SUMMARY:
-
THE FAMILY IS MAN'S MOST IMPORTANT HERITAGE
-
WE ARE CALLED TO TRANSFORM SUFFERING INTO LOVE
-
LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE, RELYING ON GOD'S FIDELITY
-
TO YOUNG PEOPLE: AIM AT HIGH IDEALS! BE SAINTS!
______________________________________
THE
FAMILY IS MAN'S MOST IMPORTANT HERITAGE
Vatican
City, 2 June 2012 (VIS) - "We must rediscover the family as
human beings' most important heritage, one of the elements and signs
of an authentic and stable culture in favour of man". Benedict
XVI pronounced these words yesterday evening during his meeting with
the citizens of Milan, having travelled today to that Italian city to
participate in the seventh World Meeting of Families. The event began
on 30 May and has as its theme: "The Family: Work and
Celebration".
After
landing in Milan the Pope travelled to Piazza del Duomo where he met
with local citizens and with pilgrims from all over the world who
have come to the city for the occasion. Benedict XVI began by making
affectionate recollection "of those who are alone or in
difficulties, the unemployed, the sick, the imprisoned, the homeless
and those who do not have the means to live a dignified life. May
none of these brothers and sisters of ours lack the collective and
constant concern of society as a whole". In this context he
praised the efforts of the archdiocese of Milan to help the families
most deeply affected by the economic crisis, and the people of the
Emilia Romagna region who have recently suffered a series of
earthquakes.
The Pope
then went on to highlight "the profound ecclesial sense and
sincere and affectionate communion with Peter's Successor, which have
been part of the richness and identity of the Milanese Church
throughout her history, and which are well expressed in the great
pastors who have guided her". In this context, he mentioned St.
Ambrose, St. Charles Borromeo, Blessed Andrea Carlo Ferrari, Alfredo
Ildefonso Schuster, Pope Pius XI and Pope Paul VI, both former
archbishops of Milan, and St. Gianna Beretta Molla.
"Your
history is rich in culture and faith", the Pope told the
Milanese. "Now it is up to you, the heirs to a glorious past and
to a priceless spiritual heritage, to ensure you hand on the torch of
this lustrous tradition to future generations. Well you know how
vital it is to introduce evangelical leaven into modern culture.
Faith in Jesus Christ, Who died and rose again for us, Who is alive
among us, must animate the entire fabric of individual and community
life, of private and public affairs, so as to create a stable and
authentic 'well being' on the basis of the family".
At the
end of the meeting, the Pope travelled to the nearby archbishopric
where he will be staying during his time in Milan.
WE ARE
CALLED TO TRANSFORM SUFFERING INTO LOVE
Vatican
City, 2 June 2012 (VIS) - At 7.30 p.m. yesterday the Pope went to the
La Scala opera house in Milan, where a concert was held in his
honour. The Pope is currently visiting Milan to participate in the
seventh World Meeting of Families. Daniel Barenboim conducted the
orchestra and choir of La Scala in Beethoven’s ninth symphony.
At the
end of the concert Benedict XVI expressed his thanks to the
musicians, singers and conductor. "By choosing Beethoven's ninth
symphony we are sending a message in music which affirms the
fundamental value of solidarity, fraternity and peace. This, I
believe, is also an important message for the family, because it is
in families that we first experience how human beings are not created
to live closed in themselves, but in relation with others. It is in
the family that we understand that self realisation does not mean
being guided by selfishness and putting oneself at the centre, but
giving oneself. It is in the family that the light of peace begins to
burn in people's hearts, so as to illuminate our world".
The Holy
Father also noted that the joy of the concert had been clouded by the
recent earthquakes, "which have brought great suffering to so
many inhabitants of this country. The words taken from Schiller's
"Hymn to joy" sound empty to us, they seem untrue", he
said. "At this time ... we have no need for inauthentic accounts
of a distant God or of a fraternity without commitment. We are
searching for a God Who is close. We are searching for a fraternity
which, in the midst of suffering, supports others and helps us to
carry on. After this concert many people will go on to adore the
Eucharist, they will go to the God Who placed Himself in our
sufferings and continues to do so, the God Who suffers with us and
for us, and thus makes men and women capable of sharing the suffering
of others and of transforming it into love. This is the message we
have received from this concert".
At the
end of the concert the Holy Father returned to the archbishopric
where he spent the night.
LOOK TO
THE FUTURE WITH CONFIDENCE, RELYING ON GOD'S FIDELITY
Vatican
City, 2 June 2012 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today the Holy Father presided
at the celebration of Terce in the Duomo of Milan, in the presence of
priests, deacons, seminarians and religious of the local archdiocese.
Following the recitation of the Psalms Benedict XVI pronounced a
mediation, extracts of which are given below:
"At
this moment we are experiencing the mystery of the Church in its most
exalted form, that of liturgical prayer. In ecclesial prayer our
lips, our hearts and our minds, interpret the needs and longings of
all humankind. ... The daily prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours is an
essential task of the ordained ministry of the Church. It is also
through the divine office, which prolongs the central mystery of the
Eucharist throughout the day, that priests have a special bond to the
Lord Jesus".
"What
a precious gift the priesthood is! ... If Christ, to build His
Church, delivers Himself into the hands of the priest, then the
priest must in turn entrust himself to Christ without reserve. Love
for the Lord Jesus is both the soul of and the reason for priestly
ministry. ... There is no contrast between the good of the priest's
person and his mission, Quite the contrary, pastoral charity is a
unifying element which, on the basis of an increasingly intimate
rapport with Christ in prayer, enables us to experience the total
gift of self for our flock. ... Each of our actions, in fact, has the
aim of leading the faithful to union with the Lord, and of increasing
ecclesial communion for the salvation of the world.
"One
luminous sign of pastoral charity and an undivided heart is priestly
celibacy and consecrated chastity. ... Without doubt love for Jesus
regards all Christians, but it acquires particular significance for
the celibate priest and for those who have responded to the vocation
to consecrated life. The source and model for repeating our daily
'yes' to God's will is only and always in Christ". In the Virgin
Mary "we recognise that 'chaste and detached life, which Christ
the Lord chose for Himself and which His Mother also embraced', a
life full of obedience to the will of God".
"Dear
consecrated brothers and sisters, ... look to the future with
confidence, relying on God's fidelity and the power of His grace,
which is always capable of working new miracles. ... At this time I
wish to render thanks unto God for the many Ambrosian priests and
religious who have spent their lives at the service of the Gospel,
sometimes even unto the supreme sacrifice of their lives". Among
these, the Holy Father made specific mention of the priests Luigi
Talamoni, Luigi Biraghi, Luigi Monza, Carlo Gnocchi and Serafino
Morazzone; the religious blesseds Giovanni Mazzucconi, Luigi Monti,
Clemente Vismara, Maria Anna Sala and Enrichetta Alfieri.
"Through
their joint intercession, we trustingly ask the Giver of all gifts to
make the ministry of priests fruitful, and to strengthen the
testimony of consecrated persons, so as to show the world the beauty
of giving oneself to Christ and the Church, and to renew Christian
families according to God's plan, that they may become places of
grace and sanctity, a fertile terrain for vocations to the priesthood
and consecrated life".
TO YOUNG
PEOPLE: AIM AT HIGH IDEALS! BE SAINTS!
Vatican
City, 2 June 2012 (VIS) - At around midday today, following the
celebration of Terce in the Duomo of Milan, Benedict XVI travelled by
car to the stadium of San Siro where he was greeted by a crowd of
around 80,000 made up of young people who have recently received or
about to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, members of their
families and catechists.
"Assisted
by your itinerary (of formation), you have learned to recognise the
wonderful things the Holy Spirit has done and does in your lives, and
in all those who say 'yes' to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You have
discovered the great value of Baptism, the first of the Sacraments,
the entranceway to Christian life. You received all this thanks to
your parents who ... committed themselves to educating you in the
faith".
"Now
you have grown and can say your own 'yes' to God, a free and
conscious 'yes'. The Sacrament of Confirmation confirms Baptism and
infuses you abundantly with the Holy Spirit . Now you, full of
gratitude, have the chance to accept His great gifts which, on life's
journey, will help you to become faithful and courageous witnesses of
Jesus. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are stupendous, enabling you to
be formed as Christians, to live the Gospel and to be active members
of the community".
"All
of Christian life is a journey. It is like following a path up a
mountain, sometimes a difficult path, in company with Jesus. ... With
the precious gifts (of the Holy Spirit) your friendship with Him will
become more authentic and closer. It is constantly nourished by the
Sacrament of the Eucharist, ... for which reason I invite you to
participate joyfully and faithfully in Sunday Mass, and ... to attend
Confession, which is the meeting with Jesus Who forgives our sins and
helps us to do good. ... Learn to enter into dialogue with the Lord,
tell Him of your joys and concerns, and ask for light to support you
on your journey".
"In
the family, be obedient to your parents, listen to the instructions
they give you so as to grow, like Jesus, 'in wisdom and in years, and
in divine and human favour'. Finally, do not be lazy but
hard-working, particularly in your studies. That is your daily duty
and a great opportunity you have to develop and to prepare your
future. Be open and generous towards others, vanquishing the
temptation to place yourselves at the centre, because selfishness is
the enemy of authentic joy.
"If
you now have a taste of the beauty of being part of the community of
Jesus, then you too will be able to make your contribution to help it
grow. ... Every day, including here today, the Lord is calling you to
great things, Remain open to what He is suggesting and, if He calls
you to follow Him on the path of the priesthood or consecrated life,
do not say no! ... Jesus will fill your hearts for all your lives".
"I
say with conviction: Aim at high ideals! ... Be saints! Yet, you may
ask, is it possible to be saints at your age? I tell you that it is,
... as is clear from the witness of many saints who were your peers,
such as Domenico Savio and Maria Goretti. Sanctity is the normal path
for Christians, it is not reserved for the chosen few but open to
everyone, though naturally with the light and strength of the Holy
Spirit ... and the guidance of our Mother, ... Mary the Mother of
Jesus. ... May the Virgin Mary, then, always watch over the beauty of
your 'yes' to Jesus, her Son, the great and faithful Friend of your
lives".
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