PaddlingPadre

At the beginning of this gospel, Jesus is surrounded by great crowds. Many had flocked to him because they had been healed by him or by his disciples, or else because they had been delivered from demons, and, some doubtless, because they were simply moved by his preaching, or else marveled at what they had…

On the front of your worship aids is a quote of Pope Francis’s from Laudato Si: “When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them.” At the heart of this quote are the twin…

Strive to enter through the narrow gate, says our Lord, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. A lack of strength – that is what condemns one to the outer darkness, according to this parable. Not a failure to recognize the way to salvation – those who…

Esfuércense en entrar por la puerta, que es angosta, dice nuestro Señor, pues yo les aseguro que muchos tratarán de entrar y no podrán. La falta de fuerza es lo que condena a uno a las tinieblas exteriores, según esta parábola. No es el no reconocer el camino de la salvación —tanto los que entran…

Cristo ha venido a traer fuego a la tierra, y no paz, sino espada, que dividirá al hijo contra su padre, a la hija contra su madre. Estas palabras son, al mismo tiempo, palabras de consuelo y un dicho difícil. Jeremías, por ejemplo, bien pudo haberlas recibido como un consuelo mientras languidecía en el pozo,…

Seventy-five years ago, in another Holy Year when Rome, much as now during this present year of Jubilee, was thronged with pilgrims, Pope Pius XII, on All Saints Day, was carried in procession into St. Peter’s square, where, in the presence of bishops and archbishops, cardinals and dignitaries, and some seven-hundred thousand of the faithful…

Hace setenta y cinco años, en otro Año Santo en el que Roma, al igual que ahora durante este año jubilar, se veía abarrotada de peregrinos, el papa Pío XII, en el día de Todos los Santos, fue llevado en procesión a la plaza de San Pedro, donde, en presencia de obispos y arzobispos, cardenales…