March 26, 2012

Full text: Mass in Santiago de Cuba 

   Pope Benedict celebrated mass in Maceo Square in Santiago de Cuba on Monday before thousands of the Cuban faithful. In his homily the Pope told them Mary occupies a central placre in the Christian faith and in the life of the Church in Cuba which is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre. 

Here is the full text of Pope Benedict XVI's remarks: 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
   I give thanks to God who has allowed me to come to you and to make this much anticipated trip. I greet Bishop Dionisio García Ibáñez, Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, and I thank him for his warm words of welcome offered on behalf of everyone. I greet the Bishops of Cuba and those who have come from elsewhere, and the priests, religious men and women, seminarians and lay faithful present for this celebration. I cannot forget all those who, for reasons of illness, advanced age or for other motives, are not able to join us. I also greet the civil Authorities who have graciously wished to join us.
   This first Holy Mass which I have the joy of celebrating during my pastoral visit to this country, takes place in the context of the Marian Jubilee Year called to honour and to venerate Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Patroness of Cuba, in this fourth centenary of the discovery and presence of her venerable statue in this blessed land. I cannot forget the sacrifices and the dedication with which this jubilee has been prepared, especially spiritually. I was deeply touched to hear of the fervour with which Mary has been welcomed and invoked by so many Cubans during her journey to every corner of the island.
   These important events in the Church in Cuba take on a special lustre because of the feast celebrated today throughout the universal Church: the Annunciation of the Lord to the Virgin Mary. The Incarnation of the Son of God is the central mystery of the Christian faith, and in it Mary occupies a central place. But, we ask, what is the meaning of this mystery? And, what importance does it have for our concrete lives?
   First of all, let us see what the Incarnation means. In the Gospel of Saint Luke we heard the words of the angel to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Lk 1:35). In Mary, the Son of God is made man, fulfilling in this way the prophecy of Isaiah: “Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, which means ‘God-with-us’” (Is 7:14). Jesus, the Word made flesh, is truly God-with-us, who has come to live among us and to share our human condition. The Apostle Saint John expresses it in the following way: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). The expression, “became flesh” points to our human reality in most concrete and tangible way. In Christ, God has truly come into the world, he has entered into our history, he has set his dwelling among us, thus fulfilling the deepest desire of human beings that the world may truly become a home worthy of humanity. On the other hand, when God is put aside, the world becomes an inhospitable place for man, and frustrates creation’s true vocation to be a space for the covenant, for the “Yes” to the love between God and humanity who responds to him. Mary did so as the first fruit of believers with her unreserved “Yes” to the Lord.
   For this reason, contemplating the mystery of the Incarnation, we cannot fail to turn our eyes to her so as to be filled with wonder, gratitude and love at seeing how our God, coming into the world, wished to depend upon the free consent of one of his creatures. Only from the moment when the Virgin responded to the angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), did the eternal Word of the Father began his human existence in time. It is touching to see how God not only respects human freedom: he almost seems to require it. And we see also how the beginning of the earthly life of the Son of God was marked by a double “Yes” to the saving plan of the Father - that of Christ and that of Mary. This obedience to God is what opens the doors of the world to the truth, to salvation. God has created us as the fruit of his infinite love; hence, to live in accordance with his will is the way to encounter our genuine identity, the truth of our being, while apart from God we are alienated from ourselves and are hurled into the void. The obedience of faith is true liberty, authentic redemption, which allows us to unite ourselves to the love of Jesus in his determination to conform himself to the will of the Father. Redemption is always this process of the lifting up of the human will to full communion with the divine will (cf. Lectio Divina with the parish priests of Rome, 18 February 2010).
   Dear brothers and sisters, today we praise the Most Holy Virgin for her faith, and with Saint Elizabeth we too say, “Blessed is she who believed” (Lk 1:45). As Saint Augustine said, Mary conceived Christ by faith in her heart before she conceived him physically in her womb; Mary believed and what she believed was came to be in her (cf. Sermo 215, 4: PL 38, 1074). Let us ask the Lord to strengthen our faith, to make it active and fruitful in love. Let us implore him that, like her, we may welcome the word of God into our hearts, and carry it out with docility and constancy.
   The Virgin Mary, by her unique role in the mystery of Christ, represents the exemplar and model of the Church. The Church, like the Mother of Christ, is also called to embrace in herself the mystery of God who comes to live in her. Dear brothers and sisters, I know with what effort, boldness and self-sacrifice you work every day so that, in the concrete circumstances of your country, and at this moment in history, the Church will better present her true face as a place in which God draws near and encounters humanity. The Church, the living body of Christ, has the mission of prolonging on earth the salvific presence of God, of opening the world to something greater than itself, to the love and the light of God. It is worth the effort, dear brothers and sisters, to devote your entire life to Christ, to grow in his friendship each day and to feel called to proclaim the beauty and the goodness of his life to every person, to all our brothers and sisters. I encourage you in this task of sowing the word of God in the world and offering to everyone the true nourishment of the body of Christ. Easter is already approaching; let us determine to follow Jesus without fear or doubts on his journey to the Cross. May we accept with patience and faith whatever opposition or affliction may come, with the conviction that, in his Resurrection, he has crushed the power of evil which darkens everything, and has brought the dawn of a new world, the world of God, of light, of truth and happiness. The Lord will not fail to bless with abundant fruits the generosity of your commitment.
   The mystery of the Incarnation, in which God draws near to us, also shows us the incomparable dignity of every human life. In his loving plan, from the beginning of creation, God has entrusted to the family founded on matrimony the most lofty mission of being the fundamental cell of society and an authentic domestic church. With this certainty, you, dear husbands and wives, are called to be, especially for your children, a real and visible sign of the love of Christ for the Church. Cuba needs the witness of your fidelity, your unity, your capacity to welcome human life, especially that of the weakest and most needy.
   Dear brothers and sisters, before the gaze of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, I appeal to you to reinvigorate your faith, that you may live in Christ and for Christ, and armed with peace, forgiveness and understanding, that you may strive to build a renewed and open society, a better society, one more worthy of humanity, and which better reflects the goodness of God. Amen.

March 25, 2012

Full Text: Pope's remarks at farewell ceremony in Mexico 

    Pope Benedict XVI left Mexico en route to Cuba on Monday, after a brief but intense first leg of a six-day Apostolic Voyage to Latin America. In his remarks at the official farewell ceremony at Guanajuato international airport, the Holy Father thanked all those who contributed to making his pilgrimage to Mexico a success. Bidding the people of Mexico farewell, he prayed that they might remain, "for ever in the love of Christ, in which we meet each other and will again meet with one another." 

Here is the full text of the Holy Father's remarks:

Mr President, Distinguished Authorities, Your Eminences, Dear Brother Bishops, Dear Mexican friends,

   My brief but intense visit to Mexico is now coming to an end. Yet this is not the end of my affection and my closeness to a country so very dear to me. I leave full of unforgettable experiences, not the least of which are the innumerable courtesies and signs of affection which I have received. With all my heart I thank the President for his kind words to me, and for all that the authorities have done for this memorable Journey. And I thank the many people who have helped, even in the smallest details, to make the events of these days go smoothly. I beg the Lord that all these efforts may not be in vain, and that with his help, they may produce abundant and long-lasting fruits in the life of faith, hope and charity of León and Guanajuato, in Mexico and the other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

   Recognizing the faith in Jesus Christ which I have felt resounding in your hearts, and your affectionate devotion to his Mother, invoked here with beautiful titles like Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Light, a light I have seen reflected in your faces, I wish to reiterate clearly and with vigour a plea to the Mexican people to remain faithful to yourselves, not to let yourselves be intimidated by the powers of evil, but to be valiant and to work to ensure that the sap of your Christian roots may nourish your present and your future.

   I have also seen for myself expressions of concern for various aspects of the life in this beloved country, some more recent and others longstanding, which continue to cause such great distress. I take them with me as well, as I share in the joys and the suffering of my Mexican brothers and sisters, so as to place them in prayer at the foot of the Cross, in the heart of Christ, from which flow the blood and water of redemption.

   In these circumstances, I strongly urge Mexican Catholics, and all men and women of good will, not to yield to a utilitarian mentality which always leads to the sacrifice of the weakest and most defenceless. I invite you to a common effort so that society can be renewed from the ground up, in order to attain a life of dignity, justice and peace for everyone. For Catholics, this contribution to the common good is also a requirement of that essential dimension of the Gospel which is human promotion and a supreme expression of charity. For this reason, the Church exhorts all her faithful to be good citizens, conscious of their responsibility to be concerned for the good of all, both in their personal lives and throughout society.

   Dear Mexican friends, I say to you “Adios!” in the traditional sense of this fine Hispanic expression: remain with God! Yes, “Adios!”; for ever in the love of Christ, in which we meet each other and will again meet with one another. May the Lord bless you and may Mary Most Holy protect you!

March 23, 2011

Pope: Peace, the secret to a child's smile

    Surrounded by a deafening chorus of children’s chants and song this Saturday, from the heartlands of Mexico, a nation torn apart by decades of drug-related violence, Pope Benedict XVI raised an appeal to all members of society “to protect and to care for children, so that nothing may extinguish their smile, but that they may live in peace and look to the future with confidence”.
   The Pope’s meeting with children was the second of only two public appointments on his first full day in Guanajuato state, Mexico. It was also his second public address, and he choose as his audience the builders of the future, the nation’s children. As the sun set over the city, following his private courtesy visit with the Head of State, President Calderon, the Holy Father made his way to the Plaza de la Paz and indeed peace, how to be instruments of peace, was the theme of his discourse:
   "I would like all the children of Mexico to know this, especially those who have to bear the burden of suffering, abandonment, violence or hunger, which in recent months, because of drought, has made itself strongly felt in some regions. I am grateful for this encounter of faith, and for the festive and joyful presence expressed in song. Today we are full of jubilation, and this is important. God wants us to be happy always. He knows us and he loves us. If we allow the love of Christ to change our heart, then we can change the world. This is the secret of authentic happiness".
   He said. “The disciple of Jesus does not respond to evil with evil, but is always an instrument of good instead, a herald of pardon, a bearer of happiness, a servant of unity. He wishes to write in each of your lives a story of friendship. Hold on to him, then, as the best of friends. He will never tire of speaking to those who always love and who do good. This you will hear, if you strive in each moment to be with him who will help you in more difficult situations”.
   Pope Benedict told them “I have come that you may know my affection. Each one of you is a gift of God to Mexico and to the world. Your family, the Church, your school and those who have responsibility in society must work together to ensure that you receive a better world as your inheritance, without jealousies and divisions”.

Below the full text of Pope Benedict’s discourse to young people in Plaza de la Paz, Guanajuato:

Dear Young People,
    I am happy to be able to meet with you and to see your smiling faces as you fill this beautiful square. You have a very special place in the Pope’s heart. And in these moments, I would like all the children of Mexico to know this, especially those who have to bear the burden of suffering, abandonment, violence or hunger, which in recent months, because of drought, has made itself strongly felt in some regions. I am grateful for this encounter of faith, and for the festive and joyful presence expressed in song. Today we are full of jubilation, and this is important. God wants us to be happy always. He knows us and he loves us. If we allow the love of Christ to change our heart, then we can change the world. This is the secret of authentic happiness.
   This place where we stand today has a name which expresses the yearning present in the heart of each and every person: “la paz”, Peace. This is a gift which comes from on high. “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:21). These are the words of the Risen Lord. We hear them during each Mass, and today they resound anew in this place, with the hope that each one of you will be transformed, becoming a sower and messenger of that peace for which Christ offered his life.
   The disciple of Jesus does not respond to evil with evil, but is always an instrument of good instead, a herald of pardon, a bearer of happiness, a servant of unity. He wishes to write in each of your lives a story of friendship. Hold on to him, then, as the best of friends. He will never tire of speaking to those who always love and who do good. This you will hear, if you strive in each moment to be with him who will help you in more difficult situations.
   I have come that you may know my affection. Each one of you is a gift of God to Mexico and to the world. Your family, the Church, your school and those who have responsibility in society must work together to ensure that you receive a better world as your inheritance, without jealousies and divisions.
   That is why I wish to lift up my voice, inviting everyone to protect and to care for children, so that nothing may extinguish their smile, but that they may live in peace and look to the future with confidence.
   You, my dear young friends, are not alone. You can count on the help of Christ and his Church in order to live a Christian lifestyle. Participate in Sunday Mass, in catechesis, in apostolic works, looking for occasions of prayer, fraternity and charity. Blessed Cristóbal, Antonio and Juan, the child martyrs of Tlaxcala, lived this way, and knowing Jesus, during the time of the initial evangelization of Mexico, they discovered that there is no greater treasure than he. They were children like you, and from them we can learn that we are never too young to love and serve.
   How I would like to spend more time with all of you, but the time has already come for me to go. We will remain close in prayer. So I invite you to pray continually, even in your homes; in this way, you will experience the happiness of speaking about God with your families. Pray for everyone, and also for me. I will pray for all of you, so that Mexico may be a place in which everyone can live in serenity and harmony. I bless all of you from my heart and I ask you to bring the affection and blessing of the Pope to your parents, brothers and sisters, and other loved ones. May the Virgin accompany you. Thank you very much, my dear young friends.

March 18, 2012

Pope's Sunday Angelus: prayerful attention to God

and true human fellowship 

   Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday appealed for continued commitment to achieving equitable access to safe water resources adequate to the needs of all.

   Speaking after the traditional Angelus prayer on the Sunday that marks the mid-way point of the season of Lent, and in the context of the close – on Saturday – of the VI World Water Forum in Marseille, as well as the World Water Day to be celebrated this coming Thursday, the Pope expressed hope that the success of these initiatives will promote the right to life and the nutrition of every human person, as well as a responsible use of the Earth’s resources in a manner ordered to the common good, in the present and into the future.

   Before the Angelus, the focus of the Holy Father’s brief catechesis was the great period of penitential preparation for Easter, in which the Church now finds Herself. He called the Lenten season, “A journey with Jesus across the ‘desert’ - a time, that is, in which to listen more and more closely to the voice of God, and to unmask the temptations that speak within each of us.”

   It was a theme to which the Holy Father returned in his remarks to English-speaking pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square: I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for today’s Angelus. This Sunday, we reach the mid-way point of our Lenten journey. As we continue on our way, we keep our eyes fixed upon our goal, when we will accompany our Lord on the path to Calvary, so as to rise with him to new life. May Christ, the light of the world, shine upon you and fill you with his blessings!

   The Pope also had words of encouragement for a group of Italian workers facing the prospect of a mass-layoff, promising prayerful support to them and their families in the hope that a solution to their difficult situation might be found.

   Finally, Pope Benedict asked all the faithful for prayers in support of his upcoming voyage to Mexico and Cuba. Speaking in Spanish, he entrusted the pilgrimage, “to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is so dearly known in those blessed lands under the names of Guadalupe and Charity.”

March 14, 2012

Pope: Praying with Mary, mother and Church

    Pope Benedict XVI began a new cycle of catechesis on the Christian school of prayer this Wednesday during his general audience. Following on from his series on Christ’s prayer the Holy Father turned to the “first book on Church history” the Acts of the Apostles and in particular the person who was there at the beginning of salvation history and of the community of believers, Mary.

Below a translation of the Holy Father’s catechesis:

Dear brothers and sisters,
   With today’s catechesis I would like to begin to speak about prayer in the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of St. Paul. St. Luke, as we know, has given us one of the four Gospels, dedicated to the earthly life of Jesus, but he also left us what has been defined as the first book on the history of the Church, the Acts of the Apostles. In both of these books, one of the recurring elements is prayer is, from that of Jesus to that of Mary, that of the disciples, the women and the Christian community. The Churches initial path is primarily punctuated by the action of the Holy Spirit, who transforms the Apostles intowitnesses of the Risen Christ to the shedding of their blood, and the rapid spread of the Word of God in the East and West. However, before the proclamation of the Gospel was spread, Luke records the story of the Ascension of the Risen One (cf. 1.6 to 9). The Lord delivered to the disciples the program of their existence devoted to the evangelization, and says: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria and to the ends of earth "(Acts 1.8). In Jerusalem, the Apostles, who were now Eleven after the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, are gathered in the house to pray, and it is in prayer that they await the promised gift of the Risen Christ, the Holy Spirit.
   In this context of waiting, between Ascension and Pentecost, St. Luke mentions Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and her family for the last time (v. 14). He dedicated the beginning of his Gospel to Mary, the announcement of the angel of the birth and infancy of the Son of God made man. With Mary the earthly life of Jesus begins and with Mary the first steps of the Church began, and at both moments the climate is one of listening to God in recollection. Today, therefore, I will touch on this prayerful presence of Mary in the group of disciples who will be the first nascent Church. Mary followed her Son's journey throughout his public ministry and to the foot of the cross with discretion, and now continues to follow the Church's path with a silent prayer. At the Annunciation, in Nazareth, Mary received the Angel of God, she was attentive to his words, received and responded to his divine plan, expressing her complete openness: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word"(Lk 1.38). Mary, because of her inner attitude of listening, is capable of reading her own history, acknowledging with humility that it is the Lord to act. On a visit to her cousin Elizabeth, she breaks into a prayer of praise and joy, a celebration of divine grace, that filled her heart and her life, making her the Mother of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:46-55). Praise, thanksgiving, joy in the canticle of the Magnificat, Mary does not just look at what God has done in her, but also to what he did and always does in history. Ambrose, in a famous commentary on the Magnificat, invites us to have the same spirit in prayer and says: "May Mary's soul be in each one of us to magnify the Lord and Mary’s spirit be in each one of us to rejoice in God" (Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam 2, 26: PL 15, 1561).
   Even in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, in the "upper room, where he used to meet" the disciples of Jesus (cf. Acts 1.13), in an atmosphere of listening and prayer, she is present, before the doors are thrown open and they begin to proclaim Christ the Lord to all nations, teaching to observe all that He had commanded (cf. Mt 28,19-20). The stages of the journey of Mary, from the house of Nazareth to Jerusalem, through the cross where her Son entrusts her to the apostle John, these stages of the journey of Mary are marked by the ability to maintain a persistent atmosphere of meditation, meditation on each event in the silence of her heart before God (cf. Lk 2.19 to 51) and meditation before God even to understand the will of God and become able to accept it within. The presence of the Mother of God with the Eleven, after the Ascension, then is not just a historical record of a past thing, but takes on a meaning of great value, because she shares with them what is her most precious asset: her living memory of Jesus, in prayer and this mission of Jesus, preserving the memory of Jesus and thus also his presence.
   The last mention of Mary in the two writings of St. Luke is located on the Sabbath, the day of God's rest after the Creation, the day of silence after the death of Jesus and the expectation of his resurrection. It is in this episode that in the tradition of veneration of the Virgin on Saturday is rooted. Between the Ascension of the Risen one and the first Christian Pentecost, the Apostles and the Church gather with Mary to wait with her for the gift of the Holy Spirit, without which one can not become witnesses. She who has already received it to generate the Incarnate Word, shares with the whole Church the expectation of the same gift, so that "Christ be formed" in the heart of every believer (cf. Gal 4.19). If there is no Church without Pentecost, there is no Pentecost without the Mother of Jesus, because she lived in a unique way that which the Church experiences each day under the action of the Holy Spirit. Saint Chromatius of Aquileia comments on the annotation of Acts in this way: "It is therefore the Church gathered in the upper room with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and wither her brothers. One cannot therefore speak of the Church unless Mary, Mother of God is present... The Church of Christ is where the Incarnation of Christ from the Virgin is preached, and, where the apostles, who are brothers of the Lord preach, there where the Gospel is heard "(Sermon 30.1: SC 164, 135).
   The Second Vatican Council wished to particularly emphasize this bond that is visibly manifested in with Mary and the Apostles praying together, in the same place, awaiting the Holy Spirit. The Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium on the Church states: " since it has pleased God not to manifest solemnly the mystery of the salvation of the human race before He would pour forth the Spirit promised by Christ, we see the apostles before the day of Pentecost "persevering with one mind in prayer with the women and Mary the Mother of Jesus, and with His brethren",( Acts 1,14) and Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation. " (n. 59). The privileged place of Mary is the Church, wherefore she is hailed as a pre-eminent and singular member of the Church, and as its type and excellent exemplar in faith and charity." (ibid., n. 53). Thus Vatican II.
   Venerating the Mother of Jesus in the Church, then, means to learn from her to be a community that prays, that is one of the essential characteristics of the first description of the Christian community outlined in the Acts of the Apostles (cf. 2:42). Prayer is often dictated by difficult situations, personal problems that lead us to turn to the Lord for light, comfort and help. Mary invites us to open the dimensions of our prayer, to turn to God not only in need and not just for ourselves but in a unanimous, persevering, faithful way with a "of one heart and mind" (cf. Acts 4.32 ).
   Dear friends, human life passes through various stages of transition, often difficult and demanding, which require mandatory choices, sacrifices. The Mother of Jesus was placed by the Lord at the decisive moments of salvation history and has always been able to respond with full availability, the result of a deep relationship with God developed in assiduous and intense prayer. Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Beloved disciple was entrusted to her, and with him the whole community of disciples (cf. Jn 19:26). Between Ascension and Pentecost, she is with and in the Church in prayer (cf. Acts 1.14). Mother of God and Mother of the Church, Mary exercises this motherhood until the end of history. We entrust to her every passing phase of our personal and ecclesial life, not least that of our final transit. Mary teaches us the necessity of prayer and shows us that only with a constant, intimate bond, full of love with her son can we emerge from "our house", by ourselves, with courage, to reach the ends of the world and proclaim everywhere the Lord Jesus, Saviour of the world.

March 11, 2012

Pope Angelus: Violence never serves humanity

    “Violence never serves humanity – it only dehumanises.” This was the Pope’s message at Sunday’s Angelus address, as he commented upon the Gospel passage of the Purification of the Temple in front of several thousand pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

   Pope Benedict described our Lord’s action of driving the money-changers as a prophetic. “Indeed,” he said, “the prophets, in the name of God, often denounced abuses, and they sometimes did so with symbolic gestures.” It is impossible to describe Jesus as violent,, the Pope said, because “violence is contrary to the Kingdom of God; it is a tool of the Antichrist.”

   After the Angelus, the Holy Father launched an appeal for the people of Madagascar hit by a devastating tropical storm. “My thoughts go first to the dear people of Madagascar, which have recently been hit by severe natural disasters, with serious damage to people, structures and crops. While I assure the victims and the families of those so greatly tried of my prayers, I hope for and encourage the generous assistance of the international community.”

   Finally, Pope Benedict greeted pilgrims from around the world, including those from English speaking countries: “I greet the English-speaking visitors present for this Angelus prayer, including the Neo-catechumenal Community from Bristol. In today’s Gospel Jesus foretells his resurrection and points to the temple which is his body, the Church. May our meditation on these mysteries deepen our union with the Lord and his Church. Upon all of you I invoke God’s blessings!”

March 7, 2012

Pope: God speak to us through his silence

    Pope Benedict XVI held his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, during which he concluded his series of catechesis of Jesus’ own prayer. The particular focus of Pope Benedict’s remarks was the importance of silence in our relationship with God.

   In Christ’s own life and prayer, and especially in his experience of the Cross, we see a constant interplay of word and silence. Jesus’ mortal silence on the Cross is his final word to the Father, his supreme prayer. To hear God’s word requires the cultivation of outward and inward silence, so that his voice can resound within our hearts and shape our lives.

   Pope Benedict went on to say that Jesus teaches us that God also speaks to us, especially at times of difficulty, through his silence, which invites us to deeper faith and trust in his promises.

   Jesus is our great teacher of prayer; from his prayer we learn to speak with confidence to our heavenly Father as his beloved sons and daughters.

   “In this filial dialogue,” said Pope Benedict, “we are also taught to recognize God’s many gifts and to obey his will, which gives meaning and direction to our lives.”

   Following the catechesis, the Pope had greetings for pilgrims in many languages, including English, during which welcomed several student groups from the United States:

   I welcome the many student groups present at today’s Audience, including those from the United States Coast Guard Academy, the Catholic University of America, Saint Mary’s Seminary and the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

   Aldo during the course of the audience, the Holy Father had special greetings for the Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenian Catholics, His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, and for all the Armenian Catholic bishops come to Rome from various continents for their particular Church’s Synod assembly.

   Pope Benedict expressed heartfelt gratitude to the bishops for their loyalty to the heritage of their venerable Christian tradition and to the Successor of Peter. Offering his Apostolic Blessing, he promised earnest prayers for the work of the Synod fathers, in the hope that they will encourage greater communion and understanding among pastors, and give renewed impetus to Armenian Catholics on the paths of a generous and joyful witness to Christ and the Church.

   Pope Benedict concluded his greetings with thoughts and prayers for the regions of the Middle East, encouraging pastors and faithful there to persevere with hope in the great suffering that afflict them.

March 4, 2012

Pope: Jesus is the light that never fades

   On this second Sunday of Lent, Pope Benedict began his day with a visit to the Roman parish of John the Baptist de la Salle, south of the capital. The Holy Father celebrated mass and met parishioners including a group of children. He told them to learn about Jesus, the things he did, said and how he suffered. He also told them to learn about the church and the sacraments.
   The Gospel reading of the Sunday 4^th of March marks the Transfiguration and on his return to the Vatican Pope Benedict focused on this event during is Angelus address.
   The Pope explained to those gathered in St Peter’s Square that there are essential elements involved when Jesus is transfigured before the apostles, they are the light and the voice: the divine light that shines on the face of Jesus, and the voice of the Heavenly Father who speaks to him.
   The Holy Father went on to say that with the mystery of the Transfiguration Jesus is being directed toward the fulfillment of his mission, knowing that in order to attain resurrection, he will undergo suffering and death on a cross.
   The Pope also explained that Jesus takes his friends with him to the mountain because he wants to give them the most intimate experience of this light, dwelling in Him, so that after this event, he will be their inner light, and will be able to protect them from the assaults of darkness.
   Jesus is the light that never goes out said the Pope Benedict.
   Following the recitation of the Angelus the Pope spoke to the faithful in an number of languages. In English, the Holy Father expressed the hope that those sacrifices made during Lent would lead people to experience an renewal of the light of Christ.