Educate Articles

April 2012

URBI ET ORBI GREETING OF POPE BENEDICT XVI ST PETER'S SQUARE EASTER SUNDAY

8 APRIL 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world!

"Surrexit Christus, spes mea" – "Christ, my hope, has risen" (Easter Sequence).

May the jubilant voice of the Church reach all of you with the words which the ancient hymn puts on the lips of Mary Magdalene, the first to encounter the risen Jesus on Easter morning. She ran to the other disciples and breathlessly announced: "I have seen the Lord!" (Jn 20:18). We too, who have journeyed through the desert of Lent and the sorrowful days of the Passion, today raise the cry of victory: "He has risen! He has truly risen!"

Every Christian relives the experience of Mary Magdalene. It involves an encounter which changes our lives: the encounter with a unique Man who lets us experience all God’s goodness and truth, who frees us from evil not in a superficial and fleeting way, but sets us free radically, heals us completely and restores our dignity. This is why Mary Magdalene calls Jesus "my hope": he was the one who allowed her to be reborn, who gave her a new future, a life of goodness and freedom from evil. "Christ my hope" means that all my yearnings for goodness find in him a real possibility of fulfillment: with him I can hope for a life that is good, full and eternal, for God himself has drawn near to us, even sharing our humanity.

But Mary Magdalene, like the other disciples, was to see Jesus rejected by the leaders of the people, arrested, scourged, condemned to death and crucified. It must have been unbearable to see Goodness in person subjected to human malice, truth derided by falsehood, mercy abused by vengeance. With Jesus’ death, the hope of all those who had put their trust in him seemed doomed. But that faith never completely failed: especially in the heart of the Virgin Mary, Jesus’ Mother, its flame burned even in the dark of night. In this world, hope can not avoid confronting the harshness of evil. It is not thwarted by the wall of death alone, but even more by the barbs of envy and pride, falsehood and violence. Jesus passed through this mortal mesh in order to open a path to the kingdom of life. For a moment Jesus seemed vanquished: darkness had invaded the land, the silence of God was complete, hope a seemingly empty word.

And lo, on the dawn of the day after the Sabbath, the tomb is found empty. Jesus then shows himself to Mary Magdalene, to the other women, to his disciples. Faith is born anew, more alive and strong than ever, now invincible since it is based on a decisive experience: "Death with life contended: combat strangely ended! Life’s own champion, slain, now lives to reign". The signs of the resurrection testify to the victory of life over death, love over hatred, mercy over vengeance: "The tomb the living did enclose, I saw Christ’s glory as he rose! The angels there attesting, shroud with grave-clothes resting".

Dear brothers and sisters! If Jesus is risen, then – and only then – has something truly new happened, something that changes the state of humanity and the world. Then he, Jesus, is someone in whom we can put absolute trust; we can put our trust not only in his message but in Jesus himself, for the Risen One does not belong to the past, but is present today, alive. Christ is hope and comfort in a particular way for those Christian communities suffering most for their faith on account of discrimination and persecution. And he is present as a force of hope through his Church, which is close to all human situations of suffering and injustice.

May the risen Christ grant hope to the Middle East and enable all the ethnic, cultural and religious groups in that region to work together to advance the common good and respect for human rights. Particularly in Syria, may there be an end to bloodshed and an immediate commitment to the path of respect, dialogue and reconciliation, as called for by the international community. May the many refugees from that country who are in need of humanitarian assistance find the acceptance and solidarity capable of relieving their dreadful sufferings. May the paschal victory encourage the Iraqi people to spare no effort in pursuing the path of stability and development. In the Holy Land, may Israelis and Palestinians courageously take up anew the peace process.

May the Lord, the victor over evil and death, sustain the Christian communities of the African continent; may he grant them hope in facing their difficulties, and make them peacemakers and agents of development in the societies to which they belong.

May the risen Jesus comfort the suffering populations of the Horn of Africa and favour their reconciliation; may he help the Great Lakes Region, Sudan and South Sudan, and grant their inhabitants the power of forgiveness. In Mali, now experiencing delicate political developments, may the glorious Christ grant peace and stability. To Nigeria, which in recent times has experienced savage terrorist attacks, may the joy of Easter grant the strength needed to take up anew the building of a society which is peaceful and respectful of the religious freedom of its citizens.

Happy Easter to all!

January 2012

 Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS AND PRAYERS

FOR THE ‘EIGHT DAYS’

Commentary

The coming of the Messiah and His victory were accomplished through service. Jesus wants a spirit of service to fill the hearts of His followers as well. He teaches us that true greatness consists in serving God and one’s neighbour. Christ gives us the courage to discover that He is the one for whom to serve is to reign – as an early Christian saying has it.

Zechariah’s prophecy concerning a victorious and humble King was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He, the King of Peace, comes to his own, to Jerusalem – the City of Peace. He does not conquer it by deceit or violence, but by gentleness and humility.

Psalm 131 briefly but eloquently describes the state of spiritual peace which is the fruit of humility. The picture of a mother and child is a sign of God’s tender love and of trust in God, to which the entire community of believers is called.

Paul the apostle challenges us to make a sober and humble assessment of ourselves and to discover our own abilities. While we have a diversity of gifts we are one body in Christ. In our divisions each of our traditions has been endowed by the Lord with gifts that we are called to place at the service of others.

For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many (Mk 10.45). By His service, Christ redeemed our refusal to serve God. He became an example for repairing all relations between people: Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant – those are the new standards of greatness and priority.

In the Letter to the Romans, Paul reminds us that the diverse gifts given to us are for service: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership and compassion. In our diversity we are always one body in Christ, and members of one another. The use of our diverse gifts in common service to humanity makes visible our unity in Christ. The joint action of Christians for the benefit of humanity, to combat poverty and ignorance, defend the oppressed, to be concerned about peace and to preserve life, develop science, culture and art are an expression of the practical ecumenism which the Church and the world badly need. The imitation of Christ the Servant provides eloquent testimony to the Gospel, moving not only minds, but also hearts. Such common service is a sign of the coming Kingdom of God – the kingdom of the Servant Christ.

Prayer

Almighty and eternal God, by traveling the royal road of service your Son leads us from the arrogance of our disobedience to humility of heart. Unite us to one another by your Holy Spirit, so that through service to our sisters and brothers, Your true countenance may be revealed; You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

Questions for reflection

1.      What opportunities for service are most threatened by pride and arrogance?
2.      What should be done to ensure that all Christian ministries are better experienced as service?
3.      In our community, what can Christians of different traditions do better together than in isolation to reveal the Servant
Christ?

Day 2   Theme: Changed through patient waiting for the Lord

Text: Let it be so now, for it is proper to fulfil all righteousness (Mt 3:15)

Day One: Changed by the Servant Christ The Son of Man came to serve (cf. Mk 10:45)

On this day we encounter Jesus, on the road to victory through service. We see him as the ”one who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life, a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Consequently, the Church of Jesus Christ is a serving community. The use of our diverse gifts in common service to humanity makes visible our unity in Christ.

Day Two: Changed through patient waiting for the Lord Let it be so now, for it is proper to fulfil all righteousness (Mt 3:15)

On this day we concentrate on patient waiting for the Lord. To achieve any change, perseverance and patience are needed. Prayer to God for any kind of transformation is also an act of faith and trust in his promises. Such waiting for the Lord is essential for all who pray for the visible unity of the church this week. All ecumenical activities require time, mutual attention and joint action. We are all called to co-operate with the work of the Spirit in uniting Christians.

Day Three: Changed by the Suffering Servant Christ suffered for us (cf. 1 Pt 2:21)

This day calls us to reflect on the suffering of Christ. Following Christ the Suffering Servant, Christians are called to solidarity with all who suffer. The closer we come to the cross of Christ the closer we come to one another.

Day Four: Changed by the Lord’s Victory over Evil Overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21)

This day takes us deeper into the struggles against evil. Victory in Christ is an overcoming of all that damages God’s creation, and keeps us apart from one another. In Jesus we are called to share in this new life, struggling with him against what is wrong in our world, with renewed confidence and with a delight in what is good. In our divisions we cannot be strong enough to overcome evil in our times.

Day Five: Changed by the peace of the Risen Lord Jesus stood among them and said: Peace be with you! (Jn 20:19)

Today we celebrate the peace of the Risen Lord. The Risen One is the great Victor over death and the world of darkness. He unites His disciples, who were paralyzed with fear. He opens up before us new prospects of life and of acting for His coming kingdom. The Risen Lord unites and strengthens all believers. Peace and unity are the hallmarks of our transformation in the resurrection.

Day Six: Changed by God’s Steadfast Love This is the victory, our faith (cf. 1 Jn 5:4)

On this day we concentrate our attention on God’s steadfast love. The Paschal Mystery reveals this steadfast love, and calls us to a new way of faith. This faith overcomes fear and opens our hearts to the power of the Spirit. Such faith calls us to friendship with Christ, and so to one another.

Day Seven: Changed by the Good Shepherd Feed my sheep (Jn 21:19)

On this day the Bible texts show us the Lord strengthening His flock. Following the Good Shepherd, we are called to strengthen each other in the Lord, and to support and fortify the weak and the lost. There is one Shepherd, and we are his people.

Day Eight: United in the Reign of Christ To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne (Rv 3:21)

On this last day of our week of prayer for Christian Unity we celebrate the Reign of Christ. Christ’s victory enables us to look into the future with hope. This victory overcomes all that keeps us from sharing fullness of life with him and with each other. Christians know that unity among us is above all a gift of God. It is a share in Christ’s glorious victory over all that divides.

December 2011

Baptism in the Holy Spirit at the Heart of the Church

“The gift of baptism in the Spirit and its transformation of many lives since the emergence of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in 1967 are reason for great joy and thanksgiving to God,” states a new document entitled Baptism in the Holy Spirit soon to be published by the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service in Rome.

This outpouring of the Spirit (the term preferred by French-speaking countries) is at the heart of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

What are some of the key assertions of the document:

“One can see in these developments part of the heavenly answer to the prayer that Pope John XXIII asked all Catholics to pray during the Second Vatican Council: ‘Lord, renew your wonders in this our day as by a new Pentecost.’ ”(p 75)

Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an encounter with the living God, “ a life-transforming experience of the love of God the Father poured into one’s heart by the Holy Spirit, received through a total surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ,” (p 9)a correction to the breakdown of an awareness of God’s presence that is leading humanity to lose our bearings, “the breakdown of the family and the assaults on human dignity that John Paul II described as the ‘culture of death.’ ”(p 7)

Baptism in the Holy Spirit experienced on the personal level within the context of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our day is rooted in God’s promises to His people to “pour out my Spirit”(Ez 39:29) and in Jesus’ mission to “baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”(Mk 1:7-8)

The coming of the Holy Spirit “is not something imperceptible but a visible, unmistakable reality”(p 28)

In the post-biblical Patristic era “the experience of the Holy Spirit was regarded as integral to the sacraments of initiation.”(p 38)

The experience of the Spirit “is not a vague religious experience or a ‘spiritual high.’It is an experience of the reality of the gospel. (p 32)

The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost and in the sacraments of initiation and the renewing or releasing of the Spirit already given is accompanied by charisms given for service and mission.They are “not in themselves a measure of holiness”(p 33) but the “exercising of a charism must itself be an act of love.” (p 34)“Several [Patristic] Fathers speak of the charisms as a normal accompaniment to the rite of Christian initiation.”(p 40)

“To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is to be filled with the love that eternally flows between Father and Son in the Holy Trinity, a love that changes a person at the deepest level of his or her being and makes one capable of loving God in return.” (p 48)

“From its nature as a yielding to the Spirit of God, baptism in the Spirit cannot be made dependent on a particular sign of its reception.” (p 49)

The purpose of the document, as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal moves toward our 50th Jubilee, “is to offer both theological reflections on the meaning of baptism in the Spirit and pastoral guidelines for overseeing the reception and living out of this grace among the faithful, both as individuals and in groups.”(p 7) As the conclusion points out Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI have called and prayed for “a new Pentecost for the Church and for humanity in the third millennium’ ”(p 75).The key to this new Pentecost?

Today I would like to extend this invitation to everyone:Let us rediscover, dear brothers and sisters, the beauty of being baptized in the Holy Spirit; let us be aware again of our baptism and our confirmation, sources of grace that are always present.Let us ask the Virgin Mary to obtain a renewed Pentecost for the Church again today, a Pentecost that will spread in everyone the joy of living and witnessing to the Gospel.(Pope Benedict XVI Regina Caeli, May 2008)(p 4).

Come Holy Spirit and kindle in us the fire of your love and power.Lord Jesus, baptize us anew in the Holy Spirit so that we might be empowered witnesses of the New Evangelization in our day.