Learning to be Quick to Listen

Pope Francis announced after his Sunday Angelus that he would hold a Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals on 8 December 2024, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception , in the Vatican. The Consistory, set to take place with representatives from all over the world, will fall before the opening of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope and after the conclusion of the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican. Pope Francis' most recent consistory to create new Cardinals had taken place ahead of the First Session of the Synod on Synodality on September 30, 2023.The Holy Father pointed out that the Cardinal-elects hail from around the world. "Their origins," he said, "expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God's merciful love to all people on earth. Their inclusion in the Diocese of Rome also manifests the inseparable bond between the See of Peter and the particular Churches spread throughout the world." Moreover, he asked t...

I thought the reading from the Original Testament today was very interesting. The reading from Jeremiah certainly is closely linked to the Year of the Priest, as recently proclaimed by Pope Benedict. The message to the Church is very clear. I am sure as priests prepared their sermons for Mass, they took special care to heed the message. The scripture focuses on bad leadership but also followership. On the surface, it is clear but can we dig deeper? What about our leaders who are not commenting on worldly things? What about those that avoid the difficult topics from the pulpit? What about those that divide the world into the spiritual and earthly? Do they not also intend to "destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture"? Are we as followers called by God to be "shepherds over them who will care for them"? Are you allowing yourself to be led down the wrong path? Are you part of the flock that is being scattered? The devil loves it when we do his work for him. The Churc...