Priests are a gift from the Heart of Christ, Pope Benedict says

CNA ^ | 6/13/2010

[markomalley]

Vatican City, Jun 13, 2010 / 10:58 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Thousands of pilgrims and faithful gathered at noon Sunday in St. Peter’s Square to pray the Angelus with the Holy Father. Before the prayer, he said that the fruits of the recently ended Year for Priests could never be measured, but are already visible and will continue to be ever more so.

“The priest is a gift from the heart of Christ, a gift for the Church and for the world. From the heart of the Son of God, overflowing with love, all the goods of the Church spring forth,” proclaimed Pope Benedict XVI. “One of those goods is the vocations of those men who, conquered by the Lord Jesus, leave everything behind to dedicate themselves completely to the Christian community, following the example of the Good Shepherd.”

The Holy Father described the priest as having been formed by “the same charity of Christ, that love which compelled him to give his life for his friends and to forgive his enemies.”

“Therefore,” he continued, “priests are the primary builders of the civilization of love.”

Benedict XVI exhorted priests to always seek the intercession of St. John Marie Vianney, whose prayer, the “Act of Love,” was prayed frequently during the Year for Priests, and “continues to fuel our dialogue with God.”

The pontiff also spoke about the close of the Year for Priests, which took place this past week and culminated with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He emphasized “the unforgettable days in the presence of more than 15,000 priests from around the world.”

The feast of the Sacred Heart is traditionally a “day of priestly holiness,” but this time it was especially so, Benedict XVI remarked.

Pope Benedict concluded his comments by noting that, in contemplating history, “one observes so many pages of authentic social and spiritual renewal which have been written by the decisive contribution of Catholic priests.” These were inspired “only by their passion for the Gospel and for mankind, for his true civil and religious freedom.”

“So many initiatives that promote the entire human being have begun with the intuition of a priestly heart,” he exclaimed.

The Pope then prayed the Angelus, greeted those present in various languages, and imparted his apostolic blessing.

[Quix]

!WELL!

UNnatural Bawl,

Up early at the usual inaccurate, farcical, UnBiblical prickly mewling, I see.

[Quix]

INDEED.

Though more like thery’re scratching the door;

pounding on the door;

caterwalling at loud volume all manner of horrific lies at the door;

irritating the neighbors, dogs, cats;

and generally acting like an irratioinal, obsessive, crazed used car salesman.

[Natural Law]

That is some of the worst haiku I have ever seen or someone left the random word generator program on your PC on this morning.

[Quix]

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

[Quix]

“And ye are complete in Him..” (Colossians 2:10). NOT will be, hope to be, want to be. ARE. We are complete in Him. There is nothing to add. How much clearer can this be?

= = =

I know it is true Scripture. Please pray that my heart confidence wraps it’s understanding and conviction more fully around that truth.

[Natural Law]

“…some poor little person who’s shaking with fear

That he’ll blow in the pool! He has no way to steer!

I’ll just have to save him. Because, after all,

A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

[RnMomof7]

lololololololol! don't you see the irony in that statement...I am tearing up here,lol!

LOL

[Quix]

!BOY!
IS
THAT
EVER
THE
POT
YELLING
AT
ITS
IMAGE
IN
THE
MIRROR!
ROTFLOL!
!GUFFAWS TO THE MAX!

Thanks for the great guffaws, UNNatural Baw! Great for clearing out morning phlegm.

[Quix]

INDEED.

With THAT much irony,

we could

build a pontoon bridge of QE2's

from San Diego to Sydney!

[RnMomof7]

The Truth has never been immune from attack.

You do not want to answer that huh?

[small voice in the wilderness]

LOL Quix!

Not since one poster (I think it was Dr. Eckleburg, I'm not certain), made the point that Peter was not preaching to LITERAL sheep have I laughed so hard! Maranatha!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you so very much for that beautiful Scripture, dear brother/sister in Christ!

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: - Colossians 2:8-10

And again,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. – John 5:24

It is an insult to God when anyone suggests that the Blood of the Lamb is in anyway inadequate or incomplete. And yet many hirelings have done exactly that by insinuating themselves into what Christ has done, insisting a Christian must also do this, say that, surrender to him, etc.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. - John 10:11-13

But Christ's sheep need not follow hirelings who are just in it for themselves, and thereby become prey to the wolves.

Instead, we shall follow the Good Shepherd Himself.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: - John 10:27

And again,

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:12-13

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

We need not fear hirelings, wolves, circumstances, death etc. because of Who He IS. Nothing can happen in the life of a Christian unless either God did it or permitted it.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? - I Corinthians 6:19

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. - Colossians 3:3

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. - John 15:4-5

To God be the glory, not man, never man!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

If my posts are "not worth reading," then don't read them.

And I could play your school yard game and mangle your FR name, too, as you do mine, but that would be stooping to your level and I'm pretty tall so it's not worth the effort.

[Alamo-Girl]

May God bless you, dear brother in Christ, in this understanding and always.

And thank you so very much for your encouragements.

[Natural Law]

Dr. Eisegesis is far more fitting.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

It is an insult to God when anyone suggests that the Blood of the Lamb is in anyway inadequate or incomplete. And yet many hirelings have done exactly that by insinuating themselves into what Christ has done, insisting a Christian must also do this, say that, surrender to him, etc.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. - John 10:11-13

But Christ's sheep need not follow hirelings who are just in it for themselves, and thereby become prey to the wolves.

Instead, we shall follow the Good Shepherd Himself.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: - John 10:27

We need not fear hirelings, wolves, circumstances, death etc. because of Who He IS. Nothing can happen in the life of a Christian unless either God did it or permitted it.

AMEN, Alamo-Girl! Romans 8:28, our indestructible mast in rough waters. Thanks for the perfect way to begin a weekend -- assurance that Christ abides.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Dr. Eisegesis is far more fitting.

And one might use the name "Nutcase Liquored-up" for Natural Law, but one still shouldn't do it, no matter how appropriate it appears.

Let's you and I try not to make this personal, ok? You don't post about me personally, and I won't post about you personally, as the rules dictate. OK?

[rbmillerjr]

“Only if you cherry pick scripture”

Calvinists are the ultimate cherry pickers.

[Natural Law]

"Let's you and I try not to make this personal, ok?"

I take lies about my Church very personally, Dr. Eisegesis.

[Religion Moderator]

I take lies about my Church very personally, Dr. Eisegesis.

If that is true, then you are too thin-skinned for "open" Religion Forum threads and should stay on "ecumenical" "caucus" "prayer" or "devotional" RF threads.