine grace: Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, who from heaven repeats to us today all the words that marked her life: “Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

2. On 1 May 1987, during my Pastoral Visit to Germany, I had the joy of beatifying this generous witness to the faith in the city of Cologne. Today, 11 years later, here in Rome, in St Peter's Square, I am able solemnly to present this eminent daughter of Israel and faithful daughter of the Church as a saint to the whole world.

Today, as then, we bow to the memory of Edith Stein, proclaiming the indomitable witness she bore during her life and especially by her death. Now alongside Teresa of Avila and Thérèse of Lisieux, another Teresa takes her place among the host of saints who do honour to the Carmelite Order.

Dear brothers and sisters who have gathered for this solemn celebration, let us give glory to God for what he has accomplished in Edith Stein.

3. I greet the many pilgrims who have come to Rome, particularly the members of the Stein family who have wanted to be with us on this joyful occasion. I also extend a cordial greeting to the representatives of the Carmelite community, which became a “second family” for Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

I also welcome the official delegation from the Federal Republic of Germany, led by Helmut Kohl, the outgoing Federal Chancellor, whom I greet with heartfelt respect. Moreover, I greet the representatives of the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate and the Mayor of Cologne.
An official delegation has also come from my country, led by Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek. I extend a cordial greeting to them.

I would particularly like to mention the pilgrims from the Dioceses of Wroclaw (Breslau), Cologne, Münster, Speyer, Kraków and Bielsko-Zywiec who have come with their Cardinals, Bishops and pastors. They join the numerous groups of the faithful from Germany, the United States of America and my homeland, Poland.

4. Dear brothers and sisters! Because she was Jewish, Edith Stein was taken with her sister Rosa and many other Catholic Jews from the Netherlands to the concentration camp in Auschwitz, where she died with them in the gas chambers. Today we remember them all with deep respect. A few days before her deportation, the woman religious had dismissed the question about a possible rescue: “Do not do it! Why should I be spared? Is it not right that I should gain no advantage from my Baptism? If I cannot share the lot of my brothers and sisters, my life, in a certain sense, is destroyed”.

From now on, as we celebrate the memory of this new saint from year to year, we must also remember the Shoah, that cruel plan to exterminate a people — a plan to which millions of our Jewish brothers and sisters fell victim. May the Lord let his face shine upon them and grant them peace (cf. Nm 6:25f.).

For the love of God and man, once again I raise an anguished cry: May such criminal deeds never be repeated against any ethnic group, against any race, in any corner of this world! It is a cry to everyone: to all people of goodwill; to all who believe in the Just and Eternal God; to all who know they are joined to Christ, the Word of God made man. We must all stand together: human dignity is at stake. There is only one human family. The new saint also insisted on this: “Our love of neighbour is the measure of our love of God. For Christians — and not only for them — no one is a ‘stranger’. The love of Christ knows no borders”.

"...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:45)

By Jesus washing their feet at the Last Supper, the Apostles become both sacrifices and priests. In Jesus' time priests had to wash their feet, and one had to wash the feet of animal sacrifices. By washing their feet, Jesus equips the Apostles to be poured out in sacrifice as offerings to the Father, and to themselves make this offering both in the Eucharist and in the daily offering of their lives for love of God. This washing of the Apostles' feet is related to the sacrament of Baptism, which draws its power from the Cross, the ultimate sign of service. By Baptism, the whole community of the faithful is a priestly people. "'...by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, [they] are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that through all the works of Christian men they may offer spiritual sacrifices.' Incorporated in Jesus Christ, the baptized are united to him and to his sacrifice in the offering they make of themselves and their daily activities (cf. Rom 12:1,2) (Christifideles Laici, 14) and in their fulfillment of their call to be poured out in sacrifice--"...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:24).
     As priestly people by virtue of our Baptism, we are called to service, to take our example from that of the Cross, to serve our brothers and sisters out of selfless love, to "...walk the road Christ Himself walked, a way of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice even to death, a death from which he emerged victorious by his resurrection" (CCC 852). Service reminds us of our dependence on one another and of our need for community. It reminds us that we are not self-sufficient, but that we need each other, enrich each other, complete each other and exist in the service of each other (CCC 340). No creature is self-sufficient. "God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow:.....their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other" (CCC 340).
     The mutual dependence seen throughout all of creation is poignantly seen in the mutual dependance linking the different generations, the young and the old (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). "The elderly help us to see human affairs with greater wisdom...[and they] are able to offer young people precious advice and guidance" (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). Likewise, youth offer the elderly their enthusiasm and spirit, helping to preserve their youth and vitality. "...[There is a] mutual dependence and indispensable solidarity which link the different generations, inasmuch as every person needs others and draws enrichment from the gifts and charisms of all" (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). There is an old Jewish tale in which a young woman says to an old woman, "what is life's heaviest burden"? And the old woman answers, "to have nothing to carry" (Franciscan Prayer by Ilia Delio, O.S.F.). A love that is truly life-giving and transforming, bringing out in us who we are truly created to be, is one that serves the other, helps us carry the other's burdens, and ultimately empties us of self.
     In the call of service is a call to humility. As instruments of the Holy Spirit, we must empty ourselves so that the Holy Spirit can come and work through us. The true definition of humility is that of living in truth before God. Humility is truth. As we learn from Jesus the way of the Cross, we also learn humility from Him who is "meek and humble of heart." Jesus is totally emptied of and free from preoccupation with self. He, the King of the Universe, is born in a stable, washes the feet of His followers, and freely gives up His life on the cross. He shows us the true meaning of humility, that it is not having a low opinion of oneself or admitting wrongdoing, but that it is "readiness to abase oneself, to lower oneself and serve the brothers and sisters; it is having the will to serve. This is done out of love, not out of any other motives" (Sober Intoxication of the Holy Spirit by Roniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap.).
     True service means serving others out of humility without self-interest or calculation, as in the parable about the dinner guests, "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you" (Luke 14:13-14). It means pouring ourselves out freely and not living only for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15). It condemns our instinct to elevate ourselves above our neighbors, realizing that we are dependent on each other. It means we don't use our gifts for ourselves or to dominate others, but we use them for the service of others (Sober Intoxication of the Holy Spirit by Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap.)--" ...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:45).


Written by Kristen, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm