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+JMJ
Mary Queen of Vocations, pray for us! 'Do whatever He tells you' (Jn 2:5).
Interested in the priesthood?
In the end, John Paul II, our late Pope, was loved by all the world because he reached out to so many people. He reached out to the young especially, starting the World Youth Days that have forever changed my life and had a major impact on my vocation to the priesthood. He traveled to all corners of the world and gave a new face to the Catholic Church, and what a beautiful face it was! Over 1 billion people watched his funeral! John Paul II became amazingly popular even though many people who admired him did not agree with his moral teaching in the areas of abortion and contraception. He was criticized often as being too conservative in areas of Church tradition and doctrine.
John Paul II did a beautiful job of continuing the prophetic tradition of announcing the Word of God without compromise. John Paul II became popular because he traveled to the ends of the earth in order to proclaim God's words of love and life. He reached out to world religions in an unprecedented way. Yet he never watered down God's word. He did not attain a cheap popularity, but earned respect by consistently saying things that many people did not want to hear, but needed to hear. He taught us how to preach the truth with love. John Paul II was a champion of life, until his last moments with us!
Our own Archbishop, Joseph Naumann, is making tons of headlines these days for standing up for life, and against Catholics who do not use all means available to them to protect the fundamental human right to life. If you know our Archbishop, he is not a man who dreams of being in the Washington Post or on the Laura Ingraham show. Yet he is becoming more famous while at the same time becoming both more popular and less popular, depending on where one stands regarding the right to life. This is what he gets for faithfully presenting the Church's teaching on life, which is his duty as a bishop, without forgetting his role in pastorally calling all to conversion.
Jeremiah experienced the pain of being famous when he preached God's word faithfully. The more he preached the worse things got for him. Jesus promises the same to James and John, that they will drink the chalice of persecution that Jesus Himself was preparing to drink. This persecution is part of accepting a share in the apostolic ministry. It is Jesus' gift to his priests. Of course the mother of Jesus was looking for a different reward for her sons. It doesn't hurt to ask, anyway. She was hoping that the selection of her sons as apostles would entitle them to a special place in the kingdom of God. Jesus instead says that the gift James and John will receive is a chance to participate most intimately in his passion. Blessed are you when the insult you and persecute you, and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven! (Mt 5:11). Jesus promises that those who share most directly in his passion will also be the first ones to recognize His resurrection and receive the fruits of it - entrance into eternal life. It is Jesus' role to love everyone without distinction, and to invite them to join Him on the via crucis. It is the Father's role to arrange the chairs in heaven! +m
+JMJ
Mary Queen of Vocations, pray for us! 'Do whatever He tells you' (Jn 2:5).
Interested in the priesthood?
In the end, John Paul II, our late Pope, was loved by all the world because he reached out to so many people. He reached out to the young especially, starting the World Youth Days that have forever changed my life and had a major impact on my vocation to the priesthood. He traveled to all corners of the world and gave a new face to the Catholic Church, and what a beautiful face it was! Over 1 billion people watched his funeral! John Paul II became amazingly popular even though many people who admired him did not agree with his moral teaching in the areas of abortion and contraception. He was criticized often as being too conservative in areas of Church tradition and doctrine.
John Paul II did a beautiful job of continuing the prophetic tradition of announcing the Word of God without compromise. John Paul II became popular because he traveled to the ends of the earth in order to proclaim God's words of love and life. He reached out to world religions in an unprecedented way. Yet he never watered down God's word. He did not attain a cheap popularity, but earned respect by consistently saying things that many people did not want to hear, but needed to hear. He taught us how to preach the truth with love. John Paul II was a champion of life, until his last moments with us!
Our own Archbishop, Joseph Naumann, is making tons of headlines these days for standing up for life, and against Catholics who do not use all means available to them to protect the fundamental human right to life. If you know our Archbishop, he is not a man who dreams of being in the Washington Post or on the Laura Ingraham show. Yet he is becoming more famous while at the same time becoming both more popular and less popular, depending on where one stands regarding the right to life. This is what he gets for faithfully presenting the Church's teaching on life, which is his duty as a bishop, without forgetting his role in pastorally calling all to conversion.
Jeremiah experienced the pain of being famous when he preached God's word faithfully. The more he preached the worse things got for him. Jesus promises the same to James and John, that they will drink the chalice of persecution that Jesus Himself was preparing to drink. This persecution is part of accepting a share in the apostolic ministry. It is Jesus' gift to his priests. Of course the mother of Jesus was looking for a different reward for her sons. It doesn't hurt to ask, anyway. She was hoping that the selection of her sons as apostles would entitle them to a special place in the kingdom of God. Jesus instead says that the gift James and John will receive is a chance to participate most intimately in his passion. Blessed are you when the insult you and persecute you, and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven! (Mt 5:11). Jesus promises that those who share most directly in his passion will also be the first ones to recognize His resurrection and receive the fruits of it - entrance into eternal life. It is Jesus' role to love everyone without distinction, and to invite them to join Him on the via crucis. It is the Father's role to arrange the chairs in heaven! +m
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