The Funny Side

Without God

One Who Has Hope

Making Ourselves Ready

What's it all About?

Painting: Hoffman, Christ and the Rich Young Ruler (detail)

You Were Chosen for This Time

Too Many Frequencies

What Path We Must Take

A New Horizon

Truly Free

Getting Personal

'Only in this personal relationship with Christ, 

only in this encounter with the Risen One, 

do we really become Christians.... 

Therefore, let us pray to the Lord to enlighten us, 

so that, in our world, He will grant us the encounter 

with His presence, and thus give us a lively faith, 

an open heart, and great charity for all, 

capable of renewing the world.'

Pope Benedict XVI, 2008

Painting: Barna da Siena, Mystic Marriage of St Catherine

Encounter

Which Gives Life a New Horizon

'Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea,

 but the encounter with an event, a Person, 

which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.'

Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 2006

Painting: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Conversion on the Way to Damascus (detail)

If I Only Have This

Neither Waves Nor Novelties

'An adult faith 
does not follow 
the waves of fashion 
and the latest novelties.'

Pope Benedict XVI















Painting: Macke, 'Reflection in the Shop Window'

You Were Made For Greatness

'The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. 
You were made for greatness.'

Pope Benedict XVI






Painting: Rosetti, Joan of Arc

In This Time of Preparation

'Silence is so lacking 
in this world 
which is often too noisy, 
which is not favorable 
to recollection and listening 
to the voice of God.  
In this time 
of preparation for Christmas, 
let us cultivate 
interior recollection, 
so as to receive and keep 
Jesus in our lives.'

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

    




Painting: Samuel Halpert, Through the Window

Advent's Intention

'Advent is concerned with 
that very connection 
between memory and hope 
which is so necessary to man. 
Advent's intention is to awaken 
the most profound and emotional 
memory within us; namely, 
the memory of the God Who became a child. 
This is a healing memory; 
it brings hope.... 
It is the beautiful task of Advent 
to awaken in all of us 
memories of goodness 
and thus to open doors of hope.'

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI





Painting: Carl Ernst von Stetten

This Mustard Seed

"I have a 
mustard seed, 
and I am 
not afraid 
to use it."

Pope Benedict XVI








"If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would be able to say to this mountain. 'move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be imposible for you." (Matthew 17:20)

Painting: Helen Allingham, Harvest Moon 

The Bridge

'Human pride and egoism
always create divisions,
build walls of indifference,
hate and violence. 
The Holy Spirit,
on the other hand,
makes hearts capable
of understanding
the languages of all,
as He re-establishes
the bridge
of authentic
communication
between earth and Heaven.'

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI









 









Painting:  John Henry Hill