May God bless all those committed to promoting social justice and the good of the workers. — Pope Benedict XVI
Before you eat dinner tonight, think about all the people who labored long hours to put food on your table.
pope benedict xvi
What Does the Bible say About Miscarried Babies?
There aren’t any specific scriptural passages about miscarried children, or even about the fate of infants who die before they are baptized. You may have…
Sometimes an Empty Throne Is Just an Empty Throne
Last weekend Pope Francis found himself in some hot water. Or, I suppose, it depends on how you look at it. In short, the pope…
Benedict the Meek
As the world focuses in on Rome for the papal conclave, many are discussing what qualities are needed in the next Successor of Saint Peter.…
A Political Papacy?
For the past 700 years or so, the election of a new Pope was always preceded by the death of another, and so it meant, presumably, that Catholics would spend some time mourning the loss of their spiritual leader before considering who might serve next.
What Works: Vacation Advice from the Pope
The pope has made several comments concerning vacations, which were highlighted in a piece on the Vatican Radio website. Whether he’s your spiritual leader or not, he touches on some powerful ideas, so let’s take a look.
Pope Benedict offers two basic goals for our vacation besides relaxation:
- spending time with others
- spending time with God
It’s one thing to spend an hour or two with a person, or to be with family or a partner all the time in the daily routines of life, but there’s something special (and sometimes challenging) about travelling together. Quality time is a great thing, but the hours of non-quality time during a vacation — in cars, waiting at airports, between events — create a different kind of intimacy.
And as far as what vacation to choose, are you challenged by the pope’s suggestion to spend time with others? Is there a visit to family that you could do instead of that beach vacation which will yield greater fruit in the long run? Maybe not. And not every vacation should be about visiting family. Getaways are valuable too. But it’s worth asking yourself.
It’s obvious how to spend time with other people — bring them along or go to them — but how do we spend time with God while on vacation? The pope offers three ideas, and we’ll explore each one a little…
The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness. — Pope Benedict XVI
What were you meant to do with your life?
God no longer simply stands before us as the One who is totally Other. He is within us, and we are in him. His dynamic enters into us and then seeks to spread outward to others until it fills the world, so that his love can truly become the dominant measure of the world. — Pope Benedict XVI
Today know that God is within you and try to see that same presence of God in someone else.
What Works: Renewal
I always go to the Easter Vigil. I don’t do it out of duty; I do it out of love. My own baptism happened at…
Commenting on Condoms
Recently, on a pilgrimage in Italy, I heard a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal relay in a homily one of the many stories of St.…