I am paralyzed by regret and fear that God is disappointed and angry with me. I just can’t seem to believe in God’s love and forgiveness. How can I find healing?
Many years ago Brennan Manning, when he was still a priest back in the 70’s, shared a story about one day when he was at the airport getting ready to travel and he had his collar on and a man came up to him and begged him to hear his confession. He said the man looked gaunt, tired and so desperate that even though he was in serious “travel” mode, he couldn’t say “no” - so they found a quiet place to talk and this man shared what Brennan describes as a “very grave and serious sin” this man was carrying for many, many years.
He recounts that as he spoke the words of absolution and prayed over this man, he could actually see the man’s face change and lighten. He said that it was absolutely stunning the physical effect that the release of this sin had on the man; the words of forgiveness literally transformed him.
So, Brennan went on with his day, checked his baggage, got on the plane and he says as he was putting on his seat belt he heard the Lord speak in his heart and say “Will you do for yourself what you just did for your brother?” Can you take hold of the boundless mercy that I offer to you, always, without conditions or barriers?
Pope Francis is all over this, right? He says the very essence of God is Mercy. Period. End of discussion. He says the Mercy of God is the most beautiful truth of our faith. God’s love for us is so great, so deep; it is an unfailing love, one that always takes us by the hand and supports us, lifts us up, and leads us on. Fr. Greg Boyle says Jesus never modeled the “One-False-Move-God, but rather was always proclaiming the “no-matter-whatness of God.”
I long to believe in the image of God that Jesus paints for us. I want to believe in the utter foolishness of God’s mercy. That like the Good Shepherd, God would do the pastorally unthinkable, and completely outrageous thing and leave the 99 to find that one lost renegade sheep. I want to believe that I’m that precious and treasured by God; that each of us is that precious.
Today, together, we profess our belief in the power of God’s love to change and heal each of us, and for us to then change the world. No small dream.
Bishop Untener says Jesus didn't go from town to town saying, "Bring me your best and brightest." Rather, he sought out the ‘hot-messes’ among us. He taught us that God doesn’t shun or abandon us in our darkness until we clean up and get our act together. Rather he said God loves and accepts us as we are, not as we should be. God doesn’t love us despite our faults and failings, but rather works in and through them to bring about His kingdom. Jesus preached a God who knows that we're not perfect, that there's a dark side to our lives, that we've got some shameful memories, and that God wants to be with us in those parts of our lives where we don't feel so good about ourselves. Jesus came to say not simply "I love you," but to say, "I love you THERE, in the part of your life no one else sees.” May this love seep deep into our souls this sacred day…
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Crazy Catholic Question #73: Paschal Mystery
What is the Paschal Mystery?
Ah, Churchy words…gotta love em’. We Catholic Christians understand and respond to suffering in a very distinct way based on centuries of shared, collective wisdom around what we call the Paschal Mystery.
The Paschal Mystery simply refers to Jesus’ life, death & resurrection and what we have slowly come to understand about this mystery over the centuries. The Paschal mystery is kind of the lens through which we Catholics look at all of life. It is the process of dying and rising, death and new life that we can observe all around us and in our own personal lives and history.
We experience this mystery of dying and rising each year as we go through the different seasons; things die in fall/winter, spring & summer bring new life. We are a part of nature too. We also have our own dyings and risings. Sometimes these are obvious; someone dies, and a baby is born. But other dyings and risings are less obvious. An experience of dying might be when you have an argument with a friend that leaves you feeling upset, or you see a homeless family and don't know what to do to help. We die a little with each experience of conflict and sadness.
An experience of rising might be reconciling with that person who you hurt or who hurt you. Or after seeing the homeless family and some despairing over the complexities of poverty, new life can come from gathering some friends and volunteering together for an organization like the HOPE Warming Center that cares for people who are in need.
All of life has this rhythm of dying and rising. Thousands and thousands of years of reflection on this Paschal Mystery and human experience tell us: if we trust God in times of suffering and death and don’t cling too tightly to our sense of how things “should be,” our surrender, somehow, eventually brings us to a deeper fullness of life.
This is not to say that we should seek or endure suffering without a fight or let people abuse us. God never asks us to be doormats. Jesus was certainly not a doormat - quite the opposite. Jesus was always standing up for what he knew was right and healing people, easing the suffering and isolation of others. Sadly, the way that he loved often brought suffering with it. Though never “good,” if we do not give in to bitterness, our suffering CAN have value. It can actually draw us closer to God and one another. God does not inflict or will our suffering, but is with us in it.
When asked what brings eternal life, Jesus said love God and love your neighbor as yourself. When we love someone we are not indifferent to their struggle, right? It becomes our own; we carry their pain. We hurt too. Togetherness is our greatest remedy for suffering. By supporting each other in our suffering, we give each other hope. In the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, God is telling us to love with abandon and determination, that suffering is not the end, God is with us in our pain, and death does not have the final word.
Ah, Churchy words…gotta love em’. We Catholic Christians understand and respond to suffering in a very distinct way based on centuries of shared, collective wisdom around what we call the Paschal Mystery.
The Paschal Mystery simply refers to Jesus’ life, death & resurrection and what we have slowly come to understand about this mystery over the centuries. The Paschal mystery is kind of the lens through which we Catholics look at all of life. It is the process of dying and rising, death and new life that we can observe all around us and in our own personal lives and history.
We experience this mystery of dying and rising each year as we go through the different seasons; things die in fall/winter, spring & summer bring new life. We are a part of nature too. We also have our own dyings and risings. Sometimes these are obvious; someone dies, and a baby is born. But other dyings and risings are less obvious. An experience of dying might be when you have an argument with a friend that leaves you feeling upset, or you see a homeless family and don't know what to do to help. We die a little with each experience of conflict and sadness.
An experience of rising might be reconciling with that person who you hurt or who hurt you. Or after seeing the homeless family and some despairing over the complexities of poverty, new life can come from gathering some friends and volunteering together for an organization like the HOPE Warming Center that cares for people who are in need.
All of life has this rhythm of dying and rising. Thousands and thousands of years of reflection on this Paschal Mystery and human experience tell us: if we trust God in times of suffering and death and don’t cling too tightly to our sense of how things “should be,” our surrender, somehow, eventually brings us to a deeper fullness of life.
This is not to say that we should seek or endure suffering without a fight or let people abuse us. God never asks us to be doormats. Jesus was certainly not a doormat - quite the opposite. Jesus was always standing up for what he knew was right and healing people, easing the suffering and isolation of others. Sadly, the way that he loved often brought suffering with it. Though never “good,” if we do not give in to bitterness, our suffering CAN have value. It can actually draw us closer to God and one another. God does not inflict or will our suffering, but is with us in it.
When asked what brings eternal life, Jesus said love God and love your neighbor as yourself. When we love someone we are not indifferent to their struggle, right? It becomes our own; we carry their pain. We hurt too. Togetherness is our greatest remedy for suffering. By supporting each other in our suffering, we give each other hope. In the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, God is telling us to love with abandon and determination, that suffering is not the end, God is with us in our pain, and death does not have the final word.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Crazy Catholic Question #72: Salvation
How are we saved by the cross? How are we to understand Jesus’ death as salvific?
Many Christians around the world are still taught and believe the outdated, debunk and disturbing 12th century understanding of the Cross often called the “theory of satisfaction” that basically says that we humans sinned and offended God, so God was angry with humanity and demanded justice, or some kind of payment for our blunder. But humanity couldn’t offer any kind of divine gift big enough to diffuse God’s anger since we are just lowly humans. So, God, needing to loose a lighting rod, sent Jesus, and Jesus said, “You can loose it on me” substituting himself for us. Lighting rod gets struck; Sacrifice is carried out; and God is again happy because he got his bloodlust satisfied. (Alison)
This is a very pagan idea of sacrifice going back to the ancient Aztecs in which the priest sacrificed a person or animal to satisfy a hungry God. It is NOT our Catholic understanding. It was not Jesus’ understanding. The Jewish priestly rite that Jesus grew up with was already way beyond this primitive understanding of sacrifice.
“If we cling to the idea that God will not forgive us until his Son has been tortured to death for us then God is a lot less forgiving than even we are sometimes. If God is satisfied or somehow compensated for sin by Jesus’ suffering, he must be vengeful in a pretty infantile way.” (McCabe)
St. Thomas Aquinas states that the mission of Jesus from the Father is NOT the mission to be crucified; what the Father wished is that Jesus should be human.
The obedience of Jesus to the Father, his mission, was simply to meet us right here in our own history and show us the way to be a loving human being.
Jesus’ death on the cross was not “God’s will” - that would make him a rather sick and abusive God, certainly not worthy of our trust. Rather the cross is the reminder of the world WE have fashioned where it is dangerous and sometimes even fatal to be a compassionate, courageous and loving person. God, out infinite love for us, his misdirected people, sent his love embodied in the person Jesus to live with us and show us the way and we murdered him.
The fact that Jesus never broke, never became bitter, and never stopped loving us even as we were nailing him to the cross, but rather prayed “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they do” - his endurance in this love is what saves us and continues to show us the way; this is how we are “saved” by the cross of Christ, both by how Jesus lived and how he died.
Not for one minute did Jesus stop being a loving compassionate person and we are bid to follow him in this way. Jesus knew that this kind of limitless, unconditional love is the only force in our world that can bring about real and substantial change but sadly, it sometimes, also brings us to genuine suffering because of the state of the world.
As the story goes: Seeing all the suffering in the world, the man prayed, “Great God, how is it that a loving Creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” And out of the long silence, God said, “I did do something . . . I made you.”
Many Christians around the world are still taught and believe the outdated, debunk and disturbing 12th century understanding of the Cross often called the “theory of satisfaction” that basically says that we humans sinned and offended God, so God was angry with humanity and demanded justice, or some kind of payment for our blunder. But humanity couldn’t offer any kind of divine gift big enough to diffuse God’s anger since we are just lowly humans. So, God, needing to loose a lighting rod, sent Jesus, and Jesus said, “You can loose it on me” substituting himself for us. Lighting rod gets struck; Sacrifice is carried out; and God is again happy because he got his bloodlust satisfied. (Alison)
This is a very pagan idea of sacrifice going back to the ancient Aztecs in which the priest sacrificed a person or animal to satisfy a hungry God. It is NOT our Catholic understanding. It was not Jesus’ understanding. The Jewish priestly rite that Jesus grew up with was already way beyond this primitive understanding of sacrifice.
“If we cling to the idea that God will not forgive us until his Son has been tortured to death for us then God is a lot less forgiving than even we are sometimes. If God is satisfied or somehow compensated for sin by Jesus’ suffering, he must be vengeful in a pretty infantile way.” (McCabe)
St. Thomas Aquinas states that the mission of Jesus from the Father is NOT the mission to be crucified; what the Father wished is that Jesus should be human.
The obedience of Jesus to the Father, his mission, was simply to meet us right here in our own history and show us the way to be a loving human being.
Jesus’ death on the cross was not “God’s will” - that would make him a rather sick and abusive God, certainly not worthy of our trust. Rather the cross is the reminder of the world WE have fashioned where it is dangerous and sometimes even fatal to be a compassionate, courageous and loving person. God, out infinite love for us, his misdirected people, sent his love embodied in the person Jesus to live with us and show us the way and we murdered him.
The fact that Jesus never broke, never became bitter, and never stopped loving us even as we were nailing him to the cross, but rather prayed “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they do” - his endurance in this love is what saves us and continues to show us the way; this is how we are “saved” by the cross of Christ, both by how Jesus lived and how he died.
Not for one minute did Jesus stop being a loving compassionate person and we are bid to follow him in this way. Jesus knew that this kind of limitless, unconditional love is the only force in our world that can bring about real and substantial change but sadly, it sometimes, also brings us to genuine suffering because of the state of the world.
As the story goes: Seeing all the suffering in the world, the man prayed, “Great God, how is it that a loving Creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?” And out of the long silence, God said, “I did do something . . . I made you.”
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Crazy Catholic Question #71: Bodily Resurrection
I believe and follow Jesus but have doubts in his, and our, bodily resurrection. Can I still call myself a Christian?
Yes you can, and moreover you would be in good company! Resurrection is no small pill to swallow. It flies in the face of everything we know about physics, biology and chemistry. How can cells that have disintegrated be brought back to life? A human body decays, turns to dust and is eventually absorbed into the earth to become food for plants and the on-going march of nature. How could our resurrection be “bodily” after the scattering of all these molecules?
I can think of no other doctrine that has been met with more opposition and “spiritualizing,” and yet, our church’s teaching remains constant; At the end of time, we WILL be raised bodily. Now what form this body will take and actually look like? This we don’t know. Our catechism says that the HOW of our resurrection far exceeds our imagination and understanding.
I learned a little about St. Christopher at our recent “Favorite Saints Wax Museum.” Faith in God apparently did not come easy for him, so he lived a majority of his life as an agnostic, unable to believe in anything beyond what he could physically see, feel, and touch.
Nonetheless, he embraced Jesus’ call to love and serve others. He became a ferryboat operator and spent his life helping to carrying people across a very dangerous stretch of river. Our legend holds that one night a terrible storm arose and the ferryboat capsized. Brave Christopher dove into the dark waters to rescue a child and while carrying that child to the shore, he looked into its face and saw the face of Christ. After that he believed. Fact or fiction? No matter. The story teaches us a very practical and profound lesson. What are we to do when our faith is weak? Live as honestly as we can and use our gifts to help others – and God will make himself known to us.
Remember too St. Thomas who said “I won’t believe until I can touch the holes in his hands and side!” Jesus doesn’t resist or scold him for his doubt, but rather invites him to “Come here. Place your finger my wounds. See for yourself that I am real and not a ghost.”
Fr. Ron Rolheiser says “Skepticism and agnosticism, even atheism, are not a problem as long as one is honest, non-rationalizing, non-lying, ready to efface oneself before reality as it appears, and generous in giving his or her life away in service. If these conditions are met, God will eventually become evident, even to those who need physical proof. God is neither angered nor threatened by an honest agnosticism.”
Ultimately we are bid to acknowledge and accept that the God of love who created the universe is way beyond our understanding. We are like ants being invited to contemplate Astrophysics. Full comprehension just ain’t happening! We will never understand how or what our glorified bodies will be or look this side of the grave.
As Paul Tillich says “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.” Perhaps our prayer can be that of the father of the child Jesus healed in Mark 9:24 who exclaims “Oh Lord, I do believe, but help my unbelief!” and trust that at some point God will appear as we need him to be and will invite us to “touch his wounds so we may believe.”
Yes you can, and moreover you would be in good company! Resurrection is no small pill to swallow. It flies in the face of everything we know about physics, biology and chemistry. How can cells that have disintegrated be brought back to life? A human body decays, turns to dust and is eventually absorbed into the earth to become food for plants and the on-going march of nature. How could our resurrection be “bodily” after the scattering of all these molecules?
I can think of no other doctrine that has been met with more opposition and “spiritualizing,” and yet, our church’s teaching remains constant; At the end of time, we WILL be raised bodily. Now what form this body will take and actually look like? This we don’t know. Our catechism says that the HOW of our resurrection far exceeds our imagination and understanding.
I learned a little about St. Christopher at our recent “Favorite Saints Wax Museum.” Faith in God apparently did not come easy for him, so he lived a majority of his life as an agnostic, unable to believe in anything beyond what he could physically see, feel, and touch.
Nonetheless, he embraced Jesus’ call to love and serve others. He became a ferryboat operator and spent his life helping to carrying people across a very dangerous stretch of river. Our legend holds that one night a terrible storm arose and the ferryboat capsized. Brave Christopher dove into the dark waters to rescue a child and while carrying that child to the shore, he looked into its face and saw the face of Christ. After that he believed. Fact or fiction? No matter. The story teaches us a very practical and profound lesson. What are we to do when our faith is weak? Live as honestly as we can and use our gifts to help others – and God will make himself known to us.
Remember too St. Thomas who said “I won’t believe until I can touch the holes in his hands and side!” Jesus doesn’t resist or scold him for his doubt, but rather invites him to “Come here. Place your finger my wounds. See for yourself that I am real and not a ghost.”
Fr. Ron Rolheiser says “Skepticism and agnosticism, even atheism, are not a problem as long as one is honest, non-rationalizing, non-lying, ready to efface oneself before reality as it appears, and generous in giving his or her life away in service. If these conditions are met, God will eventually become evident, even to those who need physical proof. God is neither angered nor threatened by an honest agnosticism.”
Ultimately we are bid to acknowledge and accept that the God of love who created the universe is way beyond our understanding. We are like ants being invited to contemplate Astrophysics. Full comprehension just ain’t happening! We will never understand how or what our glorified bodies will be or look this side of the grave.
As Paul Tillich says “The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty.” Perhaps our prayer can be that of the father of the child Jesus healed in Mark 9:24 who exclaims “Oh Lord, I do believe, but help my unbelief!” and trust that at some point God will appear as we need him to be and will invite us to “touch his wounds so we may believe.”
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Crazy Catholic Question #70: Too late?
Is it too late to join a Book Discussion Small Group for Lent?
IT’S NOT TOO LATE! You can SIGN-UP via our website at ctredeemer.org ANYTIME during Lent OR you can DROP-IN any Thursday evening at 7PM OR Tuesdays at 9:30AM and we will gladly get you connected. If you can only attend one or two gatherings, that’s a-okay too! Also, ALL those who have participated in our small groups are very welcome to attend a closing social following Taize prayer on March 15th.
Why consider being part of a small group? There is something powerful and unique about an intimate gathering of 6-10 people in a living room or a small classroom that forces us to think differently than when we are worshipping as the larger church at Mass. Small groups, as the early church discovered (Acts 2:42-72) is where the rubber hits the road, where we genuinely care for one another and our theology begins to be fleshed out in conversation and action.
There is tons of research that shows that small groups are absolutely crucial to the life and growth of any church. God calls us to love, not in an abstract or superficial way, but in a deep, face-to-face, transformative way…and this happens profoundly in small groups. The people we meet regularly with to discuss our faith are the folks that concretely support our family by attending graduations, baptisms, funerals, etc. This is how real “church” is lived day to day.
And our theology supports this concept too. In the doctrine of the Trinity God has shown God’s-self to be a community of three persons, equal in every way, living together in loving, mutual relationship. So, if we believe, and God has revealed, that God is a community of mutual love and equality, then whenever we find ourselves freely giving or receiving love we are actively growing in knowledge and discovering the truth of the Trinity in the most potent and powerful way…not through our limited reason and words, but through our graced experience.
In short, our Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. Our doctrines and experience point to the deep truth that God is to be found much more in the “WE” than in the “ME.”
Our CTR Small groups meet all different days, time and locations. Need not be a parishioner to participate, so invite your friends, family and neighbors too if you like. Books are still available 2 for $10 in the main office during business hours and after Masses.
Sign up here: www.ctredeemer.org/bring-a-friend-lenten-book-discussion/
IT’S NOT TOO LATE! You can SIGN-UP via our website at ctredeemer.org ANYTIME during Lent OR you can DROP-IN any Thursday evening at 7PM OR Tuesdays at 9:30AM and we will gladly get you connected. If you can only attend one or two gatherings, that’s a-okay too! Also, ALL those who have participated in our small groups are very welcome to attend a closing social following Taize prayer on March 15th.
Why consider being part of a small group? There is something powerful and unique about an intimate gathering of 6-10 people in a living room or a small classroom that forces us to think differently than when we are worshipping as the larger church at Mass. Small groups, as the early church discovered (Acts 2:42-72) is where the rubber hits the road, where we genuinely care for one another and our theology begins to be fleshed out in conversation and action.
There is tons of research that shows that small groups are absolutely crucial to the life and growth of any church. God calls us to love, not in an abstract or superficial way, but in a deep, face-to-face, transformative way…and this happens profoundly in small groups. The people we meet regularly with to discuss our faith are the folks that concretely support our family by attending graduations, baptisms, funerals, etc. This is how real “church” is lived day to day.
And our theology supports this concept too. In the doctrine of the Trinity God has shown God’s-self to be a community of three persons, equal in every way, living together in loving, mutual relationship. So, if we believe, and God has revealed, that God is a community of mutual love and equality, then whenever we find ourselves freely giving or receiving love we are actively growing in knowledge and discovering the truth of the Trinity in the most potent and powerful way…not through our limited reason and words, but through our graced experience.
In short, our Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. Our doctrines and experience point to the deep truth that God is to be found much more in the “WE” than in the “ME.”
Our CTR Small groups meet all different days, time and locations. Need not be a parishioner to participate, so invite your friends, family and neighbors too if you like. Books are still available 2 for $10 in the main office during business hours and after Masses.
Sign up here: www.ctredeemer.org/bring-a-friend-lenten-book-discussion/
Monday, February 8, 2016
Crazy Catholic Questions #69: Lenten Book Discussion?
What’s all this chatter about a parish book discussion during Lent?
This Lent we are reading Pope Francis' TERRIFIC book The Church of Mercy as a parish community. Here are some FAQ’s regarding this upcoming Lenten Opportunity….
When are book discussion small groups meeting?
We have over 25 small groups that are meeting at all different times, days of the week and locations to discuss the book beginning the week after Ash Weds; day, night, at church, in private homes or coffee shops. Our hope is that the variety of times/days/locations offered will help to accommodate all our parishioner’s varying and busy schedules. Thursday is our “drop-in” evening here at the church. No sign-up necessary. You can attend one or all five beginning Feb. 18th at 7PM.
Is there a “family group” option that would provide childcare?
One of our small groups is made up of 5 CTR families who meet weekly during Lent (Potluck style, with the kids) and they have a rule of thumb that says if 3 out of the 5 families can attend they run with it! Families are also very welcome to meet here at church and we would be happy to arrange for childcare.
How do I sign-up for a book discussion small group?
Email Gabriela at eduadmin@ctredeemer.org, or visit our website at www.ctredeemer.org or sign-up with a real pen and paper after Mass.
Where do I get a book?
We are selling the books for 60% off the Amazon price - 2 for $10 or 1 for $6 after Masses or in the parish office during business hours.
Do I have to read the entire book in advance?
This Lent we are reading Pope Francis' TERRIFIC book The Church of Mercy as a parish community. Here are some FAQ’s regarding this upcoming Lenten Opportunity….
When are book discussion small groups meeting?
We have over 25 small groups that are meeting at all different times, days of the week and locations to discuss the book beginning the week after Ash Weds; day, night, at church, in private homes or coffee shops. Our hope is that the variety of times/days/locations offered will help to accommodate all our parishioner’s varying and busy schedules. Thursday is our “drop-in” evening here at the church. No sign-up necessary. You can attend one or all five beginning Feb. 18th at 7PM.
Is there a “family group” option that would provide childcare?
One of our small groups is made up of 5 CTR families who meet weekly during Lent (Potluck style, with the kids) and they have a rule of thumb that says if 3 out of the 5 families can attend they run with it! Families are also very welcome to meet here at church and we would be happy to arrange for childcare.
How do I sign-up for a book discussion small group?
Email Gabriela at eduadmin@ctredeemer.org, or visit our website at www.ctredeemer.org or sign-up with a real pen and paper after Mass.
Where do I get a book?
We are selling the books for 60% off the Amazon price - 2 for $10 or 1 for $6 after Masses or in the parish office during business hours.
Do I have to read the entire book in advance?
No. We will read two sections in preparation for each of the 5 weeks.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Crazy Catholic Question #68: Book Reviews
Parish Lenten Book Discussion
2 books for $10! 60% off the Amazon price!
Gift one to a friend or family member!
"A magnificent book, bursting with profound spiritual insights, from a man who has quickly become one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time." --James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage
Since he was elected, Pope Francis’s simple message of mercy, service, and renewal has spread to every corner of the world. Through his gentle demeanor, selfless actions, and welcoming call for service to others, Pope Francis has captured the attention of a world longing for an authentic message of hope—we want to hear what he has to say.
Collected from Pope Francis’s speeches, homilies, and papers, The Church of Mercy is the first Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church. From how to be citizens of the world to answering God’s call for evangelization, Pope Francis's deep wisdom reminds us that the Church must move beyond its own walls and joyfully bring God's mercy wherever suffering, division, or injustice exists.
Named TIME Magazine’s 2013 “Person of the Year,” Pope Francis is helping the Church continue toward an authentic Christianity that is faithful to the Gospel and resonant with the world’s greatest needs. The Church of Mercy encourages each of us to ignite the flame within to help share the light of Christ and revitalize the Church.
Editorial Reviews
"What did we do to deserve such a man as Pope Francis? Every day the world drops its jaw in wonder at the work of art that is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Read this book, and see how he is doing it."
--Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., author of Falling Upwards and On the Threshold of Transformation
“I can't even tell you the sense of wonder and gratitude I am feeling reading The Church of Mercy. Every Christian in at least the western world should read this man...at least read enough to know what Christianity has come upon or been given or will be watching develop over the next few years. This man sees, and is of, the Kingdom of God.”
–Phyllis Tickle, The Great Emergence
“Church of Mercy is a book for our time: the memorable message of love, mercy, and compassion in the words of the man whose deeds incarnate these values in our time. Not only Catholics but every human being who values what is best in us will cherish this book.”
– Michael Leach, author of Why Stay Catholic?
“Catechists are used to making things simple so that those they teach, especially children, can understand God’s Word. This is what makes Pope Francis such a natural catechist: he makes things simple. The Church of Mercy is a Godsend for catechists who will treasure the Holy Father’s simple yet powerful and inspiring words which make faith in Jesus Christ accessible to everyday people in their everyday lives.”
- Joe Paprocki, DMin | National Consultant for Faith Formation
This collection offers fascinating insight into the mind and heart of someone who has rapidly become one of the world’s most beloved public figures.
– Publishers Weekly
“In this major new work from Loyola Press, Pope Francis reminds us that the goal of Christian faith is not to be right, but to be holy, and that the way to holiness is through a merciful heart, open to God and the world. The pope’s message is a daring invitation to reimagine the Church's whole approach to pastoral ministry and the new evangelization.”
- Fr. Matt Malone, S.J., President & Editor in Chief, America Magazine
Buy your copies after Mass! Our Parish Lenten Book Discussion begins the week following Ash Weds. Feb. 10th . Sign up at:
www.ctredeemer.org/bring-a-friend-lenten-book-discussion
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