Catholic Fire

September 18, 2013. (Romereports.com) During Wednesday's general audience, the Pope compared the Church to a mother. With thousands of people in St. Peter's Square, the Pope explained that through the 10 commandments, the Church tries to instill values in Her children, just like any mother would. He also added that the Church is always at Her children's side, vowing to pray and protect them throughout life. SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH: "Dear Brothers and Sisters: today I wish to return to the image of the Church as our Mother, by reflecting on all that our earthly mothers do, live and suffer for their children.  First, our mothers show us, through their tenderness and love, the correct path to follow in life, so that we may grow into adulthood.  So too the Church orients us on the path of life, indicating the way that leads to maturity.  Second, our mothers know how and when to accompany us with understanding through life and to help lead us bac...

September 17, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his morning Mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis compared the Church to a widowed mother who protects her children. Reflecting on the Gospel readings, the Pope talked about the important and challenging role widows  have in the Bible. He even compared them to the mission of the Church. POPE FRANCIS Orig. Italian “Our reconciliation with the Lord does not end with the dialogue 'You, me and the priest who pardons me. No! It ends when He leads us to our Mother. That's a true reconciliation, because there is no path of life, there is no forgiveness, there is no reconciliation outside the Mother Church. So, seeing this poor widow, all these things come to me somewhat randomly - But I see in this widow the icon of the widowhood of the Church who is on a journey to find her Groom. I get the urge to ask the Lord for the grace of always being confident of our mother, who defends us, teaches us, helps us grow and teaches us to speak her di...

September 11, 2013. (Romereports.com)  During his weekly general audience, Pope Francis described the Church as a Mother. He explained that just like a parent, the Church gives life, nourishes and accompanies her children throughout life. Reflecting on this powerful bond, the Pope then added that part of the relationship includes bringing others to the faith. POPE'S CATECHESIS Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today I wish to continue our catechesis on the Church by reflecting on an image used by the early Fathers and the Second Vatican Council: the Church as our Mother.  By reflecting on the human experience of maternity, we understand that the Church is like our own Mothers. First, like our Mothers, the Church gives us the gift of life.  Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we are reborn as children of God and receive his life.  While faith is a personal act, we also recognize that faith comes to us through others – our families and communities who teach us how to b...