Peace

John 14:27 May peace be with you; my peace I give to you: I give it not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled; let it be without fear.

Joy

Luke 6:23 Be glad in that day, and be lifted up for joy, for your reward in heaven will be great: for their fathers did these same things to the prophets.

Love

Mark 12:30 And you are to have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength

Hope

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Friends,

Peace be with you! After a magnificent weekend in Rome, filled with canonizations and celebrations, we've arrived at the end.

In this video update, I share some final thoughts on Saints John Paul II and John XXIII. You'll discover what I think is the main lesson these two radical disciples of Jesus Christ offer us today.
 
(To see each of my previous video updates, visit WordFromRome.com/Videos)

Thanks for joining me on this remarkable journey, and may God bless you!

Peace,
Fr. Robert Barron 





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4/30/2014

Gospel Reading
 Gospel - April 30, 2014
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
JN 3:16-21

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
 
 Reflection - April 30, 2014
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

A bright light came on for me when, in 1992, shortly after the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church by St. Pope John Paul II, I read this quote from St. Athanasius:

“God became man so man could become God.” (On the Incarnation, 54; CCC 459)

I soon discovered that Athanasius was not alone in his vision of our deification in Christ. St. Augustine wrote, “He became a partaker in our weakness bestowing upon us a participation in his divinity.” St. Thomas Aquinas also stated, “The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods.”

Like St. Paul on the road to Damascus, I suddenly realized that life in Christ was no mere metaphor or pious cliche. I saw in a flash that the purpose of the Incarnation is to divinize us, to make us “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pt. 1:4).

Since that day, contemplating and communicating this mystery—the mystery of our deification in Christ—has become the touchstone and defining mission of my life. May we all respond to this gift by taking on new life in Christ and sharing it with others.

Father Philip Krill ‘71
 
Today's Prayer
 Prayer - April 30, 2014
Gracious God, your word of peace stills the storms that rage in our world. Bring hope to people in southern states who have experienced devastation from recent tornadoes. Bring comfort to those who grieve the loss of loved ones and property. Let your love be known through those who work to bring order to the chaos. Help us to shoulder the burden of suffering and make us bearers of hope that can be found in you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

This week, the green candle in the Grotto will carry prayer for those who are suffering from recent storms and tornadoes. 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Friends,

Peace be with you! What a beautiful, jubilant celebration we shared on Sunday! With hundreds of thousands of people crowding into St. Peter's Square, and millions more watching at home, we added two great men to the halls of sanctity, Saints John Paul II and John XXIII.

I finally had some downtime yesterday to recover and reflect on Sunday's events, and in this latest Word From Rome video, I share some behind-the-scenes stories that especially stood out.
Be sure to visit WordFromRome.com for more video updates, and may God bless you!

Peace,
Fr. Robert Barron 




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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Word from Rome

Friends,

Peace be with you! I'm filming this latest update again from St. Peter's Square, where the crowds continue piling in, excited for tomorrow's canonization of Pope John Paul II and John XXIII.

As I survey the environment, I'm struck by the grand symbolism, particularly of the great colonnade surrounding us. Bernini's pillars, recently cleaned and restored, serve as welcoming hands which gather in people from every corner of the world.

That's what the Church is at her best, and that's what the New Evangelization is all about.
 
Be sure to visit WordFromRome.com for more video updates, and may God bless you!

Peace,
Fr. Robert Barron 





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In Rome

Friends,

Peace be with you! I just landed Rome and the excitement here is palpable. Tens of thousands of pilgrims are already camping out, joyously awaiting Sunday's canonizations of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII.

In this email you'll find my first Word From Rome video reflection where I comment on the Church's one purpose, a purpose especially evident this weekend.

I also wrote two articles this week highlighting the saintly virtues of Popes John XIII and John Paul II:

The Virtues of Pope John XXIII

Why Pope John Paul II is a Saint

Stay tuned for more videos!

Peace,
Fr. Robert Barron 





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Friday, April 25, 2014

Today's Prayer


 Prayer - April 25, 2014
Father in heaven, the Gospels remind us that Jesus’ first followers struggled to know the implications of the new life promised them by his rising from the dead. These days, as we strive to live in the joy of the resurrection of Christ your Son, with “Alleluia” on our lips and echoing within our hearts, help us to recognize him everywhere he manifests himself: in the work we do, the company we keep, and the meals we share. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Father Paul Kollman, C.S.C.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Prayer - April 24, 2014


In your appearances after the resurrection, Lord Jesus, you greeted your disciples with peace and showed them that your body, once dead in the tomb, was alive again. They became witnesses of your death and resurrection and preached your name to the ends of the earth, beginning from Jerusalem. Many centuries later, help us to know your life deep within us that we, too, might witness to you by all we do and say, and carry your good news to all we meet. You live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Father Paul Kollman, C.S.C.