Posted on 01/10/2007 5:54:07 PM PST by NYer
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Christian community and its members always will face persecution and suffering, but they should embrace it as a source of blessing, Pope Benedict XVI said.
Speaking at his Jan. 10 general audience about the ministry and death of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, the pope said the persecution of the early Christian community is what pushed the disciples to leave Jerusalem and bring the Gospel to the world.
"Even in our lives the cross, which is never lacking, becomes a blessing," the pope said.
And by accepting suffering in the knowledge that it will lead to growth and blessings, "we learn the joy of Christianity even in moments of difficulty," Pope Benedict said.
St. Stephen, he said, "teaches us to love the cross because the cross is the path Christ always uses to arrive in our midst."
The pope also spoke about the ministry of St. Stephen, who was elected by the Christian community and confirmed by the apostles as one of "seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom," charged with distributing charity.
The fact that St. Stephen and the other six also preached the Gospel, he said, is a reminder that "charity and proclamation always go together."
The pope touched briefly on the fact that before having them begin their ministry, the apostles laid hands on the seven, which is why many Christians see them as the church's first deacons.
Pope Benedict did not refer directly to theological discussion over the possibility of ordaining women deacons based on New Testament texts describing community leaders laying their hands on the heads of women chosen to carry out specific tasks on behalf of the community.
However, he said, the gesture of laying hands on someone's head "can have different meanings. In the Old Testament the gesture mostly has the significance of transmitting an important charge."
Sts. Paul and Barnabas were anointed that way before being sent off to evangelize the gentiles, as was St. Timothy, he said.
Pope Benedict said that St. Paul's descriptions of the power of the laying on of hands and the need for discernment prior to anointing someone in that way demonstrate an evolution in the meaning of the gesture, which later developed "in the line of a sacramental sign."
At the end of the audience, Pope Benedict greeted 30 members of an international soccer team made up of priests. The priests gave him a yellow jersey with his name in Italian, "Benedetto," and his number in Roman numerals, "XVI."
The grotesquely distorted picture of the Pope posted in your post #13 is certainly another statement of overt religious prejudice when coupled with the anal sex reference about the Pope in your post #9.
Btw, I'm nondenominational.
Creed or denomination doesn't make religious prejudice any less vile.
And the pope has been the blunt of many jokes and comments.
All independent of the overt religious prejudice that has been posted here.
Do you not allow that in your utopia of debate?
Certainly not. I hope that the religious prejudice remains on this thread as a permanent record of what those who post it really are.
(the obvious) He is not a god.
Of course he isn't, but that fact doesn't in any way reduce or mitigate the overt religious prejudice that has been posted against him.
I find it curious that you've taken a personal interest in my outlook.
My interest is primarily in highlighting the ignorance of anyone who publicly espouses overt religious prejudice.
Thank you for caring.
I do my best to care about everyone, especially people who are religiously prejudice.
Have a happy day.
You're welcome. St. Paul covers the subject, too :-).
May God continue to bless you with such wisdom and humility.
I am always impressed with the faith and conviction that I see with many on this thread. You continue to confirm that feeling.
God Bless!
Well spoken words livius. This is why devotion to St. Micheal is very popular also.
The Holy Father makes an interesting observation. Accepting our cross to bear with grace is probably the hardest thing in life. However, knowing that God is with you at every moment and bringing good out of it all takes a constant infusion of Faith, Hope and Love.
Here's another:
These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
John 15:17-21
This thread is the perfect example of Satan lashing out at those who embrace the cross. He hates it. It takes away his power over man. It destroys his plan of victory over our souls. The bomb-throwers contributing to this post are only proving Pope Benedict's point. PERFECTLY.
It's threads like these, filled with vitriol and ridicule of the Holy Father, that show me how blessed I am to be Catholic.
And for those who are claiming that embracing suffering isn't biblical, apparently they've never come across the Beatitudes in all their biblical "study".
John 15:18 through 16:4 is a good start.
Isn't it amazing that our Holy Father's point was proved so dramatically and so quickly!
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mark 13:13
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.
Luke 21:17-19
Then file a report on Free Republic and we will discuss your remarks with a new measure of respect.
Nor does the pope deny a right to defend yourself and the people for whom you are responsible. He doesn't have Swiss Guards and a personal security team for nothing. But even in defensive struggle, you suffer. Whatr BXVI is saying, is that suffering should not surprise you; and in prayer and faith, it can even be turned to a good end. It can bring you closer to your Savior at an entirely new level.
Ask any Christian who has suffered.
What a wonderful idea! Not easy for me, I must say, but I hope I will remember to thank our all-good God for "bringing good out of evil" when the (next) suffering inevitably comes.
As Joseph said to his brothers (about being sold into slavery) "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."
I don't accept blind faith from a man who is infallible in his views.
Nor do I recognize the Vatican for their political stances just because
they are the church leaders. For instance the Pope' stance on Iraq,
and praying (Capitulating, IMO) in a Mosque.
And yes, I've debated views and issues with all of my pastors.
According to some of the posters here, if you don't agree with everything the Pope says,
then you're branded a bigot. And I cannot agree with such a double standard
since not everybody can agree with the pope on every issue.
So, by the standard of disagreement here, is every Catholic
a Bigot and a hypocrite?
The clear answer is no.
Religious extremism and name calling does not set a good
example by any measure for anybody.
God Bless you all,
MaxMax.
Pick up your cross and carry it quietly.
Suggested reading on the matter:
1st Peter
The following is from the Diary of St. Faustina, to whom our Lord appeared and instructed to write down the messages of His Divine Mercy. On Suffering
Once when I was being crushed by these dreadful sufferings, I went into the chapel and said from the bottom of my soul, "Do what You will with me, O Jesus; I will adore You in everything. May Your will be done in me, O my Lord and my God, and I will praise Your infinite mercy." Through this act of submission, these terrible torments left me. Suddenly I saw Jesus, who said to me, I am always in your heart. An inconceivable joy entered my soul, and a great love of God set my heart aflame. I see that God never tries us beyond what we are able to suffer. ...one act of trust at such moments gives greater glory to God than whole hours passed in prayer filled with consolations. Now I see that if God wants to keep a soul in darkness, no book, no confessor can bring it light. (78)
Our Pope says, "charity and proclamation always go together."
Ain't that the truth. That's whats missing, I think from our charities. Especially those once Catholic charities that have now become independent from the RC Church. When helping others became a math problem -- a problem of resources -- a problem of politics, rather than one of FAITH and PROCLAIATION (in the name of Jesus Christ), thats when we lost our way.
My view is that in general, We (the Church) today, have resorted to solving many of our problems (whatever they are) with logistics and politics, and yet the problems just become more complex and difficult. The beauty of the old method, one that carried us through two Milena as we expanded our church, is that we sanctified ourselves first, and then we went after souls as the primary mission, and in doing so, the problems more or less fixed themselves! In other words, we used to do it from the bottom up, one soul at a time, and of late it has been the other way around. And I'm not talking about the structure of the RC church here...I'm talking about the way we approach the problems of our day..our modern, flawed philosophies.
And so when I understand it this way, our great historical successes do not seem so surprising, because after all this was the way Jesus did it.
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