#worthrevisit, Front Row with pope Francis, Published Articles

” That all Christians be Truly One’ #WorthRevist

tami schuelke Leave a comment

Pope Francis calls all Christians to unity during His General Audience Catechesis. He challenges us not to remain resigned to this division, but to take the step towards reconciliation and full communion. “Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they be one, even as we are one,” (John 17:11)
We live in a world filled with so much division, hate, and anger.  an evil permeates in our lives fueled by a desire to erase God from families, marriages,  schools, and we go on as though nothing is wrong. We have become lukewarm, we want to remain in our ” comfort zone.” and Jesus is pushed aside families fall apart, marriages are destroyed, abortion is rampant,  no one cares about the family. We stop praying and going to church because we think God doesn’t care. But it is our pride that has pushed Him aside.
“Every attack against the unity of faith is an attack against Christ Himself”  ( Saint John Paul II)
What is the cause of the division? We have made ourselves God. This individualism weakness our souls because we see what we want to see. We fail to see the person that is in need sitting next to us. We refuse to listen to another’s point of view. We think we are right, division steps in. This individualism is the enemy of union. When we begin to live outside of God’s will, we say “Non-Servium,” I will not serve. In refusing to serve our fellow man, we say no to Jesus. This then is where our prayer life becomes obsolete and slowly grace diminishes in our soul. Now is the time to turn to the merciful heart of Jesus, and ask Him to teach us how to love the way He loved. We also must stand with the Blessed Mother at the foot of the cross, for the devil flees from the cross. Christ wants us to remain in union with the church, to help each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Finally, you are one with Jesus as the body is one with the head. He must be your breath, heart, love, life, your all. These great gifts in the follower of Christ originate from baptism. They are increased and strengthened through Confirmation. Through the Holy Eucharist, they are brought to perfection.” -St. John Eudes
 
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Faith, Published Articles

Front Row with Pope Francis

tami schuelke 2 Comments

   Unity among Christians is a  gift from God. Christians must pray for it.
Pope Francis begins His weekly audience with a call to Unity among all Christians. He states: ” We affirm that the Church is one and she is holy. Holy since she is founded by Jesus Christ, enlivened by his Holy Spirit, and filled with His love and salvation.
While we, the members of the Church are sinners, the unity and holiness of the Church arise from God and call us to daily conversion.”  All Christians are children of God and united to God we are all part of One family. As Christians we are not isolated, but are members of a unique Body the Mystical Body of Christ. “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of of another.” This is Christ’s priestly prayer, that all may be one.

Pope Francis goes on to say: “Unfortunately, we know well the sins against unity-jealousy-envy-antipathy- which come about when we place ourselves at the center and which occur even in our parish communities.” What then we ask ourselves is needed to stop this anger and envy all the war we see in the world and in families and yes so very sadly in the church our Holy Mother on earth, Oh how Jesus weeps. What can we do? Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, “A new commandment I give to you that you love another: even as I have loved you, that you also love another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”( John 13: 34-35.)( CCC.1822-29.) How did Jesus show His love. Look at the Cross. He gave His life for us. On the cross as he hung in pain he cried out to His Father, “Father forgive them they know not what they do.” And with His Blessed Mother standing beneath the cross she looked to her son as he was dying and she silently gave her “Fiat” again. In this is love and unity. We must die to self in order to love our neighbors with the Heart of Christ. The church has been compared to Christ’s tunic which was without seam, woven from top to bottom,( John 19:23.)  ” The Church  should not be divided because it also is without seams.” St. Augustine.”

We must all pray for unity for the whole church. That with obedience and promptness we obey our Holy Father Pope Francis and all the bishops in communion with him. If we do this we may fall, but we our on the right path. We may suffer, but we will suffer in union with one another, we may feel the pain of poverty but, as Christians we give without counting the cost.We May not always like or agree with the teachings of the church, but we all pray in one voice: ” Open our eyes Lord to see the truth. Open our hearts Lord so we can hear your silent whisper that says; ” Take up your cross and follow me.” Give to me the courage and the gifts of the Holy Spirit to defend in all places Your truth. To live according to your Holy will, whatever it may take from me.  To stand for the sanctity and dignity of all human life created in your Image and likeness. Help us respond to your call to pray without ceasing for all those persecuted for their faith throughout the world. To refrain from gossip and speech that wounds another, in this Jesus we remain united with our Holy Mother the Catholic Church and she will lead us home.

” Bear ye one another’s burdens and so fulfill the will of Christ.”( Galatians 6:2) ( CCC 1965-70)

Let us call upon our Blessed Mother, the Mother of Unity. ” You who are the first handmaid of the unity of Christ’s Body,
help us, help all the faithful who feel so keenly the tragedy of historical divisions of Christianity, to seek persistently the path to the perfect unity of the Body of Christ through unreserved fidelity to the Spirit of truth and love. Pope Saint John Paull II.

Let us all stand with Mary our Mother at the foot of the cross and say in unison “Thy will be done Lord, not mine.”

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