tvc.dsj.org | April 24, 2018
IN THE CHURCH
13
Selection Of Quotes From Pope’s Exhortation On Holiness
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Here is a
selection of quotations from Gaudete
et Exsultate (“Rejoice and Be Glad”),
Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation
on holiness:
“I like to contemplate the holi-
ness present in the patience of God’s
people: in those parents who raise
their children with immense love, in
those men and women who work hard
to support their families, in the sick,
in elderly religious who never lose
their smile.”
“Holiness is the most attractive face
of the church.”
“The important thing is that each
believer discern his or her own path,
that they bring out the very best of
themselves, the most personal gifts
that God has placed in their hearts,
rather than hopelessly trying to imi-
tate something not meant for them.”
“In times when women tended to be
most ignored or overlooked, the Holy
Spirit raised up saints whose attrac-
tiveness produced new spiritual vigor
and important reforms in the church.”
“We are frequently tempted to
think that holiness is only for those
who can withdraw from ordinary
affairs to spend much time in prayer.
That is not the case.”
“We are all called to be holy by liv-
ing our lives with love and by bearing
witness in everything we do, wherever
we find ourselves.”
“This holiness to which the Lord
calls you will grow through small
gestures.”
“Do not be afraid of holiness. It
will take away none of your energy,
vitality or joy.”
“Thanks be to God, throughout the
history of the church it has always
been clear that a person’s perfection
is measured not by the information
or knowledge they possess, but by the
depth of their charity.”
“Jesus explained with great sim-
plicity what it means to be holy when
he gave us the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12;
Lk 6:20-23).”
“Giving and forgiving means re-
producing in our lives some small
measure of God’s perfection, which
gives and forgives superabundantly.”
“We need to think of ourselves
as an army of the forgiven. All of us
have been looked upon with divine
compassion.”
“The saints are not odd and aloof,
unbearable because of their vanity,
negativity and bitterness. The Apos-
tles of Christ were not like that.”
“In this call to recognize him in
the poor and the suffering, we see
revealed the very heart of Christ, his
deepest feelings and choices, which
every saint seeks to imitate.”
“It is true that the primacy belongs
‘Seamless Garment’ Revisited:
Pope Insists All Life Deserves Defense
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When Pope Francis insisted
that the lives of the unborn and of the poor are “equally
sacred,” he was not trying to shift the focus of Catholics
from fighting abortion to fighting poverty, he was trying
to show they are part of the same battle, said Archbishop
Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for
Life.
The life of the unborn must be “promoted and defended
with great determination and given an effective priority,”
the archbishop told Catholic News Service April 17.
“At the same time,” he said, “we must keep in mind that
the dignity of every human being is equal and inviolable
at every stage throughout his or her life.”
In “Rejoice and Be Glad,” his apostolic exhortation on
holiness, Pope Francis wrote that living a Christian life
involves the defense of both the unborn and the poor, and
he criticized what he termed the “harmful ideological er-
ror” of thinking one’s own cause is the only important one.
“Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example,
needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the
dignity of a human life, which is always sacred,” Pope
Francis wrote. “Equally sacred, however, are the lives
of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the aban-
doned and the underprivileg ed, the vulnerable infirm
and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of
human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form
of rejection.”
Pope Francis greets the crowd during his
general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the
Vatican April 11. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
to our relationship with God, but we
cannot forget that the ultimate crite-
rion on which our lives will be judged
is what we have done for others.”
“The saints do not waste energy
complaining about the failings of oth-
ers; they can hold their tongue before
the faults of their brothers and sisters
and avoid the verbal violence that de-
means and mistreats others.”
“Christian joy is usually accompa-
nied by a sense of humor.”
“The saints surprise us, they con-
found us, because by their lives they
urge us to abandon a dull and dreary
mediocrity.”
“A community that cherishes the
little details of love, whose members
care for one another and create an
open and evangelizing environment,
is a place where the risen Lord is pres-
ent, sanctifying it in accordance with
the Father’s plan.”
“I do not believe in holiness with-
out prayer, even though that prayer
need not be lengthy or involve intense
emotions.”
“We should not think of the devil
as a myth, a representation, a symbol,
a figure of speech or an idea. This
mistake would lead us to let down
our guard, to grow careless and end
up more vulnerable.”
“The devil does not need to possess
us. He poisons us with the venom
of hatred, desolation, envy and vice.
When we let down our guard, he takes
advantage of it to destroy our lives, our
families and our communities.”
“Discernment is not about discov-
ering what more we can get out of
this life, but about recognizing how
we can better accomplish the mission
entrusted to us at our baptism.”
“Let us ask the Holy Spirit to pour
out upon us a fervent longing to be
saints for God’s greater glory, and
let us encourage one another in this
effort.”