Two Mists

Christmas Day (25 Dec 2020) Is 52. 7-10; Ps 98; Hb 1: 1-6; Jn 1. 1-18

Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J.

Two Mists

A venerable Jesuit observed that “gospel words, are in their effect upon us, like window panes that have become misted over.”¹ Words in John’s Gospel expressing the Incarnation  can leave a heavy mist. Permit me to spray 3 spritzes of homiletic Windex to remove the mist: 

• why we are here;
• we are a new creation; and
• the daily gift we offer.

Poll each of us, and we would hear various responses to why we are here. One thing that Christmas conjures fuels its celebrations: emotion. Aromas, sights, sounds, rituals, the very thought of Christmas stir us. I used to discount emotions in years gone by because I mistrusted them. Many helped me trust and accept emotions. Through emotions God communicates to us that we are alive, that God creates us each moment. 

Like Christmas worship of God is emotion-rich. Christmas memories stir people to reach beyond themselves—in memory and in acton. St. Augustine was eloquent about memory, emotion and reaching beyond with love. About revering martyrs at their shrines and graves, he preached, “the memories that cling to those…altars [and places] where these holy bodies rest will stir our emotions and encourage us to greater love both for the martyrs whom we can imitate and for God whose grace enables us to do so.”²

By graciously empowering us to reach beyond ourselves God makes us a new creation. That phrase opened mass in mid-Advent: God…through your Only-Begotten Son [you] have made us a new creation.³ How? By being born in time and our human nature. “This wonderful blending”⁴ of divine and human John’s gospel assured us empowers [us] to become children of God. “Jesus Christ was born for this!”⁵ we sing. On the birthday of Christ Jesus in time and our human nature we recall God’s daily gift to us: God’s gift of becoming children of God.

God’s transforming gift is for every day. God gives it to us to share with others. No share in God’s healing life is given to keep. What can we offer? With his finger on the pulse of human living Pope Francis suggests kindness is the best daily gift we offer. In his recent encyclical Francis urges us to recover kindness. “Those who [cultivate kindness] become stars shining in the midst of darkness.” Christian kindness outshines good manners. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit for us. Practicing kindness “involves ‘speaking words of comfort, strength, consolation and encouragement’ and not ‘words that demean, sadden, anger or show scorn.’” Indeed, acting kindly “opens new paths where hostility and conflict would burn all bridges.”⁶

This year has been painfully dark:: dark for all. Others feel it more intensely: survivors of Covid19; exhausted health-care workers the world over; the heroic people who allow us to carry on living day to day; those who survive loved ones, friends and colleagues who have died. They prove that the darkness of pain and exhaustion are unable to overwhelm kindness.

By offering kindness as our daily practice we help kindness become a culture. Francis reminds us a culture is a network of a people’s “desires, their interests and ultimately the way they live their lives.”⁷ In addition to easing others’ burdens giving kindness daily “transforms lifestyles, relationships and the ways ideas are discussed and compared.”⁸ The eyes of those who receive kindness may mist with tears; that mist does not obscure vision; it helps individuals see themselves more clearly: possessing dignity; enjoying respect; and living as a new creation. Resolving to offer kindness more readily imitates God’s kindness to us; it is the timely gift our world sorely needs; and each of us is empowered to offer it everyday. Merry Christmas! 

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1. Karl Rahner, “Christmas, the Festival of Eternal Youth,” Theological Investigations, vol. VII, (NY: Herder and Herder), p. 121.
2. From his Treatise Against Faustus used in the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours.
3. Third Week, Tuesday, Collect, Roman Missal.
4. Leo the Great, Letter 31.2, also in the Office of Readings.
5. 2^nd verse of “Good Christians All Rejoice,” Lyrics, John Mason Neale (1818-1866).
6. Fratelli Tutti, ##222-224.
7. Fratelli Tutti, ##216.
8. Fratelli Tutti, ##222.

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Wiki-images by Asurnipal Simple Christmas crib in a hollow tree in Frastanz, Vorarlberg, Austria & Detail of same CC BY-SA 4.0.

Colourful Review

The final days before Christmas the Church prays with various scriptural titles for the Messiah. Sister of St. Joseph Ansgar Holmberg colourfully reimagined them. “I decided to paint them for myself, for me to understand them better.”

The ‘O Antiphons,’ Reimagined https://t.co/MEmwOKTXMj

— America Magazine (@americamag) December 22, 2020

Vaccination and the Common Good

"Getting a vaccine, the note [from the Vatican Congregation of the Faith] added, is also a question of promoting the common good.” The note clarifies conflicting reports from some quarters that getting the Covid-19 vaccines may be immoral.

Vatican endorses Covid vaccines: Covid-19 vaccines that use the cells of aborted foetuses are 'morally acceptable' according to the Vatican’s doctrine office. @ctrlamb reports

https://t.co/4dfPaZXoeJ

— The Tablet (@The_Tablet) December 21, 2020

Bright Event

Hey everyone, are you seeing this? It's in the sky and @GoogleDoodles! (And we look pretty cute in it!) @NASAMoon, can you tell what we're seeing? pic.twitter.com/i5PWegwSRm

— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) December 21, 2020

Advent Opens Door

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dvent closes this week. Praying in Advent opens Christians to be more alert and sensitive. The global Jesuit site offers an aid to pray with the Universal Apostolic Preferences during Advent. The UAPs animate all Ignatian ministries. Colleagues of Jesuits and practitioners of Ignatian spirituality benefit from the reflection as much as Jesuits as do.

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Wiki-image AdventCandles.jpg by “Jonathunder | CC BY-SA 3.0"

“Healing of the Earth”

On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe the Catholic Church in Canada observes a National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. This year's focus is “Healing of the Earth.”  

A message for the occasion highlights: humans form a single family dwelling on Earth; ecological conversion frees people to care more for Earth; and indigenous citizens teach attitudes and ways of Earth care. The Vatican News post links to the message.

This year's Canadian National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples focuses on the theme “Healing of the Earth”.https://t.co/xgPkPtOa6Z

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) December 11, 2020

Year of St. Joseph

St. Joseph was proclaimed Patron of the Catholic Church on 8 December 1870. To mark its 150^th anniversary Pope Francis proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph to extend until 8 December 2021. Vatican News posted about the Year; the post includes a link to the letter of Francis.

#PopeFrancis proclaims a “Year of Saint Joseph” running from today to 8 December 2021.https://t.co/5fJb8NNmwz

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) December 8, 2020

Letting Go

The pandemic has removed things and activities from daily life. Clinging to them prevents choosing wisely to remain healthy. Clinging also denies opportunities to grow, even to notice God’s invitations to more life.

Jesuit Brother Joe Hoover suggested that “when we are asked to do a simple thing that makes sense, like letting things go during a ferocious pandemic, it might be God is preparing us to receive something profound in return.”

Sometimes it is just that simple. Christ often comes in what is common, clothed in what makes sense; in wisdom trite, cliched and earth-shattering. https://t.co/kt3RZiHwCb

— America Magazine (@americamag) December 9, 2020

Pope's Intention for December

 

Behind the Encyclical

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ssistant producer of audio and video at AmericaMedia Colleen Dulle interviewed Austen Ivereigh about Pope Francis’ latest and very personal book. The book personalizes his most recent encyclical. As pope Francis may not have had time to bring to light his “personal Covids." A video excerpt of her "Inside the Vatican" podcast follows.

Justice Poetry

P ope Francis encouraged judges of Africa and South America that their decisions are poetry for people and for the world.

No Instant Fix But a Great Help

Vaccines for Covid-19 are on the horizon. Yet vaccines will not fix instantly the pandemic. Replies to three questions posed in this short article can help one appreciate that human effort remains key. Human cooperation with a vaccine  will move the world beyond the pandemic.

“We need to restore faith and confidence in our scientists, institutions, and science itself, so that we can minimize vaccine hesitancy and have a successful vaccination program.” https://t.co/T95CSLEC08

— Paul Panaretos (@PDPswim) November 15, 2020

Remembering the Fallen

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Wiki-image bouquet of poppie by “George Chernilevsky | PD-US"

Keeping Balanced

Consequential means stressful. Degrees of feeling stress vary by person. The U.S. Election stresses many even beyond that nation’s borders. Ignatian spirituality can help us regain balance during and after the election.

Stressed? Despairing? Freaking out? Here are some Jesuit tools to help you get through the election and its aftermath. https://t.co/1QoZS6Iedq

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) November 2, 2020

Overcoming Inadequacy

A traveler’s dictionary is a necessity for many—as necessary as a guidebook. “Jesuit theologian, Josep Giménez [provides a dual purpose guide as he] discusses concepts of heaven, hell and purgatory.” All three converge very strongly on All Souls Day.

The ‘Last Things’: Heaven, Hell and Purgatory: https://t.co/gCiXg6bGq7 #AllSoulsDay

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) November 2, 2020

The Rest of All

All Saints Day functions for living Christians in various ways. Patron saints come to mind, even though they have their days during the year. Exemplars and models of hope-filled living also glow in the solemnity. Yet no human knows all the saints, a reason that the snippet from the Book of Revelation read at mass is appropriate: during his vision of the heavenly worship the Seer heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and their number was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands [5.11].

The festival of the saints not only spurs on Christians to share in glory. Its more valuable function prepares Christians to endure the cost to reach it. Preparing Christians is a reason relics have been prominent from the beginning. In an archived post at ThinkingFaith Jan Graffius traces the relics of a Roman martyr connected regions of Italy, England, northwestern France and the capital of the United States.

Jan Graffius explains how the physicality of Christian faith contributed to the value placed on relics, and describes how one saint’s relics help us to think about Christian witness. https://t.co/1Nce3GmYqK #AllSaintsDay

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) November 1, 2020

How & Where

Fine journalism has responded to Spain's intense suffering in the pandemic. An article in El Païs considered both transmission and prevention in living rooms, bars & schools. Its graphics are very helpful, and embedded links pepper the article.

A Moral Imperative for Today

In a 12-minute TED Countdown Talk Pope Francis offered 3 actions steps to address climate change. He sounded notes from his encyclicals Laudato Si! and Fratelli Tutti.

This second address in this venue by the Pope was part of the of the TED Countdown Global Launch. The website hosting the video described it as “a visionary TED Talk from Vatican City.”

Triptych on Relationships

Austin Ivereigh sees Fratelli Tutti calling us to restore our relationships with others. It completes Francis’ earlier restorative calls: with God—Evangellii Gaudium and with creation—Laudato Si! The video is 4 minutes.

“All Our Votes Are Compromised”

Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving today. Soon Canadians will also go to the polls. In democracies voting is a cherished right never to be wasted. Voting is fraught with compromise, a “blunt instrument,” to use the metaphor of theologian Brett Salkeld: it neither converts candidates nor baptizes issues. Yet many are tempted to think otherwise. Mr. Salkeld:

We do not like to think that the ways our vote exemplified Catholic teaching might not have been perfectly efficacious in manifesting Gospel values in the law of the land, and so we are tempted (and the parties are there to goad us on) to imagine a straight line between our vote and the achievement of the goods we seek, even though politics is much messier than that.

Mr. Salkeld’s essay is well worth reading: its clarity balances its length. A gentle and alert reading rewards with an accurate knowledge and better understanding of Catholic reasoning about the civic right and responsibility of voting.

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Image “Arnaud Jaegers | Unsplash " 

21st-Century Renaissance

Pope Francis’ most recent encyclical takes stock of human relationships in the world. He invites a renaissance in human relationships ([8], [35]), “a new style of life.” Two overviews help reading the encyclical.

• Panelists at an event hosted by Georgetown University noted key elements
• “Inside the Vatican” host Colleen Dulle offered 5 takeaways from it

Leading from Faith With Passion

News often is bleak. Political life in several places is more polarized. One result is that people, whom governments ought to serve, are not helped. David Clegg’s story is encouraging; it also demonstrates how elected officials can serve both individuals and the common good.

A recently elected D.A. with a passion for #restorativejustice: Meet David Clegg '11 Div. https://t.co/f7zrKRYPM2 pic.twitter.com/gcBQNKY0eB

— Yale Divinity School (@YaleDivSchool) August 26, 2020

Faithful Civic Engagement

The Society of Jesus in Canada and the U.S. released a  document to help practitioners of Ignatian spirituality engage their ”shared political life” at local, state, provincial and federal levels. In his introductory letter to the document Fr. Kesicki noted that “‘Contemplation and Political Action’ is not a voter guide.… Instead, it applies our tradition of Ignatian spirituality to our shared political life.”

"Contemplation and Political Action: An Ignatian Guide to Civic Engagement" shows us how we can live our faith through political action: https://t.co/OxBYLSjhD8 pic.twitter.com/cNiXLOseES

— Fr. Tim Kesicki, SJ (@FrTimSJ) September 16, 2020

Not Ordinary Times

Voting is a measured action, a deliberative one. “Yet while the right choice is not obvious, neither is it unknowable”: from an editorial in America Magazine this week.

The editors of America: Donald Trump is a unique threat to the Constitution

1/https://t.co/1ke7tuOhKG

— America Magazine (@americamag) September 16, 2020

Bouncing Between Zoom Classes

Youngsters have shorter attention spans. That makes learning challenging, and remote learning more challenging. Nat Geo posted that the “right ‘sensory diet’ might help kids focus at home.” 

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Wiki-image Yellow Column by “Arntor | CC BY-SA 4.0"

"Two Key Words of Integral Ecology"

Pope Francis received a delegation of Laudato Si! Communities. He reflected on “contemplation and compassion” in his address. Jack Wolf tweeted the Vatican News post that offered context for Francis’ address and a summary. 

Pope: contemplation, compassion indispensable for integral ecology - Vatican News https://t.co/hAsjXYZddF via @GoogleNews

— JACK WOLF (@JackWolf57) September 13, 2020

First Letter to Corinthians at Weekday Masses

To help appreciate St. Paul’s letter Thinking Faith delved into its archives and posted Jesuit Nicholas King’s consideration of it. He described Paul’s opening thanksgiving as “something of an unexploded bomb.” The beginnings of Paul's letters contain crucial elements that on which he elaborated.

What do we learn in today's first reading about Paul's solution to the problem of Christian disunity? https://t.co/7xbJq71HwW

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) September 2, 2020

Healing Catecheses Continue

Pope Francis continued his series of catecheses at the General Audience today. “To Heal the World” is the name of the series the Pope offers in the face of the pandemic. Today Francis highlighted solidarity and faith.

Vatican News summarized the catechesis.

Message of Pope Francis for World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation

Francis infused joy in his annual message. He called for joyful solidarity in the care of creation.

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Unsplash-image Looking Up by “Casey Horner”

“Preparing the Future That We Need”

At his 05August General Audience Pope Francis began a catechesis-series entitled “To heal the world”: ”In the next few weeks, I invite you to tackle together the pressing questions that the pandemic has brought to the fore, social ills above all. And we will do it in the light of the Gospel, of the theological virtues and of the principles of the Church’s social doctrine.” 

Catholic News Service has posted about the pope’s series.

In light of #COVID19 #Pandemic Pope Francis will begin new series of audience talks on social doctrine https://t.co/Sq8ExtOReD via @CatholicCourier pic.twitter.com/3hqXtynEgl

— Catholic News Service (@CatholicNewsSvc) August 5, 2020

Today’s Jesuit Saint

Although the celebration of Sunday takes precedence on most feasts and memorials of saints, room for devotion to a day’s saint abides. In the opinion of St. Ignatius of Loyola St. Pierre Favre gave the Spiritual Exercises better than anyone. Edel McClean helps us appreciate Pierre’s personal qualities.

Edel McClean introduces today's #saint, an early #Jesuit who was admired by all who knew him but plagued by self-doubt: #PierreFavre. https://t.co/LNqpIlXmer

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) August 2, 2020

Insight into Sunday’s Gospel

P athways to God made available Jesuit Fr. Peter Gallagher’s homily. It offers fresh insight into the gospel of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. It is easy to feel with the disciples that we have little or nothing to offer others.

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Wiki-image Miracle of loaves and fishes by “James Tissot | PD-US"

Arson Against Nicaraguan Catholics

Pope Francis expressed his closeness to and prayers for the Catholics following the burning of the crucifix in the cathedral of the capital city.

#PopeFrancis expresses his closeness to Catholics in #Nicaragua, following an arson attack that destroyed a crucifix in Managua’s cathedral.https://t.co/reUo2NT5q0

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) August 2, 2020

Human Trafficking

Thursday was World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Pope Francis called it a “scourge” wounding the weakest. Cardinal Michael Czerny noted “that women religious ‘around the world have discovered, invented, developed the ministry to victims of human trafficking.’ Today they are also involved in prevention, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and raising awareness, he said, which shows that ‘their ministry is more developed than at the beginning.’”

Daughters of St. Paul Sr. Bernadette Mary Reis filed her report at Vatican News. It includes an audio interview.

Cardinal Michael Czerny shares how the Church’s first responders to victims have developed their ministry over the years. #EndHumanTrafficking https://t.co/kptGbFLEAF

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 30, 2020

Once at the Margins

Today’s Feast of St. James recalls once more that Jesus chose fishermen as he began to form a network around him. Modern folk, unlike Jesus’ contemporaries, may not wonder that he did. Rachel Lu wonders and asked, Why? One of her phrases, “lives at the margins,” caused an additional wondering: Do not Christians discover their true identity “at the margins?”

Why did Christ choose a fisherman? https://t.co/3EAyY6MBiK

— America Magazine (@americamag) July 25, 2020

Now Seen

The undersea discovery of an ancient vessel confirms what up to now was only seen on pottery.

A 2,400-year-old merchant ship has been found on the bottom of the Black Sea pic.twitter.com/XcKXx70Iwz

— Mashable (@mashable) July 25, 2020

Racial Justice Initiative

The dean of Boston College Law School and president-elect of the Association of American Law Schools explained that the “the Forum on Racial Justice in America...will be a transformative process for the university and will launch a rethinking of how we understand our role in higher education, in the greater Boston community, in the nation and in the world.”

Pleased to welcome Dean Vincent Rougeau of @BCLAW back to the pages of @americamag to talk about this important new initiative. @BostonCollege @jesuitcolleges @jesuitnews https://t.co/wYX4dP1XtO

— Matt Malone, S.J. (@Americaeditor) July 17, 2020

Turning at a River

The midpoint of the month-long celebration of St. Ignatius of Loyola has passed. Daily reflections up to now and all July are available at the link in the sidebar (“31 Days with Saint Ignatius’). Today focuses on the revelation Ignatius received near the Cardoner River in Manresa.

What exactly is the Cardoner Vision? In today's #31DayswithIgnatius blog post, we will explore what it is and what it means for all of us. https://t.co/7zLDNc0XAs

— Loyola Press (@loyolapress) July 19, 2020

Appeal More than Reflection

Dismissing the crowds, [Jesus] went into the house: easy to miss phrases in the gospel selection remind that Matthew allowed Jesus’ original parable to speak to his hearers, his faith community. Contemporary hearers may consider how the parable of wheat and tares (a weed that resembles wheat in its early stages of growth) illuminates and encourages them.

Jaime L. Waters considers how this parable shapes those who welcome it to work for justice.

How the parable of the weeds compels us to fight for justice https://t.co/dPNPO14nBQ

— America Magazine (@americamag) July 19, 2020

In Memoriam

John Lewis (U.S. Congress) has died. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2019. He had been the last living member of the civil rights activists who had the most significant effect on the movement.

John Lewis, lion of civil rights and Congress, dies at 80 https://t.co/hJZuYOWnuW

— America Magazine (@americamag) July 18, 2020

Not Well Known

A line in Julian’s Showings is better known than the fact that “spent 15 years and more isolated in her cell, immersed in a deep, faithful struggle to comprehend the divine meaning of these words.” God’s promises are sure even though humans cannot reckon God’s timing of the promises.

Julian of Norwich believed ‘All will be well.’ Would she say so today? | America Magazine https://t.co/qevdvKi2ax

— John Mpuuga (@JohnMpuuga2) June 29, 2020

Step by Step

On 16 July Vatican News reported that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) published step-by-step procedures for handling cases of abuse of minors.

The  Congregation Secretary detailed the manual to Andrea Tornielli of Vatican News.

The Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explains how a new Vademecum will help Church leaders pursue the path of truth and justice in cases of abuse of minors.https://t.co/apLBeLzjsu

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 16, 2020

Another Resource

The Jesuits of Britain have been using Zoom to help people meditate. Included with the scheduled one is a link to past meditations.

Whether you are new to Ignatian meditation or a past-master ,come and join us online every Wednesday at 8pm for IMAGINE.

Watch previous sessions on the IMAGINE YouTube channel : https://t.co/y6cvyKjagU

Sign up to our Imagine mailing list:https://t.co/2zlksBiq2p pic.twitter.com/WV4r0X6kH1

— Jesuits in Britain (@JesuitsBritain) July 14, 2020

Thinking 'Chrisitan' = Thinking Differently

Thinking the same way as other social groupings does no think with the mind of Jesus. Radical individualism modern, Western people take for granted did not exist in the time of Jesus; it did not exist when the scriptures written about him and homilies proclaimed him and his risen life.

Helen Orchard contrasted “St Ignatius Loyola’s approach in the Spiritual Exercises with that of modern spiritualities that can mask a self-indulgent individualism. …while the Spiritual Exercises begins with the human person, he or she does not exist in isolation as the centre of a universe around which all else revolves.”

‘Thy will be done’ or ‘follow your bliss’? https://t.co/j8uXmbiumE #spirituality #AMDG

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) July 13, 2020

Point of Care

This ship’s “crew is now committed to raising awareness and providing information to the local populations and offers on-the-spot first-stage outpatient treatment.”



The “Pope Francis Hospital Ship” brings medical equipment and assistance to #coronavirus-hit communities along the Amazon River in #Brazil. https://t.co/CHHvGWRTVD
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 13, 2020

Jesuit and Others Recognized Venerable

" The recognition of Kino’s heroic virtue was made Saturday morning in Rome, when Pope Francis advanced the causes of five possible candidates for sainthood.”

Pope Francis yesterday recognized the heroic virtue of the life of 17th century Italian #Jesuit Eusebio Kino, a missionary who evangelized and mapped much of what is now northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. https://t.co/aJXexnhRys pic.twitter.com/5NSi8ELuUi

— Jesuit News (@jesuitnews) July 12, 2020

Sabbath Gift to Humans

" It is in Sabbath that we learn to rest and wrest ourselves from the anxieties of achievement, of making and doing, that clamor inside and out.”

So it is that the #Sabbath, if practiced well, is no refuge from our everyday lives, but a reorientation that should come to permeate them. https://t.co/VB1s7U0fV9

— Franciscan Media (@FranciscanMedia) July 12, 2020

Arranging the Pieces of Annexation

Israel has occupied the West Bank for decades. But now PM Benjamin Netanyahu wants to take even more control through annexation.

How will that change things for Palestinians? And what does the US presidential election have to do with it?#AJStartHere puts the pieces together 👇 pic.twitter.com/PVoxMtxpyd

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 12, 2020

Pope Francis' Sadness

Pope Francis at the Sunday Angelus: “And the sea carries me a little farther away in my thoughts: to Istanbul. I think of Hagia Sophia, and I am very saddened.” For the Vatican transcription of the pope’s remarks at the Sunday Angelus.“

#PopeFrancis says he thinks about #HagiaSophia and is "very saddened". The ancient Christian Basilica in Istanbul was recently transformed into a mosque.https://t.co/qfHGPUL9LK

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 12, 2020

Perfection or Fruitfulness?

From the Thinking Faith archives spiritual director Christopher Chapman offered a way into Sunday’s gospel selection. His conviction remains current: “Old or young, God will dare us once more to emerge into being. The Spirit will lead us beyond ourselves in fruitful generosity.”

In tomorrow's #gospel, the sower who scatters seed amidst rocks, birds and thorns is not being wasteful: this is how the field is. But the sower also knows there are pockets of good soil and so is liberal in the sowing. https://t.co/nb9u4BmL1I #gospel

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) July 11, 2020

Focus: 18-35

For the Sunday Mass via Zoom on 12 July.

Are we still harvesting hope amid Covid19 ?
Longing for some quality preaching during the lockdown? Join the Young Adults ‘zoom-in’ tomorrow evening at 7pm.

Contact: yam@jesuit.org.uk or WA: +44 7989173069 for the Zoom link. pic.twitter.com/2sSEZapLOB

— Thinking Faith (@ThinkingFaith) July 11, 2020