joy Tag

PARAGUAY, Family Missions 2016, Rodolfo Melgarejo • “The Lord went out to sow, and in the heart of America, he found fertile land…” are the lyrics of a song, and today the Lord once again went out to sow in Paraguay.  Ten towns, with more than a thousand people, mad for Christ. Yes crazy, as we left comforts such as sleeping in a bed, bathing with warm water and there were days we had no water. During this truly cold winter, it rained, but this was nothing if we placeRead More
From Ingeborg and Richard Sickinger, Vienna, Austria • With Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation about love in the family, a change of paradigm has taken place in pastoral care. A great theme that can be followed through the whole work is a shift of emphasis from the law to the ideal. Cardinal Schönborn, who presented the Papal document on 8 April in Rome, stated in an interview with the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, “This document lifts the discussion onto a higher plane. (…) The Pope speaks of love inRead More
BRAZIL, Karen Bueno • “Christ loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20) is the certainty and motivation behind the vocation of the new Brazilian Schoenstatt Father, Fr. Ailton Brito Alves.  On Saturday 16 April, the Schoenstatt Family, parish community, many friends and family — in Brazil and abroad — gathered for his priestly ordination at the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Way, in São Bernardo do Campo/SP. Bishop Pedro Carlos Cipolini of Santo André/SP presided over the celebration and advised the new priest: “Never forget God’sRead More
PARAGUAY, by José Aníbal Argüello • During the recent Holy Week, 950 youths, the majority of them Paraguayan and those from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, among others, have participated in the Catholic University Missions. We confirmed our Faith, responding to the call that was manifested to us in different ways and through different people to take the message of joy, salvation, hope and love to the people as Christ entrusted to us. “Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and ofRead More
Francisco
FRANCIS IN ROME – HOLY YEAR OF MERCY • Continuing with his series of catechesis on mercy in Holy Scriptures, Pope Francis, hafter having reflected on God’s mercy in the Old Testament, began his reflections about how Jesus enacted mercy to the full. At a time of public indignation over the Panama Papers, Pope Francis tells us: “It is on the Cross that Jesus presents the sin of the world to the mercy of the Father: the sin of all people, my sins, your sins, everyone’s sins. There, on theRead More
FRANCIS IN MEXICO, Chiapas, by Mayra Delgado de Yamallel • What a blessed opportunity Mónica Guerra de Morales and I had to attend Encounter of the Families, with His Holiness, Francis, in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas! Along with four other friends, who belong to the Apostolate of the Cross-, we arrived in this city for this encounter the previous night. We had tickets to Victor Reyna Stadium, which were provided by the Archdiocese of Monterrey. The first thing to decide was what would be the best time to go the followingRead More
Communities that are fearful and without joy are sick, they are not Christian communities. That was the message of Pope Francis at his morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. “Fear” and “joy” – those are the two words of the liturgy of the day. Fear, the Pope said, “is an attitude that harms us. It weakens us, it diminishes us. It even paralyzes us.” A person who is afraid “does nothing, doesn’t know what to do.” He is focused on himself, so that nothing bad will happen.” Fear “bringsRead More