On Our Good and Great Father

On Our Good and Great Father


"Where He Is Not, There Can Be No Good"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, JULY 17, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before and after praying the midday Angelus with those who had gathered at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The Gospel parables are brief narratives that Jesus uses to proclaim the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. Using images and situations of daily life, the Lord "wishes to indicate the true foundation of everything. He shows us ... the God who acts, who enters our life and wants to take us by the hand" (Gesu di Nazaret, I, Milan, 2007, 229).

With these reflections, the divine Teacher invites us to recognize first of all the primacy of God the Father: Where he is not, there can be no good. He is a decisive priority for everything. Kingdom of Heaven means, in fact, lordship of God, and that means that his will must be assumed as the guiding criterion of our existence.

The subject contained in this Sunday's Gospel is precisely the Kingdom of Heaven. "Heaven" should not be understood only in the sense of some height that is above us, because this infinite space also has the form of man's interiority. Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a field of wheat, to make us understand that within us is sown something small and hidden, which, nevertheless, has an unrestrainable vital force. Despite all the obstacles, the seed will develop and the fruit will mature. This fruit will only be good if the terrain of life has been cultivated according to the divine will. Because of this, in the parable of the good seed and the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30,) Jesus warns us that, after the owner planted the seed, "while all were sleeping," "his enemy" came and sowed weeds. This means that we must be ready to guard the grace received on the day of our baptism, continuing to nourish faith in the Lord, which prevents evil from taking root. Commenting on this parable, St. Augustine observed that "many at first are weeds and then become good seed" and he added: "if the former, when they were evil, were not endured with patience, they would not have attained the praiseworthy change" (Quaest. septend. in Ev. sec. Matth., 12, 4:PL 35, 1371).

Dear friends, the Book of Wisdom -- from which today's first reading draws, emphasizes this dimension of the divine being and states: "There is no god besides you who have the care of all ... For your might is the source of justice; your mastery over all things makes you lenient to all." (Wisdom 12:13,16). And Psalm 85 [86] confirms it: "You, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in kindness to all who call upon you" (verse 5).

Hence, if we are children of such a great and good Father, we must seek to resemble him! This was the aim that Jesus set himself with his preaching; he said, in fact, to those who listened to him: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Let us turn with confidence to Mary, whom we invoked yesterday with the title of Most Holy Virgin of Mount Carmel, so that she will help us to follow Jesus faithfully, and thus live as true children of God.

[After the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted the people in various languages. In Italian, he said:]

I am following with profound concern the news from the region of the Horn of Africa and in particular of Somalia, stricken by a severe drought and afterward, in some areas, by intense rain, which is causing a humanitarian catastrophe. Innumerable people are fleeing from that tremendous famine in search of food and help. I hope that international mobilization will increase to send help in time to these brothers and sisters of ours, already sorely tried, among whom are so many children. May our solidarity, and the concrete support of all people of good will, not be lacking to these suffering populations.

[In French, he said:]

Dear French-speaking pilgrims, the time of vacations is certainly propitious for cultural and spiritual enrichment. Through the innumerable places and monuments that you visit, you can discover the beauty of that universal patrimony that refers us to our roots! Be attentive in allowing yourselves to be swept up by the beautiful ideal that inspired the builders of cathedrals and abbeys, when they built these striking signs of the presence of God on our earth. May that ideal become yours and may the Holy Spirit, who sees the depth of hearts, inspire you to pray in these places, rendering thanks and interceding for humanity of the third millennium! I bless you from my heart, particularly the families here present!

[In Spanish, he said:]

I greet affectionately the Spanish-speaking pilgrims present at this Marian prayer, as well as those who join it through radio and television. Today's liturgy presents to us a God, kind and rich in clemency, who governs the world with wisdom and whose patience has no limit, giving the sinner the necessary time to open his heart to the divine Word, to learn how he behaves, he who can do all, and to reflect in our lives the greatness of his love and mercy. May we be helped in this by the Most Holy Virgin Mary. Happy Sunday.

[In Polish, he said:]

I welcome the Poles who have come to Castel Gandolfo. I also greet your countrymen in Poland and around the world. Yesterday, we celebrated the memorial of Mary, Mother of God of the Scapular (Our Lady of Mount Carmel). The scapular is a particular sign of union with Jesus and Mary. For those who wear it, it is a sign of filial abandonment to the protection of the Immaculate Virgin. In our battle against evil, may Mary our Mother wrap us in her mantle. I commend you to her protection and I bless you from my heart.

[Translation by ZENIT]

[In English, he said:]

I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer, including the pilgrims from Meath, Ireland, and from Nazareth, the home of Jesus. Today's Gospel encourages us to let the good seed of God's word bear fruit in our lives and to trust in his mysterious plan for the growth of the Kingdom. Let us work for an abundant harvest of holiness in the Church and ask to be found among Christ's righteous ones on the Day of Judgment. Upon all of you I invoke the Lord's abundant blessings of joy and peace!

© Copyright 2011 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

On Jesus, Himself a Parable


"God Does Not Force Us to Believe in Him, But He Draws Us to Himself"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, JULY 10, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before and after praying the midday Angelus. It was the first public Angelus address to be held this summer in Castel Gandolfo.

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Dear brothers and sisters!

I thank you for having come for the Angelus here in Castel Gandolfo, where I arrived a few days ago. I gladly welcome the occasion to address my cordial greetings to all the inhabitants of this dear town with wishes for a good summer.

In today's Sunday gospel (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus tells the crowd the celebrated parable of the sower. It is a passage that is in some sense "autobiographical" because it reflects the experience itself of Jesus, of his preaching: He identifies himself with the sower, who sows the good seed of the Word of God, and sees the different effects that follow according to the type of reception that is given to the proclamation. There are those who listen superficially but do not accept it; there are those who take it in at the moment but lack constancy and lose everything; there are those who are overcome by the worries and seductions of the world; and there are those who listen in a receptive way like good soil: Here the Word bears fruit in abundance.

But this Gospel also insists on the "method" of Jesus' preaching, that is, precisely, the use of parables. "Why do you speak to them in parables?" the disciples ask (Matthew 13:10). And Jesus answers by making a distinction between them and the crowd: To the disciples, that is, to those who have already decided for him, he can speak openly of the Kingdom of Heaven; but to others he must speak in parables, precisely to awaken the decision, the conversion of the heart; parables, in fact, by their nature require an effort at interpretation, they engage one's reason but also freedom.

St. John Chrysostom explains: "Jesus pronounced these words with the intention of drawing his listeners to him and to call them, assuring them that if they turn to him, he will heal them (Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, 45, 1-20). Ultimately, the true "Parable" of God is Jesus himself, his Person who, through the sign of humanity at the same time conceals and reveals the divinity. In this way God does not force us to believe in him, but he draws us to himself with the truth and goodness of his incarnate Son: love, in fact, always respects freedom.

Dear friends, tomorrow we will celebrate the feast of St. Benedict, abbot and patron saint of Europe. In light of this Gospel we look to him as a master of listening to the Word of God, a deep and persevering listening. We must always learn from the great patriarch of Western monasticism to give God the place that belongs to him, the first place, offering him, with morning and evening prayer, our daily activities. May the Virgin Mary help us by her example to be "good soil" where the seed of the word might bear fruit.

[After the Angelus the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims in several languages. In Italian he said:]

Dear brothers and sisters, today is called "Sea Sunday," that is, the day of recognition for the maritime apostolate. I have a special thought today for the chaplains who work in the pastoral care of sailors, fishermen and their families. I assure my prayers for those sailors who unfortunately find themselves the captives of pirates. It is my wish that they be treated with respect and humanity, and I pray for their families that they be strong in faith and do not lose hope of being reunited soon with their loved ones.

[In French, he said:]

To all the French speaking pilgrims, and especially the choir of the Basilica of Notre-Dame in Lausanne, I would like to recommend that during this time of vacation, you revivify your spirits by contemplating the splendors of Creation. Parents, teach your children to see nature, respect and protect it as a magnificent gift that presents to us the grandeur of the Creator! In speaking in parables, Jesus used the language of nature to explain to his disciples the mysteries of the Kingdom. May the images he uses become familiar to us! Let us remember that the divine reality is hidden in our daily lives like the seed in the soil. May it bear fruit in us! I wish you all a good Sunday!

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

[In English, he said:]

I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer. Today's Gospel invites us to hear God's word, to let it take deep root in our hearts, and to bring forth abundant fruits of holiness for the spread of his Kingdom. During these tranquil days of summer, let us resolve to draw closer to the Lord through regular prayer, participation in the Eucharist and generous acts of charity. Upon you and your families I invoke his gifts of joy and peace!

© Copyright 2011 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

On the Yoke of Christ

On the Yoke of Christ


"The Force of Truth ... Is What Can Ensure a Future Worthy of Man"

VATICAN CITY, JULY 3, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

In today's Gospel the Lord Jesus repeats to us those words we know well, but which always move us: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light" (Matthew 11:28-30). When Jesus went about the roads of Galilee proclaiming the Kingdom of God and curing many sick, he felt compassion for the crowds "because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd" (cf. Matthew 9:35-36).

That gaze of Jesus seems to extend to today, to our world. Even today it rests on so many people oppressed by difficult conditions of life, but also deprived of valid points of reference to find a meaning and aim to their existence. Many of the weak are found in the poorest countries, tested by poverty; and even in the richest countries there are so many dissatisfied men and women, in fact sick with depression. Then we think of the numerous dispersed peoples and refugees, and all those who emigrate putting their own life at risk. Christ's look pauses on all these people, rather on each one of these children of the Father who is in Heaven and repeats: "Come to me, all you ..."

Jesus promises to give all "rest," but he puts a condition: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart." What is this "yoke," which instead of weighing is light, and instead of crushing lifts? The "yoke" of Christ is the law of love, it is his commandment, which he left to his disciples (cf. John 13:34; 15:12). The true remedy for the wounds of humanity -- whether they are material, such as hunger and injustice, or psychological and moral, caused by a false sense of well being -- is a rule of life based on fraternal love, which has its source in the love of God.

It is therefore necessary to abandon the path of arrogance and violence that is used to procure positions of greater power, so as to ensure success at any cost. Also, out of respect for the environment, it is necessary to give up the aggressive lifestyle that has become prevalent in the last centuries and to adopt a reasonable "meekness." But above all in human, interpersonal and social relations, the rule of respect and of nonviolence, that is, the force of truth against any abuse is what can ensure a future worthy of man.

Dear friends, yesterday we celebrated the particular liturgical memorial of Mary Most Holy praising God for her Immaculate Heart. May the Virgin help us to "learn" from Jesus' true humility, to take up with determination his light yoke, to experience interior peace and become in turn capable of consoling our brothers and sisters who continue to work hard as they travel the path of life.

[After the Angelus the Holy Father addressed the pilgrims in various languages. In English, he said:]

I am pleased to greet the English-speaking visitors here today, especially the candidates for the permanent diaconate from the Diocese of Elphin, Ireland, who are here with their wives. In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites all of us to come to him, whatever burdens we may be carrying, whatever labours we may be engaged in, because in him we will find rest. At this time of year when so many of you are taking your annual holiday, I pray that you will truly find refreshment for body and spirit and an opportunity to rest in the Lord. May God bestow his blessings of joy and peace upon all of you, and upon your families and loved ones at home.

[Concluding in Italian, he said:]

In the next few days I will leave the Vatican to go to Castel Gandolfo. From there, God willing, I will lead the Angelus next Sunday. Thank you! I wish you all a good Sunday and a good week.

[Translation by ZENIT]

On Sts. Peter and Paul

On Sts. Peter and Paul


"The Two Great Apostles Are the 'Wings' of Knowledge of God"

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 30, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI delivered Wednesday on the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and on the 60th anniversary of his priestly ordination, before praying the Angelus together with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Excuse the long delay. The Mass in honor of Sts. Peter and Paul was long and beautiful. And we also thought of that beautiful hymn of the Church of Rome which begins: "O Roma felix!" Today, on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, patrons of this city, we sing thus: "Happy Rome, because you were reddened by the precious blood of such great Princes. Not for your praise, but for their merits every beauty surpasses!" As the hymns of the Eastern tradition sing, the two great Apostles are the "wings" of knowledge of God, who went through the earth to its furthermost boundaries and were raised to heaven; they are also the "hands" of the Gospel of grace, and "feet" of the truth of the proclamation, the "rivers" of wisdom, the "arms" of the cross (Cf. MHN, t. 5, 1988).

The testimony of love and fidelity of Sts. Peter and Paul illumines the pastors of the Church, to lead men to truth, forming them in faith in Christ. St. Peter, in particular, represents the unity of the Apostolic College. For this reason, during the liturgy celebrated this morning in the Vatican Basilica, I imposed on 40 Metropolitan Archbishops the pallium, which manifests communion with the Bishop of Rome in the mission of leading the People of God to salvation. St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, wrote that the Church of Rome "propter potentiorem principalitatem [because of her peculiar principality] must converge every other Church, that is, the faithful that are everywhere, because guarded in her always has been the tradition that comes from the Apostles" (Adversus Haereses, III, 3, 2); thus it was in the 2nd century.

It is the faith professed by Peter that constitutes the foundation of the Church: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" -- reads the Gospel of Matthew (16:16). Peter's primacy is divine predilection, as is also the priestly vocation. "For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you -- says Jesus -- but my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). So it happens to the one who decides to respond to God's call with the totality of his life. I recall it gladly on this day, in which fulfilled for me is the 60th anniversary of my priestly Ordination. Thank you for your presence, for your prayers! I am grateful to you, I am grateful above all to the Lord for his call and for the ministry entrusted to me, and I thank those who, in this circumstance, have manifested their closeness and support of my mission with prayer, which rises incessantly to God from every ecclesial community (cf. Acts 12:5), translated into adoration of the Eucharistic Christ to augment strength and liberty in proclaiming the Gospel.

In this climate, I am happy to greet cordially the delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, present today in Rome, in keeping with the significant custom to venerate Sts. Peter and Paul and to share with me the hope for Christian unity willed by the Lord. Let us invoke with trust the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles, so that every baptized person will become increasingly a "living stone" that builds the Kingdom of God.

[After the Angelus the Holy Father addressed the pilgrims in various languages. In Italian he said:]

Dear brothers and sisters, on the feast of the Holy Patrons of Rome I wish to address a special greeting to the faithful of my Diocese, as well as to the parish priests and to all priests involved in pastoral work. I extend to all the citizenry my wish for peace and goodness!

[In English he said:]

I welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present in Rome for this Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. I am especially happy to greet the Metropolitan Archbishops who have received the Pallium today, accompanied by their relatives and friends. May the courageous example of the Apostles Peter and Paul inspire the Archbishops as they preach the life-giving word of God. May all Christians, following in the footsteps of Peter and Paul, bear courageous witness to the Gospel that sets us free. God bless you all!

[Concluding in Italian, he said:]

I address, finally, to the Italian-speaking pilgrims, in particular those who came to welcome the Metropolitan Archbishops appointed in the past year, who this morning received the Pallium, sign of communion with the See of Peter. I wish all a pilgrimage rich in fruits. Happy feast to you all. Thank you!

[Translation by ZENIT]

Benedict XVI's Homily on Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

Benedict XVI's Homily on Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul


"It Is Only in the Unity Represented by Peter That We Truly Lead People to Christ"

VATICAN CITY, JUNE 29, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the homily Benedict XVI delivered today at a Mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, which he presided over in St. Peter's Basilica.

At the Mass, the Pope conferred the pallium upon 41 new archbishops, and recalled his 60th anniversary of priestly ordination.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

"Non iam dicam servos, sed amicos" -- "I no longer call you servants, but friends" (cf. Jn 15:15).

Sixty years on from the day of my priestly ordination, I hear once again deep within me these words of Jesus that were addressed to us new priests at the end of the ordination ceremony by the Archbishop, Cardinal Faulhaber, in his slightly frail yet firm voice.

According to the liturgical practice of that time, these words conferred on the newly-ordained priests the authority to forgive sins. "No longer servants, but friends": at that moment I knew deep down that these words were no mere formality, nor were they simply a quotation from Scripture. I knew that, at that moment, the Lord himself was speaking to me in a very personal way. In baptism and confirmation he had already drawn us close to him, he had already received us into God’s family. But what was taking place now was something greater still. He calls me his friend. He welcomes me into the circle of those he had spoken to in the Upper Room, into the circle of those whom he knows in a very special way, and who thereby come to know him in a very special way. He grants me the almost frightening faculty to do what only he, the Son of God, can legitimately say and do: I forgive you your sins. He wants me -- with his authority -- to be able to speak, in his name ("I" forgive), words that are not merely words, but an action, changing something at the deepest level of being. I know that behind these words lies his suffering for us and on account of us. I know that forgiveness comes at a price: in his Passion he went deep down into the sordid darkness of our sins. He went down into the night of our guilt, for only thus can it be transformed. And by giving me authority to forgive sins, he lets me look down into the abyss of man, into the immensity of his suffering for us men, and this enables me to sense the immensity of his love. He confides in me: "No longer servants, but friends". He entrusts to me the words of consecration in the Eucharist. He trusts me to proclaim his word, to explain it aright and to bring it to the people of today. He entrusts himself to me. "You are no longer servants, but friends": these words bring great inner joy, but at the same time, they are so awe-inspiring that one can feel daunted as the decades go by amid so many experiences of one’s own frailty and his inexhaustible goodness.

"No longer servants, but friends": this saying contains within itself the entire programme of a priestly life. What is friendship? Idem velle, idem nolle -- wanting the same things, rejecting the same things: this was how it was expressed in antiquity. Friendship is a communion of thinking and willing. The Lord says the same thing to us most insistently: "I know my own and my own know me" (Jn 10:14). The Shepherd calls his own by name (cf. Jn 10:3). He knows me by name. I am not just some nameless being in the infinity of the universe. He knows me personally. Do I know him? The friendship that he bestows upon me can only mean that I too try to know him better; that in the Scriptures, in the Sacraments, in prayer, in the communion of saints, in the people who come to me, sent by him, I try to come to know the Lord himself more and more. Friendship is not just about knowing someone, it is above all a communion of the will. It means that my will grows into ever greater conformity with his will. For his will is not something external and foreign to me, something to which I more or less willingly submit or else refuse to submit. No, in friendship, my will grows together with his will, and his will becomes mine: this is how I become truly myself. Over and above communion of thinking and willing, the Lord mentions a third, new element: he gives his life for us (cf. Jn 15:13; 10:15). Lord, help me to come to know you more and more. Help me to be ever more at one with your will. Help me to live my life not for myself, but in union with you to live it for others. Help me to become ever more your friend.

Jesus’ words on friendship should be seen in the context of the discourse on the vine. The Lord associates the image of the vine with a commission to the disciples: "I appointed you that you should go out and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide" (Jn 15:16). The first commission to the disciples, to his friends, is that of setting out -- appointed to go out -- stepping outside oneself and towards others. Here we hear an echo of the words of the risen Lord to his disciples at the end of Matthew’s Gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (cf. Mt 28:19f.). The Lord challenges us to move beyond the boundaries of our own world and to bring the Gospel to the world of others, so that it pervades everything and hence the world is opened up for God’s kingdom. We are reminded that even God stepped outside himself, he set his glory aside in order to seek us, in order to bring us his light and his love. We want to follow the God who sets out in this way, we want to move beyond the inertia of self-centredness, so that he himself can enter our world.

After the reference to setting out, Jesus continues: bear fruit, fruit that abides. What fruit does he expect from us? What is this fruit that abides? Now, the fruit of the vine is the grape, and it is from the grape that wine is made. Let us reflect for a moment on this image. For good grapes to ripen, sun is needed, but so too is rain, by day and by night. For noble wine to mature, the grapes need to be pressed, patience is needed while the juice ferments, watchful care is needed to assist the processes of maturation. Noble wine is marked not only by sweetness, but by rich and subtle flavours, the manifold aroma that develops during the processes of maturation and fermentation. Is this not already an image of human life, and especially of our lives as priests? We need both sun and rain, festivity and adversity, times of purification and testing, as well as times of joyful journeying with the Gospel. In hindsight we can thank God for both: for the challenges and the joys, for the dark times and the glad times. In both, we can recognize the constant presence of his love, which unfailingly supports and sustains us.

Yet now we must ask: what sort of fruit does the Lord expect from us? Wine is an image of love: this is the true fruit that abides, the fruit that God wants from us. But let us not forget that in the Old Testament the wine expected from noble grapes is above all an image of justice, which arises from a life lived in accordance with God’s law. And this is not to be dismissed as an Old Testament view that has been surpassed -- no, it still remains true. The true content of the Law, its summa, is love for God and for one’s neighbour. But this twofold love is not simply saccharine. It bears within itself the precious cargo of patience, humility, and growth in the conforming of our will to God’s will, to the will of Jesus Christ, our friend. Only in this way, as the whole of our being takes on the qualities of truth and righteousness, is love also true, only thus is it ripe fruit. Its inner demand -- faithfulness to Christ and to his Church -- seeks a fulfillment that always includes suffering. This is the way that true joy grows. At a deep level, the essence of love, the essence of genuine fruit, coincides with the idea of setting out, going towards: it means self-abandonment, self-giving, it bears within itself the sign of the cross. Gregory the Great once said in this regard: if you are striving for God, take care not to go to him by yourselves alone -- a saying that we priests need to keep before us every day (H Ev 1:6:6 PL 76, 1097f.).

Dear friends, perhaps I have dwelt for too long on my inner recollections of sixty years of priestly ministry. Now it is time to turn our attention to the particular task that is to be performed today.

On the feast of Saints Peter and Paul my most cordial greeting goes first of all to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I and to the Delegation he has sent, to whom I express sincere thanks for their most welcome visit on the happy occasion of this feast of the holy Apostles who are Rome’s patrons. I also greet the Cardinals, my brother bishops, the ambassadors and civil authorities as well as the priests, the confrères of my first Mass, religious and lay faithful. I thank all of you for your presence and your prayers.

The metropolitan archbishops appointed since the feast of Saints Peter and Paul last year are now going to receive the pallium. What does this mean? It may remind us in the first instance of Christ’s easy yoke that is laid upon us (cf. Mt 11:29f.). Christ’s yoke is identical with his friendship. It is a yoke of friendship and therefore "a sweet yoke", but as such it is also a demanding yoke, one that forms us. It is the yoke of his will, which is a will of truth and love. For us, then, it is first and foremost the yoke of leading others to friendship with Christ and being available to others, caring for them as shepherds. This brings us to a further meaning of the pallium: it is woven from the wool of lambs blessed on the feast of Saint Agnes. Thus it reminds us of the Shepherd who himself became a lamb, out of love for us. It reminds us of Christ, who set out through the mountains and the deserts, in which his lamb, humanity, had strayed. It reminds us of him who took the lamb -- humanity -- me -- upon his shoulders, in order to carry me home. It thus reminds us that we too, as shepherds in his service, are to carry others with us, taking them as it were upon our shoulders and bringing them to Christ. It reminds us that we are called to be shepherds of his flock, which always remains his and does not become ours. Finally the pallium also means quite concretely the communion of the shepherds of the Church with Peter and with his successors -- it means that we must be shepherds for unity and in unity, and that it is only in the unity represented by Peter that we truly lead people to Christ.

Sixty years of priestly ministry -- dear friends, perhaps I have spoken for too long about this. But I felt prompted at this moment to look back upon the things that have left their mark on the last six decades. I felt prompted to address to you, to all priests and bishops and to the faithful of the Church, a word of hope and encouragement; a word that has matured in long experience of how good the Lord is. Above all, though, it is a time of thanksgiving: thanks to the Lord for the friendship that he has bestowed upon me and that he wishes to bestow upon us all. Thanks to the people who have formed and accompanied me. And all this includes the prayer that the Lord will one day welcome us in his goodness and invite us to contemplate his joy. Amen.

© Copyright 2011 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana