Coffee Break Catholicism

Theology at the Speed of Latte!

Welcome to Coffee Break Catholicism!

Jesus didn’t come to confuse us. He came to be understood!

Catholic teaching should be clear and easy to understand too, and here at Coffee Break Catholicism, we make sure it is!

We take things the popes have written and said over the years and summarize them so that you can learn more about your Catholic faith–in less time than your coffee break!

Short works take 15 minutes or less. Longer ones may take a week or two of coffee breaks, but we break them down into bite-sized chunks so it’s never too much at once!

Bit by bit, day by day, coffee break by coffee break, you can understand–and love!–your Catholic faith.

We’ll help you understand Catholic theology–at the speed of latte!

Address to World Youth Day Volunteers, Organizers, and Benefactors

Source: PDF, video
Speaker: Pope Francis
Audience: World Youth Day Volunteers, Organizers, and Benefactors
Location: Tauron Area, Kraków
Date: July 31, 2016, 17:00

A bishop who had spoken before Pope Francis referred to those in attendance as “the hope of the future,” which Pope Francis said they certainly could be as long as they meet two conditions:

  1. First, they must remember the past. Remember where they came from, their families, their cultures, their history. They must talk to their elders, especially their grandparents, to be sure they remember.
  2. Second, in the present, they must be courageous. Even in the face of grave challenges, they must take courage.

Even though Pope Francis cannot know now whether he will still be Pope by the time World Youth Day is in Panama in 2019, he promised Peter’s successor, whoever will be pope at that time, will be there and will check whether they’ve talked to their elders and been courageous.

He then offered three examples of attitudes from the Blessed Mother’s life that will help those in attendance interpret their experience of World Youth Day and inspire them to continue to serve. He made special reference to an image of Mary very familiar to the local people, an image from a town in southern Poland called Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, which had blood flow from its eyes in 1641.

The first attitude Mary had was one of listening. She heard what the angel Gabriel told her about how Elizabeth was going to have a son and she left to help. She paid close attention to people, but also to events in her life, to see what God was saying to her through them.

The second attitude was one of deciding. Mary did not hesitate to respond to the angel with her fiat, which is Latin for, “Let it be done.” She also brought problems straight to Jesus, like at the wedding feast of Cana when they ran out of wine. Even when we know what we need to do, sometimes we don’t have the courage to stand against the tide, but Mary always did, and God was with her.

The final attitude was one of acting. She followed God’s will directly and immediately, and when she was finished, she went back home without fanfare, just like she had come.

Even when people serve without recognition, God sees and knows. He will  bless them and care for them.

Pope Francis promised to pray for those in attendance, and requested they do the same for him.