Church: a work in progress

During an audience with seminarians from Naples on February 16, Pope Francis said:

“The Church is first and foremost a building site whose work is always ongoing. That is, she is always on the move, open to the novelty of the Spirit, defeating the temptation to preserve herself and her own interests. The principal task of the ‘Church site’ is to journey in the company of the Risen Crucified One, bringing the beauty of his Gospel to men and women. This is essential.”

Lent: removing cosmetics

Pope Francis described Lent as the time when we remove all the cosmetics:

“Lent, then, immerses us in a bath of purification and of self-spoliation: it helps us to remove all the cosmetics that we use in order to appear presentable, better than we really are. To return to the heart means to go back to our true self and to present it just as it is, naked and defenceless, in the sight of God.

“It means looking within ourselves and acknowledging our real identity, removing the masks we so often wear, slowing the frantic pace of our lives and embracing life and the truth of who we are. Life is not a play; Lent invites us to come down from the stage and return to the heart, to the reality of who we are: a return to the heart and the truth.”

Prayer of the elderly

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis has chosen “Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Psalm 71:9) as the theme for the 4th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on July 26.

“It is the prayer of an elderly person, which reminds us that, unfortunately, loneliness is a widespread reality, which afflicts many elderly people, often victims of the throwaway culture and considered a burden to society,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)