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The
phrases 'culture of love' and 'civilisation of love' were coined by
John Paul II and Benedict XVI to describe a new way of living faith
in the face of a culture of death.
Our father Benedict XVI has said: "We must have the courage to create islands,
oases, and then great stretches of land of Catholic culture where the
Creator's design is lived out." This is what we try to do at Ty
Mam Duw. Our father calls us to go back to the Word of God - and
for us as Franciscans this is our first rule of life - and build our
lives on the rock of the Lord's truth.
In the dark ages (the 8th -10th centuries) when Roman civilisation collapsed,
the faith was kept alive in Europe by the monasteries. The monasteries
made themselves oases and islands in a culture of violence and war.
We try to do the same in the face of an anti-culture that belittles
life, love and human dignity.
God called Israel on Sinai to be an oasis in the midst of the debauched religions
and corrupt social economies that surrounded her.
In the world of the New Covenant, Paul set up a string of oases and islands
around the Mediterranean world and they made the faith fertile with
living water. It spread and grew it became "great stretches of land
of Catholic culture where the Creator's design was lived out "
We are an oasis Church in the desert of the world.
The presence of the Living God in our midst is the eternal oasis. When
people come here for days of prayer and retreat, when they come here
to join our family, it is to touch the life of the Lord.
Heaven begins in the Eucharist, the centre of our life. And as
John Paul II said, the spirituality of a community gathered round the
Living presence of the Lord is "Openness, affection, understanding and
forgiveness."
This is an invitation to all of us.
We do not have to buy in the values offered by the culture of consumerism
and death. Our father Benedict XVI offers us a new form of life;
a life of love built on truth - a civilisation of love.
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The Culture of
Life
The Face of God, the content of this culture of life, the content of
our great "yes", is expressed in the Ten Commandments, which are not
a pack of prohibitions, of "noes", but actually present a great vision
of life.
They are a "yes" to a God who gives meaning to life (the first three Commandments);
a "yes" to the family (Fourth Commandment); a "yes" to life (Fifth Commandment);
a "yes" to responsible love (Sixth Commandment); a "yes" to solidarity,
to social responsibility, to justice (Seventh Commandment); a "yes"
to the truth (Eighth Commandment); a "yes" to respect for others and
for their belongings (Ninth and 10th Commandments).
This is the philosophy of life, the culture of life that becomes concrete
and practical and beautiful in communion with Christ, the living God,
who walks with us in the companionship of his friends, in the great
family of the Church.
Benedict
XVI. Baptism, 8 January 2006
You have joined a Church
of sinners!
We believe that the Church is holy, but that there are sinners among
her members. We need to reject the desire to identify only with those
who are sinless. How could the Church have excluded sinners from her
ranks? It is for their salvation that Jesus took flesh, died and rose
again. We must therefore learn to live Christian penance with sincerity.
By practising it, we confess individual sins in union with others, before
them and before God.
Meeting
with the clergy Warsaw Cathedral, 25 May 2006
Jesus want us
We find it hard to believe that Christ called us specifically. Could
he not have chosen someone else, more capable, more holy? But Jesus
has looked lovingly upon each one of us, and in this gaze of his we
may have confidence.
Silent prayer
Let us not be
consumed with haste, as if time dedicated to Christ in silent prayer
were time wasted. On the contrary, it is precisely then that the most
wonderful fruits of pastoral service come to birth. There is no need
to be discouraged on account of the fact that prayer requires effort,
or because of the impression that Jesus remains silent. He is indeed
silent, but he is at work.
Faith to touch the Living
God
God is hidden
in mystery; to claim to understand him would mean to want to confine
him within our thinking and knowing and consequently to lose him irremediably.
With faith, however, we can open up a way through concepts, even theological
concepts, and can "touch" the living God. And God, once touched,
immediately gives us his power. When we abandon ourselves to the
living God, when in humility of mind we have recourse to him, a kind
of hidden stream of divine life pervades us. How important it
is to believe in the power of faith, in its capacity to establish a
close bond with the living God! We must give great attention to
the development of our faith, so that it truly pervades all our attitudes,
thoughts, actions and intentions. Faith has a place, not only
in our state of soul and religious experiences, but above all in thought
and action, in everyday work, in the struggle against ourselves, in
community life and in the apostolate, because it ensures that our life
is pervaded by the power of God himself. Faith can always bring
us back to God even when our sin leads us astray.
How to learn Jesus
So much can be
gained by reflecting on the way Mary learned from Jesus! From
her very first "fiat", through the long, ordinary years of the
hidden life, as she brought up Jesus, or when at Cana in Galilee she
asked for the first sign, or when finally on Calvary, by the Cross,
she looked on Jesus, she "learned" him moment by moment. Firstly
in faith and then in her womb, she received the Body of Jesus and then
gave birth to him. Day after day, enraptured, she adored him.
She served him with solicitous love, singing the Magnificat in
her heart. On your journey of preparation, and in your future
priestly ministry, let Mary guide you as you "learn" Jesus. Keep
your eyes fixed on him. Let him form you.
Witnesses of love
Form your minds
and your hearts on the works of the great masters and witnesses of the
faith, knowing that the schools of spirituality must not be a treasure
locked up in monastic libraries. The Gospel wisdom, contained in the
writings of the great saints and attested to in their lives, must be
brought in a mature way, not childishly or aggressively, to the world
of culture and work, to the world of the media and politics, to the
world of family and social life. The authenticity of your faith and
mission, which does not draw attention to itself but truly radiates
faith and love.
Czezstochowa,
26 May 2006
Body and soul
Human love must
be purified, it must mature and go beyond its own limits in order to
become truly human, to be the origin of true and lasting joy, to respond
to that demand for eternity it carries within itself and which it cannot
relinquish without betraying itself. This is the fundamental reason
for which love between man and woman is fully realised only in marriage
St John
Lateran 5 June 2006
The House of Love
My friends, in
the heart of every man there is the desire for a house. Even more so
in the young person's heart there is a great longing for a proper house,
a stable house, one to which he can not only return with joy, but where
every guest who arrives can be joyfully welcomed. There is a yearning
for a house where the daily bread is love, pardon and understanding.
It is a place where the truth is the source out of which flows peace
of heart. There is a longing for a house you can be proud of, where
you need not be ashamed and where you never fear its loss. These longings
are simply the desire for a full, happy and successful life. Do not
be afraid of this desire! Do not run away from this desire! Do not be
discouraged at the sight of crumbling houses, frustrated desires and
faded longings. God the Creator, who inspires in young hearts an immense
yearning for happiness, will not abandon you in the difficult construction
of the house called life.
My friends, this brings about a question: "How do we build this house?" Without
doubt, this is a question that you have already faced many times and
that you will face many times more. Every day you must look into your
heart and ask: "How do I build that house called life?" Jesus, whose
words we just heard in the passage from the evangelist Matthew, encourages
us to build on the rock. In fact, it is only in this way that the house
will not crumble. But what does it mean to build a house on the rock?
Building on the rock means, first of all, to build on Christ and with
Christ. Jesus says: "Every one then who hears these words of mine and
does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock"
(Mt 7:24). These are not just the empty words of some person
or another; these are the words of Jesus. We are not listening to any
person: we are listening to Jesus. We are not asked to commit to just
anything; we are asked to commit ourselves to the words of Jesus.
The rock of cruciform
love
To build on Christ and with Christ means to build on a foundation that
is called "crucified love". It means to build with Someone who, knowing
us better than we know ourselves, says to us: "You are precious in my
eyes and honoured, and I love you" (Is 43:4). It means to build
with Someone, who is always faithful, even when we are lacking in faith,
because he cannot deny himself (cf. 2 Tim 2:13). It means to
build with Someone who constantly looks down on the wounded heart of
man and says: " I do not condemn you, go and do not sin again" (cf.
Jn 8:11). It means to build with Someone who, from the Cross, extends
his arms and repeats for all eternity: "O man, I give my life for you
because I love you." In short, building on Christ means basing all your
desires, aspirations, dreams, ambitions and plans on his will. It means
saying to yourself, to your family, to your friends, to the whole world
and, above all to Christ: "Lord, in life I wish to do nothing against
you, because you know what is best for me. Only you have the words of
eternal life" (cf. Jn 6:68). My friends, do not be afraid to
lean on Christ! Long for Christ, as the foundation of your life! Enkindle
within you the desire to build your life on him and for him! Because
no one who depends on the crucified love of the Incarnate Word can ever
lose.
I stand at the
door
To build on the rock means to build on Christ and with Christ, who is
the rock. In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul, speaking
of the journey of the chosen people through the desert, explains that
all "drank from the supernatural rock, which followed them, and the
rock was Christ" (1 Cor 10:4). The fathers of the Chosen People
certainly did not know that the rock was Christ. They were not aware
of being accompanied by him who in the fulness of time would become
incarnate and take on a human body. They did not need to understand
that their thirst would be satiated by the very Source of life, capable
of offering the living water which quenches every heart. Nonetheless,
they drank from this spiritual rock that is Christ, because they yearned
for this living water, and needed it. On the road of life we may sometimes
not be aware of Jesus' presence. However, it is really this presence,
living and true, in the work of creation, in the Word of God and in
the Eucharist, in the community of believers and in every man redeemed
by the precious Blood of Christ, which is the inexhaustible source of
human strength. Jesus of Nazareth, God made Man, is beside us during
the good times and the bad times and he thirsts for this relationship,
which is, in reality, the foundation of authentic humanity. We read
in the book of Revelation these important words: "Behold, I stand at
the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I
will come to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20).
Facing closed doors
My friends, what does it mean to build on the rock? Building on the
rock also means building on Someone who was rejected. Saint Peter speaks
to the faithful of Christ as a "living stone rejected by men but in
God's sight chosen and precious" (1 Pet 2:4). The undeniable
fact of the election of Jesus by God does not conceal the mystery of
evil, whereby man is able to reject Him who has loved to the very end.
This rejection of Jesus by man, which Saint Peter mentions, extends
throughout human history, even to our own time. One does not need great
mental acuity to be aware of the many ways of rejecting Christ, even
on our own doorstep. Often, Jesus is ignored, he is mocked and he is
declared a king of the past who is not for today and certainly not for
tomorrow. He is relegated to a storeroom of questions and persons one
dare not mention publicly in a loud voice. If in the process of building
the house of your life you encounter those who scorn the foundation
on which you are building, do not be discouraged! A strong faith must
endure tests. A living faith must always grow. Our faith in Jesus Christ,
to be such, must frequently face others' lack of faith.
Dear friends, what does it mean to build on the rock? Building on the rock
means being aware that there will be misfortunes. Christ says: "The
rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon the
house ... " (Mt 7:25). These natural phenomena are not only an
image of the many misfortunes of the human lot, but they also indicate
that such misfortunes are normally to be expected. Christ does not promise
that a downpour will never inundate a house under construction, he does
not promise that a devastating wave will never sweep away that which
is most dear to us, he does not promise that strong winds will never
carry away what we have built, sometimes with enormous sacrifice. Christ
not only understands man's desire for a lasting house, but he is also
fully aware of all that can wreck man's happiness. Do not be surprised
therefore by misfortunes, whatever they may be! Do not be discouraged
by them! An edifice built on the rock is not the same as a building
removed from the forces of nature, which are inscribed in the mystery
of man. To have built on rock means being able to count on the knowledge
that at difficult times there is a reliable force upon which you can
trust.
Shifting sands
My friends, allow me to ask again: what does it mean to build on the
rock? It means to build wisely. It is not without reason that Jesus
compares those who hear his words and put them into practice to a wise
man who has built his house on the rock. It is foolish, in fact, to
build on sand, when you can do so on rock and therefore have a house
that is capable of withstanding every storm. It is foolish to build
a house on ground that that does not offer the guarantee of support
during the most difficult times. Maybe it is easier to base one's life
on the shifting sands of one's own world view, building a future far
from the word of Jesus and sometimes even opposed to it. Be assured
that he who builds in this way is not prudent, because he wants to convince
himself and others that in his life no storm will rage and no wave will
strike his house. To be wise means to know that the solidity of a house
depends on the choice of foundation. Do not be afraid to be wise; that
is to say, do not be afraid to build on the rock!
You know that I love you
My friends, once
again: what does it mean to build on the rock? Building on the rock
also means to build on Peter and with Peter. In fact the Lord said to
him: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the
powers of death shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:18). If
Christ, the Rock, the living and precious stone, calls his Apostle "rock",
it means that he wants Peter, and together with him the entire Church,
to be a visible sign of the one Saviour and Lord.
Do not be afraid to build your life on the Church and with the Church. Do
not be fooled by those who want to play Christ against the Church. There
is one foundation on which it is worthwhile to build a house. This foundation
is Christ. There is only one rock on which it is worthwhile to place
everything. This rock is the one to whom Christ said: "You are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my Church" (Mt 16:18).
You know well the Rock of our times. Accordingly, do not forget that neither
that Peter (our beloved John Paul II) who is watching our gathering
from the window of God the Father, nor this Peter (me, your unworthy
servant) who is now standing in front of you, nor any successive
Peter will ever be opposed to you or the building of a lasting house
on the rock. Indeed, he will offer his heart and his hands to help you
construct a life on Christ and with Christ.
We can stand,
together
Dear friends, meditating on Christ's words describing the rock as an
adequate foundation for a house, we cannot help but notice that the
last word is a hopeful one. Jesus says that, notwithstanding the harshness
of the elements, the house is not destroyed, because it was built on
the rock. In his word there is an extraordinary confidence in the strength
of the foundation, a faith that does not fear contradictions because
it is confirmed by the death and resurrection of Christ. This is the
faith that years later was professed by Saint Peter in his letter: "
Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and he who believes in him will not be put to shame" (1 Pet 2:6).
Certainly "he will not be put to shame." Dear young friends, the fear
of failure can at times frustrate even the most beautiful dreams. It
can paralyse the will, making one incapable of believing that it is
really possible to build a house on the rock. It can convince one that
the yearning for such a house is only a childish aspiration and not
a plan for life. Together with Jesus, say to this fear: "A house founded
on the rock cannot collapse!" Together with Saint Peter say to the temptation
to doubt: "He who believes in Christ will not be put to shame!" You
are all witnesses to hope, to that hope which is not afraid to build
the house of one's own life because it is certain that it can count
on the foundation that will never crumble: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Meeting with young people. Kraków-Blonie, 27 May 2006
Unity
Staying together is the stipulation made by Jesus for receiving the
gift of the Holy Spirit; the premise of this harmony is prolonged prayer.
In this way we are offered a formidable lesson for every Christian community.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit makes our hearts capable of understanding each other's
languages, as it re-establishes the bridge of authentic communication
between earth and heaven. The Holy Spirit is love.
But, how is it possible to enter into the mystery of the Holy Spirit? How
can the secret of love be understood? The Gospel passage takes us today
to the Cenacle. The Last Supper is over; the apostles are saddened
and disconcerted. The reason was that Jesus' words aroused disturbing
questions: He spoke of the world's hatred of him and of his own, he
spoke of his mysterious departure; much remained to be said but at that
moment the apostles were not able to bear the weight of it all (cf.
John 16:12).
To comfort them, he explained the meaning of his departure: He would go, but
he would return; meanwhile, he would not abandon them, he would not
leave them orphans. He would send the Consoler, the Spirit of the Father,
and the Spirit would enable them to know that Christ's work is a work
of love: love of him who gave himself, love of the Father who has given
him.
This is the mystery of Pentecost: The Holy Spirit illuminates the human spirit
and, on revealing Christ, crucified and risen, indicates the way to
become more like him, that is, to be an expression and instrument
of the love that comes from him.
Pentecost
Mass. 4 June 2006
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