This Child, whose face radiates the goodness, mercy and love of God the Father, trains us, his disciples, as Saint Paul says, 'to reject godless ways' and the richness of the world.... In a society so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism, this Child calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential. In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice, to discern and to do God's will. Amid a culture of indifference which not infrequently turns ruthless, our style of life should instead be devout, filled with empathy, compassion and mercy, drawn daily from the wellspring of prayer.Are you seeing and doing what is truly essential?
December 25, 2015
"So when we hear tell of the birth of Christ, let us be silent and let the Child speak.... This Child teaches us what is truly essential in our lives..."
Says Pope Francis his Christmas homily.
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A stranger on the street once asked me, “What is the most important thing in the world?” I told him I did not know. He looked at me with disappointment and said, “Love. Love is the most important thing of all.”
I failed a test on that street so many years ago.
This carol is a sensational melding of music and words. If it doesn’t make your eyes to well up you have more control than me.
http://tinyurl.com/qg2gp5c
Love and peace: the essentials.
I'm not getting this message. Too much flummery and vague pontification. No need to obfuscate spirituality this way. If you've got something meaningful to say spit it out.
He's virtue-signalling.
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.
I'm OK with Christians worshiping on Christmas but it should be done quietly and out of the public eye. That's how we celebrate diversity and honor the First Amendment. So get that creche off my public lawn, and if you pray before a football game you're gonna get arrested. And don't get me started on the those hags calling themselves the Little Sisters of the Poor who are there just to aggravate my Obama. Oh, and shut down those bible thumpers who own Hobby Lobby and Chick Fil A. Don't you have any respect for the constitution?
http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/222275/
"Monyrunner" choice of a tag clearly indicates his "god". But, he appears to be waging a jihad for the religion of Atheism (Declared such by a US Appeals Court.) to drive other religions away.
Does he model his campaign on the Ayatollahs of Iran?
Popes use the baby pictures and displays of acetic humility. Protestants use the word that says God's free grace includes abundance of life including prosperous consumer goods to enjoy and to give away. It is better to give than to receive, and you can only give what you have, unless you are a Marxist Jesuit and steal it under cover of pleasing a legalistic God.
Pope Francis is a Peronist, nuf said.
"pontification"
Welllllllll, when you're Pontif, it's what you do.
"And if someone insults you on Christmas, punch them in the nose"
Obviously Moneyrunner was trying for humor. OK so he missed.
I can't read or listen to the Pope without hearing echoes of his politics. Kind of like Obama. Makes me sad.
Are you seeing and doing what is truly essential?
I'm reading the Althouse blog and commenting. I know that counts as "essential," but is it "truly essential"?
I always enjoy having a non-Catholic (and non-Christian) using the words of the Pope to remind/instruct me on how to live my faith. Especially on Christmas Day!
From whence does the Pope think the Vatican's wealth comes?
The Pope needs a re-calibration of his viewpoint:
In a society so often intoxicated by consumerism and hedonism, wealth and extravagance, appearances and narcissism.
If by "society," he means Beverly Hills or the Upper West of Manhattan or Pacific Heights in San Francisco - he has a point. These are all rich, elitist, Leftist enclaves, who are mostly devoid of any religious influences whatsoever.
Good for the Pope!
But these enclaves are the outlier 1% of America, not its core. Most of the core are hard-working parents, trying to raise kids, coach little league, pay the rent, mow the grass, go on a vacation every now and then, see a movie on Saturday night, and enjoy the Christmas season with family, friends and a little Egg Nog.
American-style free market capitalism and Judeo-Christian values helped build this vast middle-class of some 150 million. And we're not surrendering it to incompatibale Muslim values, nor its leftist enablers in this country.
The Pope should focus on the middle class that makes the country work, not the Leftist elite!
Merry Christmas!
You'd think the Pope would have a better clue about theology.
It's also amusing to hear a man living in unbelievable luxury and wealth to "pontificate" on how evil the rest of us are for aspiring to live a fraction of a comfortable life as him without doing anything. (Cue the Dali Lama and most other self-righteous hypocrites, I mean religious leaders.)
Let us be silent and let the child speak...
And then he kept talking.
I like what the Queen had to say in her Christmas Day speech from Buckingham Palace:
"Despite being displaced and persecuted throughout his short life, Christ's unchanging message was not one of revenge or violence but simply that we should love one another.
Although it is not an easy message to follow, we shouldn't be discouraged; rather, it inspires us to try harder: to be thankful for the people who bring love and happiness into our own lives, and to look for ways of spreading that love to others, whenever and wherever we can. ...
There's an old saying that 'it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness'.
There are millions of people lighting candles of hope in our world today.
Christmas is a good time to be thankful for them, and for all that brings light to our lives.
I wish you a very happy Christmas."
I hate to be too literal about this, but what the "child" said was "Wah!" like every other newborn child. If King Herod had succeeded in killing the child before he was able to say more than that, we would have nothing to listen to from the child. The middle-aged man the child grew up to be said many things. That's what we should pay attention to.
Merry Christmas!
This Child (after he grew up a bit) said, "Believe in me, and you will have redemption and eternal life." Not more. Certainly he did not say or express, "And you should become a Marxist of the Argentinian variety" or "Trust in the state to take and then give your things away to others."
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