Thought for the Day – 3 January – – The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus & The celebration of the Titular Feast of the Society of Jesus 
The Mass for the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the titular feast day for the Society of Jesus, was offered today by Pope Francis in the Church of Jesus/Gesu Church in Rome, the Home of the Jesuits. Today the Church reminds us “to let the centre of … [our] heart be occupied by Christ.”
“This is the restlessness that Peter Favre [Faber] had, man of great desires, another Daniel. Favre was a “modest, sensible man of profound interior life and gifted with the gift of close relations of friendship with persons of all sorts” (Benedict XVI, Address to Jesuits, April 22, 2006). However, he was also a restless, uncertain and never satisfied spirit. Under the guidance of Saint Ignatius he learned to unite his restless but also gentle — I would say exquisite – sensibility with the capacity to take decisions.
He was a man of great desires; he took charge of his desires, he acknowledged them. In fact for Favre, it was precisely when difficult things were proposed that his true spirit was manifested which moved him to action (cf. Memoriale, 301).
Authentic faith always implies a profound desire to change the world. Here is the question we should ask ourselves: do we also have great visions and dash? Are we also daring? Does our dream fly high? Does zeal devour us (cf. Psalm 69:10)? Or are we mediocre and content with our laboratory apostolic programs?
Let us remember always: the strength of the Church does not lie in herself and in her organisational capacity but is hidden in the profound waters of God. And these waters agitate our desires and desires enlarge the heart. It is what Saint Augustine says: pray to desire and desire to enlarge the heart. In fact it was in his desires that Favre could discern God’s voice. Without desires one goes nowhere and it is because of this that we must offer our desires to the Lord. Stated in the Constitutions is that “one’s neighbour is helped, with desires presented to God our Lord” (Constitutions, 638). Pope Francis 3 January 2014
Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”…..John 14:6
LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNER
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