Evangelii Gaudium
“The gospel of joy”
an apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis on the proclamation of the gospel in today’s world
My own dear son
Matthew 3:13-17 (1/12/2014)
It’s about joy! The end result of a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ is joy! This is Francis’ deep desire, his reason for writing, his agenda for the church. He wants the men and women and children of Christ’s church to be filled with joy and to carry that joy into the world!
Open the doors!
Isaiah 49:1-6, John 1:29-42 (1/19/2014)
We are bearers of light, witnesses not crusaders. We have been entrusted with a priceless treasure, the good news of a gracious God who has come to us, to all of us, in Jesus Christ. “Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Our job, our greater task, is to open the doors of our churches and our hearts, so that all may come in and find that treasure.
A dangerous God
Isaiah 9:1-4, Matthew 4:12-17 (1/26/2014)
Eighty-five people, eighty-five people living in this world right now personally own as much as the bottom three and a half billion people living on this planet right now, combined.
Does it matter?
Via pulchritudinis
Micah 6:6-8, Matthew 5:1-9 (2/2/2014)
“… remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other.”
Your kingdom come
Isaiah 58:1-9 (2/9/2014)
I need you to help me. We need to help each other. How can we make that change in mindset from thinking of ourselves as dispensers of charity to thinking of ourselves as people in solidarity with the poor? From thinking of others as objects of our pity to thinking of others as “one with ourselves?”
Sticks and stones
Matthew 5:21-24 (2/16/2014)
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words …” Words may cause an injury that no orthopedist or surgeon can mend. Words may leave a festering wound that never heals, deep scars that persist for a lifetime. Words may cause mortal harm to an individual man or woman or child, or even to entire classes of people.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me.” It’s a lie.
Deus ibi est
Leviticus 19:9-18, Matthew 5:38-48 (2/23/2014)
The glory of the whole is the diversity of its parts, and the glory of each part is that it is part of the whole.
Have you ever been in love?
Matthew 17:1-8 (3/2/2014)
Have you ever been in love … with Jesus?