September 30, 2012

Pope focuses on generosity, honesty

   Ahead of the traditional Angelus prayer with the faithful gathered in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the Sunday Gospel reading, this week taken from the 9th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark.

Dear brothers and sisters! 

   The Gospel of this Sunday presents one of those episodes from the life of Christ who, despite being caught, so to speak, contain a deep meaning (cf. Mark 9.38 to 41). It is the fact that this, which was not the followers of Jesus had cast out demons in his name. The apostle John, a young and zealous as he was, would stop him, but Jesus does not allow it, in fact, inspired by the opportunity to teach his disciples that God can bring good things and even miraculous, even outside of their circle, and which can cooperate in the Kingdom of God in several ways, including by offering a simple glass of water to a missionary (v. 41). St. Augustine writes about: "How in the Catholic Church - that is, in the Church - you can find that is not Catholic, so there may be something out of the Catholic as a Catholic" (Augustine, On Baptism against the Donatists: PL 43, VII, 39 , 77). Therefore, members of the Church should not feel jealousy, but rejoice if someone from outside the community do good in the name of Christ, provided this is done with right intention and with respect. Even within the Church itself, it can happen sometimes that you face difficulty to value and appreciate, in a spirit of profound communion, the good things done by the various ecclesial realities. Instead we should all be able to appreciate and always esteem each other, praising the Lord for the infinite 'fantasy' that work in the Church and in the world.

   In today's liturgy resounds the invective of the Apostle James the rich contribution dishonest, who put their trust in the riches accumulated by dint of oppression (cf. Jas 5.1 to 6). In this regard, Caesarius of Arles as stated in a speech: "Wealth can not hurt a good man, because it gives it mercy, as he can not help a bad man, until the preserves greedily or wasted in dissipation "(Sermon 35, 4). The words of the apostle James, and warn the vain desire for material goods, are a powerful call to use them in the perspective of solidarity and the common good, always acting with fairness and morality, at all levels. 

   Dear friends, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we pray that we rejoice in every gesture and initiative well, without envy or jealousy, and wise use of earthly goods in the continuing search for eternal bliss.

September 26, 2012

Pope: We still repeat to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray"

   The Liturgy is the school of prayer where God Himself teaches us to pray. But in order to celebrate the Liturgy well, to really experience the re-enactment of Christ’s Paschal Mystery we must make our hearts God’s Altar and understand that the Liturgy is the action of God and of man, as the Second Vatican Council teaches us. In his latest instalment in his cycle on the School of Prayer, Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his Wednesday audience to prayer and the liturgy.

Below is a translation of the Holy Father’s Catechesis:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
   In recent months we have made a journey in the light of the Word of God, to learn to pray in a more authentic way by looking at some great figures in the Old Testament, the Psalms, the Letters of St. Paul and the Book of Revelation, but also looking at unique and fundamental experience of Jesus in his relationship with the Heavenly Father. In fact, only in Christ, is man enabled to unite himself to God with the depth and intimacy of a child before a father who loves him, only in Him can we turn in all truth to God and lovingly call Him "Abba! ! Father. " Like the Apostles, we too have repeated and we still repeat to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Lk 11:1).
   In addition, in order to live our personal relationship with God more intensely, we have learned to invoke the Holy Spirit, the first gift of the Risen Christ to believers, because it is he who "comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought,"(Romans 8:26).
   At this point we can ask: how can I allow myself to be formed by the Holy Spirit? What is the school in which he teaches me to pray and helps me in my difficulties to turn to God in the right way? The first school of prayer which we have covered in the last few weeks is the Word of God, Sacred Scripture, Sacred Scripture in permanent dialogue between God and man, an ongoing dialogue in which God reveals Himself ever closer to us. We can better familiarize ourselves with his face, his voice, his being and the man learns to accept and to know God, to talk to God. So in recent weeks, reading Sacred Scripture, we looked for this ongoing dialogue in Scripture to learn how we can enter into contact with God.
   There is another precious "space", another valuable "source" to grow in prayer, a source of living water in close relation with the previous one. I refer to the liturgy, which is a privileged area in which God speaks to each of us, here and now, and awaits our response.
   What is the liturgy? If we open the Catechism of the Catholic Church – an always valuable and indispensable aid especially in the Year of Faith, which is about to begin - we read that originally the word "liturgy" means " service in the name of/on behalf of the people" (No. 1069) . If Christian theology took this word from the Greek world, it did so obviously thinking of the new People of God born from Christ opened his arms on the Cross to unite people in the peace of the one God. "service on behalf of the people " a people that does not exist by itself, but that has been formed through the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. In fact, the People of God does not exist through ties of blood, territory or nation, but is always born from the work of the Son of God and communion with the Father that He obtains for us.
   The Catechism also states that "in Christian tradition (the word" liturgy ") means the participation of the People of God in "the work of God." Because the people of God as such exists only through the action of God.
   The very development of the Second Vatican Council reminds us of this. It began its work, fifty years ago, with the discussion of the draft on the Sacred Liturgy, solemnly approved on December 4, 1963, the first text approved by the Council. The fact that document on the liturgy was the first result of the conciliar assembly was perhaps considered by some a chance occurrence. Among the many projects, the text on the sacred liturgy seemed to be the least controversial, and, for this reason, seen as an exercise in the methodology of conciliar work. But without a doubt, what at first glance seemed a chance occurrence, proved to be the right choice, starting from the hierarchy of themes and most important tasks of the Church. By beginning, with the theme of "liturgy" the primacy of God, his absolute priority was clearly brought to light. God before all things: the Council’s choice of starting from the liturgy tells us precisely this. Where God’s gaze is not decisive, everything else loses its direction. The basic criterion for the liturgy is its orientation to God, so that we can share in His work.
   But we may ask: what is this work of God that we are called to participate in? The answer offered us by Conciliar Constitution on the sacred liturgy is apparently double. At number 5 it tells us, in fact, that the works of God are His historical actions that bring us salvation, culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; but in number 7, the Constitution defines the celebration of the liturgy as "the work of Christ. " In reality, the two meanings are inseparably linked. If we ask ourselves who saves the world and man, the only answer is Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, Crucified and Risen. And where does the Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ, that brings salvation it becomes present and real for us, for me today ? The answer is the action of Christ through the Church, in the liturgy, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which makes real and present this sacrificial offering of the Son of God, who has redeemed us, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, through which we pass from the death of sin to new life, and in the other sacramental acts that sanctify us (cf. PO 5). Thus, the Paschal Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ is the centre of liturgical theology of the Council.
   Let's take a step further and ask ourselves: how is this re-enactment of the Paschal Mystery of Christ made possible? Blessed John Paul II, 25 years after the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, wrote: " In order to reenact his Paschal Mystery, Christ is ever present in his Church, especially in liturgical celebrations. (27). Hence the Liturgy is the privileged place for the encounter of Christians with God and the one whom he has sent, Jesus Christ (cf Jn 17:3). "(Vicesimus quintus annus, n. 7). Along the same lines we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: " A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God's children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words." (n. 1153). Therefore, the first requirement for a good liturgical celebration is that both prayer and conversation with God, first listening and then answering. St. Benedict, in his "Rule", speaking of the prayer of the Psalms, indicates to the monks: mens concordet voci, "may the mind agrees with the voice." The Saint teaches that the prayer of the Psalms, the words must precede our mind. Usually it does not happen this way, first one has to think and then what we have thought, is converted into speech. Here, however in the liturgy it is the inverse, the words come first. God gave us the Word and the Sacred Liturgy gives us the words, and we must enter into their meaning, welcome them within us, be in harmony with them. Thus we become children of God, similar to God. As noted in the Sacrosanctum Concilium, to ensure the full effectiveness of the celebration " it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain "(n. 11). The correlation between what we say with our lips and what we carry in our hearts is essential, fundamental, to our dialogue with God in the liturgy.
   In this line, I just want to mention one of the moments that, during the liturgy calls us and helps us to find such a correlation, this conforming ourselves to what we hear, say and do in the liturgy. I refer to the invitation the Celebrant formulates before the Eucharistic Prayer: "Sursum corda," we lift up our hearts outside the tangle of our concerns, our desires, our anxieties, our distraction. Our heart, our intimate selves, must open obediently to the Word of God, and gather in the prayer of the Church, to receive its orientation towards God from the words that it hears and says. The heart’s gaze must go out to the Lord, who is among us: it is a fundamental requirement.
   When we experience the liturgy with this basic attitude, it is as if our heart is freed from the force of gravity, which drags it down, and from within rises upwards, towards truth and love, towards God. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church recalls: " In the sacramental liturgy of the Church, the mission of Christ and of the Holy Spirit proclaims, makes present, and communicates the mystery of salvation, which is continued in the heart that prays. The spiritual writers sometimes compare the heart to an altar. "(No. 2655): altare Dei est cor nostrum.
   Dear friends, we celebrate and live the liturgy well only if we remain in an attitude of prayer, united to the Mystery of Christ and his dialogue as the Son with the Father. God Himself teaches us to pray, as St. Paul writes (cf. Rom 8:26). He Himself has given us the right words to hear to Him, words that we find in the Psalter, in the great prayers of the liturgy and in the same Eucharistic celebration. We pray to the Lord to be ever more aware of the fact that the liturgy is the action of God and man; prayer that rises from the Holy Spirit and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the Son of God made man (cf. Catechism the Catholic Church, n. 2564).

September 23, 2012

Pope: Calvary our true measure of greatness

   In his weekly Angelus address, Pope Benedict XVI continued his catechesis on the Gospel of Saint Mark. The Pope reminds us that the second half of the Gospel deals with Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem, a journey that will culminate in the His death and resurrection. After Saint Peter’s profession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Pope recalls, “Jesus began to speak openly about what would happen in the end.” But, he notes, the disciples did not understand Jesus’ words.
   “It is clear,” the Pope says, “that between Jesus and the disciples there is a deep interior distance; they are, so to speak, on two different wavelengths.” Pope Benedict tells us that “this reminds us that God’s logic is always ‘other’ with respect to our own”: God’s ways are not our ways. For this reason, “following the Lord requires of each person a profound conversion, a change in his or her way of thinking and living.”
   The Holy Father points to pride as a key difference between God and human beings. “We, who are little, desire to appear great, to be first; while God, who is truly great, is not afraid to humble Himself, and make Himself last.” Summing up this week’s message for English speaking pilgrims, Pope Benedict reflects on the call to be “last of all, and servants of all”: “May Christ’s supreme act of love on Calvary always be our true measure of greatness.”

Below is a translation of the Holy Father’s Angelus address:

   In our journey through the Gospel of Mark, last Sunday we entered into the second half [of the Gospel], the last journey towards Jerusalem and towards the culmination of Jesus’ mission. After Peter, on behalf of the disciples, professed faith in Him, recognizing Him as the Messiah (cf. Mark 8:29), Jesus began to speak openly about what would happen in the end. The Evangelist reports three successive predictions of the death and resurrection, in chapters 8, 9 and 10: in them, Jesus proclaims ever more clearly the fate that awaits Him and their intrinsic necessity. The passage for this Sunday contains the second of these announcements. Jesus says: "The Son of Man,” – an expression that designates Himself – “is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise” (Mark 9:31). But the disciples “did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him” (v. 32).
   In fact, reading this part of the story of Mark, it is clear that between Jesus and the disciples there is a deep interior distance; they are, so to speak, on two different wavelengths, so that the discourses of the Master are not understood, or are understood only superficially. The apostle Peter, after having shown his faith in Jesus, was permitted to reprove Him because He predicted that He must be rejected and killed. After the second announcement of the Passion, the disciples began to discuss who was the greatest among them (cf. Mk 9:34), and after the third, James and John asked Jesus to be able to sit at His right hand and at his left, when He was in glory (cf. Mk 10:35-40). But there are several other signs of this distance: for example, the disciples were not able to heal an epileptic boy, that afterwards Jesus heals with the power of prayer (cf. Mk 9:14-29); or when some children were presented to Jesus, the disciples reproved them, while Jesus, indignant, made them stay, and affirmed that only those who were like them could enter into the Kingdom of God (cf. Mk 10:13-16).
   What does all this say to us? It reminds us that God's logic is always “other” with respect to our own, as God Himself revealed through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts / nor are your ways my ways” (Is 55:8). For this reason, following the Lord requires of every person a profound conversion, a change in his or her way of thinking and living, it requires an opening of the heart to listen, in order to allow oneself to be enlightened and interiorly transformed. A key point in which God and man are different is pride: In God, there is no pride, because He is absolute fullness, and is completely given to love and to give live; in us, on the other hand, pride is deeply rooted and requires constant vigilance and purification. We, who are little, desire to appear great, to be the first, while God, who is truly great, does not fear to humble Himself and make Himself the last. The Virgin Mary is perfectly “in tune” with God: Let us invoke her with confidence, that she might teach us to faithfully follow Jesus along the way of love and humility.
   After the Angelus: Yesterday, in the French city of Troyes, the priest Louis Brisson, the founder of the Oblates of Saint Francis di Sales, who lived in the 19th century, was declared blessed. I joyfully join in the thanksgiving of the diocesan community of Troyes and of all the spiritual sons and daughters of the new Blessed.
   To the English speaking pilgrims: I greet all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Angelus prayer. In the Gospel today, our Lord reveals to His disciples that He will be delivered unto death and rise again for our salvation. As we reflect on the call to be “last of all and servants of all”, may Christ’s supreme act of love on Calvary always be our true measure of greatness. God bless you and your loved ones!

September 19, 2012

Pope: Christians and Muslims united against war

   Pope Benedict XVI spoke of his recent Apostolic voyage to Lebanon to the 8,000 pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI hall, stressing that he had strongly wanted this the trip to go ahead, because “a father should always be near his children when they encounter grave problems”, and to bring a message of encouragement and peace, in particular for Syria and Iraq.
   Pope Benedict said that during his visit, the people of Lebanon and the Middle East - Catholics, representatives of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities and of the various Muslim communities - enthusiastically and in a relaxed and constructive atmosphere, experienced the importance of mutual respect, understanding and brotherhood, which is a strong sign of hope for all humanity. He added that the constant presence and participation of Muslims gave him the opportunity to launch a call to dialogue and collaboration between Christianity and Islam".
   Pope also expressed his profound gratitude for the fervent faith and witness of the thousands of Catholics from Lebanon and the Middle East who accompanied each stage of his visit. It is a sign of hope, he concluded “for the future of the Church in those lands: young people, adults and families motivated by a strong desire to root their lives in Christ, to remain anchored to the Gospel, to walk together in the Church". 

Below is a translation of the Holy Father’s address:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
   Today I would like to briefly return, in my thoughts and heart, to those extraordinary days of my Apostolic journey to Lebanon. A trip that I had strongly wanted, despite the difficult circumstances, considering that a father should always be near his children when they encounter grave problems. I was moved by a sincere desire to announce the peace that the risen Lord gave to his disciples and summarized in the words “My peace I give to you" (Jn 14:27). The main aim of my journey was the signing and consignment of the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente to the representatives of the Catholic communities of the Middle East, to other Churches and ecclesial communities as well as Muslim leaders.
   It was a moving ecclesial event and, at the same time, a provident opportunity for dialogue lived in a complex but emblematic country for the entire region, because of its tradition of coexistence and fruitful cooperation between the different religious and social components. In the face of the suffering and tragedies that continue in that area of ​​the Middle East, I expressed my heartfelt closeness to the legitimate aspirations of those dear people, bringing them a message of encouragement and peace. I am thinking in particular of the terrible conflict that torments Syria, causing, in addition to thousands of deaths, a stream of refugees that pours into the region desperately seeking security and a future; neither have I forgotten the plight of Iraq. During my visit, the people of Lebanon and the Middle East - Catholics, representatives of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities and of the various Muslim communities - enthusiastically and in a relaxed and constructive atmosphere, experienced the importance of mutual respect, understanding and brotherhood, which is a strong sign of hope for all humanity. But it was the encounter with the Catholic faithful of Lebanon and the Middle East, present in their thousands, which aroused in me a feeling of deep gratitude for the ardor of their faith and their witness.
   I thank the Lord for this precious gift, which gives hope for the future of the Church in those areas: youth, adults and families motivated by the strong desire to root their lives in Christ, to remain anchored to the Gospel, to walk together in the Church. I renew my gratitude also to all who worked tirelessly for my visit: the Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon with their staff, the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, consecrated persons and the lay faithful, which are a precious and meaningful reality in Lebanese society. I was able to observe firsthand that the Lebanese Catholic communities, through their presence and their millennial commitment full of hope, offer a significant and valued contribution to the daily lives of all the inhabitants of the country. My respect and gratitude go to the Lebanese authorities, institutions and associations, volunteers and all those who have offered their support in prayer. I can not forget the warm welcome I received from the President of the Republic, Mr. Michel Sleiman, as well as the various components of the country and the people: it was a warm welcome, in line with the famous Lebanese hospitality. Muslims welcomed me with great respect and sincere consideration, their constant presence and participation gave me the opportunity to launch a call to dialogue and collaboration between Christianity and Islam: it seems to me that the time has come for us to give a decided and sincere witness together against the divisions and wars. The Catholics, who also came from neighboring countries, fervently expressed their deep affection for the Successor of Peter.
   After the beautiful ceremony on my arrival at Beirut airport, the first meeting was of particular solemnity: the signing of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, in the Greek-Catholic Basilica of St. Paul in Harissa. On that occasion I invited Catholics in the Middle East to fix their gaze on Christ Crucified to find the strength, even in difficult and painful contexts, to celebrate the victory of love over hate, forgiveness over revenge and unity over division. I assured them all that the universal Church is closer than ever, with affection and prayer, to the Church in the Middle East: they, despite being a "little flock", need not fear, knowing that the Lord is always with them. The Pope does not forget them.
   On the second day of my Apostolic Journey I met the representatives of the institutions of the Republic and the world of culture, the diplomatic corps and religious leaders. To them, among others, I pointed a way forward to promote a future of peace and solidarity: this means working so that cultural, social and religious differences result in a sincere dialogue, a new fraternity, united by a shared sense of the greatness and dignity of every person, whose life must always be defended and protected. On the same day I had a meeting with the heads of Muslim religious communities, which took place in a spirit of dialogue and mutual benevolence. I thank God for this meeting. The world today needs clear and strong signs of dialogue and cooperation, of which Lebanon has been and must continue to be an example to the Arab countries and the rest of the world.
   In the afternoon, at the residence of the Maronite Patriarch, I was greeted by the irrepressible enthusiasm of thousands of young people from Lebanon and from neighboring countries, who gave rise to a moment of great celebration and prayer, that will remain unforgettable for many. I pointed out their good fortune to live in that part of the world that saw Jesus, Crucified and Risen for our salvation, and the development of Christianity, exhorting them to fidelity and love for their land, despite the difficulties caused by the lack of stability and security. In addition, I encouraged them to be firm in their faith, trusting in Christ, the source of our joy, and to deepen their personal relationship with Him in prayer, as well as to be open to the great ideals of life, family, friendship and solidarity. Seeing young Christians and Muslims celebrate in great harmony, I encouraged them to build together the future of Lebanon and the Middle East and to oppose violence and war. Harmony and reconciliation must be stronger than the forces of death.
   On Sunday morning, there was a very intense moment of great participation in the Holy Mass at the City Center Waterfront in Beirut, accompanied by evocative hymns and chants, which also characterized other celebrations. In the presence of many bishops and a large crowd of faithful from all over the Middle East, I urged everyone to live and to witness their faith without fear, knowing that the vocation of the Christian and the Church is to bring the Gospel to all without distinction, following the example of Jesus in a context marked by bitter conflicts, I drew attention to the need to serve peace and justice by becoming instruments of reconciliation and builders of communion. At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, I had the joy of presenting the Apostolic Exhortation which gathers the conclusions of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. Through the Patriarchs and Eastern and Latin Bishops, priests, religious and laity, this Document wants to reach all the faithful of that dear land, to support them in their faith and communion and encourage them on the path of the much hoped for new evangelization. In the afternoon, at the headquarters of the Syrian Catholic Patriarchate, I then had the joy of a fraternal ecumenical meeting with the Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs and representatives of those Churches, as well as other Ecclesial Communities.
   Dear friends, the days spent in Lebanon were a wonderful manifestation of faith and religious feeling and a prophetic sign of peace. The multitude of believers from the entire Middle East, had the opportunity to reflect, to talk and especially to pray together, renewing their commitment to root their lives in Christ. I am sure that the people of Lebanon, in its varied but well blended religious and social composition, will know how to witness with renewed impetus to the true peace that comes from faith in God. I hope that the messages of peace and respect that I wanted to give, will help governments of the region to take decisive steps towards peace and a better understanding of the relationship between Christians and Muslims. For my part, I continue to accompany those beloved people in prayer, so that they remain faithful to their commitments. To the maternal intercession of Mary, venerated in so many and ancient Lebanese shrines, I entrust the fruits of this pastoral visit, as well as the good intentions and the just aspirations of the entire Middle East.

September 16, 2012

Papal Mass in Beirut: a call to communion and witness

   Today, in Beirut's City Centre Waterfront on Pope Benedict's last morning in Lebanon during which he presided over Holy Mass and consigned the Post-Synodal Exhortation "Ecclesia in Medio Oriente" .
   A sea of white baseball caps and a backdrop of Lebanon’s snow covered cedars for the altar – an image that reminds one how the Lebanese love to say they can go for a day skiing in the mountains and then take a swim along the shore of this Mediterranean nation.
   Sunday’s Mass overlooking that sea was one of communion and witness - the Catholic Churches of East and West represented by their Patriarchs and bishops celebrating with the Pope of Rome this historic day when he delivered to them the document they’ve all been waiting for: the Apostolic Exhortation concluding the 2010 Synod of Bishops for the Middle East.
   “Communion and Witness” in fact, was the theme of that synod, and here at Sunday’s mass, we saw the Latin rite interspersed with chants and prayers of the eastern and Byzantine churches. In fact, the more than 350,000 people here came from all of the region’s seven Catholic rites and Orthodox and Protestants participated too in fraternal ecumenical communion.
   The lecturn of the Mass a simple but poignant symbol of peace: the Bible cradled amid the gnarled branches of a centuries-old olive tree recalling the millennia that Christians have lived in these lands.
   Sunday’s Gospel plunged us back into Jesus’s time, finding him on his way to Jerusalem where he would be crucified and then resurrected in a Holy Land of which Lebanon is a part. Pope Benedict called this moment a “turning point” in Jesus’ life. Perhaps this region, with its grand hopes of freedom and human rights but ripped apart by conflict, is also finding itself at a turning point.
   And Pope Benedict showed Christians here the way to go, encouraging them to prepare for the Year of Faith beginning in October and being true servants to the needy and their neighbor. He said Christians have a vocation to serve others “freely and impartially.”
   “Consequently", he said, "in a world where violence constantly leaves behind its grim trail of death and destruction, to serve justice and peace is urgently necessary for building a fraternal society.”
   He said Christians can render an essential testimony here in cooperation with all people of good will and by being peacemakers wherever they may be. And he challenged clergy and lay people to put the Apostolic Exhortation - a roadmap to their future - into practice in their lives, to rediscover life’s spiritual dimension and to work for greater communion within their Church, among fellow Christians and all others.
   At the Angelus prayer, Pope Benedict launched a dramatic appeal for peace in Syria and neighboring countries where the “tragedy of the conflicts and violence” are all too familiar. “Why so many dead?” he asked. “Violence and hatred invade people’s lives,” he said, lamenting that “the first victims are women and children.” He appealed to the international community and to Arab countries, “that, as brothers, they might propose workable solutions respecting the dignity, the rights and the religion of every human person! Those who wish to build peace,” he said, “ must cease to see in the other an evil to be eliminated.”
   Invoking the intercession of Mary, Our Lady of Lebanon whom both Christians and Muslims revere, the Pope prayed for “the gift of peaceful hearts, the silencing of weapons” and an end to all violence in this country, in Syria and all the Middle East. “May men understand,” he said “that they are all brothers!”
 
   On the final day of his Apostolic visit to Lebanon, Benedict XVI delivered his customary Sunday Angelus address at Beirut's City Centre Waterfront.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
   Let us now turn to Mary, Our Lady of Lebanon, around whom both Christians and Muslims gather. Let us ask her to intercede with her divine Son for you and, more particularly, for the people of Syria and the neighbouring countries, imploring the gift of peace. You know all too well the tragedy of the conflicts and the violence which generates so much suffering. Sadly, the din of weapons continues to make itself heard, along with the cry of the widow and the orphan. Violence and hatred invade people’s lives, and the first victims are women and children. Why so much horror? Why so many dead? I appeal to the international community! I appeal to the Arab countries that, as brothers, they might propose workable solutions respecting the dignity, the rights and the religion of every human person! Those who wish to build peace must cease to see in the other an evil to be eliminated. It is not easy to see in the other a person to be respected and loved, and yet this is necessary if peace is to be built, if fraternity is desired (cf. 1 Jn 2:10-11; 1 Pet 3:8-12). May God grant to your country, to Syria and to the Middle East the gift of peaceful hearts, the silencing of weapons and the cessation of all violence! May men understand that they are all brothers! Mary, our Mother, understands our concern and our needs. Together with the Patriarchs and Bishops present, I place the Middle East under her maternal protection (cf. Propositio 44). May we, with God’s help, be converted so as to work ardently to establish the peace that is necessary for harmonious coexistence among brothers, whatever their origins and religious convictions.

September 15, 2012

Pope: Come together and end violence

   On the evening of Saturday 15th September , Pope Benedict XVI met with young people from Lebanon and all over the Middle East, at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerké.
  Whenever the Pope meets with young people anywhere in the world there are two words that recur constantly in his discourses – because they are the two words we associate most with youth: “Hope” and the “Future”. Speaking in Lebanon this evening, these words echoed with special significance and strength – spoken, as they were, in the context of the violence and upheaval that is currently shaking the Middle East and the world – and, even more so, because they were addressed to Christians and Muslims alike.
   In fact, everything the Pope said to the young people, who represented their peers throughout the region, stood in stark contrast to the images and news reports simultaneously flashing across our screens. Not only did he invite them to be “peacemakers”, he urged them to “resist everything opposed to life: abortion, violence, contempt for others, injustice and war”. Not only did he encourage them to “seek beauty and strive for goodness”, he praised their enthusiasm and creativity and reminded them that “Islam and Christianity can live side by side without hatred, with respect for the beliefs of each person, so as to build together a free and humane society”.
   At the same time, Benedict XVI told the young people he is aware of their frustrations and difficulties, and the serious challenges they face because of the lack of security and unemployment in this part of the world. Still, he reminded them, it is here that Jesus was born and that Christianity grew: “Not even unemployment and uncertainty should lead you to taste the bitter sweetness of emigration”, he said, “You are meant to be protagonists of your country’s future”.
   Speaking to the young people, it was as though the Pope were addressing the whole of the Middle East at this particularly dramatic time: “Be completely open to others, even if they belong to a different cultural, religious or national group…Respect them, be good to them…This is the true revolution of love!”.
   But the paragraph likely to get most visibility across the world at this time, is the penultimate one, in which the Pope addresses young people present from Syria: He speaks of how much he admires their courage and adds: “Tell your families and friends back home that the Pope has not forgotten you…that he is saddened by your sufferings and grief”. Then Benedict XVI, in an unequivocal appeal to the entire world, concludes: “It is time for Muslims and Christians to come together so as to put an end to violence and war”.

September 15, 2012

Pope meets with President of Lebanon

   Pope Benedict XVI's courtesy visit is on the morning of Saturday 15th of September to the President of Lebanon, Michel Sleiman who received him at the Baabda Presidential Palace in Beirut. Among those present were representatives of the Parliamentary, Governmental, Institutional and Political Authorities of this Middle Eastern nation. This is a country in festival: tens of thousands of flag waving Lebanese lined the streets north of Beirut to see the Pope driving by in the pope mobile. And on the final stretch up to the presidential palace: an equestrian parade, traditional Lebanese dancers and maidens throwing rice to celebrate the Pope’s arrival.
   In his discourse, Pope Benedict drew on the image of the cedar as embodying the hopes of the Lebanese people and all the peoples of the Middle East whose region, he said, “seems to endure interminable birth pangs.” And like the cedar, this region requires care to grow to fullness. He called Mankind one great family that we’re all responsible for. Peace, society, human dignity, the family, dialogue and solidarity, he affirmed, form the core of coexistence and peace. And these turbulent lands can become an example to the world that peace and reconciliation are possible.
The first school of peace, the Pope said, is found in the family. And if we fail to defend life, how can we not reject war, terrorism and assaults on innocent life? “The destruction of a single human life,” the Pope said, “ is a loss for humanity as a whole.” Some ideologies undermine the foundations of society, the Pope charged, by “directly or indirectly” questioning “the inalienable value of each person…and the family”
   “We need to be conscious of these attacks on our efforts to build harmonious coexistence” the Pope said, and challenge them by acting in solidarity with others.
That means peace needs to be taught at every level from the home, to schools, churches and mosques and the places of power. Peace, therefore, must be in our thoughts, words and acts. Calling people to a conversion of hearts and the rediscovery of “the profound meaning of justice and common good”, the Pope said “Evil, the devil, works… through human freedom” and distorts love of neighbor, “yielding to falsehood, envy, hatred and death.”
   “Rejecting revenge, acknowledging one’s faults, accepting apologies…and forgiveness” may be quite demanding, the Pope acknowledged, but “only forgiveness can lay lasting foundations for reconciliation and universal peace.”
Describing armed conflict and war in some places as “full of futility and horror,” the Pope noted that other countries also suffer from “assaults on the integrity and lives” of people – such as unemployment, poverty, corruption, addiction, exploitation, trafficking and terrorism which not only cause “unacceptable suffering” but also drain human potential. Society must also beware of the risk of being “enslaved by an economic and financial mindset which subordinate ‘being’ to ‘having’.”
And in Lebanon, home to 18 different faith communities, the Pope said “Christianity and Islam have lived side by side for centuries.” “It’s not uncommon,” he said, “to find the two religions within the same family. If this is possible,” the Pope asked, “why should it not be possible at the level of the whole of society?”
Noting the centuries-old mix of cultures in the Middle East, the Pope lamented the fact that it was also sadly true that they have fought one another. “A pluralistic society can only exist on the basis of mutual respect, the desire to know the other and continuous dialogue” he said. And for such dialogue to take place, people must be conscious of the values all great cultures share because they are rooted in the human person.
   Calling religious freedom “the basic right on which many other rights depend,” the Holy Father said “The freedom to profess and practice one’s religion without danger to life and liberty must be possible to everyone.” In concluding, the Holy Father said all these reflections can and must be lived out. In this context, Lebanon he stressed, “is called now, more than ever, to be an example.” And he called on politicians, diplomats, religious leaders and society “to testify with courage that God wants peace” and is entrusting it to all of us.

September 12, 2012

Pope: Lord hears our prayers, strengthens our weakness

   Pope Benedict XVI continued his catechetical reflections on Christian prayer this Wednesday during his weekly General Audience. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
   In our continuing catechesis on prayer in the Book of Revelation, we now turn to its teaching on the importance of prayer in the Church’s pilgrimage through history. Prayer enables us to discern the events of history in the light of God’s plan for the spread of his Kingdom. That plan is symbolized by the book closed with seven seals which only the Lamb, the crucified and risen Lord, can open. In prayer, we see that Christ’s final victory over sin and death is the key to all history. While giving thanks for this victory, we continue to beg God’s grace for our earthly journey. Amid life’s evils, the Lord hears our prayers, strengthens our weakness, and enables us to trust in his sovereign power. The Book of Revelation concludes with Jesus’ promise that he will soon come, and the Church’s ardent prayer “Come, Lord Jesus!”. In our own prayer, and especially in our celebration of the Eucharist, may we grow in the hope of Christ’s coming in glory, experience the transforming power of his grace, and learn to discern all things in the light of faith.

   I am pleased to greet the participants in the Communications Seminar sponsored by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. I also welcome the priests taking part in the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the Pontifical North American College. Upon all the English-speaking visitors, including those from England, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, Malta, India, Korea, the Philippines, Canada and the United States of America, I invoke God’s blessings!

September 9, 2012

Angelus: A small word of infinite meaning

   A very small word that sums up Christ’s mission on earth was the focus of Pope Benedict XVI’s Angelus reflections this week: "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened. Drawn from the Sunday Gospel, Mark Chapter 7, which recounts Christ’s healing of the deaf mute, Pope Benedict XVI said Jesus “became man so that man, made inwardly deaf and dumb by sin, would become able to hear the voice of God, the voice of love speaking to his heart, and learn to speak in the language of love, to communicate with God and with others”.

Below is a translation of the Pope’s Angelus reflections:

Dear brothers and sisters!
   At the heart of today's Gospel (Mk 7, 31-37) there is a small but, very important word. A word that - in its deepest meaning- sums up the whole message and the whole work of Christ. The Evangelist Mark writes it in the same language that Jesus pronounced it in, so that it is even more alive to us. This word is "Ephphatha," which means, "be opened." Let us look at the context in which it is located. Jesus was travelling through the region known as the "Decapolis", between the coast of Tyre and Sidon, and Galilee, therefore a non-Jewish area. They brought to him a deaf man, so that he could heal him - evidently his fame had spread that far. Jesus took him aside, touched his ears and tongue, and then, looking up to the heavens, with a deep sigh said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened." And immediately the man began to hear and speak fluently (cf. Mk 7.35). This then is the historical, literal, meaning of this word: this deaf mute, thanks to Jesus’ intervention, "was opened", before he had been closed, insulated, it was very difficult for him to communicate, and his recovery was '"openness" to others and the world, an openness that, starting from the organs of hearing and speech, involved all his person and his life: Finally he was able to communicate and thus relate in a new way.
   But we all know that closure of man, his isolation, does not solely depend on the sense organs. There is an inner closing, which covers the deepest core of the person, what the Bible calls the "heart". That is what Jesus came to "open" to liberate, to enable us to fully live our relationship with God and with others. That is why I said that this little word, "Ephphatha – Be opened," sums up Christ’s entire mission. He became man so that man, made inwardly deaf and dumb by sin, would become able to hear the voice of God, the voice of love speaking to his heart, and learn to speak in the language of love, to communicate with God and with others. For this reason, the word and the gesture of '"Ephphatha" are included in the Rite of Baptism, as one of the signs that explain its meaning: the priest touching the mouth and ears of the newly baptized says: "Ephphatha" praying that they may soon hear the Word of God and profess the faith. Through Baptism, the human person begins, so to speak, to "breathe" the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus had invoked from Father with that deep breath, to heal the deaf and dumb man.
   We now turn in prayer to Mary Most Holy, whose Nativity we celebrated yesterday. Because of her unique relationship with the Incarnate Word, Mary is fully "open" to the love of the Lord, her heart is constantly listening to his Word. May her maternal intercession help us to experience every day, in faith, the miracle of '"Ephphatha," to live in communion with God and with others.
   I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at this Angelus prayer, especially those from the Rome campus of the University of Mary in the United States. In today’s Gospel Jesus cures a deaf man with a speech impediment. Let us pray that our spiritual infirmities may be cured, so that our ears may be open to listen attentively to the Lord’s life-giving teachings, and our speech may plainly profess our faith in him. May God bless you!"
   Finally in his greetings in other languages Pope Benedict touched on various important events: In Spanish he had a particular word of encouragement to the ongoing dialogue between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces, with the participation of foreign delegates, to try to end a decades-long conflict, with the hope that parties may proceed on the path of forgiveness and reconciliation in the search for the common good.
   In Polish, he greeted the proclamation of the Week for Education, organised by the Polish Episcopal Conference, with the hope that "it will revive the cooperation between the family, the school and the Church, to ensure that children and young people are given a solid intellectual, cultural, spiritual and Christian education. "
   Then, he sent cordial greetings to Catholics and all citizens of Kazakhstan, where the Pope recalled that Cardinal Sodano, as his legate, today celebrated the dedication of the new Cathedral of Karaganda, and to the faithful of Lviv of the Latins, Ukraine, where yesterday , tin he presence of the Papal Legate, Cardinal Tomko, the sixth anniversary of the foundation of the Archdiocese was commemorated.

September 5, 2012

Pope: Christ is the peace, hope and strength of our lives

   Pope Benedict XVI held his weekly General Audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, during which he continued his reflections on Christian prayer.
   The Pope flew by helicopter from Castel Gandolfo to meet with pilgrims and visitors gathered in Paul VI Hall. In his catechetical remarks, the Pope focused on the theme of prayer as found at the start of the Book of Revelation - also known as the Apocalypse. “In some ways,” said Pope Benedict, “it is a difficult book, but it contains many riches.” The Holy Father went on to say that, right from its opening verses, the Book of Revelation begins to tell us that prayer means, above all, listening to the God who speaks to us:
   Today, amid the din of so many useless words, many people have lost the habit of listening, even to God’s word. The opening lines of the Apocalypse teach us that prayer is not just more words, asking God to grant our various needs, but rather it must begin as praise to God for his love, and for his gift of Jesus Christ, who has brought us strength, hope and salvation.
   The Pope said that we, too, are to welcome Jesus into our lives, to proclaim our "Yes!" to Christ and to nourish and deepen our Christian living.
   Constant prayer will reveal to us the meaning of God’s presence in our lives and in history. Prayer with others, liturgical prayer in particular, will deepen our awareness of the crucified and risen Jesus in our midst. Thus, the more we know, love and follow Christ, the more we will want to meet him in prayer, for he is the peace, hope and strength of our lives.
   After the catechesis, Pope Benedict greeted pilgrims in many languages, including English: "I am pleased to welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present today, including those from England, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States. I am especially pleased to welcome the group of Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit as well as the young men and women of the Focolare Movement who have been participating in this year’s Genfest in Budapest. Dear young people, you have taken to heart Christ’s call to promote unity in the human family by courageously building bridges. I therefore encourage you: be strong in your Catholic faith; and let the simple joy, the pure love, and the profound peace that come from the encounter with Jesus Christ make you radiant witnesses of the Good News before the young people of your own lands. God bless all of you abundantly!"
   Pope Benedict held his General Audiences at Castel Gandolfo during the month of August. The return to Rome for the Wednesday appointment comes just over a week before the Pope’s scheduled departure for Lebanon, from September 14th to 16th.

September 2, 2012

Pope's Sunday Angelus

   Pope Benedict XVI prayed the Angelus with pilgrims and tourists gathered in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, where the Holy Father is spending the Summer months.

   In remarks ahead of the prayer, the Pope discussed God’s Law, which was a main focus of the Sunday readings. "God’s Law," said Pope Benedict, "is His Word, which guides man on the path of life, releases him from the slavery of selfishness and introduces him to the ‘land’ of true freedom and life." The Holy Father went on to say, "For this reason, in the Bible the Law is not seen as a burden, an overwhelming limitation, but as the Lord’s most precious gift, the testimony of His fatherly love, of His desire to be close to His people, to be their ally and write with His people a love story."
   After the Angelus, Pope Benedict greeted pilgrims in many languages, including English: "I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Angelus. The Gospel of today’s liturgy spurs all of us to a greater harmony between the faith we treasure in our hearts and our outward behaviour. By God’s grace, may we be purified inside and out, so as to live integrally our commitment to Christ and to his message. God bless all of you!"