FYI (and FYE -For your edification): Here is a fascinating piece that you might even read twice: https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/ruling-vs-leading-the-church?
JESUS IS OUR JOY, PROCLAIM HIM WITH JOY!
At today’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis put a new twist on his 26th catechesis on apostolic zeal, telling the faithful that, “I propose summarizing this cycle of catecheses on apostolic zeal in four points, inspired by the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, whose tenth anniversary we celebrate this month.”
He explained that, “the first point, which we will see today, the first of the four, cannot but relate to the attitude on which the substance of the evangelizing gesture depends: joy. Joy. The Christian message, as we have heard from the angel’s words to the shepherds, is the proclamation of “a great joy.”
“And the reason?” Francis asked. “Good news, a surprise, a beautiful event? Much more, a Person: Jesus! He is the God made man who came to us. The question, dear brothers and sisters, is therefore not whether to proclaim it, but how to proclaim it, and this “how” is joy. Either we proclaim Jesus with joy, or we do not proclaim him, because another way of proclaiming him is not capable of bringing the true reality of Jesus.”
“We must show our joy,” stated the Pope. “This is why a Christian who is discontented, a sad Christian, a dissatisfied, or worse still, resentful or rancorous Christian, is not credible. This person will talk about Jesus but no-one will believe him! Once someone said to me, talking about these Christians, ‘But these are cod-faced Christians!’, that is, they express nothing, they are like that, and joy is essential.”
The Holy Father went on to explain that, “the birth of Jesus, in history as in life, is the source of joy: think of what happened to the disciples of Emmaus, who could not believe their joy, and the others, then, the disciples all together, when Jesus goes to the Upper Room, could not believe their joy. The joy of having the risen Jesus. An encounter with Jesus always brings you joy, and if this does not happen to you, it is not a true encounter with Jesus.”
Pope Francis stressed that, “Even the civilization of programmed unbelief and institutionalized secularity; indeed, especially the society that leaves the spaces of religious meaning deserted, needs Jesus. This is the right moment for the proclamation of Jesus.”
In closing, he advised the pilgrims: “Each of us today take a little time and think: ‘Jesus, You are within me: I want to meet You every day. You are a Person, not an idea; You are a companion, not a programme. You are Love that solves so many problems. You are the beginning of evangelisation. You, Jesus, are the source of joy.’ Amen”
(For some great photos of the audience in St. Peter’s Square: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/events/event.dir.html/content/vaticanevents/en/2023/11/15/udienza-generale.html)
PAPAL APPEALS FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE, HOLY LAND, SUDAN
At the end of his weekly general audience, Pope Francis turned his thoughts to the many nations suffering the horrors of war. He asked for prayers for peace “every day” and “wherever there is war”.
In particular, on Wednesday, the Holy Father asked for prayers “for martyred Ukraine, which suffers so much.” Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 9,600 civilians have been killed and over 17,500 injured.
Pope Francis also asked for prayers for the Holy Land, “in Palestine and Israel.”
On 7 October, over 1,400 Israelis were killed in attacks perpetrated by Hamas. Since then, in retaliation airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, over 11,000 people have been killed and some 2,500 are missing under the rubble, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
Finally, the Holy Father turned his thoughts to Sudan, where an estimated 9,000 people have been killed and another 5.6 million have been forced to flee their homes due to a devastating war between two rival military factions that erupted in April.
That civil war has been described as a “humanitarian catastrophe,” with visible signs of ethnic cleansing, according to the UK’s Minister for Africa.
“Let us think about wherever there is war,” concluded the Pope, reminding all the faithful that sadly, “there are so many wars!”
“Let us pray for peace: Every day, take some time to pray for peace. We desire peace,” said the Pope. (vatican news)
TODAY’S GOOD NEWS STORY
(CNA) – A week after desecrating and robbing a chapel in the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante in Spain, the thieves have sacramentally confessed and returned the stolen sacred objects.
Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of the diocese made the announcement during the broadcast of his program “Sixth Continent,” which he hosts every Monday and Friday on Radio María Spain, and expressed his gratitude that the prayers requested last week had had an effect.
“We asked for the gift of conversion for those who had committed that sacrilege and today I am going to give you good news. The prayers have been heard and those who perpetrated this sacrilegious theft have repented and confessed,” he explained.
The prelate added that those who desecrated the chapel “have returned everything stolen” and that “the Church will obviously preserve under the sacramental seal the persons, the identities of those who sinned in this way.”
Joan's Rome 