ON THE SACRED LITURGY AS A SCHOOL OF PRAYER

"Lord, teach us to pray"

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 26, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. The Holy Father began a new series of catecheses on prayer today, moving from prayer in sacred Scripture to prayer in the sacred Liturgy.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

In recent months, we have made a journey in the light of God’s Word in order to learn to pray more authentically, by looking at several great figures of the Old Testament, at the Psalms, at the Letters of St. Paul and at Revelation, but above all by looking to the unique and fundamental experience of Jesus, in his relationship with the heavenly Father. In reality, only in Christ is man enabled to unite himself to God with the depth and intimacy of a child toward a father who loves him; only in him may we turn in all truth to God, affectionately calling him “Abba! Father!” Like the Apostles, we too repeated over these weeks, and today again we say to Jesus: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1)

Furthermore, in order to learn to live more intensely in a personal relationship with God, we learned to call upon the Holy Spirit, the Risen One’s first gift to those who believe, since it is he who “helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought” (Romans 8:26), St. Paul says, and we know how right he is.

At this point, after a long series of catecheses on prayer in the Scripture, we may ask ourselves: how can I allow myself to be formed by the Holy Spirit and thus become capable of entering into God’s ambiance, to pray with God? What is this school, in which he teaches me to pray, helps me in my struggle to turn to God in the right way? The first school of prayer -- where we spent these weeks -- is the Word of God, Sacred Scripture. The Sacred Scripture is a lasting dialogue between God and man, an ongoing dialogue in which God displays his increasing closeness, in which we may better know his face, his voice, his being; and man learns to accept God, to know God, to speak with God. Therefore, over these weeks, by reading Sacred Scripture, we have sought from the Scripture, from this lasting dialogue, to learn how we may enter into contact with God.

There is yet another precious “space”, another precious “source” for growing in prayer, a fount of living water in close relationship with the former. I am referring to the liturgy, which is a privileged place where God speaks to each one of us, here and now, and awaits our response.

What is the liturgy? If we open the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a precious and, I would say, indispensable aid, we read that the word “liturgy” originally meant “a service in the name of/ on behalf of the people” (n. 1069). If Christian theology took this word from the Greek world, it clearly did so thinking of the new People of God that was brought into being by Christ, who opened his arms on the Cross in order to unite men in the peace of the One God. “Service on behalf of the people” -- a people that does not exist by itself, but that was formed by the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. In fact, the People of God is not bound by blood, territory, or nation; rather, it continually comes into being through the work of the Son of God and from the communion with the Father, which He obtains for us.

The Catechism also indicates that “in Christian tradition [the word ‘liturgy’] means the participation of the People of God in the ‘work of God’” (n. 1069). 

The very development of the Second Vatican Council reminds us of this. It began its work fifty years ago with the discussion on the schema on the sacred liturgy, which was then solemnly approved on December 4, 1963, the first text to be approved by the Council. That the document on the liturgy was the first result of the Conciliar assembly was considered perhaps by some to be a matter of chance. Amid so many projects, the text on the sacred liturgy seemed to be the least controversial and, precisely on this account, was able to serve as a kind of exercise for learning the methodology of the Council’s work. But without a shadow of a doubt, what at first glance may seem to have been a chance event proved to be the right choice, also from the hierarchy of subjects and the Church’s most important tasks. By beginning, in fact, with the subject of the “liturgy” the Council highlighted with great clarity the primacy of God, his absolute precedence. Before all else, there is God: this is what the Council’s choice to begin with the liturgy tells us. Where the gaze upon God is not decisive, everything else loses its orientation. The fundamental criterion for the liturgy is its orientation toward God, to be able thus to participate in his work.

But we might ask ourselves: what is this work of God in which we are called to participate? The answer that the Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy offers us is seemingly twofold. In No. 5 it tells us, in fact, that the work of God consists in His actions in history, which bring us salvation, and which culminated in the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; however, in No. 7 the same Constitution defines the celebration of the liturgy as the “work of Christ”. 

In reality, these two meanings are inseparably linked. If we ask ourselves who saves the world and man, the only answer is: Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, crucified and risen. And where is the Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ made present for us, for me today? The answer is: in Christ’s action in and through the Church, in the liturgy, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which makes present the sacrificial offering of the Son of God, who redeemed us; in the Sacrament of Penance, in which we pass from the death of sin to new life; and in the other sacramental acts whereby we are sanctified (cf. Presbyterorum ordinis, 5). Thus, the Paschal Mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Christ is the center of the liturgical theology of the Council.

Let us go a step further and ask ourselves: how is this making present of Christ’s Paschal Mystery made possible? Blessed John Paul II, on the 25th anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, wrote: “In order to reenact his Paschal Mystery, Christ is ever present in his Church, especially in liturgical celebrations. Hence the Liturgy is the privileged place for the encounter of Christians with God and the one whom he has sent, Jesus Christ (cf John 17:3)” (Vicesimus Quintus Annus, n. 7). Along these same lines, we read in theCatechism of the Catholic Church: “A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God’s children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words” (n. 1153). 

Therefore, the first requirement for a proper liturgical celebration is that it be prayer, conversation with God, first listening and then response. St. Benedict, in his “Rule”, speaking about the prayer of the Psalms, points out to the monks: mens corcordet voci, “that the mind may be in harmony with the voice”. The Saint teaches that in praying the Psalms the words must come before our minds. Usually it does not happen in this way; first we have to think, and then we convert what we have thought into words. Here instead, in the liturgy, it is just the opposite -- the word comes first. God has given us the word, and the sacred liturgy offers us the words; we must enter into the words, into their meaning, receive them into ourselves, become attuned to these words; thus do we become God’s children, like unto God. As Sacrosanctum Conciliumreminds us, in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects “it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain” (n. 11). 

A fundamental, essential element of dialogue with God in the liturgy is the harmony between what we say with our lips and what we carry in our hearts. By entering into the words of the great history of prayer we ourselves are conformed to the spirit of these words and become capable of speaking with God.

Along these lines, I would like only to touch upon one of the moments during the liturgy that summons us and helps us to find this harmony, this conforming of ourselves to what we hear, say and do in the celebration of the liturgy. I am referring to the invitation that the Celebrant formulates before the Eucharistic Prayer: “Sursum corda”, let us lift up our hearts beyond the entanglement of our concerns, our desires, our anxieties and our distractions. Our heart, the most intimate place within us, should open docilely to the Word of God and be recollected in the prayer of the Church, and thereby receive its orientation toward God from the very words that we hear and say. The gaze of the heart must be directed to the Lord, who abides among us: it is a fundamental disposition. 

When we live the liturgy with this basic attitude, our hearts are, as it were, withdrawn from the force of gravity that draws them downward, and they are raised interiorly upward, toward truth, toward love, toward God. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us: “In the sacramental liturgy of the Church, the mission of Christ and of the Holy Spirit proclaims, makes present, and communicates the mystery of salvation, which is continued in the heart that prays” (n. 2655): altare Dei est cor nostrum. 

Dear friends, we celebrate and live the liturgy well only if we remain in an attitude of prayer, not if we want to “do something”, to make ourselves seen or to act, but if we direct our hearts to God and if we remain in an attitude of prayer by uniting ourselves to the Mystery of Christ and to his conversation, as Son, with the Father. God himself teaches us to pray, St. Paul affirms (cf.Romans 8:26). He himself has given us the appropriate words for addressing ourselves to Him, words we encounter in the Psalter, in the great prayer of the sacred liturgy and in the Eucharistic celebration itself. Let us ask the Lord to be more and more aware each day of the fact that the Liturgy is the action of God and of man; prayer that springs forth from the Holy Spirit and from ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the Son of God made man (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2564). Thank you.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

[In English, he said:]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Having focused for several weeks now on prayer as taught to us in the sacred Scriptures, we turn to another precious source of prayer, namely the liturgy. The word “liturgy” in Greek means “work done by the people and for the people”. Here, this “people” is the new People of God, brought into being by Christ, a people which does not exist by itself and which is not bound by blood, territory or country, but is brought into being through the Paschal Mystery. The liturgy is also the “work of God”. As the Second Vatican Council teaches, it is by means of the liturgy that Christ our Redeemer and High Priest continues the work of our redemption in, with, and through his Church. This is the great marvel of the liturgy: God acts, while we are caught up in his action.

The Council began its work by discussing the liturgy, and righty so, for the liturgy reminds us of the primacy of God. The fundamental criterion for it is its orientation towards the Father, whose saving love culminates in the death and resurrection of his Son. It is in the liturgy that we “lift up our hearts”, opening ourselves to the word of God as we gather with our brethren in a prayer which rises within us, and which is directed to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit.

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I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims present, especially those from England, Scotland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Canada and the United States. Upon all of you, I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace.

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

[In Italian, he said]

Lastly, a thought for young people, for the sick and for newlyweds. Today we celebrate the memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian: Dear young people, may you learn to care for your brothers' and sisters' every suffering with warmth and acceptance; dear sick, the best therapy for every malady is trust in God, with whom we speak in prayer; and you, dear newlyweds, may you care for one another in your married life.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

POPE'S MESSAGE ON 10 COMMANDMENTS

"God has given us the Commandments to educate us to liberty and genuine love"

ROME, SEPT. 10, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the text of Benedict XVI's video message to those participating in the first leg of the “Ten Squares for Ten Commandments” event organized by Renewal in the Spirit and sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.

The event opened Saturday in Rome’s Piazza del Popolo.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters!

I am happy to extend a cordial greeting to all of you taking part in the Squares of several Italian cities in this catechesis on the Ten Commandments and who adhere to the initiative “When Love Gives Meaning to Your Life.” In particular I greet and thank the adherents of the Ecclesial Movement Renewal in the Holy Spirit, who organized this praiseworthy initiative, with the support of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization and the Italian Episcopal Conference.

The Decalogue takes us back to Mount Sinai, when God entered in a particular way in the history of the Jewish people, and through this people in the history of the whole of humanity, giving the “Ten Words” that express his will and which are a sort of “ethical code” to build a society in which the covenant relationship with the Holy and Just God illumines and guides the relations between persons. And Jesus comes to bring these words to fulfillment, elevating them and summarizing them in the twofold Commandment of love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind … You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (cf. Matthew 22:37-40).

However, we must ask ourselves: what meaning do these Ten Words have for us, in the present cultural context, in which secularism and relativism risk becoming the criteria of every choice and in this, our society, which seems to live as if God did not exist? We answer that God has given us the Commandments to educate us to liberty and genuine love, so that we can be truly happy. They are a sign of the love of God the Father, of his desire to teach us the correct discernment of good and evil, of the true and the false, of the just and the unjust. They are comprehensible to all precisely because they establish the fundamental values in concrete norms and rules, in putting them into practice man can walk on the path of true liberty, which renders him firm in the way that leads him to life and happiness. When, on the contrary, man ignores the Commandments in his existence, not only does he alienate himself from God and abandons the covenant with Him, but he also distances himself from life and from lasting happiness. Man left to himself, indifferent to God, proud of his own absolute autonomy, ends up by following the idols of egoism, of power, of dominion, polluting the relations with himself and with others, and following paths not of life but of death. The sad experiences of history, especially of the last century, remain a warning for the whole of humanity.

“When Love gives meaning to your life …” Jesus brings to fulfillment the way of the Commandments with his Cross and Resurrection; leads to the radical overcoming of egoism, of sin and of death, with the gift of himself out of love. Only the acceptance of the infinite love of God, trust in Him, following the way He traced, gives profound meaning to life and opens to a future of hope.

Dear friends, I hope that this initiative will arouse renewed commitment in witnessing that the way of love, traced by the Commandments and perfected by Christ, is the only one capable of rendering our life, that of others and of our communities fuller, better and happier. May the Virgin Mary support this path, while I impart my Blessing.

[Translation by ZENIT]

On Prayer in the 2nd Part of the Book of Revelation

On Prayer in the 2nd Part of the Book of Revelation


"There are no superfluous, useless prayers; not one of them is lost"




VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 12, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today in Paul VI Hall at the general audience. The Holy Father today continued his reflection on prayer in the book of Revelation.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

Last Wednesday I spoke about prayer in the first part of Revelation. Today we move on to the second part of the book; and whereas in the first part, prayer is oriented toward the Church's inner life, in the second, attention is given to the entire world; the Church, in fact, journeys through history; she is part of it, in accordance with God's plan.

The assembly that listened to John's message presented by the reader rediscovered its duty to cooperate in the expansion of the Kingdom of God, as "priests of God and of Christ" (Revelation 20:6; cf. 1:5; 5:10) and it opens out to the world of men. And here, in the dialectical relationship that exists between them, two ways of living emerge: the first we may define as the "system of Christ," to which the assembly is happy to belong; and the second, the "worldly systems opposed to the kingdom and the covenant and activated through the influence of the Evil One," who by deceiving men wills to establish a world opposed to the one willed by Christ and by God (cf. Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Bible and Morality, Biblical Roots of Christian Conduct, 70). The assembly must therefore know how to interpret in depth the history it is living, by learning to discern events with faith in order to cooperate by its action in the growth of the Kingdom of God. And this work of interpretation and discernment, as well as action, is linked to prayer.

First, after the insistent appeal of Christ, who in the first part of Revelation said seven times: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Church" (cf. Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22), the assembly is invited to ascend to Heaven, to look upon reality through God's eyes; and here we discover three symbols, reference points from which we may begin to interpret history: the throne of God, the Lamb and the book (cf. Revelation 4:1 – 5:14).

The first symbol is the throne, upon which there is seated a person John does not describe, for he surpasses every human representation. He is only able to note the sense of beauty and joy he experiences in His presence. This mysterious figure is God, God Almighty who did not remain enclosed within His heaven but who drew close to man, entering into a covenant with him; God who makes his voice -- symbolized by thunder and lightning -- heard in history, in a mysterious but real way. There are various elements that appear around the throne of God, such as the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures that unceasingly render praise to the one Lord of history.

The first symbol, then, is the throne. The second symbol is the book, which contains the plan of God for events and for men. It is hermetically sealed with seven seals, and no one is able to read it. Faced with man's inability to scrutinize the plan of God, John experiences a deep sadness, which causes him to weep. But there is a remedy for man's dismay before the mystery of history: there is one who is able to open the book and shed light on it.

And here the third symbol appears: Christ, the Lamb immolated in the sacrifice of the Cross, but who stands as a sign of his Resurrection. And it is the Lamb, Christ who died and rose, who gradually opens the seals and unveils the plan of God, the deep meaning of history.

What do these symbols tell us? They remind us of the path to knowing how to interpret the facts of history and of our own lives. By raising our gaze to God's heaven in a constant relationship with Christ, by opening our hearts and our minds to him in personal and communal prayer, we learn to see things in a new way and to grasp their truest meaning. Prayer is like an open window that allows us to keep our gaze turned toward God, not only for the purpose of reminding us of the goal toward which we are directed, but also to allow the will of God to illumine our earthly journey and to help us to live it with intensity and commitment.

How does the Lord guide the Christian community to a deeper reading of history? First and foremost, by inviting it to consider with realism the present moment we are living. Therefore, the Lamb opens the four first seals of the book, and the Church sees the world in which it is inserted, a world in which various negative elements exist. There the evils that man commits, such as violence, which comes from the desire to possess, to prevail against one another to the point of killing one another (second seal); or injustice, as men fail to respect the laws that are given them (third seal). To these are added the evils that man must undergo, such as death, hunger and sickness (fourth seal). Faced with these oftentimes dramatic realities, the ecclesial community is invited to never lose hope, to believe firmly that the apparent omnipotence of the Evil One collides with the true omnipotence, which is God's.

And the first seal the Lamb opens contains precisely this message. John narrates: "And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer" (Revelation 6:2). The power of God has entered into the history of man, [a power] which is not only capable of offsetting evil, but even of conquering it. The color white recalls the Resurrection: God drew so near to us that he descended into the darkness of death in order to illumine it with the splendor of his divine life: he took the world's evil upon himself in order to purify it with the fire of his love.

How do we grow in this Christian understanding of reality? Revelation tells us that prayer nourishes this vision of light and profound hope in each one of us and in our communities: it invites us to not allow ourselves to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good, to look to the Crucified and Risen Christ, who associates us in his victory. The Church lives in history, she is not closed in on herself; but rather, she courageously faces her journey amid difficulties and suffering, by forcefully affirming that ultimately, evil does not conquer the good, darkness does not dim the splendor of God.

This is an important point for us; as Christians we can never be pessimists; we know well that along life's journey we often encounter violence, falsehood, hate and persecution, but this does not discourage us. Above all, prayer teaches us to see the signs of God, of his presence and action; indeed, to be lights of goodness that spread hope and point out that the victory is God's.

This perspective leads us to offer thanksgiving and praise to God and to the Lamb: the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures together sing the "new song" that celebrates the work of Christ the Lamb, who "makes all things new" (Revelation 21:5). But this renewal is first and foremost a gift we must ask for. And here we find another element that should characterize prayer: the earnest entreaty to the Lord that his Kingdom come, and that man may have a heart that is docile to God's dominion, that it be his will that directs our lives and the life of the world.

In the vision contained in Revelation, this prayer of petition is represented by an important detail: "the twenty-four elders" and "the four living creatures" hold, together with the harp that accompanies their song, "golden bowls full of incense" (5:8b) that, as is then explained, "are the prayers of the saints" (5:8b); of those, that is, who have already reached God, but also of all of us who find ourselves on the journey.

And before the throne of God, we see an angel holding a golden censer in which he continually places grains of incense, i.e. our prayers, whose sweet aroma is offered together with the prayers that rise before God (Revelation 8:1-4). It is a symbolism that tells us how all of our prayers -- with all the limits, difficulty, poverty, aridity and imperfections they may have -- are as it were purified and reach the heart of God. We must be certain, therefore, that there are no superfluous, useless prayers; not one of them is lost. And they find a response -- even if it is oftentimes mysterious -- because God is Love and infinite Mercy. The angel -- St. John writes -- "took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on earth; and there were peals of thunder, loud noises, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake" (Revelation 8:5).

This image signifies that God is not indifferent to our prayers; he intervenes and makes his power felt and his voice heard on the earth, he makes the systems of Evil tremble and disrupts them. Often, when faced with evil, we feel incapable of doing anything, but prayer is the first and most effective response that we can give and that strengthens our daily commitment to spreading goodness. The power of God makes our weakness fruitful (cf. Romans 8:26-27).

I would like to conclude with some mention of the final dialogue (cf. Revelation 22:6-21). Jesus repeats several times: "Behold, I am coming soon" (Revelation 22:7,12). This statement does not merely indicate the future perspective of the end of time; it also speaks of the present: Jesus comes. He establishes his dwelling place in the one who believes in him and welcomes him. Then the assembly, guided by the Holy Spirit, repeats to Jesus the pressing invitation to come even closer: "Come" (Revelation 22:17a). It is like the "bride" (22:17) who ardently longs for the fullness of marriage. A third time the invocation is repeated: "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" (22:20b); and the reader concludes with an expression that manifests the meaning of this presence: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints" (22:21).

Revelation, despite the complexity of its symbolism, involves us in a very rich prayer. Therefore, we too listen, praise, give thanks and contemplate the Lord, and ask his forgiveness. Its structure as a great communal liturgical prayer is also a forceful reminder to rediscover the extraordinary and transforming power of the Eucharist; in particular I would like to urge you to be faithful to Holy Mass on Sunday, the Lord's day, Sunday, the true center and heart of the week! The richness of prayer in Revelation makes us think of a diamond, which has a fascinating array of facets, but whose preciousness resides in the purity of its one central core. The evocative forms of prayer that we encounter in Revelation therefore make the unique and inexpressible preciousness of Jesus Christ shine forth. Thank you.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

[In English, he said:]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

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

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

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

[In Italian, he said:]

A final thought for young people, the sick and newlyweds. Today we celebrate the memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary: dear young people, may you learn to love in the school of the Mother of Jesus; dear sick, in suffering may you ask help and comfort of Mary through the prayer of the Rosary; and may you, dear newlyweds, always know, like Our Lady, how to listen for the will of God for your family.

ON A 1-WORD SUMMARY OF CHRIST'S MESSAGE AND WORK

The heart "is what Jesus has come to 'open,' to free"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, SEPT. 10, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Sunday before and after praying the midday Angelus with crowds gathered at the papal summer residence.

* * *

Dear brothers and sisters!

At the center of today’s Gospel (Mark 7:31-37) there is a little word that is very important. It is a word that – in the most profound sense – “summarizes” the whole message and work of Christ. Mark the Evangelist reports the word in Jesus’ own language, in which Jesus pronounced it, making it more alive for us. The word is “ephphatha,” which means: “open up.” Let us look at the context in which it is spoken. Jesus is passing through the region called “Decapolis” along the coast of Tyre and Sidon and Galilee; so it is a non-Jewish area. They bring him a man who is deaf and mute so that he will heal him – evidently Jesus' fame had reached this region. Jesus leads him away from the others, he touches his ears and his tongue and then, looking up to heaven, with a deep breath he says: “Ephphatha,” which means precisely: “open up.” And he immediately begins to hear and to speak plainly (cf. Mark 7:35). This is the historical, literal meaning of this word: because of Jesus’ intervention this deaf and mute man “opens up.” Before this he was closed, isolated, it was very difficult for him to communicate; the healing was for him an “opening” to others and to the world, an opening that, starting from the organs of hearing and speaking, involves his whole person and life: finally he was able to communicate and thus relate himself in a new way.

But we all know that man’s closure, his isolation, is not only caused by his sense organs. There is an interior closure that regards the deep center of the person, that which the Bible calls the “heart.” This is what Jesus has come to “open,” to free, to make us capable of fully living in relation to God and others. This is why I said that this little word, “ephphatha” – “open up" -- summarizes the whole mission of Christ. He became man so that man, who had become interiorly deaf and mute because of sin, might be able to listen to God’s voice, the voice of Love that speaks to his heart, and in this way learn to speak the language of love, to communicate with God and others. For this reason the word and the gesture of “ephphatha” is inserted into the Rite of Baptism as one of the signs that explains Baptism’s significance: the priest, touching the mouth and the ears of the newly baptized person says: “Ephphatha,” praying that the person might soon hear the word of God and profess the faith. Through Baptism the human person begins, so to speak, to “breathe” in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit whom Jesus called upon from the Father with that deep breath, to heal the deaf and mute man.

Let us turn now in prayer to Mary Most Holy, whose birth we celebrated yesterday. Because of her singular relationship with the Incarnate Word, Mary is completely “open” to the love of the Lord, her heart is constantly listening to his Word. May her maternal intercession obtain for us the ability every day to experience, in faith, the miracle of “ephphatha,” to live in communion with God and our brothers.

[Following the recitation of the Angelus the Holy Father greeted those present in various languages. In English he said:]

I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at this Angelus prayer, especially those from the Rome campus of the University of Mary in the United States. In today’s Gospel Jesus cures a deaf man with a speech impediment. Let us pray that our spiritual infirmities may be cured, so that our ears may be open to listen attentively to the Lord’s life-giving teachings, and our speech may plainly profess our faith in him. May God bless you!

[Concluding in Italian he said:]

I wish everyone a good Sunday, a good week. Thank you! Have a good Sunday.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

ON THE LAW OF GOD

"It leads man out of the slavery of egoism and brings him into the 'land' of true freedom and life"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, SEPT. 3, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave on Sunday before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered at the papal summer residence.

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Dear brothers and sisters!

In the Liturgy of the Word this Sunday the theme of God’s Law, of his commandment emerges. This is an essential element both in the Jewish and Christian religions. In the latter the Law of God finds its complete fulfillment in love (cf. Romans 13:10). God’s Law is his Word that guides man on his life’s journey, it leads him out of the slavery of egoism and brings him into the “land” of true freedom and life. For this reason in the Bible the Law is not seen as a burden, an oppressive limitation, but as a precious gift of the Lord, the witness of his paternal love, of his will to be near his people, of being their ally and writing a history of love with them. This is how the pious Israelite prays: “In your decrees is my delight, / I will not forget your word. (...) Lead me in the way of your commandments, / because in them is my happiness” (Psalms 119:16, 35). In the Old Testament, Moses is the one who transmits the Law to the people in God’s name. After the long journey in the desert, on the threshold of the Promised Land, Moses proclaimed: “Now, Israel, listen to the laws and precepts that I shall teach you that you might put them into practice so that you might live and enter into the possession of the land that the Lord, God of your fathers, is going to give you” (Deuteronomy 4:1).

And here is the problem: when the people establish themselves in the land and are the depository of the Law, they are tempted to place their certainty and their joy in something that is no longer the Word of the Lord: in possessions, in power, other “divinities” that are not in fact real, that are idols. Certainly the Law of God remains, but it is no longer the most important thing, the rule of life; it becomes rather a veneer, a shell, while life follows others paths, other rules, interests that are often the self-centered ones of the individual and group. And thus religion loses its authentic meaning, which is to live a life of listening to God to do his will – which is the truth of our being – and thus to live well, in true freedom. Religion is reduced to practices of secondary importance that satisfy the human need of feeling right with God. And this is a grave danger in every religion, which Jesus encountered in his time, but which, unfortunately, is also a phenomenon in Christianity. Thus, Jesus’ words against the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel must make us think too. Jesus made the words of the prophet Isaiah his own: “This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines that are the precepts of men” (Mark 7:6-7; cf. Isaiah 29:13). He then concludes: “Neglecting God’s commandment, you observe the traditions of men” (Mark 7:8).

Also in his Letter, the Apostle James warns against the danger of false religiosity. He writes to the Christians: “Be those who put the Word into practice and not only hearers of it, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). May the Virgin Mary, to whom we now turn in prayer, help us to listen with an open and sincere heart to the Word of God, so that it might direct our thoughts, choices, actions every day.

[Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted those present in various languages. In English he said:]

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Angelus. The Gospel of today’s liturgy spurs all of us to a greater harmony between the faith we treasure in our hearts and our outward behavior. By God’s grace, may we be purified inside and out, so as to live integrally our commitment to Christ and to his message. God bless all of you!

[Concluding in Italian, he said:]

Have a good Sunday everyone!

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

ON THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

"The Truth is the Truth; there is no compromise"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 29, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in the main square at Castel Gandolfo. Today the Holy Father reflected on the figure of St. John the Baptist, whose martyrdom we celebrate today.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

This final Wednesday of the month of August marks the liturgical memorial of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. In the Roman calendar, he is the only saint for whom we celebrate both his birth (June 24th) and his death by martyrdom. Today's memorial dates back to the dedication of a crypt of Sebaste, in Samaria, where by the mid 4th century his head was already being venerated. The cult then spread to Jerusalem, to the Churches of the East and to Rome under the title of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. In the roman martyrology, reference is made to a second-century discovery of this precious relic, which was transported for the occasion to the Church of St. Sylvester in Campo Marzio, Rome.

These little historical references help us to understand how ancient and deep the veneration of St. John the Baptist truly is. In the Gospels his role in relation to Jesus is quite prominent. In particular, St. Luke recounts his birth, his life in the desert and his preaching, and in today's Gospel St. Mark speaks to us about his dramatic death. John the Baptist begins his preaching under the emperor Tiberius, in 27-28 A.D., and the clear invitation he addresses to the people who come out to hear him is to prepare the way to welcome the Lord, to make straight the paths of their lives through a radical conversion of heart (cf. Luke 3:4). 

But the Baptist does not limit himself to preaching repentance and conversion; rather, in recognizing Jesus as “the Lamb of God” who has come to take away the sins of the world (John1:29), he has the deep humility to point to Jesus as the One truly sent by God, and he steps aside so that Christ might increase, be heard and followed. 

As a last act, the Baptist bears witness with his blood to his fidelity to God's commandments, without giving up or turning back, thus fulfilling his mission to the end. St. Bede, a 9th century monk, in his Homilies says: St. John, for Christ, gave up his life, even though [his persecutor] had not demanded that he should deny Jesus Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth (cf. Hom. 23: CCL 122, 354). And he did not keep silent about the truth, and thus he died for Christ who is the Truth. For love of the truth, he did not give in to compromises with those who were powerful, nor was he afraid to address strong words to the one who lost his way to God.

Now we see this great figure -- this force -- in his passion, in his resistance against the powerful. We ask: where does this life come from, this interiority, which is so strong, so principled, so consistent, which is spent so totally for God and in preparing the way for Jesus? The answer is simple: from his relationship with God, from prayer, which is the guiding thread of his entire life. John is the divine gift long besought by his parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth (cf. Luke 1:13); a great gift, humanly unhoped-for since both of them were advanced in years and Elizabeth was barren (cf. Luke 1:7); but nothing is impossible for God (cf. Luke 1:36). The announcement of this birth occurred precisely in a place of prayer, in the temple of Jerusalem; indeed, it took place when, to Zechariah, there fell the great privilege of entering the temple's most sacred place, in order to offer incense to the Lord (cf. Luke 1:8-20). Even the Baptist's birth is marked by prayer: the hymn of joy, praise and thanksgiving that Zechariah raises to the Lord and that we recite each morning in Lauds -- the "Benedictus" -- extols God's action in history and prophetically points to the mission of his son John: to go before the Son of God made flesh in order to prepare the way for him (Luke 1:67-79). 

The entire life of Jesus' precursor was nourished by his relationship with God, especially during the time he spent in the wilderness (cf. Luke 1:80); the wilderness, a place of temptation, but also a place where man feels his own poverty, for there he is deprived of all support and material security, and he comes to understand that the only secure reference point is God himself. 

But John the Baptist is not only a man of prayer, of constant contact with God; he is also a guide in this relationship. The Evangelist Luke, in relating the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples -- the "Our Father" -- notes that the request made by the disciples was formulated with these words: "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples" (cf. Luke 11:1). 

Dear brothers and sisters, celebrating the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist also reminds us -- Christians in our own times -- that we cannot give into compromise when it comes to our love for Christ, for his Word, for his Truth. The Truth is the Truth; there is no compromise. The Christian life requires, as it were, the "martyrdom" of daily fidelity to the Gospel; the courage, that is, to allow Christ to increase in us and to direct our thoughts and actions. But this can only occur in our lives if our relationship with God is strong. Prayer is not time lost, nor does it steal space away from our activities, even those that are apostolic; it is exactly the opposite: only if we are able to have a life of faithful, constant, trusting prayer, will God himself give us the ability and strength to live in happiness and peace, to overcome difficulties and to courageously bear witness to him. May St. John the Baptist intercede for us, that we might always maintain the primacy of God in our lives. Thank you.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

[In English, he said:]

I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially those from England, Indonesia, Japan and Malta. Today, the Church celebrates the Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist. John, whose birth we celebrate on the twenty-fourth of June, gave himself totally to Christ, by preparing the way for him through the preaching of repentance, by leading others to him once he arrived, and by giving the ultimate sacrifice. Dear friends, may we follow John's example by allowing Christ to penetrate every part of our lives so that we may boldly proclaim him to the world. May God bless all of you!

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

[In Italian, he said:]

Lastly, a thought for the young, the sick and newlyweds. May the radicality of the faith and life of St. John the Baptist inspire you as believers: dear young people, may you manifest openly and everywhere that you belong to Christ and to his Church; dear sick, may you draw upon the strength of prayer to alleviate your suffering; and may you, dear newlyweds, always place the Lord Jesus at the center of your family lives. Thank you to you all. Have a good day. Thank you. 

[Translation by Diane Montagna]