Friday, July 20, 2018

Pope Francis reminds us of our call to be missionary disciples

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/distinctly-catholic/pope-francis-reminds-us-our-call-be-missionary-disciples
MGB:  This pope has become the world's parish priest, proclaiming the Gospel as written and as scheduled throughout the year. He adds to it the priesthood of the baptized, but he includes himself in that. He is adding nothing to the words of Christ and encourages us to do the same.  If only other propes had gone down that road. The kingdom of God is now, for Christ is still here. It is not a coming event we are waiting for (as Paul misunderstood  it).

We need no other training or tools for this mission. By implication, neither do our official witnesses to the Resurrection - the bishops, who took over for the original disciples, who looked more like the 72 than the current hierarchy.  There is no "them" in the Church, only us. Woe to the bishops who act differently. The good news of the Cross is not what the bishops teach. It is not that Jesus substituted himself for us before the wrath of God, but that he experienced the emptiness of humanity on that Cross, so that we can join with him in the Communion of the Faithful in sharing his blood.

This Gospel is given life by the Jesuits, who send the seminarians out on a bus trip with nothing, expecting them to return as the 72 returned. Francis once made the trip. How many of us could? He has adopted the simple life, which is a challenge indeed.




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