• The Importance of Wonder

The 20th century poet T.S Eliot wrote, “the child wonders at the Christmas Tree … let him continue in the spirit of wonder …  so that the reverence and the gaiety may not be forgotten in later experience, or in the bored habituation, the fatigue, the tedium, the awareness of death, the consciousness of failure, or the piety of the convert,  … let him continue in the spirit of wonder, so that before the end, the accumulated memories of annual emotion, may be concentrated into a great joy … because the beginning shall remind us of the end, and the first coming of the second coming”.

T.S Eliot was aware of how cynical and oppressed the tragedies of the world can make us, but he was also aware of our longing for something more than this world. He knew that the earth reflects a beauty and a joy whose origins surpass it. Like children, therefore, let us allow ourselves to be in awe! Let us allow ourselves to marvel with a keen and sensitive heart. The rest will follow suit!

• As with all Christian celebrations, at its heart, Advent is a time in which God continues to give Himself to us! But on our part, as human beings, what does it take for us to fully and authentically ‘receive’? 

Reflecting upon this, the German philosopher Joseph Pieper concludes that, “there can be no festivity when man, imagining himself self-sufficient, refuses to recognize that Goodness of things which goes far beyond any conceivable utility; it is the Goodness of reality taken as a whole which validates all other particular goods and which man himself can never produce nor simply translate into social or individual “welfare”. He truly receives it (God’s love and goodness) only when he accepts it as pure gift”.

Certain objects of this world cannot be made or seen as tools for us to simply use. Rather, they need to be appreciated for their own sake. In this, we can slowly discover that they are gifts given to us freely. This is what love does, after all. It gives freely. And it is only when we see creation as a free and pure gift given to us by God, that we can feel truly loved by God and understand what creation truly is.

• Seeing desires as pathways to God

In the words of St Augustine, “the entire life of a good Christian is a holy desire. What you desire, however, you don’t yet see. But by desiring you are made large enough, so that, when there comes what you should see, you may be filled”.

Augustine reminds us that desires are signs that need to be prudently understood and interpreted.  But desires are also bridges. In desiring beauty, we reach out to it. In desiring love, we seek it. This is all good, because God wants to us to be filled. And so, let us not tire to ask, to beg, to be open, to yearn! And in doing so, let us try to turn to God as well. Augustine knew too well that, ultimately, only God can fully and completely satisfy us.

• No wounds are too big for God

In one his poems St. Thomas More wrote, “Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal”.

Advent is a space in which Heaven can continue to penetrate and cultivate the earth. The earth is not fully separate from heaven, the two are not completely distinct. Indeed, in fact, the glory of earth is realised when God (heaven itself) is made one with it! This all culminates in the God-man; in Jesus himself, in him, the heaven and the earth are one.

• We’re all, in our unique ways, a faint image of God 

C.S Lewis, iconically known for crafting the Narnia book Series, noted that “we cannot conceive how the Divine Spirit dwelled within the created and human spirit of Jesus…. but what we can understand is that our own existence is a faint image of the Divine Incarnation itself… the same theme in a very minor key”.

We already harbour traces of God within us, and this can be discovered by us if we reflected deeply upon certain capacities and desires that we experience. Our nature, in its deepest core, longs for beauty, for love, for goodness, for truth – these are God’s fingerprints.

• Let yourself be perfected!

Finally, this Advent, with St. Theresa of Avila, let us express our humility and open our self to God’s healing grace. Time and again, St. Theresa prayed,

“I want to keep Advent in my soul, that is, a continual longing and waiting for this great Mystery wherein You, O Word, became flesh to show me the abyss of your redeeming sanctifying mercy….Come, O Lord, come! I too wish to run to You with love, but alas! My love is so limited, weak, and imperfect! Make it strong and generous; enable me to overcome myself, so that I can give myself entirely to You… What a consolation it will be, O Lord, at the moment of death to think that we shall be judged by Him whom we have loved above all things!”

Read more:

Astronomy and Faith – Universe of Faith

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Beauty Quote 1 – Anne Frank 

“Beauty remains, even in misfortune.”
Anne Frank

Beauty Quote 2 – The Bible

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (see image below)
1 Peter 3:3-4

Beauty Quote 3 – The Bible

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30

Beauty Quote 4 – Pope Francis

“Dear artists, in a special way you are “guardians of beauty in our world.”
Pope Francis, Greetings to the artists of the Christmas concert in the Vatican, 12th December 2020

Beauty Quote 5 – Pope Paul 6th

“This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. It is beauty, like truth, which brings joy to the heart of man and is that precious fruit which resists the wear and tear of time, which unites generations and makes them share things in admiration.”
Pope Paul 6th, Address to artists, 8th December 1965

Beauty Quotes

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The post Beauty Quotes appeared first on Universe of Faith.

1. The Church in favour of science

“The Church and her Pastors are not opposed to true and solid science, whether human or divine, but that they embrace it, encourage it, and promote it with the fullest possible dedication.”
Pope Leo 13th, Vatican Observatory, 1891

2. Science is a gift

“Art along with science is the highest gift God has given [man]”.
Pope Benedict 16th (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), Interview with Peter Seewald – The Salt of the Earth (book), 1997

3. Science and religion need each other

“Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.”
Pope John Paul 2nd, Letter to Director of the Vatican Observatory, 1988

4. The Church does not forbid the doctrine of evolution

“The teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions . . . take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter—[but] the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God.”
Pope Pius 12th, Humani Generis, 1950, 36

5. The Big Bang Theory is not in conflict with the notion of Creation

“The Big Bang theory, which is proposed today as the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of a divine creator but depends on it. Evolution in nature does not conflict with the notion of Creation, because evolution presupposes the creation of beings who evolve.”
Pope Francis, I Believe: The Promise of the Creed (book), 2016

6. There is no discrepancy between faith and reason

“Though faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between faith and reason. Since the same God who reveals mysteries and infuses faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, God cannot deny himself, nor can truth ever contradict truth.”
 Catechism of the Catholic Church 159

 Read more:
– Famous Catholic Astronomers 

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Pope Francis has made it a priority during his papacy to visit prisons and talk about them. Here are ten of his quotes. 

1. Improve living conditions

“With regard to prisoners, it would appear that in many cases practical measures are urgently needed to improve their living conditions, with particular concern for those detained while awaiting trial. It must be kept in mind that penal sanctions have the aim of rehabilitation, while national laws should consider the possibility of other establishing penalties than incarceration.”
Pope Francis, Message for World Day of Peace, 2016 

2. Offer opportunities to prisoners

“It is easier to repress than to educate and, I would say, it is more comfortable too. Denying the injustice present in society and creating these spaces to put offenders is easier than offering equal development opportunities to all citizens.”
Pope Francis, International Meeting of National and Regional Directors of Catholic Prison Ministries, 2019

3. Punishments should have a horizon

“You cannot talk about paying a debt to society from a jail cell without windows. There is no humane punishment without a horizon. No one can change their life if they don’t see a horizon. And so many times we are used to blocking the view of our inmates. Take this image of the windows and the horizon and ensure that in your countries the prisons always have a window and horizon; even a life sentence – which for me is questionable – even a life sentence would have to have a horizon,”
Pope Francis, International Meeting of National and Regional Directors of Catholic Prison Ministries, 2019

4. Whatever a detainee may have done, he remains always beloved by God

“I think of those who are locked up in prison. Jesus has not forgotten them either. By including the act of visiting of those in prison among the works of mercy, he wanted first and foremost to invite us to judge no one. Of course, if someone is in prison it is because he has done wrong, and did not respect the law or civil harmony. Therefore, in prison, he is serving his sentence. However, whatever a detainee may have done, he remains always beloved by God. Who is able to enter the depths of [an inmate’s] conscience to understand what he is experiencing? Who can understand his suffering and remorse? It is too easy to wash our hands, declaring that he has done wrong.”
Pope Francis, General Audience, 9th November 2016

5. Prison can be a place of inclusion

“A place of marginalisation, such as prison, can become a place of inclusion and a stimulus for the whole of society, so that it may be more just and attentive to the people.”
Pope Francis, Address at “Guiseppe Salvia” Detention Centre, 21st March 2015

6. Prison staff can become builders of the future

“To the Prison Police and to the administrative staff, I would like to say thank you. Thank you because your work is hidden, often difficult and unsatisfactory, but essential. Thank you for all the times that you live your service not only as necessary vigilance, but also as a support to those who are weak. I know that it is not easy but when, in addition to being guardians of security, you provide close presence for those who have been ensnared in the nets of evil, you become builders of the future: you lay the foundations for a more respectful coexistence and therefore for a safer society. Thank you because, by doing so, you become, day after day, weavers of justice and hope.”
Pope Francis, Address to Penitentiary Police and Staff, 14th September 2019

7. Prison staff “do not be demotivated”

“I would also like to tell you (Prison Police and the administrative staff) not to be demotivated, even among the tensions that can arise in detention facilities. In your work, everything that makes you feel united is of great help: first of all the support of your families, who are close to you in your labours. And then there is mutual encouragement, sharing among colleagues, which allows us to tackle difficulties together and helps to deal with shortcomings.”
Pope Francis, Address to Peniteniary Police and Staff, 14th September 2019

8. Sometimes people in power abuse of people deprived of freedom

“The deplorable conditions of detention which are observed in various parts of the planet, are often genuinely inhuman and degrading deficiencies, often the result of the penal system, at other times due to the lack of infrastructure and of planning, while in more than a few cases they represent the arbitrary and unscrupulous exercise of power over people deprived of freedom.”
Pope Francis, Address to the International Organisation of Penal Law, 23rd October 2014

9. Some prison deprivations induce mental and physical suffering

“There is always that root: the human capacity for cruelty. This is a passion, a real vice! One form of torture is the one sometimes applied through confinement in high security prisons. With the pretext of offering greater security to society or special treatment for certain categories of prisoners, its main characteristic is none other than external isolation. As shown by studies carried out by various human rights organisations, the lack of sensory stimuli, the total impossibility of communication and the lack of contact with other human beings induce mental and physical suffering such as paranoia, anxiety, depression, weight loss, and significantly increase the suicidal tendency.”
Pope Francis, Address to the International Organisation of Penal Law, 23rd October 2014

10. Tortures and abuses can be stopped with a commitment towards human dignity

“Today torture is not inflicted only as a means of obtaining a specific objective, such as a confession or information — practices which are characteristic of national security doctrine — but is a genuine surplus of pain added to the actual suffering of imprisonment. In this way, torture occurs not only in clandestine detention centres or in modern day concentration camps, but also in prisons, institutes for juveniles, psychiatric hospitals, police stations, and other centres and institutions of detention and punishment. These abuses can only be stopped with the firm commitment of the international community to recognize the primacy of the pro homine principle, meaning the dignity of the human person above everything else.”
Pope Francis, Address to the International Organisation of Penal Law, 23rd October 2014

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1. Do not be afraid of holiness

“Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when he created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self.”
Pope Francis, Joy and Hope, 32, 2018

2. Holiness is for sinners

“Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness.”
Pope Benedict 16th, Audience, 31st Jan 2007

3. Holiness is open for all

“The Church needs saints. All are called to holiness, and holy people alone can renew humanity.”
Pope John Paul 2^nd, World Youth Day, 2004, 7

4. The holiness of youth can heal the wounds of the Church

“Through the holiness of the young, the Church can renew her spiritual ardour and her apostolic vigour. The balm of holiness generated by the good lives of so many young people can heal the wounds of the Church and of the world, bringing us back to that fullness of love to which we have always been called.”
Pope Francis, Christ Is Alive, 2019, 50

5. Holiness is living with love

“To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.”
Pope Francis, Joy and Hope, 2018, 14.

6. Holiness brings out the very best in us

“The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts, rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them.”
Pope Francis, Joy and Hope,  2018, 11

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1. With silent adoration, we get to know the Lord

“One cannot know the Lord without this habit of adoring, of adoring in silence. I believe, if I am not mistaken, this prayer of adoration is the prayer least known by us, it is the one we do the least”, as if it were a “waste of time before the Lord, before the mystery of Jesus Christ”. Instead, we should rediscover “the silence of Adoration: he is the Lord and I adore him”.
Pope Francis, Morning meditation, 20th October 2016

2. Eucharistic adoration is a source of hope

“The rediscovery of prayer in various forms, and particularly Eucharistic Adoration, is a source of hope for the Church to grow and take root.”
Pope Francis, Address, 2^nd December 2016

3. Eucharistic adoration nourishes

“The Christian life needs to be nourished by attentive listening to God’s word and, above all, by the cultivation of a personal relationship with the Lord in Eucharistic adoration, the privileged “place” for our encounter with God.”
Pope Francis, Message, 27^th November 2016

4. Eucharistic adoration opens the way to discover God’s plan

“There is a need for a youth ministry and a vocational promotion that can open the way to discovering God’s plan, above all through prayer, meditation on God’s word, eucharistic adoration and spiritual accompaniment.”
Pope Francis, Message, 31^st January 2019

5. Eucharistic adoration is a powerful weapon against evil

“God’s word invites us clearly to “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:11) and to “quench all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Eph 6:16). These expressions are not melodramatic, precisely because our path towards holiness is a constant battle. Those who do not realise this will be prey to failure or mediocrity. For this spiritual combat, we can count on the powerful weapons that the Lord has given us: faith-filled prayer, meditation on the word of God, the celebration of Mass, Eucharistic adoration, sacramental Reconciliation, works of charity, community life, missionary outreach.”
Pope Francis, Rejoice and Be Glad, 162

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1. The question of death is a question of life

“The question of death is the question of life, and keeping the question of death open, perhaps, is the greatest human responsibility so as to keep the question of life open…But the oblivion of death is also its beginning, and also, a culture that forgets death begins to die within. He who forgets death has already begun to die.”

Pope Francis, Video Message To Young People, Mexico 2019

2. Death affects us all

Death affects us all, and it questions us in a profound way, especially when it touches us closely, or when it takes the little ones, the defenseless in such a way that it seems “scandalous”. I have always been struck by the question: why do children suffer? why do children die? If it is understood as the end of everything, death frightens us, it terrifies us, it becomes a threat that shatters every dream, every promise, it severs every relationship and interrupts every journey.

Pope Francis, Audience, 27^th November 2013

3. Our lives do not end with death

“If we look at the most painful moments of our lives, when we have lost a loved one — our parents, a brother, a sister, a spouse, a child, a friend — we realize that even amid the tragedy of loss, even when torn by separation, the conviction arises in the heart that everything cannot be over, that the good given and received has not been pointless. There is a powerful instinct within us which tells us that our lives do not end with death. This thirst for life found its true and reliable answer in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ Resurrection does not only give us the certainty of life after death, it also illumines the very mystery of the death of each one of us.”

Pope Francis, Audience, 27^th November 2013

4. The one who practices mercy does not fear death

“The one who practices mercy does not fear death. And why does he not fear it? Because he looks death in the face in the wounds of his brothers and sisters, and he overcomes it with the love of Jesus Christ.”

Pope Francis, Audience, 27^th November 2013

5. God will keep us steadfast even in our final passage of death

“Even death is illumined and can be experienced as the ultimate call to faith, the ultimate “Go forth from your land” (Gen 12:1), the ultimate “Come!” spoken by the Father, to whom we abandon ourselves in the confidence that he will keep us steadfast even in our final passage.”

Pope Francis, The Light Of Faith, 56

6. Death is defeated, hope is restored

“Through the Cross of Christ the Evil One is overcome, death is defeated, life is given to us, hope is restored. This is important: through the Cross of Christ hope is restored to us.”

Pope Francis, Angelus, 14^th September 2014

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These Christian Easter messages for Facebook or any other place you deem fit have their text written under each image:

Christian Easter Message 1

“Every crack has the ability to let the light in. We sometimes speak of a crack in our lives, an area where we are struggling or would like to improve.  From God’s point of view we say that this light has the ability to penetrate our deepest darkness.

This is what Easter is all about. Even if we don’t fully understand the Resurrection we know it’s the hinge on which we rest everything. Darkness and evil can never win the battle.

This Easter invite God’s light into all the cracks in your life.”

Fr Paul Formosa sdb

Chrisitan Easter Message 2

“Rejoice! He died but now is risen. If we are not ready to die how can we experience new life?”

Fr Paul Chetcuti SJ

Christian Easter Message 3

Happy Easter. Life is God’s Mystery Cracked Open

Fr Paul Chetcuti SJ

Read more:
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Christmas Message 1

For Unto Us A Child Is Born…
This Christmas let Jesus be the Child within you.
This coming year let Him lead you to what is pure, simple and true.

Fr Paul Chetcuti SJ

Christmas Message 2

The Lord ensures the victory of love
even if our love is so fragile
and fragmented
and even tainted.
Happy Christmas!

Christmas Message 3

Christmas happened because Mary,
a ‘single’ mum, chose
to give birth to a
problematic child.
He turned out to be
God himself.

Paul Chetcuti SJ

Christmas Message 4

“Christmas reminds us
how much God has cared.
He sent his own Son
love and hope to be shared.

Our wish for this Christmas
from us unto you,
is that your hope is restored
and your love’s built anew.”
Merry Christmas!

Christmas
the silence of presence
the light bouncing off silken twigs
the transparency of inner light
the preciousness of fleeting gold
the tenderness of fragile life
the buried grain that soars so high
the formless joy that fills all space
the morning birth that kills the night
singing of hope and trust and love
silently loud, weakly strong
hidden yet seen
a woman, a man, a child
a He… a She… a Me
JESUS the GIFT

Fr Paul Chetcuti SJ

Christian Christmas messages for Facebook

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