web-jul13.pdf

8/14/2019 web-jul13.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/web-jul13pdf 1/4

(Letter from the Prelate: July 2013)

My dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons for me!

Two days ago we celebrated the solemnity of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, pillars of the

faith, who shed their blood for Christ in Rome t was in that city that "t Peter established his"ee, and crowned his earthly life with martyrdom #nd thus the Church of Rome became the

Mother and head of all the churches of the City and of the World $et us give than%s to &od for

this plan of his, by which he has wanted to give Christians security in the revealed doctrine and avisible guarantee of unity' and let us learn to give our lives, by dying each day to our own ego

&od prepared the foundation of the Church throughout salvation history (irst in the )ld

Testament, by choosing srael as his people' then in the fullness of time he sent his dearly

beloved "on into the world, with his preaching and miracles, who called the #postles and sentout the Twelve to continue his redeeming mission *The Church is born primarily of Christ+s

total selfgiving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the -ucharist and fulfilled onthe cross./ #nd *when the wor% which the (ather gave the "on to do on earth 0cf Jn /1:23 wasaccomplished, the 4oly "pirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually

sanctify the Church.5 #s our (ather wanted, let us be filled with wonder at these two mysteries

and as% heaven for a great faith

The Church depends completely on the ncarnate 6ord, whom it ma%es present in the worlduntil the end of time' and it is governed by the 4oly "pirit, who lives in its bosom as in his

temple $et us give than%s and marvel at this deep bond between the Church and the 7lessed

Trinity: it is and we are the 4oly People of &od, the Mystical 7ody of Jesus Christ, the dwelling place of the Paraclete "o it+s only logical that, after professing our faith in Jesus Christ and in

the divinity of the 4oly "pirit in the Creed, we proclaim the mystery of the Church, into which

we are incorporated by 7aptism and in which8as the universal sacrament of salvation8thewor% of our sanctification is accomplished

I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church9 This profession of faith, with the

listing of the four notes that intrinsically define the Church and, at the same time, manifest it

eternally, is the distinctive sign of Catholic doctrine *These are the essential properties of the

Church, which are derived from its nature as Christ intended it #nd, being essential, they arealso mar%s, signs, which distinguish it from any other human gathering, even though in the

others the name of Christ may be pronounced.2

*$et us strengthen our faith in the supernatural character of the Church $et us profess it with

shouts, if necessary, for there are many who have forgotten these capital truths They try to

propose an image of the Church, which is neither holy nor one ;either would it be apostolicsince it is not founded on the roc% of Peter Their substitute is not catholic, because it is riddled

with unwarranted irregularities that are mere human caprices.<

/ Catechism of the Catholic Church, no 1==

5 >atican , ?ogmatic Const Lumen Gentium, no 2

9 Roman Missal, Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed

2 "t Josemar@a, 4omily Loyalty to the Church, June 2, /A15

< "t Josemar@a, 4omily The upernatural !im of the Church, May 5B, /A15

/

8/14/2019 web-jul13.pdf


8/14/2019 web-jul13.pdf


desires all men and women to be saved and to come to the 'no(led)e of the truth /5 Therefore he

offers the Church+s faithful the means of salvation #nd also as a result, apostolic Deal, the desire

to proclaim the %nowledge and love of Christ to all men and women, is connatural to theChristian vocation ;othing can dispense us from this responsibility' and we should consider:

4ow does this affect me personallyG 4ow ardently am as%ing for this for all man%indG

Certainly, *those who, through no fault of their own, do not %now the &ospel of Christ or hisChurch, but who nevertheless see% &od with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in theiractions to do his will as they %now it through the dictates of their conscience8those too may

achieve eternal salvation./9 ;evertheless, &od has wished to count on our cooperation in the

wor% of evangeliDation -ach in his or her own setting has to strive daily to ma%e this savingmessage %nown and to assist in the application of the wor% of redemption (or as "t Josemar@a

stressed, we should not forget that *conscience can be culpably deformed and harden itself in sin,

resisting the saving action of &od That is why it is necessary to spread Christ+s doctrine, thetruths of faith and the norms of Christian morality That is also why we need the sacraments, all

of which were instituted by Jesus Christ as instrumental causes of his grace and remedies for the

wea%nesses that ensue from our fallen nature./2

*Thus the Church prays and li%ewise labors so that into the People of &od, the 7ody of the$ord and the Temple of the 4oly "pirit, may pass the fullness of the whole world, and that in

Christ, the 4ead of all things, all honor and glory may be rendered to the Creator, the (ather of

the universe./<

t has fallen to us to live in a time when the need to help build up the Church is more pressing $et us not become discouraged or give way to the slightest pessimism, when

confronting the climate of relativism and indifference8even more, of reEection of &od8that is

spreading li%e a stain of oil through so many lands 6e who want to ta%e our faith seriously have

to Eoyfully redouble our efforts to bring souls to &od, to the Church ?on+t thin% that this is amammoth tas%' we only have to do what is within our reach, determined to direct our life

completely to &od The Paraclete is always acting within hearts, stirring up in each one8 perhaps at the most unepected moments8an ardent thirst for eternity, for supernatural life #ndwe8each and every one of us8have to be ready to second his motions *7eing the Church, to

be the People of &od, in accordance with the (ather+s great design of love, means to be the

leaven of &od in this humanity of ours t means to proclaim and to bring &od+s salvation to thisworld of ours, so often led astray, in need of answers that give courage, hope, and new vigor for

the Eourney./=

insist, let us be filled with confidence, and not leave any opening for discouragement )ur

era presents us with many marvelous possibilities to learn and disseminate the good -very dayoffers us opportunities to show our love for our $ord by spea%ing about him to those we meet on

our path $et us redouble our trust in him *&od is stronger,. the 4oly (ather eclaims *#nd do

you %now why he is strongerG 7ecause he is $ord, the only $ord #nd would li%e to add that

/5 * Tim 5:2

/9 >atican , ?ogmatic const Lumen Gentium, no /=

/2 "t Josemar@a, 4omily The upernatural !im of the Church, May 5B, /A15 Cf "t Thomas #Huinas, + Th H =5

a / and H =/, a 5/<

>atican , ?ogmatic Const Lumen Gentium, no /1/=

Pope (rancis, #ddress at a general audience, June /5, 5F/9

9

8/14/2019 web-jul13.pdf


reality, at times dar% and mar%ed by evil, can change, if we first bring the light of the &ospel

especially through our lives f in a stadium on a dar% night, if someone turns on a light, you

can barely see it but if the other 1F,FFF spectators turn on their own light, the whole stadiumshines $et our lives together be the one light of Christ' together we will carry the light of the

&ospel to the whole of reality./1

$et us echo these words of the Roman Pontiff, ma%ing an effort every day so that in ourwor%, in our family life, in our social relationships, in our sporting activities8at every moment! 8there shines forth the light of Christ+s followers, nourished by prayer and by freHuent

reception of the sacraments of Confession and the -ucharist

(or the feast of "t Josemar@a, throughout the world many prayers have been raised up to

heaven, especially in the 4oly "acrifice of the Mass 7e certain that, as our beloved ?on #lvaroused to say, they have been *round trip prayers.: our $ord returns them to us so that they

produce fruit in ourselves and in our friends

n the coming wee%s will go to 7raDil to accompany the 4oly (ather at 6orld Iouth ?ay,

which will be celebrated in Rio de Janeiro at the end of July $ater, &od willing, hope to go

briefly to Chile, ruguay and #rgentina, to tell my daughters and sons personally, and other people who benefit from the apostolic wor% of the Prelature, that the Church is epecting a lot

from all of us' that Pope (rancis, li%e the previous Roman Pontiffs, is relying on each and everyone of us to spread Christ+s message throughout the whole world 4e told me this in the audience

he granted me on June /F Continue praying for him and for his intentions #s on other

occasions, am relying on all of you so that our $ord will grant abundant spiritual fruit duringthose days in 7raDil and in the other places where hope to go later #ll of these circumstances

are an invitation to unite ourselves more closely to the "uccessor of Peter 6e should accompany

him as his daughters and sons, united to him and to his service to the Church and souls

July 1 is the anniversary of the day on which ?on #lvaro as%ed for admission to the 6or% entrust to his intercession the fidelity of all of us to our Christian vocation $ater, on the /=th, we

will celebrate the feast of )ur $ady of Mount Carmel as% her that, through her maternalmediation, she may fill us with desires for sanctity and with apostolic Deal

am signing this letter in "aragossa came here, invited by the #rchbishop, to bless thestatues of "t Josemar@a and of 7lessed John Paul that will be placed for the veneration of the

faithful in a church in this city Then will go to Pamplona, where will remain a few days

before underta%ing the trip to "outh #merica Continue praying for my intentions

6ith all my affection, bless you,

Iour (ather,

K Javier

"aragossa, July /, 5F/9

/1 bid

2

web-jul13.pdf

Documents