Boston's Cardinal Sean Blogs!

Sean Cardinal O'Malley of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (where I live) has entered cyberspace! His current blog posts are about his travels this week in Rome. Great pics and commentary on some of the sites. Here's a few reflections from a recent post:

Today’s world demands a new apologetic and too often we have teachers who rather than explain the Catholic Faith, apologize for it. We need less apologizing and more apologetics. In the face of so much cynicism the Church is depending on you to articulate the liberating truths of the Catholic Faith.

I never go to Rome without visiting the Church of the Gesú. There I often go to confession and visit the tomb of Ignatius. At the Gesú I pray for the Jesuit Order…for friends and for all Jesuits…we have over 300 in the Archdiocese. I kneel before the tomb and pray the Suscipe of Ignatius. “Tomad Senor y recibid mi libertad….Take and receive all my liberty.” The first thing Ignatius offers the Lord is his freedom.

(snip)

The culture of death is seducing our people with the golden calf of freedom. Real freedom is found in the sacrificial self-giving of the Suscipe.

All that I have and possess is a gift and now I give it back to you.
To thee O Lord I return it. All is Thine.
Dispose of it wholly according to Thy will.
Give me only Thy Love and thy Grace,
that is enough for me. (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

My prayer is that God will raise up in the Church many holy sons of St. Ignatius and that they will teach this sacrificial love to our people - the unum recessarium - that God’s love and grace are enough.

(snip)

To live a life in grace and in God’s love is the only success that counts.