Our Mother of Mercy Parish, Pass Christian
The African American History Program
was followed by a Family Prayer Day and a
Spiritual Bouquet in honor of Pope Francis
from The Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver.
Pictured are members of the Ladies of Peter
Claver.
Christ the King Mission, Latimer
Week two of Christ the King Mission’s Lenten Fish Fry was an even greater success than the prior week. While the men of Christ the King’s Men’s Club prepared
and fried the fish on the back porch, many volunteers prepared the dinners of potato salad, coleslaw, hushpuppies, fish and baked beans in the kitchen.
On first Friday of Lent, pope speaks on nature of true fasting
By Francis X. Rocca
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis criticized
those who practice fasting as a mere ritual, rather than
as a sacrifice representative of a religion of love.
The pope made his remarks March 7, the first Friday
of Lent, in his homily at morning Mass in the Vatican
guesthouse, where he lives.
“These hypocritical people are good persons,” he
said, referring to the Pharisees who criticized Jesus and
his followers for not fasting as required by Jewish law.
“They do all they should do. They seem good. But they
are ethicists without goodness because they have lost
the sense of belonging to a people.”
True fasting entails sharing goods with the needy,
Pope Francis said, according to a report by
Vatican Ra-
dio
.
“This is the charity or fasting that our Lord wants,”
he said. “This is the mystery of the body and blood of
Christ. It means sharing our bread with the hungry, tak-
ing care of the sick, the elderly, those who can’t give
us anything in return: This is not being ashamed of the
flesh.”
The pope called on Christians to follow the example
of the good Samaritan, drawing close to the beneficia-
ries of their charity in an act of true fraternity.
“When I give alms, do I look into the eyes of my
brother, my sister?” he asked. “Am I capable of giving
a caress or a hug to the sick, the elderly, the children, or
have I lost sight of the meaning of a caress?
“These hypocrites were unable to give a caress,” the
pope said. “We will be judged by the way we behave
toward this brother, this sister.”
20
Gulf Pine Catholic
•
March 28, 2014
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arish
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