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January 15, 2006
Papal words:
“Here are two particularly meaningful words,” continued Benedict XVI. “’Seek’ and ‘find’. We can draw these two verbs from today’s gospel page and extract crucial guidance for the new year, which we want to be a time in which to renew our spiritual journey with Jesus, in the joy of seeking and finding him incessantly. The truest joy, in fact, lies in the relationship with he who is met, followed, known, and loved, thanks to a continual tension between the mind and the heart. Being a disciple of Christ: this is enough for the Christian. The friendship with the Teacher assures the soul of deep peace and serenity in dark moments and in the most arduous trials. When faith comes up against dark nights, in which God’s presence is no longer ‘felt’ or ‘seen’, the friendship of Jesus guarantees that in reality nothing can ever separate us from his love (cfr Rm 8:39). Seeking and finding Christ, the inexhaustible source of truth and life: the word of God invites us to take up again, at the start of the new year, this never-ending journey of faith. ‘Teacher, where do you live?’ we ask Jesus too, and he replies: ‘Come and See’. This is an incessant search and new discovery for the believer because Christ is the same yesterday, today and always, but we, the world, history, are never the same, and He comes to us to give us his communion and fullness of life.
And here's that homily from last week - the Baptism and the baptisms - offered spontaneously.
Just as in this baptismal dialogue the "no" is expressed in three renunciations, so too the "yes" is expressed in three expressions of loyalty: "yes" to the living God, that is, a God Creator and a creating reason who gives meaning to the cosmos and to our lives; "yes" to Christ, that is, to a God who did not stay hidden but has a name, words, a body and blood; to a concrete God who gives us life and shows us the path of life; "yes" to the communion of the Church, in which Christ is the living God who enters our time, enters our profession, enters daily life.
Ratzinger, you abstract, distant doctrinal watchdog, you...
Posted by Amy Welborn | Permalink
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Comments
"Bene-dict" is from 'well, to speak' = 'blessing' in Latin. We now have a Joseph who is not silent but rather speaks such good, rich words so well, words resonant of 10's of centuries of tradition, that our prayer must be that every faithful proclaimer of the Gospel is listening, absorbing, and reflecting every time he speaks to us.
Posted by: Angus McWasp at Jan 15, 2006 2:24:44 PM
This steady flow of graceful, limpid, fresh addresses could be Pope Benedict's great legacy to us. It has to be grace because German academics just don't communicate this way!
Posted by: Sandra Miesel at Jan 15, 2006 3:00:27 PM
Nice tag-team point by Ms Welborn n Miesel, picking up on this pastorally poetic side.
Benedict is a super-intellectual. Intro to Christianity doesn't read like this. But his books culled from interviews sometimes have chunks.
I wonder what that new encyclical will be like?
Don't forget, besides being an brainiac, Benedict is also a musician. Interesting how the last 2 popes have an artistic side. Thank you, Lord.
Posted by: tony c at Jan 15, 2006 9:11:50 PM
"Don't forget, besides being an brainiac, Benedict is also a musician. Interesting how the last 2 popes have an artistic side. Thank you, Lord." -- Tony C
Amen, Tony. And just think about what it must be like to listen to Benedict play the piano!
All this reminds me of the story of Martha and Mary, and Jesus's visit to their home. Remember how Mary was happy to simply sit and listen to our Lord, all day long? Listening to Papa Benedict's pastoral side, I would be happy to sit and listen to him all day long as well. What a privilege Peter Seewald had, to interview the former Cardinal Ratzinger -- the second interview (God and the World), which took place in Monte Cassino is especially wonderful; I only wish I had my copy here, as the Cardinal's words on love and faith are simply beautiful. It's no wonder that after Salt of the Earth, Seewald returned to the Church.
I can't wait for Deus Caritas Est ...
Posted by: Lisa at Jan 16, 2006 12:04:41 AM
"All this reminds me of the story of Martha and Mary, and Jesus's visit to their home. Remember how Mary was happy to simply sit and listen to our Lord, all day long? Listening to Papa Benedict's pastoral side, I would be happy to sit and listen to him all day long as well."
Amen! Whenever I read his writings or homilies, I have the feeling of sitting serenely and listening to a wise and loving teacher. I'm anxiously awaiting his encyclical. God bless our Pope!
Posted by: Tina at Jan 16, 2006 1:19:53 AM
It's interesting how different the Pope's take is. At the university parish, the priest did a very good homily about how the Lord asks us what we're looking for, and a lot of times we give him a dumb answer instead, like, "Where are you staying?" Which was good for the kids, and worked as a homily.
But at the same time, I kept thinking how that really wasn't a dumb question, because it implicitly answered the question ("Um, actually, we're looking for you"), and because it really was THE great question of all humans -- Where are you, Lord? Where are you staying? And God did answer that question with Emmanuel -- "God with us". And there's God with us even now, in the Eucharist and all those other places.
So that orbital Vatican mind-control laser is working okay on me! :)
Posted by: Maureen at Jan 16, 2006 11:33:51 AM
Woohoo! The text of his homily!
Wow! I'm so happy we have Benedict as our Pope. He's so wonderfully well spoken.
Posted by: Devin Scherck at Jan 16, 2006 11:47:45 AM
Everytime I read a homily or message from Pope Benedict I realize how fortunate we are to have him. His words reasonate with a personal, uplifting, Christ-centered message.
May our Lord Jesus always be the source of his (and our) inspiration.
Posted by: John W. at Jan 16, 2006 12:43:11 PM
