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HOMILIES, ANGELUS, AND OTHER SPIRITUAL TEXTS

Ultimo Aggiornamento: 26/04/2009 19:14
18/06/2006 14:02
 
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ANGELUS OF 6/18/06
Here is a translation of the words of the Holy Father at tne Angelus today:




Dear brothers and sisters!

Today the solemnity of Corpus Domini is celebrated in Italy and other countries. In Rome, the high point of Corpus Domini was observed during the procession last Thursday.

Corpus Domini is the solemn public feast of the Eucharist, the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ - the mystery instituted at the Last Supper and commemorated every year on Maundy Thursday. But on this day it is shown to everyone, surrounded by the fervor of faith and the devotion of the whole community.

The Eucharist constitutes the “treasure” of the Church, the precious legacy which the Lord has left it. And the Church keeps it with the greatest care, celebrating it daily in the Holy Mass, adoring it in churches and chapels, distributing it to the sick, and as viaticum, to those who are leaving on their last voyage.

But this treasure, which is destined for the baptized, does not exeert its action in the environment of the Church alone. The Eucharist is the Lord Jesus who gives Himself “for the life of the world” (Jn 6,51). In every time and in every place, He desires to encounter man and bring him life from God.

But not only that. The Eucharist has a cosmic value: the transformation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ constitutes the principle of divinization of creation itself. That is why the feast of Corpus Domini is characterized particularly by the tradition of carrying the Most Blessed Sacrament in procession, an act that is rich in significance.

By carrying the Sacrament in the streets and in the squares, we wish to immerse the Bread that descended from heaven in the daily routine of our life. We want Jesus to walk where we walk, to live where we live.

On this day the Christian community proclaims that the Eucharist is for everyone - it is life itself, the spring of life which conquers death. From our communion with Christ the Eucharist, comes that love which transforms our existence and supports our journey towards our heavenly Home.

That is why the liturgy makes us sing: “Good Shepherd, true bread… You who know all and can do all, who nourishes us on earth, lead your brothers to the Heavenly banquest in the glory of your saints.”

Mary is the “lady of the Eucharist”, as John Paul II defined her in his encyclical Ecclesia de Eucaristia. Let us pray to the Virgin that every Christian may deepen his faith in the Eucharistic mystery to live in constant communion with Jesus and be His valid witness.

The Holy Father also made the following announcement:

Next Tuesday, June 20, will be the World Day for Refugees promoted by the United Nations. It is intended to draw the attention of the international community to the conditions of so many people forced to flee their own lands because of grave forms of violence against them.

These brothers and sisters of ours seek refuge in other countries hoping to be able to return to their own land eventually, and to find hospitality where they have sought refuge.

As I assure them that they will be remembered in our prayers and of the constant solicitude of the Holy See, I also hope that the rights of these persons will always be respected and I encourage the church communities to help them in their needs.

Later, he said this in English:

I welcome all the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer. My special greeting goes to the neo-catechumenal communities from England and the United States. May your stay in the Eternal City help you to grow in love for the Lord and his Church. God bless you all!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 18/06/2006 14.03]

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 19/06/2006 10.36]

18/06/2006 15:27
 
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Here's what papa said to the German pilgrims:

"Ein herzliches „Grüß Gott“ sage ich allen Pilgern aus den Ländern deutscher Sprache. In der Natur gibt es Zeiten des Wachsens und Reifens. Jesus nimmt das Bild des Reifens in seinen Gleichnissen auf. Er fordert uns auf, seinem Wort der Wahrheit einen fruchtbaren Boden zu bereiten, auf daß die göttliche Liebe in der Welt vielfache Frucht bringe. Euch allen einen gesegneten Sonntag und eine gute Woche!"

21/06/2006 14:32
 
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AUDIENCE OF 6/21/06
Here is a translation of the words of the Holy Father at the General Audience in St. Peter's Square today:

Dear brothers and sisters:

We continue with the series of portraits of the Apostles directly chosen by Jesus during his earthly life. We have already spoken of St. Peter and his brother Andrew.

Today, we will meet James. The Biblical lists of the Twelve mention two persons with this name: James the son of Zebedee and James the son of Alphaeus (cfr Mk 3,17-18; Mr10,2-3), who have come to be commonly distinguished as James the Greater and James the Lesser.

These designations certainly do not indicate a measure of their saintliness, but simply acknowledges the different stress that they receive in the writings of the New Testament and, in particular, in the context of Jesus’s earthly life. Today, we will dedicate our attention to the first of these two homonymous apostles.

Giacomo [Italian for James] is the translation of Iakobos, the Hellenized form of the name of the celebrated patriarch Jacob. The (first) apostle named James is the brother of John, and in the lists mentioned above, occupies the second position immediately after Peter, as in Mark (3,17), or the third place after Peer and Andrew in the gospels of Matthew (10.2) and Luke (6.14), while in the Acts, he is mentioned after Peter and John (1,13). This James belongs, along with Peter and John, to the group of three privileged disciples whom Jesus 'admitted' to the important moments of his life.

Because it is very warm today, I will be brief and mention only two of these occasions. Together with Peter and John, James was able to participate at the time of Jesus’s agony in the garden of Gethsemane and at the Transfiguration. These are two completely different situations.

In one case, James and the other two Apostles experienced the glory of the Lord - they saw Him talking to Moses and Elijah, they saw the divine splendor manifested in Jesus. In the other, they were faced with suffering and humiliation; they saw with their own eyes how the Son of God humbled himself by being obedient unto death.

Certainly, the second event constituted for them an occasion for the maturation of their faith, to balance the unilateral, triumphalistic interpretation of the first. They had to understand that the Messiah, awaited by the Jewish people as a victor, was in reality not only surrounded by honor and glory, but also by suffering and weakness. In fact, the glory of Christ would be realized on the Cross, in His participation with our suffering.

This maturation of faith was brought to completion by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, so that James therefore did not fall back at the moment when his witness was most called for. At the start of the fourth decade of the first century, Luke tells us that King Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great, “started to persecute some members of the Church, and ordered James the brother of John to be killed with the sword.” (Acts 12,1-2).

The terseness of this report, devoid of any narrative detail, shows on the one hand that it was normal then for Christians to bear witness to the Lord with their own lives, and on the other hand, that James occupied a prominent position in the Church of Jerusalem due to the role he played during Jesus’s earthly life.

Subsequent tradition, going back at least to Isidore of Seville, tells of a sojourn in Spain by James in order to evangelize that important region of the Roman empire. But according to another early tradition, it was his body instead that was brought to Spain to the city of Compostela.

As we know, that place became the object of great veneration and is still the object of countless pilgrims not only from all Europe but from around the world. That is why the iconographic representation of St. James shows him with the pilgrim’s staff and the scroll of the Gospel, characteristics of the itinerant Apostle dedicated to announcing the “good news” and characteristic too of the pilgrimage of Christian life.

From St. James, therefore, we can learn many things: the readiness to welcome the Lord’s call even when it means leaving the ‘vessel’ of our human certainties; the enthusiasm of following Him on the pathways He shows us beyond any of our own illusory presumptions; the willingness to bear courageous witness of the Lord, up to the supreme sacrifice of one’s life if need be.

Thus St. James the Greater presents us with an eloquent example of generous adherence to Christ. He, who had initially asked through his mother, to sit with his brother next to the Master in His Kingdom, became the first to drink the chalice of passion, to share martyrdom with the other Apostles.

To summarize, we can say that the road – not simply exterior but interior – from the mount of Transfiguration to the mount of agony, symbolizes the pilgrimage of Christian life, between the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God, as the Second Vatican Council expressed it.

In following Jesus as St. James did, we know, even in the midst of difficulties, that we are on the right way.

Later, he summarized the catechesis in English (as he also did in French, German and Spanish):

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our weekly catechesis on the Church’s apostolic ministry, we now consider the Apostle James. James – called the Greater in order to distinguish him from James, the son of Alphaeus – was the brother of the Apostle John.

In the New Testament, James is often named with Peter and John as one of the three disciples privileged to be present at the most significant events in Jesus’s earthly ministry. These include the Lord’s transfiguration on Mount Tabor and his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Through these two events, which revealed Christ’s glory as the Son of God and the meaning of his redemptive sacrifice, James came to a deeper understanding of the Lord’s messianic mission. This growth in faith was crowned by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The Acts of the Apostles present James as an authoritative figure in the Church of Jerusalem and the first of the Apostles to meet a martyr’s death. His example inspires us to be zealous disciples of Christ, prepared to drink from the cup of his suffering in order to reign with him in glory (cf. Mk 10:35-40).

I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present at today’s audience, including the Delegates to the Conference on Plasma Physics, and the Delegates to the Symposium on Atherosclerosis.

I extend particular greetings to the groups from Ireland, Ghana, China and the United States of America. May your stay in Rome renew your faith and your love for our Lord, and may God bless you all!
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In addition to his words of greeting to other language groups present, the Pope reminded the Poles and the Hungarians that Friday is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus' and the Italians that today is the feast of St. Louis of Gonzaga.
21/06/2006 21:10
 
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Fascinating Catechesis Series
This series about the apostles is so fascinating! Today I really enjoyed hearing about James and Compostela. It seemed to be really hot in Saint Peter's Square - lots of people now have fans as well as sunhats!!!! But Papa didn't let the heat worry him, though his catechesis was a bit shorter than usual.
The entertainment highlight today - for me - was the little orchestra of child violinists, who played so beautifully for Papa when it came to their turn to be introduced. They also played as Papa was being driven round the square before the audience. What was that music? I thought it was a Brahms Hungarian Dance. But I haven't had time to play my CD of those dances yet, to check. Later, when Papa was talking to the VIP bishops etc. they played again and, this time, it was Bach - the Concerto for Two Violins, I think. Then EWTN stopped its transmission abruptly,as usually happens at that point!
The only solution is to get CTV installed.
Hoping for some pics from today's audience soon! Papa MUST have needed a glass of water today.
Love and Peace always ~Mary x [SM=g27811]
[SM=g27822] [SM=g27822] [SM=g27822] [SM=g27822] [SM=g27822] [SM=g27822] [SM=g27822]

25/06/2006 21:24
 
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ANGELUS OF 6/25/06
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words at the noontime Angelus today -
--------------------------------------------------------------

Dear brothers and sisters!

Today is the Twelfth Sunday in ordinary time, which is ‘surrounded’ by significant liturgical feasts.

Last Friday, we celebrated the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an occasion which happily unites popular devotion to theological profoundness. It was traditional – and in some countries it still is – to consecrate the family to the Sacred Heart whose image is kept at home.

The roots of this devotion lie in the mystery of the Incarnation. It is through the Heart of Jesus that the mystery preserves all its validity and attracts specially those souls who are thirsting for the mercy of God, who find in the Heart of Jesus the inexhaustible spring from which to draw the waters of life, to irrigate the deserts of our soul and to make hope flower again.

The feast of the Sacred Heart was also the World Day of Prayer for the sanctification of priests. I take the occasion to invite all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to pray always for our priests so that they may be valid witnesses of Christ’s love.

Yesterday, we celebrated the Birth of St. John the Baptist, the only saint whose birth we commemorate, because it marked the start of the fulfillment of God’s promise. John was the ‘prophet’, identified with Elijah, who was destined to be the immediate precursor of the Messiah, who would prepare the people of Israel for His coming (cfr Mt 11,14; 17,10-13).

His feastday reminds us that our life is always “relative” to Christ, and that it is realized in receiving Him – Word, Light, Spouse – to whom we are voices, lamps, friends (cfr Jn 1,1-2; 1,7-8; 3,29). ‘He should grow while I diminish” (Jn 3,30) – this expression of the Baptist is programmatic for every Christian.

To allow the “I” of Christ to take the place of our “I” was the exemplary desire of the Apostles Peter and Paul, whom the Church venerates solemnly on June 29. St. Paul wrote of himself: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ (who) lives in me” (GL 2,20).

But before them and before any other saint, the first one to live that reality was the Most Blessed Mary, who kept the words of her son Jesus in her heart. Yesterday, we also contemplated the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the heart of a mother who continues to watch over all of us with tender solicitude. May her intercession make us ever faithful to our Christian calling.

After the Angelus, the Pope said a few words about an accident in Sicily and the observance in Italy today of a day dedicated to the Pope’s charities:

Deeply saddened as I am by the serious accident which happened on the highway between Catania and Siracuse, I offer my condolences to the families of the victims, for whom I raise a special prayer to the Lord. And while I express my spiritual closeness to the wounded and their families, I also wish that ever-careful and better attention be given to safety conditions at work in order to avoid a repetition of such tragedies.

Also today, the Sunday before the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Italy marks the day for the Pope’s charities. I thank with all my heart the Italian church community for the prayers and support they have given to my ministry as Successor to Peter, one who has been called to serve all the people of God.

Later, he said this in English:
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Angelus. Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist. May the example of this great Saint’s generous and persevering faith inspire each one of us to be steadfast in our Christian life and courageous heralds of the Gospel! May you have a blessed Sunday and a pleasant time in Rome!
28/06/2006 18:59
 
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AUDIENCE OF 6/28/06
AUDIENCE OF 6/28/06

Here is a translation of the Holy Father's catechesis at the General Audience held in St. Peter's Square today:
---------------------------------------------------------------

Dear brothers and sisters!

Next to the figure of James the Greater, son of Zebedee, of whom we spoke last Wednesday, the Gospels speak of another James, who has been called “the Less.” He too is part of the twelve Apostles personally chosen by Jesus and is always identified as the “son of Alphaeus” (cfr Mt 10,3; Mk 3,18; Lk 5; Acts 1,13).

He is often identified with another James, called “the Younger” (cfr Mk 15,40), son of Mary (cfr ibid) who could be the “Mary of Cleophas” present, according to the fourth Gospel, at the foot of the Cross along with the Mother of Jesus (cfr Jn 19,25). He too was originally from Nazareth and probably a relative of Jesus (cfr Mt 13,55; Mk 6,3), who is referred to as his ‘brother” in the Semitic manner (cfr Mk 6,3;Gal 1,19).

The Acts of the Apostles underscores the preeminent role played by this James in the Church of Jerusalem. In the Apostolic Council celebrated there after the death of James the Greater, he affirmed along with the others that ‘pagans’ ould be welcomed into the Church even if they did not first undergo circumcision (cfr Acts 15,13).

St. Paul, who attributes to the second James a specific apparition of the Risen One (cfr 1 Cor 15,7),on the occasion of his journey to Jerusalem, even names him ahead of Kephas-Peter, describing him as a "pillar" of that Church on equal footing as Peter (cfr Gal 2,9).

Subsequently, the Judeo-Christians considered him their principal point of reference. In fact, the Letter bearing the name of James in the canon of the New Testament is also atrributed to him. In that letter, he presents himself not as the “brother of the Lord” but as the “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (Jm 1,1).

Scholars debate the identity of these two personages of the same name – James son of Alphaeus and James “the brother of the Lord.” Evangelical traditions have not preserved any story about either of them during the earthly life of Jesus.

But the Acts of the Apostles show us a James who played a very important role, as we have mentioned earler, after the Resurrection, within the primitive Church (cfr Acts 12,17; 15, 13-21; 21, 18).

The most relevant action taken by him was his intervention in the question of the difficult relationship between Christians of Jewish origin and those of pagan origin. In this case, he contributed along with Peter to overcome - or even better, to integrate - the original Jewish dimensions of Christianity with the requirement not to oblige converted Gentiles to submit to all the standards of Mosaic law.

The book of the Acts has preserved for us the compromise solution proposed by James and accepted by all the Apostles present, according to which Gentiles who believe in Jesus should only be asked to abstain from the idolatrous custom of eating the flesh of animals offered as a sacrifice to the gods, and from “immodesty,” a term which probably referred to matrimonial unions without consent [Translation note: ‘unioni matrimoniali non consentite’ – forced marriages perhaps?]. In practice, it meant adhering only to a few prohibitions – those considered most important – of Mosaic law.

In this way,two significant and complementary results were obtained, both still valid today. On the one hand, the indissoluble relation between Crhistianity and the Jewish religion is recognized as a perennially living and valid matrix. On the other hand, Christians of non-Jewish origin are allowed to keep their own sociological identity, which they would have lost if they were constrained to observe the so-called Mosaic ‘ceremonial' precepts, which were from that time on, no longer considered obligatory for converts.

Substantially, this began a practice of reciprocal esteem and respect which, notwithstanding regrettable subsequent misunderstandings, was intended by its very nature to preserve whatever was cahracteristic of both sides.

The oldest information we have on the death of this James is offered by the Jewish historian Flavius Joseph. In his Antiquita Giudaiche [Jewish Antiquities] (20,201s) published in Rome towards the end of the first century, he tells us that James’s death was decided by an illegitimate initiative of the High Priest Ananus, son of the Annas mentioned in the Gospels. Ananus availed of the interval between the dismissal of one Roman procurator (Festus) and the arrival of his successor (Albinus) to decree that James be stoned to death in the year 62.

Particularly bound to the name of this James, beyond the apocryphal Proto-Gospel of James, which exalts the sanctity and the virginity of Mary Mother of Jesus, is the Letter which carries his name.

In the canon of the New Testament, it ranks first among the so-called ‘catholic letters,' letters addressed not to a particular Church – as Rome, Ephesus, etc. – but to several Churches.

This is an important text which insists on the necessity of not reducing one's faith to a simple verbal or abstract declaration but to express it concretely by doing good deeds.

Among other things, it invites us to keep the faith even amid trials which should be accepted joyfully, and to trustful prayer to obtain from God the gift of wisdom, so that we may come to understand that the real values of life do not lie in transitory riches, but rather in knowing how to share one’s own substance with the poor and the needy (cfr Jm 1,27).

Thus the letter of St. James shows us a Christianity that is very concrete and practical. Faith should be actualized in life, expecially in love for our neighbor, and particularly, in a commitment to help the needy. It is against this background that we should read the famous sentence: “As the body without the spirit is dead, so also, faith without good works is dead” (Jm 2, 26).

Sometimes this declaration of James has been juxtaposed with one by Paul, who said that we will be judged good by God not by virtue of our works but thanks to our faith (cfr Gal 2,16; Rm 3,28).

But the two sentences, though apparently contradictory with their different perspectives, really complement each other when interpreted properly.

St. Paul’s statement is directed at the pride of the man who thinks he has no need of the love of God who provides for us; it is directed against the arrogance of self-justification without the grace that is given even if not merited.

St. James on the other hand speaks of good works as the normal fruits of faith: “The good tree produces good fruit,” says the Lord (Mt 7,17). St. James repeats that and tells us so.

Lastly, James’s letter exhorts us to abandon ourselves to the hands of God in everything that we do, always saying the words: “If the Lord wills it” (Jm 4,15). Thus he teaches us not to plan our life in a manner that is autonomous and self-serving but to make space for the inscrutable will of God who knows what is good for us. And so, St. James remains an ever-present (relevant) teacher of life for each of us.

Later, he said this in English:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In our weekly catechesis on the Church’s apostolic ministry, we now turn to the Apostle James the Less. In the Gospels, James is called the son of Alphaeus. He is often identified with another James, known as "James the younger" (cf. Mk 15:40), or "James, the brother of the Lord" (cf. Mt 13:55; Gal 1:19).

The Gospels themselves do not relate anything about either James during our Lord’s earthly ministry. The Acts of the Apostles, however, present a "James" whom Saint Paul names with Peter as a "column" of the Church in Jerusalem (Gal 2:9).

At the Council of Jerusalem (cf. Acts 15), it was James who proposed that the Gentiles converted to Christ not be forced to follow all the precepts of the Mosaic Law. Together with Peter, he thus enabled Gentile Christians to maintain their identity, while respecting the perennially valid relationship between Christianity and its Jewish origins.

James also gave his name to the New Testament Letter of James, which continues to speak to us today, stressing the need for a living faith expressed in good works (2:26), and serene abandonment to the will of God (4:15).

I am pleased to greet the English-speaking pilgrims present at this Audience, particularly those from the Philippines and the United States of America. On this eve of the Solemnity of the Saints Peter and Paul, I pray that all of you may be filled with the same zeal for Christ that inspired the two Holy Apostles. May God bless you during your stay in the Eternal City.




30/06/2006 04:46
 
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ANGELUS OF 6/29/06
As is customary during major Church holidays that fall on a weekday, the Holy Father recited the Angelus with the faithful at St. Peter's Square today. here is a translation of his words before and after the prayer-
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Dear brothers and sisters!

Today, we solemnly honor Saints Peter and Paul, “apostles of Christ, pillars and foundation of the city of God,” as sung in today’s liturgy . Their martyrdom was considered as the true and proper birth of the Church of Rome.

The two Apostles rendered their supreme testimony for Christ not far apart in time and space: here in Rome, St. Peter was crucified, and shortly thereafter, St. Paul was beheaded.

Their blood thus mingled together almost as a single witness for Christ, which impelled St. Irinaeus, Bishop of Lyons, in the middle of the second century, to speak of the “Church founded and constituted in Rome by the two most glorious apostles Peter and Paul (Against Heresy 3,3,2).

A little time later, from northern Africa, Tertullian exclaimed: “This Church of Rome, how blessed it is! It was the Apostles themselves who, with their blood, poured forth all there was to know of the doctrine“ (The Prescription Against Hereticsm 36).

Because of this, the Bishop of Rome, Successor to the Apostle Peter, carries out a special ministry to serve the doctrinal and pastoral unity of the People of God spread around the world.

In this context, we can better grasp the significance of the rite which we renewed this morning, during Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, with the bestowal on some Metropolitan Archbishops of the Pallium, an ancient liturgical sign, which expresses the special communion of these ministers with the Successor of Peter.

I send my greetings to these venerated Brother Archbishops and those who accompany them, and I invite you all, dear brothers and sisters,to pray for them and for the churches that are in their care.

There is another reason which makes our joy today even greater: it is the presence in Rome, on the occasion of this solemn feast of Saints Peter and Paul, of a special delegation sent by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. To the members of this delegation, I repeat affectionately my welcome and I thank the patriarch from the heart for having made more manifest, by this gesture, the link of brotherhood between our Churches.

May Mary, Queen of the Apostles, whom we invoke with confidence, obtain for Christians the gift of full unity. With her aid and following the footsteps of St. Peter and St. Paul, may the Church which is in Rome and all the People of God offer the world testimony of unity and courageous dedication to the Gospel of Christ.

After the Angelus, the Pope added the following message:

I have been following with apprehension the events in the Holy Land, and I pray that every person who has been abducted may be returned soon to their dear ones. I appeal to the Israeli and Palestinian authorities in order that, with the generous contribution of the international community, they may responsibly seek a negotiated settlement of the conflict which alone can assure the peace to which their peoples aspire.

Later, he said this in English:

I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for today’s Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. In a special way, I welcome all those who are accompanying their Metropolitan Archbishops for the reception of the Pallium. May you continue to accompany them with your prayers and devoted support. To all of you I impart my Apostolic Blessing. Happy feast of Saints Peter and Paul!
02/07/2006 15:41
 
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ANGELUS OF 7/2/06
Here is a translation of the words of the Holy Father at the Angelus today:

Dear brothers and sisters!

Next Saturday and Sunday I will be in the city of Valencia, Spain for the fifth World Encounter of Families. The first such encounter was held in Rome in 1994, on the occasion of the International Year of the Family promoted by the United Nations. On that occasion, the beloved John Paul II wrote a long and passionate meditation on the family, which he addressed as a Letter to all families in the entire world.

That first great encounter of families was followed by others – Rio de Janeiro in 1997; Rome in 2000 for the Jubilee; Manila in 2004, where however, he was not able to attend in person but sent an audiovisual message.

It is important that even families today should hear the memorable appeal that John Paul II launched 25 years ago in the apostolic exhortation Familiaris consortio: “Family, become what you are!” (cfr n. 17).

The theme of this year’s encounter in Valencia is the transmission of faith in the family. Such commitment inspires the motto of my apostolic visit to that city: “Family: live and transmit the faith”. In so many communities today that are secularized, the first urgency for believers in Christ is to renew the faith of adults so that they may be able to communicate it to the new generations.

On the other hand, initiating children and youth to Christianity could become a useful occasion for the parents to be closer to the Church and to get deeper into the beauty and the truth of the Gospel. The family, in short, is a living organism in which a reciprocal circulation of gifts is realized.

The important thing is that ite Word of God is always present to keep alive the flame of faith. With a gesture that is very significant, during the rite of Baptism, the father or godfather lights a candle from the great Easter candle, symbol of the risen Christ, and so, addressing the family, the celebrant says: “Have care that your child, illuminated by Christ, will always live as a child of light.”

That gesture - which signifies all the sense of transmitting faith in the family - in order to be authentic, must be preceded by the commitment of the parents to deepen their own knowledge of the faith, reviving the flame through prayer and assiduous practice of the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist.

Let us pray to the Virgin Mary for the success of the encounter in Valencia, and for all the famlies of the world, so that they may be authentic communities of love and life, in which the flame of faith is passed from generation to generation.

After the Angelus, the Pope had the following messages:

I am following with growing apprehension the events in Iraq and the Holy Land. Faced on the one hand with blind violence which causes atrocious massacres, and on the other, by the threat of a worsening crisis that has been growing more dramatic daily, there is a need for justice, for a serious and credible commitment to peace, which unfortunately, we do not see.

Because of this, I invite everyone to join together in confident and persevering prayer: that the Lord may illuminate hearts and that no one may fail to participate in working on peaceful coexistence in the acknowledgment that every man, whatever people he belongs to, is a brother.

From July 3-5, an important summit of religious leaders will take place in Moscow, organized by the inter-religious council of Russia. At the invitation of the patriarch of Moscow, the Catholic Church will take part and is sending an appropriate delegation. I wish to extend my cordial wishes to Patriarch Alexei II and all the participants .

The significant meeting of so many exponents of the religions of the world indicates the common desire to promote the dialog between civilizations and to search for a more just and peaceful world order. I hope that, with the sincere commitment of everyone, areas of effective collaboration – in respect and reciprocal understanding - may be found in order to face present-day challenges together.

For Christians, it means learning about each other ever more ptofoundly and respecting one another, in the light of the dignity of man and his eternal destiny. As I give assurances of my prayers that God may render the work of the Summit fruitful, I invoke on everyone abundant blessings from above.

He said the following in English:

I welcome all the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer. As I prepare to visit Spain for the conclusion of the Fifth World Meeting of Families, I ask your prayers for all families, that they will live in accordance with their God-given vocation and benefit from just governmental policies which safeguard their fundamental role in society. May the Lord bless our families with His joy and peace!

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 02/07/2006 15.42]

05/07/2006 15:04
 
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AUDIENCE OF 7/5/06
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's catechesis at the General Audience today dedicated to the apostle "John, the son of Zebedee".



Dear brothers and sisters!

We dedicate today’s meeting to remembering another vrey important member of the apostolic college: John, son of Zebedee and brother of James. His name, typically Hebrew, means “the Lord has given grace”. He was setting out his nets along the shore of the lake Tiberiade when Jesus called him along with his brother (cfr Mt 4,21; Mk 1,19).

John was always part of the small group that Jesus took with him on certain occasions.

He was with Peter and James when Jesus, at Capharnaum, entered Peter’s house to heal his mother-in-law (cfr Mk 1,29); with the other two, he followed the Master into the house of Jairus, whose daughter Jesus would call back to life(cfr Mk 5,37); he followed Jesus when he went up the mountain at the Transfiguration (cfr Mk 9,2); he was near Jesus on the Mount of Olives when, facing the imposing Temple of Jerusalem, Jesus pronounced the discourse on the end of the city and the world(cfr Mk 13,3); and finally, he was nearby when, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus set himself apart to pray before the Passion (cfr Mk 14,33). A little before Passover, when Jesus chose two disciples to prepare the room for the Supper, He gave this task to John and Peter (cfr Lk 22,8).

This position of importance among the Twelve makes somewhat understandable the initative taken one day by his mother: she came to Jesus to ask Him if her two children, John and James, could sit beside Him, one on the right and one on the left, in His Kingdom (cfr Mt 20,20-21).

As we know, Jesus replied by asking a question in turn: he asked if they would be willing to drink from the same chalice from which he was about to drink (cfr Mt 20,22).

The intention behind those words was to open the eyes of the two disciples, to introduce them to an awareness of the mystery of His person, and to foreshadow to them a future in which they would be called to be witnesses for Him up to the supreme sacrfice of shedding their own blood.

A little later, in fact, Jesus specified that He had come not to be served but to serve and to give his own life for the many (cfr Mt 20,28). In the days following the Resurrection, we find “the sons of Zebedee” together with Peter and some other disciples in an unproductive night of fishing, which was then followed by the miraculous catch at the intervention of the Risen One. It was “the disciple Jesus loved” who would first recognize “the Lord” and point Him out to Peter (cfr Jn 21,1-13).

Within the Church of Jerusalem, John occupied an important position in leading the first Christian assemblies. Paul lists him among those that he called the “pillars” of that community (cfr Gal 2,9). Luke in the Acts presents John along with Peter as they go to the Temple to pray (cfr Acts 3,1-4,11) or appeasr before the Sanhedrin to testify to their faith in Jesus Christ (cfr Acts 4,13,19).

Together with Peter, he would be sent by the Church of Jerusalem to confirm those in Samaria who had accepted the Gospel, to pray over them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (cfr Acts 8,14-15).

In particular, the Acts recall what he, along with Peter, told the Sanhedrin which was questioning them: “We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4,20).

This directness in confessing his faith remains an example and a lesson to all of us to be always ready to declare our unshakable adherence to Christ, placing our faith ahead of any human interest or calculation.

According to tradition, John was the “favorite disciple”, who in the Fourth Gospel, lays his head on the breast of the Master during the Last Supper (cfr Jn 13,21), who would be at the foot of the Cross together with the Mother of Jesus (cfr Jn 19,25), and finally, who would be a witness to both the empty tomb and the presence of the Risen One (cfr Jn 20,2; 21,7).

We know that this identification is being debated today by scholars, some of whom see in him simply the prototype of a disciple of Jesus. Leaving the exegetes to sort that out, let us be content with gleaning from John an important lesson for our life: the Lord wants to make of each of us a disciple who lives a personal friendship with Him.

To realize this, it is not enough to follow Him and listen to Him exteriorly; it is also necessary to live with Him and like Him. This is possible only in the context of a relationship of great familiarity, pervaded with the warmth of total confidence – such as that which exists between friends.

Thus, Jesus said one day: “No man can have greater love than to give his life for his friends… I do not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know what his master does; but I call you friends because all that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you” (Jn 15,13,15).

In the apocryphal Acts of John the Apostle, he is presented not as a founder of the Church nor even as a guide of the newly-founded Christian community, but as someone in continuous travelling as a communicator of the faith, meeting ”souls capable of hoping and of being saved” (18,10; 23,8), (in which)everything (he does) is motivated by the paradoxical intention of making the invisible visible.

Indeed, the Oriental Church simply calls him “the theologian”, that is, someone who is capable of speaking about the divine in accessible terms, revealing an arcane access to God through adherence to Jesus Christ.

The cult of John the Apostle started in the city of Ephesus, where according to tradition, he worked for a long time, finally dying in extreme old age during the reign of the emperor Trajan.

In Ephesus, the emperor Justinian, during the 6th century, ordered the construction of a great basilica in honor of John, of which the imposing ruins still remain.

In the East, John enjoyed and continues to enjoy great veneration, In Byzantine iconography, he is often represented as a very old man – since according to tradition he died during Trajan’s reign – and in intense contemplation, almost in an attitude that invites silence.

In effect, without adequate meditation, it is not possible to approach the supreme mystery of God and His revelation. This explains why several years ago, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Athenagoras, whom Paul VI embraced in a memorable encounter, had this to say: “John is at the origin of our highest spirituality. Like him, the ‘silent ones’ know that mysterious exchange between hearts - they invoke the presence of John and their hearts are inflamed” (O. Clement, Dialogues with Athenagoras, Torino 1972, p. 159).

May the Lord help us place ourselves under John’s tutelage to learn the great lesson of love and feel loved by Christ “up to the very end” (Jn 13,1) and to spend our lives for Him.


Later, he said this in English:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Continuing our weekly catechesis on the Church’s apostolic ministry, we now consider the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee and the brother of James.

Among the Apostles, John appears with Peter and James as part of a smaller group which accompanies Jesus at significant moments of His public ministry. After the Resurrection, it was John who recognized the Risen Lord standing on the shore and pointed Him out to Peter. Saint Paul refers to him as one of the "columns" of the early Church in Jerusalem.

According to tradition, John is "the beloved disciple" mentioned in the Fourth Gospel, who reclined next to the Lord at the Last Supper, stood with Mary at the foot of the Cross and beheld the empty tomb. As such, he is a model for all believers, who are called to establish a deep personal friendship with Jesus.

In the Eastern tradition, John is venerated as "the Theologian" for the depth of his religious and contemplative vision. By his prayers, may we more fully experience the mystery of the Father’s love revealed in Christ, and respond by offering our lives ever more generously to him.

My prayerful greetings go to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth assembled in Rome for their General Chapter. I also greet the members of the pilgrimage "in the footsteps of Saint Columban," and the School Sisters of Notre Dame celebrating their Silver Jubilees.

Upon all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, especially the pilgrims from England, Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, Indonesia, Canada and the United States, I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.


[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 06/07/2006 14.58]

05/07/2006 19:44
 
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GENERAL AUDIENCE 5th July

[Modificato da maryjos 05/07/2006 19.48]






[Modificato da maryjos 05/07/2006 19.56]


Did it! Managed to take some captures from today's General Audience and have finally uploaded them. Note: If you can get a seat to the right of Papa, or left as you are facing Saint Peter's a]You're lucky and b]You have a close up view of our Papa.
Now I've done this, I'll try posting some more captures, though they probably won't be as good as the ones that our Italian sisters post. Those are brilliant!
Un abbraccio a tutte sorelle! Mary x [SM=g27811]

[Modificato da maryjos 05/07/2006 20.00]

[Modificato da maryjos 05/07/2006 21.54]


16/07/2006 17:59
 
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ANGELUS OF 7/16/06


Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words before and after the Angelus today at Les Combes:

Dear brothers and sisters,

This year I have the joy once again to spend my vacation here in Val d'Aosta, in the house which hosted the beloved John Paul II so many times.

Right away, I was immersed in this stupendous Alpine panorama which helps to restore the body and the spirit. And today, I am happy to have this familiar meeting with you.

To each one, residents as well as vacationers, a cordial greeting. First of all, I wish to greet and thank the Pastor of the church in this region, the Bishop of Aosta, Mons. Giuseppe Anfossi, as well as the priests, the religious and the lay faithful of the diocese. I assure each one I remember you in prayer, especially those who are sick and suffering.

My thanks also goes to the Salesians who have placed their house once again at the Pope's disposition. I send a deferential greeting to the authorities of the state and the region, to the communal administration of Introd, to the forces of law and order, and everyone who in various ways is doing his part so that my stay here may be peaceful. May the Lord reward you.

By a felicitous coincidence, this Sunday falls on July 16, the day on which the liturgy remembers the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. This mountain, a high promontory which rises along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, in the latitude of Galilee, has numerous natural grottoes on its slopes, which have been favored by hermits.

The most famous of them is the prophet Elijah, who in the 9th century before Christ, strenuously defended the purity of faith in the one true God from contamination by idolatrous cults.

Inspired by the figure of Elijah, the contemplative order of the Carmelites was born, a religious family which counts among its members great saints like Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of the Child Jesus, and Teresa Benedetta della Croce (Edith Stein).

The Carmelites have spread among Christians a devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Mt. Carmel as a model of prayer, ocntemplation and dedication to God.

Mary, in fact, first among all and in unsurpassable manner, believed and experienced that Jesus, the Word incarnate, is the
summit, the ultimate peak of man's encounter with God.

Receiving the Word fully, she 'arrived happily at the sacred mountain' (cfr. Prayer at Collect today), and lives forever, body and soul, with the Lord.

To the Queen of Mt. Carmel, I wish today to entrust all the communities leading the contemplative life throughout the world, in a special way, those of the Carmelite order, among them those of the monastery of Quart not far from here.

May Mary help every Christian to encounter God in the silence of prayer.

After the Angelus, the Pope spoke about the Middle East conflict:

These past days, the news from the Holy Land bring new and grave concerns, in particular, the extension of armed hostilities to Lebanon, and the numerous civilian victims.

Unfortunately, objective situations involving violation of rights and of justice are at the origin of these merciless hostilities. But neither terrorist acts nor reprisals for such, especially if there are tragic consequences for civilians, can be justified. One cannot arrive at positive results following such a course, as bitter experience shows.

This day is dedicated to the Madonna of Carmel, a mountain in the Holy Land which, not far from Lebanon, dominates the Israeli city of Haifa, which has been attacked in recent days.

Let us pray to Mary, the Queen of Peace, that she may beseech God for the fundamental gift of concord, to bring responsible authorities on the path of reason and to open new possibilites of dialog and agreement.

In this light, I invite all local Churches to raise special prayers for peace in the Holy Land and in all of the Middle East.

In English, he said:

I am pleased to greet the English-speaking visitors here today. I pray that all who are on holiday at this time will find refreshment in body and spirit and an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving.

May God bestow his blessings of joy and peace upon all of you, your families and loved ones at home.


[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/07/2006 18.01]

23/07/2006 13:11
 
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ANGELUS OF 7/23/06
Here is a translation of the words spoken by the Holy Father before the Angelus today at Les Combes:



Dear brothers and sisters,

As announced last Thursday, in view of the aggravating situation in the Middle East, I have called for today a special day of prayer and penitence, inviting ministers, the faithful and all believers to implore God for the gift of peace.

I renew with force my appeal to all parties to the conflict to declare a ceasefire, allow humanitarian aid to be done, and with the support of the international community, to seek ways to start negotiations.

I take the occasion to re-state the right of the Lebanese to the integrity and sovereignty of their nation, the right of the Israelis to live in peace in their own State, and the right of the Palestinians to have a free and sovereign homeland.

I feel particularly close to the helpless civilian populations, unjustly struck by a conflict in which they are simply victims- whether those from Galilee who are forced to flee to asylum, or the great majority of Lebanese who once more are seeing the destruction of their land and have had to abandon everything and look for refuge elsewhere.

I raise a heartfelt prayer to God that the aspiration to peace of the great majority of these populations may be realized as soon as possible, thanks to the unified commitment of responsible authorities.

I also renew my appeal to all chartiable organizations that they may bring to the affected populations the concrete expression of our common solidarity.

Yesterday we celebrated the liturgical commemoration of Saint Mary magdalene, disciple of the Lord, who occupies a prominent role in the Gospels. St. Luke lists her among the women who followed Jesus after having been "cured of evil spirits and infirmity," stating that from her "seven demons were expelled." (Lk 8,2).

The Magdalene would be present under the Cross, together with the Mother of Jesus and other women. It would be she who would discover, on the morning of the first day after the Sabbath, the empty sepulchre, beside which she would remain weeping until the resurrected Jesus appeared (cfr Jn 20,11).

The story of Mary of Magdala recalls to us a fundamental truth: a disciple of Christ is whoever, in the human experience of weakness, has the humility to ask for help, who is helped by Him to heal, and who is then led to follow Him closely, becoming a witness to the power of His merciful love, which is stronger than sin or death.

To the power of divine love, I entrust all humanity, while I invite everyone to pray that the beloved peoples of the Middle East may be capable of abandoning the way of armed conflict and to construct, with bold dialog, a just and lasting peace. Mary, Queen of peace, pray for us!

After the Angelus, he said in English:

To the English-speaking people here today, especially the group of Missionary Sisters of Mary from India, I extend cordial greetings.

In this beautiful region we are able to admire the splendour of God’s creation and to give thanks for his many gifts to us. Let us remember in our prayers those less fortunate, especially those who are suffering at this time as a result of the tragic conflicts in the Middle East.

I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace upon all of you, and upon your families and loved ones at home.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 24/07/2006 15.10]

30/07/2006 13:39
 
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ANGELUS OF 7/30/06
Here is a translation of the words said by the Holy Father today before the Angelus prayer at the inner courtyard of the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo:



Dear brothers and sisters!

Two days ago, after my vacation in Val d'Aosta, I came directly here to Castel Gandolfo, where I plan to stay till the end of summer, with a brief interruption in September for my apostolic voyage to Bavaria.

First of all, I wish to address my affectionate greeting to the church and civilian communities of this beautiful little city, to which it is always a pleasure for me to come.

I thank cordially the Bishop of Albano, the parish priest and the priests, as well as the Mayor, the commune administration and other civilian authorities.

I address a special thought to the management and personnel of the pontifical villas, and to their security forces, whom I thank for their precious service.

I greet the many pilgrims whose warm presence contributes, even in the more informal setting of this summer residence, to the universal ecclesiastic horizon of our regular appointment for the Marian prayer.

At this time I cannot not think of the situation in the Middle East, which is getting more serious and tragic - hundreds of dead, many more wounded, an enormous number of homeless and displaced persons; houses, cities and infrastructure destroyed - while in the hearts of many, hatred and the desire for revenge seem to grow.

These facts demonstrate clearly that when one resorts to the instruments of violence, it is not possible to re-establish justice, to create a new order, and to build an authentic peace.

More than ever, we see how prophetic and, at the same time, how realistic is the voice of the Church when, faced with wars and cnoflicts of every kind, it indicates the way of truth, justice, love and liberty (cfr Pacem in terris). This is the path that mankind must follow even today in order to achieve the desired goal of true peace.

In the name of God, I address all those responsible for this cycle of violence that they immediately lay down their arms on every side!

To those who govern and to international institutions, I ask that no effort be spared to obtain a necessary cessation of hostilities and to build, through dialog, lasting and stable coesxistence among all the peoples of the Middle East.

To all men of good will, I ask you to continue and intensify humanitarian aid to those populations who have been sorely tried and are most in need.

But above all, I ask that a trustful prayer be raised from every heart to the good and merciful God so that He may grant peace to that region and to the whole world.

We entrust this heartfelt supplication to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Prince of Peace and Queen of Peace, who is so venerated in the countries of the Middle East, where we hope that the reconciliation for which the Lord Jesus offered His precious blood will reign soon.

Later, he said this in English:

I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Sunday Angelus, especially the group of young people of the Regnum Christi Movement.

In today’s Gospel we see Jesus feeding the hungry multitudes. With the same generous love he continues to offer us daily the Bread of Life.

May the Eucharist sustain us always in our love of God, and open our hearts to our neighbours, especially to those in need! I wish you all a blessed Sunday!

Finally, speaking once again in Italian, he reminded the faithful of many important feast days this week:

I greet affectionately all the Italian-speaking pilgrims and remind you that in the coming days, we will be remembering many great saints: tomorrow, St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits; on August 2- St. Alphonse Maria Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists; on August 4- St. Jean-Marie Vianney, curate of Ars and patron of parish priests.

May the example and intercession of these luminous witnesses to Christ aid us in progressing along the way of sanctity.


[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 31/07/2006 2.57]

02/08/2006 16:32
 
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Audience of 2nd August
I've taped this morning's audience and am going to try out some captures later. Our Papa spent much longer than usual being driven around the square. The jeep went up the wide steps once, only to turn round, come back down again and make another tour round the square. The crowd seemed to be immense. Flags and banners were more numerous than ever. Outstripping all the others were German and Bavarian flags. I think there were groups of children and young people from Germany there today [we'll see this later- I haven't checked any news agencies], because Papa's catechesis was in German. What a refreshing change! I can understand!!!! Before the catechesis an archbishop spoke to him in German and gave him a pilgrim's scarf - a white square with a design on the back and "2006", but I couldn't see what else. Papa put it round his neck and Georg adjusted it for him. It was bright white - contrasting with the more ivory colour of Papa's cassock. Papa kept this scarf on until he greeted the individual clergy at the end.

Our Papa looked well and a bit sun-tanned after his holiday in the fresh mountain air.

Oh to be at the audience every Wednesday! SIGH!!!!!
Liebe und Freude - Mary x
[SM=x40800] [SM=x40800] Wunderbar! Unser Papst Benedikt!

02/08/2006 19:07
 
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German
spoken by Papa probably because of the thousands of German altar servers (young boys etc.?) that are in Rome just now and supposed to attend the GA. I can't wait to see this tonight on RAI-International!!! Yippee! To hear him speak German and be able to understand every word for a change.... Thanks for the warning Maryjos!! [SM=x40801] [SM=g27811] [SM=g27811] [SM=g27811]
03/08/2006 07:32
 
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AUDIENCE OF 8/2/06
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words at the General Audience at St. Peter's Square today. The Pope flew to the Vatican from the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo for the occasion.

As previously announced, some 40,000 participants of a European Pilgrimage of young ministrants [altar servers, helpers and choir members] to Rome made up the bulk of the audience today, and the Pope's catechesis, delivered mainly in German, was specially tailored for his young guests.

He opened in Italian:


Thank you for your welcome. I greet everyone with great affection. After the pause occasioned by my vacation in Val d’Aosta, I resume the general audiences today, and I do so with a truly special audience, because I have the joy of welcoming the great European Pilgrimage of the Ministrants.

Dear young people, welcome! Because most of the ministrants gathered here at St. Peter’s today are German-speaking, I will address them first of all in my mother tongue.

He then proceeds in German:

Dear Ministrants [he uses the German words for both male ministrants, Ministranten, and female ministrants, Ministrantinnen]!

I am very happy that my first audience after my vacation in the Alps is with you, and I greet each and everyone with all my heart.

I thank the Lord Bishop Martin Gaechter of Basel for the words with which he, as president of the ‘Coetus Internationalis Ministrantium’, opened this audience, and thank you for the scarf with which I have been made a Ministrant again! [The Pope actually tied the scarf around his neck and kept it on for the rest of the audience.] It has been over 70 years, since 1935, that I started as an altar boy, so I have been a long time at this.

I also greet from the heart Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn who celebrated Mass for you yesterday, as well as the numerous bishops and priests from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary.

I wish to give you, dear ministrants, a message - in brief, because it is hot today – that may accompany you through life and in your service to the Church. I wish to take up a theme that I have spoken about in the Wednesday catecheses of the past few months.

Some of you may have heard that I had begun to introduce the figures of the individual apostles – first of all, Simon, whom the Lord named Peter, then his brother Andrew, then another pair of brothers - St. James called the Greater, who was the first martyr among the apostles, and John, the theologian and evangelist - and then James called the Less.

My intention is to ‘personalize’ the history of the Church. So today, we will take up the general theme again. The apostles – what were they like as persons? We can say in brief that they were friends of Jesus. He himself, Jesus, called then so, when he told them at the Last Supper: “I no longer call you slaves, but friends” (cfr Jn 15,15).

They were and could be Apostles of Christ, that means, His messengers and witnesses, even as they were His friends, because they knew Him in friendship and were close to Him. They were united by a bond of love, a bond that the Holy Spirit filled with life. This flame that we have on the scarf was really and actually in them.

This therefore is the sense in which I understand the motto of your pilgrimage: “Spiritus vivificat” – it is the Spirit, the Holy Spirit that makes us alive. It is also Him who makes your relationship to Christ not simply exterior – “We know that Christ existed on earth and that He is present in the Sacrament…” - but makes it a deep inner relationship of genuine personal friendship which can give sense to the life of each individual. And when you know Christ and know Him out of friendship, it will also be possible for you to bear witness for Him, to bring Him to other people.

Seeing you before me now here at St. Peter’s Square, I think of the Apostles and hear within me the voice of Jesus who said to them: "I no longer call you slaves...but friends...Stay in my love, and your life will be fruitful, it will bear rich fruit." (John 15, 9,16).

I invite you to listen to this voice! Jesus not only said that 2000 years ago, He lives on and says it to you now. Listen to this voice with great readiness; it has something individual to say to each of us.

Perhaps there are even those among you to whom He says: "I would like you to serve me in a special way as priest and in this way be a witness for me, have friendship with me and lead others into this friendship."

In any case, may each of you listen to the voice of Christ with full trust. Each one of us has a different calling, but Jesus wishes to seal His friendship with everyone, just as He did with Simon Peter, whom He named Peter, with Andrew, James, John and the other Apostles.

He has given you His word and gives it to you further so that you may recognize the Truth, recognize how it really is with men, so that you may know how one should live properly, how one must handle life so that it is genuine. Thus you can become, each in his own way, Jesus's young followers and apostles.

Dear Ministrants, you are already apostles of Jesus by being ministrants. When you take part in the sacred liturgy and serve at the altar, that is a testimony before everyone. Your general behavior, your piety, which comes from the heart and shows itself in other gestures, your singing, your liturgical answers- when you do all that well and not in a somehow absentminded manner, that is testimony that is capable of moving other people.

The bond of friendship with Jesus has its source and high point in the Eucharist. You are very near to Jesus in the Eucharist, in the celebration of the Holy Mass, and the Eucharist is the most significant sign of His friendship with each of us. Do not forget that, and therefore I ask of you: Do not become so used to something that it becomes usual - "one knows how that goes and one just does it" - but discover anew every day that something great is happening, that the living God is amidst us, and that you should be very close to Him and assist in the celebration of His mystery that it may be conveyed to mankind.

When you do not fall into a pattern of habit, but peform your service from your inner being, then you are His Apostles and you will be able to produce the fruits of good and of service in every area of your life - in your family, at school, in your free time.

Carry the love that you receive in the liturgy to all men, especially to those in whom you see that love is lacking, those who do not experience anything good, those who suffer and are alone.

With the power of the Holy Spirit, you will bring Jesus to these persons, those who have been pushed to the margins, those who are not treated well, those who have other problems.

Thus will the Bread, which is broken before your eyes at the altar, be further shared and multiplied, and as one the twelve Apostles did, now you too are helping Jesus, so that the Bread of Life may be distributed to the men of our time in their different life situations, this Bread which they need.

And so, my concluding words to you, dear ministrants: Always be friends and apostles of Jesus Christ!

So now I will use the other languages, beginning with Italian:
[He proceeded to deliver his usual greetings in various languages, including today most of teh major Eastern European languages]

The Pope ended with another appeal for peace in the Middle East:

Finally, I invite everyone to continue praying for that dear and martyred region of the Middle East. Our eyes are full of the chilling images of so many corpses, especially of children - I think in particular of Qana, in Lebanon.

I wish to repeat that nothing can justify the shedding of innocent blood, from whatever side it come! With a heart full of affliction, I renew once more an urgent appeal for an immediate cessation of all hostilities and all violence, while I exhort the international community and those who are most directly involved in this tragedy to set the conditions rapidly for a definitive political solution of the crisis that will bring about a more peaceful and secure future for the coming generations.

And now let us sing the Pater Noster together...
----------------------------------------------------------------

I apologize for being very late today with my translation of the Papal catechesis at the Wednesday audience. Normally I try to translate it as soon as the original text is posted on the Vatican site, but I had an unexpectedly long and intensive day at work today and have just got home (midnight now).


[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 04/08/2006 0.17]

03/08/2006 11:46
 
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Some photos from the General Audience, 2nd August











Above: Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn with Papa. This photo shows the beauty of our Papa's eyes!!!! [SM=g27836]

[Modificato da maryjos 03/08/2006 12.09]

[Modificato da maryjos 03/08/2006 12.12]

[Modificato da maryjos 03/08/2006 12.17]


03/08/2006 12:21
 
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Grazie!
Thank you for the translation of yesterday's catechesis, Teresa!
Un abbraccio a tutte sorelle!
Mary x [SM=g27811]
[SM=x40794] [SM=x40794]

03/08/2006 22:17
 
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Great video caps. Maryjos! [SM=g27811] And thank you for explaining (in a previous post) where benaddicts should get a seat. At last I understand which is the ‘left’ side of the square.
Thanks for the translation, Teresa! Papa is at his most .... adorable [SM=g27835]... when he is talking to youth.
04/08/2006 00:22
 
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Liv, I agree about Papa's adorable way of addressing young people - he manages to put across his thoughts so understandably and in beautiful simple language without talking down to them!

MaryJos, congratulations on your great progress with your graphic work! What a gratifying thing it must be to have video-capture ability and skills!
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