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Where was Jesus Born?
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Where was Jesus Born? Tradition has always made reference to a cave in Bethlehem. More recently some scholars reflecting almost exclusively on the Greek word "kataluma", translated normally with "inn" (Lk 2:7), have come to a new interpretation. This word among other meanings can also point to a "guest room". Therefore, they conclude, since the guest room was already busy, Mary and Joseph were put up instead in the living room, together with all family and the animals. It would have been inconceivable that Joseph had not found a relative in that city to host him and his pregnant wife. The final conclusion is that Jesus' birth was all natural, nothing to be preserved from indiscreet eyes. But if we read that word in its context, we understand that there was a "sign" given to the Shepherds to be carefully investigated in order to recognise the Saviour, Christ the Lord. The Shepherds arrived and found Mary, Joseph and the Baby in a manger (Lk 2:16). To understand the mystery hidden in that manger, they had to go through Our Lady and through her virginity. The cave in its austerity and seclusion secured the virginal birth of Christ and made the Shepherds feel at home, so as to be able to become evangelists of that Good News! There was a mystery to keep.
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Is Christian Salvation Individual or Social? Discussing Catholicism's Fundamental Stand
16:11|The 1930s saw a frequent objection made to Christianity: since salvation is personal, Christianity would easily pave the way for individualism, where every Christian looks for his own happiness, forgetting all others. Henri de Lubac wrote "Catholicism" (1937) to reply to this objection by making the point of "social Catholicism." However, few years later, this concept, though well grounded in the Church Fathers, became ideologically ridden, so as to affirm that Faith and its celebration were merely social. What about today? Whilst it seems very odd to preach about saving one's soul, a 'communal salvation' has led to prioritise social issues, such as building up a more human society and ecology (detached from Christ). A strong Marxist component is now facing the Church from within. What is then salvation? The unity and the trinity of the Triune God should be reflected in this discorse. Saving souls is still the supreme law of the Church.
The Humility to see God in this little Child, and in Him your very self
15:29|In this homily given on Christmas Day, Fr Serafino reflects on the mystery of the Word made flesh. The very difference between any philosophy, any natural religion, and Christianity is that the Word spoke and is made flesh. Incarnation is a gift not a right, as grace is a gift and never a right. Yet, in today's Church, as in the society, grace seems to be a right. Even blessings have become a human right. Christmas celebrated with faith and love is the way to regain the concept of 'gratuitous love,' by which we are mad creatures and Christians.
The Co-redemptive Mission of St Francis
45:24|St Francis of Assisi heard the word of the Crucifix: "Go Francis and repair my Church." Only at the third church he arrived with the intention of refurbishing it, St Mary of the Angels, the Poverello understood the correct meaning of that mission: he had to build up the Body of Christ, purchased by Our Lord with his Blood. At the Portiuncula, St Francis was identified with the Mother of God to "give birth unto the spirit of Gospel truth" (St. Bonaventure). That was the beginning, a sort of Franciscan Annunciation. St. Francis, then, identified with Our Lady Co-redemptrix, gave life, as another Christ Crucified on La Verna, to the Church by generating Christ into many souls as well as into society and culture. The point is Co-redemption.
Go Francis & Repair my Church which is falling down
50:51|In this podcast Fr Serafino M. Lanzetta explores the historical and theological meaning of St Francis' Mission for the Church. There are quite a few similarities between the Church at the time of St Francis and the Church of today. It seems that one same heresy binds together that time and ours: pauperism, i.e., poverty seen as an end and no longer as a means. This led to overlap the institution and the charism. The institution had to be charismatic, forged by poverty, while the charism became the way of the Church replacing doctrine and dogma. Precisely what happens today. That's why St. Francis needs to come back.
Co-redemption: why is so relevant for our lives?
38:22|In this podcast, Fr Serafino presents the truth about Our Lady's unique cooperation in our salvation. This cooperation can be defined as co-redemption. The 'co' does not express equality but company; the fact that Our Lady is with Christ, though under Him in offering the one price of our salvation. St. Francis of Assisi's mission was in fact co-redemtpive as well as St. Pio of Pietrelcina's, just to mention two Saints. How could they continue the work of Christ in time if there is no co-participation in His salvation? And if there was no active participation of Our Lady on Calvary on behalf of all the Saints? There would simply be a void between Christ and us. And yet, Christian life is co-redemption!PS The delve more into this mystery, you can watch our recent Marian Conference on this topic: https://www.themarianfranciscans.org/coredemptrix-symposium
Our Lady's Humility and Purity. Which comes first?
47:28|Fr Serafino in this podcast explores the relationship between two fundamentals virtues, humility and purity, by contemplating them as one, though distinct, in Our Lady's life. And yet the question: which one comes first? St Bernard and St Bonaventure have their say. And we follow it.
Faith precedes the Pope as Christ precedes the Church
16:07|In the Gospel of St Luke (5:1-11) Jesus teaches the multitude pressing upon him from Simon's ship. It's Jesus who appointed Peter to be the foundation rock of the Church. However, not as a private person with his own ideas and convictions, but as the one who professes the Faith of the Church: "You are the Son of the living God." Faith comes first. Peter depends on the faith and not the other way round. Moreover, only after teaching the people, Our Lord commanded to Peter: "launch out into the deep" and "let down your nets for a catch". Evangelisation comes only after a clear teaching. If the doctrine is wobbling, or even put aside for the sake of pastoral care (as it is with the recent Synod on Synodality), the outreach is void.
Our Lady's Virginity as reflection of God's Purity
36:40|Fr Serafino speaks about the relationship between the Triune God and Our Lady, laid out by the mystery of Mary's Virginity, reflection in our creation of God's Purity. Purity in God is the expression of his being: God cannot but be and be necessarily a communion of love. In Our Lady there is a finite but perfect manifestation of God's infinite perfection. This created perfection, which makes Mary resemble the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, is Mary's purity, lived out by Her as perpetual virginity. When the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation assented to God with Her Fiat, She publicly made manifest her intimate relationship with the Triune God. By the power of the Holy Spirit, She became the Mother of the Son, virginally generated as He is purely generated by the Father since eternity. The analogy here is breathtaking!
Divine Mercy and Divine Justice are one
25:30|In this episode we explore the true meaning of God's mercy. This to avoid two extremes: rigorism, which excludes mercy for the sake of justice and laxism, even more spread in our days, which refuses justice for the sake of mercy. Justice and mercy cannot be set one against the other for the fact that, according to St Bonaventure, whatever God does is done by virtu of the abundance of His goodness. Therefore, for the Seraphic Doctor, while justice is "the fittingness of divine good", mercy is "the abundance of divine goodness." Justice is the presupposition, mercy the completion. There can never be mercy without justice, nor justice without mercy.