Book of the Week
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In Him Alone is Our Hope: The Church According to Pope Francis, Magnificat, 2013.
Who is he? Where is he from? Is he the shepherd who will lead the Church, confronted by the challenges of the postmodern world, along the path to renewal? Who is this man? What does he think? Toward what shores will he steer the barque of Peter?
These are the question which Pope Francis aims to answer in this 2013 book published by Magnificat. He is preaching a
retreat to the bishops of Spain during Holy Week and following as a guide the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius.
As he answers the questions, he is offering his vision for the Church, and looking forward to the reform program which Pope Francis plans. According to the table of contents, each Chapter is devoted to the LORD. He writes of the Lord who founds us, calls and forms us, battles for and with us, sends us on a
mission, reforms us, anoints us, transforms us, and is our death and resurrection.
Sean Cardinal O'Malley OFM Cap. gives the forward and introduces the readers to the first Hispanic Pope, coming from a part of the world where almost half of Catholics reside. The Pope is a man for the poor and one who announces the Gospel in difficult areas. Hs is the Pope who encourages the world to " move beyond a dull or
mechanical way of living our faith, and instead open the doors of our hearts, our lives, our parishes, our movements or associations, going out in search of others so as to bring them the light and the joy of our faith in
Christ."
Pope Francis proves himself the humble man who above all wants the
world to pray for him.
(Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this review)
Paperback, Kindle
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Saint of the Week
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St. John Eudes: (1601-80) August 19 At age 32, John became a parish missionary. His gifts as preacher and confessor won him great popularity.
He preached over 100 parish missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months.
In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from his general superior, the bishop and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this work, but the succeeding general superior disapproved. After prayer and counsel, John decided it
was best to leave the religious community. The same year he founded a new one, ultimately called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary), devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. The new venture, while approved by individual bishops, met with immediate opposition, especially from Jansenists and some of his former associates. John founded several seminaries in Normandy, but was unable to get approval from Rome (partly, it was said, because he did not use the
most tactful approach).
In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life. Temporary shelters were found but arrangements were not satisfactory. A certain Madeleine Lamy, who had cared for several of the women, one day said to him, "Where are you off to now? To some church, I suppose, where you'll gaze at the images and
think yourself pious. And all the time what is really wanted of you is a decent house for these poor creatures." The words, and the laughter of those present, struck deeply within him. The result was another new religious community, called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge.
He is probably best known for the central theme of his writings: Jesus as the source of holiness, Mary as the model of the
Christian life. John's devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
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