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To Be Converted
“To be converted” means to follow Jesus, to walk with him, on his way. But let us again insist on the fact that God “brings us back,” converts us. Conversion is not human self-realization, and man is not the architect of his own life. Conversion consists essentially in that decision by which man ceases to be his own creator, ceases to seek his own self and his self-realization, but accepts his dependence on the true Creator, on creative love, accepts that his dependence is true freedom and that the freedom of autonomy emancipated from the Creator is not freedom but illusion, deception.
— Pope Benedict XVI, from book Journey to Easter
Unembarrassed Joy
Something I constantly notice is that unembarrassed joy has become rarer. Joy today is increasingly saddled with moral and ideological burdens, so to speak. When someone rejoices, he is afraid of offending against solidarity with the many people who suffer. I don’t have any right to rejoice, people think, in a world where there is so much misery, so much injustice.
I can understand that. There is a moral attitude at work here. But this attitude is nonetheless wrong. The loss of joy does not make the world better—and, conversely, refusing joy for the sake of suffering does not help those who suffer. The contrary is true. The world needs people who discover the good, who rejoice in it and thereby derive the impetus and courage to do good. …
— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), Salt of the Earth: Christianity and the Catholic Church at the End
One’s feelings of hatred must be washed away with forgiveness and humble service toward others—they should never be left to linger long enough to poison the soul.
— Pope Benedict XVI
By drawing close to others through almsgiving, we draw close to God.
— Pope Benedict XVI