| THE LORD IS PRESENT IN COMMUNITIES WHICH PRAY TOGETHER
VATICAN CITY, 4 SEP 2011 (VIS) - In remarks before praying the Angelus today, the Holy Father spoke to faithful gathered in the internal courtyard of the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo about the readings of the Sunday liturgy, which focused on fraternal charity.
Fraternal love, said Benedict XVI, "involves a feeling of mutual responsibility according to which, if my brother sins against me, I must be charitable towards him and speak to him directly to help him understand that what he has done is wrong". Loving our brother does not only mean accepting him in his hour of need, "sometimes it means saying a word of correction. If a brother sins, we do not cease to love him by inviting him to return to the straight path. ... In the course of Christian life each of us, aware of our own limits and defects, is called both to accept fraternal correction from others and to offer the same service to them".
Another of the fruits of charity in the community is joint prayer, the Pope explained. "Individual prayer is certainly indispensable, but the Lord gives assurances of His presence in communities which, even if very small, remain united and speak with one voice, because they reflect the reality of God Himself, One and Triune, perfect communion of love".
In closing the Holy Father exhorted the faithful "to pray, and to correct one another as brethren, something which requires great humility and simplicity of heart, in order that our prayers might be raised to God from a community truly united in Christ".
Following the Angelus, the Pope mentioned today's opening of the twenty-fifth Italian National Eucharistic Congress in Ancona, the closure of which he will preside in a week's time, and greeted groups of pilgrims from various countries. ANG/ |
Mother Mary said at Fatima: "My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the sure way which will lead you to God." St. Thomas Aquinas said: "The things we love tell us who we are!" With that in mind, I will try to post each day something about Our Blessed Lady, items about the Holy Roman Catholic Church, and public domain Catholic books too! I pray you enjoy my ministry! Below are two albums of pictures that I created: 1. Our grand daughter Adrianna. 2. Tears of Mary!
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