Globalization and the New Evangelization

Premise: Reopening ourselves to the joy of searching
and to faith as a search for joy

I think it is important to begin our reflection with an appropriate emotional tone, that is, with the right tone, which cannot be other than that of hope and joyous searching. In fact, in this tumultuous time, we want to reflect more deeply on our experience of faith simply because this experience fundamentally makes us happier. In other words, the spiritual experience is nothing other than the liberation and expansion in us of a Spirit who is a Spirit of joy, peace and the capacity to love (Ga. 5:22). Consequently, this experience offers us the most complete fulfillment of the human search for happiness. Only because of this does it draw and continue to draw and fascinate people. [Read more…]

“Certainly we can say that we all feel at the beginning of a new era founded on fidelity to the ancient heritage, that opens upon wonders of real spiritual progress” (John XXIII). [Read more…]

“It is crucial to know ourselves well, but I wouldn’t want to reassure you by this, not even if you arrived in the highest of heavens (…) But I believe that we’ll never know ourselves well, if we don’t try, all together, to know God” (Saint Therese of Jesus).

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“In a period of history in which many structures and life styles are falling into pieces while we are constantly left with nothing but our own personal resources and intuitions, the need of a spiritual direction is becoming more evident. From the idealistic point of view, anybody would benefit from a spiritual guide. However, it would be wrong to believe that there is only one spiritual guide. It is important to start thinking about an entire community or ministry where people help each other, practicing spiritual disciplines, living in a way that makes us sensible to the constant presence of God in our life” (Henry Nouwen). [Read more…]

“If a new era of civilization, a non-savage one, needs to blossom, the most profound need of that era will be the sanctification of  profane life, a fecundation of the socially-temporal existence operated by the spiritual experience, the contemplative energies and fraternal love” (Jacques Maritain). [Read more…]

“The period that lacks its foundation is hanging over an abyss. Granted that there can be a turning point for this period, this can happen only if the world turns upside down, that is, upside down beginning from the abyss” (Martin Heidegger). [Read more…]