Monthly Archives: February 2020

Querida Amazonía: the Pope’s Exhortation for a Church with an Amazonian face

12/02/2020   The Vatican

Pope Francis greets an indigenous woman in Puerto Maldonado, Peru

The Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Amazon Region has been published. The document traces new paths of evangelization and care for the environment and the poor. Pope Francis hopes for a new missionary thrust, and encourages the role of the laity within the ecclesial community.

“The beloved Amazon region stands before the world in all its splendour, its drama and its mystery.” Thus begins the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonía… Read more »

Pope at General Audience: Sorrow is rooted in love for God

12/02/2020   The Vatican

Pope Francis at the weekly general audience at the Vatican, 12.01.2020

At the General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis continues his catechesis on the Beatitudes. This week, he reflects on the second Beatitude: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. Below is the official English-language summary:

Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Beatitudes, we now turn to the second proclamation: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:4).  Such mourning – described by the desert Fathers with the Greek word “penthos” – is more than mere grief: it is an interior sorrow that can open us to an authentic relationship with the Lord and with each other.  The Bible speaks of two types of such sorrow.  The first is the pain we feel when faced with the suffering or death of our brothers and sisters.  The second involves mourning for sin.  Both are grounded in loving concern for others, but above all in love for God.  Sorrow for sin – as seen in Saint Peter’s tears after his betrayal of Jesus – comes as a gift of the Holy Spirit the Comforter.  Let us continually ask for the grace to grieve for our sins and to be open to the healing grace of the Spirit, so that we can comfort others with the same consolation that we ourselves have received… Read more »

The Gospel of the day: 12th February

12/02/2020

Readings of the day

First Reading: 1 Kings 10, 1-10
Psalm: 36 (37), 5-6.30-31.39-40

Gospel: Mk 7, 14-23

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable… Read more »

St Paul did not come to condemn but to heal and show us mercy – The Archbishop

Solemn Pontifical Mass on the feast of St Paul's Shipwreck, in which the Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to Malta was announced

10/02/2020   The Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, Valletta

L-omelija tal-Arċisqof Charles J. Scicluna

Fl-Atti tal-Appostli, il-ktieb li jagħtina r-rakkont għażiż tal-miġja tal-Appostlu Misserna San Pawl fostna, jirrepeti l-istorja u n-narrattiva tal-konverżjoni ta’ Pawlu, Sawlu, tliet darbiet. Wieħed jinnota kemm dan ir-rakkont huwa importanti biex dan it-tieni ktieb li kiteb San Luqa: l-Evanġelju u l-Atti tal-Appostli, din il-laqgħa tal-Imgħallem Ġesù rxuxtat ma’ dan ir-raġel minn Tarsu propju nsibuha rrakkuntata tliet darbiet.

Illum nixtieq nibda r-riflessjoni tiegħi billi nfakkarkom Pawlu stess xi jgħid meta jidħol fi djalogu ma’ Agrippa… Read more »

Pope at Angelus: Church hears the cry of marginalized and poor

11/02/2020

Pope Francis during his Sunday Angelus in St Peter’s Square  (Vatican Media)

In his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis urges Catholics to dispel the darkness lurking in society, and says the Church cannot abandon her mission of evangelisation and service.

Pope Francis reflected on Jesus’ call in the day’s Gospel (Mt 5:13-16) for His disciples to be salt and light.

Jesus’ use of symbolic language, said the Pope, lays out criteria for how the Lord’s disciples are to live their mission in the world… Read more »

Kind, gentle and welcoming – Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi

Mass on the eve of the feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck

09/02/2020   The Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck, Valletta

L-Omelija tal-Isqof Awżiljarju Joseph Galea-Curmi

Hemm frażi fir-rakkont li għadna kemm smajna mill-Atti tal-Appostli li tgħid hekk: “Ġabu ruħhom magħna bi ħlewwa liema bħalha” (Atti 28:2). Hi frażi li tagħmlilna ġieħ lilna l-Maltin, meta naqrawha u nerġgħu naqrawha, u niftakru li tant snin ilu l-Maltin ta’ żmien San Pawl, meta waslu dawn in-nies ħafna minnhom priġunieri fuq ġifen li kien inqabad f’tempesta u kien wasal hawnhekk mingħajr ħadd ma ried li jasal hawn, ġabu ruħhom bi ħlewwa liema bħalha… Read more »

The Gospel of the day: 11th February

11/02/2020

Our Lady of Lourdes
Readings of the day

First Reading: 1 Kings 8, 22-23.27-30
Psalm: 83 (84), 3.4.5 u 10.11

Gospel: Mk 7, 1-13

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders… Read more »

Apostolic Journey by Pope Francis to Malta

Announcement of the Apostolic Journey by His Holiness Pope Francis to Malta

10/02/2020   The Collegiate Parish Church of St Paul's Shipwreck

Welcoming the invitation of the President of the Republic of Malta, the Authorities and the Catholic Church of the Country, His Holiness Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Journey to Malta and Gozo on 31st May 2020.

The programme of the journey will be published at a later stage. Read more »

Official logo of the Apostolic Journey to Malta Official Announcement of the Apostolic Journey to Malta …

The Gospel of the day: 10th February

10/02/2020

The Shipwreck of the Apostle Saint Paul – Solemnity
Readings of the day

First Reading: Wis 14, 3-7
Psalm: 107, 21-31
Second Reading: 2 Cor 11, 18.24-31 or Acts 27, 16 – 28, 6

Gospel: Mk 16, 15-20

Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it.  Read more »

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