From the Pope

Vatican City (VIS) —- In his homily Oct. 5, during Mass in the basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls to open the world Synod of Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI expounded on the theme of the synod: “The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church.” He drew particular attention to the Church’s mission of evangelization in a modern world that often rejects God. Below are excerpts from his homily, provided by Vatican Information Service (VIS).

Coldness and rebellion
“If we look at history we are forced to notice the frequent coldness and rebellion of incoherent Christians.”
“Today, nations once rich in faith and vocations are losing their own identity, under the harmful and destructive influence of a certain modern culture. There are those that, having decided that ‘God is dead’, declare themselves ‘god’, believing themselves to be the only creator of their own fate, the absolute owners of the world.”

Happier without God?
“But when man eliminates God from his horizon, when he declares God to be ‘dead’, is he truly happier? Does he truly become more free? ... Is it not more likely - as demonstrated by news headlines every day - that the arbitrary rule of power, selfish interests, injustice and exploitation, and violence in all its forms, will extend their grip? Man’s final destination, in the end, is to find himself more alone and society more divided and confused.”

Jesus wins
“There is a promise in the words of Jesus: the vineyard will not be destroyed. The consolatory message we gather from these biblical texts is the certainty that evil and death will not have the last word, but it will be Christ who wins in the end. Always!”

Word of God nourishes Church
“Only the Word of God can change the depths of man’s heart, and so it is important that with it both individual believers and the community enter into an ever-growing intimacy. The Synodal Assembly will direct its attention to this truth which is fundamental to the life and the mission of the Church. Nourishing herself with the Word of God is for her the first and fundamental responsibility.”

Proclaim the Gospel
“In this Year dedicated to St. Paul, we will hear the urgent cry of the Apostle of the Gentiles: ‘Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel’; a cry which becomes for every Christian an insistent invitation to place oneself at the service of Christ.”
“‘The harvest is rich,’ the Divine Teacher repeats even today. Many have not met Him yet and are waiting for the first proclamation of His Gospel; others, though having received Christian formation, their enthusiasm has weakened and they maintain only a superficial contact with the Word of God; still others have fallen away from the practice of their faith and are in need of a new evangelization.”

Live Gospel without compromise
“Nor is there a lack of righteous persons asking essential questions on the meaning of life and death, questions to which only Christ can supply a fulfilling response. It becomes therefore indispensable for Christians on every continent to be ready to respond to whomever asks the reason for the hope that is within them, announcing the Word of God with joy and living the Gospel without compromise.”

His light will enlighten humanity
“The Lord will help us to interrogate ourselves, during these next weeks of the Synod, on how to render ever more effective the proclamation of the Gospel in this our time. We all sense how necessary it is to place the Word of God at the center of our life, to welcome Christ as our only Redeemer, as the Kingdom of God in person, to allow His light to enlighten every sphere of humanity: from the family to school, to culture, to work, to free time and to other sectors of society and of our life.”

 

 

Catholics must know Bible to live Christian lives

Castel Gandolfo, Italy (CNS) —ate on the Scriptures in order to live fully Christian lives, Pope Benedict XVI told the bishops of Uruguay as they met at the papal summer residence here during their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican. Heads of dioceses are required to make such visits every five years to report on the status of their dioceses.
Bishops, priests and catechists must help Catholics learn to read, understand and pray with the Bible so that “they can live their Christian vocation in a way that is more conscientious, firm and secure,” the pope said Sept. 26.
The pope told the bishops that the Bible must also be the source and content of their own preaching and action.
Preaching the Gospel, he said, “is more necessary than ever at a time when many other voices are trying to silence God in personal and social life, taking people on detours that undermine the authentic hope and strong interest in the truth that lie within the human heart.”
The pope told the bishops to teach the faith of the Catholic Church “in its integrity with the bravery and persuasion proper to one who lives by the faith and for the faith without hesitating to proclaim explicitly the moral values of Catholic doctrine.”
The Church’s moral teachings — particularly on family life, sexuality, abortion and euthanasia — must be defended even though they often are the subject of debate in the media and in the political, cultural and social arenas, he said.
Pope Benedict particularly praised the Uruguayan bishops for their efforts “to defend human life from conception until its natural end,” and he prayed that each person in the country would come to a clear understanding of “the inviolable dignity of every person and (to) a firm commitment to respect and safeguard it without reservation.”
Bishop Carlos Collazzi Irazabal of Mercedes, president of the Uruguayan bishops’ conference, told Vatican Radio Sept. 22 that efforts continue in his country to decriminalize abortion.
“The Church has made its voice heard loud and clear,” he said. “We also trust in the commitment made by the president of the republic, who is a physician by profession and has said on several occasions that if the parliament passes pro-abortion laws he would veto them.”

 

Real Presence makes us one with Christ

Albano, Italy (Zenit) — The “dynamic presence” of Jesus in the Eucharist “seizes us in to make us His,” Pope Benedict XVI said Monday, but the spiritual graces of Holy Communion cannot be attained “if we are not in communion with each other.” Below are excerpts from the Holy Father’s homily as he celebrated Mass and dedicated the altar at the Cathedral of Albano near the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

Jesus is really present
“How … great, dear brothers and sisters, must our joy be, knowing that every day on this altar that we are preparing to consecrate, the sacrifice of Christ is offered; on this altar He will continue to immolate Himself, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, for our salvation and that of the whole world. In the Eucharistic mystery that is renewed on every altar, Jesus is really present. His is a dynamic presence, which seizes us in to make us His, to assimilate us to Him; it draws us with the power of His love, bringing us out of ourselves to unite us with Him, making us one with Him.”

A spiritual house
“Christ’s real presence makes each of us His ‘house,’ and we all together form His Church, the spiritual edifice of which St. Peter speaks. ‘Come to Him,’ the apostle writes, ‘a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

Ordered by charity
“St. Augustine observes that … men … only become the Lord’s house when they … are united together by charity … Is it indeed possible to be in communion with the Lord if we are not in communion with each other? How can we present ourselves divided and far from each other at God’s altar? May this altar … be a constant invitation to love; always draw near to it with a heart open to the love of Christ and to spreading it, to receiving and bestowing forgiveness.”

Triumph of Christ
“In the Roman liturgy the priest, having offered the bread and wine, bows toward the altar and prays in a low voice: ‘Lord, we ask you to receive us and be pleased with the sacrifice that we offer with humble and contrite hearts.’ The priest thus prepares to enter, together with the whole assembly of the faithful, into the heart of the Eucharistic mystery … The altar of sacrifice becomes in a certain way the point of encounter between heaven and earth; the center, we could say, of the one Church that is at the same time heavenly and in pilgrimage on earth, where, in the midst of the persecutions of the world and God’s consolations, the Lord’s disciples proclaim His passion and death until He returns in glory (cf. Lumen Gentium, No. 8). Indeed, every Eucharistic celebration already anticipates the triumph of Christ over sin and the world.”

Bear witness to faith
“These reflections draw our attention to the rite that we are about to perform in this cathedral. It is a task that involves all of you and that … calls upon the whole diocesan community to grow in charity and in apostolic and missionary dedication. Concretely, it is a matter of bearing witness with your life to your faith in Christ and the total confidence that you place in him.”

Ecclesial communion
“It is also a matter of cultivating ecclesial communion that is, first of all, a gift, a grace, fruit of God’s free and gratuitous love … Ecclesial communion is, however, also a task entrusted to the care of each individual. May the Lord grant you to live an evermore convinced and active communion, in cooperation and co-responsibility at every level: among the priests, the consecrated, and the laity, among the different Christian communities of your region, among the various lay groups.”

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Lourdes

Zenit — (From Pope Benedict XVI’s September 14 homily in Lourdes, France commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Blessed Mother’s appearances to St. Bernadette.)

Little Bernadette
“‘Go and tell the priests that people should come here in procession, and that a chapel should be built here.’ This is the message Bernadette received from the ‘beautiful lady’ in the apparition of 2 March 1858. For 150 years, pilgrims have … come to the grotto of Massabielle to hear the message of conversion and hope. And we have done the same; here we are this morning at the feet of Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, eager to learn from her alongside little Bernadette.”
The Cross
“‘In order to be healed from sin, gaze upon Christ crucified!’ said Saint Augustine. ... This is the great mystery that Mary also entrusts to us … inviting us to turn towards her Son. … It is significant that, during the first apparition to Bernadette, Mary begins the encounter with the sign of the Cross. … She invites all people of good will, all those who suffer in heart or body, to raise their eyes towards the Cross of Jesus, so as to discover there the source of life, the source of salvation.”
Immaculate Conception
“In the course of her catechesis, the ‘beautiful lady’ reveals her name to Bernadette: ‘I am the Immaculate Conception.’ Mary thereby discloses the extraordinary grace that she has received from God, that of having been conceived without sin. ... Mary is the woman from this earth who gave herself totally to God, and who received the privilege of giving human life to his eternal Son. … This privilege concerns us too, for it discloses to us our own dignity as men and women, admittedly marked by sin, but saved in hope.”
Service to the sick
“Dear Brothers and Sisters, the primary purpose of the shrine at Lourdes is to be a place of encounter with God in prayer and a place of service to our brothers and sisters, notably through the welcome given to the sick, the poor and all who suffer. … You have come to Lourdes in great numbers for attentive and generous service to the sick and to the other pilgrims, setting out in this way to follow Christ the servant. … In this place, Mary comes to us as a mother, always open to the needs of her children. Through the light which streams from her face, God’s mercy is made manifest.”
Youth
“The presence of young people at Lourdes is also an important element. Dear friends, gathered this morning around the World Youth Day Cross: when Mary received the angel’s visit, she was a young girl from Nazareth leading the simple and courageous life typical of the women of her village. … For your part, dear young people, do not be afraid to say yes to the Lord’s summons when He invites you to walk in His footsteps. Respond generously to the Lord! Only He can fulfill the deepest aspirations of your heart.”
Marriage, family, vocations
“May Mary help those who are called to marriage to discover the beauty of a genuine and profound love, lived as a reciprocal and faithful gift! To those among you whom He calls to follow Him in the priesthood or the religious life, I would like to reiterate all the joy that is to be had through giving one’s life totally for the service of God and others. May Christian families and communities be places where solid vocations can come to birth and grow, for the service of the Church and the world!”

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Search for truth leads to Christ

In this final installment from Pope Benedict XVI’s six days of catechesis at World Youth Day in Australia, the Holy Father reflects on the search for meaning in the face of the moral relativism of the modern age. He concludes that that search, when undertaken and pursued faithfully, must lead, in the end, to Jesus Christ. (Taken from texts provided by Zenit)

Something sinister
“There is something sinister which stems from the fact that freedom and tolerance are so often separated from truth. This is fueled by the notion, widely held today, that there are no absolute truths to guide our lives. Relativism, by indiscriminately giving value to practically everything, has made ‘experience’ all-important. Yet, experiences, detached from any consideration of what is good or true, can lead, not to genuine freedom, but to moral or intellectual confusion, to a lowering of standards, to a loss of self-respect, and even to despair.”
— July 17 address at welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day at Barangaroo East Darling Harbor, Sydney

Life willed by God
Dear friends, life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose (cf. Gen 1:28)! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences, helpful though many of them are.
— July 17 address at welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day

Because of your faith
Dear young people, is it not because of your faith that friends in difficulty or seeking meaning in their lives have turned to you? Be watchful! Listen! Through the dissonance and division of our world, can you hear the concordant voice of humanity? From the forlorn child in a Darfur camp, or a troubled teenager, or an anxious parent in any suburb, or perhaps even now from the depth of your own heart, there emerges the same human cry for recognition, for belonging, for unity.
— July 19 address at Saturday night vigil at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney

Search for truth brings happiness
It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this — in truth, in goodness, and in beauty — that we find happiness and joy. Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.
— July 17 address at welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day

Christ offers everything
Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life. Thus the “way” which the Apostles brought to the ends of the earth is life in Christ. This is the life of the Church.
— July 17 address at welcoming ceremony for World Youth Day

 

In his July 17 welcoming address to the hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI focused attention on threats to the natural environment, but also to what he termed the “social environment,” stressing that efforts to promote justice and peace and to care for the earth’s physical environment must begin with recognition of the “innate dignity of every human being.”

Earth’s physical scars
“There are scars which mark the surface of our earth: erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world’s mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption. Some of you come from island nations whose very existence is threatened by rising water levels; others from nations suffering the effects of devastating drought.”

Genius of human achievement
“And there is more. What of man, the apex of God’s creation? Every day we encounter the genius of human achievement. From advances in medical sciences and the wise application of technology, to the creativity reflected in the arts, the quality and enjoyment of people’s lives in many ways are steadily rising. … Some of you excel in studies, sport, music, or dance and drama, others of you have a keen sense of social justice and ethics, and many of you take up service and voluntary work. All of us, young and old, have those moments when the innate goodness of the human person — perhaps glimpsed in the gesture of a little child or an adult’s readiness to forgive — fills us with profound joy and gratitude.”

Social scars
“Yet such moments do not last … And we discover that not only the natural but also the social environment — the habitat we fashion for ourselves — has its scars; wounds indicating that something is amiss. Here too, in our personal lives and in our communities, we can encounter a hostility, something dangerous; a poison which threatens to corrode what is good, reshape who we are, and distort the purpose for which we have been created. Examples abound … Among the more prevalent are alcohol and drug abuse, and the exaltation of violence and sexual degradation, often presented through television and the internet as entertainment. I ask myself, could anyone standing face to face with people who actually do suffer violence and sexual exploitation ‘explain’ that these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are considered merely ‘entertainment’?”

Human rights universal
“What of our social environment? Are we equally alert to the signs of turning our back on the moral structure with which God has endowed humanity (cf. 2007 World Day of Peace Message, 8)? Do we recognize that the innate dignity of every individual rests on his or her deepest identity — as image of the Creator — and therefore that human rights are universal, based on the natural law, and not something dependent upon negotiation or patronage, let alone compromise?”

The voiceless
“And so we are led to reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the voiceless, have in our societies. How can it be that domestic violence torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous and sacred human space — the womb — has become a place of unutterable violence?”

Bring Gospel vision to the world
“God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable. Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth … This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through the gifts of the Spirit at Confirmation. Let this be the message that you bring from Sydney to the world!”

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Continuing with the teachings proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI during the course of World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia: While acknowledging the necessity of material goods, the pope warned against the “cult of materialism.” He pointed instead to the special role that religions have to play in leading people to self-sacrifice in serving the needs of others. And he noted the vital contribution that youthful idealism, properly formed and nurtured, can make in promoting such a spiritual concern for others. (Taken from papal texts provided by Zenit.)

Possessions needed, but can become false gods
“Material possessions, in themselves, are good. We would not survive for long without money, clothing and shelter. We must eat in order to stay alive. Yet if we are greedy, if we refuse to share what we have with the hungry and the poor, then we make our possessions into a false god. How many voices in our materialist society tell us that happiness is to be found by acquiring as many possessions and luxuries as we can! But this is to make possessions into a false god. Instead of bringing life, they bring death.”

July 18 address to disadvantaged young people from ALIVE rehabilitation community.

Cult of material possessions
“The cult of material possessions, the cult of possessive love and the cult of power often lead people to attempt to ‘play God’: to try to seize total control, with no regard for the wisdom or the commandments that God has made known to us. This is the path that leads towards death. By contrast, worship of the one true God means recognizing in Him the source of all goodness, entrusting ourselves to Him, opening ourselves to the healing power of His grace and obeying His commandments: that is the way to choose life.”

July 18 address to disadvantaged young people from ALIVE rehabilitation community.

Spiritual desert
“In so many of our societies, side by side with material prosperity, a spiritual desert is spreading: an interior emptiness, an unnamed fear, a quiet sense of despair. How many of our contemporaries have built broken and empty cisterns (cf. Jer 2:13) in a desperate search for meaning — the ultimate meaning that only love can give? This is the great and liberating gift which the Gospel brings: it reveals our dignity as men and women created in the image and likeness of God. It reveals humanity’s sublime calling, which is to find fulfillment in love. It discloses the truth about man and the truth about life.”

Homily at July 20 closing Mass

Sacrifice, self-denial
“The religious sense planted within the human heart opens men and women to God and leads them to discover that personal fulfillment does not consist in the selfish gratification of ephemeral desires. Rather, it leads us to meet the needs of others and to search for concrete ways to contribute to the common good. Religions have a special role in this regard, for they teach people that authentic service requires sacrifice and self-discipline, which in turn must be cultivated through self-denial, temperance and a moderate use of the world’s goods … It is incumbent upon religious people to demonstrate that it is possible to find joy in living simply and modestly, generously sharing one’s surplus with those suffering from want.”

July 18 address to interreligious meeting

High ideals of youth
“Friends, these values, I am sure you will agree, are particularly important to the adequate formation of young people, who are so often tempted to view life itself as a commodity. They also have an aptitude for self-mastery: indeed, in sports, the creative arts, and in academic studies, they readily welcome it as a challenge. Is it not true that when presented with high ideals, many young people are attracted to asceticism and the practice of moral virtue through self-respect and a concern for others? They delight in contemplating the gift of creation and are intrigued by the mystery of the transcendent.”

July 18 address to interreligious meeting

Schools must nurture spirit
“In this regard, both faith schools and State schools could do even more to nurture the spiritual dimension of every young person. In Australia, as elsewhere, religion has been a motivating factor in the foundation of many educational institutions, and rightly it continues to occupy a place in school curricula today.”

July 18 address to interreligious meeting

 

During various events throughout World Youth Day in Australia, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the vital role that faith and religion can and must play in public life, even in the face of hostility from those who insist that religion should have no place in the public square. (Taken from papal texts provided by Zenit.)

Religion stands at service of mankind
A harmonious relationship between religion and public life is all the more important at a time when some people have come to consider religion as a cause of division rather than a force for unity. In a world threatened by sinister and indiscriminate forms of violence, the unified voice of religious people urges nations and communities to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and with full regard for human dignity. One of the many ways religion stands at the service of mankind is by offering a vision of the human person that highlights our innate aspiration to live generously, forging bonds of friendship with our neighbors. At their core, human relations cannot be defined in terms of power, domination and self-interest. Rather, they reflect and perfect man’s natural inclination to live in communion and accord with others.
— Address to interreligious meeting in Sydney, July 18

Faith shunned in public square
All too often, however, we find ourselves immersed in a world that would set God “aside”. In the name of human freedom and autonomy, God’s name is passed over in silence, religion is reduced to private devotion, and faith is shunned in the public square. At times this mentality, so completely at odds with the core of the Gospel, can even cloud our own understanding of the Church and her mission. We too can be tempted to make the life of faith a matter of mere sentiment, thus blunting its power to inspire a consistent vision of the world and a rigorous dialogue with the many other visions competing for the minds and hearts of our contemporaries.
— Homily at Mass with Australian bishops and clergy, July 19

God will never be silenced
Yet history, including the history of our own time, shows that the question of God will never be silenced, and that indifference to the religious dimension of human existence ultimately diminishes and betrays man himself.
— Homily at Mass with Australian bishops and clergy, July 19

Secularist, godless world view
The task of witness is not easy. There are many today who claim that God should be left on the sidelines, and that religion and faith, while fine for individuals, should either be excluded from the public forum altogether or included only in the pursuit of limited pragmatic goals. This secularist vision seeks to explain human life and shape society with little or no reference to the Creator. It presents itself as neutral, impartial and inclusive of everyone. But in reality, like every ideology, secularism imposes a world-view. If God is irrelevant to public life, then society will be shaped in a godless image, and debate and policy concerning the public good will be driven more by consequences than by principles grounded in truth.
— Address at welcoming celebration of World Youth Day, July 17

Turning back on Creator brings disorder
Yet experience shows that turning our back on the Creator’s plan provokes a disorder which has inevitable repercussions on the rest of the created order (cf. 1990 World Day of Peace Message, 5). When God is eclipsed, our ability to recognize the natural order, purpose, and the “good” begins to wane. What was ostensibly promoted as human ingenuity soon manifests itself as folly, greed and selfish exploitation. And so we have become more and more aware of our need for humility before the delicate complexity of God’s world.
— Address at welcoming celebration of World Youth Day, July 17

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Throughout World Youth Day, Pope Benedict XVI addressed himself to victims of human suffering and injustice: the aboriginal peoples of Australia, victims of clergy sexual abuse, disadvantaged young people at a local rehabilitation facility -– and all who are poor, sick, imprisoned, marginalized, or alienated from the Church. The Holy Father expressed his deep sorrow for their sufferings, and invited them to find hope and healing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Taken from papal texts provided by Zenit.)

Deeply moved by injustices
“I wish firstly to thank the Aboriginal Elders who welcomed me prior to my boarding the boat at Rose Bay. I am deeply moved to stand on your land, knowing the suffering and injustices it has borne, but aware too of the healing and hope that are now at work, rightly bringing pride to all Australian citizens.”
— Address at welcoming ceremony in Barangaroo, July 17

‘Find His healing embrace’
“This evening I wish also to include those who are not present among us. I am thinking especially of the sick or mentally ill, young people in prison, those struggling on the margins of our societies, and those who for whatever reason feel alienated from the Church. To them I say: Jesus is close to you! Feel his healing embrace, his compassion and mercy!”
— Address at welcoming ceremony in Barangaroo, July 17

Compassion, justice for abuse victims
“I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country. Indeed, I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured, and I assure them that, as their pastor, I too share in their suffering. These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation. They have caused great pain and have damaged the Church’s witness. I ask all of you to support and assist your bishops, and to work together with them in combating this evil. Victims should receive compassion and care, and those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice.”
— Homily at Mass with Australian clergy, July 19

The prodigal son
“A vivid illustration of what it means to turn back from the path of death onto the path of life is found in … the parable of the prodigal son. When that young man left his father’s house … he was seeking the illusory pleasures promised by false ‘gods.’ He squandered his inheritance on a life of indulgence, and ended up in abject poverty and misery. When he reached the very lowest point, hungry and abandoned, he realized how foolish he had been to leave his loving father. Humbly, he returned and asked forgiveness. Joyfully his father embraced him and exclaimed: ‘This son of mine was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found’ (Lk 15:24).”
— Address to disadvantaged Australian youth served by Alive rehabilitation center, July 18

Misery, abandonment
“Many of you must have had personal experience of what that young man went through. Perhaps you have made choices that you now regret, choices that led you down a path which, however attractive it appeared at the time, only led you deeper into misery and abandonment. The choice to abuse drugs or alcohol, to engage in criminal activity or self-harm, may have seemed at the time to offer a way out of a difficult or confusing situation. You now know that, instead of bringing life, it brings death. “
— Address to disadvantaged Australian youth served by Alive rehabilitation center, July 18

Ambassadors of hope
“I wish to acknowledge your courage in choosing to turn back onto the path of life, just like the young man in the parable. You have accepted help – from friends or family, from the staff who run the ‘Alive’ program: from people who care deeply for your well-being and happiness.
“Dear friends, I see you as ambassadors of hope to others in similar situations. You can convince them of the need to choose the path of life and shun the path of death, because you speak from experience. All through the Gospels, it was those who had taken wrong turnings who were particularly loved by Jesus, because once they recognized their mistake, they were all the more open to his healing message.”
— Address to disadvantaged Australian youth served by Alive rehabilitation center, July 18

 

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses.” Those words of Jesus, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, were the theme for World Youth Day 2008. In his homily at the World Youth Day vigil, Saturday night July 19 at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on Who the Holy Spirit is in relation to the Holy Trinity, the Church, the world, and as a power and a guiding force in the lives of each one of us. (Taken from papal texts provided by Zenit).

Be My witnesses
“Once again this evening we have heard Christ’s great promise — ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.’ And we have heard His summons — ‘be My witnesses throughout the world’ — (Acts 1:8). These were the very last words which Jesus spoke before His Ascension into heaven.”

The person of the Spirit
“We need to understand the person of the Holy Spirit and his vivifying presence in our lives. This is not easy to comprehend. Indeed the variety of images found in Scripture referring to the Spirit — wind, fire, breath — indicate our struggle to articulate an understanding of Him. Yet we do know that it is the Holy Spirit who, though silent and unseen, gives direction and definition to our witness to Jesus Christ.”

The giver of life
“The ‘Creator Spirit’ is the power of God giving life to all creation and the source of new and abundant life in Christ. The Spirit sustains the Church in union with the Lord and in fidelity to the apostolic Tradition. He inspired the Sacred Scriptures and He guides God’s people into the fullness of truth (cf. Jn 16:13). In all these ways the Spirit is the ‘giver of life,’ leading us into the very heart of God.”

Spirit leads us back
“There are times, however, when we might be tempted to seek a certain fulfillment apart from God. Jesus himself asked the Twelve: ‘do you also wish to go away?’ Such drifting away perhaps offers the illusion of freedom. But where does it lead? To whom would we go? For in our hearts we know that it is the Lord who has ‘the words of eternal life’ (Jn 6:67-68). To turn away from Him is only a futile attempt to escape from ourselves (cf. St. Augustine, Confessions VIII, 7). God is with us in the reality of life, not the fantasy! It is embrace, not escape, that we seek! So the Holy Spirit gently but surely steers us back to what is real, what is lasting, what is true. It is the Spirit who leads us back into the communion of the Blessed Trinity!”

Spirit is unity
“So, with Augustine’s help, let us illustrate something of the Holy Spirit’s work. He noted that the two words “Holy” and “Spirit” refer to what is divine about God; in other words what is shared by the Father and the Son — their Communion. So, if the distinguishing characteristic of the Holy Spirit is to be what is shared by the Father and the Son, Augustine concluded that the Spirit’s particular quality is Unity. It is a unity of lived communion: a unity of persons in a relationship of constant giving, the Father and the Son giving themselves to each other.”

Augustine: Spirit is love
“Augustine’s second insight — the Holy Spirit as abiding love — comes from his study of the First Letter of St. John. John tells us that ‘God is love’ (1 Jn 4:16). Augustine suggests that while these words refer to the Trinity as a whole they express a particular characteristic of the Holy Spirit … Love is the sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit! Ideas or voices which lack love — even if they seem sophisticated or knowledgeable — cannot be ‘of the Spirit.’

“Furthermore, love has a particular trait: far from being indulgent or fickle, it has a task or purpose to fulfill: to abide. By its nature love is enduring. Again, dear friends, we catch a further glimpse of how much the Holy Spirit offers our world: love which dispels uncertainty; love which overcomes the fear of betrayal; love which carries eternity within; the true love which draws us into a unity that abides!”

Fulfilling Christ’s work
“Who satisfies that essential human yearning to be one, to be immersed in communion, to be built up, to be led to truth? The Holy Spirit! This is the Spirit’s role: to bring Christ’s work to fulfillment.”

 

Mary's 'yes' to God on behalf of all humanity

Sydney, Australia (Zenit) — Before praying the midday Angelus at the end of the World Youth Day closing Mass July 19 in Sydney, Australia, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the Annunciation as a marriage proposal to which Mary said yes on behalf of the human race. The Holy Father offered Mary’s fidelity, through many trials, as a model for young people to say ‘yes’ to God and to remain faithful through whatever challenges lie ahead for them.

Mary’s gift of herself
“In the beautiful prayer that we are about to recite, we reflect on Mary as a young woman, receiving the Lord’s summons to dedicate her life to him in a very particular way, a way that would involve the generous gift of herself, her womanhood, her motherhood. Imagine how she must have felt. She was filled with apprehension, utterly overwhelmed at the prospect that lay before her.”

Strength of the Spirit
“It was the Spirit who gave her the strength and courage to respond to the Lord’s call. It was the Spirit who helped her to understand the great mystery that was to be accomplished through her. It was the Spirit who enfolded her with his love and enabled her to conceive the Son of God in her womb.”

The moment of marriage
“The covenant with Israel was like a period of courtship, a long engagement. Then came the definitive moment, the moment of marriage, the establishment of a new and everlasting covenant. As Mary stood before the Lord, she represented the whole of humanity. In the angel’s message, it was as if God made a marriage proposal to the human race. And in our name, Mary said yes.”

Faithful to promise
“In fairy tales, the story ends there, and all ‘live happily ever after.’ In real life it is not so simple. For Mary there were many struggles ahead, as she lived out the consequences of the ‘yes’ that she had given to the Lord. ... Throughout her trials she remained faithful to her promise, sustained by the Spirit of fortitude. And she was gloriously rewarded.”

A mother’s love shields us
“Dear young people, we too must remain faithful to the ‘yes’ that we have given to the Lord’s offer of friendship. We know that he will never abandon us. We know that he will always sustain us through the gifts of the Spirit. Mary accepted the Lord’s ‘proposal’ in our name. So let us turn to her and ask her to guide us as we struggle to remain faithful to the life-giving relationship that God has established with each one of us. She is our example and our inspiration, she intercedes for us with her Son, and with a mother’s love she shields us from harm.”

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For six days, Pope Benedict XVI used the global stage provided by World Youth Day to speak to the world: evangelizing the Gospel, invoking the “power of the Spirit,” and inviting all the world to open our lives to Christ.

Over the next month, TLIC’s “From the Pope” column will provide, in the Pope’s own words, the wisdom, insights, and spiritual guidance he offered to the hundreds of thousands of young people who joined him in Sydney, Australia, along with countless millions — of all ages — throughout the world who “tuned in” to this extraordinary celebration of faith.

This week, we offer the Pope’s words to young people on the challenges they face today and will face in the future; their vital role in the Church and the world; and the hope and promise they will always find in Christ and His Church.

Challenges to youth
“Many young people today lack hope. They are perplexed by the questions that present themselves ever more urgently in a confusing world, and they are often uncertain which way to turn for answers. They see poverty and injustice and they long to find solutions. They are challenged by the arguments of those who deny the existence of God and they wonder how to respond. They see great damage done to the natural environment through human greed and they struggle to find ways to live in greater harmony with nature and with one another.”
Message to Australia and youth pilgrims prior to World Youth Day, released July 13

Answers
“Where can we look for answers? The Spirit points us towards the way that leads to life, to love and to truth. The Spirit points us towards Jesus Christ. There is a saying attributed to Saint Augustine: ‘If you wish to remain young, seek Christ.’ In Him we find the answers that we are seeking, we find the goals that are truly worth living for, we find the strength to pursue the path that will bring about a better world.”
Message to Australia and youth pilgrims prior to World Youth Day, released July 13

A question from the Pope
“Dear young people, let me now ask you a question. What will you leave to the next generation? Are you building your lives on firm foundations, building something that will endure? Are you living your lives in a way that opens up space for the Spirit in the midst of a world that wants to forget God, or even rejects Him in the name of a falsely-conceived freedom? How are you using the gifts you have been given, the ‘power’ which the Holy Spirit is even now prepared to release within you? What legacy will you leave to young people yet to come? What difference will you make?”
Homily at closing Mass, July 20

Called to be prophets
“Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith’s rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished — not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed. A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships. Dear young friends, the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of His love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity.”
Homily at closing Mass, July 20

Church needs your gifts
“The Church … needs your faith, your idealism and your generosity, so that she can always be young in the Spirit (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4)!”

“The Church especially needs the gifts of young people, all young people. She needs to grow in the power of the Spirit who even now gives joy to your youth and inspires you to serve the Lord with gladness. Open your hearts to that power! I address this plea in a special way to those of you whom the Lord is calling to the priesthood and the consecrated life. Do not be afraid to say ‘yes’ to Jesus, to find your joy in doing His will, giving yourself completely to the pursuit of holiness, and using all your talents in the service of others!”
Homily at closing Mass, July 20

Filled with hope
“The principal actors on the stage over these last few days, of course, have been the young people themselves. World Youth Day is their day. It is they who have made this a global ecclesial event, a great celebration of youth and a great celebration of what it is to be the Church, the people of God throughout the world, united in faith and love and empowered by the Spirit to bear witness to the risen Christ to the ends of the earth.”

“World Youth Day has shown us that the Church can rejoice in the young people of today and be filled with hope for the world of tomorrow.”
Remarks at farewell ceremony, July 20

Bring the world to Christ
“May the fire of God’s love descend to fill your hearts, unite you ever more fully to the Lord and His Church, and send you forth, a new generation of apostles, to bring the world to Christ!”
Homily at closing Mass, July 20

 

Christ is only hope for future of mankind

Vatican City (Zenit) — The current situation of the world gives rise to “deep concerns regarding the very future of mankind,” Pope Benedict XVI said in his message for the 82nd World Mission Sunday, scheduled for Oct. 19.

“Humanity is suffering, it awaits true liberty, it awaits a new and better world, it awaits ‘redemption,’” the pontiff wrote, as he called people “to reflect on the urgent need to announce the Gospel.” He called the Pauline Year “an opportunity to propagate the announcement of the Gospel unto the ends of the earth.”

Pope Benedict cited violence, poverty “that oppresses millions of people, discrimination and sometimes even persecution for racial, cultural and religious reasons,” as well as the “constant threat in the relationship between man and the environment” and “attacks on human life that take on various forms and methods.”

“Is there,” he asked, “hope for the future? Or rather, is there a future for humanity? … For we believers, the answer to these questions comes from the Gospel. Christ is our future ... St. Paul understood that only in Christ can humanity find redemption and hope.”

Despite such difficulties as a shortage of priests and a lack of vocations, “Christ’s mandate to evangelize all people remains a priority,” the Pope affirmed. “Let us cast out our nets without fear, trusting in his constant help.”

Bishops, “like the Apostle Paul, are called to reach out to those who are far off and who do not yet know Christ,” he said, noting that prelates have the duty of “willingly contributing, each according to his capacities, in sending priests and lay people to other Churches for the service of evangelization.”

The Holy Father encouraged priests “to be generous pastors and enthusiastic evangelizers,” expressing the hope that “this missionary commitment in local Churches does not diminish despite the lack of priests.”

He called on religious to carry “the announcement of the Gospel to everyone, especially to those farthest away, by a coherent witness in Christ and a radical adherence to the Gospel.”

“You too, dear laypeople,” he added, “are called to play an ever more important role in spreading the Gospel.”

Pope Benedict prayed that “the collection gathered in all parishes on World Mission Day be a sign of reciprocal communion and solicitude between Churches,” and urged Christians to “intensify their prayers, the indispensable spiritual means for spreading the light of Christ among all peoples.”

 

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