Pope Francis surprises high school students before Christmas break

Vatican City, Nov 14, 2018 / 05:24 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Christians are called to not only refrain from telling falsehoods, but to conduct their entire lives – both words and actions – as a witness to the Truth that is Jesus Christ, Pope Fra… […]

Vatican City, Sep 27, 2017 / 03:14 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Wednesday Pope Francis spoke about the enemies of hope that often lead us into discouragement and melancholy, and urged Christians to fight these temptations with the power of prayer.

One of these enemies, he said, is the “demon of noon,” which “wears us out with a busy life just as the sun rises,” but which “surprises us when we are least expecting it.” With this enemy, he said, “the days become dull and boring,” and nothing seems worthy of the effort of “hard work.”

“To have an empty soul is the worst hindrance to hope,” he said. “It is a risk from which no one can be said to be excluded; because to be tempted against hope can happen even when you walk the path of Christian life.”

“That’s why it is important to keep our hearts in opposition to the temptations of unhappiness, which certainly do not come from God,” he said. “And where our forces appear weak and the battle against anguish particularly tough, we can always turn to the name of Jesus.”

We can repeat this simple prayer, he said, found in the Gospels, and prayed by many Christians, which says: “‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner!’ A beautiful prayer.”

Speaking to those gathered for the weekly general audience Sept. 27, the Pope continued his catechesis on the theological virtue of hope.

He started by recalling the myth of Pandora’s Box, which tells the story of a curious woman who opens a box she’s been forbidden to open.

When she does so, all of the evils of the world are then released. But at the end of the story, there is a “glimmer of light,” the Pope said, because after all of the terrible things pour out of the box, Pandora spies one last thing remaining inside: hope.

“This myth tells us why it is so important for humanity to hope. It is not true that ‘as long as there is life there is hope,’ as it is commonly said. But it is the opposite: it is hope that sustains life, which protects, preserves and grows it,” he said.

The Pope also evoked the words of the French poet Charles Péguy, whose poem “The Portico of the Mystery of the Second Virtue,” is a lengthy reflection on hope. In his poem, he says that God is not astonished so much by the faith of human beings, or by their charity, but by their hope.

Quoting from a poem of Péguy, Francis continued: “Those poor children who see how things are and who believe that it will be better in the morning.”

“The image of the poet,” he said, “recalls the faces of so many people who are passing through this world – peasants, poor workers, migrants, in search of a better future…They fought for their children, they fought in hope.”

Hope is not a virtue of people with full stomachs, he continued. That is why, since the beginning, the poor are the first bearers of hope. Even at Christ’s birth the poor shepherds were the first messengers, Francis said.

Sometimes, growing up with everything you could want or need in life can actually be a misfortune, he said, because then you are not taught the virtues of expectation and patience built through hard work and effort.

The person who has been given everything may look young, but actually “autumn has already fallen on his heart,” he said.

Instead, hope is the “thrust in the heart” that encourages people to change, or to leave home to find a better situation in some cases. It is the push to welcome others, “the desire to meet, to know, to dialogue,” he said.

Hope also gives us the courage to share the journey of Christian life, he said, adding that“we are not afraid to share the trip! We are not afraid! We are not afraid to share hope!”

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Vatican City, Oct 26, 2017 / 03:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In her own words, Bridget Brown is “a self-advocate, an inclusion advocate, an actress… and a young woman with Down syndrome.” She also loves her life and wants others to know that each and every person is precious.

“The world needs to know that I don’t ‘suffer’ from Down syndrome,” she wrote in a letter to Pope Francis. “I have a full and wonderful life, and I am filled with joy to be alive.”

“I absolutely love my life.”

Brown met Pope Francis Oct. 21 as part of a Vatican-sponsored conference dedicated to catechesis for those with intellectual disabilities.

Titled “Catechesis and Persons with Disabilities: A Necessary Engagement in the Daily Pastoral Life of the Church,” the conference took place Oct. 20-22 at the Pontifical Urbanianum University in Rome.

Brown told CNA Oct. 20 that she was very excited to meet the Pope with her parents. She was also looking forward to speaking with him about “the right to life of babies with Down syndrome.”

Tragically, children with Down syndrome are often aborted, she said, pointing to the example of an August article from CBS News declaring that Iceland is “eradicating Down syndrome” through abortion.

“People with Down syndrome are so precious,” she said. “I love babies, and I especially love babies with Down syndrome.”

In a letter to Pope Francis, she said that her heart breaks when she thinks that she might be part of the last generation of people with Down syndrome and that “the world will never again benefit from our gifts.”

Brown noted that people with disabilities are often the first to be killed during genocides, and observed that Adolph Hitler’s mass killings began with the murder of disabled children.

“It seems to me we are doing the same thing to children with disabilities today in our country,” she said.

Even though Brown finds this to be discouraging at times, she said she still has hope, praying for those who think people with disabilities don’t have the right to live.  

“I believe in the sacred dignity of all people. And most people I know with disabilities can lead full and productive lives, just like me,” she said.

The right to life of people with disabilities should never be disregarded, Brown told CNA. “God said…that we have a purpose, no matter who we are. It’s not right to exclude or kill anybody, because we are part of the human race.”

Quoting Meister Eckhart, a medieval Dominican theologian, she said, “If the only prayer I say in my life is ‘thank you,’ that would be enough.”

Brown, who spoke at the conference Oct. 21, noted that she attended to help promote inclusion in parishes, hoping they will open their doors “to allow people with disabilities to be included in the Church.”

She hopes people walk away from the conference with a deeper realization that “people with disabilities have a purpose.”

More than that, she wants to move the conversation about people with disabilities beyond inclusion.

It’s about more than just the right to survive, she said, but about being able “to dwell in the possibilities, to have fun and full, exciting lives,” just like anyone else.

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Related news:

#Iceland is ‘eradicating’ Down syndrome…by aborting everyone who has it https://t.co/tGRZFpj8rN

— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) August 17, 2017

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