We also try to reach out to people who are far away, via digital means, the web and brief messaging.
We ask the risen Jesus, who turns death into life, to change hatred into love, vengeance into forgiveness, war into peace. Yes, Christ is our peace, and through him to implore peace for all the world.
Peace is a daily commitment. It is a homemade peace.
Creation is not a property, which we can rule over at will; or, even less, is the property of only a few: Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude.
Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded. We have created a ‘disposable’ culture which is now spreading. It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new.
Today in many places we hear a call for greater security. But until exclusion and inequality in society and between peoples is reversed, it will be impossible to eliminate violence.
Mere administration can no longer be enough. Throughout the world, let us be permanently in a state of mission.
I feel so low that instead of picking myself up I have to cut others down.
The presence of the devil is on the first page of the Bible, and the Bible ends as well with the presence of the devil, with the victory of God over the devil.
Do I guard myself, my heart, my feelings, my thoughts? Do I guard the treasure of grace? Do I guard the presence of the Holy Spirit in me? Or do I let go, feeling secure, believing that all is going well?
Let us ask the Lord for the grace to take these things seriously. He came to fight for our salvation. He won against the devil! Please, let us not do business with the devil! He seeks to return home, to take possession of us Do not relativize; be vigilant! And always with Jesus!
No one can grow if he does not accept his smallness.
Living together is an art. It’s a patient art, it’s a beautiful art, it’s fascinating.
We don’t have to expect everything from those who govern us; that would be juvenile.
Indifference is dangerous, whether innocent or not.
If I’m not mistaken, Sigmund Freud said that in every idealisation there’s an aggression. Depicting the Pope as a sort of Superman, a star, is offensive to me. The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone else. A normal person.
Just as we need the courage to be happy, we also need the courage to live simply.
We are far from the so called ‘end of history,’ since the conditions for a sustainable and peaceful development have not yet been adequately articulated and realized.
Certainly, possessions, money, and power can give a momentary thrill, the illusion of being happy, but they end up possessing us and making us always want to have more, never satisfied. ‘Put on Christ’ in your life, place your trust in him, and you will never be disappointed!
None of us can think we are exempt from concerns for the poor and for social justice.