SUMMARY:
- GOD'S
BENEVOLENT PLAN FOR HUMANITY
- APPEAL
FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
-
NATIVITY SCENE FROM BASILICATA IN ST. PETER'S SQUAR
______________________________________
GOD'S
BENEVOLENT PLAN FOR HUMANITY
Vatican
City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - God's "benevolent plan" for
mankind, which begins St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians, was the
theme of the Holy Father's catechesis at today's general audience.
The great hymn that the apostle Paul raised to God "introduces
us to living in the time of Advent, in the context of the Year of
Faith. The theme of this hymn of praise is God's plan for mankind,
defined in terms of joy, stupefaction and thankfulness, ... of mercy
and love", said the Pope.
The
Apostle elevated this blessing to God because he "looked upon
his actions throughout the history of salvation, culminating in the
incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus, and contemplated how
the celestial Father chose us, even before the foundation of the
world, to become His adoptive children, in his only Son, Jesus
Christ. ... God's 'benevolent plan', which the Apostle also describes
as a 'plan of love', is defined as 'the mystery' of divine will,
hidden and then disclosed in the Person and work of Christ. The
initiative precedes any human response; it is the freely given gift
of his love, which envelops and transforms us.
"What
is the ultimate aim of this mysterious plan? It is to recapitulate
all things in Christ; "this means that in the great design of
creation and history, Christ is placed at the centre of the world's
entire path, as the axis upon which everything turns, drawing all of
reality to Him, in order to overcome dispersion and limits, and to
lead all to fullness in God".
However,
"this benevolent plan", explained Benedict XVI, "did
not remain concealed in God's silence, in the heights of His Heaven;
instead, He brought it to our knowledge by entering into a
relationship with man, to whom He revealed His very being. He did not
simply communicate a series of truths, but instead He communicated
Himself to us, He showed Himself as one of us, to the extent of
taking on human flesh. ... This communion in Christ, through the work
of the Holy Spirit, offered by God to all mankind in the light of His
self- revelation, does not merely correspond to our humanity, but is
instead the fulfilment of its deepest aspirations, and introduces it
to a joy which is neither temporal nor limited, but eternal".
"In
view of this, what is, then, the act of faith? It is man's response
to God's self-revelation, by which He shows His 'benevolent plan' for
humanity. ... it is allowing oneself to be seized by God's Truth, a
Truth that is Love. ... All this leads to a ... true 'conversion', a
'change of mentality', because the God Who has revealed Himself to us
in Christ and has shown us His plan captures us and draws us to Him,
becoming the meaning that sustains our life and the rock on which it
finds stability".
The Holy
Father concluded by recalling that Advent "places us before the
luminous mystery of the coming of the Son of God and the great
'benevolent plan' by which He sought to draw us to Him, to allow us
to live in full communion of joy and peace with Him. Advent invites
us, in spite of the many difficulties we encounter, to renew our
certainty of the presence of God: He came into the world, in human
flesh like ours, to fully realise his plan of love. And God asks that
we too become signs of His action in the world. Through our faith,
hope and charity, He wishes us to make His light shine anew in our
night".
APPEAL
FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Vatican
City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - Following this morning's catechesis the
Holy Father launched an appeal to the international community for an
end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Troubling
news continues to arrive regarding the grave humanitarian crisis in
the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which for months now
has been the scene of armed conflict and violence", said the
Pope. "A large part of the population lacks even the most basic
means of support and thousands have been forced to abandon their
homes to seek refuge elsewhere. I therefore renew my appeal for
dialogue and reconciliation, and invite the international community
to take all action necessary to attend to the pressing needs of the
population".
NATIVITY
SCENE FROM BASILICATA IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE
Vatican
City, 5 December 2012 (VIS) - The traditional nativity scene mounted
every Christmas in St. Peter's Square will this year be offered to
the Holy Father by the Italian region of Basilicata.
The
nativity scene, which includes one hundred terracotta figures, is the
work of Francesco Artese, one of the most famous exponents of the
southern school of traditional nativity sculpture. The most striking
characteristic of Artese's work is his recreation of landscapes of
the Stones of Matera and his reproduction of scenes of rural life.
Indeed, the nativity of St. Peter's Square is reminiscent of
locations in the Holy Land.
According
to an informative note published today, "The Lucanian landscape
has been enriched by the work of religious people who have chosen to
live there, transforming these places into a human settlement rich in
holiness, building 154 rupestrian churches, monasteries and
sanctuaries which, from the high Middle Ages until the nineteenth
century, have shaped the identity of a vast area which is now a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"The
scenery of the nativity, therefore, while inspired by a traditional
iconographic genre, is rendered unique by elements reproducing
locations and architecture typical of the Lucanian landscape. The
rupestrian churches of San Nicola dei Greci and Convicinio di
Sant'Antonio are recognisable, and above, the bell tower of San
Pietro Barisano stands tall amid the myriad rooftops. The human
environment is that of ancient Lucanian rural civilisation ... and
the statuettes, made entirely of terracotta, are dressed in clothing
made of starched cloth and based on the typical Lucanian peasant
costumes of the past. Artese has chosen to dress the Holy Family with
costumes in the classic tradition".
"As
in previous years, the installation of the nativity scene is
entrusted to the Technical Services of the Governorate of Vatican
City State".
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