A. What is it?

>> “Deus Caritas Est” is an Encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI released on Jan 25, 2006 (Feast Day of St Paul).

>> The title “Deus Caritas Est” means “God is Love”. It is sub-titled “De Christiano Amore” (Of Christian Love)

>> The title is derived from the First Letter of St John: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (I Jn 4:16).

B. What does it speak of?

>> The Encyclical can be seen as a progression with two major portions:

I. The first part presents a theological and philosophical reflection on the different dimensions of “love” – expressed in the Greek words for love: Eros, Philia, Agape. It explains some essential facts concerning God’s Love and the intrinsic connection of this Love with human love.

II. The second part speaks of the charitable activities of the Church as an expression of Love which draws its power from contemplative union with God. It also refers to the Church’s threefold responsibility: (1) Proclaiming the Word of GOD (Kerygma-Martyria) (2) Celebrating the Sacraments (Leitourgia) (3) Exercising the Ministry of Charity (Diakonia).

C. Pointers for Reflections

1. The deep meaning of “Love” is called to be reflected up

>> The term “Love”, one of the most used and abused words in today’s world.

>> Sometimes the term “Eros” is completely rejected as being negative, in favour of “Agape”

>>The Encyclical, however, says that “Eros” – Ascending Love – and “Agape” – Descending Love – can never be separated. The more the two find the correct equilibrium in their different dimensions, the more the true nature of love is realized.

>> Even if “Eros” is at first mainly desire, in drawing near to the other person it becomes less and less concerned with itself, increasingly seeks the happiness of the other, bestows itself and wants to “be there for” the other. It is then that the element of “Agape” enters into this love.

>> In Jesus Christ, the “Eros-Agape” reaches its most radical form and this is today to be experienced in the Holy Eucharist

>> If one wishes to give love, they must also be able to receive love. Yet to become such a source, one must constantly drink anew from the original source – Which is Jesus Christ – from whose pierced heart flows the love of God..

2. The Church must display the Love of God through charitable works

>> The Church is called to proclaim the Word of God, celebrate the Sacraments, and practice the Ministry of Charity – all of which are equally important.

>> For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity… but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.”

D. What virtues/points can we pick up from “Deus Caritas Est” for this Season of Lent?

1. Deepen the conviction of one of the most fundamental truth of our life: God is Love and This Love is lavished upon us, at ALL times and in ALL situations of our life

2. All our actions – big or small, duties or volunteering – all should be done “with love and for love”

E. Tips to practice these virtues

1. Contemplating more on the powerful aspect that “God is Love and He Loves me just as I am”, so as to do away with a “fearful/punishing” image of God that we have often created in our lives.

2. In all the works that we do, consciously offer it to the Lord and say a simple prayer like: “Lord, I do this action for you, with Love. Let all glory be to you!”

May this Lent and the familiarity with the Encyclical “Deus Caritas Est” help us to grow in our acclamation: “Eureka – I have found the Lord”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A. What is it?

>> “Evangelii Gaudium” is an Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis in the year 2013

>> The name “Evangelii Gaudium” stands for “Joy of the Gospel” – the principal theme being the “need for a joyful proclamation of the Gospel to the entire world.”

>> This Exhortation was written in response to the Bishops Synod held in March 2013, with a focus on “New Evangelization”

B. What does it speak of?

>> The Exhortation is divided into 5 major chapters:

i. The Church’s Missionary Transformation: It calls for renewal and rethinking the way every person and every institution – from the Pope and the Roman Curia down to the parish and its parishioners – live their faith.

ii. Amid the Crisis of Communal Commitment: Some challenges of today’s world are discussed: economic matters, modern culture, new religious movements and moral relativism. It also presents two errors commonly faced by Christians: (a) the “attraction of Gnosticism” – a faith, whose only interest is a certain set of ideas and bits of information (b) “self-absorbed promethean neo-pelagianism” – a feeling of being superior to others, with ‘a narcissistic and authoritarian elitism’, because they observe certain rules.

iii. The Proclamation of the Gospel: Christian life is to be based on knowing and experiencing God’s love, mercy and salvation offered to all through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The document also presents a long section about the importance of homilies at Holy Mass – an opportunity, given for priests, each week, to encourage Catholics to live the faith.

iv. The Social Dimension of Evangelization: “Evangelii Gaudium” says that the heart of the Christian moral message is love for one another, which must motivate Christians to share the Gospel, help the poor and work for social justice.

v. Spirit-filled Evangelizers: Spirit-filled Evangelizers are those who are “fearlessly open to the working of the Holy Spirit” and who have “the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel with boldness – in every time and place – even when it meets with opposition”. The Exhortation presents Mother Mary as the model of faith and fidelity, and also as a strong Woman and Mother who shared many of the joys and sorrows facing people today and, therefore, understands the challenges they face.

C. Pointers for Reflections

1. A call is given for establishing and renewing a personal encounter with the Lord

>> Many times as “Cradle Catholics” we fail to nurture a “Personal Relationship” with the Lord. Our faith remains stuck to old-practices that we have been doing “from childhood”.

>> A personal relationship with God alone can help us to live in Joy and Peace

2. All Christians are called to be actively participating in Evangelization

>> The one who has experienced the Love of God, cannot but preach and evangelize. “A true missionary, who never ceases to be a disciple, knows that Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. Mother Mary is the Model Missionary “Who draws near to us and accompanies us throughout life, opening our hearts to faith by Her Maternal Love.

D. What virtues/points can we pick up from the “Evangelii Gaudium” for this Season of Lent?

1. The Virtue of Joy in our day-to-day Christian Living, by building a “Personal Relationship with God”

2. Willingness to be open to the Holy Spirit at all times like Mother Mary, and being a Missionary Disciple in any situation of our life

E. Tips to practice these virtues

1. Cultivating the spirit of “praise and thanks” in every situation – not only joyful – but also in depressing and threatening moments of life.

2. Seeking the help of Blessed Mother Mary and imitating her by “treasuring the Word of God in the heart” and thus bearing fruit.

May this Lent and the familiarity with “Evangelii Gaudium” help us to grow in our acclamation: “Eureka – I have found the Lord”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A. What is it?

>> Humanae vitae is an encyclical issued by Pope Paul VI on July 25, 1968 (We are nearing the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of this Encyclical)

>> “Humanae Vitae” means “Of Human Life”

>> The Encyclical is subtitled as “Regulation of Birth”

>> In the wake of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, Humanae Vitae was presented to the world, and today it is considered as a “Prophetic Literature”.

>> This is especially in the light of how, over the next decades, there has been an increase in the sexualization of culture, increased legalized abortion, the growing tensions in marital relations, and thus has led to deep wounds to the concept of family life.

>> The Encyclical clearly affirms that the Church “does not… evade the duty imposed on her of proclaiming humbly but firmly the entire moral law, both natural and evangelical.” And so, like Christ, the Church “is destined to be a ‘sign of contradiction.'”

B. What does it speak of?

>> Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae re-affirmed the Church’s prohibition of artificial contraception, gave the approval on natural family-planning (NFP) methods, and upheld the Church’s teaching on conjugal love and responsible parenthood.

>> Drawing from Sacred Scripture and Holy Tradition, the Encyclical exhorts how God Himself has designed the nature of married love – it is “total, faithful and exclusive”. The marriage act has both unitive and procreative aspects- which cannot be separated (Thus, artificial contraception is immoral).

>> Every marriage act is a participation in the Divine Act of “giving life”. Hence, it belongs in the context of committed love (sealed by marriage) and openness to life.

>> The Encyclical very powerfully demonstrates that Human life came from God, belongs to God, and goes back to God (“You are not your own” – 1 Cor 6:19). This is in direct opposition to the modern-day dictum: “This is my life, my body, my choice!”

C. Pointers for Reflections

1. The Encyclical re-affirms the Church’s uncompromising stance with respect to morals and faith – upholding Sacred Scripture and Holy Tradition.

>> As a Christian, am I ready to be a “sign of contradiction” in standing for the Gospel Virtues, even if it means, facing isolation and rejection, unpopularity and being branded as “traditional and old-fashioned”?

2. Humanae Vitae stands in direct contradiction to the “easy and free” trends of looking at sex, marriage and family life.

>> Am I aware of the “Preciousness of my body” and how, all what I do with my body, ought to be “life-giving” and giving sole glory to God? Any contrary that I do, is a sin, and so I need to let go any “habits or tendencies” that is harmful to the body, which is “… a Temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 3:16),

D. What virtues/points can we pick up from the “Humanae Vitae” for this Season of Lent?

1. Become aware that Life belongs to God and that Love is Sacred

2. Growing in the conviction that I need to be uncompromising to the Teachings of the Church, despite the “comfortable trends” around us

E. Tips to practice these virtues

1. Pray to be faithful to the Virtue of Chastity and to always do actions that “promote and nurture life”

2. Read Articles 2331-2400 from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) to get a better understanding of the Church’s position on sexuality.

May this Lent and the familiarity with “Humanae Vitae” help us to grow in our acclamation: “Eureka – I have found the Lord”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

A. What is it?

>> The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” (CCC) is a summary of the Doctrines of the Catholic Church.

>> It was promulgated by Pope St John Paul II in 1992.

>> In 1985, at a Synod (=assembly) of Bishops in Rome convened to celebrate the Twentieth Anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, a proposal to develop a Universal Catechism for the Catholic Church was accepted.

>> The outcome was the Catechism of the Catholic Church

>> There are 2865 articles in total in the CCC

B. What does it speak of?

>> The Catechism of the Catholic Church is arranged in four parts, also called as the “Four Pillars” of the Catechism:

1. The Creed (Profession of Faith)

2. The Sacraments (Celebration of the Christian Mystery in Sacred Liturgy)

3. The Commandments (Life in Christ in the Church)

4. The Prayers (with an emphasis on The Our Father)

>> The CCC conveys the essential and fundamental content of Catholic faith and morals in a summarized way.

C. Pointers for Reflections

1. Do I seek to grow in my clarity and conviction of “what I believe”?

2. Do I make efforts to love the Church and be proud of this precious treasure of Faith that is gifted to me?

D. What virtue/point can we pick up from the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” for this Season of Lent?

1. Renewing our Faith

>> The CCC is, in the words of Pope St John Paul II, a “sure norm for teaching the faith”

>> The Catechism is an excellent resource for us to “know and grow” in our faith

2. Affirming our love for the Church

>> The CCC is a “a valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion..”

>> The reading and studying of the Catechism is a sign of our love and loyalty to the Church – Who is our Mother, taking care of our Spiritual Life.

E. Tips to practice this virtue

1. Read articles in the ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’, in order to “know and grow” in our faith in this Lenten Season

2. Say a short prayer for the Church and her leaders, to grow in the zeal for the missions and revival of faith

May this Lent help us to grow in our acclamation: “Eureka – I have found the Lord”

God Bless! Live Jesus!