Pastoral reflection for Advent

"Blessed the one whose hope is in the LORD, his God," (Psalm 146:5).

We spend a large part of our lives slumbering, without real awareness of what is going on around us and even within us. We live distracted, unable to make sense of what is happening to us, sometimes out of laziness, sometimes out of fear of opening our eyes and facing possible disappointments. This state is aggravated in a context where complaints, anxieties and impatience seem to drown out any good news, and where every day information increases our insecurity and weakens the hope for a more fraternal humanity. It is true that needs, both our own and those of others, press upon us. Without time, we become impatient with what is delaying.

Under this question, the text of the "Instrumentum Laboris" which will guide the work of the second session of the 16^th Ordinary General Assembly was published on Tuesday, 9 July 2024. It is neither a document of the Magisterium of the Church nor the report of a sociological survey; it does not offer formulations of operational indications of goals and objectives nor a complete theological vision. It does not seek to provide "ready-made answers", but rather to offer orientations and proposals for continuing to listen to the Spirit and respond to the challenge and demand of how the Church as a whole can respond to the need to be "synodal in mission".

Dear sisters. Easter is not an arrival point but rather a starting point. I am moved and reverently contemplating the women who, on Easter morning, approached the sepulchre without letting anything or anyone stop them, even knowing that they could never move the stone. I wonder what strength, passion, and confidence encouraged them? Whatever it was, brought without any doubt, the Risen Lord to meet them and entrust them with the news that they rushed to announce: ""The Master is alive!" (Lk 24, 23).

Walking around Rome, looking at the window displays, visiting the churches, contemplating the cribs and attending prayer meetings, I came across a phrase that led me to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. This advertising phrase says “All you need is make-up”. I asked myself then, is this really what I need to live fully as God wants when he is born in our midst?

We congratulate Father Gerard Whelan, and thank God for his fertile priestly service. We invite all WUCWO women to pray for him.

Click here to read the interview

Our Ecclesiastical Assistant, Fr. Gerry Whelan, wrote an introductory chapter for a book on Evangelii Gaudium published by Professors of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome. This book was distributed to each bishop attending the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, held in November. Then, to the surprise of the authors, Pope Francis invited them to visit him so that he could thank them. They did this on December 4th, 2014 and the Pope sat for an hour with them discussing theology. Attached is the English translation (from Italian) of the article that Fr. Gerry contributed.

The theme of the General assembly of WUCWO in 2014 is “Women of WUCWO, Sowers of Hope.” This prompts me to reflect about just what hope is. For most of this reflection I turn to comments made by Pope Francis who speaks often on this theme. I see his comments as falling into two categories: first, that hope is a “theological virtue”; second, that hope in the next world involves a commitment to action in this one. To complete these reflections, I turn to Vatican II and explore what Our Lady teaches us about hope. 

During the Executive Board Meeting of WUCWO on July 24th I offered the following reflections to open our meeting. I remarked on the fact that for the two previous days the Church had been celebrating women saints.