Always the center of attention and never at a lack for words...

Francis releases another video even 

though he is on ‘vacation’

“Are you young or old? Because if you are young but already old, you will not be able to do anything. You have to be young "young".”

Thanks, for straightening that out!

Francis sends video message to Spanish religious

“Please, do not proselytize. Look for ways to open paths for the Lord to speak, so that the Lord can call. Do not campaign or run advertising campaigns because the call of God does not fall under the guidelines of marketing. It’s something else.”  
— Francis

Francis’ video message for the 47th National 

Week for Institutes of Consecrated Life

When a transcript is released CMJ will either link to it or post it below.  Just know that Francis’ “great fear” is that the young will “lose their roots”.  When Francis says “roots” he doesn’t mean the Catholic Faith, he means the revolutionary religion born out of the Second Vatican Council.

— video transcript —

“P. Martínez Oliveras y a todos ustedes que están reunidos reflexionando en este tema que nos lleva hacia el Sínodo: los jóvenes, las vocaciones, la vocación a la vida religiosa. Y, por supuesto, el telón de fondo es «faltan vocaciones». Y nos podemos quedar en esa lamentela; estar ahí con esa música de fondo de llorar glorias pasadas cuando el Señor nos dice: «Mira hacia delante y mira lo que tenéis que hacer». Pero no hagas proselitismo, por favor. Buscad maneras para abrir caminos para que el Señor pueda hablar, para que el Señor pueda llamar. No hagas campaña electoral ni campañas de tipo comercial porque el llamado de Dios no entra en las pautas del marketing. Es otra cosa. Así que, ¡anímense y sigan adelante! 

Respecto de los jóvenes solo les quisiera sugerir una cosa que los puede ayudar. Me impresionó la traducción alemana del último libro de Z. Bauman (el original salió en italiano, Nacidos líquidos [Nati liquidi]) pero la traducción alemana puso: Sin raíces [Die Entwurzelten]. Mi gran temor es que nuestros jóvenes pierdan las raíces. Tengo miedo de eso. Quizás el trabajo de hoy sea preparar el camino para que se vea aquello que anunció Joel: «Los ancianos soñarán y los jóvenes profetizarán» (2,28). Y hoy más que nunca es necesario que los jóvenes tengan un diálogo con los ancianos. Mucha de la generación del medio, la de sus padres, está a mitad de camino. 

Estamos a tiempo de recuperar raíces. También estamos a tiempo de y estamos a tiempo de hacer soñar a esos hombres y mujeres para que nos den después a los jóvenes la capacidad de profetizar. El diálogo entre los abuelos y los nietos es un diálogo intergeneracional de alto nivel. Y todavía estamos a tiempo: no lo perdamos. Y vean la manera de escuchar las inquietudes de los jóvenes y también la de los ancianos. Métanlos juntos y la cosa va a andar bien. 

En cuanto al número de vocaciones que el Señor decida. Nosotros hagamos lo que Él nos pidió: rezar y testimoniar. («Yo quiero ser como ése». «Yo quiero ser como ésa»). Que Dios los bendiga. Recen por mí. Que se diviertan. No pierdan el sentido del humor”.

 source: twitter @EdwardPentin, 6 April 2018, 12:50 AM

The Vatican News’ latest advertising campaign selling the brand of ‘Francis’ to the world with the political sounding slogan, “We bring Francis to the world”.

(click images to enlarge) 

Francis in Myanmar (Burma)

Overexposed — Francis makes yet another video!

This one’s for Canadian youth...

— English transcript —

Dear young Canadian friends!

I’m happy to be able to spend a little time with you, participating in your dialogue, in which you are protagonists from the Atlantic to the Pacific. There are these marvels of technology that, if used positively, provide an opportunity for encounter and exchange unthinkable until recently.

This confirms that, when people work together looking for each other’s good, the world reveals itself in all its beauty. I ask you, therefore, not to let the world be ruined by those without scruples, who only think about exploiting it and destroying it. I invite you to flood the places where you live with the joy and enthusiasm typical of your youthful age, to irrigate the world and history with the joy that comes from the Gospel, from having met a Person: Jesus, who has enthralled you and has drawn you to be with Him.

Do not let your youth be stolen from you. Do not allow anyone to slow and obscure the light that Christ puts in your face and in your heart. Be weavers of relationships signed by trust, by sharing, by openness even to ends of the world. Do not raise walls of division: do not raise walls of division! Build bridges, like this extraordinary one that you are crossing in spirit, and that links the shores of two oceans. You are experiencing a moment of intense preparation for the next Synod – the Synod of Bishops – that concerns you in a particular way, just as it involves the whole Christian community. In fact, its theme is “Young people, faith and vocational discernment”.

I also want to remind you of Jesus’ words, those He said one day to the disciples who asked him, “Rabbi, where do you live?” And Jesus answered, “Come and see.” Jesus also turns His gaze on you and invites you to go to Him. Dear young people, have you encountered this gaze? Have you heard this voice? Have you felt that impulse to get up and be on the way? I am sure that, although din and dizziness seem to reign in the world, this call continues to resonate in your soul, to open it to full joy. This will be possible to the extent that you, through accompaniment of expert guides, undertake an itinerary of discernment in order to discover God’s plan for your life:, yours, yours, yours, and yours – the plan He has for the life of each one of you – even when your journey is marked by danger and missteps, God, rich in mercy, tenders His hand to pick you up again.

These words – I wrote them in the letter I sent to all the young people of the world on January 13th of this year, precisely in order to present the theme of the Synod. The world, the Church, are in need of courageous young people, who are not cowed in the face of difficulties, who face their trials and keep their eyes and hearts open to reality, so that no one should be rejected or subjected to injustice or to violence, or deprived private of human dignity.

I'm sure your heart – a young heart – will not be closed to the cry for help of so many of your peers who seek freedom, work, study, a chance to make sense of their lives. I count on your willingness, your commitment, your ability to face important challenges and dare to make the future, to take decisive steps along the path of change.

Young people, let Christ reach you. Let Him speak to you, embrace you, console you, heal your wounds, dissolve your doubts and fears – and you shall be ready for the fascinating adventure of life, that precious and inestimable gift that God places every day in your hands. Go to meet Jesus, be with Him in prayer, entrust yourselves to Him, give your whole life over to His merciful love and your faith, and your faith will be the luminous witness of generosity and of the joy there is in following Him, wherever He should lead you.

Dear young people of Canada, my hope for you is that your meeting should be like that of the first disciples, that the beauty of a life realized in following the Lord might open wide before you. For this reason I entrust you to Mary of Nazareth, a young person like you, to whom God turned His loving gaze, that He might take you by the hand. Let yourselves be taken by Mary’s, and let her guide you to the joy of saying a full and generous, “Here I am!”

Jesus watches you and awaits a “Here I am!” from each of you.

I bless you, I embrace you, and I greet you with affection while I ask you, please, to pray for me, so that I may be a faithful cooperator with your joy. Thank you.

...and remember to make a mess!

Franciscan Brothers Minor and the new evangelization

Isn’t this a game little girls play?

What!?

Don’t these clowns have an office to pray?

Guess who is a big booster of these clowns?

In the Novus Ordo it’s not religion, unless it’s fun!