During this “bitter time” of war, hunger, injustice and poverty, Our Lady of Guadalupe invites everyone to open their lives to her son, Jesus, and to learn to love others like he does, Pope Francis said.
“The Lord, through the Virgin Mother, continues to give us his son, who calls us to fraternity, to set aside selfishness, indifference and enmity, inviting us to get involved with each other ‘without delay,’ to go out to meet our brothers and sisters who have been forgotten and discarded by our consumerist and indifferent societies,” he said.
Today, just like five centuries ago when Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego, she “came to accompany the American people on this hard road of poverty, exploitation, socioeconomic and cultural colonialism,” the pope said in his homily during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“She is in the midst of the caravans that walk northward in search of freedom and well-being. She is in the midst of the American people, whose identity is threatened by a savage and exploitative paganism, wounded by the active preaching of a practical and pragmatic atheism,” the pope said, in handwritten remarks that were not part of his previously prepared text.
Full story at National Catholic Reporter.
No, she doesn’t. Pious words that he can’t back up with a shred of evidence.
Of course, she does.
Is she with the border agents? Yes.
She is the Mother of all.
She is not omnipresent like God.
I do not know how it works.
Maybe through angels?
What is the effect? What is the difference in result between Mary accompanying people and not accompanying people? Can you explain the difference? Can you tell who is accompanied and who is not by what effects they experience in life? What does Mary’s accompaniment provide in real, experiential, demonstrable effects? If you can’t answer those questions, then the Puff the Magic Dragon guy has a point, which is that the pope and others are using language that is empty of any real meaning when examined for truth content.
And this is why young people are leaving the church in vast numbers. They don’t want empty religious language. They want results. Technology gives results. Medicine gives results. Science gives results. Tesla doesn’t say, “The car has an autonomous driving feature,” without being able to demonstrate that the car can drive itself. Medicine doesn’t say, “This drug will treat your illness,” without being able to demonstrate that the drug does in fact do so. But the pope says, “Mary accompanies migrants,” yet cannot demonstrate how or whether that is true nor what difference it makes in people’s lives.
Catholicism is not delivering results. It’s delivering corruption, sex scandals, money laundering and empty, religious language.
No wonder the church is losing young people. The church can’t demonstrate the truth of her claims, and the authorities in the church are self-serving, corrupt ecclesiastical politicians.
This gets to the crux of the Church’s biggest problem today. The Church is considered trivial, at best, by lots of people. The Church is viewed as nonessential, at best, by those same people, because the Church doesn’t offer anything meaningful in the realm of human experience. If you have time for it and are so inclined, go ahead; if you’d rather not, no biggie. You might say that the Church’s doctrinal teachings about revelation and salvation are true, therefore people should believe them and belong to the Church. But when people stop affiliating with the Church and don’t experience any negative consequences or effects, they understandably conclude that the Church doesn’t provide anything valuable right here, right now to its members. Why go to Mass when I can ride horses on Sunday morning, which I find more enjoyable? Why follow the Church’s moral doctrines when millions of people don’t follow them, including priests, yet don’t suffer negative consequences for their “sins”? The Church seems to be like a Harry Potter Fan Club: cool, if you’re into that, but not necessary for a flourishing life. Take it or leave it.
So how does the Church convince people that being a part of the Church is necessary and relevant and meaningful?
Christianity is the only religion that speaks of a God who suffered a terrible catastrophe, crucifixion, and death. Therefore, the Christian must, in the midst of catastrophe, find his way to the foot of the cross, and there he will find answers. (From Formed.com Tears of God Fr. Benedict Groeschel)
You will also find Mary at the foot of the Cross
You will find out at the moment of your death.
And if that’s all religious people have, if that’s all Catholics have, the Church will wither and die. Jesus said the kingdom of God is here. It should be experienced here, now, during this life. St. Paul taught that resurrected life, new creation, is a present reality after baptism. Jesus and St. Paul both taught that faith has real, experiential effects and results in this life, before physical death. Either Jesus and St. Paul were making it up or the Church is not effectively living the reality of faith in Christ.
It has not withered and died in 2000 years. As people become less concerned about what happens to them after they die, the Church becomes less of a sanctuary.
Jesus said the Kingdom of God is now. You will experience it if you have faith.
I do think many Christians get caught up in things that distract them from the Christian work.
Jesus said “the poor you shall always have with you.” Our job as Christians is to pray and work.
Many Catholics have been taught that their service to God is taking care of their own family and contributing to Church.
Christianity is not social work. Works of mercy are very important to Catholics and show the love of God but honestly, almost all religions do them, even nones.
You need the Church for salvation. Christ does want us to do the works of mercy, also. That is part of it. The Sacraments are the greatest mercy of God.
What’s in it for me? Bad attitude.
You’ll never get it.
She’s not asking what’s in it for her. She’s asking Catholics who make claims about spiritual things to provide some evidence in support of their truth or reality. If you don’t understand or support that, then you’ll never get it and you’ll never be an effective evangelist. Faith can’t be blind. And there have been way too many examples in our time of clergy whose “faith” turned out to be a fraud and they just used their church office for sexual abuse and money laundering. Nothing wrong with asking, “Where’s the beef?” (If you remember that old commercial in the 80s.) Jesus didn’t dismiss St. Thomas when he wanted proof of the resurrection.
Amazing grace….that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now I’m found.
Was blind but now I see.
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fear relieved.
How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.
To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.
Quote attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas
Why not say that Puff the Magic Dragon accompanies people? What does the claim even mean? You have thousands upon thousands of people dying, women being raped, people getting hooked on drugs and being homeless. They aren’t getting any magical or supernatural help, whether from Mary or from Puff.
Yes, they are, if they ask for it or if we ask her for it.
Being raped, especially as a virgin, is very difficult. So much is made of Mary’s virginity. You will never be like her. You will never be whole. But Mary holds you and heals you and you become stronger and usually, kinder and more considerate of others.
Some people reject Mary and they turn into bitter people.
I was a person who believed there was a higher power who could help people when they prayed and asked for his help.
I was in a horrible relationship crisis, serious depression and anxiety, did not know what my life would look like the next day or after that.
I prayed for probably the first time. I felt the presence of God. I said “Hi” to him.
Nothing in my life changed. But I changed. Everything had meaning and I understood like Oprah says “things don’t happen to you, they happen for you.’
At times my situation was emotionally unbearable and I was tempted to sin but knowing it would offend God kept me from sinning (not 100%-but some grave sins.)
I thought a deceased relative had helped me to find God but several months later it was made known to me that it was Mary who came to my aid.
Pray the Rosary, read the Bible, go to the sacraments if you can.
Pope Francis said, about the Blessed Mother, that “She is in the midst of the caravans that walk northward in search of freedom and well-being.”
What of those walking in other directions searching for freedom and well-being?
Does she not accompany them?
And, why is it that those seeking freedom and well-being are heading to the United States (rather than remaining in their own countries)?
If our nation is so bad, why do so many want to come here?
People aren’t streaming into Venezuela, China, Cuba, Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Why isn’t Pachamama helping those in South America?
More like they are accompanied by cartels and human smugglers.
Does Mary accompany those heading south, east or west? Or only those going north?
When humanity eventually advances to migrating to other planets and solar systems, will Mary accompany those migrants too?
yes
What is Mary’s opinion about Title 42?
2 Corinthians 6:15:
“And what concord hath Christ with Belial?”
And what concord does the Catholic Church
have with human traffickers on our southern border?
Somebody’s gonna fry.
Coming through the southern border illegally is like breaking into someone’s house, wanting and securing things and privileges that belong only to citizens and legal immigrants. It should be a sin against the Seventh commandment.
Legal immigrants obey our laws. They file their applications in the US embassy in their own country and are vetted as regards ability to support themselves and not be an economic burden to society. They must show that they’re healthy, have clean police records, and are willing to learn the language, etc. Then they are made to wait for as long as ten years before they could enter the country
.
Those seeking asylum are qualified only if they are being discriminated in their own country on the basis of race, gender, religion, or political affiliation. Poverty is not a reason for asylum.
The present administration tolerates, even encourages illegals to break our laws. No wonder legal immigrants and naturalized citizens – those who followed the rules – don’t feel very welcoming of the illegals.
And I, for one, don’t believe Our Blessed Mother accompany them in breaking our laws. But that’s just me.
She accompanies them heading north because they cannot enter the Vatican, which has a wall to keep them out.
Mexico is the only foreign country to which I have gone. It is quite simple, ” Do in their country as you would have them do in yours.” I never took anything or anyone illegally across into Mexico, and I never brought anything or anyone back illegally into the United States. I did not steal or commit any crimes while over there. I tried to obey their laws as best I could. I did not make a fuss when the border patrol searched my luggage as I had nothing to hide. No plants, no contraband. After 911 I travel very little as I have metal parts in my body from surgery and get bodily searched every time at airports.
BTW, when younger we crossed the border in a car. My husband and I made sure we had automobile insurance that covered us while we there. That is another thing to check for when going to neighboring countries or abroad. If one cannot afford it, he should stay home or go with someone who has such insurance and do not drive himself. Following reasonable laws is a good way not to end up in poverty, no endless series of fines or jail time.
The grass is never greener on the other side unless you work at it.
The grass is not greener in Mexico except where the cartel drug lords live.
I think you are right. I thought after I posted that, that I should have put quotation marks around it as Mexico does not have much grass anywhere, and the phrase is just a figure of speech. I would say times were much different when we went over there, and much different over here, but that is not really true. Illegal drugs were all around. I managed to avoid them through my Biblical upbringing (especially Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) and seeing what they did to others — frying their brains until they were digging out of garbage cans for food.
Please forgive all the “I’s” in my posts. Should have written more “we’s”. I am sure there are people who respect the laws of other countries and this one.
Have Catholics forgotten that Jesus is in these people?
We are supposed to do for others as we would do for Jesus.
How would you want the Egyptians to respond to the Holy Family coming across their border?
I agree with those who believe that God would not want them to break the law.
But once they have and they are hungry, thirsty, tired, raped, almost dead from exposure or excessive heat, you know what His Will is.
Will God punish those who run away and leave them to die in the back of a truck? Who drop them off at an impassible desert and tell them to walk north to get where they want to go? Who take all their money? Yes, He will.
There are many good Samaritans on both sides of the border.
It is not too much just to pray for them, whether they stay here or are sent home. One Hail Mary?
Christianity, the whole religion, is about mercy for sinners. Once you understand how to live morally, you are held to a higher standard.
The Holy Family’s flight into Egypt was not illegal. Israel and Judah were parts of the Roman empire at that time, so people traveled back and forth between the regions without breaking any laws. Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus were not illegal immigrants.
The Holy Family entering Egypt from Judah was like — if you leave California for Texas or Florida because someone here is threatening to kill you. Or fleeing to avoid the high housing costs or high taxation that funds abortion and euthanasia and escaping to Texas or New Mexico or anywhere else in the US. You will not need a passport or visa to get there because it is all part of the U.S. You will not be breaking any immigration laws.
But those illegal aliens breaking in through the southern border are like thieves in the night who break into your back door and demand that they live in your house; be given access to food, clothing, shelter, medicine, education, transportation, protection, etc. at the expense of those who are trying to get here legally on their own dime. Any way you look at it, illegal immigration is stealing. It’s a sin against the Seventh Commandment.
If you want to come and live in the US, get in line. Obey the laws and respect the culture and learn the language. Don’t start waving the flag of your country you want to escape. Don’t insult the citizens and legal residents of the U.S.
Asylum can only be granted if the petitioner is being discriminated in his own country on the basis of race, religion, gender, or politics. Poverty is not a reason for asylum. Also, asylum should be sought in the first country the person reaches. Thus, if he were coming from Honduras, the country where he should seek asylum in would be Guatemala, or Mexico – not the U.S. But it is the US that they all want to get into, by hook or by crook. And more often, it’s by crook. Thou shalt not steal.
the timing of the pope’s words is what is most unfortunate in this. A new surge was already on the way, know that title 42 was about to expire, opening wide the gates. Then the deadly cold front arrived.
One of the works of mercy is to harbor the harborless.
One who breaks through your back door is a thief.
Harborless don’t need to be lawbreakers.
Am I the only human alive that does not believe the people arriving at our borders actually hiked any significant distance? This whole narrative is ludicrous. Open your eyes. One look at their body composition, especially the females, and you can clearly see their BMI is well above that of a human adult who has marched 20 miles a day for months. 7 years in the military. I know a little bit about marching long distance.
A. You don’t do that wearing tight fitting clothes and cheap flat shoes.
B. You lose excess fat; especially your belly fat.
They are being brought to a close proximity of the border and released. Maybe Mary joins them there.