ZENIT
The World Seen From Rome
Daily dispatch - July 01, 2009
ZENIT's fundraising campaign for 2009 has ended!
Many checks are still in the mail, so the final result of the campaign isn't available yet. We will let you know the final tally.
We would like to thank each and every one of our readers who have sent their donations -- and their prayers.
All this helps us in our effort to carry on our work.
You can see the 2009 ZENIT's donation map: http://www.zenit.org/donations/english/info/map
You can always send donations at: http://www.zenit.org/english/donation.html
Many thanks from the entire ZENIT team!
VATICAN DOSSIER Take a Look at Who You Are, Pope Tells Priests New Encyclical Out July 7 Pope to Pray for Mideast Christians Extortionists Are Slaveholders, Says Pope Michelangelo's Final Works Restored Gemelli's John Paul II Statue Unveiled WORLD FEATURES Bishops Call for Migration Summit NEWS BRIEFS Global E-Conference Features St. Paul WORDS MADE FLESH Is Not This the Carpenter, the Son of Mary? WEDNESDAY'S AUDIENCE On Priestly Identity
CLASSIFIED ADSThe Best Catholic Speakers on CDs and in Books -- Only $3.00 Each!
VATICAN DOSSIER
Take a Look at Who You Are, Pope Tells Priests
Reflects on Fundamentals of Identity and Mission
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Priests need to take a good look at their identity, says Benedict XVI, and he offered the example of St. John Vianney and the Year for Priests as an opportunity for this examination.
The Pope took up again today during the general audience the theme of the Year for Priests, under way since the feast of the Sacred Heart, June 19. He spoke about how important it is for priests to understand their identity and their mission.
He pointed to St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests and model for this jubilee year, noting that "what shines forth in the existence of this humble minister of the altar [is] the complete identification of the man with his ministry."
It is fundamentally important for a priest to grow in progressive identification with Christ, the Holy Father explained, saying this "will guarantee him fidelity and fruitfulness in the evangelical testimony."
It is the priest's awareness of his "new being," which is fundamental to his mission, he added.
"The priest's renewed enthusiasm for his mission will always depend on the certainty of his personal identity, which is not artificially constructed, but rather given and received freely and divinely," the Pontiff explained. "What I have written in the encyclical 'Deus Caritas Est' is also true for priests: 'Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.'
"Having received such an extraordinary gift of grace with their 'consecration,' priests become permanent witnesses of their encounter with Christ. Beginning precisely from this interior awareness, they can plentifully fulfill their 'mission,' by means of the proclamation of the Word and the administration of the sacraments. […] Jesus sends the apostles, at that time and now, to proclaim the Gospel and he gives them the power to cast out evil spirits. 'Proclamation' and 'power,' that is to say 'word' and 'sacrament,' are therefore the two foundational pillars of priestly service, beyond its many possible configurations."
Established in service
However, Benedict XVI observed, without taking into account the "consecration-mission" of the priest, "it becomes truly difficult to understand the identity of the priest and his ministry in the Church."
"Who in fact is the priest, if not a man converted and renewed by the Spirit, who lives from a personal relationship with Christ, constantly making the Gospel criteria his own," the Po pe asked. "Who is the priest, if not a man of unity and truth, aware of his own limits and at the same time, of the extraordinary greatness of the vocation he has received, that of helping to extend the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth?
"Yes! The priest is a man totally belonging to the Lord, because it is God himself who calls him and who establishes him in his apostolic service. And precisely being totally of God, he is totally of mankind, for all people."
Thus, the Holy Father invited the faithful to take advantage of the jubilee and pray for all priests and for priestly vocations.
He encouraged the multiplying of prayer initiatives and also "opportunities for silence and listening to the Word, and better attention to spiritual direction and the sacrament of confession, so that the voice of God, who always continues calling and confirming, can be heard and promptly followed by many youth."
"One who prays is not afraid; one who prays is never alone; one who prays is saved," the Bishop of Rome concluded. "St. John Vianney is undoubtedly a model of an existence made prayer. Mary, Mother of the Church, help all priests to follow his example so as to be, like him, witnesses of Christ and apostles of the Gospel."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
New Encyclical Out July 7
"Caritas in Veritate" to Cover Social Themes
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's new encyclical, titled "Caritas in Veritate," will be released Tuesday, the Vatican announced.
The Vatican press office confirmed today that the Pope's first social encyclical, which is expected to offer an analysis of the current economic crisis, will be presented at a press conference in the late morning July 7. The text will then be released to the public at midday, local time.
Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino and Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will present the encyclical at the press conference.
The Vatican also noted that Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, will speak, as will Stefano Zamagni, professor of political economy at the University of Bologna, Italy and consultor of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
The encyclical's release is one day before the Group of Eight will begin an international summit in L'Aquila, Italy.
The Holy Father signed the encyclical Monday, the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.
That same day, before praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI explained that the encyclical is a reflection on the conditions necessary for "integral development." He added that it returns to social themes found in "Populorum Progressio," written by Pope Paul VI in 1967.
He explained that it "aims to go deeper in certain aspects of the integral development of our age, in the light of charity in truth."
"I entrust to your prayer this new contribution that the Church offers to humanity in its commitment to sustainable progress, in full respect of human dignity and the real needs everyone has," Benedict XVI said.
"Caritas in Veritate" is the first social encyclical to be written in almost two decades. Pope John Paul II penned "Centesimus Annus" in 1991, a century after Pope Leo XIII's "Rerum Novarum."
The encyclical will be released in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Pope to Pray for Mideast Christians
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI will be praying in July for the Christians in the Middle East.
The Apostleship of Prayer announced this general intention chosen by the Pope: "That the Christians of the Middle East may live their faith in full freedom and be an instrument of peace and reconciliation."
The Holy Father also chooses an apostolic intention for each month. In June he will pray: "That the Church may be the seed and nucleus of a humanity reconciled and reunited in God's one and only family, thanks to the testimony of all the faithful in every country of the world."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Extortionists Are Slaveholders, Says Pope
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI decried extortion as a form of humiliating slavery, calling on governments to support families who find the courage to denounce those who prey on their already-difficult situations.
The Pope spoke of usury and extortion today at the end of the general audience, when he greeted the Italian National Anti-Usury Council.
The Holy Father thanked them for "the important and much appreciated work they do with the victims of this social plague."
"I hope," he continued, "that there will be a renewed determination by everyone to effectively work against the devastating phenomenon of usury and extortion, which is a humiliating form of slavery."
He urged "adequate help and support from the state for those families affected [by thi s] and in difficulties, who have the courage to denounce those who take advantage of their tragic situations."
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Michelangelo's Final Works Restored
Pope to Re-inaugurate Private Chapel
By Carmen Elena Villa
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI on Saturday will inaugurate the newly restored Pauline Chapel, which contains the two final works of Michelangelo.
The Pope will celebrate solemn vespers in the chapel, which is within the Apostolic Palace and is used as a private chapel for the Pontiffs. It houses Michelangelo's depictions of the conversion of St. Paul and the crucifixion of St. Peter, painted between 1542 and 1550.
The €3.2 million ($4.5 million) restoration project was presented during a press conference Tuesday in the Apostolic Palace.
Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Governor's Office for Vatican City State, expressed satisfaction "that the work ended almost in symbolic concurrence with the conclusion o f the Pauline Year, as was programmed Sept. 30, 2008, in a meeting with the outside commission of experts."
The project began in 2004, at the request of Pope John Paul II. Mauricio De Luca directed the group of painters.
De Luca said the restoration of the Pauline Chapel was the most difficult project that the Vatican Museum restoration group has undertaken, not only because of the surface area of the paintings, but also "because of the complexity of the problems from the technical point of view and because of the decisions related to the overall aesthetic restoration."
A new lighting plan was installed in the chapel to better display the frescos.
The Pauline Chapel is on the first floor of the Apostolic Palace, close to this Sistine Chapel. It owes its named to the Pope who commissioned it, Paul III (1534-1549).
Besides Michelangelo's works, there are various artistic treasures depicting scenes from the Acts of the Apostles. Among these are the works of Federico Zuccari and Lorenzo Sabbatini.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Gemelli's John Paul II Statue Unveiled
Gives Tribute to Pontiff's Teaching on Suffering
ROME, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- A statue of John Paul II titled "Be Not Afraid," was inaugurated Tuesday at Rome's Gemelli hospital.
The new sculpture was blessed by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow and personal secretary and of the Polish Pope during his 27 years of pontificate.
The Tuscan sculptor, Stefano Pierotti, was present at the inauguration as well as the mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno.
Cardinal Dziwisz recalled that the Gemelli hospital was the first place outside the Vatican walls that John Paul II visited as Pope on October 18, 1978, two days after his election.
He went to the clinic to visit his friend, Bishop Andrzej Deskur, who was later named cardinal and president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the cardinal stated.
John Paul II was taken to Gemelli on nine occasions: the first on May 13, 1981, after the assassination attempt in St. Peter's Square, and the last in March 2005, shortly before his death.
He spent a total of 153 days and 152 nights there.
On one of those occasions -- during a stay in 1996 -- the Pontiff dubbed the hospital Vatican III: the third papal residence after the Apostolic Palace in Rome and the summer home in Castel Gandolfo.
The cardinal said that this joke was not far from reality, that the Pope actually felt at home in Gemelli because it was a "Catholic hospital par excellence."
Teaching chair
"How could you not love that place, which would become the symbolic altar where he offered his life?" Cardinal Dziwisz asked.
"From this place, he has taught the Church how to live and how to die with the Lord," he added.
The Gemelli was his original "cathedra" the prelate said, and thus the name of the hospital will remain inseparable from the memory of this Pope.
The cardinal stated, "From the tenth floor window, he blessed the suffering crowd, and now from the center of the square -- where his sculpture was raised with exquisite sensitivity -- he will continue to watch over this site and to bless those who come, and those who here serve the sorrow of mankind."
The administrative director of the hospital, Doctor Antonio Cicchetti, said that there has been a desire to give tribute to John Paul II since April 2005.
Through him, the director explained, the hospital became known throughout the world, "thus increasing its fame and prestige."
Due to the size of the sculpture, he said, the only place conceivable to place it was the plaza in front of the hospital, where it can be seen from the building's windows.
Lorenzo Ornaghi, the rector of Italy's Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, which uses Gemelli as the teaching hospital for its medical school, stated that the statue's theme, "Be Not Afraid," defines the institution.
He recalled that during John Paul II's hospitalizations, the window of the tenth floor apartment, which is reserved for the Holy Father, became for all people the access to a teaching about suffering but also of "endless praise to the Lord, of human teachings and of Christian witness about the gratuitous gift of life and of faith."
The sculpture took about seven months to complete. It weights around 18 tons and measures 3.05 meters [10 feet] tall.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
WORLD FEATURES
Bishops Call for Migration Summit
Say No Church Member Is a Foreigner
TECUN UMAN, Guatemala, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Bishops of different nations are urging their civil leaders to hold a conference in order to discuss the problems presented by migration and possible solutions.
The prelates stated this in a message released at the close of a June 2-4 meeting of representatives from the bishops' conferences of the United States, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
The conference was held in Tecun Uman on the topic of migration issues, with the goal of finding a way to contribute to policies that respect human dignity and protect life.
The bishops' statement affirmed the current "privileged moment in the history of migration," shown by the efforts of various co untries to confront the problem.
"There is no time to lose," the prelates affirmed. Every day migrants confront a "very dangerous journey," in which they "suffer harassments, assaults from smugglers and human traffickers, as well as drug cartels."
The statement underlined the need to attend to the groups of organized crime that "in many cases operate with impunity along the borders" and within many countries.
These violations against the human rights of migrants "have notably increased," it affirmed, and until now the local authorities have not done anything to stop them.
The bishops noted a particular concern for the impact of immigration on familial unity, especially for the children who may be left alone or forced to work in order to sustain the family.
Public welcome
In our countries, they affirmed, "public opinion regarding the phenomenon of immigration is ver y weak, and there is not a clear consciousness about the problem of human trafficking."
Even worse, they continued, in many cases migrants are seen as "criminals and delinquents."
Citing the principles of the Church's social doctrine, the prelates acknowledged that every person "has the right to reside in their homeland and migrate when their countries do not offer them opportunities for their well being."
They continued, "Although it is true that each country has the right to strengthen its borders to promote internal security, it is also true that we are a Church without borders and that there is a universal common good, which implies a moral obligation for countries to protect the dignity of human beings."
"It gives us great sadness," they stated, "when we see that within our own parish communities the migrants are not welcomed and are cared for as brothers in the faith and members of the same family."
The prelates emphasized, "No one in the Church is a foreigner."
The statement urged civil leaders to come together in a regional summit in order to reach a consensus on the themes of immigration and development, to strategize for cooperative solutions.
The bishops also appealed to all Catholics to welcome migrants into the parish communities, to support them along the "long and tiring journey" they have undertaken.
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
NEWS BRIEFS
Global E-Conference Features St. Paul
Honors the "Great Church Communicator"
BRISBANE, Australia, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- To close the Pauline Year, Australian bishops used online technology to spread the Gospel message, offering conferences that drew global attention and are still available for viewing.
A press release from the Archdiocese of Melbourne announced today that the e-conference, sponsored by the bishops' conference along with the Broken Bay Institute, drew some 5,000 online participants.
The conference, launched Tuesday, was accessed from locations around the country, and from other places in the globe, including Canada, Malta, New Zealand, the Philippines, Peru and the United States.
People on their personal computers were able to participate in the conference abo ut "Paul -- The Man, the Mission and Message for Today: Igniting his Purpose and Passion."
Participants listed to Scripture scholars such as Jesuit Father Brendan Byrne and St. Joseph Sister Michele Connolly, as well as Jesuit Father Richard Leonard, a film, media and communication expert.
When questions were solicited, over 1,700 e-mails were sent, and a panel presentation answered as many as possible.
For those who were unable to watch the presentations on Monday, the talks can still be viewed online. Registration is open until next Tuesday, and the organizers are offering participants the opportunity to win prizes, including a trip following the footsteps of St. Paul.
Archbishop John Bathersby, chairman of the bishops' Commission for Mission and Faith Formation, gave the opening address from Brisbane, underlining the "wonderful opportunity for people to learn and share in the wisdom of the great Church communicator, Paul."
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd sent a message to the conference acknowledging that the e-conference will "enable Catholic dioceses across Australia to join together in reflecting on the legacy of one of the most important, yet elusive, figures in Church history."
He continued, "I trust the conference will facilitate a productive exchange of ideas for those who share in the Catholic tradition in Australia, and that it will benefit the communities you represent across the nation."
--- --- ---
On the Net:
For more information:
http://www.paul.vividas.com/
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
WORDS MADE FLESH
Is Not This the Carpenter, the Son of Mary?
Biblical Reflection for 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time B
By Father Thomas Rosica, CSB
TORONTO, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- We know today's Gospel story well, perhaps too well! It would have been customary for Jesus to go to the synagogue each week during the Sabbath, and when his turn came, to read from the scriptures during the Sabbath service.
His hometown folks listened ever so attentively to his teaching because they had heard about the miracles he had performed in other towns. What signs would their hometown boy work on his own turf?
In today's story, Jesus startled his own people with a seeming rebuke that no prophet of God can receive honor among his own people. The people of Nazareth took offense at him and refused to listen t o what he had to say. They despised his preaching because he was from the working class; a carpenter, a mere layman and they despised him because of his family. Jesus could do no mighty works in their midst because they were closed and disbelieving toward him.
If people have come together to hate and to refuse to understand, then they will see no other point of view than their own, and they will refuse to love and accept others. Does the story sound familiar to us? How many times have we found ourselves in similar situations?
Homecoming
We often think that Luke is the only evangelist who records Jesus' visit to Nazareth, "where he had been brought up" and that programmatic episode in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:16). Mark and Matthew also refer to this episode, although without mentioning the name of the town, calling it simply "his hometown" or "his native place" (Mark 6:1; Matthew 13:54). There are, however, several differences between the story told by Luke and those of Mark and Matthew. In the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, people consider the humble origin of Jesus who was "the carpenter" (Mark 6:3), "the son of the carpenter" (Matthew 13:55) and use it to doubt the greatness of his mission. Luke, on the other hand, makes no mention of Jesus' humble origins.
In Mark, Jesus' visit to his hometown is found not at the beginning of his ministry, but after a long period of preaching the Gospel and healing, even after the talks on the parables (Mark 4:1-34) and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:21-43). In Matthew, Jesus has also already pronounced his address on mission to the "Twelve Apostles" (10:2-42).
What was the meaning of the peoples' questions about Jesus in Mark's account (6:1-6) that forms this Sunday's Gospel? "'Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?' And they took offense at him."
"Who do you think you are?" they seem to be asking him. Jesus sees that the questions about him correspond to a deeply possessive attitude: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and therefore one of us? You belong to us and therefore you must do for us all that you are able to do. We own you!
"Prophets are not without honor except in their hometowns and among their own kin, and even in their own homes." Jesus resists the possessive attitude manifested by his people. The people of Jesus' native place were suffering from a particular form of blindness -- a blindness that sometimes affects us, too. Jesus refuses to place his extraordinary gifts at the service of his own people, putting strangers first.
Vision and heart
Today's Gospe l shows how difficult it is for us to attain to a universal vision. When we are faced with someone like Jesus, someone with a generous heart, a wide vision and a great spirit, our reactions are very often filled with jealousy, selfishness, and meanness of spirit. His own people couldn't recognize the holiness of Jesus, because they had never really accepted their own. They couldn't honor his relationship with God because they had never fully explored their own sense of belonging to the Lord. They couldn't see the Messiah standing right beside them, because he looked too much like one of them. Until we see ourselves as people beloved of God, miracles will be scarce and the prophets and messengers who rise among us will struggle to be heard and accepted for whom they truly are.
In today's Gospel story, Mark tells us that Jesus was amazed at their unbelief. Listening to Jesus, his own people were initially filled with admiration in him and pride because of him. His message of liberation was marvelous. Then they recognize this young prophet as one of them and they say: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?"
The most severe critics are often people very familiar to us, a member of our family, a relative, or neighbor we rub shoulders with on a regular basis. The people of Nazareth refused to renounce their possessive attitude toward Jesus. When possessive love is obstructed it produces a violent reaction. This sort of reaction provokes many dramas of jealousy and passion. They took offence at him in Mark's account just as "everyone in the synagogue was enraged (Luke 4:28) and they sought to kill him" (4:29) in Luke's version of the story. Refusal to open our heart can lead to such extremes.
Jesus was bitterly criticized because he demonstrated great openness of heart, particularly toward people on the fringes and borders of society. His openness caused rising opposition that led him to the cross. In th e Acts of the Apostles we read more than once that the success of St. Paul's preaching to the gentiles provoked jealousy among some of the Jews, who opposed the Apostle and stirred up persecution against him (Acts 13:45; 17,5; 22,21-22). Also within the Christian community, we need only recall the situation in Corinth where similar possessive attitudes caused serious harm when many believers attached themselves jealously to one apostle or another; causing conflict and division in the community. Paul had to intervene forcefully (1 Corinthians 1:10-3:23).
Today's Gospel warns us to be on guard against certain attitudes that are incompatible with the example of Jesus: the human tendency to be possessive, and egoistic and small in mind and heart. We cannot forget that Jesus is the Savior of the world (John 4:42), and not of the village, town, city or nation!
In order to approach and imitate Jesus, who is total beauty and uniqueness, the quality of magnanimity is ne cessary in our hearts and minds. The opposite and enemy of magnanimity is envy. Envy is that fault in the human character that cannot recognize the beauty and uniqueness of the other, and denies the other honor. Envy can no longer see because the eyes are "nailed shut," blinded to one's own beauty and the beauty in others. Envy inevitably leads to forms of violence and destruction, of self and of others. In order to approach and imitate Jesus, who is total beauty and uniqueness, the attitude of envy must be first acknowledged and then banished.
Magnanimity lets others be free, for the other person must become great enough to be an image of God's beauty. Magnanimity arouses the desire in each of us for the other to receive the greatest possible satisfaction and happiness that rightly belongs to the other! Magnanimity is capable of looking beyond itself, it can grant the other what oneself perhaps bitterly lacks, and can perhaps even rejoice in the other's goodness , greatness and beauty.
Let us pray that Jesus not be amazed at our own unbelief, but rather rejoice in our small, daily acts of fidelity to him and our service to our sisters and brothers. May the Lord grant us magnanimous hearts so that we may look far beyond ourselves and recognize the goodness, greatness and beauty of other people, instead of being jealous of their gifts. God's power alone can save us from emptiness and poverty of spirit, from confusion and error, and from the fear of death and hopelessness. The gospel of salvation is "great news" for us today.
[The readings for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time B are Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2:23-24; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; and Mark 6:1-6]
* * *
Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, chief executive officer of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and Television Network in Canada, is a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. He can be reached at: rosica@saltandlighttv.org.
--- --- ---
On the Net:
Salt and Light:
www.saltandlighttv.org
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
Wednesday's Audience
On Priestly Identity
"One Who Prays Is Not Afraid; One Who Prays Is Never Alone"
VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2009 (
Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience in St. Peter's Square. He continued with the theme he took up last week: the Year for Priests.
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters:
As you know, with the celebration of First Vespers for the solemnity of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Pauline Year has come to a close -- the year that marked the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of the Apostle to the Gentiles. Let us give thanks to the Lord for the spiritual fruits that this important initiative has brought to so many Christian communities.
As a precious her itage of the Pauline Year, we can reap the Apostle's invitation to go deeper into the knowledge of the mystery of Christ, so that he becomes the heart and center of our personal and social realities.
This is, in fact, the indispensable condition for a true spiritual and ecclesial renewal. As I already emphasized during the first Eucharistic celebration in the Sistine Chapel after my election as the Successor of the Apostle St. Peter, it is precisely from that full communion with Christ that "flows every other element of the Church's life: first of all, communion among all the faithful, the commitment to proclaiming and witnessing to the Gospel, the ardor of love for all, especially the poorest and lowliest" (1st Message at the End of the Eucharistic Concelebration With the Members of the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, April 20, 2005).
This is true in the first place for priests. Because of this, I thank Divine Providence, which now offer s us the possibility of celebrating the Year for Priests. It is my heartfelt wish that this will be an opportunity for interior renewal for every priest, and consequently, [a year of] firm reinvigoration in the commitment to his own mission.
Just as during the Pauline Year, our constant reference point was St. Paul, so in the coming months we will look to St. John Vianney, the holy Curé d'Ars, recalling the 150th anniversary of his death. In the letter I wrote to priests for this occasion, I wanted to emphasize what shines forth in the existence of this humble minister of the altar: "the complete identification of the man with his ministry."
He often said that "a good pastor, a pastor after the heart of God, is the greatest treasure that the good God can give to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy." And almost unable to conceive the greatness of the gift and the task entrusted to a poor human creature, he si ghed, "Oh how great is the priesthood! … If he could understand himself, he would die. … God obeys him: He pronounces two words and Our Lord descends from heaven at his beckoning and enters into a tiny Host."
In truth, precisely considering the binomial "identity-mission," every priest can better see the need for this progressive identification with Christ that will guarantee him fidelity and fruitfulness in the evangelical testimony.
The very theme of the Year for Priests -- Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests -- shows that the gift of divine grace precedes every possible human response and pastoral accomplishment, and thus, in the life of the priest, missionary proclamation and worship are never separable, just as the ontological-sacramental identity and the evangelizing mission are not separable.
Apart from that we could say the objective of every priest's mission is "cultic": so that all pe ople can offer themselves to God as a living host, holy and pleasing to Him (cf. Romans 12:1), that in creation itself, in people, it becomes worship and praise of the Creator, receiving from it that charity that they are called to abundantly dispense among each other.
We clearly see this in the beginnings of Christianity. St. John Chrysostom said, for example, that the sacrament of the altar and the "sacrament of one's brother" or, as they say, the "sacrament of the poor," are two aspects of the same mystery. Love for neighbor, attention to justice and to the poor, are not just themes of social morality, but rather the expression of a sacramental conception of Christian morality, because through the ministry of the priest, the spiritual sacrifice of all the faithful is carried out, in union with that of Christ, the one Mediator: the sacrifice that priests offer in an unbloody and sacramental manner awaiting the new coming of the Lord.
Th is is the principal dimension, essentially missionary and dynamic, of priestly identity and ministry: by way of the proclamation of the Gospel, those who still do not believe are begotten in the faith, so that they can unite their sacrifice to the sacrifice of Christ, that translates in love for God and neighbor.
Dear brothers and sisters, faced with so many uncertainties and struggles, it is urgent to recover -- also in the exercise of priestly ministry -- a clear and unmistaken judgment about the absolute primacy of divine grace, recalling what St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: "The smallest gift of grace surpasses the natural good of the whole universe" (Summa Theologiae, I-II, q. 113, a. 9, ad 2).
The mission of every priest depends, therefore, also and above all on the awareness of the sacramental reality of his "new being." The priest's renewed enthusiasm for his mission will always depend on the certainty of his personal identity, which is n ot artificially constructed, but rather given and received freely and divinely. What I have written in the encyclical "Deus Caritas Est" is also true for priests: "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction" (No. 1).
Having received such an extraordinary gift of grace with their "consecration," priests become permanent witnesses of their encounter with Christ. Beginning precisely from this interior awareness, they can plentifully fulfill their "mission," by means of the proclamation of the Word and the administration of the sacraments. After the Second Vatican Council, the impression has come about that in our times, there is something more urgent in priests' missions; some believed that they should in the first place build up a distinct society. On the other hand, the verses from the Gospel that we hea rd at the beginning call our attention to the two essential elements of priestly ministry. Jesus sends the apostles, at that time and now, to proclaim the Gospel and he gives them the power to cast out evil spirits. "Proclamation" and "power," that is to say "word" and "sacrament," are therefore the two foundational pillars of priestly service, beyond its many possible configurations.
When the "diptych" consecration-mission is not taken into account, it becomes truly difficult to understand the identity of the priest and his ministry in the Church. Who in fact is the priest, if not a man converted and renewed by the Spirit, who lives from a personal relationship with Christ, constantly making the Gospel criteria his own? Who is the priest, if not a man of unity and truth, aware of his own limits and at the same time, of the extraordinary greatness of the vocation he has received, that of helping to extend the Kingdom of G od to the ends of the earth?
Yes! The priest is a man totally belonging to the Lord, because it is God himself who calls him and who establishes him in his apostolic service. And precisely being totally of God, he is totally of mankind, for all people. During this Year for the Priest, which will continue until the next solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us pray for all priests. May there be an abundance of prayer initiatives and, in particular, Eucharistic adoration, for the sanctification of the clergy and for priestly vocations -- in dioceses, in parishes, in religious communities (especially monasteries), in associations and movements and in the various pastoral groups present in the whole world -- responding to Jesus' invitation to pray "to the lord of the harvest that he may send workers to his harvest" (Matthew 9:38).
Prayer is the first task, the true path of sanctification for priests, and the soul of an authentic "vocational ministry." The numerical scarcity of priestly ordinations in some countries should not discourage, but instead should motivate a multiplication of opportunities for silence and listening to the Word, and better attention to spiritual direction and the sacrament of confession, so that the voice of God, who always continues calling and confirming, can be heard and promptly followed by many youth.
One who prays is not afraid; one who prays is never alone; one who prays is saved! St. John Vianney is undoubtedly a model of an existence made prayer. Mary, Mother of the Church, help all priests to follow his example so as to be, like him, witnesses of Christ and apostles of the Gospel.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[The Holy Father then greeted the people in several languages. In English, he said:]
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
There is a close link between the Pauline Year, which concluded last Sunday, and the Church’s curren t celebration of the Year for Priests. As we have seen, Saint Paul, in his life and his writings, teaches us that the mystery of Christ must stand at the very heart of our lives as individuals and as a community. This is true in a very special way of priests. In Saint John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, we see a wonderful example of a priest whose person was completely identified with his ministry. The priest’s personal identity, grounded in his calling and his sacramental configuration to Christ, may not be separated from his pastoral activity. Indeed, the ministry of every priest is essentially "cultic", in the fullest sense of the word: it is meant to enable the faithful to offer their lives to God as a pleasing sacrifice (cf. Rom 12:1). It is my hope that this Year for Priests will help all priests to appreciate the immense grace of their vocation, consecration and mission. During this Year may the whole Church pray and work more fervently for the sanctification of priests, an increase of priestly vocations, and a greater appreciation of the role of the priest in the life of the ecclesial community.
I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors present at today’s Audience, including the pilgrimage groups from England, Scotland, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada and the United States. I thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon all of you I cordially invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!
© Copyright 2009 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
email this article | print this article | comment this article
top
CLASSIFIED ADS
To see the rates for placing an ad in ZENIT's daily service, click here:
http://www.zenit.org/english/classified.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Best Catholic Speakers on CDs and in Books -- Only $3.00 Each!
High quality, original and inspiring presentations by some of the very best Catholic speakers like; Dr. Scott Hahn, Mother Teresa, Matthew Kelly, Bishop Sheen and Fr. John Corapi, and many more - all for only $3.00. A great way to share our incredible Faith with friends and family. Mention this ad in the remarks and get a copy of "Our Catholic Faith" free! ($19.95 value). We have books too! We're adding items regularly, check our NFP site often and share it with friends. God bless you, Dave Zerhusen 859-363-1898
http://www.cursillo-lighthousemedia.org/default.htm
top
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To see the rates for placing an ad in ZENIT's daily service, click here:
http://www.zenit.org/english/classified.html
ZENIT is an International News Agency. For reprint permission:
http://www.zenit.org/english/permissions.html Visit our web page at
http://www.zenit.org To subscribe or unsubscribe:
http://www.zenit.org/english/subscribe.html To give a ZENIT gift subscription:
http://www.zenit.org/english/gift.html To make a donation to support ZENIT:
http://www.zenit.org/english/donation.html SEND US YOUR NEWS.
Please send press releases using:
http://www.zenit.org/english/news.html Copyright, Innovative Media, Inc.
