How did our Mother pray?

 

How did our Mother pray?
Our Lady’s prayer and petition go up in a constant stream to God like the sweet perfume of a rose. The fragrant aroma of her prayer is stirred by the breeze of our petition, and even by the stormy winds that blow throughout the world. She joins our thanksgiving and petitions to her own and presents them to the Father through Jesus Christ her Son.

“Our Lord himself learned from his Mother many prayers transmitted from generation to generation among the people of Israel. We too, may recall prayers that we learned from our mothers. Our Lady’s example encourages us to deepen our prayer. … ‘Mary treasured up all these sayings, and reflected on them in her heart.’ Let us try to imitate her in talking to Our Lord. We can converse about everything that happens to us, even the most insignificant incidents, like two people in love." St. Josemaría.

How easy it is to love Mary since no more lovable creature ever existed! Mary is like the smile from the Most High bent upon us. There is no defect or imperfection in her. She is not far removed from our own experience, but very much attuned to our everyday life. She knows of our vacillations, our concerns, and our needs. May we have no fear of going too far in our affection for her!

We need only invoke her name. The demons tremble at its mere utterance. And Mary, like all mothers, finds special joy in coming to help those of her children who are most in need.

“If we have this filial contact with Mary, we won’t be able to think about ourselves and our problems. Selfish personal problems will find no place in our minds. Mary brings us to Jesus."

“Be daring. Count on the help of Mary, Queen of Apostles. Without ceasing to be a mother, our Lady can get each of her children to face their own responsibilities. Mary always does the immense favor of bringing us close to the Cross, placing us face to face with the example of the Son of God, those who come close to her and contemplate her life. Facing this challenge is how Christian life is decided. And here Mary intercedes for us so that our choice may be wise and lead to a reconciliation of the younger brother – you and me – with the firstborn Son of the Father."

“Many conversions, many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary. Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to be useful, and to lead a new life. And so, her counsel ‘Do whatever he tells you’ has turned into real self-giving, into a Christian vocation, which from then on enlightens all our personal life."

This personal conversion will be like a red rose offered to our Mother.

Resolution at the conclusion of this Novena: To live always very close to our Mother Mary. 
Dec 8 Mon

What should I do in this Season of Advent?

 

What should I do in this Season of Advent?

As John the Baptist’s message is narrated in the Gospel, 
- Christ is coming to establish the kingdom of God; 
- You must prepare by repenting from your sins and doing what is right; and
- The Lord’s judgment will be of ultimate good or bad significance to you.

In addition, John taught that a person’s status, however high, would be of no avail in this judgment.

The prophet Isaiah foretold that the Christ, the Son of David (the son of Jesse), would have these gifts of the Holy Spirit:

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. (Is 11:1-3)

A reading of any one of the Gospels confirms that Jesus Christ possessed and practiced these gifts perfectly. 
We, ordinary followers of Christ, through Baptism and Confirmation, also share these gifts.

Through grace, God the Holy Spirit makes us “participate in the divine nature.” We then acquire a supernatural new life; we become children of God and heirs with Christ. Grace is like light whose splendor erases the stains of the soul, and we are divinized. Thus, it is comparable to a wedding garment, or a seed, in the Gospel.

The gifts are permanent dispositions that make us receptive to divine inspirations. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are a special awakening of the human soul, and they mature the supernatural life of grace in each person.

The gifts improve the virtues of those who receive them and help the faithful readily obey divine inspirations. A Christian “empowered” by the virtues can perform good deeds. The emphasis is on the decision of the person. 

A Christian who is obedient to God’s gifts and allows the Holy Spirit to act through him performs excellent deeds. The emphasis is on the Holy Spirit.

- The gift of wisdom is a loving knowledge of God and everything that comes from and leads to him.

- Understanding is the power that perfects our perception of the mysteries of the faith, enabling us to penetrate more deeply into the divine truths revealed by God.

- The gift of counsel helps us make wise decisions promptly, correctly, and according to the will of God.

- Fortitude makes us steadfast in the faith, constant in struggle, and faithful in perseverance.

- Knowledge enables us to be wise in using the things of this world.

- The gift of piety teaches us the meaning of divine filiation, the joyful supernatural awareness of being children of God and brothers and sisters of all mankind.

- Fear of the Lord inclines us to respect the all-powerful and loving God.

God showers us with gifts of grace so we can bear the kinds of good fruit that John the Baptist demands. 

What are these good fruits we should bear, right now, in this season of Advent?

- Repenting of sin by making a good examination of conscience and a good sacramental Confession.

- Carrying out our normal duties well, especially in whatever our work is.

- Accepting, embracing, and offering to God our own poverty and afflictions.

- Relieving the poverty and afflictions of others. This is showing mercy.
Dec 7 Sun

What happened with the heresies refuted in Nicaea?

 

What happened with the heresies refuted in Nicaea?

Though Pope Leo has spoken vaguely of some theological controversies as no longer relevant, he also made a point of warning in Turkey that, among our many postmodern problems, “there is also another challenge, which we might call a ‘new Arianism,’ present in today’s culture and sometimes even among believers. This occurs when Jesus is admired on a merely human level, perhaps even with religious respect, yet not truly regarded as the living and true God among us.” 

Arianism was widespread. When the Vandals invaded North Africa, around the time of Saint Augustine’s death, they came not only as “barbarians,” but also as “Arian Christians.” 
The Roman Empire itself “fell” when Odoacer, a Gothic “barbarian,” deposed the last Western emperor. Though tolerant of Catholics, Odoacer was an Arian.

Arianism appealed to soldiers, who saw Jesus as not only holy but, in his bravery during torture and death, heroic. For Arianism, Jesus was merely 'a man'.

Leo’s emphasis on Jesus as “the living God among us” also ties in with his warnings about another heresy, “Pelagianism,” which Saint Augustine famously combatted about a century after Nicaea. Pelagius believed that we are capable of following the precepts of the law without the need for divine grace.

Augustine, the Doctor of Grace, went after Pelagianism hammer and tongs, and left a great legacy of understanding how dependent we are on God, not our own will.

Pope Leo has recalled this main current in the tradition as well:
    The greatest mistake we can make as Christians is, in the words of Saint Augustine, “to claim that Christ’s grace consists in his example and not in the gift of his person”. How often, even in the not-too-distant past, have we forgotten this truth and presented Christian life mostly as a set of rules to be kept, replacing the marvelous experience of encountering Jesus – God who gives himself to us – with a moralistic, burdensome, and unappealing religion that, in some ways, is impossible to live in concrete daily life.

This classic Augustinian view should not be understood as denying moral rules. Rather, it puts grace and the love of God first, which are the deep realities that make it possible for us to live the Christian life. 

One notable thing about Pope Leo’s pilgrimage is his decision not to pray in Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. He took off his shoes, visited “as a tourist,” but maintained a bit of distance from Islam. And rightly so. Alongside the neo-Arianism that denies Christ’s divinity, and the neo-Pelagianism that implies that we can save ourselves, a false universalism and indifferentism – like “God wills a multiplicity of religions” – has arisen in the modern world.

Thus, the radical importance of the Faith on the one hand, and on the other, to talk as if peace and brotherhood result from dialogue rather than the only true source of charity: Jesus Christ.

Excerpts from Robert Royal - Dec 7 Sun

Do I live purity well, as my response to God’s love?

 

Do I live purity well, as my response to God’s love?

In the Last Supper, Our Lord bent down to wash the disciples’ feet, indicating the cleanliness of heart necessary to sit at the table with the Lord.

The virtue of holy purity, which draws us into intimacy with God, requires a sensitive response to God's love. Although God's grace will always assist us, on our part, we have to fight. Sensuality and laziness must not be allowed to rule over us.

“And now I ask you, how are you facing up to this battle? You know very well that a fight which is kept up from the very beginning is a fight already won. Get away from danger as soon as you are aware of the first sparks of passion, and even before. Also, speak about it at once to the person who directs your soul. Better still, talk about it beforehand, if possible, because if you open your heart wide, you will not be defeated. One such act after another leads to the forming of a habit, a good inclination, and ends up making things easy. That is why we have to struggle to make this virtue a habit, making mortification a habit so that we do not reject the Love of Loves."

If the winds of temptation blow, if you stumble when confronted by temptation; look to the Star of the Sea, call out to Mary. If the waves of pride, ambition or envy tug at your heart, call on Mary. If anger, avarice, or impurity endanger the course of your soul’s journey, look to Mary.

If you are disturbed by the memory of your sins, confused by the ugliness of your conscience, fearful in the face of judgment, or you begin to sink into the bottomless pit of sadness or into the abyss of despair, think of Mary. In every danger, moment of anguish or doubt, invoke Mary. May her name be ever on your lips and engraved on your heart, too. Never stray from the example of her virtue, so that you may always gain her help as an intercessor.

You will not go off the path if you follow her; you will not fall into discouragement if you beg her. You will never be lost if you think about her. With her taking you by the hand, you will not stay down if you fall. With her protection, you will have nothing to fear. You will not lose strength, for she is your guide. You will reach a safe haven happily if you rely on her as your closest helper.

Today we will offer her a white lily, ‘the Annunciation lily’, symbol of Mary's immaculate purity, the white lily of your chastity.

Resolutions:

- Apply human means to live purity: avoid occasions of sin, guarding the senses, the eyes…

- Supernatural means: Prayer, The Eucharist, Confession, and an ardent devotion to our Lady.
Dec 6 Sat

How is my own personal relationship with my Mother Mary?

 

How is my own personal relationship with my Mother Mary?

When Our Lady consents to become the Mother of the Savior, she becomes the Mother of all men. By giving birth to Jesus, the Head of the Church, she spiritually engenders each of us as members in the Mystical Body of Christ.

Next to the Lord, when he is nailed to the Cross, stand Mary, John the beloved disciple, and some holy women. Then the Lord says to her: 'Woman, behold thy Son’. Then He says to the disciple, ‘Behold thy mother’.

This is a second Nativity. Mary gave birth, without pain, to her only-begotten Son in the stable of Bethlehem. Now though, she gives birth to her second son, John, amidst the suffering of the Cross. Now she suffers the pangs of birth for the millions of other spiritual children who will call her ‘Mother’ over the centuries. Now we understand why the Evangelist calls Christ Mary’s first-born son’. It is not because she has other sons of the flesh, but because she is to engender many children through the love of her heart.

How is my own personal relationship with her? Do I approach her trustingly as St John would? Do I often remember that she is at my side? Do I seek her intercession frequently?

Being a mother entails care and vigilance for the children. Thus, our Blessed Mother offers her spiritual protection to all without exception. She intercedes, and obtains the opportune graces of which all of us are in need. Just as Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls his sheep by name. Mary distinguishes us personally from all others, and knows us by our name. Her maternal concern extends to our overall well-being, both of body and soul, but mostly to the supernatural life of her children.

She leads us to sanctity and to a more perfect identification with her Son. Thus, Our Lady collaborates in the mission of the Holy Spirit, who bestows on us supernatural life and grants us the grace to persevere in it.

“And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home". We see in these words of the Gospel an invitation for all Christians to bring Mary into their lives. We can visualize the young Apostle’s tremendous respect in all his everyday dealings with her. How full of confidence the conversations between the two must have been. We can appeal to her as her sons and daughters and ask her to ‘show us you are our mother.’

The most pleasing homage we can render to our Mother is to implore her maternal protection often. She knows of our vacillations, our concerns and our needs.

The incense of our prayer must rise up constantly to God Our Father. Time and again we ask Our Lady, who is already in heaven, body and soul, to petition Jesus for us.

Resolutions:

- To cast glances at the image of Our Mother in our room or place of work, frequently.
Dec 5 Fri

- To pray the Rosary, the Angelus. Three Hail Mary before going to rest.

- To utter many aspirations during the day, internally, without being noticed.

Today, we offer her forget-me-not flowers, which remind us of her continuous protection.
Dec 5 Fri

What is the connection between the Last Supper and the Eucharistic Prayer?

 

What is the connection between the Last Supper and the Eucharistic Prayer?
St John tells us what happened in the Upper Room after the meal. Jesus alone spoke; the disciples listened; they would listen to him forever. Before long, Jesus was no longer speaking to them; He was addressing the Father. They all held their breath. Jesus prayed.

Isn’t this situation almost exactly like that which is reproduced in the Mass? Only the priest proclaims the Eucharistic Prayer by virtue of his ordination. We have heard the Lord’s teaching; we have prayed aloud together, beseeching his mediation. Now the priest speaks ‘in persona Christi.’ All things considered, it would be better that no other human voice should make itself heard: Jesus is going to pray with us and for us.

In this Eucharistic Prayer, we announce to the world the death and resurrection of the Lord. This is the paschal message that transforms us interiorly, turning us into heralds of the Good News.

Our faith seems to us too faint and our love too little to allow us to accompany our Lord in his oblation and hymn of praise to the Father. But we believe because it is Jesus Christ who has revealed to us this wonderful mystery. We believe in Christ’s word—there is no truer token than Truth’s own word.

Now, let us submit to God in all things and not contradict him, even if what He says seems to contradict our reason and intellect; let his words prevail over our reason and intellect. Let us act in this way about the Eucharistic mysteries, and not limit our attention just to what can be perceived by the senses, but instead hold fast to his words, for his word cannot deceive.

We believe and we want to love; we do not want to be like the disciples who fell asleep in the supreme moment when Jesus prepared himself for the holocaust. “I believe, Lord, but help my unbelief!” we should say with that man, the father of the boy possessed by the devil. “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you,” we should repeat once and again.

Thus, we can transcend the limited horizons of our egoism, as a person in love strives to overcome their personal limitations and serenade their beloved when they want to.

As Christ offers himself to the Father, we must join him, as a living part of the Church, his Mystical Body. What a pity if we allow Christ to go on without us, if we spurn him.

We should be awake and praying, following Christ from the Upper Room to the cross, to realize how little a life is to offer to God. Thus, we will finally shed our nasty habit of bargaining with God.
Dec 4 Thu

Do I ask our Mother Mary to intercede for me?

 

Do I ask our Mother Mary to intercede for me?

At the wedding in Cana, Mary realized, before anyone else did, that they had run out of wine. She helps us discover and correspond to the will of God in the hundred and one little incidents of each day.

Mary was constantly aware of her being the predilect Daughter of God, of her divine filiation.

As the Mother of God, she was also keenly aware of her maternal role in the service of all humanity.

Both realities are permeated by her exquisitely refined piety. She will continue to love and help us since we are her children, and a mother is always closest to her child who is most in need.

When Mary looked or smiled at Jesus, or just thought about him, she was looking, smiling, speaking to God. This is truly what it means to pray. Our Lady carried out all her actions with the express desire of pleasing her Son.

Our own daily meditation should lead us to identify ourselves fully with Jesus, and approach even the relatively unimportant details of each day with supernatural perspective. At Cana, she shows how we can petition Our Lord, through her, with delicate tact. She was his mother, and a Son loves his Mother.

She had seen him sleeping in her arms, but nevertheless she did not venture here to tell him what He should do. She merely pointed out the problem to him, convinced that whatever solution He offered, no matter what He decided to do, would be the best possible. She left the matter entirely to him, leaving him completely free to do his own Will without any feeling of obligation.

Why? She knew that whatever He chose to do, it would be the most perfect thing that could be done, and the problem would be solved in the best possible way. She did not tie his hands, so to speak, or force him to take one line of action. She trusted in his wisdom, in his wider and deeper vision of things, a vision that “saw” aspects and circumstances perhaps unknown to her.

She did not even ask whether He would think it fitting to intervene or not: She merely pointed out the problem and left it in his hands. The fact is that faith ‘puts God under an obligation’ more than the most skillful and forceful arguments. Mary teaches us to remain at the foot of the cross in silent prayer during difficult moments of our lives. The last we hear of Mary in the Gospel is when she is praying with the Apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Resolutions:

- To have frequent recourse to Our Lady with aspirations.

- The Memorare Prayer.

- The Holy Rosary.

Today, bring her an iris, which is always upwards, open, and directed to God, and firm, which represents your faith.
Dec 3 Wed

Do I look at everything with God's eyes?

 

Do I look at everything with God's eyes?

The Virgin Mary greeted Elizabeth, and John the Baptist jumped for joy in his mother's womb.

Elizabeth was astounded when she discovered the great mystery that had taken place in Mary, and she exclaimed: "Blessed art thou among women!" The Holy Spirit flooded her with light, for only in this way could she see what was hidden; no one else either learned of it or was able to guess its meaning because it could be understood only by supernatural means.

Almost immediately, we see the first result: Elizabeth was filled with admiration and gratitude for the honor which had been accorded her, for the woman who visited her was not simply Mary, but "the Mother of my Lord," a fact manifested to her when she felt how John was sanctified in her womb.

When the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth with this grace, she praised Mary's faith: “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

St Augustine resisted his conversion: “Later on!” he would answer. Until one day God sought him, “pushed” him, and he surrendered to Him.

But Mary, the humblest of creatures, was full of grace. She did not understand completely: the mystery remained a mystery, but she believed in God and in His power. She believed without hesitation what God communicated to her through Gabriel; she did not ask for visible signs, poor proofs that we so often beg for. She surrendered to God.
This is faith: to answer the Lord with promptness and generosity.

Life is like a game of treasure hunt. One finding gives us a clue to the next site, and to the next…at the end, we find the treasure.
Our treasure is Christ. The road to it is the fulfillment of God’s Will.

The clues may be a sickness, suffering, a friend, or a sudden light in prayer. Our Lady took seriously the clues, and meditated on them in her heart.

Our resolutions:
- To examine in our prayer, from God’s perspective, whatever happens around us, this is supernatural outlook.
- To greet the Lord in the tabernacle, and “live” the Mass intensely.
- To say aspirations, like “Lord, increase my faith!”

The flower we offer today, a Lady-Slipper ‘Our Lady's Slipper’, is a symbol of Mary's Visitation trip to Elizabeth, thus, of her faith.
Dec 2 Tue

Do I keep my heart open for the plans of God?

 

Do I keep my heart open for the plans of God?
Yesterday, we began the novena to the Immaculate Conception. Each of us should strive to grow in love for our Lady by showing her special signs of affection during these days and spreading devotion to her among our friends.

Mary is the Mother of God and the Mother of each of us. Thus, we go to her confidently, for our Lady always heeds our prayers.

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, brought Mary into his home and into his life. This is an invitation to all Christians to bring Mary into their lives. Mary certainly wants you to invoke her as your mother. Tell her, “Show me that you are my Mother."

Invoke the Blessed Virgin, asking her to be always our Mother, and to give us, along with her Son's grace, clear, sound doctrine for our minds, and love and purity for our hearts, so that we can reach God ourselves and lead many souls to him."

Now, from heaven, our Mother continues to fulfill her mission, to help in the birth and development of the divine life of Jesus in each of us.

During this Novena, each day we should offer some small gift to our Lady as a sign of our filial devotion.
It may be the effort that we make to fulfill our duties better, a mortification, some small act of Marian piety, a very definite apostolic target, or something else, small things that will make our Mother smile.

St Josemaría tells us, “Every year, during the month of May, the rector of an old seminary used to go to the rooms, knocking on the doors one by one, after the seminarians had already retired for the evening. When they opened the door, the rector would give them a rose to offer to our Lady. But whenever a seminarian had failed to be a good son of our heavenly mother, either by breaking one of the rules or neglecting his study, the rector would knock on his door and say, ‘Today, you cannot offer our Lady a rose.’"

Each day of this novena, we too want to offer our Lady a flower. At the moment of the evening examination of conscience, we hope to be able to say, 'Here you have my gift for today, Mother.' And then from her heavenly throne she will smile upon us, for in those efforts of ours she will see the reality of our love and dedication. Today, the anthurium, heart-shaped, reminds us of having a heart for the plans of God.

Mary accepted and gave herself fully to her vocation as a mother. She did not do her own will, but His Will: “Be it done unto me according to your word.” Today, I should ask myself:
1. Am I open to the plans of God in my life, as Our Lady was?
2. Do I pray about it every day, as she did?
3. Do I open my soul to God in the sacrament of confession?
Dec 1 Mon

What did the Council of Nicaea clarify?

 

What did the Council of Nicaea clarify?
Pope Leo issued the Apostolic Letter 'In Unitate Fidei' on the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, with the hope of "encouraging the whole Church to renew her enthusiasm for the profession of faith." 

For centuries," he said, "this enduring confession of faith has been the common heritage of Christians, and it deserves to be professed and understood in ever new and relevant ways. " After all, what unites us is greater than what divides us. 
But what is the faith of the Church on the Trinity?

God the Father is unbegotten, that is, He does not proceed from any other Person.

God the Son—who, as the incarnate Word, is Jesus Christ—begotten, proceeds from the Father (cf. Jn 8:42).

God the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. We can also say that he proceeds from the Father through the Son (cf. Jn 15:26).

God the Father, in knowing himself, produces a Verbum, a Word, which will be:

- God, like the Father, because God’s being and understanding are the same;
- Eternal, because God knows himself eternally;
- Numerically and specifically co-substantial with the Father. To employ an analogy, the more a man understands himself, the closer his concept of himself is to his real self. God’s intellect is infinite; the divine Word (concept) is perfectly one with the source without any kind of diversity;
- Differing from the Father only because He proceeds from him; and
- One and unique, because God knows all other things in knowing himself.

The Word, aside from being God, is the Son of God, as Revelation teaches. 

God the Father, upon knowing himself, engenders the Son, who is a perfect image of the Father. When He loves himself as the Ultimate Good, He loves the Son, and the Son necessarily loves the Father.

There is a bond between them, an infinite love, which receives the revealed name of the Holy Spirit. Since He exists, He is of the same divine nature as the Father and the Son, because in God there is nothing that is not God himself. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is subsistent Love, infinitely perfect, equal in nature to the Father and the Son, but a distinct Person with respect to either of them.

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. This is a central point of Catholic dogma, taught by the Church in accordance with the common stance of the Greek and Latin Fathers. Even though the formulas used in the East (a Patre per Filium) and West (ex Patre Filioque) differ, they express the same doctrinal content. We all believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one principle." 

The difference in formulas—and, above all, a misinterpretation of their meaning—has been the cause of the separation of some Eastern churches from the See of Rome, resulting in a serious rift within the Church.

The separation appeared at the end of the ninth century, when Photius was Patriarch of Constantinople, and reached its consummation by the end of the eleventh century, in the so-called Eastern Schism. The rift continues up to the present day, despite substantial attempts to bridge it.
Nov 30(bis) Sun

How should I begin this Season of Advent?

 

How should I begin this Season of Advent?

The new liturgical year begins with this season of Advent. Today is a good day for us to show great affection towards our Redeemer and start again in our interior life. Yes, a new start, a new beginning. We should find ourselves starting again every day, every hour.

Thus, St Josemaría advised us to dedicate each day of the week to a solid devotion as a help for our presence of God. “Sunday, for example, is good for praising the Trinity: glory to the Father, glory to the Son, glory to the Holy Spirit. I tend to add, and glory to holy Mary. And... a childish thing, of which I'm not ashamed: to St Joseph too..."

“On Mondays, we can pray for the holy souls in purgatory. There we find souls who are dear to us ... Besides, we see all of them as our friends, our brothers and sisters, since they are almost already crowned with the laurels of heaven, almost enjoying the Love of God: they need a final purification. They're good intermediaries to help us conquer in the little things that make up our normal day of work..."

“And Tuesday? I dedicate it to the Guardian Angels. You can say whatever you want to them, since you're not bound by formulas."

“And Wednesday? It's St Joseph's day."

“On Thursdays, many acts to honor the holy Eucharist: spiritual communions, acts of reparation... Now more than ever, our Lord is offended in this sacrament of Love ..."

“On Fridays, ‘Hail, Holy Cross, our only hope!’ And we feel a pang of conscience for complaining about some suffering or other. What is our suffering next to our Lord's? Greet him on the Cross, offer him words of love: I won't flee from you, I'll embrace you. As soon as we embrace the Cross, and love it, there is no longer difficulty, nor dishonor, nor calumny, nor slander, nor sickness, nor anything. Everything becomes agreeable, nothing is burdensome. For the Cross is not yours or mine but Christ's. As I wrote to you many years ago about my poor experience as a priest, which is abundant: then it is he, Christ, who bears the Cross; it no longer weighs on us. How good it is on Fridays to remember the Cross of Christ!"

“And Saturday? We go to our heavenly Mother, our Lady!"

St Josemaría made it clear that there is no obligation to follow this particular path, but he added, “What no one should do is to neglect the presence of God. If a person does not have presence of God, he won't go well: he won't be mortified, won't be spiritual, nor zealous, nor eager to work. On the other hand, by making this effort, we find ourselves conversing with God at every moment of the day: we live as contemplative souls."

St Josemaría also said: “Place on your desk, [beside the computer], in your room, in your wallet..., a picture of our Lady, and look at it when you begin your work, while you're doing it, and when you finish. She will obtain, I assure you, the strength to turn your task into a loving dialogue with God."
Nov 30 Sun

Why does the Catholic Church prohibit ‘gay marriage’?

 

Why does the Catholic Church prohibit ‘gay marriage’?

The Catholic Church's teaching on marriage is rooted in Scripture, natural law, and apostolic tradition, defining it as an exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between one man and one woman, naturally ordered to the generation and education of children as well as the mutual good of the spouses.

This understanding excludes the recognition of same-sex unions as marriage, as they lack the essential complementarity of the sexes and the openness to procreation that constitute marriage's intrinsic nature and purpose. The prohibition is not a matter of prejudice but a defense of the divine plan for human sexuality and family life, while emphasizing respect and compassion for all persons, including those with same-sex attraction.

The Church's doctrine draws directly from divine revelation, where marriage originates in God's creation of humanity as male and female. In the beginning, God established marriage as a union of "one flesh" between man and woman, reflecting the Creator's design for complementarity and fruitfulness: "Increase and multiply" (Gen 1:28).

Jesus Christ reaffirmed this primordial institution, teaching that marriage unites two persons—male and female—indissolubly, restoring the original unity after concessions in the Old Law. The Church has consistently upheld this through councils and papal teaching. This tradition views marriage as a sacrament that images Christ's union with the Church (Eph 5:21-33), requiring the bodily and spiritual complementarity of the sexes to fully express self-giving love.

Same-sex unions, by contrast, cannot embody this spousal meaning, as they do not arise from the "genuine affective and sexual complementarity" inherent to God's plan.

Beyond Scripture, the Church appeals to natural reason, which reveals that human sexuality is inherently ordered to heterosexual marriage. Our embodied nature as sexually differentiated persons inclines us toward the joint goods of procreation (the generation of children) and unitive love (the total self-gift of spouses).

Same-sex unions, while possibly expressing affection, cannot achieve these ends: they lack biological complementarity for reproduction and the "real bodily union" that signifies marital unity.

Homosexual acts are considered "intrinsically disordered" because they close the sexual act to the gift of life and fail to arise from the natural complementarity of man and woman.

Thus, the Church teaches that homosexual unions cannot be equated to marriage, as they presume a form of sexual intimacy reserved solely for valid marital relations between opposite sexes.

While prohibiting same-sex marriage, the Church calls for profound respect toward persons with homosexual tendencies, who "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity," avoiding all unjust discrimination.

The inclination itself, though "objectively disordered," is not sinful, and those affected are invited to live chastely, uniting their trials to Christ's Cross for spiritual growth. Pastoral care emphasizes accompaniment, helping individuals discern God's will through sacraments, friendship, and support, all while upholding doctrine.

In summary, the Church prohibits "gay marriage" to safeguard the sacred reality of matrimony as divinely instituted—a fruitful union of man and woman—against re-definitions that contradict natural law, Scripture, and tradition. Yet, this teaching is always paired with a commitment to human dignity, inviting all to holiness through grace and compassion.
Nov 29 Sat