Catholicism Anew

Jesus calls on the Father to consecrate the disciples in Truth in His prayer. The question is how do we become consecrated in truth and live it. Notice that Jesus says that his disciples are in the world but not of the world. This is also seen in other parts of the New Testament including 1John. We are in the world, but we are not of the world. This means that we are here for now, but we are not of the mindset of the ruling powers that are here. We will always be at odds with the ruling ideas of our world here. The world is filled with narcissistic ideas that when denied turn to self centered hatred. This is the what the Devil stands for and when those who have embraced the world and even the Devil do not get what they want, which they never will, they become narcissistic haters. Those they hate the most are in fact those who are not of the world, but are of Christ.

However, if we want to experience this consecration in truth, we understand what it means to know and live the truth. What we need to do is to put the words of Jesus into action in our lives.

Too many people define our faith as following a certain set of rules and living a certain behavior, but how does Jesus define living our faith. Living on every word that comes from the mouth of God. That means if we are going to live in truth, we are not just going to be nice or even good people. We are going to do what Jesus tells us to do, every word.

The most important of those words, scholars and saints tell u,s is to love and the measure of how much we love is our attitude toward our enemies. If you want to know the truth that Jesus leads us to know, and to experience, you need to be praying for your enemies. Not necessarily every day, but when they come to mind.

It does not matter what they have done to you or done against you. If you hold a grudge, if you choose to hate them, you will never experience truth. If you choose to pray for them, even if your choice includes the realization that presently you cannot pray for them, but that you will pray for grace to eventually pray for them, then you will know the truth.

We cannot read the words of the Gospel and understand that they demand of us something that the world rejects outright. In the world’s mind enemies are enemies and true enemies must  never be forgiven or treated mercifully, they are enemies and enemies should suffer and die. In the mindset of the disciples of Christ, enemies must be prayed for and given mercy when they seek it. God says through the Apostle Paul that vengeance is His alone and never ours.

This is one of the defining points of the Christian. Many will define Christianity in the worldly understanding of goodness. This means that enemies are enemies and must be treated as such. We must lock them up and throw away the key. We punish them and we must even if need be kill them, none of these are the call the of Christian. If we do not act in mercy towards our enemies, then we are not true disciples of Christ.

One of my favorite examples of this were the case of two enemies that fought intensely. One from a good family who was of a nationality that the other rejected. Their animosity reached the level of violence quite often until finally, this violence became criminal. In working with both groups, I gave the family of one information they were not aware of. Their enemy did not have a mother. She died when he was just a child. He and his father lived together in a poor section of the city. The mother in the family was shocked to learn that he never had a mother. There was a great opportunity for at least some form of praying for the enemy no matter how serious the violence had become. It is an essential element.

Do you have enemies whom you have chosen to hate or to ignore? You have to pray for them now. Yes, right now. If you have never prayed for them, turn from your computer and do so now, starting with those with whom you refuse to speak. Do you enemies include perpetrators of crimes against you? Pray for them now. You don’t have to visit them in prison, but pray for them now.

If you want to know the truth of which Jesus speaks, then pray for your enemies. Let go all grudges and seek to do ALL that Jesus commands of us. Then the truth will set you free.

God bless you,

Fr. Robert J Carr

You can follow him on twitter as @frbobcarr. Thoughts, comments on the homily? Let us know at Facebook

Homilies

The latest Faith and Music program with Fr. Robert J. Carr is ready for download:

Fr. Carr plays the music for the 7th Week of Easter 2012

Songs:

Liberdade-Diacono Nelsinho Corrêa with Ziza Fernandes, François, Matteo Calisi
Raças e Naçoes, Sou Jovem-Banda Conexa
Tum-Tum-Tum de Deus, Poderoso Deus-Tony Allysson
Vem Espirito de Deus, Diante do Teu Altar-Fr. Cleidimar Moreira
All To You, Declaração de Amor-Ricardo Sá
Honra E Glória, Restaura Nossa Casa-Salette Ferreira

Are You Blogging to Edify or Tear Down by Fr. Robert J Carr

For information on Portuguese language music, contact the Canção Nova Mission House at

Preaching, Translated from other languages

When in our heart there is a sincere desire of acting with righteousness,  of proceeding in according with the truth, God himself has the kindness of clarifying for us and indicating to us the road to walk from various ways. This can occur through the another that offers us justly the rest that we may need; or through a certain text that teaches us something; or a fact that happens among many other ways we encounter from the Lord to help us.

Who has never had an experience like this? Therefore, at times we need to say: “What a coincidence” when in truth it is the action of Divine Providence governing all the things to our ultimate end.

We can clearly perceive in the Gospel God’s action in the life of St. Joseph, anguished because Mary appeared pregnant and he knew that he was not the father of the child, and the Lord send help in that certain hour to him:

“The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him” (Mt 1,20-21.24a NAB).

We pray thus today: “God provides, God will provide, His mercy will not fail!” certain that the Lord is driving all situations to around us.

Jesus, I trust in You!

Luzia Santiago

Translated from Portuguese

Preaching, Translated from other languages Canção Nova, Luzia Santiago, Mercy, providence

Fernanda Soares assists Adriano Gonçalves in presenting Revolução Jesus on Canção Nova TV. Fernanda is also a director and producer at the network.

Upon reading this title, perhaps you were shocked with the responsibility of being the help of God to men. If I am not able to help me, how am I going to help this man (father, brother, lover, friend) at my side?

In Sacred Scripture, in Genesis, it is written that “God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, and made him a good helper.” The word to help (auxiliar in the original Portuguese) causes us a certain uncomfortability upon hearing it, after all, we quickly think that means something inferior. When we hear: help desk, domestic help, general services help, we can be certain it does not sit well, it appears as something inferior to men. But, in the origin of the word [auxiliar], that comes from the hebraic, ezer kenegdo we encounter the real meaning: HELP OF GOD!

God trusts to us women the mission of helping the man, independent of what may  be his need, spiritual, physical, psychological, professional. We have to help him in his humanity, much needed love and understanding! Our role in the life of a man is to lead him to God, helping him in those moments in which he does not know more of what to do!

Now I want to throw out a challenge, that is not difficult: try taking away the weight of this responsibility and face this role with a different view, the view taught by Jesus, the view of love. How much more I am loving, caring, respecting, supporting to this man closest to me; what’s more, the MAN will be loving, caring and responsible!

Grateful is the mother that sees the son growing with maturity and ethic in life, happy is the wife that sees in her husband his realization as man and as professional, blessed is the girlfriend that sees in her boyfriend the smile that overcomes a challenge with her help! It is not a weight, it is a gratefulness to help God build the new man for the new world!

You woman have the ability to play an irreplaceable role in the life of the man, by remaining calm, God, in his infinite kindness and wisdom, already thought of this and gave to you many gifts and talents. You already bring the “tools” necessary to be this help, to mold this new man. You want to see simple examples? Inside of you, there exists a dedicated ferocity, an ability to overcome great obstacles and to have an ample vision of to contemplate the hidden beauty behind that mountain!

But how  can you help the man? Amplify his vision: How many times do you perceive that your companion is not well and you are seated beside him, you push the issue and still amidst of his inhibition, he begins to share with you and there tells you all that happened? And you begin to show the other side, you show the positive, you show the way and that all is not lost. Or then when you husband arrives in the house and says that he lost his job,  but you, even knowing that it is not going to easy, begin to motivate him, speaking of his qualities and then you see he is super motivated to seek a  new job.

Did you see? These are only some of the tools that you already carry in your being. I am certain that if you see a little inside of yourself, you are going to encounter numerous tools that are going to help you.

But now it is with you, it depends of you, God already gave you these “arms” to lead your man to heaven, it is up to you to use them!

We Are Together
Fernanda Soares

translated from Portuguese

Preaching, Translated from other languages Canção Nova, Fernanda Soares, Women

In our families, we are in the situation in that we are principally because of men. . I am not making a guilt trip, nor am I accusing, but I am bringing the reality. Justly, because God made men as the head of the house, the temptor came upon you from your infancy. How we were treated, how we learned the things of the sexuality in the street in a dirty way. How many children were referred to a house of prostitution by their own parents, they learned to drink and to smoke with their parents.

Actually, especially, we are attacked in our sexuality. In all we are pushed, pulled, drawn to live it in a mistaken way. Today the man needs to see,  women are advancing over them, and it has been hard for them to remain head of  the family! You husband that follow your friends into bars, not to stay out and and not to be different, you are just entering into the same programs, having houses, lovers, going to prostitutes, living adultery.

You father, you, man, you, son that already is engaged, or in love, on began to live, but pretends to be father, head, chief of your house, do not allow the enemy to spoil all before your marriage. The Heavenly Father is passing as was the Good Samaritan, seeing the corruption, in which you find yourself, half dead, without possibility of lifting yourself, He descends from His mountain, comes upon you and pours over your wounds the oil of His Spirit and after the wine of His Precious Blood to redeem you and save you.

The Word of God is very clear for you woman, but the demon also has attached to you. Many times there are women that have grown fighting in the house, leaving house, leaving children and going for adventures. True prodigal daughters that are going “to burn” the inheritance they received as the holy sacrament of matrimony. But God has repaired all this, the grace of today is for this!

The Word of God is clear for you young person, son, daughter that has anger from your father, your mother that does not stand. What you learned in adolescence to be rebellious and today to have resentment and hurt from your parents. And  for this reason our families are broken, exploded. All need to rebuilt and remodeled on the model of the Holy Family.

(Excerpt from the preaching “Tempo de misericórdia nas famílias”, [Time of Mercy in Families] by Monsignor Jonas Abib).

translated from Portuguese

Preaching, Translated from other languages families, fr jonas abib, holiness

News and Commentary