Called to be Witnesses of Prayer

At this morning's general audience His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI began a new cycle on the subject of the prayer of Christ which, he said, was "like a hidden canal irrigating His life, relationships and actions, and guiding Him with increasing firmness to the total gift of self, in keeping with the loving plan of God the Father". 

One particularly significant moment of prayer followed the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. This, the Pope noted, poses a query as to why Jesus, Who was without sin, should have chosen to submit Himself to John's Baptism of penance and conversion. John the Baptist himself raised the question, saying "I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?". The Holy Father explained how "by emerging Himself in the Jordan River, Jesus ... expressed His solidarity with people who recognise their sins, who chose to repent and change their lives. He helps us to understand that being part of the people of God means entering into a new life, a life in conformity with God. By this gesture Jesus anticipated the cross, beginning His active life by taking the place of sinners, bearing the weight of the sin of all humankind on His shoulders".  

Jesus' prayer had its roots in His family, deeply attached to the religious tradition of the People of Israel, but its "most profound and essential origin is in the fact that He is the Son of God, in a unique relationship with God the Father". In the Gospel narratives "the setting for Jesus' prayers always stands at the crossroads between the traditions of His people and the novelty of a personal and unique rapport with God. The 'deserted place' to which He often retired, the 'mountain' He ascended to pray and the 'night' which gave Him solitude, all recall phases of God's revelation in the Old Testament and indicate the continuity of His plan of salvation".  

"Jesus' prayer enters into all stages of His ministry and into every day of His life. It is not interrupted by fatigue. Quite the contrary, the Gospels make it clear that Jesus was wont to spend part of the night in prayer, ... and when the decisions to be taken become more urgent and complex, His prayer becomes longer and more intense".  

"Contemplating Jesus' prayer, we should ask ourselves how we pray", said Benedict XVI, "and how much time we dedicate to our relationship with God". In this context he highlighted "the importance of the prayerful reading of Holy Scripture. ... Listening, meditating and remaining in silence before the Lord is an art we learn through constant practice", he said.  

Christians are today called "to be witnesses of prayer, because our world often remains closed to the divine, to the hope which leads to the encounter with God. Through profound friendship with Jesus, by living in Him and with Him as children of the Father, through faithful and constant prayer, we can open ourselves to heaven and God. Indeed, by following the paths of prayer, ... we can also help others to follow them"….

For the complete text please visit:

http://www.news.va/en/news/christians-are-called-to-be-witnesses-of-prayer

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Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for December is:

"That all peoples may grow in harmony and peace through mutual understanding and respect."

 His mission intention is:

"That children and young people may be messengers of the Gospel and that they may be respected and preserved from all violence and exploitation."

http://www.news.va/en/news/benedict-xvis-prayer-intentions-for-december

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How do we pray? 

How much time do we dedicate to our relationship with God? 

How do we open ourselves to God and help others to do so?

May we pray as Jesus did, grow in our relationship with God, and be witnesses to the world.

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Life Does Not Have Only an Earthly Dimension

Vatican City, 27 November 2011 (VIS) - In his remarks before praying the Angelus this morning, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the period of Advent, which begins the liturgical year. In Advent "people's hearts are reawakened to the expectation of Christ's return, and to the memory of His first coming, when He divested Himself of His divine glory to assume our mortal flesh", he said.  

He then went on to quote from today's Gospel reading in which Jesus tells His disciples to "keep awake". That was, said the Holy Father, "a timely reminder to us that life has not only an earthly dimension, but is projected 'beyond'".  

"Isaiah, the prophet of Advent, also makes us think today with his heartfelt prayer addressed to God. ... He dwells on the shortcomings of his people and at a certain point says: 'There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hands of iniquity'. How can we not be struck by this description? It seems to reflect certain aspects of the post-modern world: cities where life has become anonymous and horizontal, where God seems to be absent and only man is master, as if he were the universal architect. Building, work, economy, transport, science, technology, everything seems to depend only upon man. And at times, in this apparently perfect world, terrible things happen, either in nature or society, which make us think that God has withdrawn and has, so to say, left us to our own devices.  

"The real 'master' of the world is not man but God", the Pope added. "The Gospel says: 'keep awake for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly'. Advent comes every year to remind us of this fact, that our lives might find their just orientation towards the face of God. The face not of a 'master', but of a Father and a Friend".  

http://www.news.va/en/news/life-does-not-have-only-an-earthly-dimension

http://www.news.va/en/news/angelus-pope-benedicts-greetings-in-english

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The Question of God in Today’s World

VATICAN CITY, 25 NOV 2011 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Laity is currently celebrating its twenty-fifth plenary assembly on the theme: "The Question of God in Today's World". The participants were received in audience this morning by the Holy Father.

Focusing on the theme of the plenary, Pope Benedict said: "We must never cease to raise this question, to 'begin again from God' so as to recognise man in all his dimensions and dignity. Indeed the mentality, so widespread in our time, which rejects any reference to the transcendent has proved incapable of comprehending and preserving what is human. The spread of such a mentality has generated the crisis we are experiencing today which, more than an economic and social crisis, is a crisis of meaning and values. ... In this context, the question of God is, in a certain sense, 'the main question'. It brings us back to the basic query about man, to the aspirations for truth, happiness and freedom which are inherent to the human heart and which seek realisation".  

"If it is true that 'being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person', then the question of God is reawakened by meeting people who have the gift of faith, who have a living relationship with the Lord. ... Here your role as lay faithful is particularly important. ... You are called to show luminous witness of the relevance of God in all fields of thought and action. In the family and the workplace, in politics and in economics, modern man needs to see and feel how the presence or absence of God changes everything. 

 "But the challenge of a mentality closed to the transcendent obliges even Christians to focus more specifically on the central place of God", the Holy Father added. "Efforts have been made in the past to ensure that the presence of Christians in social, political and economic life was more incisive, and perhaps less attention was given to the solidity of their faith, almost as if it was taken for granted. The truth is that Christians do not live on some distant planet, immune to the 'sicknesses' of the world; they are affected by the turmoil, disorientation and difficulties of their time. Therefore it is equally important to raise the question of God within the Church. ... The first response to the great challenge of our time lies, then, in a profound conversion of heart, so that the Baptism which made us light of the world and salt of the earth, can truly transform us", he concluded.

http://www.news.va/en/news/the-question-of-god-in-todays-world

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-benedict-the-church-needs-the-contribution-2

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http://www.vatican.va/liturgical_year/advent/2011/index_en.html

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As we enter the season of Advent, how are we being “called to show luminous witness of the relevance of God in all fields of thought and action”?   In the family and the workplace?  In politics and in economics?  How does the presence or absence of God change everything?

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Is the Lord calling you to the land of His birth, where he lived among us?

Please prayerfully consider joining me on a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land from March 17 – 27, 2012.  The scriptures will come alive as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  Tour includes:  Daily Mass at holy sites, guide, accommodation in First Class hotels (five nights in Jerusalem, three nights in Tiberias, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee), land transportation by deluxe motorcoach, roundtrip airfare from Philadelphia on nonstop flight, and more, for $2,975 per person/double occupancy.  For the pilgrimage brochure and details please visit: 

http://db.tt/XrBlFtz or

please contact:  George’s International Tours, (800) 566-7499 or http://www.georgesintl.com/.

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Thanks and Hope

Pope Benedict XVI:  “Africa is the Continent of Hope” 

Vatican City, 23 November 2011 (VIS) - Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his general audience, held this morning in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, to reflections on his recently concluded apostolic trip to Benin. The trip had a threefold purpose: marking the 150th anniversary of evangelisation in that region, consigning the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Africae munus", and paying homage to the late Beninese Cardinal Bernardin Gantin.

"In Africa", the Holy Father explained, "I saw a freshness in the 'yes' to life, a freshness of religious meaning and hope, a holistic vision of reality where God is not confined to that positivist perspective which, in the final analysis, extinguishes all hope. This tells us that the continent contains reserves of life and vitality for the future, reserves upon which we can rely, upon which the Church can rely.  

"My journey", he added in conclusion, "was also by way of being an appeal to Africa to concentrate every effort on announcing the Gospel to those who do not yet know it, to renew the commitment to evangelisation, to which each member of the baptised is called by promoting reconciliation, justice and peace".

http://www.news.va/en

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-benedict-the-church-in-africa-is-called-to-de

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First, I give thanks to my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is heralded throughout the world.  God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in proclaiming the gospel of his Son, that I remember you constantly always asking in my prayers that somehow by God’s will I may at last find my way clear to come to you.  For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened, that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine.

Romans 1:8 -12

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As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the United States of America we call to mind the countless blessings which God has bestowed upon us.  When we think of blessings we typically think of goodness or plenty.  But what comes to mind is a dear friend, a woman of great faith, who never ceases to amaze me as she thanks God for challenges or physical suffering, so convinced she is that God uses difficulties to draw her closer to Him.  The witness of her faith, hope, and love inspire me to strive for the spiritual gifts which more fully develop as we do God's will.  In a special way on this Thanksgiving Day I give thanks to God for each one who encourages and strengthens me by your faithful witness.  Let us give thanks to God as people of hope!

Deo gratias!

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Praying the Psalms Enriches our Relationship with God

VATICAN CITY, 16 NOV 2011 (VIS) - During today's general audience in St Peter's Square, attended by over 11,000 pilgrims, the Holy Father imparted the final catechesis of his cycle dedicated to the Psalms. He focused on Psalm 110, which "Jesus Himself cited, and which the authors of the New Testament referred to widely and interpreted in reference to the Messiah. ... It is a Psalm beloved by the ancient Church and by believers of all times", which celebrates "the victorious and glorified Messiah seated at the right hand of God".

The Psalm begins with a solemn declaration: "The Lord says to my lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool". Benedict XVI explained that "Christ is the Lord enthroned, the Son of man seated at the right hand of God. ... He is the true king who by resurrection entered into glory, ... higher than the angels, seated in the heavens over all other powers, ... and with all His adversaries at His feet until the last enemy, death, is definitively defeated by Him”.

God and the king celebrated in the Psalm are inseparably linked. "The two govern together, to the point that the Psalmist confirms that God Himself grants the regal sceptre, giving the king the task of defeating his adversaries. ... The exercise of power is a task the king receives directly from the Lord, a responsibility which involves dependence and obedience, thus becoming a sign to the people of God's powerful and provident presence. Dominion over enemies, glory and victory are gifts the king has received, that make him a mediator of divine triumph over evil"….

The final verses portray "the triumphant sovereign who, with the support of the Lord, having received power and glory from Him, opposes his enemies, defeating adversaries and judging nations".

The Church traditionally considers this Psalm as one of the most significant messianic texts. "The king as sung by the Psalmist is Christ, the Messiah Who establishes the Kingdom of God and overcomes the powers of the world. He is the Word generated by God before any creature, the Son incarnate, Who died and rose to heaven, the eternal Priest Who, in the mystery of the bread and wine, grants forgiveness for sins and reconciliation with God; the King Who raised his head in triumph over death by His resurrection".

The Psalm invites us to "look to Christ to understand the meaning of true regality which is to be lived as service and the giving of self, following a path of obedience and love 'to the end'. Praying this Psalm, we therefore ask the Lord to enable us to proceed along this same journey, following Christ, the Messiah, willing to ascend with Him on the hill of the cross to accompany Him in glory, and to look to Him seated at the right hand of the Father, the victorious king and merciful priest Who gives forgiveness and salvation to all mankind".

Finally, the Pope explained that, in the course of his catechesis dedicated to the Psalms, he had sought to focus on those "that reflect the different situations in life and the various attitudes we may have towards God. I would like to renew my call to everyone to pray the Psalms, to become accustomed to using the Liturgy of the Hours, Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. Our relationship with God can only be enriched by our journeying towards Him day after day".

http://www.news.va/en/news/praying-the-psalms-enriches-our-relationship-with-

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In our catechesis on Christian prayer, we now turn to Psalm 110, one of the famous “royal psalms”, originally linked to the enthronement of a Davidic monarch. The Church reads this Psalm as a prophecy of Christ, the messianic king and eternal priest, risen from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father. Saint Peter, in his speech on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32-36), applies its words to the Lord’s victory over death and his exaltation in glory… The final verses of the Psalm present the triumphant King as executing judgment over the nations. As we pray this Psalm, we acclaim the victory of our risen Lord and King, while striving to live ever more fully the royal and priestly dignity which is ours as members of his Body through Baptism….

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Audience 16 November 2011

http://www.news.va/en/news/the-popes-catechesis-christ-the-son-of-god-is-our-

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As we approach the beginning of Advent, the new liturgical year, can we commit or recommit ourselves to praying the psalms, the same prayers which Jesus prayed, especially by using the Liturgy of the Hours in union with the Universal Church?  

May we strive to enrich our relationship with God every hour of every day, drawing closer to Him through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary.

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Psalm 119: A Celebration of the Beauty of the Word of God

Vatican City 9 November 2011

In his general audience this morning His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI focused his catechesis on Psalm 119, the longest of the Psalms, constructed as an acrostic in which each stanza begins with one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Its subject matter is "the Torah of the Lord; that is, His Law, a term which in its broadest and most complete definition comprehends teaching, instruction and life guidance. The Torah is revelation, it is the Word of God which is addressed to man and which arouses his response of faithful obedience and generous love", the Pope said.  

"The Psalmist's faithfulness arises from listening to the Word, from keeping it in his heart, meditating upon it and loving it, like Mary who 'treasured in her heart' the words addressed to her, the marvellous events in which God revealed Himself and asked for her response of faith", he explained. The Psalmist describes those who walk in the Law of the Lord as blessed, and indeed "Mary is blessed because she bore the Saviour in her womb, but above all because she accepted God's annunciation and treasured His Word attentively and lovingly".  

Psalm 119 is constructed around this Word of life and blessing. Its central theme is the Word and the Law, and its verses are replete with synonyms thereof such as "precepts, decrees, promises", associated with verbs such as "to know, to love, to meditate, to live", the Holy Father explained. "The entire alphabet features in the twenty-two verses of the Psalm, as does the entire vocabulary of the believer's relationship of trust with God. We find praise, thanksgiving and trust, but also supplication and lamentation; however, all of them are pervaded by the certainty of divine grace and the power of the Word of God. Even those verses most marked by suffering and darkness remain open to hope and are permeated with faith".  

The Law of God, which is "the centre of life", must be "listened to with obedience but not servility, with filial trust and awareness. To listen to the Word is to have a personal encounter with the Lord of life. ... The fulfilment of the Law is to follow Jesus". Thus Psalm 119 "guides us towards the Gospel", the Pope explained....                            VIS 20111109 (600)

http://press.catholica.va/news_services/press/vis/dinamiche/d0_en.htm

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Pope Benedict: Prayer brings praise, thanksgiving and openness to the Lord's word

In our catechesis on Christian prayer, we now turn to Psalm 119, a solemn celebration of the Torah, the Law of the Lord. In twenty-two stanzas, each beginning with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the Psalmist proclaims his love for God’s Law, which brings light, life and salvation. His song voices the range of sentiments which fill the hearts of those who pray: praise, thanksgiving, trust, supplication and lament, all within the context of a heartfelt openness to the Lord’s word. In praying this Psalm, Christians see in the Blessed Virgin Mary the model of this loving docility to God’s will, and in Jesus the fulfilment of the Law. A striking example of the Psalmist’s devotion is seen in his words: “The Lord is my portion” (v. 57). We can apply these words in a special way to priests, whose lives of celibacy testify to their call to complete devotion to the Lord and his Kingdom. But they can also be applied to all the faithful, who share in Christ’s royal priesthood and are called daily to bear witness to the Gospel. May the Lord grant us a deeper love for him, so that, like the Psalmist, we may always make his word “a lamp to our feet and a light to our path”.

2011-11-09 Vatican Radio

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-benedict-the-role-of-celibacy-in-the-lives-of

http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119

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May our Blessed Mother Mary help us to treasure in our heart the Word of God so that we may be loving and faithful witnesses of the Gospel.

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Feast of All Saints

Relics of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."

Revelation 7:14

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…This, then, is the meaning of today's Solemnity: looking at the shining example of the Saints to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God's friends. Being a Saint means living close to God, to live in his family. And this is the vocation of us all, vigorously reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council and solemnly proposed today for our attention.

But how can we become holy, friends of God? We can first give a negative answer to this question: to be a Saint requires neither extraordinary actions or works nor the possession of exceptional charisms. Then comes the positive reply: it is necessary first of all to listen to Jesus and then to follow him without losing heart when faced by difficulties. "If anyone serves me", he warns us, "he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honour him" (John 12: 26).

Like the grain of wheat buried in the earth, those who trust him and love him sincerely accept dying to themselves. Indeed, he knows that whoever seeks to keep his life for himself loses it, and whoever gives himself, loses himself, and in this very way finds life (cf. John 12: 24-25).

The Church's experience shows that every form of holiness, even if it follows different paths, always passes through the Way of the Cross, the way of self-denial. The Saints' biographies describe men and women who, docile to the divine plan, sometimes faced unspeakable trials and suffering, persecution and martyrdom. They persevered in their commitment: "they... have come out of the great tribulation", one reads in Revelation, "they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7: 14). Their names are written in the book of life (cf. Revelation 20: 12) and Heaven is their eternal dwelling-place.

The example of the Saints encourages us to follow in their same footsteps and to experience the joy of those who trust in God….

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Homily, 1 November 2006

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20061101_all-saints_en.html

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2011-11-01 Vatican Radio

During his Angelus on Tuesday, Pope Benedict said “the Feast of All Saints is a good time to lift our gaze from the realities of the world… to the enormity of God, who encompasses all eternity and holiness. “

He said holiness is the vocation of all the baptized, and all the people of God are called to be saints.

The Pope then turned his thoughts to Wednesday’s commemoration of All Souls.

“From the early days of the Christian faith,” he said, “the Church on earth, recognizing the communion of the whole mystical body of Jesus Christ, has with great respect honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers for them.”

The Pope said “our prayers for the dead are not only useful, but necessary.”

The Holy Father reminded the faithful to keep the bonds of affection with our loved ones who have died, not only through prayer, but also through actions like visiting cemeteries.

He said this reminds us all that we are meant for another life after death.

http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-benedict-holiness-vocation-of-all-the-bapti-2

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Venerating the Relics of Saint Margaret Mary

The Relics of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, from Paray-le-Monial, France, have been on visitation to the USA, the past few days in the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, beginning at the parish which bears her name.  Only God could have arranged the simple, yet amazing, circumstances which brought together people from varied countries, sharing their faith, that ultimately led to the organization and fulfillment of this visit.  The relics arrived in the midst of an unusual, unseasonal blizzard which enhanced the wonder of encountering this saint who draws us into the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

May we look to the examples of the saints, the friends of Jesus, and follow in their footsteps.  May we listen to Jesus, confide in Him, trust in Him, and believe in His love for us without losing heart when faced with difficulties.  Saints of God, come to our aid!

http://www.sanctuaires-paray.com/?lang=en

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