September 24 to September 30 - abbey

God walks with us, revealing His humility
Jesus awaits us always; this is the humility of God as stated by Pope Francis at Mass Tuesday September 24. The Pope, who was inspired by the Psalm "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord", stressed that the Sacrament is not a magic ritual, but an encounter with Jesus who accompanies us in life.
In the history of the People of God, there are good moments that give joy and also bad times of pain, of martyrdom, of sin. Be it bad times or good, one thing is always common: the Lord is there, He never abandons His people! For the Lord, on that day of sin, the first sin, He took a decision, he made ​​a choice: to make history with His people. And God, who has no history, because it is eternal, wanted to make history, walking alongside His people. And more: become one of us and as one of us, He walks with us, through Jesus. This tells us of the humility of God.
This shows us God’s greatness, but at the same time, it also illustrates His humility. And when his People strayed from Him in sin and idolatry, He was there, waiting. And Jesus shows the same humility: He walks with the People of God, walks with the sinners; walks also with the arrogant. The Lord, did much to help these arrogant hearts of the Pharisees.
The Church, rejoices in God’s humility, that humility which accompanies us as “We go with joy to the House of the Lord. We go with joy, because He accompanies us, He is with us… and the Lord Jesus, even in our personal lives, accompanies us with the Sacraments. The Sacrament is not a magic rite: it is an encounter with Jesus Christ; we encounter the Lord – it is He who is beside us and accompanies us.

The languages of knowing Jesus

To know Jesus, you have to get involved with Him, as pointed out by Pope Francis at Mass on Thursday, September 26. He said that Jesus is to be encountered in everyday life. He indicated the three languages needed to know Jesus: that of the mind, that of the heart, and that of action.
Who is He? Where does He come from? In remarks after the readings, Pope Francis focused on the question that Herod posed about Jesus – a question that all those who encounter Jesus eventually ask. The question is one, which, “one can ask out of curiosity,” or “that one might ask for safety.” We see that some people begin to feel afraid of this man, because he could have led them to a political conflict with the Romans. One wonders, who is this man, who makes so many problems? Because, Jesus really does cause trouble!

You cannot know Jesus without having problems. And I dare say, But if you want to have a problem, go to the street to know Jesus – you’ll end up having not one, but many! But that is the way to get to know Jesus! You cannot know Jesus in ‘first class!’ One gets to know Jesus in going out [into] every day [life]. You cannot get to know Jesus in peace and quiet, nor even in the library: Know Jesus.”
Certainly, we can know Jesus in the Catechism, for, the Catechism teaches us many things about Jesus. We have to study it, we have to learn it. Thus, we know the Son of God, who came to save us, we understand the beauty of the history of salvation, of the love of the Father, studying the Catechism.” Nevertheless, how many people have read the Catechism of the Catholic Church since it was published over 20 years ago?
Yes, you have to come to know Jesus in the Catechism – but it is not enough to know Him with the mind: it is a step. However, it is necessary to get to know Jesus in dialogue with Him, talking with Him in prayer, kneeling. If you do not pray, if you do not talk with Jesus, you do not know Him. You know things about Jesus, but you do not go with that knowledge, which He gives your heart in prayer. Know Jesus with the mind - the study of the Catechism: know Jesus with the heart - in prayer, in dialogue with Him. This helps us a good bit, but it is not enough. There is a third way to know Jesus: it is by following Him. Go with Him,.. walk with Him.
It is necessary, to go, to walk along the streets, journeying. It is necessary, to know Jesus in the language of action. Here, then, is how you can really know Jesus: with these ‘three languages’ ​​- of the mind, heart and action. If, then, I know Jesus in these ways, I involve myself with Him.
One cannot know Jesus without getting oneself involved with Him, without betting your life [on] Him. When so many people - including us – pose this question: ‘But, who is He?’, The Word of God responds, ‘You want to know who He is? Read what the Church tells you about Him, talk to Him in prayer and walk the street with him. Thus, will you know who this man is.’ This is the way! Everyone must make his choice.

A true Christian has to endure humiliations with joy and patience

Preaching at Mass on Friday September 27, Pope Francis said the proof of whether we are true Christians is shown by our ability to endure humiliations with joy and patience. The Pope stressed this need for sacrifice in the Christian’s life of faith.
In the Gospel of today, Jesus asks his disciples who they thought he was. It was after this question and Peter’s correct answer, that Jesus revealed to the disciples his Passion, his death and his resurrection and he recalled Peter’s horrified reaction to this news in the gospel account from St. Matthew. Peter was frightened and scandalized just like many Christians, who declare ‘this will never happen to you, I will follow you up to this point.’

This is the temptation of a spiritual wellbeing. Like the young rich man in the gospel who wanted to follow Jesus but only ‘up to a certain point.’ The scandal of the Cross continues to block many Christians, who rather than following this path of the Cross complain about the wrongs and insults they’ve had to ensure.
The proof if somebody is a true Christian is his or her ability to endure humiliations with joy and patience. This, is our choice: whether to be a Christian of wellbeing or a Christian close to Jesus, who walks along the path of the Cross.

No fruitful apostolic work without the Cross

Ask for the grace you need in order not to flee the Cross: this was the message of Pope Francis to the faithful at Mass on Saturday September 28. His remarks following the daily readings focused on the Gospel passage of the day, in which Jesus announces His Passion to the disciples.
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” These words of Jesus were chilling to the disciples, who expected a triumphal journey. They were words that, remained for [the disciples] so mysterious that they did not grasp their meaning. The disciples were afraid to ask him about the matter. For them, it was ‘better not to talk about it,’ it was, ‘better not to understand, than to understand the truth,’ that Jesus had proclaimed.
They were afraid of the Cross – they were afraid of the Cross. Peter himself, after that solemn confession in the region of Caesarea Philippi, when Jesus again said the same thing, reproaches the Lord: “No, Lord! Never! Not this!” said Peter. He was afraid of the Cross. Not only the disciples, however, not only Peter. Jesus Himself was afraid of the Cross! He could not fool Himself, He knew. So great was Jesus’ own fear that, on that Thursday evening He did sweat blood. So great was Jesus’ fear that He almost said the same as Peter – almost: ‘Father, take this chalice from me. Thy will be done!’ This was the difference.
The Cross causes fear even in the work of evangelization, though, there is the ‘rule’ according to which, the disciple is not greater than the Master. There is the rule according to which there is no redemption without the effusion of blood,” there is no fruitful apostolic work without the Cross.
Perhaps we think – each one of us can wonder: And to me, what shall happen? How will my Cross be? We do not know. We do not know, but there will be one. We must pray for the grace not to fly from the Cross when it comes: with fear, eh! That is true. That scares us. Nevertheless, that is where following Jesus leads. The last words that Jesus spoke to Peter come to mind – in that Pontifical incoronation at Tiberias: ‘Do you love me? Peace! Do you love me? Peace!’…but the final words were these: ‘They shall take you where you do not want to go: The promise of the Cross.
Pope Francis concluded with a prayer to the Virgin Mary: “Nearest to Jesus, on the Cross, was His mother – His dear mother. Perhaps today, this day in which we pray to her, it would be good to ask her not for the grace to take away our fear – that must come, that fear of the Cross… but the grace we need, not to fly from the Cross in fear. She was there and she knows how to be near the Cross.”

Peace and joy, not perfect organization, signs of God’s presence in Church

‘Peace and joy’ are the true signs of God’s presence in the Church – not perfection in its organization and planning. That’s what Pope Francis told the faithful gathered for mass on Monday, September 30.

The disciples were enthusiastic, making plans for the future and discussing how the new-born Church should be organized. They debated who was the greatest amongst them and restricted to themselves the number of people wishing to do good in Jesus’ name. But Jesus, explains the Pope, surprises them – turning the focus of the discussion from ‘organization’ to ‘children’. “He in fact, who is the smallest among all of you…is great!”
Drawing on the reading from the Prophet Zecharia, the Pope spoke in his homily of the signs of God’s presence: not in “fine organization” nor in “ a government that moves ahead, all clean and perfect,” but in the elderly sitting in the squares and in children playing .
“The future of a people is right here…in the elderly and in the children. A people who does not take care of the elderly and children has no future because it will have no memory and it will have no promise! The elderly and children are the future of a people!”

Pope Francis warned that it is all too easy to shoo a child away or make them calm down with a candy or a game – or to tune out the elderly and ignore their advice with the excuse that “they’re old, poor people.”
“And the disciples didn’t understand this either. The disciples wanted efficacy; they wanted the Church to go forward without problems and this can become a temptation for the Church: the Church of functionalism! The well-organized Church! Everything in its place, but without memory and without promise! This Church, in this way, cannot move ahead. It will be the Church of the fight for power; it will be the Church of jealousies between the baptized and many other things that occur when there is no memory and no promise.”

The vitality of the Church, then, does not come through documents and planning meetings- these are necessary, yes, but they are not ‘the sign of God’s presence.’
“The sign of God’s presence is this, so says the Lord: ‘Old men and old women will sit again in the squares of Jerusalem, each with a cane in hand for their age. And the squares of the city will swarm with young boys and girls playing…Playing makes us think of joy: it is the Lord’s joy. And these elderly people sitting with a cane in hand, calm: they make us think of peace. Peace and joy. This is the air of the Church!”