The Padre
Posts: 4,558 
Location: Ontario
Location: Ontario
March 10th, 2007, 09:41 PM
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The beatitude, "Blessed are the pure of heart," is an appeal for honesty and humility, the preacher of the papal household told Pope Benedict XVI and top Vatican officials.
Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, leading the traditional Friday Lenten reflection at the Vatican March 9, said that only in the 19th century did people begin equating the phrase of Jesus with "do not commit impure acts."
The opposite of purity of heart, he said, is not impurity but hypocrisy.
In the teaching of Jesus, purity of heart is not a specific virtue, but rather a quality that must accompany all virtues, he said. It is the quality that ensures a good deed or correct attitude is truly a virtue and not a mask or act put on in order to win praise and adulation, he said.
Father Cantalamessa said secular movements for justice and nonviolence use the beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers," but too few people realize the social impact that would come from following the call for purity of heart, a call to live the values one preaches.
In the preaching of Jesus, he said, the harshest criticism is reserved for religious hypocrites.
The papal preacher said the danger of hypocrisy increases as one becomes more pious and more religious and "the reason is simple: Where there is greater esteem for the values of the spirit, of piety, of virtue or even orthodoxy, there also is a greater temptation to show them off."
Father Cantalamessa said that never having found a formula for an examination of conscience that covers hypocrisy, he decided he had to add questions to his own daily accounting: "Have I been a hypocrite? Have I been more concerned with how people see me than with how God sees me?"
The preacher told the pope and Vatican officials that the world would be a better place if everyone kept alive in themselves a yearning for a purity of heart, "for a world that is clean, true, sincere and without either religious or secular hypocrisy, a world in which actions correspond to words, words to thoughts, and the thoughts of human beings to those of God."
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The beatitude, "Blessed are the pure of heart," is an appeal for honesty and humility, the preacher of the papal household told Pope Benedict XVI and top Vatican officials.
Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, leading the traditional Friday Lenten reflection at the Vatican March 9, said that only in the 19th century did people begin equating the phrase of Jesus with "do not commit impure acts."
The opposite of purity of heart, he said, is not impurity but hypocrisy.
In the teaching of Jesus, purity of heart is not a specific virtue, but rather a quality that must accompany all virtues, he said. It is the quality that ensures a good deed or correct attitude is truly a virtue and not a mask or act put on in order to win praise and adulation, he said.
Father Cantalamessa said secular movements for justice and nonviolence use the beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers," but too few people realize the social impact that would come from following the call for purity of heart, a call to live the values one preaches.
In the preaching of Jesus, he said, the harshest criticism is reserved for religious hypocrites.
The papal preacher said the danger of hypocrisy increases as one becomes more pious and more religious and "the reason is simple: Where there is greater esteem for the values of the spirit, of piety, of virtue or even orthodoxy, there also is a greater temptation to show them off."
Father Cantalamessa said that never having found a formula for an examination of conscience that covers hypocrisy, he decided he had to add questions to his own daily accounting: "Have I been a hypocrite? Have I been more concerned with how people see me than with how God sees me?"
The preacher told the pope and Vatican officials that the world would be a better place if everyone kept alive in themselves a yearning for a purity of heart, "for a world that is clean, true, sincere and without either religious or secular hypocrisy, a world in which actions correspond to words, words to thoughts, and the thoughts of human beings to those of God."
March 10th, 2007, 09:53 PM
The preacher told the pope and Vatican officials that the world would be a better place if everyone kept alive in themselves a yearning for a purity of heart, "for a world that is clean, true, sincere and without either religious or secular hypocrisy, a world in which actions correspond to words, words to thoughts, and the thoughts of human beings to those of God."
beautifully put.
The preacher told the pope and Vatican officials that the world would be a better place if everyone kept alive in themselves a yearning for a purity of heart, "for a world that is clean, true, sincere and without either religious or secular hypocrisy, a world in which actions correspond to words, words to thoughts, and the thoughts of human beings to those of God."
beautifully put.
Les
Posts: 6,139
Location: 50 acres in Kootenays BC
Location: 50 acres in Kootenays BC
March 10th, 2007, 10:16 PM
Far as I can tell, my heart consists of pure muscle, pure veins, arteries, pure blood, and pure chambers.
I think what you people are calling "purity of heart", I would call sincerity, like I try my damndest to be as sincere in my principles as I can sorta thing. With me it kinda fits more with being the opposite of hypocritical than "pure of heart" does.
Far as I can tell, my heart consists of pure muscle, pure veins, arteries, pure blood, and pure chambers.
I think what you people are calling "purity of heart", I would call sincerity, like I try my damndest to be as sincere in my principles as I can sorta thing. With me it kinda fits more with being the opposite of hypocritical than "pure of heart" does.
Time Out
Posts: 4,276
Videos: 1
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Videos: 1
Location: Richmond, Virginia
March 10th, 2007, 10:38 PM
Quoting karrie
I liked that part too. Theres another part in the bible I like.......Come to him as a child. To me thats humility, as a child would see the world. I dont know the verse but the older I get th more childlike I become. The preacher told the pope and Vatican officials that the world would be a better place if everyone kept alive in themselves a yearning for a purity of heart, "for a world that is clean, true, sincere and without either religious or secular hypocrisy, a world in which actions correspond to words, words to thoughts, and the thoughts of human beings to those of God."
beautifully put.
beautifully put.
March 10th, 2007, 10:49 PM
Quoting L Gilbert
heeheehee, trust you to nitpick over wording. what would you define as 'purity of heart', if not a purity of the intent of our actions, thus, sincerity? Do you really think that the religious folk are picturing a pumper made of crystal somewhere in the world? lol.
Far as I can tell, my heart consists of pure muscle, pure veins, arteries, pure blood, and pure chambers.
I think what you people are calling "purity of heart", I would call sincerity, like I try my damndest to be as sincere in my principles as I can sorta thing. With me it kinda fits more with being the opposite of hypocritical than "pure of heart" does.
I think what you people are calling "purity of heart", I would call sincerity, like I try my damndest to be as sincere in my principles as I can sorta thing. With me it kinda fits more with being the opposite of hypocritical than "pure of heart" does.
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 10,267
Videos: 3
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
Videos: 3
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
March 10th, 2007, 10:51 PM
It's pressing hard to yearn for a pure heart when your stomach is yearning for a bowl of soup. Anyway the speech from the leech is the emptiest of rhetoric recycled endlessly and never realized.
Hypocricy indeed, one wonders that the papal lump is not in fact cooked on the spot by a bolt of plasma from on high.The clothes on his back would feed a village for a year, the seal on his pinky for a decade, he sleeps between silk sheets and eats the finest of food and has the gall to address purity of heart. I retch in disgustmortal mystification..
It's pressing hard to yearn for a pure heart when your stomach is yearning for a bowl of soup. Anyway the speech from the leech is the emptiest of rhetoric recycled endlessly and never realized.
Hypocricy indeed, one wonders that the papal lump is not in fact cooked on the spot by a bolt of plasma from on high.The clothes on his back would feed a village for a year, the seal on his pinky for a decade, he sleeps between silk sheets and eats the finest of food and has the gall to address purity of heart. I retch in disgustmortal mystification..
March 10th, 2007, 10:51 PM
Quoting selfactivated
So many beautiful teachings, it's amazing humans can muck it all up so much. lol.
I liked that part too. Theres another part in the bible I like.......Come to him as a child. To me thats humility, as a child would see the world. I dont know the verse but the older I get th more childlike I become.
Les
Posts: 6,139
Location: 50 acres in Kootenays BC
Location: 50 acres in Kootenays BC
March 11th, 2007, 03:24 AM
"I feel in the deepest parts of my left big toe, that you are a good person".
Quoting karrie
I must admit it would be a lot funnier if they chose an elbow or something as the container for "spirit".
heeheehee, trust you to nitpick over wording. what would you define as 'purity of heart', if not a purity of the intent of our actions, thus, sincerity? Do you really think that the religious folk are picturing a pumper made of crystal somewhere in the world? lol.
"I feel in the deepest parts of my left big toe, that you are a good person".
Les
Posts: 6,139
Location: 50 acres in Kootenays BC
Location: 50 acres in Kootenays BC
March 11th, 2007, 03:27 AM
Quoting darkbeaver
Geeeeeez yer a noisy beaver sometimes. Lots a squawking. One would think you're going to lay an egg like your Australian cousin the platypus.
It's pressing hard to yearn for a pure heart when your stomach is yearning for a bowl of soup. Anyway the speech from the leech is the emptiest of rhetoric recycled endlessly and never realized.
Hypocricy indeed, one wonders that the papal lump is not in fact cooked on the spot by a bolt of plasma from on high.The clothes on his back would feed a village for a year, the seal on his pinky for a decade, he sleeps between silk sheets and eats the finest of food and has the gall to address purity of heart. I retch in disgustmortal mystification..
Hypocricy indeed, one wonders that the papal lump is not in fact cooked on the spot by a bolt of plasma from on high.The clothes on his back would feed a village for a year, the seal on his pinky for a decade, he sleeps between silk sheets and eats the finest of food and has the gall to address purity of heart. I retch in disgustmortal mystification..
The Padre
Posts: 4,558
Location: Ontario
Location: Ontario
March 11th, 2007, 05:42 AM
Quoting selfactivated
Also, it indicates, to me anyway, how complicated we as adults make things. This is why Jesus tried to teach us to remove these adult layers and see our faith again as through the eyes of a child.
I liked that part too. Theres another part in the bible I like.......Come to him as a child. To me thats humility, as a child would see the world. I dont know the verse but the older I get th more childlike I become.
Time Out
Posts: 4,276
Videos: 1
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Videos: 1
Location: Richmond, Virginia
March 11th, 2007, 06:35 AM
Seems to me its much easier that way. If we look at everything with wonderment we see through the eyes of Goddess/God This/herself. For my own purposes does it offend you if I say Goddess? Its silly to try to be PC you know Im Pagan right LOL ?
Quoting sanctus
Also, it indicates, to me anyway, how complicated we as adults make things. This is why Jesus tried to teach us to remove these adult layers and see our faith again as through the eyes of a child.
Seems to me its much easier that way. If we look at everything with wonderment we see through the eyes of Goddess/God This/herself. For my own purposes does it offend you if I say Goddess? Its silly to try to be PC you know Im Pagan right LOL ?
The Padre
Posts: 4,558
Location: Ontario
Location: Ontario
March 11th, 2007, 10:14 AM
I'll survive
Yes, I believe you mentioned it once or twice...hah hah hah...Just popping in between Masses...be back at 'cha later on
Quoting selfactivated
Seems to me its much easier that way. If we look at everything with wonderment we see through the eyes of Goddess/God This/herself. For my own purposes does it offend you if I say Goddess? Its silly to try to be PC you know Im Pagan right LOL ?
I'll survive
Yes, I believe you mentioned it once or twice...hah hah hah...Just popping in between Masses...be back at 'cha later on March 11th, 2007, 12:30 PM
Quoting L Gilbert
Well, according to some, the seat of human emotion is the second chakra, which is located in your genitals. I think that's a bit more realistic than 'heart', but MUCH less poetic. Frankly, I can't imagine a homily by any priest on any level being able to work that in without a few giggles, even from the pope himself. lol.
I must admit it would be a lot funnier if they chose an elbow or something as the container for "spirit".
"I feel in the deepest parts of my left big toe, that you are a good person".
"I feel in the deepest parts of my left big toe, that you are a good person".
Hawkings former plumber
Posts: 10,267
Videos: 3
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
Videos: 3
Location: RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia Drive Apt 911
March 11th, 2007, 12:34 PM
Quoting L Gilbert
Concentrate harder, you're to easily distracted by noise.How long does static hold your attrntion?
Geeeeeez yer a noisy beaver sometimes. Lots a squawking. One would think you're going to lay an egg like your Australian cousin the platypus.
