THE CONCHO PADRE POST

(Vatican Radio) In following Christ, one walks with perseverance and without triumphalism, said Pope Francis in his homily during Friday morning’s Mass at Casa Santa Marta. The Mass was attended by personnel from Libreria Editrice Vaticana, including the director of the publishing house, Fr. Giuseppe Costa, as well as personnel from the Vatican pharmacy and perfume shop.

When God touches a person’s heart, the Pope said in his homily, he grants a grace that lasts a lifetime; he does not perform some “magic” that lasts but an instant. The Pope reflected on the climate of agitation immediately following the death of Jesus, when the behaviour and the preaching of the Apostles caught the attention of the Pharisees.

He picked up on the words of the Pharisee Gamaliel, cited in the Acts of the Apostles, who warns the Sanhedrin of the danger of attempts on the lives of Jesus’ disciples and reminds them how, in the past, the clamour generated by prophets found to be false subsided along with their followers. Gamaliel’s suggestion is to wait and see what will come of Jesus’ followers.

This “is wise advice even for our lives because time is God’s messenger,” Pope Francis observed. “God saves us in time, not in the moment. Sometimes he performs miracles, but in ordinary life, he saves us in time… in history … (and) in the personal story” of our lives.

The Pope added that God does not act “like a fairy with a magic wand”. Rather, he gives “grace and says, as he said to all those he healed, ‘Go, walk’. He says the same to us: ‘Move forward in your life, witness to everything the Lord does with us’ ”.

Pope Francis said “a great temptation” that lurks in the Christian life is triumphalism. “It is a temptation that even the Apostles had,” he said. Peter had it when he solemnly assured that he would not deny Jesus. The people also experienced it after the multiplication of the loaves.

“Triumphalism,” the Pope asserted, “is not of the Lord. The Lord came to Earth humbly; he lived his life for 30 years; he grew up like a normal child; he experienced the trial of work and the trial of the Cross. Then, in the end, he resurrected.”

“The Lord teaches that in life not everything is magical, that triumphalism is not Christian,” the Pope said. The life of the Christian consists of a normality that is lived daily with Christ.

“This is the grace for which we must ask: perseverance. Perseverance in our walk with the Lord, everyday, until the end,” he stated.

“That the Lord may save us from fantasies of triumphalism,” he concluded. “Triumphalism is not Christian, it is not of the Lord. The daily journey in the presence of God, this is the way of the Lord.”

Vatican Radio

Gospel Jn 6:1-15

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

Tuesday, April 9, was Advocacy Day, organized by the Texas Catholic Conference. It is day when Catholcs and their bishops come to the state capital to advocate on a variety of issues. Some 1,500 Catholics attended this year’s event.

Some of the issues advocated with the various legislators included health care, immigration, human life issues, school vouchers, and human services.

Cardinal Daniel diNardo of Galveston-Houston reminded the people that they were expressing their religious freedom by attending the event, and that it was one of our most cherished freedoms. He noted how religious freedom and liberty were coming under attack, both at the federal and state levels.

Also addressing the group were Bishop Joe Vasquez of Austin and Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio. The Diocese of San Angelo also had a delegation which was led by Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer. The San Angelo delegation left by bus at 4:00 am in order to arrive at the rally. Bishop Pfeifer met them in Austin.

The Concho Padre

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS!

Just a little reminder, folks, that I will be leading the Cathedral Pilgrimage to Fatima and Lourdes from August 5 to 14. Coach departures will be from San Angelo and Abilene, and then we all fly out of DFW. This will be a wonderful pilgrimage, and we have a few seats left. In addition to Fatima and Lourdes, we will be travelling along the “Way of St. James” and stopping at Santiago de Compostela. Some medieval cities are on the agenda. We will be staying in 3 and 4-star hotels, with private baths. Breakfast and dinner daily. For more information, call Sacred Heart Cathedral at 325-658-6567, or email me at mjvoity@hotmail.com. Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservation deposits must be made by April 25!

The Concho Padre

Pope Francis received members of the “Papal Foundation” who were in Rome for their annual pilgrimage to present Pope Francis $8.6 million for support of the Holy Father’s charitable work during the coming year.

The organization, whose headquarters are in Pennsylvania, was established by the late Cardinal John Krol as a means to provide the Holy See with a source of income to finance the Church’s needs in the world.

“The annual pilgrimage to Rome is always a deeply spiritual experience,” reflected William Canny, the Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer, “but this year we were especially blessed to have a private audience with Pope Francis as he sets the course for his papacy. These are exciting, hope-filled days for the Church, and for a world in need.”

The Holy Father thanked the members of the Papal Foundation their support of the apostolates and charities of the Successor of Saint Peter.

“In these years, you have contributed significantly to the growth of local Churches in developing countries by supporting, among other things, the continuing formation of their clergy and religious, the provision of shelter, medical assistance and care to the poor and needy, and the creation of much-needed educational and employment opportunities,” Pope Francis said.

The Holy Father also noted that today is the 50th anniversary of John XXIII’s encyclical “Pacem in Terris“ and he asked that this opportunity “serve as an incentive for your commitment to promoting reconciliation and peace at every level.”

Over 100 participants attended the 2013 pilgrimage which included Stewards of Saint Peter and their families, priests and Foundation staff, as well as Cardinal Donald Wuerl,Archbishop of Washing, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington and Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia. U.S. Bishops from Los Angeles, Newark, Wheeling-Charleston, Dallas and Las Vegas also joined the pilgrimage this year.

From zenit.org and Vatican Information Service