SUMMARY:
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
______________________________________
BENEDICT
XVI: AT MOMENTS OF DIFFICULTY I HAVE FELT THE SUPPORT OF YOUR PRAYERS
Vatican
City, 9 May 2012 (VIS) - "From the first moment of my election
as Successor of St. Peter I have always felt supported by the prayers
of the Church, by your prayers, especially at moments of greatest
difficulty, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart", said
Benedict XVI today during his general audience. "Constant choral
prayer is also an important way to overcome any trials that may arise
on life's journey, because it is by being profoundly united to God
that we can also be profoundly united to others".
As
part of a series of catecheses dedicated to the early Church, this
morning the Holy Father focused his remarks on the last episode of
St. Peter's life recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, when he was
imprisoned by Herod Agrippa then freed by an angel of the Lord.
The
Pope reminded the 10,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square
that, while the Apostle was in prison, the Church prayed for him
constantly. Thus, the Holy Father explained, "the power of the
Church’s incessant prayer rose up to God; the Lord listened and
sent His angel to ensure the Apostle was freed by an inconceivable
and unexpected act of liberation".
The
Pope then turned to consider Peter's actions while in prison, and the
fact that he was sleeping which the angel came. "In such a
critical and dangerous situation, this may seem strange, but it
actually denotes tranquillity and trust", he said. "Peter
trusted in God, he knew he was surrounded by the solidarity and
support of his followers and so abandoned himself entirely into the
hands of the Lord. This is how our prayer must be: assiduous, united
with others, an expression of complete trust in God Who knows us in
our most intimate selves and looks after us".
Once
free, Peter went to the house of Mark's mother where many disciples
were gathered in prayer. As in other episodes in the Acts of the
Apostles, so also on this occasion "the response of the
community to difficulties and peril was to entrust themselves to God,
to intensify their relationship with Him", Pope Benedict said.
In this context he also dwelt on another moment of difficult faced by
the early Church, motivated by envy and disputes within the
community. According to St. James, who recounts the episode, there
were two reasons for the crisis: the fact that people allowed
themselves to be dominated by their passions, especially selfishness,
and the lack of prayer. That situation will change, the Apostle says,
if the entire community prays together, assiduously and cohesively.
This recommendation, the Pope explained, is "also an important
call for us and for our communities, both small communities such as
the family, and larger communities such as the parish, the diocese
and the Church as a whole".
The
liberation of St. Peter, the Holy Father concluded, "tells us
that the Church, and each one of us, must suffer difficulties, but
the incessant vigilance of prayer supports us. ... With constant and
trusting prayer the Lord frees us from our chains and guides us. ...
He gives us serenity of heart to face the difficulties of life, even
rejection, opposition and persecution. ... The Apostle Peter, though
in chains, was calm and certain that he was not alone: the community
was praying for him, the Lord was close. He knew that 'the power of
Christ is fully expressed in weakness'".
OTHER
PONTIFICAL ACTS
Vatican
City, 9 May 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Roque Costa
Souza of the clergy of the archdiocese of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil, rector of the "Sao Jose" major seminary,
as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 1,261, population
6,215,000, Catholics 3,772,000, priests 604, permanent deacons 144,
religious 1,061). The bishop-elect was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1966
and ordained a priest in 1994. He has worked in pastoral care in a
number of parishes and as chaplain to the military police in the
State of Rio de Janeiro.
You
can find more information at: www.visnews.org
The
news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used,
in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:
V.I.S.
-Vatican Information Service.
Copyright
© Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City
No comments:
Post a Comment