True fraternal reprimand is painful because it is done with love, in truth and humility. Moreover it is unchristian to take pleasure when reprimanding someone.  This was the focus of Pope Francis homily Friday during Mass in Santa Marta, on the day when the Church celebrates the Feast Day of the Holy Name of Mary.
The Pope was reflecting on the Gospel passage where Jesus warns against noticing the splinter in our brother’s eye but failing to see the wooden beam in our own. This inspired him to return to the subject of fraternal reprimand. First, he said, the erring brother should be reprimanded with charity.
"You cannot reprimand a person without love and charity. [Just like] you cannot perform surgery without anesthesia: you cannot, because the patient will die from the pain. And charity is like an anesthetic that helps you to receive treatment and accept reprimand. Take him to one side and talk to him, with gentleness, with love".
Secondly, - he continued - we must speak the truth: "Do not say something that is not true. How often in our community are things said about another person that are not true: they are slander. Or if they are true, they destroy the person’s reputation". "Gossip - the Pope repeated - hurt; gossip are a slap in the face of a person’s reputation, they are an attack on the heart of a person. "Sure - he observed - "when they tell you the truth is not nice to hear, but if it is spoken with charity and love, it is easier to accept". Therefore, "we must speak of other people’s defects" with charity.
Thirdly, we must reprimand with humility: "If you really need to reprimand a little flaw, stop and remember that  you have many more and far bigger!"
"Fraternal reprimand is an act that heals the Body of the Church. There's a tear, there, in the fabric of the Church that we must mend. And like mothers and grandmothers, who mend so gently, so delicately, we must do likewise when we want to reprimand our brother. If you're not able to do this with love, charity, truth and humility, you will offend, you will destroy the heart of that person, you will add to gossip, that hurts, and you will become a blind hypocrite, just as Jesus says. Hypocrite, first take the wooden beam out of your own eye. ...'. Hypocrite! Recognize that you are the more sinful than the other, but you, as a brother must help to reprimand the other".
"A sign that perhaps can help us in this" - said the Pope - is when we feel "a certain delight" when "we see something wrong" and consider it our job to deliver a reprimand: you have to be "careful because that is not coming from the Lord".
"The Cross, the difficulty of doing a good thing is ever present in the Lord; the love that leads us, the meekness is always of the Lord. Do not judge. We Christians tend to behave like doctors: stand on the sidelines of the game between sin and grace as if we were angels ... No! Paul says:' for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified '. And a Christian who, in the community, does not do things - even fraternal reprimand - in love, in truth and humility, is disqualified! He has failed to become a mature Christian. May the Lord help us in this fraternal service, which is as beautiful as it is painful, to help our brothers and sisters to be better and help us to always do it with love, in truth and humility".

In his homily this morning at Mass in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, Pope Francis said that loving one’s enemies is the “model of Christian life.”Reflecting on the Gospel reading from St. Luke (6:27-38), in which the Lord tells his disciples, “[L]ove your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you,” the Holy Father said that this is a model of Christian life – of unconditional love in action.
“Do good,” he said, “lend without hoping to have back what you have lent – [act] without interest, and your reward will be great.” Pope Francis also recognized that this new way of the Gospel is one by which it is often difficult to live:
“‘But Father’ [one might say], ‘I don’t feel like behaving that way’. ‘Well’, [one might reply], ‘if you don’t feel like it, that’s your problem, but that’s the Christian way.” This is that way that Jesus teaches us. ‘And what can I hope?’ [one might ask]. Go on Jesus’ way, which is the way of mercy. Be merciful as your father is merciful. Only with a merciful heart can we do all that, which the Lord counsels us to do – all the way. The Christian life is not a navel-gazing one. It is a life in which one gets out of oneself in order to give oneself to others. It is a gift, it is love – and love does not turn in on itself, it is not selfish, but self-giving.” 
The Lord asks us to be merciful. He asks us not to judge. Often, Pope Francis said, “it seems that we have been named judges of others: engaging in gossip, talking behind people’s backs, we judge everyone.” The Lord, however tells us not to judge, lest we be judged ourselves. “Do not condemn [others],” said Pope Francis, “and you will not be condemned.” The Lord asks us to forgive, that we might be forgiven. “We say it every day in the Our Father,” noted the Holy Father, “forgive us as we forgive others – and if I do not forgive, how can I ask the Father to forgive me?”
“This is the Christian life. ‘But Father, this is folly!’ one might say. ‘Yes’, one might answer, ‘it is’. We have heard in these days, though, St Paul, who said the same: the foolishness of the Cross of Christ, which has nothing to do with the wisdom of the world. ‘But Father, to be Christian is to become some sort of fool?’ [one might ask]. ‘Yes’, [I would say], ‘in a certain sense, yes. It means renouncing the cunning of the world in order to do everything that Jesus tells us to do and that, if we do the sums, if we balance the ledger, seems to be against us.”
The Holy Father went on to explain that the way the Lord teaches us is the way of magnanimity, of generosity, of self-giving without measure. “It was for this,” he said, “that Jesus came into the world,” not to judge, not to engage in idle gossip, not to pass judgments, but to give and to forgive. “Being Christian isn’t easy,” said Pope Francis, adding that we can become Christians only by the grace of God, and not by our own strength.
“Here then arises the problem that we all must face daily: ‘Lord, give me the grace to become a good Christian, because I cannot do it on my own’. This is something quite frightening at first glance – quite frightening indeed. If, however, we take the Gospel and we read the 6th chapter of St. Luke – and reread it and reread it and reread it – and let us do so – and let us ask the Lord for the grace to understand what it is to be a Christian, to understand the grace He gives to us Christians, as well, because we cannot do it on our own."

Today at Mass we read that St. Paul encourages us to be the best person we can - the best version of ourselves - in whatever state in life we find ourselves.  So I want to encourage you to encourage as many of our young adults as possible to think about becoming involved in Catholics On Call.  This is an effort and an opportunity to discover who we are and what God is able to do with each one of us as we bring his message of joy to whomever we meet in our daily life.  Go to:   www.catholicsoncallinalbany.org   for more information - and continue reading the invitation that Sister Rosemary Cuneo extends to all of us.

Dear Friends,
Please join us in the campaign to reach out to our young adults who we know are serious about finding out the life God has invited them to live.  This takes a bit of effort on each of our parts, to email, to call or to approach a young person who we know would benefit from Catholics on Call in Albany.   Encouragement can go a long way when an invitation is extended to a young person we work with, guide or befriend. 
This is such a hopeful time in our Church!  This is such a perfect time to call our young adults forth for such an excellent and life-enhancing experience!
Thank you for reaching out to the young adults you know today.  Thank you for encouraging them to register for the October 10-12, 2014 Catholics on Call in Albany. Should you have any insights to share or questions for me, please do not hesitate to contact me.   

Gratefully,
Sister Rosemary Ann Cuneo, CR

Jesus is not a professor who speaks from the professor’s chair but instead goes among the people and lets them touch Him so that they can be healed. That was Pope Francis’ message at Mass this morning at Santa Marta.
Commenting on the day’s Gospel, Pope Francis reflected on three moments in the life of Jesus. The first is prayer. Jesus “spent the night in prayer to God.” Jesus prays for us. “It seems a little strange,” the Pope said, “that He who came to give us salvation, who has the power, prays to the Father.” And He prayed often. “Jesus is the great intercessor”:
“He stands before the Father in this moment, praying for us. And this should give us courage! Because in moments of difficulty or of need… [He] is praying: ‘But you are praying for me. Pray for me. Jesus, pray for me to the Father!’ It is His work today: praying for us, for His Church. We often forget this, that Jesus prays for us. This is our strength: to be able to say to the Father, ‘But if you, Father, will not consider us, consider your Son who prays for us.’ From the first moment Jesus prays: He prayed when He was on earth and He continues to pray now for each one of us, for the whole Church.”
After praying, Jesus chooses the twelve Apostles. The Lord says clearly, “It was not you who chose Me; I chose you!” “This second moment,” the Pope said, “gives us courage: ‘I am chosen, I am chosen by the Lord! On the day of Baptism He chose me.’ And Paul, with this in mind, said: ‘He chose me, from my mother’s womb’.” So we Christians have been called. The Pope said:
“These are things of love! Love does not consider whether someone has an ugly face or a beautiful face: it loves! And Jesus does the same: He loves and chooses with love. He chooses all. In His list, no one is ‘important’ – in inverted commas – according to the criteria of the world: it is the common people. But there is one thing, yes, one thing to emphasize about all of them: they are sinners. Jesus has chosen sinners. He chooses sinners. And this is the accusation made by the doctors of the law, the scribes: ‘This man goes to eat with sinners, he talks to prostitutes…’ Jesus calls everyone! Let us call to mind the parable of the wedding of the son. When those who were invited did not come, what did the master of the house do? The Gospel says he told his servants: ‘Go out and bring everyone to the house, good and bad.’ Jesus has chosen everyone.”
Jesus, the Pope continued, even chose Judas Iscariot “who became the traitor… the greatest sinner toward Him. But he was chosen by Jesus.”
Then there was the third moment: “Jesus near to the people.” They came in great multitudes “to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases… Everyone in the crowd sought to touch Him because power came forth from Him and healed them all.” Jesus is in the midst of His people:
“He is not a professor, a teacher, a mystic who is far from the people and speaks from the professor’s chair. No! He is in the midst of the people, He lets them touch Him, He lets them ask of Him. That’s Jesus: close to the people. And this nearness is not something new for Him. He emphasizes it in His way of acting, but it is something that comes out of God’s first choice of His people. God says to His people, ‘Consider: What people has a God as close as I am to you?’ God’s closeness to His people is the closeness of Jesus amid the crowds.”
“This is our Master, this is our Lord,” the Pope concluded. “One who prays, one who chooses the people, and one who is not ashamed to be close to the people. And this gives us confidence in Him. Let us trust in Him because He prays, because He has chosen us, and because He is close to us.”

On the day the Church celebrates the Nativity of Our Lady, Pope Francis dedicated his homily to Creation and God’s journey with us through history.  He said when we read the Book of Genesis, "there is the danger of thinking that God was a magician" who did things "with a magic wand." But, he warned, "it was not so because, God made things and allowed them to proceed with internal, interior laws that He gave to each one, so that they could develop and arrive at fullness”.  “The Lord gave autonomy but not independence to the things of the universe”.
"For God is not a magician, He is the Creator! But when on the sixth day, of that story, He comes to create man, He gives him another autonomy, somewhat different, but not independent: an autonomy that is freedom. He tells the man to go forward in history, He makes man responsible for the creation, so that he would dominate creation, bring it forward and arrive at the fullness of time. And what was the fullness of time? What He had in his heart: the arrival of His Son. Because God – as we heard from Paul - has predestined us, all of us, to be conformed to the image of the Son".
Pope Francis continued: “This is the path of humanity, it is mankind’s journey. God wanted us to be like His Son and His Son to be like us". The Pope spoke of the passage from today's Gospel that recounts the genealogy of Jesus. "There are saints and sinners too on this list, but history continues because God has willed that all men be free”. And even if it is true that when man “misused his freedom, God drove him out of Paradise" He also "made ​​a promise, so man left Paradise with hope. A sinner, but with hope".  "Mankind did not make this journey alone: God walks with us. Because God chose an option: he opted for time, not for the moment. He is the God of time, He is the God of history, He is the God who walks with His children". Until the "fullness of time" when His Son becomes man. God "walks with the righteous and the sinners." He walks "with everyone, to arrive at that encounter, the final encounter of man with Him".
The Pope noted that the Gospel brings this century-long story to an end "in a tiny thing, in a small village" with Joseph and Mary. "The God of great history - he noted - is also in that little story there, because He wants to walk with everyone". Francis quoted from St. Thomas, who stated: "Do not fear the great things, but also have regard for the small, this is divine”. "And this is how God is, He is in the great things, but also in the small”.
"He is the Lord who walks…and He is the Lord of patience. The patience of God. The patience he has had with all these generations. With all these people who have lived their story of grace and sin, God is patient. God walks with us, because He wants us all to come to be conformed to the image of His Son. And from the hour that He gave us the freedom in creation - not independence - until today, He continues to walk with us".
And so, therefore, "we come to Mary". Today, the Pope said, "we are in the antechamber of this story: the birth of the Virgin Mary". “Let us ask in prayer that the Lord will give us the unity to walk together and peace of heart. This is today’s grace":
"Today we can look at Our Lady, the small, holy child without sin, pure and predestined to become the Mother of God and also look at the story that lies behind her, so long, over centuries and ask: 'How do I journey in my story? Do I allow God walk with me? Do I allow Him walk with me or do I want to walk alone? Do I let Him caress me, help me, forgive me, carry me forward so that I may arrive at the encounter with Jesus Christ? This will be the end of our journey: an encounter with the Lord. It would do us all good to ask ourselves this question today. ‘Do I let God be patient with me?'. And so, looking at this great story, and even this small village, we can praise the Lord and humbly ask that He give us peace, that peace of heart that only He can give us, that He only gives us when we let Him walk with us".

In his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis underlined the importance of fraternal correction, stressing that it be done in a spirit of gentleness, prudence and humility rather than judgment.
Referring to today’s Gospel reading from Matthew in which Jesus teaches the disciples the steps needed to correct a brother in sin, the Holy Father stressed the goal is to “help the person realize what he has done, and that with his sin, he has offended not just one, but all.”
Addressing pilgrims under sunny skies in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope explained the process of fraternal correction that Jesus taught:  “I have to use charity towards him and, first of all, talk to him personally, explaining that what he has said or done is not good,” the Pope said. “And if the brother does not listen to me? Jesus suggests a progressive intervention: first, go back with two or three other people to make him more aware of the mistake he has made.
“If, despite this, he does not accept the exhortation, I need to tell the community," Francis continued. "And if he won’t even listen to the community, I need to make him feel the fracture and detachment that he himself has caused, by failing in communion with our brothers and sisters in the faith.”
“The stages of this route show the effort the Lord asks of his community to accompany those who make mistakes, so they are not lost,” the Pope explained, adding that an attitude is needed “of gentleness, prudence, humility, and attention against those who have committed a crime, avoiding that words can hurt and kill the brother.
“Because, you know, eh? Even words kill!,” the Pope said, departing from his notes. “When I make an unfair criticism, when I “curse” a brother with my tongue, this is killing the reputation of the other! Even words kill! Let’s be serious about this.”
By carrying out fraternal correction as Jesus taught, the Pope continued, our hearts are freed of “anger and resentment.” Insults and personal attacks by Christians are “very bad,” he added. “It’s bad! Got it? No insults! Insulting is not Christian!”
The Pope stressed all are in need of forgiveness, and that rather than say “have mercy on the person next to me,” we need to say “Have mercy on me!”.
“Jesus told us not to judge,” the Francis said. “We must remember this before going to the brother to offer fraternal correction.”

In his homily in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican on Friday morning, the Holy Father reflected on the “newness” of the Gospel – as Good News, and as a bringer of New Things – that frees the person who believes it from slavery to automatic legalism, and opens the heart to the new commandment: love.
The Gospel reading for Friday told the story of the Scribes, who badgered Jesus about the behavior of His disciples, by pointing out that they did not – as the disciples of John the Baptist regularly did – fast and offer prayers. The Lord would not let Himself be provoked, however:
“New wine, new wineskins: the ‘novelty’ of the Gospel – and what does the Gospel bring us? Joy and renewal [It. novità]. These Doctors of the Law were hidebound by their commandments, their rules. St. Paul, speaking of them, tells us that, before faith came – that is, Jesus – we were all kept in custody, as prisoners under the Law. This Law, of this people, was not bad: they were cared for, but they were prisoners, awaiting the advent of faith – that faith, which would be revealed in Christ, itself.”
Pope Francis went on to observe that the People had both the Mosaic Law and a host of customs and smaller legal requirements that the Doctors of the Law had codified. “The Law,” said Pope Francis, “cared for the people, albeit as prisoners are cared-for, and the people were awaiting liberty – that ultimate liberty that God would give to His people through His son.”:
“One of you might say to me: ‘But Father, don’t Christians have laws?’ Yes. Jesus said: ‘I do not come to [abolish the Law], but to fulfil it.’ – and the Beatitudes, for example – the law of love – total love – as Jesus loved us, are the fullness of the Law. Jesus, when he reproves these Doctors of the Law, is taking them to task for not caring for the people with the Law, but making them slaves to so many little laws, so many little things that had to be done.”
Pope Francis went on to explain that all these “little things” that had to be done, had to be done without the freedom that Jesus brings to us with the new law, which He promulgated with His blood. “This,” he said, “is precisely the ransom that the people were awaiting,” while they were, “under the guardianship of the Law, however as prisoners.” The Holy Father also explained that another central lesson of this reading is that the Lord wants us not to be afraid of changing things according to the law of the Gospel:
“St. Paul clearly distinguishes the children of the law from the children of faith: new wine in new wineskins – and this is why the Church asks all of us to change certain things. She asks us to let go of decadent structures – they are useless – and to take up new wineskins, those of the Gospel. One sannot understand the mentality of these Doctors of the Law – for example – these Pharisaical ‘teachers’: the style of the Gospel is a different style, that brings the fullness of the Law – yes- but in a new way: it is the new wine in new wineskins.”
Pope Francis concluded, saying once again that the Gospel is something new, something that brings joy, something that can only be lived fully by a heart that is joyful and renewed, and prayed that God give everyone the grace to keep the new commandment of love, and the joy of that freedom, which the Good News brings.

Pope Francis on Thursday reflected on the transforming grace of God’s Word and invited Christians to recognize their sins and let themselves be transformed by their encounter with Christ.The Pope was addressing the faithful gathered for morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta.
During his homily, Pope Francis reflected on the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians which reads: “If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God”.
Paul, he said, is telling us that it is the power of God’s Word that brings about a true change of heart, that has the strength to change the world, giving us hope, giving us life.
He pointed out that this power is not to be found in human knowledge or in man’s intelligence. “Become fools”, Francis exhorted, don’t search for security in your knowledge or in the knowledge of the world”.
And the Pope said that although Paul had studied with the most knowledgeable teachers of his time, he never boasted of his knowledge. In a “scandalous” way, Francis said, he boasted of his sins and of his encounter with Christ and the crucifix, because that encounter between his sins and the blood of Christ is the only salvific encounter there is. And when we forget that encounter – the Pope said – we lose the power of Christ’s strength and we speak of the things of God with a human language, And  this, he said, is useless.
Pope Francis also recalled the Gospel story of Peter and the miraculous catch of fish during which Peter said to Jesus: “Go away from me Lord for I am a sinful man”. In this moment of meeting between his sins and Christ, the Pope said Peter finds salvation.
So, the Pope said: “the privileged place for an encounter with Christ are our sins. If a Christian is incapable of seeing his sins and his salvation in the blood of Christ, he has only gone half-way. He is a tepid Christian.
And the Pope pointed to those decadent Churches, decadent parishes, decadent institutions where most certainly Christians have never really met Christ or else they have forgotten that encounter.
Pope Francis concluded his homily inviting the faithful to ask themselves whether they are capable of telling the Lord they are sinners; whether they really believe the Lord has given them a new life; whether they trust in Christ. Because, he said, a Christian can be boastful of two things: of his sins and of Christ on the cross.

Pope Francis has said Christians are not orphans but have the Church, with Mary as her model, a mother who welcomes, protects and nourishes us, especially through the Word of God.Speaking to the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square at this morning’s weekly General Audience, the Holy Father underscored that since “Looking to Mary...we Christians are not orphans. We have a mom, we have a mother and this is great. We are not orphans. The Church is mother, Mary and mother."
After urging those gathered to welcome the protection Mary gives us, especially in God’s Word, Francis asked: "And who gives us the Word of God?”
“Mary!” he said, adding “This is grand!” because this Word “changes us inside,” and “transforms us.”
As our “true mother,” he said, she not only “gives us life in Christ,” but also communion of the Holy Spirit, which “brings us into a common life with all our brothers and sisters.”
“If you look to Mary,” the Pontiff said, you will “find the most beautiful and tender face of the Church.”
Her motherhood, he added, continues through the Church, who brings forth sons and daughters through baptism, whom she nourishes through the Word of God.  
"In fact," he continued, Jesus gave the Gospel to the Church to bring forth new life by generously "proclaiming his Word" and "winning other sons and daughters for God, our Father."  
By illuminating our path with the light of the Gospel and by sustaining us with the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, Francis said the Church nurtures us throughout life.  
This nourishment, he added, enables us to “choose the good,” to be "vigilant against evil and deceit,” and “overcome the difficult moments of life with courage and hope.”  
The force of the sacraments and Word of God, with the courage of a Mother, the Pope added, “defends us from evil.”
Since we are "all under attack" by Satan, he exhorted faithful to be "on guard,""stand firm in the faith," and "not resist the advice of the mother."
“This is the Church," he continued, "this is the Church that we all love, the Church that I love, a Church has that has at heart the welfare of her children.”  
As the Church, Pope Francis reminded the faithful, “we are called to live this same spiritual, maternal attitude towards our brothers and sisters,” which requires us “to accept,” “forgive” and “inspire confidence and hope.”

Pope Francis has responded to the question, "How to receive Jesus Christ?" by saying the answer may be something you can conceal in your pocket.  Addressing those gathered this morning at his first daily Mass in Casa Santa Marta after a summer break, Pope Francis asked: “How do I receive Jesus Christ?”, to which he responded, "The Church tells us that Jesus is present in the Scriptures, in His Word," reported Vatican Radio. 
This is why, the Holy Father stressed, it is so important to "read a passage from the Gospel during the day."
Recalling the readings of the day, the Pope explained what the Word of God is, and how we should receive it. St. Paul, he noted, reminds the Corinthians that does not proclaim the Gospel based on persuasive words of wisdom, rather those that are directly from the heart.
Urging the faithful to proclaim the Gospel with humility, he said this requires having an open heart can receive Him.
Francis reminded those gathered that God speaks to us in the Son, "that is, the Word of God is Jesus, Jesus Himself."
Asking why Christians must have this meeting with Christ through the Gospel, he suggested: “Why, to learn?” responding, “No! To find Jesus! Because Jesus is right there in His Word, in His Gospel."
"Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus," he continued, "Yet how do I receive this Word? Well, you should receive it like you receive Jesus, that is to say with an open heart, with a humble heart, with the spirit of the Beatitudes.”
The reason for this, he added, is because this is how Jesus came into the world, in “humility,” in “poverty,” with “the anointing of the Holy Spirit.”

"He is power” he added, “He is the Word of God because He is anointed by the Holy Spirit. We, too, if we want to hear and receive the Word of God, we must pray and ask the Holy Spirit for this anointing of the heart," for a "heart like the heart of the Beatitudes."

Pope Francis invited those gathered to ask themselves today, "How do I receive the Word of God?” and to consider why they do so.

The Holy Father concluded, urging them to buy a “cheap” pocket-Gospel, to consult often, if they hadn’t done so already.