Entry 0316: Reflections on the Third Sunday of Advent
by Pope Benedict XVI
On eight occasions during his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI delivered reflections on the Third Sunday of Advent, on 11 December 2005, 17 December
2006, 16 December 2007, 14 December 2008, 13 December 2009, 12 December 2010,
11 December 2011, and 16 December 2012. Here
are the texts of eight brief reflections prior to the recitation of the Angelus
and two homilies delivered on these occasions.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we said at the beginning
of this celebration, today’s liturgy calls us to joy and conversion. Let us
open our spirit to this invitation; and let us hurry to meet the Lord who
comes, invoking and imitating St Patrick, a great evangelizer, and the Virgin
Mary who awaited and prepared silently and prayerfully for the Redeemer’s
birth. Amen!
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 11 December 2005
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
After
celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, we enter during
these days into the evocative atmosphere of immediate preparation for Holy
Christmas, and we already see the tree set up here. In today’s consumer
society, this period has unfortunately suffered a sort of commercial “pollution”
that risks changing its authentic spirit, marked by recollection, moderation
and joy, which is not external but intimate.
It is thus
providential that almost as a portal to Christmas there should be the feast of
the one who is the Mother of Jesus and who, better than anyone else, can lead
us to know, love and adore the Son of God made man.
Let us therefore
allow her to accompany us; may her sentiments prompt us to prepare ourselves
with heartfelt sincerity and openness of spirit to recognize in the Child of
Bethlehem the Son of God who came into the world for our redemption. Let us
walk together with her in prayer and accept the repeated invitation that the
Advent liturgy addresses to us to remain in expectation - watchful and joyful expectation
-, for the Lord will not delay: he comes to set his people free from sin.
Following a
beautiful and firmly-rooted tradition, many families set up their Crib
immediately after the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, as if to relive with
Mary those days full of trepidation that preceded the birth of Jesus. Putting
up the Crib at home can be a simple but effective way of presenting faith, to
pass it on to one’s children.
The Crib helps
us contemplate the mystery of God’s love that was revealed in the poverty and
simplicity of the Bethlehem Grotto. St Francis of Assisi was so taken by the mystery of the
Incarnation that he wanted to present it anew at Greccio in the living Nativity
scene, thus beginning an old, popular tradition that still retains its value
for evangelization today.
Indeed, the Crib
can help us understand the secret of the true Christmas because it speaks of
the humility and merciful goodness of Christ, who “though he was rich he made
himself poor” for us (II Cor 8: 9).
His poverty
enriches those who embrace it and Christmas brings joy and peace to those who,
like the shepherds in Bethlehem ,
accept the Angel’s words: “Let this be a sign to you: in a manger you will find
an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes” (Lk 2: 12). This is still the sign for
us too, men and women of the third millennium. There is no other Christmas.
Soon, as did
beloved John Paul II, I too will bless the figurines of the Baby Jesus that the
children of Rome
will place in the Crib in their homes. With this act of Blessing, I would like
to invoke the help of the Lord so that all Christian families will prepare to
celebrate the coming Christmas celebrations with faith. May Mary help us enter
into the true spirit of Christmas.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
Saint
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 17 December 2006
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
On this Third
Sunday of Advent, the liturgy invites us to the joy of the spirit. It does so
with the famous antiphon as part of an exhortation of the Apostle Paul: “Gaudete
in Domino”, “Rejoice in the Lord always... the Lord is at hand” (see Phil
4: 4, 5).
The first
Reading of Mass is also an invitation to joy. The Prophet Zephaniah at the end
of the seventh century B.C. spoke to the city of Jerusalem and its people with
these words: ”Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and
exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem ...!
[T]he Lord your God is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory” (Zep
3: 14, 17).
God himself is
portrayed with similar sentiments, as the prophet says: ”The Lord... will
rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love... as on a day of
festival” (Zep 3: 17-18). This promise was fully brought about in the
mystery of Christmas, which we shall be celebrating in a week and which asks to
be renewed in the “today” of our lives and of history.
The joy that the
liturgy reawakens in the hearts of Christians is not reserved for us alone: it
is a prophetic proclamation destined for all humanity and for the poorest of
the poor in particular, in this case, those poorest in joy!
Let us think of
our brothers and sisters who, especially in the Middle East, in several regions
of Africa and other parts of the world, are experiencing the drama of
war: what joy can they live? What will their Christmas be like?
Let us think of
all the sick and lonely people who, in addition to being tried in their body,
are also sorely tried in their soul because they often feel abandoned:
how can we share joy with them without disrespecting their suffering?
But let us also
think of those people, especially the young, who have lost their sense of true
joy and seek it in vain where it is impossible to find it: in the
exasperated race to self-affirmation and success, in false amusements, in
consumerism, in moments of drunkenness, in the artificial paradise of drugs and
every form of alienation. We must obviously face the liturgy today and its “Rejoice”
with these tragic realities.
As in the times
of the Prophet Zephaniah, it is particularly to those being tested and to “life’s
wounded and orphans of joy” that God’s Word is being addressed in a special
way.
The invitation
to rejoice is not an alienating message nor a sterile palliative, but on the
contrary, it is a salvific prophecy, an appeal for rescue that starts with
inner renewal.
To transform the
world, God chose a humble young girl from a village in Galilee ,
Mary of Nazareth, and challenged her with this greeting: “Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with you”. In these words lies the secret of an authentic
Christmas. God repeats them to the Church, to each one of us: Rejoice,
the Lord is close! With Mary’s help, let us offer ourselves with humility and
courage so that the world may accept Christ, who is the source of true joy.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 16 December 2007
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
“Gaudete in
Domino semper - Rejoice in the Lord always (Phil 4: 4). Holy Mass of the
Third Sunday of Advent opens with these words of St Paul and is therefore called “gaudete”
Sunday. The Apostle urges Christians to rejoice because the Lord’s coming, that
is, his glorious return, is certain and will not be delayed. The Church makes
this invitation her own while she prepares to celebrate Christmas and her gaze
is focused ever more intently on Bethlehem .
Indeed, we wait with hope, certain of Christ’s second coming because we have
experienced his first. The mystery of Bethlehem reveals to us God-with-us, the
God close to us and not merely in the spatial and temporal sense; he is close
to us because he has, as it were, “espoused” our humanity; he has taken our
condition upon himself, choosing to be like us in all things save sin in order
to make us become like him. Christian joy thus springs from this certainty: God
is close, he is with me, he is with us, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and
in health, as a friend and faithful spouse. And this joy endures, even in
trials, in suffering itself. It does not remain only on the surface; it dwells
in the depths of the person who entrusts himself to God and trusts in him.
Some people ask:
but is this joy still possible today? Men and women of every age and social
condition, happy to dedicate their existence to others, give us the answer with
their lives! Was not Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
an unforgettable witness of true Gospel joy in our time? She lived in touch
daily with wretchedness, human degradation and death. Her soul knew the trials
of the dark night of faith, yet she gave everyone God’s smile. In one of her
writings, we read: “We wait impatiently for paradise, where God is, but it is
in our power to be in paradise even here on earth and from this moment. Being
happy with God means loving like him, helping like him, giving like him,
serving like him” (The Joy of Giving to Others, 1987, p. 143).
Yes, joy enters the hearts of those who put themselves at the service of the
lowly and poor. God abides in those who love like this and their souls rejoice.
If, instead, people make an idol of happiness, they lose their way and it is
truly hard for them to find the joy of which Jesus speaks. Unfortunately, this
is what is proposed by cultures that replace God by individual happiness,
mindsets that find their emblematic effect in seeking pleasure at all costs, in
spreading drug use as an escape, a refuge in artificial paradises that later
prove to be entirely deceptive.
Dear brothers
and sisters, one can lose the way even at Christmas, one can exchange the true
celebration for one that does not open the heart to Christ’s joy. May the
Virgin Mary help all Christians and people in search of God to reach Bethlehem , to encounter
the Child who was born for us, for salvation and for the happiness of all
humanity.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 14 December 2008
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
This Sunday, the
Third Sunday in the Season of Advent, is called “Gaudete Sunday”: “rejoice”,
because the Entrance Antiphon of Holy Mass takes up St Paul ’s words in the Letter to the
Philippians where it says: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say,
Rejoice”. And immediately after he explains the reason, because “The Lord is at
hand” (Phil 4: 4-5). This is the reason for joy. But what does “the Lord is at
hand” mean? In what sense must we understand this “closeness” of God? The
Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians of Philippi, is evidently thinking of
Christ’s return and invites them to rejoice because it is certain. Yet, St Paul
in his Letter to the Thessalonians, warns that no one can know the moment of
the Lord’s coming (see 1 Thes 5: 1-2) and puts people on guard against any kind
of alarmism, as if Christ’s return were imminent (see 2 Thes 2: 1-2). Thus the
Church, illumined by the Holy Spirit, already at that time understood
increasingly better that God’s “closeness” is not a question of space and time
but rather of love: love brings people together! This coming Christmas will
remind us of this fundamental truth of our faith and in front of the manger we
shall be able to savour Christian joy contemplating in the newborn Jesus the
Face of God who made himself close to us out of love.
In this light,
it gives me real pleasure to renew the beautiful tradition of the Blessing of
the Christ Child figurines, the miniature statues of the Baby Jesus to be
placed in the manger. I address you in particular, dear boys and girls of Rome , who have come this
morning with your Baby Jesus figurines that I now bless. I invite you to join
me, following attentively this prayer:
God, our Father
you so loved
humankind
that you sent us
your only Son Jesus,
born of the
Virgin Mary,
to save us and
lead us back to you.
We pray that
with your Blessing
these images of
Jesus,
who is about to
come among us,
may be a sign of
your presence and
love in our homes.
Good Father,
give your
Blessing to us too,
to our parents,
to our families and
to our friends.
Open our hearts,
so that we may
be able to
receive Jesus in
joy,
always do what
he asks
and see him in
all those
who are in need
of our love.
We ask you this
in the name of Jesus,
your beloved Son
who comes to
give the world peace.
He lives and
reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
And now let us
recite together the prayer of the Angelus Domini, invoking Mary’s
intercession so that Jesus, whose birth brings God’s Blessing to mankind, may
be lovingly welcomed in all homes, in Rome
and throughout the world.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 13 December 2009
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
We have now
reached the Third Sunday of Advent. Today in the liturgy the Apostle Paul’s
invitation rings out: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
Rejoice.... The Lord is at hand!” (Phil 4: 4-5). While Mother Church Rome come to have the Pope bless the Baby
Jesus figurines that they will put in their cribs. And in fact, I see here in
St Peter’s Square a great number of children and young people, together with
their parents, teachers and catechists. Dear friends, I greet you all with deep
affection and thank you for coming. It gives me great joy to know that the
custom of creating a crib scene has been preserved in your families. Yet it is
not enough to repeat a traditional gesture, however important it may be. It is
necessary to seek to live in the reality of daily life that the crib
represents, namely, the love of Christ, his humility, his poverty. This is what
St Francis did at Greccio: he recreated a live presentation of the nativity
scene in order to contemplate and worship it, but above all to be better able
to put into practice the message of the Son of God who for love of us emptied
himself completely and made himself a tiny child.
The blessing of
the “Bambinelli” [Baby Jesus figurines] as they are called in Rome , reminds us that the crib is a school of
life where we can learn the secret of true joy. This does not consist in having
many things but in feeling loved by the Lord, in giving oneself as a gift for
others and in loving one another. Let us look at the crib. Our Lady and St
Joseph do not seem to be a very fortunate family; their first child was born in
the midst of great hardship; yet they are full of deep joy, because they love
each other, they help each other and, especially, they are certain that God,
who made himself present in the little Jesus, is at work in their story. And
the shepherds? What did they have to rejoice about? That Newborn Infant was not
to change their condition of poverty and marginalization. But faith helped them
recognize the “babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” as a “sign”
of the fulfilment of God’s promises for all human beings, “with whom he is
pleased” (Lk 2: 12, 14).
This, dear
friends, is what true joy consists in: it is feeling that our personal and
community existence has been visited and filled by a great mystery, the mystery
of God’s love. In order to rejoice we do not need things alone, but love and
truth: we need a close God who warms our hearts and responds to our deepest
expectations. This God is manifested in Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary.
Therefore that “Bambinello” which we place in a stable or a grotto is the
centre of all things, the heart of the world. Let us pray that every person,
like the Virgin Mary, may accept as the centre of his or her life the God who
made himself a Child, the source of true joy.
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
St
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 12 December 2010
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
On this Third
Sunday of Advent, the Liturgy presents to us a passage from the Letter of St
James, which opens with this exhortation: “Be patient, therefore, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord” (Jas 5:7). It seems to me especially important,
in our day, to underline the value of constancy and persistence, virtues which
belonged to the normal baggage of our ancestors but today are less popular, in
a world which exalts, rather, the change and capacity to adapt oneself to ever
new and diverse situations.
Taking nothing
from these features, which are also human qualities, Advent calls us to develop
inner tenacity, resistance of the spirit, which enables us not to despair while
waiting for a good that is slow in coming, but on the contrary to prepare for
its coming with active trust.
“Behold,” James
writes, “the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient
over it until it receives the early and the late rain. You also be patient.
Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (Jas 5:7-8).
The comparison
drawn with the farmer is very expressive, he has sown the field and has before
him several months of patient and constant waiting, but he knows that in the meantime
the seed completes its cycle, thanks to the autumn and spring rains. The farmer
is not a fatalist but the model of a mentality which unites faith and reason in
a balanced way. For on the one hand he knows the laws of nature and does his
work well, and on the other, he trusts in Providence, because certain
fundamental things are not in his hands but in the hands of God. Patience and
constancy are truly a synthesis between human commitment and confidence in God.
“Establish your
hearts”, Scripture says. How can we do this? How can we strengthen our hearts,
already somewhat frail in themselves and rendered even more unstable by the
culture in which we are immersed. Help is not lacking; it is the Word of God.
In fact, while everything else passes and changes, the Word of the Lord is not
transient. If the events of life make us feel bewildered and every certainty
seems to crumble, we have a compass to guide us, we have an anchor to prevent
us from drifting away.
Here the model
offered to us is that of the prophets, namely those people whom God called so
that they might speak in his name. The prophet finds his joy and strength in
the word of God and while humans often search for happiness in ways that prove
erroneous, he announces true hope, which does not disappoint because it is
founded on the fidelity of God.
Every Christian,
by virtue of Baptism, has received prophetic dignity. May each one rediscover
and nourish it, by listening assiduously to the divine Word. May the Virgin
Mary, whom the Gospel calls blessed because she believed in the fulfilment of
the words of the Lord, obtain this for us (Lk 1:45).
PASTORAL VISIT TO THE PARISH
OF SAINT MAXIMILIAN KOLBE IN ROME
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Third Sunday of Advent, 12 December 2010
Dear
Brothers and Sisters of the Parish of San Massimiliano Kolbe,
You are
deeply living your personal and community commitment to follow the Lord. Advent
is a strong invitation to everyone to let God come increasingly into our lives,
our houses, our neighbourhoods and our communities in order to have light in
the midst of the many shadows, in the numerous daily efforts.
Dear
friends, I am very glad to be with you today to celebrate the Lord’s Day, the
Third Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of joy.
I
cordially greet the Cardinal Vicar, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Sector, your
Parish Priest, whom I thank for his words on behalf of you all, and the
Parochial Vicar.
I greet
all those who are active in the parish context: the catechists and the members
of various groups including the Neocatechumenal
Way . I deeply appreciate your decision to make
room for Eucharistic adoration and I thank you for the prayers you say for me
before the Most Blessed Sacrament.
I would
like to extend my thoughts to all the inhabitants of the district, especially
the elderly, the sick and those who are alone or in difficulty. I remember each
and every one at this Mass.
I join
you in admiring your new church and the parish buildings, and I wish to
encourage you by my presence to bring ever better into being that Church of
living stones which you yourselves are.
I know
of the many important evangelization projects that you are carrying out. I urge
all the faithful to make their own contribution to the edification of the
community, in particular in the field of catechesis, the liturgy and charity —
pillars of Christian life — in communion with the whole Diocese of Rome. No
community can live as a cell isolated from the diocesan context; instead the
community must be a living expression of the beauty of the Church which, under
the guidance of the Bishop — and in the parish, under the guidance of the
Parish Priest who acts in his place — journeys on in communion towards the Kingdom of God
I
address a special thought to families, accompanying them with the wish that
they may totally fulfil their vocation to love, and with generosity and
perseverance. Even when difficulties arise in conjugal life and in the
relationship with their children, married couples must never cease to stay
faithful to that fundamental “yes” which they said before God and to each other
on their wedding day, remembering that faithfulness to one’s vocation demands
courage, generosity and sacrifice.
Your
community includes many families from Central and Southern
Italy who have come in search of work and better standards of
living. As time has passed the community has grown and has changed, to a
certain extent, with the arrival of many people from the Eastern European
countries and from many other countries.
On the
basis of this practical situation in the parish, make an effort to grow
constantly in communion with all: it is important to create opportunities for
dialogue and to foster understanding among people from different cultures,
backgrounds and social conditions.
Yet,
above all, it is necessary to try to involve them in Christian life, through a
pastoral care attentive to the true needs of each person. Here, as in every
parish, it is necessary to start with those who are “close” in order to reach
out to those who are “distant” so as to bring an evangelical presence to the
milieus of life and work.
All
must be able to find in the parish an adequate means of formation and must be
able to experience that community dimension which is a fundamental
characteristic of Christian life. In this way they will be encouraged to
rediscover the beauty of following Christ and of belonging to his Church.
May you
therefore be able to make a community with them all, united in listening to the
Word of God and in the celebration of the sacraments and of the Eucharist in
particular. In this regard the pastoral verification of the diocese that is
under way, on the theme: “Sunday Eucharist and the witness of charity”, is a
propitious opportunity to examine deeply and live better these two fundamental
components of the life and mission of the Church and of every individual
believer, that is, the Sunday Eucharist and the practice of charity.
Gathered
round the Eucharist, it is easier to feel that the mission of every Christian
community is to take the message of God’s love to all human beings. This is why
it is important that the Eucharist always be at the heart of the faithful’s
life.
I would
also like to address a special word of affection and friendship to you, dear
children and young people who are listening to me, and to your peers who live
in this Parish. The Church expects much of you, of your enthusiasm, of your
capacity for looking ahead and of your desire for radicalism in life’s
decisions. May you feel you are real protagonists in the parish, putting your
fresh energies and your whole life at the service of God and of the brethren.
Dear
brothers and sisters, next to the invitation to rejoice, today’s Liturgy, with
the words of St James that we have heard, also asks us to be constant and
patient in waiting for the Lord who comes and to be so together, as a
community, avoiding complaints and criticism (see Jas 5:7-10).
In the
Gospel we heard the question asked by John the Baptist who was in prison: John,
who had proclaimed the coming of the Judge who would change the world, and now
felt had that the world has remained the same. Thus he sends word to Jesus
asking: “Are you ‘He who is to come’, or shall we look for another?”. Is it you
or should we expect another?
In the
past two or three centuries many have asked: “But is it really you? Or must the
world be changed in a more radical manner? Will you not do it?”.
And a
great tide of prophets, ideologists and dictators have come and said: “It is
not him! He did not change the world! It is we!”. And they created their
empires, their dictatorships, their totalitarianism which was supposed to
change the world. And they changed it, but in a destructive manner. Today we
know that of these great promises nothing remained but a great void and great
destruction. It was not they.
And
thus we must see Christ again and ask Christ: “Is it you?” The Lord, in his own
silent way, answers: “You see what I did, I did not start a bloody revolution,
I did not change the world with force; but lit many I, which in the meantime
form a pathway of light through the millenniums”.
Let us
start here in our Parish with St Maximilian Kolbe, who offered to die of hunger
himself in order to save the father of a family. What a great light he became!
How much light shone from this figure and encouraged others to give themselves,
to be close to the suffering and the oppressed!
Let us
think of Damien de Veuster who was a father to lepers, and who lived and died with
and for lepers, and has thus brought light to this community.
Let us
think of Mother Teresa, who gave so much light to people that, after a life
without light, they died with a smile because they were touched by the light of
God’s love.
And
thus we shall be able to continue and we shall see, as the Lord said in his
answer to John, that it is not the violent revolution of the world, but rather
the silent light of the truth, of the goodness of God that is the sign of his
presence and gives us the certainty that we are loved to the end and are not
forgotten, that we are not a product of chance but of a will to love.
Thus we
may live, we may feel God’s nearness. “God is close”, says today’s First
Reading, he is near us but we are often distant. Let us draw near, let us move
into the presence of his light, let us pray the Lord that through contact with
him in prayer we ourselves will become light for others.
And
this is precisely also the meaning of the parish church: to enter here, to
enter into conversation, into contact with Jesus, with the Son of God, so that
we ourselves may become one of the smallest lights that he has lit to carry his
light into the world which feels it must be redeemed.
Our
spirit must be open to this invitation and let us thus walk joyfully towards
Christmas, like the Virgin Mary who awaited the Redeemer’s birth in prayer,
with intimate and joyful trepidation. Amen!
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
Saint
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 11 December 2011
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
The liturgical
texts for this Season of Advent renew the invitation to us to live in
expectation of Jesus and not to stop looking forward to his coming so as to
keep ourselves open and ready to encounter him. Heartfelt watchfulness, which
Christians are always called to practise in their daily life, characterizes in
particular this season in which we prepare joyfully for the mystery of
Christmas (see Preface of Advent II).
The external
environment proposes the usual commercial messages, although perhaps to a
lesser degree because of the economic crisis. Christians are asked to live
Advent without allowing themselves be distracted by the bright lights but
knowing how to give things their proper value and how to fix their inner gaze
on Christ. Indeed if we persevere in “watching in prayer, our hearts filled with
wonder and praise” (ibid.), our eyes will be able to recognize in him
the true light of the world that comes to dispel our gloom.
The liturgy of
this Sunday, known as “Gaudete” Sunday, is a special invitation to us to
joyfulness, to a vigilance that is not sad but happy. “Gaudete in Domino
semper”, St Paul
wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4). True joy is not a fruit of “divertirsi”
[having a good time] understood in the etymological sense of the word di-vertere
(di-version), that is, shirking the commitments of life and one’s
responsibilities.
True joy is
linked to something deeper. Of course, in the all too often frenetic pace of
daily life it is important to find time for rest and relaxation, but true joy
is linked to our relationship with God. Those who have encountered Christ in
their own lives feel a serenity and joy in their hearts that no one and no
situation can take from them. St Augustine understood this very well; in his
quest for truth, peace and joy, after seeking them in vain in many things he
concluded with his famous words: “and our heart is restless until it rests in
God” (see Confessions, I, 1, 1).
True joy is not
merely a passing state of mind or something that can be achieved with the
person’s own effort; rather it is a gift, born from the encounter with the
living Person of Jesus and, making room within ourselves, from welcoming the
Holy Spirit who guides our lives. It is the invitation of the Apostle Paul who
says: “May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit
and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ (1 Thess 5:23).
In this Season
of Advent let us reinforce our conviction that the Lord has come among us and
ceaselessly renews his comforting, loving and joyful presence. We should trust
in him; as St Augustine says further, in the light of his own experience: the
Lord is closer to us than we are to ourselves: “interior intimo meo et
superior summo meo” (“higher than my highest and more inward than my innermost
self”) (Confessions III, 6, 11).
Let us entrust
our journey to the Immaculate Virgin whose spirit is exulted in God our
Saviour. May she guide our hearts in joyful expectation of the coming of Jesus,
an expectation full of prayer and good works.
PASTORAL VISIT TO THE ROMAN PARISH
OF “SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE” IN
CASAL BOCCONE
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Third
Sunday of Advent, 11 December 2011
Dear Brothers
and Sisters of the Parish of Santa Maria della Grazie,
We have heard
Isaiah’s prophesy, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has
anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted... to proclaim the year of
the Lord’s favour” (Is 61:1-2). These words spoken so many centuries ago, ring
out, in a very up-to-date way for us too, today, while we are halfway through
Advent and already look forward to the great Solemnity of Christmas. These are
words that revive hope, that prepare us to welcome the Lord’s salvation and
announce the inauguration of a season of grace and liberation.
Advent is
precisely a time of waiting, of hope and of preparation for the Lord’s coming.
The figure and preaching of John the Baptist invite us to make this commitment,
as we heard in the Gospel that has just been proclaimed (see Jn 1:6-8, 19-28).
John had withdrawn into the wilderness to live a very austere life and to
invite people to conversion, also by the example of his life. He conferred on
them a baptism of water, a single rite of penance which distinguished it from
the many rites of external purification of the sects of that time.
So who was this
man? Who was John the Baptist? The response he himself gave is surprisingly
humble. He was not the Messiah, he was not the light. He was neither Elijah
come back to the earth nor the great prophet awaited. He was the Forerunner, a
simple witness, totally subordinate to the One he proclaimed; a voice in the
wilderness, as in our day too, in the wilderness of the great cities of this
world, of the great absence of God, we need voices that simply announce to us “God
exists. He is always near, even if he seems absent”.
John the Baptist
was a voice in the wilderness and a witness to the light; and this moves our
hearts, for in this world where there are so many shadows, so much darkness, we
are all called to be witnesses of light. This is the mission of the Season of
Advent itself: to be witnesses of light, and we can only be this if we carry
the light within us, if we are not only certain that the light exists, but also
that we have seen a ray of light.
In the Church,
in God’s word, in the celebration of the sacraments, in the Sacrament of
Confession with the forgiveness that we receive, in the celebration of the
Blessed Eucharist where the Lord gives himself into our hands and hearts, we
touch the light and receive this mission: to bear witness today that there is
light, and to carry the light in our time.
Dear brothers
and sisters, I am very glad to be with you on this beautiful, “Gaudete”
Sunday, the Sunday of joy that tells us that “even in the midst of so many
doubts and difficulties, joy exists because God exists and is with us!”.
I cordially
greet the Cardinal Vicar, the Auxiliary Bishop of the sector, your parish
priest, Fr Domenico Monteforte, whom I thank not only for his kind words to me
on behalf of you all, but also for the beautiful gift of the parish history.
And I greet the parochial vicar. I also greet the religious communities, the
Sisters, Apostles of the Consolata, the Religious Teachers Venerini and the
Guanellians; they are a precious presence in your parish and an important
spiritual and pastoral resource for the life of the community as witnesses of
light!
I also greet all
those who are involved in the parish context. I am referring to the catechists
— I thank them for their work — the members of the prayer group inspired by the
Renewal in the Holy Spirit and the young people of the Gioventù Ardente Mariana
Movement.
Next I would
like to extend my thoughts to all the inhabitants of the neighbourhood,
especially the elderly, the sick, those who are lonely or in difficulty,
without forgetting the large Filipino community which is well integrated and
plays an active part in the fundamental moments of community life.
Your parish came
into being in one of the typical suburbs of the Agro Romano. It was canonically
established in 1985 with this beautiful title: Santa Maria delle Grazie [St
Mary of Grace], it took its first steps in the 1960s when, at the initiative of
a group of Dominican Fathers led by the memorable Fr Gerard Reed, a small
chapel was set up in a family home that was later moved to larger premises and
served as the parish church until 2010, last year. In that year, in fact, as
you know the building in which we are celebrating the Eucharist was dedicated
precisely on 1 May. This new church is a privileged space for growing in the
knowledge and love of the One whom we shall welcome in a few days’ time in the
joy of his Birth.
As I look at
this church and at the parish buildings, I see them as the result of your patience,
dedication and love and I would like to encourage you with my presence to bring
into being, better and better, the Church of living stones which you yourselves
are.
Each one of you
must feel you are an element of this living building. The community is built
with the contribution that each one makes, with the commitment of all; and I am
thinking in a special way of the field of catechesis, that of the liturgy and
that of charity: pillars that support Christian life.
Yours is a young
community, I saw it in greeting your children. It is young because it is made
up of young families — especially with regard to the new settlements — and
because so many children and boys and girls live in it, thanks be to God! I
warmly hope that through the contribution of competent and generous people,
your educational commitment may develop ever better and that your parish, also
with the help of the Vicariate of Rome, may set up as soon as possible a
well-structured after-school recreation and prayer centre with sufficient space
for games and meeting-rooms, so as to meet the need of the young generations to
develop in faith and in a healthy sociability.
I congratulate
you on your work in preparing the boys and girls and young people to receive
the sacraments. The challenge we are facing consists in planning and proposing
a true and proper itinerary of formation in faith which involves all those who
are receiving Christian initiation, helping them not only to receive the
sacraments but to live them out, in order to be true Christians. This aim, to
receive, must be to live, as we heard in the First Reading: justice
must sprout, just as the seed sprouts from the ground. Live the sacraments so
that justice, law and love will sprout likewise.
In this regard,
the diocesan pastoral work that is currently being reviewed and that concerns,
precisely, Christian initiation, is a favourable opportunity to deepen and live
the Sacraments we have already received — such as Baptism and Confirmation —
and those we continue to receive for nourishment on our journey of faith,
Penance and the Eucharist. For this reason, necessary in the first place is
attention to the relationship with God through listening to his word, through
your response to the word in prayer and through the gift of the Eucharist.
I know that in
your parish prayer meetings take place and lectio divina and that
Eucharistic adoration is organized. These are precious initiatives for
spiritual growth at the personal and community levels. I warmly urge more and
more of you to take part in them. In a special way I would like to recall the
importance and centrality of the Eucharist. May the centre of your Sunday be
Holy Mass which should be rediscovered and lived as a day of God and of the
community, a day on which to praise and celebrate the One who was born for us,
who died and rose for our salvation and asks us to live together joyfully and
to be a community open and ready to receive every person who is lonely or in
difficulty.
Do not lose your
sense of Sunday and be faithful to the Eucharistic gathering. The early
Christians were prepared to give their lives for this. They realized that this
is life and gives life.
In coming to see
you I cannot but know that a great challenge is posed to your territory by
religious groups who claim to be the depositaries of the Gospel truth. In this
regard it is my duty to recommend you to be alert and to deepen your knowledge
of the reasons for faith and for the Christian message; so that you may
transmit it in a way that guarantees the authentic millenary tradition of the
Church. May you — as St Peter says — always be prepared “to make a defence to
any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15); put
into practice the language of love and brotherhood that is comprehensible to
all, but without forgetting the commitment to purifying and strengthening your
own faith in the face of the dangers and snares that may threaten it in these
times.
Overcome the
limitations of individualism, withdrawal into self and the fascination of
relativism that views any kind of behaviour as licit, and of the attraction
exercised by forms of religious sentiment that exploit the deepest needs and
aspirations of the human soul, offering prospects of easy but deceptive
gratification. Faith is a gift of God but demands of us a response, a decision
to follow Christ, not only when he heals and alleviates but also when he speaks
of love even to the point of self-gift.
Another point on
which I want to insist is the witnessing to charity that must characterize your
community life. In recent years you have seen it increase rapidly, in the
number of its members too, but you have also seen it help many people in
difficulty and in situations of hardship who need you, who need your material
aid, but also and above all need your faith and your testimony as believers.
Make sure that the face of your community is always able to express in practice
the love of God, who is rich in mercy, and invite people to approach him with
trust.
I would like to
address a special word of affection and friendship to you, dear boys and girls
and young people who are listening to me, as well as to your peers who live in
this parish. History’s today and tomorrow and the future of faith are entrusted
especially to you who are the new generations. The Church expects much of your
enthusiasm, your ability to look ahead, to be inspired by ideals and your
desire for radicalism in the decisions of life. The parish is accompanying you
and I would like you also to feel my encouragement.
“Brethren....
Rejoice always” (1 Thes 5:16). This invitation to joy which St Paul addressed to the Christians of
Thessalonica in that time, also characterizes this Sunday, commonly known as “Gaudete”
Sunday. It resonates from the very first words of the Entrance Antiphon: “Rejoice
in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! The Lord is at hand”; St Paul, in
prison, wrote these words to the Christians of Philippi (see Phil 4:4-5) and
also addresses them to us.
Yes, we are glad
because the Lord is near us and in a few days, on Christmas night, we shall be
celebrating the mystery of his birth. Mary, who was the first to hear the Angel’s
invitation: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” (Lk 1:28), points out
to us the way to reach true joy, which comes from God. St Mary of Grace, Mother
of Divine Love, pray for us all. Amen!
BENEDICT
XVI
ANGELUS
Saint
Peter’s Square, Third Sunday of Advent, 16 December 2012
Dear Brothers
and Sisters,
The Gospel for
this Sunday of Advent presents once again the figure of John the Baptist, and
it depicts him while he is speaking to the people who come to him at the River
Jordan to be baptized. Since John, with incisive words, urges them all to
prepare themselves for the Messiah’s coming, some ask him, “What then shall we
do?” (Lk 3:10, 12, 14). These exchanges are very interesting and prove to be of
great timeliness.
The first answer
is addressed to the crowd in general. The Baptist says, “He who has two coats,
let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise”
(v. 11). Here we can see a criterion of justice, motivated by charity. Justice
requires that the imbalance between the one who has more than enough and the
one who lacks the necessary be overcome; charity prompts us to be attentive to
others and to meet their needs, instead of seeking justification to defend one’s
own interests. Justice and charity are not in opposition, but are both
necessary and complete each other. “Love — caritas — will always prove
necessary, even in the most just society”, because “There will always be
situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love of
neighbour is indispensable” (Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, no. 28).
Then we see the
second answer, which is directed at some “publicans”, that is, tax-collectors
on behalf of the Romans. The publicans were already despised for this, and also
because they often made the most of their position to steal. The Baptist does
not ask them to change their profession, but to exact no more than what has been
established (see v. 13). The prophet, in the name of God, does not demand
exceptional acts, but first and foremost the just fulfilment of one’s duty. The
first step towards eternal life is always the observance of the Commandments;
in this case, the seventh one: You shall not steal (cf Ex. 20:15).
The third reply
concerns the soldiers, another class that enjoyed a certain authority, and was
thus tempted to abuse it. John says to the soldiers: “Rob no one by violence,
and be content with your wages” (v. 14). Here too the conversation begins with
honesty and with respect for others: an instruction that applies to everyone,
especially for those with greater responsibility.
On considering
this dialogue as a whole, we are struck by the great concreteness of John’s
words: since God will judge us according to our works, it is there, in our
behaviour, that we must show that we are doing his will. For this very reason,
the Baptist’s instructions are ever timely: even in our very complex world,
things would go much better if each person observed these rules of conduct.
Therefore let us pray to the Lord, through the intercession of Mary Most Holy,
that he may help us to prepare ourselves for Christmas, bearing the good fruits
of repentance (see Lk 3:8).
VISIT
TO THE ROMAN PARISH OF
“SAN
PATRIZIO AL COLLE PRENESTINO”
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
Third
Sunday of Advent, 16 December 2012
Dear Brothers
and Sisters of San Patrizio,
I am very happy
to visit you and to celebrate the Blessed Eucharist with you and for you. I
would first like to offer you a few thoughts in the light of the word of God
that we have heard. On this Third Sunday of Advent, known as “Gaudete” Sunday,
the Liturgy invites us to rejoice. Advent is a season of commitment and
conversion in preparation for the Lord’s coming, but today the Church gives us
a foretaste of the joy of Christmas that is now at hand. In fact Advent is also
a time of joy, because in this season expectation of the Lord’s coming is
awakened in the hearts of believers; looking forward to a person’s arrival is
always a cause of joy. This joyful dimension is present in the First of the
Bible Readings of this Sunday. The Gospel on the other hand, corresponds to the
other dimension that is characteristic of Advent: that of conversion with a
view to the epiphany of the Lord proclaimed by John the Baptist.
The First
Reading we have heard is an insistent invitation to rejoice. The passage begins
with the words “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion ...
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem ” (Zeph 3:14); which is similar to
that of the Angel’s annunciation to Mary: “Hail, full of grace” (Lk 1:28). The
essential reason why the daughter of Zion can be joyful is expressed in the
affirmation we have just heard: “the Lord is in your midst” (Zeph
3:15, 17); this means literally “is in your womb”, with a clear reference
to the dwelling place of God in the Ark of the Covenant, always set in the
midst of the People of Israel. The prophet wishes to tell us that there is no
longer any reason for distrust, discouragement, sorrow, whatever the situation
that must be faced, because we are certain of the Lord’s presence which alone
suffices to calm and cheer hearts.
The Prophet
Zephaniah, in addition, lets us know that this joy is reciprocal: we are
invited to rejoice, but the Lord also rejoices in his relationship with us;
indeed, the prophet writes: “he will exult over you with gladness, he will
renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (v. 17). The
joy that is promised in this prophetic text, will find its fulfilment in Jesus,
who is in the womb of Mary, the “Daughter of Zion”, and in this way dwelt among
us (cf Jn 1: 14). Indeed, in coming into the world he gives us his joy, just as
he himself confides to his disciples: “These things I have spoken to you, that
my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full (Jn 15:11). Jesus brings
people salvation, a new relationship with God that overcomes evil and death,
and brings true joy in this presence of the Lord who comes to lighten our paths
that are all too often engulfed in shadows and in selfishness.
We can reflect
on whether we are really aware of this fact that the Lord is present among us,
that he is not a distant God but a God-with-us, a God in our midst who is with
us here, who is in the Blessed Eucharist, he is with us in the living Church
and we must be heralds of this presence of God. Thus God rejoices in us and we
can attain joy: God exists, God is good and God is close.
In the Second Reading
we have heard, St Paul
invites the Christians of Philippi to rejoice in the Lord. Can we rejoice? And
why should we rejoice? St Paul
answers: because “the Lord is at hand” (Phil 4:5). In a few days we shall be
celebrating Christmas, the Feast of the coming of God who made himself a child
and our brother so as to be with us and to share in our human condition. We
must rejoice in his closeness, in his presence, and must seek ever better to
understand that he really is close, and thus be penetrated by the reality of
God’s goodness, joy at Christ being with us.
Paul says
forcefully in another of his Letters that nothing can separate us from the love
of God which was expressed in Christ. Sin alone can distance us from him, but
this is a factor of separation that we ourselves introduce into our
relationship with the Lord. Yet, even when we cut ourselves adrift, he does not
cease to love us and continues to be close with his mercy, with his readiness
to forgive and to embrace us in his love. Therefore, St Paul continues, we must never be anxious,
we can always set our requests, our needs, our worries before the Lord “by
prayer and supplication” (4:6). This is a great cause for joy: knowing that it
is always possible to pray to the Lord and that the Lord hears us, that God is
not distant, but really listens, he knows us; and knowing that he never rejects
our prayers even if he does not always answer as we would like, but that he
does answer. And the Apostle adds: pray “with thanksgiving” (ibid.).
The joy the Lord
communicates to us must encounter grateful love in us. Indeed, our joy is
complete when we recognize his mercy, when we become attentive to the signs of
his goodness, if we truly perceive that this goodness of God is with us and
thank him for all that we receive from him every day. Those who selfishly
welcome God’s gifts fail to find true joy; but the hearts of those who make God’s
gifts an opportunity to love him with sincere gratitude and to communicate his
love to others, are truly filled with joy. Let us remember that!
After the two Readings , let us come to
the Gospel. Today’s Gospel tells us that to receive the Lord who comes we must
prepare ourselves by looking clearly at our behaviour in life. John the Baptist
replies to the different people who ask him what they should do to be ready for
the Messiah’s coming (see Lk 3:10, 12, 14) that God asks for nothing
extraordinary but that each one live in accordance with the criteria of
solidarity and justice; without them we cannot prepare properly for the
encounter with the Lord. Therefore let us too ask the Lord what he expects of
us and what he wants us to do, and begin to understand that he does not demand
anything extraordinary but rather that we live our normal life with rectitude
and goodness.
Finally John the
Baptist points out that we must follow with faithfulness and courage. First of
all he denies that he himself is the Messiah and firmly proclaims: “I baptize
you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose
sandals I am not worthy to untie (v. 16). Here we note John’s deep humility in
recognizing that his mission is to prepare the way for Jesus. Saying “I baptize
you with water” cannot but make it clear that his action is symbolic. In fact
he cannot eliminate and forgive sins: baptizing with water can only indicate
that it is necessary to change one’s life. At the same time, John proclaims the
coming of the one who is “mightier than he” who “will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and with fire” (ibid.). And, as we have heard, this great prophet
uses strong images to invite people to conversion; however this is not in order
to instil fear but rather to encourage them to receive God’s love in the best
possible way, as it alone can truly purify life. God makes himself a man like
us to give us a hope that is sure: if we follow him, if we are consistent in
living our Christian life, he will draw us to him, he will lead us to communion
with him; and there will be in our hearts true joy and true peace, even in
difficulty, even in moments of weakness.
Dear friends, I
am glad to pray with you to the Lord who makes himself present in the Eucharist
to be with us always. I cordially greet the Cardinal Vicar, the Auxiliary
Bishop of the Sector, Fr Fabio Fasciani, your parish priest, whom I thank for
his kind words to me on behalf of the community in which he explained to me the
situation of the parish and the spiritual wealth of parish life. I greet all
the priests present. I greet all those who promote the work of the parish: the
catechists, the choir members and the members of the various groups, and
likewise those who adhere to the Neocatechumenal
Way , committed to the mission here. I see with joy
so many children who are following God’s word at various levels, preparing for
First Communion, for Confirmation and, after Confirmation, for life. Welcome! I
am happy to see a living Church here! I extend my thoughts to the Oblates of
Our Lady of the Rosary who live in the parish territory, and to all the
inhabitants of the neighbourhood, especially the elderly, the sick and those in
difficulty. I pray for each and every one in this Holy Mass.
Your parish that
developed on the Prenestino Hill between the end of the 1960s and the
mid-1980s, after the initial difficulties due to the lack of structures and
services, equipped itself with a beautiful new church, inaugurated in 2007
after a long wait. May this sacred building therefore be a privileged space for
growing in knowledge and love of the One whom in a few days we shall welcome in
the joy of Christmas as Redeemer of the world and our Saviour. Do not fail to
come to see him often, to feel more forcefully his presence that gives
strength.
I rejoice in the
sense of belonging to your parish community which in the course of these years
has become ever more mature and consolidated. I encourage you to continue to
develop your pastoral co-responsibility in a perspective of authentic communion
among all those present, who are called to live complementarity in diversity.
In a special way I would like to remind you all of the importance and the
centrality of the Eucharist in personal and community life. May Holy Mass be
the centre of your Sunday. It should be rediscovered and lived as a day of God
and of the community, a day in which to praise and celebrate the One who died
and rose for our salvation and asks us to live together in the joy of a
community open and ready to accept every person who is lonely or in a difficult
situation. Likewise, I urge you to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation regularly,
especially in this season of Advent.
I know all that
you do to prepare children and young people for the sacraments of Christian
life. The Year of Faith, which we are living, must become an opportunity to
increase and consolidate the experience of catechesis, in such a way as to
permit the whole district to know and to deepen its knowledge of the Creed of
the Church and to meet the Lord as a living Person. I address a special thought
to families, in the hope that they may fulfil their vocation to love with
generosity and perseverance.
The Pope also
wishes to address a special word of affection and friendship to you, dear boys
and girls and young people who are listening to me, and to your peers who live
in this parish. May you feel you have lead roles to play in the new
evangelization, putting your young energy, your enthusiasm and your talents at
the service of God and of others in the community.
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