There is a great sadness in our hearts at the thought that this great man of knowledge and courage...has passed from this life. At the same time, we are grateful to God for the many ways that he gifted our Church...Thankfully, we have the many books, encyclicals, letters and homilies authored by Benedict XVI to remind us and enrich us in his legacy—Bishop Alberto Rojas on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died peacefully this past Saturday 31 December 2022 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. His funeral was held yesterday, 5 January 2023 in the Vatican.
When I heard of his death I thought back to his writings and I looked up the first homily he gave after being elected pope. These words remind us how much we all are loved by God.
The net of the Gospel pulls us out of the waters of death and brings us into the splendor of God’s light, into true life...It is really so: the purpose of our lives is to reveal God to people. And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him...But it is beautiful and wonderful, because it is truly a service to joy, to God’s joy which longs to break into the world.
La red del Evangelio nos rescata de las aguas de la muerte y nos lleva al resplandor de la luz de Dios, en la vida verdadera...Así es, en verdad: nosotros existimos para enseñar Dios a los hombres. Y únicamente donde se ve a Dios, comienza realmente la vida. Sólo cuando encontramos en Cristo al Dios vivo, conocemos lo que es la vida. No somos el producto casual y sin sentido de la evolución. Cada uno de nosotros es el fruto de un pensamiento de Dios. Cada uno de nosotros es querido, cada uno es amado, cada uno es necesario. Nada hay más hermoso que haber sido alcanzados, sorprendidos, por el Evangelio, por Cristo. Nada más bello que conocerle y comunicar a los otros la amistad con él...Pero es gozosa y grande, porque en definitiva es un servicio a la alegría, a la alegría de Dios que quiere hacer su entrada en el mundo.
Showcasing SHA talent: Isabella in 4th shows us what someone who’s lost a loved one might look like.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
4th Grade Aide
Jr. High ELA Aide