I marvel at Rocco Palmo over at Whispers in the Loggia. If you haven't yet, do yourself a great favor and read his blog at: whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com. His blog is the first thing I check when I fire up the iMac each morning. He put a post up today and set a quote from Blessed John XXIII. I was intrigued given that I had posted an earlier bit from our late Holy Father today. Blessed John XXIII is one of my heroes. The quote Rocco posted comes from Bl John XXIII's opening address of the Second Vatican Council. His words from October 11, 1962 are words I believe we all need to hear every day. I know I do! It is easy to succumb to the voices of gloom and doom if we lose our perspective. Holy Mother Church is alive and well because she rests in the arms of our Lord!
"...greatly to our sorrow we sometimes have to listen to those who, although consumed with zeal, do not have very much judgment or balance. To them the modern world is nothing but betrayal and ruination. They claim that this age is far worse than previous ages and they go on as though they had learned nothing from history -- and yet history is the great teacher of life.
"They behave as though the first five centuries saw a complete vindication of the Christian idea and the Christian cause, and as though religious liberty was never put in jeopardy in the past. We feel bound to disagree with these prophets of misfortune who are forever forecasting calamity -- as though the end of the world is imminent. Our task is not merely to hoard this precious treasure of doctrine, as though obsessed with the past, but to give ourselves eagerly and without fear to the task that this present age demands of us -- and in doing so we will be faithful to what the Church has done in the past 20 centuries."
"They behave as though the first five centuries saw a complete vindication of the Christian idea and the Christian cause, and as though religious liberty was never put in jeopardy in the past. We feel bound to disagree with these prophets of misfortune who are forever forecasting calamity -- as though the end of the world is imminent. Our task is not merely to hoard this precious treasure of doctrine, as though obsessed with the past, but to give ourselves eagerly and without fear to the task that this present age demands of us -- and in doing so we will be faithful to what the Church has done in the past 20 centuries."
Blessed John XXIII
We can never give up hope! As Pope Benedict XVI's second encyclical declares, we are saved in hope. Jesus Christ is our hope and promise! It is through our relationship with Jesus that all is well even when the world is in turmoil. This is not the worst the world has ever been and this is not the worst era the Church has ever experienced. I would dare say that the Christians who got fed to the lions at Rome would say we have it pretty good in comparison. We cannot let ourselves wallow. We are God's children! What could be greater than that!? Our goal is to be faithful to Jesus' Good News and be agents of peace and charity in the world.
Let us never give up hope and let us strive to always be faithful disciples.
P.S. Thanks Rocco.
Let us never give up hope and let us strive to always be faithful disciples.
P.S. Thanks Rocco.
