Deus Caritas Est - Pope Benedict's 1st Encyclical is out!

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I have only read a bit, but I put it in my favorites list so I can continue later, when I have more time. I was particularly taken by this part:
The love-story between God and man consists in the very fact that this communion of will increases in a communion of thought and sentiment, and thus our will and God’s will increasingly coincide: God’s will is no longer for me an alien will, something imposed on me from without by the commandments, but it is now my own will, based on the realization that God is in fact more deeply present to me than I am to myself.[10] Then self- abandonment to God increases and God becomes our joy (cf. Ps 73 [72]:23-28).
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I think it is beautiful so far. At first I was worried about an encyclical on love. Our culture has really warped that word. I know that when I was in school, we were all told how much God loves us. That was about it. God loves you and that is all you need to know. This encyclical shows what it means for us to love God back. What God’s love for man really means. I kept thinking about the part in the Maronite Liturgy where it is said “You have united, O Lord, your divinity with our humanity, and our humanity with your divinity, your life with our mortality, and our mortality with your life.” (sorry if that’s a bit wrong, but that’s the general idea) This encyclical is opening up that concept for me. I can’t wait to see what everyone else here has to say about it.
 
And its translated into English instead of Ameican - YES!
:bowdown2: :bowdown2: :bowdown2:

Thank you Pope Benedict :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:
 
I’ve only gotten to number 6, but it’s incredible stuff. I’m glad that the encyclical can be read by the non-scholar; Benedict did a great job with that.

Thank you, papa, for being our spritual father and showing us the way. Keep those encyclicals coming!

CathChemNerd
 
Cool!!! Something to study this weekend at the boat factory. Vielen Dank, Papa!!!

DaveBj
 
I just finished reading it. Absolutely incredible Encyclical from our Holy Father. Now if I can only live it.
 
I’m through the first half. Absolutlely LOVE IT!!!
(That’s an Eros love,not Agape)
🙂
Josh
 
Just reading the first paragraphs for today… I can’t wait til tomorrow, and the day after that. :cool:

The first thing to catch my attention is that Pope Benedict has dropped the royal “We”:
His Holiness:
Deswegen möchte **ich **in meiner ersten Enzyklika von der Liebe sprechen,…

For this reason,** I** wish in my first Encyclical to speak of the love which God…

Por eso, en **mi **primera Encíclica deseo hablar del amor, del cual Dios nos colma

Per questo nella **mia **prima Enciclica desidero parlare dell’amore,
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The latin retains the royal “We”, but the Pope did not write the Encyclical in latin.

Ah, well! What matters is the substance of his letter, which I’m sure will be talked about for a very long time.

Viva el Papa!
 
Just finished. This really jumped out at me, from paragraph 37:
When people claim to build a case against God in defence of man, on whom can they depend when human activity proves powerless?
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i’m finding it difficult to keep my interest. i wish i didn’t have the attention span of a chimp. anyone else having a hard time reading it?
 
acctually, the more i read it, the easier it is to become interested. it’s some really good stuff!!
 
Thanks heaps for the link. Printing it and looking forward to reading it!

Thank you!..Peace…Barb:)
 
oat soda:
i’m finding it difficult to keep my interest. i wish i didn’t have the attention span of a chimp. anyone else having a hard time reading it?
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I’m not having difficulty reading it. Remember this encyclical was not written in a day…I am not speed reading through it…I am taking just a section or two at a time and digesting…and contemplating…try this and you too will get through it and be fed!
So far so good…I am thankful to be fed.
I will return when I’ve finished. 🙂
 
I just finished it. It is absolutely beautiful, and a wonderful way to start off his papacy. In particular, the Holy Father’s tribute to Our Lady at the end as the embodiment of true Love, both of God and of man, is one of the most moving descriptions of Mary that I have ever read. I was particularly amazed that he seemed to compose a small hymn or poem to Our Lady at the very end. I assume that Benedict XVI wrote this himself, because I have never read anything like it before.

Deo gratias!
 
Read half and am very impressed and enlightened and somewhat afire from The Holy Father’s words…altho I have not understood every statement, but its a first read and am looking forward to I hope discussion about it. The bulk of it to date I have found in most places easy to understand. I am impressed with the historical overview The Holy Father has given of eros and agape (and in a positive light!) more or less as The Church evolved in each particular time. It is the first time I have read such a clear document winding eros and agape into one…not entirely separate.

I will come back at some point with the difficult passages and ask for assistance with them…of your generosity and insight…

Peace…Barb
 
I am so very satisfied!..LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!
This 1st Encyclical is sweet with the fragrance, taste and vision of LOVE!


…complete with rich reminders of those perfect saintly examples from lovers of God…:love:
 
There are several articles out that are actual comments on the encyclical, which I have bookmarked, but not as yet got around to reading.

I have finished the actual encyclical and I was stunned!..overwhelmed by it! I found the second half easy to follow and just a very few areas of not comprehending in the first half…but I’ll be going back to those and researching and if I cannot still discern, will ask assistance of these Forums.

I think it will be a highly esteemed and much quoted and referred to encyclical long after most of us have moved on.

Peace…Barb
 
Beautiful words and a profound understanding of the Love of God!

It is now the duty of every Christian, whatever the label, to put the words into practice, then the World can be healed.
 
…by the way,

we need to stop arguing about who or what comprises the ‘True Church’, the true church are those who love as God loves in spirit and in truth.
 
One thing I thought was interesting was that he basically called Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta a saint twice. Do we have an impending canonization? Hmmmmm…

Did anyone else notice this?

No. 18: “…The saints—consider the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta—constantly renewed their capacity for love of neighbour from their encounter with the Eucharistic Lord, and conversely this encounter acquired its real- ism and depth in their service to others.”

No. 40: “… The figures of saints such as Francis of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, John of God, Camillus of Lellis, Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, Giuseppe B. Cottolengo, John Bosco, Luigi Orione, Teresa of Calcutta to name but a few—stand out as lasting models of social charity for all people of good will. The saints are the true bearers of light within history, for they are men and women of faith, hope and love.”
 
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