L
LMP
Guest
From: Oct 2, 2008 Pope Benedict XVI’s address to the participants of the international congress “Humanae Vitae: Current Importance and Prophecy of an Encyclical,” at the Catholic University of Rome.
(zenit.org/article-23797?l=english))
“At a distance of 40 years since the publication of the encyclical (Humanae Vitae), we can better understand how decisive this
light is to understand the great “yes” that conjugal love implies. In this light, children are no longer the object of a human project,
but recognized as a genuine gift to receive, with an attitude of responsible generosity before God, first source of human life. This great “yes” to the beauty of love certainly entails gratitude, both of the parents on receiving the gift of a child, and of the child
himself on knowing that his life has its origin in such great and receptive love.”
My comments:
In the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, Mary’s “father was named Joachim, and her mother Anna.” Her parent’s married life was “right before the Lord, and…pious before men.” This gospel says that Mary’s parents were unable to conceive children, “for about twenty years they lived in their own house, a chaste married
life, without having any children.” Yet, Joachim and Mary remained in constant hope that the gift of children would eventually come to them. They did not waver in their love for
God, nor waver in their actions even when discouraged. With a united heart always focused squarely on the Lord who blessed them to each other, “they (together) vowed that, should the Lord happen to give them offspring, they would deliver it to the service of the Lord…”
What great devotional love! To be wishing and hoping for a whole of twenty years and then to turn around and vow to RETURN their gift–the very gift that they so much desired with all their whole beings–BACK to God…and with full thanksgiving, yet! This should just blow every reader away! This depth of understanding! This great love for God! (It humbles me and
makes me feel so inferior.) And this they willingly vowed, even BEFORE God sent his angel with their happy news!
God sent angelic messengers to Mary’s parents after the high temple priest had ridiculed Joachim for–obviously–being unworthy and cursed by God as if this was the sure cause for
his childlessness. The angel declared to Joachim, “For He (God) has seen your shame, and has heard the reproach of unfruitfulness which has been unjustly brought against you. For God is the avenger of sin, not of nature: and, therefore, when He shuts up the womb of any one, He does so that He may miraculously open it again; so that that which is born may be
acknowledged to be not of lust, but of the gift of God.”
There you have it. As the Pope repeated, also, children ARE a gift from God. Plain and clear. Any other thought to the contrary…pity that poor thinker!
It was this whole nurturing framework of a God-fearing family unit that Mary, the Mother of God’s Son, was born into and raised to
maturity. Without this awe-inspiring circle of love, Mary may not have been able to say “Behold the hand-maiden of the Lord.” Yes, children know if they are loved or not. And yes, having love or not, does affect them and their actions. The love of Mary’s parents then became Mary’s love. Thanks be to God!
Pray that the whole world will acknowledge every little life from God as His gift and act according to this belief.
(zenit.org/article-23797?l=english))
“At a distance of 40 years since the publication of the encyclical (Humanae Vitae), we can better understand how decisive this
light is to understand the great “yes” that conjugal love implies. In this light, children are no longer the object of a human project,
but recognized as a genuine gift to receive, with an attitude of responsible generosity before God, first source of human life. This great “yes” to the beauty of love certainly entails gratitude, both of the parents on receiving the gift of a child, and of the child
himself on knowing that his life has its origin in such great and receptive love.”
My comments:
In the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, Mary’s “father was named Joachim, and her mother Anna.” Her parent’s married life was “right before the Lord, and…pious before men.” This gospel says that Mary’s parents were unable to conceive children, “for about twenty years they lived in their own house, a chaste married
life, without having any children.” Yet, Joachim and Mary remained in constant hope that the gift of children would eventually come to them. They did not waver in their love for
God, nor waver in their actions even when discouraged. With a united heart always focused squarely on the Lord who blessed them to each other, “they (together) vowed that, should the Lord happen to give them offspring, they would deliver it to the service of the Lord…”
What great devotional love! To be wishing and hoping for a whole of twenty years and then to turn around and vow to RETURN their gift–the very gift that they so much desired with all their whole beings–BACK to God…and with full thanksgiving, yet! This should just blow every reader away! This depth of understanding! This great love for God! (It humbles me and
makes me feel so inferior.) And this they willingly vowed, even BEFORE God sent his angel with their happy news!
God sent angelic messengers to Mary’s parents after the high temple priest had ridiculed Joachim for–obviously–being unworthy and cursed by God as if this was the sure cause for
his childlessness. The angel declared to Joachim, “For He (God) has seen your shame, and has heard the reproach of unfruitfulness which has been unjustly brought against you. For God is the avenger of sin, not of nature: and, therefore, when He shuts up the womb of any one, He does so that He may miraculously open it again; so that that which is born may be
acknowledged to be not of lust, but of the gift of God.”
There you have it. As the Pope repeated, also, children ARE a gift from God. Plain and clear. Any other thought to the contrary…pity that poor thinker!
It was this whole nurturing framework of a God-fearing family unit that Mary, the Mother of God’s Son, was born into and raised to
maturity. Without this awe-inspiring circle of love, Mary may not have been able to say “Behold the hand-maiden of the Lord.” Yes, children know if they are loved or not. And yes, having love or not, does affect them and their actions. The love of Mary’s parents then became Mary’s love. Thanks be to God!
Pray that the whole world will acknowledge every little life from God as His gift and act according to this belief.