The Holy Trinity and Fathers’ Day

T oday, we honor the Most Holy Trinity. Each of us began life in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; and in this same Name we will leave this world to find in Heaven the fullness of the vision of these three divine Persons. One God in three divine Persons: this is the profession of our Faith that the Apostles heard from Jesus lips and handed down. It is the faith that Christians have held from the very first moment in the history of the Church.

The whole of a Christian’s supernatural life is directed towards the knowledge of the Blessed Trinity and the intimate conversation with the Father, and the Son and Holy Spirit. It is for this end that we have been created and raised to the supernatural order: to know, to talk with and to love this Trinity of Divine Persons.

Let us reflect daily on the fact that the Holy Trinity is with us always, loving us.

Today, on this Fathers’ Day we might reflect on what fatherhood is. We look to God for that understanding. God loves all his children. His love is shown by his watching over and protecting us. He, moreover, provides for us. St. Joseph is the model of God’s fatherly love. He certainly did all that he could in order to watch over and protect Jesus and Mary. He worked to provide for them. He was a man of tremendous faith and trust in God.

Our fathers most likely did not go through the lengths that St. Joseph did (the flight into Egypt, etc.) But, they nevertheless showed the same love by their taking care of us. Some did travel great distances so that there would be a better life for their wives and children. They worked hard in spite of temptations to take it easy. Their families come first. Like their wives they always want the best for their children. Every father’'s heart bursts with pride whenever his child does something good or makes an achievement. This shows a true desire for the happiness of their children.

It really is a blessing to have a day each year to remind us about the gift that each of our fathers is to us. May we respect and honor them each day. If we give a gift, may that gift be a manifestation of the love in our hearts. For those fathers who have departed this life, may they always be remembered by their children in their prayers and Masses. These are ways that we can express our appreciation and our love for them.

Father Stanley

Fidelity to and Praying for the Pope

L ast week, I wrote about some opinions that liberals and conservatives have concerning Pope Francis. It's not a liberal or conservative issue. The papacy is a gift from God Himself. We should appreciate it greatly. Moreover, It's our obligation to pray for the pope. From the beginnings of the Church, the members prayed for him (see Acts of the Apostles 12:1-12). The pope's name is included in every Mass. All of us should keep him in our daily prayers, no matter who he is.

The following is taken from Simon Peter by G. Chevrot (Scepter Publishers, 1959):

Love for the Roman Pontiff must be in us a beautiful passion, for in him we see Christ.  Therefore we will not fall into the all too easy temptation of setting one Pope against another, having confidence only in those whose actions respond to our personal feelings. We are not among those who nostalgically look back to a former Pope or look forward to one in the future who will eventually dispense us from obeying the present one. Read the liturgical texts for the coronation of Pontiffs and you will notice that nowhere is there a reference to a conferral of powers proportionate to the dignity of the person elected by the conclave. Christ gives these powers directly to Peter's successor. Therefore in speaking of the Roman Pontiff we exclude from our vocabulary any expressions derived from parliamentary assemblies or the polemics of newspapers; let it not be said that people not of our faith should be the ones who explain the prestige of the head of Christendom in the world to us.

Pope Francis has the weight of the world upon his shoulders. He certainly needs and depends on our prayers and sacrifices for him and for his apostolate.

Father Stanley

Pope Francis

It's good to see all the attention that Pope Francis is getting; no doubt it's due to his humility and his obvious love for people. St. John Paul II generated much interest in himself as well. I always thought, back in those years of his papacy, that the press unintentionally did more to teach the Catholic faith than did many priests. The media often, especially when it seemed controversial, reported what St. John Paul taught, whether the topic was artificial contraception, abortion, injustice and much more. This happened again with our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. With our present Holy Father, reporters extrapolate a statement or two from him and speculate a new interpretation of Church doctrine. Of course they see things from a secular perspective and not from faith.

I do not like the terms "liberal" and "conservative" when speaking about our faith; I prefer "Catholic." Nevertheless, for the sake of discussion, I will use them Liberals think that Pope Francis is changing the Church's position that has remained in place for millennia. Specifically, they see a reform taking shape. It's a reform of moral theology and worship to their liking. Many conservatives think the same, however not to their liking but to their consternation. The great fault here is judging Pope Francis according to one's opinion of what a pope should be. Christ was falsely judged too. The Pope doesn't suit them; so, he must be wrong, even heretical. Both liberals and conservatives seem to be parsing every phrase uttered by him in order to fortify their opinions.

Has Pope Francis taught anything in error? Has he altered Christ's teaching in any way? Absolutely not. Rather than sitting down as an armchair critic, looking for faults, I'd rather be on my knees, praying for our good Pope Francis.
 
Father Stanley