Mojud - Listening To Your Inner Wisdom

Judith Glaser talks about being addicted to being right and retribution

Robert Thurman & Sharon Salzberg Love Your Enemies - Part 1

Key to Understanding Pope Francis

The key to understanding Pope Francis: the 99 lost sheep

By Phil Lawler 

If the Pope’s main responsibility is to keep us all comfortable, then Pope Francis is failing miserably.

But that’s not really the Pope’s job, is it?

For the past several weeks—and more than ever in the past 24 hours, since the release of the Pope’s blockbuster interview in America-- friends have been complaining that the Holy Father has a tendency to say things in a way that could cause confusion. He makes statements that the media can easily distort, they say. And they’re undoubtedly right.

But there’s a precedent for that way of speaking. Jesus made people uncomfortable. The Lord’s words and gestures were often misinterpreted, and his critics found it easy to put things in an unfavorable light. Jesus ate with tax-collectors and sinners, they charged; He didn’t show sufficient respect for the Law. Now the Vicar of Christ is subject to similar accusations. Somehow it fits.

Would it be better, really, if the Pope limited himself to statements that could not possibly be distorted? Should he stop trying to make subtle distinctions, or making new observations about controversial topics? That would be a form of self-censorship: shaping the message to suit the media. Far better, I think for the Pope to speak frankly, telling the truth in and out of season, letting the chips fall where they may

The Good Goatherd

to

Bro Noel writes from timor

I had given it the title:  "The Good Goatherd".  I have included Syria in it.

Here is the article:

The Good Goatherd

 

                        …….. with apologies to all!

 

(The parable of the Good Shepherd awakens in us feelings of joy and gratitude since the Lord has left the ninety-nine in the wilderness to go after the lost one – that’s me on his shoulder we know.

 

In actual fact it seems to be the ninety-nine of us who stray regularly and so I’ve tried to rewrite this parable.)

 

So he told them this parable:  “What man of you, having a hundred goats, if he has lost ninety nine of them, does not leave the remaining one in the wilderness, and go after the ninety nine which are lost, until he finds all of them and brings them back, carrying some on his shoulders and herding the rest back with great difficulty.  And when he comes home he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them “Rejoice with me for I have found my goats which were lost”.

 

Then the Good Goatherd went on to explain:

 

Do you see those goats over there?  I found them selfishly grazing away on a good patch of grass.  They were just not allowing any of the other hungrier looking goats to come near the grass.  Somehow these goats had begun to believe that the shape of their horns and the color of their hooves had put them in a special class.

 

That other group of my goats had gone to Syria of all places.  Well, the goats in Syria seemed to have had good places for grazing although they did seem to be a bit too controlled and would have liked more freedom.  But there were some of my goats helping one group of the Syrian goats to destroy the grazing ground of the other group and vice versa.  Some years ago, when I was looking out for the 99 goats that had left my flock then I found them in Kuwait or kicking around in some smaller grazing grounds like Liberia, San Salvador, Panama, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka to name a few.  What made my task of getting them safely out was the presence of some of my bigger goats nearby, who it now appears had encouraged and instigated these of my other goats in the first place.  At times some of the bigger goats seemed to be of help but most of the time they would just be coming in the way.

 

I had quite a time with those goats over there.  They actually come from the same stock.  When I found them, however, they had already grouped themselves against each other.  One group called itself the Goatee Rouge and another group (further divided into smaller groups) was the Goatee Goat’s Liberation Front while the largest group just called itself the Goatee Goat’s Republic of Goatland.

 

Once again, it was the presence of other goats that made my task more difficult.  Wittingly or unwittingly they seemed to have kept the Goatee Goats more intent on kicking up the luscious ground they were standing on.  Soon that ground would have been useless for everybody.

 

But ultimately I succeeded.  See how friendly and mild they appear now.  You should have seen them then:  some so full of hatred and violence, others steeped in selfishness and meanness and still others either too naïve or who couldn’t care less.  When I had gone searching for the lost ninety nine and had seen these around, I couldn’t believe that they were mine.  But mine they were.

 

Come my friends, rejoice with me.

Faith in God can not generate violence

"No more violence in the name of God Faith can not generate intolerance"

POPE BERGOGLIO

The admonition of Francis hearing at the International Theological Commission. "God is not a man to aminaccia"

GIACOMO GALEAZZI CITY 'OF THE VATICAN

"God is not a threat to humans. The faith in the one God and the thrice-holy is not and can never be generating violence and intolerance, "warns Francis Pope received in audience by the International Theological Commission." Faith in the one God and the thrice-holy is not and can not never be generating violence and intolerance - highlights the Pontiff -. Instead his highly rational nature gives it a universal dimension, capable of uniting people of good will. On the other hand, the final revelation of God in Jesus Christ now makes it impossible for any use of violence "in the name of God."

And 'because of its rejection of violence, for winning the bad with the good, with the blood of his Cross, Jesus has reconciled men with God and with each other. " Thus, "the revelation of God is really a good news for all men. God - has marked - it is not a threat to humans. " The Church is first of all required to live within itself the social message that port in the world. The fraternal relations between the believers, the authority as a service, sharing with the poor: all these traits that characterize the life of the Church since its origin, can and should be a model for living and attractive for different human communities, family up to civil society. "

Theologians from the Pope addressed the teacher and pastor: "Your mission is both fascinating and dangerous." It is fascinating because "the research and teaching of theology can become a true path of holiness, as attested by many Fathers and Doctors of the Church." But, says Better World, "is also risky because it involves temptation: the aridity of heart, pride, even the ambition." He adds: "St Francis of Assisi once addressed a short note to his brother Anthony of Padua, where he said among other things:" I like to teach sacred theology to the brethren, provided, in the studio, you do not turn off the spirit of the holy prayer and devotion. "

For the gift of the Holy Spirit, the members of the Church have the "sense of faith". It is a sort of "spiritual instinct" that allows you to feel with the Church and to discern what is right according to the apostolic faith and the spirit of the Gospel. Of course, the "sensus fidelium can not be confused with the sociological reality of a majority opinion." It is therefore important and is a task of theologians, "develop criteria that allow you to discern the authentic expression of the sensus fidelium." For its part, the Magisterium has the duty to be attentive to what the Spirit says to the churches through the authentic manifestations of the sensus fidelium. "This focus is of utmost importance for theologians." Benedict XVI "has repeatedly pointed out that the theologian should listen to the living faith of the poor and the little ones to whom it pleased the Father to reveal what was hidden from the wise and the learned." In short, "theology is the science and wisdom and theologians are true pioneers of the Church's dialogue with other cultures.''

A dialogue'' at the same time critical and benevolent, which should facilitate the reception of the Word of God by the people of every nation, race, people and tongue.'' A reflection, theological, clarifies the Pope, which also extends to the field of the social doctrine of Christ based on the ad that'' he reconciled men with God and with each other.'' '' In fact, it is this same peace that is at the center of the reflection of theologians on the social doctrine of the Church. "This" is intended to translate in the reality of social life the love of God for man, manifested in Jesus' Christ''.

Francis Parmar - new Provincial of Gujarat, India

Francis Parmar - New Provincial of Gujarat Jesuits, India

News Updates:

Fr.Francis Parmar S.j has been appointed as the New Provincial of Gujarat Jesuit province, on 30 November 2013 by the Superior General of Jesuit order, Rev. Fr. Adolfo Nicolas from Rome. He will assume charge  a little later.

Fr.Francis Parmar was born in Nadiad, Gujarat on 02-12-1950. He began his initial training in the Jesuit order at Mt Abu, Rajasthan. After finishing his theological studies at Vidya Jyoti, Delhi, he was ordained a priest on 05-05-1979.

Having completed his B.A in Gujarati-Sanskrit at Gujarat University, he studied for M.A in Socio-Linguistics at the University of George Town, Washington D.C. He had also done Masters in pastoral theology at Vidya Jyoti, Delhi. All through out his life in the Society of Jesus, he has held very many responsible posts such as Juniorate in-charge, Rector of the formation houses, Dean of the theologate and Principal of two colleges. He was twice elected as the Procurator of Gujarat and he took part in the meetings of the procurators of the Society of Jesus in 1999 and in 2012. The Gujarat Jesuit Province is really blessed in having the first local Jesuit to lead the province as the New Jesuit Provincial of Gujarat. The Gujarat Jesuit Parivar extends best wishes and prayers for a fruitful service in his new responsibility.

With best wishes and in Union of Prayers,

Socius- Gujarat Province

Fr.Lawrence Dharmaraj