(Vatican Radio) In this week's edition of There's More in the Gospel Than Meets the Eye, Jill Bevilacqua and Seàn-Patrick Lovett bring us readings and reflections for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
Father Dave answers a caller's question on whether or not we have to go to Mass twice this Christmas in order to fill both the Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation.
(Vatican Radio) In Nigeria, three Catechists of the Diocese of Maiduguri died, this week on Monday, when two female suicide bombers detonated their vests outside a Church in Pulka. The bombs killed the three Catechists and injured several Catechumens waiting inside a Church. The Catechumens were waiting to be interviewed in readiness for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Maiduguri’s Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme was due to visit the Church in Pulka on Wednesday, 13 December.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis told the faithful on Wednesday that missing out on Mass on Sundays means missing out an encounter with the Lord. Speaking to those present in the Paul VI Hall for the weekly General Audience, the Pope reflected on the question: “why go to Mass on Sunday?”
Pope Francis has urged that "news be communicated with serenity, precision and completeness, using a calm language in favour of a fruitful reflection; thoughtful and clear words, which reject the tempers of allusive, clamorous and ambiguous speech, Pope Francis told representatives of Italian periodicals on Saturday. “It is important that the criteria of judgment and information are offered patiently and methodically so that public opinion is able to understand and discern, and is not stunned and disoriented,” the was some 350 members of the Union of Italian Periodical Press (USPI) and the Italian Federation of Catholic Weeklies (FISC) who met him in the Vatican.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has received a group of new Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See encouraging them to foster dialogue and cooperation in our increasingly globalized society.
(Vatican Radio) The tenderness of God, as his defining trait, was at the heart of the Pope’s homily this morning at Mass at the Casa Santa Marta. The theme was taken from the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and the psalm where God says of himself: "... his tenderness expands over all creatures".
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met on Thursday with leaders of the World Evangelical Alliance who were in Rome to discuss closer cooperation with the Catholic Church, especially regarding issues of religious freedom. The WEA is a network of Protestant Churches in 129 nations representing more than 600 million evangelical Christians worldwide. Its secretary general, Bishop Efraim Tendero, was leading the delegation to the papal audience and for talks with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
by Robin Gomes “Christmas is a feast that is heart-felt, participatory and capable of warming the coldest of hearts, that removes barriers of indifference towards neighbours and encourages openness towards others and free giving.” “This is why we need even today to spread the message of peace and brotherhood of Christmas,” Pope Francis said on Friday. He was speaking to some 180 artistes of “Christmas Concert” who will be performing in the Vatican, Saturday evening.
Pope Francis, Saturday morning, received in the Vatican President Lenín Boltaire Moreno Garcés of Ecuador, who later held talks with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. In a brief communique, the Holy See’s Press Office said that “during the cordial discussions, the special role of Christianity in the formation of the identity of the country was evoked, and appreciation was expressed for the contribution of the Church.” The Holy See and Ecuador highlighted the “importance of dialogue in facing the fundamental challenges of society.” “Attention then turned to themes of mutual interest such as respect for indigenous populations and their culture, and the protection of the environment,” the Press Office noted, adding that during the talks, “there was a fruitful exchange of views on the political and social situation of the region, focusing on the efforts made to favour development and to promote legality.”
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis continued his catechesis on the Eucharist at the Wednesday General Audience, saying Sunday is the Christian holy day par excellence.
Vatican Weekend for December 16, 2017 features a report on the surprisingly large number of lonely people who have nobody with whom to spend Christmas, the origins of the tradition of making nativity scenes and where you can find a relic of the Christ Child’s crib in Rome and the latest in a series of reflections for this Advent season prepared by Monsignor William Millea.
Vatican Weekend for December 17th, 2017 features our weekly reflections on the Sunday Gospel reading, “There’s More in the Sunday Gospel than Meets the Eye,” plus our resident Vatican watcher Joan Lewis reviews the past week’s events in the Vatican.
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Anders Arborelius has been named “Swede of the Year”, the first ever Catholic prelate to receive the prestigious accolade. “Swede of the Year” is a title given annually, since 1984, to a person who during the year has distinguished her or himself in a way that has changed Sweden for the better.
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican and the World Council of Churches on Friday concluded a three day meeting exploring ways of combating xenophobia that is often provoked and exploited by populist policies.
(Vatican Radio) The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Greg Burke, briefed reporters at the Sala Stampa on Wednesday, regarding the work of the “C9” small council of Cardinals studying the reform of the Roman Curia. The members met for three days this week, starting Monday, to discuss specific issues related to the ongoing process of Curial reform.
by Robin Gomes According to the Holy See, an unbalanced and unjust trade creates social exclusion and inequality, offends human dignity and neglects the common good of humanity. A healthy world economy needs a more efficient way of interacting which ensures the economic and well-being of all countries, not just a few, said Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva on Tuesday.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday thanked his envoy to the United Nations in New York for all the hard work he is doing to raise the Holy See’s concerns regarding urgent issues and policies that have a direct impact on mankind.
Homily starter anecdote: St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) and Advent joy: Through her ministry in Jesus’ name, Mother Teresa brought untold blessings and joy to the poor who lay unattended and forgotten on our streets. When asked the source of her joy, Mother Teresa replied: “Joy is prayer -- joy is strength -- joy is love -- joy is a net of love. . . A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love . . . loving as He loves, helping as He helps, giving as He gives, serving as He serves, rescuing as He rescues, being with Him twenty-four hours, touching Him in His distressing disguise.” (Malcolm Muggeridge, Something Beautiful for God, Harper and Row, San Francisco: 1971). When Advent arrived every year, Mother Teresa’s life, continued to witness the joy which is true hallmark of every Christian and the rightful inheritance of all the poor. (http://stjohngrandbay.org/wt/client/v2/story/WT_Story.cfm?SecKey=151).
Bangladesh is being supported by the United Nations agencies in a campaign it launched on Tuesday to immunize Rohingya refugee children against diphtheria in camps in the south-east of the country, after an outbreak of the disease that has killed 9.