On the memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, more than 37 married couples from across the Archdiocese gathered at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Redwood City for the Together in Holiness marriage retreat co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the St. John Paul II Foundation.
Two of the presentations of the day were given by Danielle Bean, a Catholic author and podcaster, who talked about marriage and family life—most specifically on how to center domestic life around prayer and setting the expectation for her children to put their faith first in their life, such as making Sunday Mass a priority and memorizing Scripture.
In addition, she reassured parents that life with a big family can be messy. Speaking as a mom of eight children, Bean noted that it can be easy to look at other families on social media and think they have the perfect life, but in reality, parenting can be hard and messy.
John Hanlon, formerly the associate director of the St. Ignatius Institute at the University of San Francisco and author of A Call to Families: A Commentary and Study Guide for Familiaris Consortio, spoke on the Pope’s encyclical and the importance of strong, holy marriages in the world today.
The retreat also gave time for spouses to join in prayer. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone celebrated Mass and encouraged couples to build the Christian faith at home through service.
“Putting nothing before that call of living out the Christian faith in the family and the home—this is where the Christian faith is implanted in the soil,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “This is where we learn and live out the meaning of self-sacrificing love, which is the only way to Heaven.”
Full story at Archdiocese of San Francisco website.
Self-sacrificing love is the only way to Heaven?
What?
Well, I won’t down vote you but maybe this quote will help you to better see where the good AB was going with that comment about marriage. This quote can equally apply to the vocation of matrimony. cheers–
“Yes, the life of every good parent is a martyrdom! It is to drink daily from the chalice of Jesus Christ Crucified. To be good parents, you must have a deep and true love of the Cross. It is by changing serpents into doves and tigers into lambs that you will be representative of Christ the Good Shepherd, and prove yourself a worthy parent, a man fit to beget and save souls.”
Fr. Gerreol Girardey Qualities of A Good Superior 1920
I don’t know that he was talking about the role of parent. And yes, you do sacrifice for your kids. But even atheists do that.
The idea of the road to heaven as narrow originates with Jesus. He is pretty clear about what kind of conduct puts you on that road. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven “If you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.” “Not everyone who says Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” An equivalent to merciful. poor in spirit, and obedient to the Father, who is uncreated Love, might well be described as self-sacrificing love. This does not invalidate the notion that we are saved by grace through faith, as true faith always works by love. So we are back to A. Cordileone.
What the implications of this assertion to Bishop Barron’s hope that all are saved– that I leave to others.
If self-sacrificing love is the only way to Heaven, then no one gets in. (Unless of course, there is some quota like 100 acts of self-sacrificing love qualifies.) This is not the Catholic faith.
I am sure that the quote is taken out of context
Christ’s self sacrificing love on the Cross is the only way to Heaven.
“If self-sacrificing love is the only way to Heaven, then no one gets in.” What you are saying, Correction, is that Christ’s salvation does not touch the human soul.
No I did not say that at all.
I said no one is going to get in by works.
Dan, if Fr. Martin, or Cardinal Hollerich, or the German or Flemish Bishops or even Pope Francis had said that, you all would be going nuts.
The sentence is out of context. So I am sure he did not mean to deny Christ or the Sacraments of the Church.
me, actually what I mean is that no one can do self-sacrificial love very well and it ends up becoming selfish and ego-based and then you have to dig deeper.
But also, it’s annoying when you have people who are so self-sacrificial that they won’t pick a restaurant even after you have asked them 10 times and you end up making the sacrifice of picking the restaurant and it isn’t really that they are sacrificial-it is that they are narcissists who have to one up everyone.
Or the sacrifice is not really out of love but guilt or trying to get heaven because according to your bishop, it is the only way to get there.
Me, you “strain at gnats and swallow camels.” It is very clear by his past behavior and words that Cardinal Hollerich has no problem with two people of the same sex “uniting, marrying, whatever you want to call it” It is also clear by Archbishop Cordileone’s past words and works that he is not okay with it. If one wants to give “blessings” to such couples as couples and not just individually, one is giving approval to their unions, no if’s, and’s or but’s about it. We are called to be self-sacrificing love as Our Lord is.
Regarding my last post: And often being self-sacrificing means giving up the person or persons with whom one is seriously sinning.
By the way, marriage IS a sacrament, so Archbishop Cordileone could not possibly be excluding the sacraments as a means to follow Christ as some have implied.
Anne TE, there is no where that Cardinal Hollerich has supported two people of the same sex “uniting, marrying,” Even one of his online enemies, LifeSiteNews, has said that he does not want to change doctrine. It does not matter how many times he tries to clear up the misunderstanding, there are some outfits that keep up that lie.
And this has nothing to do with gay marriage. The point is that it is not so much what they say as what the internet says. A Catholic paper having a headline Only Way to Heaven and the only way to Heaven is not our Lord Jesus Christ is outrageous.
It is not the headline on the original story.
This website likes to stir it up.
The story is from the Catholic paper and it is short and the sentence is taken out of context so I am sure that Archbishop Cordileone was not trying to cause controversy.
And yes, you do have to give up sinners unless you are evangelizing and even family and non-sinners to follow Christ. And thank you for that reminder. Luke 14:26
I am sure that the bishop was not trying to endorse pathology and personality disorders.
The statement is not true.
We get to Heaven by doing the will of the Father, which includes believing in His Son, accepting Baptism, frequenting the Sacraments, treating people kindly, and accepting patiently our daily hardships. Self-sacrifice is necessary. Self-denial is necessary. Love is necessary.
I’d give you more than one thumbs up if I could.
Well said.
Self sacrificing love and avoidance of sin are the the outward results of salvation that comes through the cross, not through our works, which are a sign of salvation already won. The Gospel reading for today, the 31st Thursday in Ordinary Time, is the parable of the lost sheep, which makes it clear that it is the lost sheep returned to the fold that brings God more joy than the 99 others. That’s not to say of course he wants 100 lost sheep, but it is the finding and bringing back that brings joy to the Good Shepherd. So many people think Churches exist only for the 99. They exist just as much for the lost, the sick, those who have missed the mark, those who have gone astray, those who are poor. That is why you need fellow Catholics to sit next to you, even if they are smelly and wounded and sometimes inappropriately dressed or brought the wrong person with them to Mass.
This comment is to the poster who goes by the name of “me.” You claimed “If self-sacrificing love is the only way to Heaven, then no one gets in,” to which I responded that the direct implication of your claim is that God’s grace therefore does not touch the human soul. You may not have been aware that your words implied that, but in fact they do. The effect of Divine grace on the soul is nothing less than self-sacrificing love, in imitation of Jesus love for us. So if no one gets in to heaven on that basis, it can only be that Divine Love is not communicated to the soul. The point should also be made that you somehow divined that I admitted that salvation is by works. Of course I said no such thing, nor can my words be construed as saying such. It is the great apostle Paul who settled the matter in Ga. 5:6.
Dan, I don’t want to do this straw man stuff. God bless you, Have a good weekend.