The Weekly Francis – 23 April 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 21 March 2020 to 23 April 2020.

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Homilies

Regina Caeli

Papal Tweets

  • “Let us #PrayTogether for pharmacists. They are working hard, together with doctors and nurses, to help the sick get better. Santa Marta Mass – YouTube@Pontifex 16 April 2020
  • “The #GospelOfTheDay (Lk 24:35–48) is one of my favorites: ”Their joy kept them from believing“ (v. 41). To be filled with joy: It is not merely being happy, positive, but is something else. It is to be filled with consolation, filled with the Lord’s presence. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 16 April 2020
  • “The joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh 8:10). The joy of the Lord is the great strength we possess which drives us to continue being witnesses of life. Today let us ask for the grace of this joy, which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 16 April 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for expectant women who will become mothers and who ask themselves: ”What type of world will my child live in?“. May the Lord give them the courage and confidence that it will certainly be a different world, but also one which the Lord will love tremendously.” @Pontifex 17 April 2020
  • “The disciples had progressed in familiarity with the Lord. May the Lord also teach us this familiarity with Him, which is personal, but always communitarian: a familiarity in everyday life, in the sacraments, in the midst of the people of God. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 17 April 2020
  • “We remember the difficult task entrusted to healthcare providers, nurses and doctors, in caring for persons with disabilities who have come down with Covid–19. Let us #PrayTogether for persons with disabilities and those who assist them.” @Pontifex 18 April 2020
  • “Where does the Apostles’ courage come from? It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Boldness – courage – is a gift that the Lord gives on the day of Pentecost. The Christian mission is born from this gift of the Holy Spirit. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 18 April 2020
  • “Today the simple and disarming love of Jesus revives the heart of Thomas (Jn 20,19–31). Like the apostle Thomas, let us accept mercy, the salvation of the world. And let us show mercy to those who are most vulnerable; for only in this way will we build a new world.” @Pontifex 19 April 2020
  • “The faithful and patient mercy of God never tires of reaching out to lift us up when we fall. He wants us to see him, not as a taskmaster with whom we have to settle accounts, but as our Father who always raises us up. #DivineMercySunday” @Pontifex 19 April 2020
  • “The Lord waits for us to offer him our failings so that he can help us experience his mercy. #DivineMercySunday Homily@Pontifex 19 April 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for the men and women who have a vocation to political life, which is a high form of charity. We pray for political parties in various nations, so that in this pandemic they might together seek the good of the country and not the good of their own party.” @Pontifex 20 April 2020
  • “To be Christian is not only to fulfill the Commandments, but ”to be born again“ and allow the Spirit to enter in us and carry us wherever He wants. This is the freedom of the Spirit. May the Lord help us always to be docile to the Spirit. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 20 April 2020
  • “The Christian response to the storms of life and history can only be mercy: compassionate love among us and toward everyone, especially toward those who suffer, who have more difficulties, and are abandoned.” @Pontifex 20 April 2020
  • “There’s a lot of silence at this moment. May this silence, which is a bit new to what we are accustomed, teach us how to listen. Let us #PrayTogether that we might grow in our ability to listen. Santa Marta Mass – YouTube@Pontifex 21 April 2020
  • “Many things can divide communities: money, vanity, gossip. But the Spirit comes to save us from divisions. The Holy Spirit is the Master of harmony. He creates harmony in the community, because He Himself is harmony, the harmony between the Father and the Son. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 21 April 2020
  • “In the time of trial that we are presently undergoing, we experience our frailty. We need the Lord, who sees an irrepressible beauty beyond that frailty. With Him we rediscover how precious we are, even in our vulnerability.” @Pontifex 21 April 2020
  • “At this moment in which unity among us is very necessary, let us pray for Europe, so that it might succeed in creating the fraternal unity which the founding fathers drempt of for the European Community. #PrayTogether Santa Marta Mass – YouTube@Pontifex 22 April 2020
  • “When we are in a state of sin, we are like ”human bats“ who can move about only at night. We find it easier to live in darkness because the light reveals to us what we do not want to see. But then our eyes grow accustomed to darkness and we no longer recognize the light.” @Pontifex 22 April 2020
  • “Let us allow the love of God – who sent His Son Jesus – to enter into us, and help us see with the light of the Spirit. Let us ask ourselves: Do I walk in the light or in darkness? Am I a child of God? Or have I ended up like a poor ”bat“? #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 22 April 2020
  • “Earth Day is an occasion to renew our commitment to love our common home, which is not a warehouse to exploit. Let us care for it and for the weakest members of our human family. #EarthDay50 Audience@Pontifex 22 April 2020
  • “There are families in need who cannot work and have nothing to eat. Then along come usurers to take what little they have. Let us #PrayTogether for these families’ dignity. And let us pray also for the usurers, that the Lord might touch their hearts and convert them.” @Pontifex 23 April 2020
  • “Peter’s secret weapon is Jesus’s prayer. Jesus prays for Peter that his faith might not fail. What He did with Peter He does for all of us. Jesus prays for us before the Father, showing His wounds, the price of our salvation. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 23 April 2020
  • “The pandemic reminds us there are no differences or borders between those who suffer. We are all frail, all equal, all precious. May we be profoundly shaken: Now is the time to eliminate inequalities and heal the injustice undermining the health of the entire human family!” @Pontifex 23 April 2020

Papal Instagram

Remembrance of the Daleks – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The 7th Doctor goes back to where it all began in 1963. Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss this story that sees the Doctor turn from madcap and jolly to Machiavellian in the Daleks’ last appearance in Classic Who, and we get a glimpse at the so-called Cartmel master plan.

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Balance of Terror (TOS) – The Secrets of Star Trek

Balance of Terror is famously a WWII sub hunting story translated to outer space, but as Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha discuss, it’s also more than that, including a poignant faith subplot, a bit of Cold War maneuvering, and some great acting by guest star Mark Lenard.

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Bilocation, Oak Island, Loch Ness, The Edmund Fitzgerald, Noah, and other Patron Questions – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

We regularly give Patrons the opportunity to ask Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli to answer their questions and make them available exclusively to them first and then later to the whole audience in a special bonus release.

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The Weekly Francis – 15 April 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 9 March 2020 to 15 April 2020.

Angelus

Daily Homilies (fervorinos)

General Audiences

Homilies

Letters

Messages

Papal Tweets

  • “Dear brother priests, we have been anointed to anoint, to give of ourselves. Let us #PrayTogether today asking for the humility to protect this gift of anointing, and imploring God’s mercy for the people entrusted to us and for the entire world. #HolyThursday” @Pontifex 9 April 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether. Follow the Easter Triduum liturgies: YouTube Image@Pontifex 9 April 2020
  • “Gaze upon the outstretched arms of Christ crucified, let yourself be saved over and over again. #PrayTogether #GoodFriday Image@Pontifex 10 April 2020
  • “This Face disfigured by wounds communicates great peace. His gaze is directed not to our eyes but to our heart, as if to say: Have faith, do not lose hope. The power of the love of God, the power of the Risen One overcomes all things. #HolyShroud Image@Pontifex 11 April 2020
  • “Let us direct our gaze to the Man of the Shroud, in whom we recognize the features of the Servant of the Lord, which Jesus accomplished in His Passion. Participate in the prayer before the Holy Shroud through the media at 5 PM: Video@Pontifex 11 April 2020
  • “Do not be afraid, do not yield to fear: This is the message of hope. It is addressed to us, today. These are the words that God repeats to us this very night.” @Pontifex 11 April 2020
  • “Let us silence the cries of death, no more wars! Since we need bread, not guns. Let the abortion and killing of innocent lives end. May the hearts of those who have enough be open to filling the empty hands of those who do not have the bare necessities.” @Pontifex 11 April 2020
  • “Tonight we acquire a fundamental right: the right to hope. It is a new and living hope that comes from God. It is not mere optimism; it is a gift from heaven, which we could not have earned on our own.” @Pontifex 11 April 2020
  • “In this night, the Church’s voice rings out: “Christ, my hope, is risen!”. This is a different “contagion”, a message transmitted from heart to heart – for every human heart awaits this Good News. It is the contagion of hope: “Christ, my hope, is risen!”.” @Pontifex 12 April 2020
  • “Dear brothers and sisters, Indifference, self-centredness, division and forgetfulness are not words we want to hear at this time. We want to ban these words for ever! Message@Pontifex 12 April 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for government leaders, scientists and politicians who are beginning to study a way out of the pandemic, though its ”aftermath“ has already begun. May they find the right way, always for the good of their people.” @Pontifex 13 April 2020
  • “We will either bet on life, in favor of the resurrection of our people, or we will bet on the god of money, turning back to the tomb of hunger, slavery, war, the making of weapons, of children without an education. #HomilySantaMarta Santa Maria Mass – YouTube@Pontifex 13 April 2020
  • “In the #GospelOfTheDay we hear that the women proclaimed Jesus’ Resurrection to the disciples. Today I would like to remember the efforts that so many women make to take care of others, even during this health crisis.” @Pontifex 13 April 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether that the Lord might give us the grace of unity among us. In these difficulties times, may He allow us to discover the communion that binds us and the unity which is greater than any division. Santa Maria Mass – YouTube@Pontifex 14 April 2020
  • “To repent means returning to faithfulness. Today let us ask for the grace to look beyond our own security, and to be faithful even before the tomb and the collapse of so many illusions. Remaining faithful is not easy. May the Lord keep us faithful. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 14 April 2020
  • “Jesus’ resurrection shows us that death does not have the last world; life does. Christ has been raised, so it is possible to have a positive outlook on every event of our existence, even the most difficult ones and those charged with anguish and uncertainty.” @Pontifex 14 April 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for the elderly, especially those who are isolated or in rest homes and are afraid of dying alone. They are our roots. They gave us the faith, tradition, and a sense of belonging. Let us pray that the Lord might be near to them.” @Pontifex 15 April 2020
  • “God’s faithfulness is a patient fidelity to His people. God listens, guides, explains slowly, and kindles the heart as He did with the two disciples who had traveled far from Jerusalem: He made their hearts burn so they would return home. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 15 April 2020
  • “They are called children of God who have learned the art of peace and exercise it, knowing that there is no reconciliation without the gift of one’s own life, and that peace must be sought always and in every situation. #Beatitudes #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 15 April 2020

Papal Instagram

Planet of the Dead – The Secrets of Doctor Who

The Doctor meets … Lara Croft? Jimmy Akin, Dom Bettinelli, and Fr. Cory Sticha explore this Easter encounter between the Doctor and a woman who seems a lot like the famous tomb raider as they get flung to a distant planet on a London double-decker.

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Lethe (DIS) – The Secrets of Star Trek

When Sarek is injured on a diplomatic mission, his mental link to estranged adopted daughter Michael is his lifeline. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli examine the selective memory and the unseen sacrifices that parents sometimes make for their children.

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Evidence for Reincarnation? (& Bridey Murphy) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

Continuing their discussion of reincarnation, Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli look at the Bridey Murphy case to see if her memories match the historical record and can’t be explained in a natural way, then examine what the faith perspective has to say about past lives.

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Mysterious Headlines

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Reincarnation (& Bridey Murphy) – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World

Reincarnation has been a part of many cultures for millennia and became popular in America in the 1950s due to one dramatic story. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli examine the claims about reincarnation, the evidence proffered for it, and the 1950s Bridey Murphy craze.

Don’t forget to leave us your Mysterious Episode 100 feedback by calling 720-295-7776 and leaving a voicemail.

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Mysterious Headlines

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The Weekly Francis – 08 April 2020

This version of The Weekly Francis covers material released in the last week from 29 March 2020 to 8 April 2020.

Angelus

General Audiences

Homilies

Messages

Papal Tweets

  • “These days of pain and sadness are bringing many hidden problems in society to the surface. We ask St Teresa of Calcutta to reawaken in us the sense of nearness to so many persons who are hidden in normal life, such as the homeless. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex 2 April 2020
  • “May our Christian existence be like that of our father Abraham: aware of having been chosen, joyful in moving toward a promise, and faithful in fulfilling the covenant. #HomilySantaMarta Santa Marta Mass@Pontifex 2 April 2020
  • “Let us #PrayTogether for the difficulties that families are encountering in these days with children with #autism, and all persons with disabilities” @Pontifex 2 April 2020
  • “Video” @Pontifex 2 April 2020
  • “There are some who are already thinking about after the epidemic, and all the problems that will arise regarding poverty, work, hunger. Let us #PrayTogether for all the people who are helping today, but who are also thinking about how to help all of us tomorrow.” @Pontifex 3 April 2020
  • “It would be good to stop a moment this Friday to think about the sorrow of Mary,the Sorrowful Mother,and to say ”thank you for accepting to be our Mother“.In the motherhood of Our Lady we see the Church’s maternity which welcomes everyone.#HomilySantaMarta Santa Marta Mass – YouTube@Pontifex 3 April 2020
  • “Today I would like to thank all new mothers who confront understandable fears. Thank you, as well, to those who affectionately and competently support them. The children born during this time of the #coronavirus are a sign of great hope.” @Pontifex 3 April 2020
  • “Dear friends, good evening! This evening I have the chance to enter your homes in a different way than usual. If you allow me, I would like to have a conversation with you for a few moments Santa Marta Mass – YouTube@Pontifex 3 April 2020
  • “In these painful times, people think of doing many good things. But others think of how they can take advantage of the situation to profit personally from it. Let us #PrayTogether that the Lord might grant an upright, transparent conscience to all of us.” @Pontifex 4 April 2020
  • “We should adopt the habit of examining the process of temptation in ourselves, which changes our hearts from good to bad: How did the process begin in my soul? How did it grow?… May the Holy Spirit enlighten us to have this interior awareness. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 4 April 2020
  • “By ourselves, we cannot remove the dust that sullies our hearts. Only Jesus, who knows and loves our heart, can heal it. #Lent is a time of healing” @Pontifex 4 April 2020
  • “#PrayTogether Palm Sunday Video Image@Pontifex 4 April 2020
  • “This astonishes us: God saved us by taking upon himself all the punishment of our sins. Without complaining, but with the humility, patience and obedience of a servant, and purely out of love. #PalmSunday” @Pontifex 5 April 2020
  • “The Father upheld Jesus in his service. He did not take away the evil that crushed him, but rather strengthened him in his suffering so that our evil could be overcome by good, by a love that loves to the very end. #PalmSunday Homily@Pontifex 5 April 2020
  • “Jesus experienced total abandonment in a situation he had never before experienced in order to be one with us in everything. He did it for me, for you, to say to us: “Do not be afraid, you are not alone. I experienced all your desolation in order to be ever close to you”.” @Pontifex 5 April 2020
  • “God saved us by serving us. We often think we are the ones who serve God. No, he is the one who freely chose to serve us, for he loved us first. It is difficult to love and not be loved in return. And it is even more difficult to serve if we do not let ourselves be served by God.” @Pontifex 5 April 2020
  • “Dear young people, feel called yourselves to put your lives on the line. Do not be afraid to devote your life to God and to others; it pays!For life is a gift we receive only when we give ourselves away, and our deepest joy comes from saying yes to love, without ifs and buts #WYD” @Pontifex 5 April 2020
  • “In those prisons that are overcrowded, there is the danger that this pandemic will end up as a grave tragedy. Let us #PrayTogether for those responsible, for those who must make decisions, so that they might find a correct and creative way to resolve this problem.” @Pontifex 6 April 2020
  • “We will be judged on our relationship with the poor. When Jesus says, ”The poor you will always have with you“, he is saying, ”I will always be with you in the poor; I will be present there“. This is at the center of the Gospel, so much so that we will be judged on it.” @Pontifex 6 April 2020
  • “The tragedy we are experiencing summons us to take seriously the things that are serious, and not to be caught up in those that matter less; to rediscover that life is of no use if not used to serve others. For life is measured by love.” @Pontifex 6 April 2020
  • “In these days of #Lent, we’ve been witnessing the persecution that Jesus underwent and how He was judged ferociously, even though He was innocent. Let us #PrayTogether today for all those persons who suffer due to an unjust sentence because of someone had it in for them.” @Pontifex 7 April 2020
  • “There are always times in life when we fall, each one of us is a sinner. But what matters is our attitude before God. We ask for the grace to persevere in service and, when we fall, the grace to weep as Peter wept. #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 7 April 2020
  • “In these holy days let us stand before the Crucified One and let us ask for the grace to live in order to serve. May we reach out to those who are suffering and those most in need. May we not be concerned about what we lack, but what good we can do for others.” @Pontifex 7 April 2020
  • “Let us pray today for the people doing business with those in need during this pandemic, who seek to profit from the needs of others and ”sell“ them. May the Lord touch and convert their hearts. #PrayTogether” @Pontifex 8 April 2020
  • “Let’s think of the little Judas that we all have within ourselves. Every one of us is capable of choosing between loyalty and self-interest. We are each capable of betraying, of selling, of making choices based on our own interests. Where are you, Judas? #HomilySantaMarta” @Pontifex 8 April 2020
  • “From the open heart of the Crucified one, God’s love reaches each one of us. Let us allow His gaze to rest on us. We will understand that we are not alone, but loved, for the Lord does not abandon us and He never, ever forgets us. #GeneralAudience” @Pontifex 8 April 2020

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