Posts Tagged ‘Gospel’

Pope August intentions a wake up call for western Christians

DO847

In his prayer intentions for August, the Holy Father has turned his attention to Christians in the west.

His general intention focuses on World Youth Day, which is now only some two weeks away – more on that tomorrow – but his missionary intention is an important call to allow God to move and work in societies where he is often seen as a relic of the past.

Benedict XVI hopes that:

“That Western Christians may be open to the action of the Holy Spirit and rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith.”

We cannot be still in the spiritual life, the saints say, if we are not walking towards God, we are moving away from him. If this maxim holds true for individuals it also holds for societies, nations and even civilizations. The signs of heading the wrong way are there, as Benedict explains in the CTS booklet How to spread the Gospel:

“No one who looks realistically at our world today could think that Christians can afford to go on with business as usual, ignoring the profound crisis of faith which has overtaken our society, or simply trusting that the patrimony of values handed down by Christian centuries will continue to inspire and shape the future of our society.”

Such is the assessment of an extraordinarily clear thinker, yet the Christian is surely characterized by hope, not of the blind or foolhardy idealistic kind, but based on God’s goodness. So, we are presented with solutions as well as problems.

“We know that in times of crisis and upheaval God has raised up great saints and prophets for the renewal of the Church and Christian society; we trust in his providence and we pray for his continual guidance. But each of us, in accordance with his or her state of life, is called to work for the advancement of God’s Kingdom by imbuing temporal life with the values of the Gospel. Each of us has a mission, each of us is called to change the world, to work for a culture of life, a culture forged by love and respect for the dignity of each human person.”

Plenty for us to do then, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

How to spread the Gospel is available from CTS priced £2.50

Of related interest:

DO531 What Catholics Believe - To anyone interested in learning something of the Catholic faith, this ‘twenty-steps’ pocket book will be a treasure. Different people have so many different questions and this booklet does not pretend to be a complete expression of the Catholic faith – but is an excellent introduction: a step on your journey to Christ.
DO845 YouCat – YouCat is an accessible, contemporary expression of the Catholic Faith. The appealing graphic format includes questions and answers, highly-readable commentary and summary definitions of key terms.
SC86 The Four Evangelists – This booklet offers digestible and attractive summaries of the life and work of each of the four Gospel writers, Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. It provides an excellent overview and introduction to the structure, themes and emphasis of each of the four gospels, and for Luke and John, their other writings (Acts, Letters and Revelation) are also explored.
In his prayer intentions for August, the Holy Father has turned his attention on Christians in the west.
His general intention focuses on World Youth Day, which is now only some two weeks away – more on that tomorrow – but his missionary intention is an important call to allow God to move and work in societies where he is often seen as a relic of the past.
Benedict XVI hopes that:
“That Western Christians may be open to the action of the Holy Spirit and rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith.”
We cannot be still in the spiritual life, the saints say, if we are not walking towards God, we are moving away from him. If this maxim holds true for individuals it also holds for societies, nations and even civilizations. The signs are there, as Benedict explains in the CTS booklet How to spead:
“No one who looks realistically at our world today could think that Christians can afford to go on with business as usual, ignoring the profound crisis of faith which has overtaken our society, or simply trusting that the patrimony of values handed down by Christian centuries will continue to inspire and shape the future of our society.”
Such is the assessment of an extraordinarily clear thinker, yet the Christian is surely characterized by hope, not of the blind or foolhardy idealistic kind, but based on God’s goodness. So, we are presented with solutions as well as problems.
“We know that in times of crisis and upheaval God has raised up great saints and prophets for the renewal of the Church and Christian society; we trust in his providence and we pray for his continual guidance. But each of us, in accordance with his or her state of life, is called to work for the advancement of God’s Kingdom by imbuing temporal life with the values of the Gospel. Each of us has a mission, each of us is called to change the world, to work for a culture of life, a culture forged by love and respect for the dignity of each human person.”
Plenty for us to do then, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Wednesday, 27 July 2011 16:30

Bishop Mark Davies: “Find your vocation before the Blessed Sacrament”

DO847

Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury has reflected on how his vocational calling came when praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

His personal testimony draws attention to how important this particular form of prayer and closeness to God is, in the life of the disciple. At St Mary’s College, Birmingham, he spoke of his own moment of vocational clarity before the Real Presence.

“In the clear, gentle light of the Eucharist I dared to ask what the Lord had in mind for me and found the courage to say: ‘Yes’. I would like to say to each of you that where the Holy Eucharist is found, you will also find the answer to the greatest question of your lifetime. Here you will find your true vocation.”

This is a moving exposition of Bishop Davies’ own journey, but lessons can be taken from it for all Christians, whose vocation is to live out and spread the word of Christ. The Eucharist is a necessity for anyone who is trying to faithfully follow Jesus. Whatever their state or stage of life, everyone has an incredible opportunity to go before God and ask what He wants of them.

As Pope Benedict says in How to spread the Gospel:

“To be a disciple and a missionary implies a close bond with the Word of God, the Eucharist and the other sacraments, in order to live in the Church in obedient listening to her teachings. To renew with joy the will to be Jesus’ disciples, to ‘remain with him’, this is the fundamental condition to being a missionary. The Eucharist, in effect, is the driving force of the Church’s entire evangelizing action, a little like the heart in the human body. How very significant is the bond between the Church’s mission and the Eucharist. In fact, missionary and evangelizing action is the apostolic diffusion of love that is, as it were, concentrated in the Most Blessed Sacrament.”

Closeness to that “heart” then, is the key to finding our way on our own journey to heaven, a journey which should be spent – taking the Blessed Sacrament as our example – in the service of others.

How to spread the Gospel is available from CTS priced £2.50

Of related interest:

DO531 What Catholics Believe - To anyone interested in learning something of the Catholic faith, this ‘twenty-steps’ pocket book will be a treasure. Different people have so many different questions and this booklet does not pretend to be a complete expression of the Catholic faith – but is an excellent introduction: a step on your journey to Christ.
DO845 YouCat – YouCat is an accessible, contemporary expression of the Catholic Faith. The appealing graphic format includes questions and answers, highly-readable commentary and summary definitions of key terms.
Adoration Eucharistic Adoration - Many people are discovering – or rediscovering – that quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament is the best medicine for our busy and increasingly stressful lives. Illustrated with classic Christian art, and presented in a leatherette cover, this prayer book includes a unique Rosary of the Blessed Sacrament.
Monday, 20 June 2011 15:30

Jesus of Nazareth II – Review Roundup 1

Jesus Of Nazareth 2

Pope Benedict’s book Jesus of Nazareth II was released exactly seven days ago, and we wanted to get you up to speed on how it has been received. After bringing the Guardian’s review to your attention yesterday, here are some more positive ones.

Eric Sammons writes in Our Sunday Visitor:

“The greatness of a great man is not always recognized in his own time… Yet Joseph Ratzinger — now Pope Benedict XVI — is one of the greatest theologians to ever hold the office of the papacy, and his impact on the life of the Church — especially in theological studies — can hardly be overstated.”

Read the full review.

John L. Allen writes on the National Catholic Register site that:

“A veteran theologian and teacher, Benedict can express complex theological ideas in crystalline sentences that don’t require a Ph.D. to grasp.”

Read the full article.

And the first customer one from Amazon too:

“His [The Pope’s] forensic examination of historical and theological arguments, his breadth of reading, and his ability to bring new conclusions to light are a joy. This book is typical of the real man and a far cry from the picture painted of him in the popular press. I have no reservation in recommending this text to Christian and non Christian alike.”

We’ll add more as they come in, and we will be asking for your help in the next few days too, so watch this space.

Tell us how you are finding it! Post your comments below.

If you have not already done so, you can order the book and read all the pre-publication extracts here. If you do have the book, we welcome your comments and reviews!

Of related interest:

Part 1 Jesus of Nazareth Vol. I – Pope Benedict successfully corrects certain erroneous tendencies in modern biblical scholarship which have diminished our confidence in the reliability of Scripture and in our ability to know Jesus through it.
Lent Lent: Walking towards the Resurrection – Pope Benedict’s illuminating and probing Lenten reflections on the season’s scripture and liturgies culminate in the greatest treasure of all: our personal participation in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Via Dolorosa Via Dolorosa with Pope Benedict XVI - Well-known Gospel passages, prayers and beautiful illustrations are powerfully drawn together in these probing meditations on suffering, the cross, the place of evil and sin in our world.
Thursday, 17 March 2011 15:30

The Guardian Trashes Jesus of Nazareth II

Jesus Of Nazareth 2

Last week, The Guardian published its review of the Pope’s book Jesus of Nazareth part two. It will come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with this well-known media outlet, that to call this review critical is somewhat of an understatement – but it is worth looking at nonetheless.

Written by Geza Vermes, an Oxford professor of Jewish Studies who converted to Catholicism, became a priest, and then returned to Judaism, it begins with an analysis of volume one in which he says:

“We were offered an old-fashioned story in which the gospels were taken quasi-literally and interpreted not in their historical framework, but in light of any passage picked ad lib from the Old and New Testament or from two millennia of Christian thought.”

And volume two is given short shrift too:

“The pope’s treatment of ‘the figure and the words of the Lord’ consists of mountains of pious and largely familiar musings. He provides unquestioning Christians with plenty of solace. But today’s many disturbed seekers after religious truth – people who long for fresh knowledge, inspiration and intellectual stimulus – had better look elsewhere for spiritual help.”

An opposing view

It is in strange contrast to other Jewish scholars who have recommended the book. Jacob Neusner, Professor of the History and Theology of Judaism at Bard College in New York argues the opposite.

“This theological masterpiece courageously confronts head-on two centuries of historical exegesis and establishes a fresh way of reading the Gospels as both biography and theology in a coherent way.

“The quest for the historical Jesus, as conducted in mainstream critical exegesis in accordance with its hermeneutical presuppositions, lacks sufficient content to exert any significant historical impact. It is focused too much on the past for it to make possible a personal relationship with Jesus.

“Here we find  a compelling model for the presentation of  the life of holy rabbi, Hillel or Aqiba, in the same context as we account for the life of Jesus.”

“Pointing the finger”

But the most interesting thing about the Guardian’s piece is the tone, rather than the content. This becomes clear when the Oxford scholar looks at how Pope Benedict approaches the contentious question of who killed Jesus. He writes:

“A decree of the Second Vatican Council prevents the pope from following 19 centuries of Catholic tradition and pointing the finger at the Jews.”

Even his admission of the Pope’s Biblical scholarship is delivered with the same negative intonation.

“200 years of labour has not been in vain and that small fragment of New Testament criticism seems to have penetrated the mighty stronghold of traditional Christianity.”

In the foreword to the first volume, Joseph Ratzinger asked readers for “The initial goodwill without which there can be no understanding.” Regrettably, he did not get it from the Guardian.

If you want to read the rest of the review, click here.

If you have not already done so, you can order the book and read all the pre-publication extracts here. If you do have the book, we welcome your comments and reviews!

Of related interest:

Part 1 Jesus of Nazareth Vol. I – Pope Benedict successfully corrects certain erroneous tendencies in modern biblical scholarship which have diminished our confidence in the reliability of Scripture and in our ability to know Jesus through it.
Lent Lent: Walking towards the Resurrection – Pope Benedict’s illuminating and probing Lenten reflections on the season’s scripture and liturgies culminate in the greatest treasure of all: our personal participation in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Verbum Verbum Domini - Verbum Domini has already been acclaimed as the most important document on the word of God since the Second Vatican Council. In it, Pope Benedict XVI, whose writings on Sacred Scripture are widely admired, summarises the reflections of the Synod Fathers who met in 2008 to discuss the ‘word of God in the life and mission of the Church’.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011 15:30

Jesus Of Nazareth II – A Book Of Many Firsts

Jesus Of Nazareth 2

Benedict XVI’s new book Jesus of Nazareth II is the first time a Pope has written so extensively about Jesus, simply as a theologian. But as the CEO of Ignatius Press, the book’s US publisher (the publisher for Britain and Ireland is Catholic Truth Society) explained to the world’s media, that is not the only first.

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week – From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, was launched last week in the Vatican.

The Vatican Publishing House published the book in Italian, and it was also released by various publishers in English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Polish.

Mark Brumley, president and CEO at Ignatius, identified several factors that may make the book historic.

“There are a number of ‘firsts’ here. It’s the first time a Pope has written a book with this much depth on Jesus; it’s the first time the Pope has engaged modern historical scholarship; and this is the first time the Pope has balanced out the method of historical scholarship with a broader theological approach to the Bible,” Brumley said. “Those are three significant firsts.”

At the launch, there was also a discussion about what the book means for Christians in general.

A Protestant perspective, and Vatican II

Protestant biblical scholar Ben Witherington III, a professor at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky and at St. Andrews University in Scotland, added his commendation, beginning by putting the work in the context of Vatican II.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in Jesus scholarship and writing books about Jesus, and one of the things I have seen in the (guild) of biblical scholars worldwide is that Catholic and Protestant (exegy) have come closer and closer together in their understanding of both historical Jesus and the Christ of faith, and then worked together to better understanding.”

Witherington explained:

“I think this book is a very significant book that does precisely that, it helps us both with our knowledge and understanding of Jesus from a historical and critical point of view, but also with our faith. You see knowledge and vital piety in this book, and it’s a very welcome sight indeed.”

A work that will aid unity

Brumley added:

“Reading this book helps Christians, especially Protestants and Catholics, and Christians and Jews, and believers and unbelievers overcome unnecessary differences, differences that arise from misunderstandings, misreading, and I would say even within our own Christian tradition misreading of the Gospel passages.

“The (Holy Father) did a great job of summarizing one of those mis-readings, but also — our differences will be clearer. And I think that actually serves the cause of unity.”

If you have not already done so, you can order the book and read all the pre-publication extracts here. If you do have the book, we welcome your comments and reviews!

Of related interest:

Part 1 Jesus of Nazareth Vol. I – Pope Benedict successfully corrects certain erroneous tendencies in modern biblical scholarship which have diminished our confidence in the reliability of Scripture and in our ability to know Jesus through it.
Lent Lent: Walking towards the Resurrection – Pope Benedict’s illuminating and probing Lenten reflections on the season’s scripture and liturgies culminate in the greatest treasure of all: our personal participation in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Via Dolorosa Via Dolorosa with Pope Benedict XVI - Well-known Gospel passages, prayers and beautiful illustrations are powerfully drawn together in these probing meditations on suffering, the cross, the place of evil and sin in our world.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011 15:28
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