We attended Mass today at San Carlo ai Cantenari (Charles Borremeo), which is immediately next door to the Domus - literally ten steps away! It is a beautiful church with several unique and beautiful paintings. After some free time, we had class with Fr. Fredrick Bechina, FSO who is the undersecretary at the congregation for Catholic Education.
Some of the points we gleamed from Father's class include:
- The Religious is unique in the world: she has a universal view of the Church, but her feet are on the ground in daily apostolic efforts. However, even cloistered Sisters share this ability to know tangible and specific details, and brings the world to prayer.
- Religious have a prophetic mission. They make love tangible. Religious must therefore be more exposed to the world today, so people can touch us and see and believe that the gospel is true.
- Father showed how the last three popes, St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis share the whole doctrine of the Church, and their approaches are different, but work together and must remain together. John Paul II went out to the people, to help them rediscover the joy of the Universal church. Benedict XVI could explain the “why” of the faith – why it is reasonable to believe in love. Pope Francis is teaching us to move to the periphery and wants us to experience love. Without reason, love can go astray. Without love, reason can wither. Love is with doctrine, not against it.
A painting of the death of St. Ann (in San Carlo ai Canternari)
Holy Hour with Fr. Bechina
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