Hours

“The Church will celebrate the Ordinary Synod devoted to the family, deepen her spiritual discernment and consider concrete solutions to the many difficult and significant challenges facing families in our time. I ask you to pray fervently for this intention, so that Christ can take even what might seem to us impure, scandalous or threatening, and turn it – by making it part of his 'hour' – into a miracle.”

The family “cannot be replaced by other institutions,” he added. For this reason, “it needs to be helped and strengthened, lest we lose our proper sense of the services which society as a whole provides.” 

~ Pope Francis, Guayaquil, Ecuador, Jul 6, 2015

Indeed, a "miracle" is needed in order to defend the Catholic Faith, the family, marriage require it most urgently. God's intervention is most surely needed in the Synod in order for the Church to resoundingly reject that which is a danger to souls, a danger to the family and a direct assault on the sanctity of marriage and upon the Holy Eucharist. So what 'concrete solutions' does His Holiness have in mind that would emerge as part of the "miracle?" What 'hour of Christ' does His Holiness mean?

Hour?

"Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour"?

"This is your hour - the reign of darkness"?

"Father, save me from this hour"?

Help me, I speak as one of the Chief Shepherd's flock. I am so confused it is as if I am looking at the world's most complicated and mysterious enigma. Christ's 'hour' is surely the final vanquishing of all evil and the full establishment of His justice, as well as the glorification of His mercy, in His Kingdom when He comes in glory as Judge, and, what is more, this will not abide by the 'law of graduality'. This will be in the blink of an eye.

A concrete proposal

Precisely what 'concrete proposals' does His Holiness believe Our Lord has in mind? It sounds like - but is not necessarily the case - that Pope Francis is saying that Our Blessed Lord is in some way going to endorse certain proposals at the Synod. Perhaps that is why what was roundly rejected by the Bishops by a majority was retained in parts of the Relatio and the Instrumentum Laboris. As for praying for the intention of 'concrete proposals'...

"...not my will but Thy will be done..."

...is surely our prayer! I hope that the 'concrete solutions' His Holiness is praying for in his intentions is in line with the prayer taught to us by Our Lord which we dare to say. Unfortunately, Pope Francis has with his 'concrete proposals' intention, given us cause to wonder if it is truly the will of God that is being sought.

Do read a good article at One Peter Five on Our Lady of Good Success. 

It seems relevant, given that Pope Francis is in Ecuador.

I too have a 'concrete proposal'.

Start 'hot-beading' pronto!