PLEASE PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING INTENTIONS
WHAT’S HAPPENING
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Lietuvi
AT
ST. CASIMIR PARISH?|
SAINT FOR JULY ST. BENEDICT Abbot
(480-547) |
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Whenever you begin any good work you should first of all make a most pressing appeal to Christ our Lord to bring it to perfection… We must always serve him with the good things he has given us… Our eyes should be open to the God-given light, and we should listen in wonderment to the message of the Divine Voice as it daily cries out. (from “Benedict’s Rule”) St. Benedict of Nursia is considered the Father of Western Monasticism and patron of Europe. Western Monasticism is a monument to St. Benedict and one of the foundations of Western Civilization. It was monasticism that preserved and promoted classical learning for our times. At first St. Benedict was interested in a life of solitude, and lived as a hermit for three years. Soon he found that others looked to him for guidance and he convinced them of the value of uniting the spiritual life with the practicality of community living. This eventually resulted in the establishment of monasteries which gave stability to the lives of hermits and monks who banded together to form these communities. Benedict’s
experience and ideal are embodied in his Regula or Rules which have been
founding principles of religious life in the West ever since. The principles of
the Rule are not just for monks. It contains much practical direction
for all Christians. We recognize St. Benedict as an outstanding guide and
teacher. His wisdom is passed on to us through the monastic traditions and
institutions that bear his name and preserve his memory.
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THOUGHTS FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH |
Freedom of Religion
#2104 “All men are bound to seek the truth, especially in what concerns God and his Church, and to embrace it and hold on to it as they come to know it.” This duty derives from “the very dignity of the human person.” It does not contradict a “sincere respect” for different religions which frequently “reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men,” nor the requirement of charity, which urges Christians “to treat with love, prudence and patience those who are in error or ignorance with regard to the faith.”
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REFLECTION |
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INTERRELIGIOUS
DIALOGUE
But
whoever lives the truth
comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen
as done in God.
(John 3:21)
God is
light,…if we walk in the light
as he is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another.
(1 John 1:5,7)
An attitude of openness in truth and in love must characterize the
dialogue with the followers of non-Christian religions, in spite of various
obstacles and difficulties, especially forms of fundamentalism on both sides.
Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so
it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities. This
dialogue is in first place a conversation about human existence or simply, as
the bishops of India have put it, a matter of “being open to them, sharing their
joys and sorrows.” In this way we learn to accept others and their different
ways of living, thinking and speaking. We can then join one another in taking up
the duty of serving justice and peace, which should become a basic principle of
all our exchanges. A dialogue which seeks social peace and justice is in itself,
beyond all merely practical considerations, an ethical commitment which brings
about a new social situation. Efforts made in dealing with a specific theme can
become a process in which, by mutual listening, both parts can be purified and
enriched. These efforts, therefore, can also express love for truth.
by
Pope Francis “Evangelii Gaudium”, Chapter 4, Part IV, #250.