I just finished reading Pope Benedict XVI's first Encyclical letter entitled Deus Caritas Est and I have to say that it may contain some of the most profound thoughts on love and christian charity/social action that I've ever read.
The Holy Father's love for the church and for humanity truly shines through in this, his first Encyclical Letter to the Church.
I don't want to try and condense what he wrote down to a small blog post for a few reasons. 1. I can't, he said to many profound things and I am still thinking through them, and 2. It's really long and it took me forever to read it.
So I will simply post the link here and put a couple of my favorite quotes from the letter below. I would encourage you all to take the time to read it. For those who are fearful of Catholics (namely my family) don't worry it doesn't get really Catholicy until the conclusion.
I do have to admit that there were some things that I didn't agree 100% with, but they were so close to what I think I was willing to give the ol' Padre the benefit of the doubt.
Here is the link:
Pope Benedict's First Encyclical Letter: Deus Caritas Est
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction." Intro 1:2
"Yet it is neither the spirit alone nor the body alone that loves: it is man, the person, a unified creature composed of body and soul, who loves." I 5:2
"...the good pastor must be rooted in contemplation. Only in this way will he be able to take upon himself the needs of others and make them his own..." I 7:3
"I cannot possess Christ just for myself; I can belong to him only in union with all those who have become, or who will become, his own. Communion draws me out of myself towards him, and thus also towards unity with all Christians." I 14:1
"The Church cannot neglect the service of charity any more than she can neglect the Sacraments and the Word." II 22:1
"The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice."
II 28a:5
"The Church can never be exempted from practising charity as an organized activity of believers, and on the other hand, there will never be a situation where the charity of each individual Christian is unnecessary, because in addition to justice man needs, and will always need, love."
II 29:3
"...it is very important that the Church's charitable activity maintains all of its splendour and does not become just another form of social assistance." II 31:1
"Whoever loves Christ loves the Church, and desires the Church to be increasingly the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ." II 33:1
"our crying out is, as it was for Jesus on the Cross, the deepest and most radical way of affirming our faith in his sovereign power." II 38:1
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I love this one: "The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice."
I wish the ultra-conservatives in America would take that to heart.
Yeah I know, the conservatives "remain on the sidelines" and try to make the Church "replace the State" although ironically an unjust state.
Too bad the liberals get it wrong and try to take on the whole "political battle" and make the Church just a State and nothing else.
My favourite is: "Yet it is neither the spirit alone nor the body alone that loves: it is man, the person, a unified creature composed of body and soul, who loves." I 5:2
Because it isn't possible to love only with the mind, or only with the soul. It HAS to be ALL of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, all rolled into one big, messy, wonderful pursuit.
holy wow awesomeness...
Post a Comment