Pope Pius XI on priests and truth
Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
In his powerful encyclical letter (click on this post's title) Mit Brennender Sorge ("With burning sorrow"; literally, "With deep anxiety"), issued on Passion Sunday, March 14, 1937, Pope Pius XI wrote these words to the priests of the Nazi-persecuted Church in Germany:
"The priest's first loving gift to his neighbors is to serve truth and refute error in any of its forms. Failure on this score would be not only a betrayal of God and your vocation, but also an offense against the real welfare of your people and country. To all those who have kept their promised fidelity to their Bishops on the day of their ordination; to all those who in the exercise of their priestly function are called upon to suffer persecution; to all those imprisoned in jail and concentration camps, the Father of the Christian world sends his words of gratitude and commendation." (par. 36)
On this Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, what gift can we give Him to gladden His Heart?
How about this? Let us pray for each and every priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Orange -- for all their needs and for every grace and blessing. And let our prayer for our priests ask that they will always give the gift of truth to their neighbors. Let us pray that first and foremost they will always put into practice Jesus' command:
"...go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world."
In his powerful encyclical letter (click on this post's title) Mit Brennender Sorge ("With burning sorrow"; literally, "With deep anxiety"), issued on Passion Sunday, March 14, 1937, Pope Pius XI wrote these words to the priests of the Nazi-persecuted Church in Germany:
"The priest's first loving gift to his neighbors is to serve truth and refute error in any of its forms. Failure on this score would be not only a betrayal of God and your vocation, but also an offense against the real welfare of your people and country. To all those who have kept their promised fidelity to their Bishops on the day of their ordination; to all those who in the exercise of their priestly function are called upon to suffer persecution; to all those imprisoned in jail and concentration camps, the Father of the Christian world sends his words of gratitude and commendation." (par. 36)
On this Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, what gift can we give Him to gladden His Heart?
How about this? Let us pray for each and every priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Orange -- for all their needs and for every grace and blessing. And let our prayer for our priests ask that they will always give the gift of truth to their neighbors. Let us pray that first and foremost they will always put into practice Jesus' command:
"...go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you. And know that I am with you always, until the end of the world."
posted by Quintero at 5:12 PM
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