Preparation for Adult Confirmation 2010:Class Three

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)
Preparation for Adult Confirmation

Class Outline for May 6, 2010

III. The Holy Catholic Church – the Universal Sacrament of Salvation
-– the sign and instrument both of the reconciliation and communion of all of humanity with God and of the unity of the entire human race
--the English word “church” is derived from the German word "kirche," which in turn is derived from the Greek word “kyriake,” meaning “what belongs to the Lord,” which is also called an “ecclesia” in Latin, “an assembly set apart”

A. The Church – Children of the Father, Body of Christ the Son, Temple of the Spirit

1. The Christian Faithful – People of God, Family of God

• the origin of the People of God is the Heavenly Father, and it is His plan to save and sanctify men and women, not in isolation, but as part of a people that are gathered together, in their diversity and multiplicity, by the unity of the Trinity
• they participate in Christ's priestly office insofar as the baptized are consecrated by the Holy Spirit to offer spiritual sacrifices
• they share in Christ’s prophetic office when with a supernatural sense of faith they adhere unfailingly to that faith and deepen their understanding and witness to it
• they share in his kingly office by means of service, imitating Jesus Christ who as King of the universe made himself the servant of all

2. The Body of Christ

• the faithful united to Christ by the Holy Spirit form one Body, the Church, which lives from Him, in Him and for Him
• Christ and His Bride the Church are one, making up the “Christus totus” (whole Christ)
• the mystery of the nuptial union of Christ and the Church is both unitive and fruitful – two different persons, yet one in the conjugal union
• to be one with the nuptial union of Christ and His Bride is to one with that everlasting loving communion
• Jesus, the Head of the Body, calls other parts of His Body to perform different roles

3. The Holy Spirit Makes the Church the Temple of the Living God

• the Holy Spirit inspires and sanctifies the Church – “What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the members of Christ, that is, the Body of Christ, which is the Church.” - St. Augustine
• the Holy Spirit builds up the Church in charity, by the Word of God, the sacraments, the virtues, and charisms (special graces which benefit the Church)
• the Spirit confers different kinds of spiritual gifts for the various parts of the Body, including both the hierarchy and the lay faithful

B. The Four Marks of the Church – One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
– these four characteristics are inseparably linked to each other and they indicate essential features of the Church and her mission

1. The Church is One – One God, One Truth, One Church, One Faith

• the Church is one because of her source in and communion with the Trinity
• visible bonds of communion of the Church on earth include (a) profession of one faith received from the Apostles, (b) common celebration of worship, especially the Sacraments, (c) apostolic succession through the sacrament of Holy Orders and under the leadership of the Pope, as successor of Peter, to whom Jesus entrusted the pastoral care of the Church
• schisms, divisions, and dissensions have wounded this unity of Christ’s Body
• while elements of sanctification and truth may be found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church, the one Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the bishops in communion with him

2. The Church is Holy

• Christ gave Himself up for the Church, so as to sanctify her, joining her to Himself as His Body and endowing her with the gift of the Holy Spirit
• the Holy Spirit inspires the Church (gives her life) with charity, guiding and protecting her, and it is the Holy Spirit who is the principal agent of the Church’s mission
• it is in the Holy Church, by the grace of God, that we acquire holiness and salvation – each of us is called to be holy and perfect in love and truth, just as God is perfect
• the pilgrim Church on earth is endowed with a sanctity that is real, even though individual members are imperfect sinners ever in need of conversion and purification

3. The Church is Catholic (Universal)

• the Church is universal, existing as a communion of the faithful both horizontally across the world and throughout time and vertically with God, the angels, and saints in heaven, and the faithful in purgatory
• the Church is universal because Christ is present in her and because she has been sent out by Him on a mission of love to proclaim the truth of the Good News to the whole world
• particular local churches (dioceses) under the care of a bishop as their shepherd are fully catholic (universal) through their being in communion and accord with the Church of Rome, whose bishop is the Pope

4. The Church is Apostolic

• the word “apostle” is from the Greek for delegate, envoy, or emissary
• the Church was and is built on the foundation of the Apostles – Jesus Himself is the Father’s emissary
• the original Apostles took care to appoint successors and assistants, who are today’s bishops and their priests and deacons, so that the Church and her divine mission would continue to the end of time
• the apostolic ministry of the Church is a continuation of the mission of Jesus
• Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, which dwells in the Church, to guide, teach, and sanctify the Apostles and their successors

5. The Structure of the Pilgrim Church

• in calling certain men to be Apostles and giving them special authority, together with special charisms of the Holy Spirit, Jesus established a certain structure for His Church, with a diversity of ministry, but unity of mission
• to the Apostles and their successors, Christ entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in His name and by His power
• the essential nature of ecclesial ministry is humble service
• individual bishops exercise their pastoral office as shepherds of that portion of the People of God assigned to them, such as a diocese
• Jesus named Peter the rock of His Church and instituted him as shepherd of the entire flock, and the Pope, as his successor, shares that primacy and pastoral office of Peter
• the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church
• the Magisterium, the authoritative teaching office of the Church, is guided and protected by the Holy Spirit, and it includes authoritative interpretation of Divine Revelation, defining dogmas, discernment of moral truth, and assistance in the formation of the individual consciences of the faithful
• Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium are so closely united with each other that one of them cannot stand without the others
• the task of the Magisterium is to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and guarantee them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error
• the Pope possesses the charism of infallibility when he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals, acting either in virtue of his office as Supreme Pontiff, or together with the college of bishops in union with him, especially in an Ecumenical Council
• in the exercise of his magisterial authority, the Pope is not free to simply impose his opinion or personal preferences, but is necessarily bound by and to love and truth
• even when not making a formally infallible pronouncement, the teachings of the Magisterium should be given our religious assent as presumptively true
• as successors of Peter and the other Apostles endowed with the Spirit, the Pope and his fellow bishops are owed our respect, harmony, Christian obedience in charity
• Jesus established the Church: It is His Church, not ours – we are not free to reinvent it or the faith in the way that we would prefer it to be

6. There is No Salvation Outside the Church

• Jesus Christ is the one mediator and redeemer of mankind – no one can be saved by his or her own efforts and no one can be saved except by the Crucified and Risen One through His Body, the Church
• the fullness of grace and truth, including the fullness of the means of salvation, was entrusted by Jesus to Peter and the other Apostles, their successors, and the faithful who make up the Catholic Church
• there are some who, through no fault of their own, are separate from the One Church – such non-Christians and Christians not in communion with the Catholic Church might still be saved in God’s infinite mercy, but lacking the fullness of truth, it is more difficult and any such salvation is nevertheless by Jesus through the Catholic Church
• God wills the salvation of everyone through the knowledge of the truth and those who obey the prompting of the Spirit of truth are already on the way of salvation
• mere membership in the Catholic Church does not guarantee salvation – one who does not persevere in charity or take advantage of the benefit of the graces of the Sacraments is not saved, one must have Jesus in his or her heart, not merely in the head or on the lips

7. Vocations – the Universal Call to Holiness

• a vocation (from the Latin vocare, to call) is a particular state of life or occupation to which one is especially drawn or called
• we are each called by God to a life of holiness, a common vocation to love God and love one another
• there are two specific ways to realize, in its entirety, the vocation to love – either marriage or the religious life, e.g. the priesthood or religious brother or religious sister (nun)
• in the Sacrament of Confirmation, our vocation is to be a complete Christian, to be an active participant in the mission of the Church to be a witness for Jesus to the world

C. Liturgy and the Sacraments Generally

1. Liturgy – Public Worship and Celebration of the Mysteries of the Lord

• the entire Holy Trinity is at work in the liturgy – the Father is the source and the Son acts through the power of the Holy Spirit
• liturgy is an action of the entire Church – God, angels, and all the faithful on earth and in heaven
• the liturgy is celebrated particularly in making present Christ’s paschal mystery in the Mass
• it is the whole Christ, as High Priest, who acts in the liturgy, with the bishops and priests acting in persona Christi
• liturgy includes the Word, prayer, signs, symbols, and the Sacraments

2. The Paschal Mystery in the Sacraments of the Church

• a Sacrament is (i) an outward visible sign (ii) instituted by Christ (iii) to convey the invisible reality of sacramental and sanctifying grace, so that we might be redeemed and sanctified
• the “outward sign” is composed of the matter (e.g. water) and form (words) together with the right and proper intention of the minister, that is, celebrated in accordance with the intention of the Church
• since we are bodily creatures who experience and come to know things through our bodily senses, the Sacraments offer us a way for us to know the reality of being provided certain graces
• In his Theology of the Body, in a catechesis on the creation of mankind in the Book of Genesis, Pope John Paul II said of marriage, “there is constituted a primordial sacrament, understood as a sign that transmits effectively in the visible world the invisible mystery hidden in God from time immemorial. And this is the mystery of Truth and Love, the mystery of divine life, in which man really participates. In the history of man, it is original innocence which begins this participation and it is also a source of original happiness. The sacrament, as a visible sign, is constituted with man, as a "body," by means of his "visible" masculinity and femininity. The body, in fact, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and the divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden since time immemorial in God, and thus be a sign of it.” (February 20, 1980)
• the Sacraments were instituted by Jesus and entrusted to the Church, which has the authority to confer them or withhold them
• it is Christ who acts in the Sacraments through the Holy Spirit
• by virtue of the saving work of Christ, the Sacraments are efficacious ex opere operato – they convey the particular grace by the very fact that the sacramental action is performed
• because it is Christ who is acting, the efficacy of the Sacraments does not depend upon the personal holiness of the minister
• “sacramental grace” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament
• the recipient must necessarily have the right disposition to receive the graces to be conferred
• Baptism and Confession/Penance give sanctifying grace
• the other Sacraments increase sanctifying graces in our souls, such that one must already be in a state of grace (rather than a state of sin) to receive them
• additional ceremonies or actions are used in the rites in order to increase our reverence and devotion for the Sacraments and to explain their meaning and effects
• the seven sacraments include --
• the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist)
• the Sacraments of Healing (Confession/Penance and Anointing of the Sick)
• the Sacraments at the Service of Communion and Mission (Matrimony and Holy Orders)
• just as Abraham was marked by circumcision with the sign of the covenant, so too is the soul of the recipient of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders marked with a permanent, indelible seal, so as to configure him or her to Christ and the Church, such that these Sacraments cannot be repeated

D. The Seven Sacraments

1. Baptism – Passage through the Water from Death to Life
• in Baptism, one is immersed into the death of Christ, so as to rise again with Him
• the water of Baptism is sanctified by Jesus and the Cross
• Baptism by water in the name of the Triune God gives us sanctifying grace, so that the stains of Original Sin and individual sin are wiped away
• in Baptism, by water and through the Spirit, we are reborn as children of God and thereby initiated into the communion of the Church
• the ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop, priest, or deacon, although any person can baptize in case of necessity, provided he or she has the intention of doing what the Church does


2. Confirmation – Consecrated and Sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit


• brings an increase and deepening of sanctifying grace so as to join us to the mission of the Church and thereby complete what was begun in Baptism
• in being anointed with chrism oil, sanctified by Jesus and the Cross, the recipient is joined more intimately with the Christ, which means “anointed one”
• in Confirmation, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Christ in love and truth, including the strength and perseverance to go out and spread the Good News and even endure persecution
• the original minister of Confirmation is the bishop, as a successor of the Apostles, but if authorized by him, a priest may also confer the Sacrament


3. The Eucharist – the Blessed Sacrament


• before ascending to heaven, Jesus said that He would be with us always, to the end of the age – in the fullest and most obvious sense, Jesus is with us in the Eucharist, which is His Real Presence, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity
• in the Eucharist, we have not only spiritual communion with Jesus, as we might praying at home, we have full communion with Him in the totality of our being, body and soul
• reception of Holy Communion is both unitive and fruitful/procreative, that is, in the profoundly intimate encounter with Jesus that is the Eucharist, we are joined in a mystical fashion so as to become one in a communion of persons and to receive life
• the ministers of the Eucharist are the bishop and priest
• the power and authority of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion is limited to assisting in the distribution of the Eucharist


4. Penance/Confession/Reconciliation


• while Baptism cleanses us of Original Sin, it does not abolish the weakness of our impaired human nature nor our inclination to personal sin
• through a sacramental confession, by the Crucifixion and Resurrection, we are absolved of our individual sins and reconciled to God
• the penitent should first make a careful examination of conscience and, to be a “good” confession, one must confess all serious and grave sins (because they would be mortal if not so confessed), and there must be an interior penance, that is, a contrite heart and determination to avoid further sin
• in addition to expressing contrition, the penitent is obligated to perform the acts of penance given to him or her
• in addition to absolution, grace is given, if we accept it, to avoid further sin
• the ministers of Penance are a bishop or priest, although the forgiveness of certain grave sins that incur excommunication may be reserved to the Pope or particular bishop (except in case of imminent death)


5. Anointing of the Sick


• Jesus healed many who were sick, as did Peter and the other Apostles
• anointing of the forehead and palms of the sick with chrism oil is a sacrament of healing, if not physically, then spiritually, including the forgiveness of sins if the recipient is not able to make a sacramental confession
• a special grace is conferred which unites the sick person more intimately to the Passion of Christ
• the Sacrament prepares us for the final journey in order to join God in heaven, offering us comfort, peace, and courage
• the ministers of the Anointing of the Sick are the bishop and priest


6. Matrimony – as it was “in the beginning” and the blessing of Jesus at Cana


• Marriage is the primordial sacrament – "All the sacraments of the new covenant find in a certain sense their prototype in marriage" – Pope John Paul II
• the entirety of Salvation History can be seen as a kind of spousal relationship between God and mankind
• at the Creation, God said that it is not good for Man to be alone
• Man, male and female, is not merely a social creature, but a spousal creature made in the image of the Triune God, who is a loving communion of persons in one being
• God made us to love and be loved and, in creating man and woman for each other, He gave us the ability to share in His creative power, telling us to be fruitful and multiply
• in Matrimony, a man and woman are two made one in a communion of persons by Christ through the power of the Spirit of Love, and spouses should love each other as Christ loves the Church
• the Sacrament is conferred upon the giving of matrimonial consent, that is, when a man and a woman manifest the will to give themselves to each other irrevocably in order to live a covenant of faithful and fruitful love
• such matrimonial consent is sealed by God, and the Sacrament establishes a perpetual and exclusive bond between the spouses
• this communion of persons in marriage is not only unitive, such that it is indissoluble, but fruitful and procreative, just as the love between Christ and His Bride, the Church, is unitive, fruitful, and procreative
• a special grace is conferred to give the husband and wife the ability to maintain their union in accord with the original divine plan, even in the face of threats to the unity and fruitfulness of marriage
• the ministers of Matrimony are the man and woman to be married, with the priest receiving that consent in the name of the Church and giving her blessing to the union


7. Holy Orders


• those who do not marry are still, by human nature, called to love in communion and, if we are not called to marry, we may be called to follow Christ, who is the fullness of Love
• Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to His apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time, and the Church is passed on to the generations throughout time
• some men may be called to follow Jesus in the ministerial priesthood, in which the one priesthood of Jesus Christ is made present, while other men and some women may be called to the religious or consecrated life
• the Sacrament is conferred by the laying on of hands, anointing with chrism oil, and the consecratory prayer proper to each grade of the Sacrament: deacon, priest, or bishop
• anointing by the Spirit in ordination to the priesthood seals a baptized and confirmed man with an indelible, spiritual character that configures him to Christ the Bridegroom of the Church and Christ the High Priest, enabling him to act in His name (in persona Christi), especially in the Sacraments
• the Sacrament of Holy Orders makes one an alter Christus - just as Jesus is espoused to the His Bride the Church, so too is the priest, in a sense, “married” to the Church
• episcopal ordination of a bishop as a successor of the Apostles confers the fullness of the Sacrament on him, including the offices of teaching, sanctifying, and ruling
• the minister of Holy Orders is the bishop

E. Sacramentals and Forms of Popular Piety


1. Sacramentals


• sacred signs instituted by the Church to sanctify different circumstances of life, including
• blessings, which are the praise of God and a prayer to obtain his gifts
• the consecration of persons
• the dedication of things for the worship of God
• sacramentals always include a prayer, often accompanied by a physical sign, such as the sign of the cross, laying on of hands, or sprinkling water


2. Forms of Popular Piety


• expression of the religious sense of the Christian people in various forms of devotion which accompany the sacramental life of the Church
• such forms of piety include the rosary and other Marian devotions, stations of the cross, veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, and processions
• these expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of the Church, but do not replace it

F. Prayer – a Personal and Living Relationship with God
– prayer is our response to God’s revealing of Himself to us – our ongoing friendship with God requires ongoing communication with Him
– a dialogue, not a monologue – we must allow God to speak to us also
– the ultimate aim of prayer should be love and fidelity to God


1. Types of Prayer


• blessing and adoration – we bless God for having blessed us and we pay homage to He who made us
• thanksgiving and praise – showing gratitude and giving glory to God for His own sake, sharing in the blessed happiness of the pure of heart
• petition and intercession – entreating God for assistance for ourselves or others on earth or in purgatory, often extemporaneously and, if made in humility, is already a turning back to Him
• may include asking others, such as saints in heaven, to intercede on our behalf
• the Eucharist contains and expresses all forms of prayer


2. Expressions of Prayer


• vocal – prayer with words, both aloud and interior, personal or communal
• written and traditional prayer allows one to pray in communion with the whole Church
• the model vocal prayer is the one Jesus taught us – the Our Father
• meditation – a fairly active engagement of thought, imagination, emotion, and desire to discern and respond to what God is saying to us
• contemplative – a fairly passive communion with the Holy Trinity and gaze of faith, fixed on the Lord, illuminating and purifying the heart
• we pray with the entirety of our being, but it is most important to involve our heart in prayer


3. Sources of Prayer


• God Himself – Jesus’ prayer on the Cross, “I thirst,” reminds us that we thirst for God and that God also thirsts for us
• sacred scripture and spiritual reading
• Liturgy of the Hours, the official daily prayer of the Church
• Lectio Divina
• the liturgy, which proclaims, makes present and communicates the mystery of salvation
• the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love
• everyday situations

G. The Church in History


1. Persecutions of the Church – the On-Going Trial and Passion of Christ


• the testimony of witnesses who have spread the Good News throughout history, especially during the early Church
• testimony of Apostles and disciples who personally saw the Risen Christ, most of whom were killed, including St. Peter, the first pope, who was crucified in Rome and was the first of many martyred popes, and Paul, who was beheaded in Rome
• testimony of other witnesses in the history of the Church who likewise submitted to tortures and death during various persecutions
• the Greek word for “witness” is “martyr”
• “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church” – Tertullian
• If they were not certain that Jesus existed, and that He was the Christ, why would they submit to tortures and death?


2. The Spread of Christianity, Followed by New Challenges


• Roman persecutions ended with the legalization of Christianity by the Edict of Milan by the Emperor Constantine in A.D. 313
• the Christian faith flourished and the Church spread throughout the Mediterranean and much of Europe
• following the death of Mohammed in 632, Muslim armies conquered Christian lands in the Middle East and Northern Africa before passing into Europe and marching midway into France, where they were turned back in 732 by Charles Martel
• after the Great Schism split Christendom in two, Muslim armies increased their siege of Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Church, and in response to a request for assistance, Pope Urban II in 1095 called what has been called the first Crusade, additional crusades were held over the next few hundred years
• military conflict existed between Christendom and Islam from the 7th century until the 17th century, when the forces of the Ottoman Empire were defeated in the Battle of Vienna


3. Theological Issues within the Church


• various disputes and heresies arose concerning such matters as application of the Jewish Law, the person and nature of Jesus Christ, etc., and ecumenical councils of bishops were held to definitively resolve these questions, e.g. Councils of Nicea and Constantinople
• sometimes disputes led to schism, such as the Great Schism, which split the Church between East and West in 1054
• in compiling the New Testament, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church discerned which of various writings were, in fact, authentically apostolic and inspired, and which were spurious and false
• the canon of the Bible was formalized in the Vulgate produced by St. Jerome under the direction of Pope Damasus I at the end of the 4th century, and the Vulgate Bible was affirmed in the Council of Trent (1545-1563) as the sole, authorized Latin text of the Bible
• in about the early 16th century, some rejected the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church, including denying the sacraments, Tradition, and the Magisterium, resulting in another major split in the Church, the Protestant Reformation
• the Council of Trent was held in response to the Protestant Reformation

The Babies Are Here!

Opens Today, May 7, 2010

Babies (2010)
by Steven D. Greydanus

Everyone should see Babies. Even people who have cats instead of children should see Babies. There are a number of cats in this movie, and some feline moments that must be seen to be believed, especially for cat lovers.

Directed by documentary filmmaker Thomas Balmès, who lives in Paris with his wife and three children, Babies is pro-life in the best possible sense: It is a celebration of new life, of love, of family, of the wonder of the world.
Read the rest here.


BABIES: The Biggest Smallest Adventure Ever
by Tom Allen with Nick Dawson

There is one universal thread that connects us all no matter how old we are, where we’re from, or what we believe: we were all babies once and we all remain fascinated with these smallest and most lovable of human creatures. Thomas Balmès’s new non-fiction feature BABIES, opening May 7, captures the earliest stages of our common human journey like no other film ever made. From birth to dramatic first steps, and against breathtaking natural backdrops on four continents, the film reveals our world and our human condition in a riveting, wholly original and powerfully life-affirming way.

BABIES is poised to delight audiences with its joyful portrayal of the earliest stages in the lives of four babies from different parts of the globe: Ponijao in Namibia, Mari in Tokyo, Bayar in Mongolia and Hattie in San Francisco. Far from the usual breathless, cynical fare emanating from Hollywood, this film affirms life and honors the irreplaceable love between parents and their children. . . .

Through Balmès’s lens we meet everyday couples from around the world who are connected to each other, and to us, through our shared experience caring for our children. BABIES is a moving cinematic experience for people of all ages. It is a lyrical work of art that brings the human family together around our common love for our smallest members. Best of all, it demonstrates that there is hope yet for both Hollywood and our worldwide human family.
Read the rest here.
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CCD Confirmation Prep Takes a Break for the Summer

Seventh grade CCD had it's last class of the school year tonight. Following Mass, which included the Crowning of our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven, the students have been sent off for a time to be a light of Christ to the world in word and in deed.

The Lord appointed seventy-two disciples whom He sent ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
"Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
"Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
"Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the One who sent me."

--Luke 10:1-3, 8-9, 16
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God Bless You, Ernie Harwell

January 25, 1918 — May 4, 2010

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The Shroud of Turin:Passio Christi, Passio hominis

"In the hour of extreme solitude, we shall never be alone:
Passio Christi, Passio hominis."
Meditation of Pope Benedict XVI
Cathedral of Turin
Pastoral Visit to Turin
May 2, 2010

Dear friends,

This is a much-awaited moment for me. In another occasion, I found myself before the Holy Shroud, but this time I am living this pilgrimage and stop with special intensity. Perhaps, it is because the passing of years is making me understand even more the message of this extraordinary icon; perhaps, or I should say especially because I am here as the successor of Peter, I carry in my heart the entire Church, indeed the whole of humanity. I thank God for the gift of this pilgrimage, and for the opportunity of sharing this brief mediation with you, which was suggested to me by this solemn display, namely “the mystery of Holy Saturday.”

It is possible to say that the Shroud is the icon of that mystery, the Icon of Holy Saturday. It is a burial linen that was wrapped around the body of a crucified man. It matches what the Gospels say about Jesus, who was crucified around noon and passed away at about 3 pm. In the evening, since it was the Parasceve, the eve of the solemn Sabbath of Passover, Joseph of Arimathea, a man of wealth, and a distinguished member of the Sanhedrin, courageously went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus to bury in a new sepulchre that he had hewn out of the rock not far from Golgotha. After he got the permission and having bought a linen cloth, he took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in the tomb (see Mk, 15:42-46). This is what the Gospel of Mark says, which finds support in the other Evangelists. After that, Jesus remained in the sepulchre until the dawn of the day after the Sabbath. The Shroud of Turin offers us the picture of His body, laying in the tomb during this period, short in time (a day and half) but long and infinite in value and meaning.

Holy Saturday is the day of God’s concealment. As an ancient homily says, “Something strange is happening — there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. . . . God has fallen asleep in the flesh and He has risen up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear” (Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday, PG 43, 439). In the Creed, we also profess that Jesus Christ “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day He rose again."

Dear brothers, in our times, especially in the last century, humanity has become especially sensitive to the mystery of the Holy Saturday. God’s concealment is part of the spirituality of today’s mankind, in an existential and almost subconscious way, as the heart’s emptiness has grown ever more. Towards the end of the 19th century, Nietzsche wrote, “God is dead. . . . And we have killed Him.”

Christian tradition almost fulfils this well-known statement to the letter. We often repeat this during the Way of the Cross perhaps not fully realizing what we are saying. After two world wars, Nazi and Communist death camps, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, our age has become more like Holy Saturday. However, the Shroud is also a source that whispers in silence, and we can hear it and listen to it in the silence of Holy Saturday. The darkness of this day represents a question mark for all those who ask questions about life, especially believers. We too must cope with such darkness.

Yet the death of the Son of God, of Jesus of Nazareth, has an opposite effect and is totally positive, a source of consolation and hope. For this reason, it makes me think that the Shroud is like a “photographic” document, with its “positive” and “negative” side. It is exactly like that, the darkest mystery of faith is at the same time the brightest sign of boundless hope.

Holy Saturday is like a “no-man’s land” between death and resurrection. The One and Only has entered this “no-man’s land,” crossing it with the marks of His Passion for man: Passio Christi, Passio hominis. The Shroud speaks to us about that moment, witness to that unique and unrepeatable in-between moment in the history of humanity and the universe when God, through Jesus Christ, shared not only our death, but also our staying in death. This is the most radical form of solidarity.

During this “time-beyond-time,” Jesus Christ “descended into Hell.”

What does this mean? It means that God, as man, reached a point where He could find His way into the extreme and absolute solitude of mankind, a place untouched by any ray of love, where total neglect reigned and where no words of comfort could be heard, a place called Hell. Jesus Christ, by staying in death, crossed the threshold into the ultimate solitude in order to lead us into transcending it with Him.

All of us have occasionally experienced a dreadful feeling of being neglected; this is what scares us the most about death. As children, we are afraid of being left alone in the dark, and only the presence of someone who loves us can reassure us. This is precisely what happened on Holy Saturday. In the reign of death, God’s voice rang out. The unthinkable happened: Love penetrated “Hell.” Thus, even at the darkest moment, when human solitude was at its most absolute, we could hear a voice call us, see a hand reach out towards us, taking and leading us out. Human beings live to love and be loved. If love could penetrate the realm of death, life could thus reach into it. In the hour of extreme solitude, we shall never be alone: Passio Christi, Passio hominis.

This is the mystery of Holy Saturday. The light of a new hope appeared out of the darkness of the death of the Son of God: the light of the Resurrection. I think that looking at this sacred linen through the eyes of faith we can perceive something of this light. Indeed, the Shroud is immersed in that deep darkness, but it is also bright. I think that if thousands and thousands of people come to venerate it, not to mention those who contemplate at it in pictures, it is because they do not only see its darkness but also see its light. They do not see the defeat of life and love, but rather their victory, the victory of life over death and love over hatred. They see Jesus’ death but also catch a glimpse of His Resurrection.

Within death, the pulsating beat of life can be felt because it is inhabited by love. This is the power of the Shroud. From the face of this “Suffering Man” -— bearing the passion of mankind in every age and place, including our passions, suffering, difficulties and sins, i.e. the Passio Christi, Passio hominis —- comes a solemn majesty and a paradoxical power. This face, these hands and these feet, this chest, all this body speaks. It is a word that we can listen in silence.

How does the Shroud speak? It speaks with blood, the blood of life. The shroud is an icon written in blood, the blood of a man who was whipped, crowned with thorns, crucified and wounded on the right side of His chest. The image imprinted on the Shroud is that of a dead man, but the blood speaks of His life. Every trace of blood speaks of love and life, especially the large spot in the chest area, which marks where much blood and water flowed after being pierced by a Roman spear. Such blood and water speak of life. It is a source that whispers in silence. We can hear it and listen to it in the silence of Holy Saturday.

Dear friends, let us praise the Lord for His faithful and merciful love. Starting from this holy place, let us behold in our eyes the image of the shroud, let us bear this word of love in our heart, and let us praise the Lord through a life full of faith, hope and charity. Thank you.
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Preparation for Adult Confirmation 2010:Class Two

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)
Preparation for Adult Confirmation


Class Outline for April 24, 2010

II. Jesus Christ – Redeemer of Mankind – Complete Revelation of God

A. Existence and Nature of Jesus - Who and What is Jesus?

1. Tried for blasphemy – “I AM”

• guilty as charged, not guilty by reason of insanity, fictional character, or Son of God?

2. The Word (Logos)

• “Emmanuel,” God with us
• only begotten Son of God, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were made
• fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets
• Light of the World, Bread of Life
• the Way, the Truth, and the Life
• Judge of the living and the dead

3. Fully God and Fully Human

• God incarnate, God become man – one divine person with two complete natures, both human and divine, and two wills
• like us in all ways except for sin, with fully human freedom, frailties, and limitations
• the Son of God became a man to sanctify us, to make us partakers of His divine nature; that is, Jesus assumed our nature so that He, made man, might make men gods

4. Savior of the World

• “Jesus,” Yeshua, God saves
• the Messiah King, the “Christ,” anointed one
• Son of Man
• the Suffering Servant
• the Lamb of God, sacrificed in atonement for sin, reconciles mankind with God

B. The Life and Ministry of Jesus – Healer, Teacher, and Testifier to the Truth

1. Early Life of Jesus

• adoration of shepherds and Epiphany
• circumcision and presentation in the Temple
• slaughter of innocents, flight into Egypt, and departure out of Egypt
• teaching in the Temple
• hidden family life in Nazareth

2. Signs, Miracles, and Healings

• bearing witness to who He is and to the fact that the Kingdom of God is present within Him

3. Master Teacher

• utilizes different methods
• teaching on a variety of topics, including --
• testifying to Truth and to Love
• revealing who God the Father is, revealing who He is, revealing who the Holy Spirit is
• revealing who we are as human persons
• instructing us how to pray and how to serve God
• revealing the Kingdom of God, of heaven, of the last things
• giving us assurance and trustworthy hope to overcome all hardship
• commanding us to love God and love one another, to be perfect in love and truth, just as our heavenly Father is perfect, including giving of ourselves and being merciful

C. The Cross and Resurrection – the Paschal Mystery and the Transformative Power of Love

1. Perpetually Crucified, Eternally Resurrected

• the Crucifixion and Resurrection stand at the crossroads and center of human history
• God transcends time and space, so that specific points in human time, including the Crucifixion and Resurrection, continue to exist forever in His "present"
• the Passion of Jesus is an on-going event, He is eternally being scourged and crucified
• sin is a reality in the world, with real consequences – in the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus, the truth of that reality and those consequences are made manifest in His flesh
• we are the ones who crucify Him - every sin of ours is another lash on His flesh, another pound of the hammer driving nails into His hands and feet
• through the Cross, by His eternal, on-going Resurrection, He “makes all things new”

2. The Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sins of the World

• Jesus is Divine Mercy, who gives His life in forgiveness of mankind
• Jesus freely offers His life as an expiatory sacrifice, that is, He makes reparation for our sins out of love for God and mankind, so as to reconcile them and repair the rift that had been caused by man’s infidelity and rejection of God
• rather than conferring forgiveness by simply denying the reality of sin or pretending that it did not happen, and ignoring its consequences, Jesus freely offers His life as a sacrifice in justice and witness to the truth of the real and destructive effects of sin in the world
• by sin, we are held captive to sin and death, by the Cross, Jesus pays our ransom
• Jesus takes the sins of mankind upon Himself, not merely taking them upon Himself spiritually, much less philosophically, but He takes the sins of mankind upon Himself in the totality of His being, that is, upon His Body as well
• the spotless Passover Lamb, who is sacrificed by the high priests for the sins of the people, and who blood is sprinkled so that death would pass over, and we would be lead from the bondage of sin and death to freedom and life

3. The Compassion of Jesus

• Jesus offers Himself as ransom and accepts death on the Cross out of love for us
• as fully man, with all the frailties of humanity, Jesus, God Himself, profoundly knows what it means to suffer horrible pain, fear, and anguish – as such, He suffers with us (com-passion) in all of our own individual hardships
• His joining in our human suffering allows us to join in His suffering, thereby to give meaning to our suffering and to join in His redemptive purpose, our agonies can be transformed and overcome

4. The Destruction of Death and Restoration of Our Life

• the Resurrection is the crowning truth of the Faith
• the Resurrection is the work of the Trinity – Father manifesting His power, Son taking up again the life which He freely offered, and the Holy Spirit bringing that life and glorification
• Love is stronger than death
• death could not be destroyed by simply avoiding it, death could only be destroyed by descending into it and transforming it
• in His resurrected and glorified Body, Jesus carries the wounds of His Passion and Crucifixion

D. The Eucharist – Source and Summit of the Faith

1. Real and Substantial Presence

• Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ
• transubstantiation – genuine transformation of the whole fundamental substance of bread and wine into the substance of His actual flesh and blood, while still remaining under the appearance of bread and wine
• instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross, and be a memorial of His death and Resurrection
• recalls the unleavened bread of the Passover meal
• rightly called “Eucharist,” from the Greek for “thanksgiving”
• Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper
• recalling the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, Jesus is fully present in each part even in the breaking of the bread

2. Fullness of Communion

• intimately receiving Him in the entirety of our being, body and spirit
• unites us to His Glorified Resurrected Body and Blood
• as in His Incarnation, when Jesus united Himself with humanity, the Eucharist unites God to man and His Creation by utilizing bread and wine, materials that are taken from the earth, but into which man has put a part of himself in his labors by changing grain and grape to bread and wine
• a sign of unity – communion, joining as one with Him in the entirety of our being, joins us in communion with all the faithful on earth and in purgatory and the saints in heaven

3. One Mass, One Sacrifice

• Crucifixion and Resurrection transcend time, such that those moments continue in perpetuity
• in the Eucharistic sacrifice in the Mass, Christ is not sacrificed again and again, rather, the Crucifixion and Resurrection are re-presented, that is, made present again
• At Mass, the bread and wine are consecrated and transubstantiation is brought about in the Eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Jesus and by the action of the Holy Spirit
• bread and wine are made Body and Blood in the same manner as the creation of the universe, when God said “Let there be light” – by the Breath and Word of God

4. The Fruits of Holy Communion

• the Eucharist is “the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live forever in Jesus Christ” (St. Ignatius of Antioch)
• reception of the Eucharist preserves and renews the life of grace and makes us grow in love of neighbor while strengthening us in charity, wiping away venial sin, and giving grace to live a virtuous and holy life

E. Christ the Bridegroom and His Bride, the Church

1. Jesus Established the Church

• Jesus promised that He would be with us always, until the end of the age
• Jesus established the Church as His Holy Bride, two become one
• being one with Her Bridegroom Christ, the Church is also the Body of Christ
• to be in communion with the Church is to be one with Christ
• the word “church” is derived from the Greek word “kyriake,” meaning “what belongs to the Lord,” which is also called an “ecclesia” in Latin, “an assembly set apart”
• Jesus called His Apostles – the word “Apostle” is from the Greek for “emissary”
• the Apostles given special authority and power to act in persona Christi
• authority to teach
• authority to confer the Sacraments
• to build up and govern the Church
• the Apostle Peter, the first pope, was given a special supreme authority

2. Mission of the Church - Jesus Calls All His Disciples to be His Witnesses

• Jesus said to love God and love others as He has loved us
• Jesus has instructed us to go and make disciples of all nations
• the mission of the Church is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world
• to testify to truth and to love
• to serve Him and help Him in the reconciliation of man with God and the salvation of mankind
• all of the faithful, the people of God who make up the Church, are called by Jesus to be a light to the world

3. Jesus Promises to Send the Holy Spirit

• the institution of a New Covenant, with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, had been announced by the prophets Jeremiah and Joel
• Jesus fulfilled the scriptures in promising to send the Holy Spirit to the Church and faithful
• to guide and protect the Church
• to sanctify and make men and women more like God
• to confer the grace and power to be holy and perfect in love and truth, as God is perfect
• Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that we should be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect

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Preparation for Adult Confirmation 2010:Class One

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)
Preparation for Adult Confirmation

Class Outline for April 22, 2010

Introduction to Catechesis – “to make resound like an echo”

• remembering the events of salvation history and making them known, so as to provoke an "echo" of the faith in the mind and in the heart of the listener, and thereby transform his or her life

I. Salvation History – the process of God calling Mankind back to Himself

A. The Lord God (CCC 26-50, 74-354)

1. Knowledge of God

• reason and observation and natural revelation in the universe, the world, our bodies
• Divine Revelation, the Living Word of God – (written) Sacred Scripture and (oral) Tradition
• Revelation is God making it easier for us to know Him and know ourselves
• inspired, guided, and protected by the Holy Spirit
• interpret scripture as a whole, OT in light of NT and vice versa
• assistance of Magisterium in interpreting Revelation

2. Faith and Reason

• faith and reason are not contrary or incompatible, but assist each other
• faith itself is reasonable, being arrived at by revelation assisted by right reason
• pure reason is necessarily limited, and it is also impaired by influences of the world and sin
• reason’s search for truth always relies on and trusts (takes on faith) prior revealed knowledge
• religious faith helps reason to discover itself and open it to transcendence

3. Existence and Nature of God - Who and What is God?

• “I AM” – Logos – Creative Reason – Being itself – Truth
• Love, outward, fruitful and unitive
• Alpha and Omega - Complete in Himself and only Necessary Being
• Transcendent of Space and Time, thus omnipresent and eternal, singularity and totality of time
• Personal Being

4. The Trinity – One and Three - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

• God is Love, and love, by its very nature, is relational – total perfect love is communion
• God is Truth – One and complete in Himself
• In God, there is an everlasting personal love, the Holy Spirit, that proceeds from and between the persons of the Father and Son
• a loving communion of three distinct persons in one undivided divine nature, substance, and essence

5. God the Father – Creator

• creation of universe ex nihilo and ab initio temporis
• the universe and human beings are not accidental or arbitrary products of chance, but willed by God
• Divine Providence sustaining what God has created

B. Existence and Nature of Man (CCC 355-421, 1846-1876)

1. Who and What is Man?

• created by God in Love and Truth, contingent and dependent upon Him
• Man, male and female, equal and complementary, made in the image of the Triune God
• “not good for the man to be alone” – emptiness of individual solitude
• social-relational beings, incomplete in ourselves, in need of an other and Other in order to be true to ourselves
• body and soul, having one nature of matter and spirit, which is temporal and transcendent
• human personhood – a free subject with an inherent dignity, not an object or thing, possessed with sentience and free will, as well as the capacity for reason and for love

2. What is the Meaning of Life?

• “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself”
• love one another, as Jesus loves us, so too should we love one another
• God reveals meaning of life in scripture and in our very bodies, male and female
• we are made to love and be loved in truth
• made in love and truth, we are naturally drawn toward God, who is Love and Truth
• made in the image of the Trinity, this love is not merely relational, but spousal in nature
• meant to exist both in general society and in a specific loving communion of persons
• spousal-type communion with another human in marriage, or with God alone, is both unitive and fruitful (procreative)

3. Love and Truth and the Freedom of Mankind

• love is not love if it is not freely given and freely received
• God does not force His love or truth on us against our will – God does not even save us without our consent, we are free to choose to return His love or to reject Him and live our lives apart from Him
• Man has independent agency, with rational control and freedom to think and act - the universe is not purely materialistic and pre-determined
• the existence of a free will not pre-determined by physical factors suggests the existence of an extra-corporeal aspect to the person
• it is the spirit that allows one to transcend and overcome the mere biological electro-chemical reactions in the brain and thereby choose our actions
• the existence of free will means that we are morally responsible for our own willful choices

4. The Fall of Man – Original and Individual Sin

• sin, Original and personal, necessarily is in opposition to God, who is Truth and Love
• Adam and Eve erroneously believed that they did not need God, but could be gods themselves with the power to choose their own truth, their own concepts of right and wrong
• this Original Sin has affected and infected us all, leaving a stain on our very being
• the stain of Original Sin cannot be removed by our own efforts, but requires the transformative power of God, which we receive in Baptism
• a wide gulf of separation between humanity and God was created, so great that man is incapable of crossing it on his own
• mankind forgot knowledge of God
• individual and social nature and consequence of sin
• corruption of human nature, including ability to love and discern truth
• weakened will and impairment of reason, judgment, and ability to see and know God, rejection of Light has thrown us into darkness
• intrinsic punishment of being a slave to error and further sin, temptations overwhelm us
• ultimately, sin so removes us from Truth and Love, that is, Life, that we are “doomed to die”
• poisons all relations with others, both other humans and God
• types of sin – mortal and venial
• mortal sin involves a grave/serious matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent, such that it destroys love in the heart and turns one away from God, thereby resulting in eternal death if forgiveness is not sought and accepted
• venial sin wounds love in the heart and weakens grace, but is not so serious as to break the covenant with God, warranting temporal punishment and purgation, but not eternal death

C. God – Who is Divine Mercy – Calls Humanity Back to Himself (CCC 50-73, 484-511)

• Preparing Mankind for the Coming of Jesus Christ
• Establishing Relationships with Specific Peoples, and Gradually Revealing Himself, with Christ and the Church Prefigured Repeatedly Throughout History

1. Salvation History While Still in the Garden

• in breathing His Spirit into us and making us in His image, God imprinted upon our very being a natural desire for God
• the proto-evangelium, a promise of deliverance

2. The Covenant with Noah

• the Flood and the Ark

3. The Covenant with Abraham

• revelation of One God, the God of all peoples and all places
• a chosen people and a promised land
• called out of a far country
• sign of the covenant
• the meaning of total faith – offering to sacrifice Isaac

4. The Covenant with Jacob/Israel

• the suffering of Joseph leads to saving the people of God

5. Moses and Freedom from Bondage in Egypt

• the blood of the Passover lamb saves God’s people from death
• God leads His people out of bondage – passage through the waters of the Red Sea
• God protects His people, manna and water in the desert
• God gives His people freedom by giving them the Law - Torah

6. Judges and Kings

• military rulers
• the people desire a king, Saul is anointed, followed by David
• the covenant with David – promise of the Messiah
• psalms and other writings describe marital and parental relationship with God
• Solomon builds the first Temple

7. Repeated Infidelities of God’s People

• God’s people turn away and fall into sin, and God allows them to suffer the consequences
• enemies and invaders threaten and conquer Israel
• God mercifully forgives when the people seek to return to Him
• the Temple is defiled and razed
• the Diaspora and Babylonian exile
• the Prophets remind people of God’s mercy, encouraging them to have hope and return to Him
• the messianic prophecies of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel

8. Prophecy of a New Covenant

• prophets Jeremiah and Joel announce the coming of a New Covenant, which includes the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit upon all mankind

9. Return from Exile

• the land of Israel is heavily influenced by Greeks and other foreigners
• Maccabean revolt and Jewish independence
• the eternal light of the Temple
• Rome conquers “Palestine” and installs Herod the Great as king

D. The Culmination of Salvation History – Jesus Christ

1. St. Mary, the Handmaid of the Lord

• “Hail, Full of Grace”
• Immaculate Conception
• Mary’s “Yes”
• Theotókos, the Mother of God, living temple of God
• Ever Virgin
• New Eve
• Assumption into Heaven

2. St. Joseph, Protector of Jesus and Mary

• model of faith and love – selfless sacrifice and love without possessing
• wise and faithful servant
• Joseph’s “Yes” – the love and mercy of the just and righteous man
• teacher and provider for Jesus

3. The Incarnation and Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ

• God merges into humanity, the Fruit of Mary’s womb, flesh of her flesh, bone of her bone
• the mystery of the eternal, omnipresent, and all-powerful God entering time and becoming small and dependent

4. St. John the Baptist

• last and greatest of the prophets
• prepares the way for the Lord
• announces to the world that the long wait is over, salvation has come

Habemus Papam!

Cari fratelli e sorelle:
Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum;
Habemus Papam!

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum,
Dominum Josephum
Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Ratzinger
qui sibi nomen imposuit Benedictum XVI

April 19, 2005

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

After the great Pope John Paul II, the Cardinals have elected me, a simple and humble laborer in the vineyard of the Lord. The fact that the Lord knows how to work and to act even with inadequate instruments comforts me, and above all I entrust myself to your prayers. Let us move forward in the joy of the Risen Lord, confident of his unfailing help. The Lord will help us and Mary, his Most Holy Mother, will be on our side. Thank you.

Viva il Papa!

Only God can Guide Us Through the Storms of Life

Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Church of St. Publius - Floriana Granaries
Apostolic Journey to Malta on the Occasion of
the 1950th Anniversary of St. Paul's Shipwreck on the Island
Third Sunday of Easter, 18 April 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,
Maħbubin uliedi (My dear sons and daughters),

I am very glad to be here with all of you today before the beautiful church of Saint Publius to celebrate the great mystery of God’s love made manifest in the Holy Eucharist. At this time, the joy of the Easter season fills our hearts because we are celebrating Christ’s victory, the victory of life over sin and death. It is a joy which transforms our lives and fills us with hope in the fulfilment of God’s promises. Christ is risen, alleluia! . . .

The richness and variety of Maltese culture is a sign that your people have profited greatly from the exchange of gifts and hospitality with seafaring visitors. And it is a sign that you have known how to exercise discernment in drawing upon the best of what they had to offer.

I urge you to continue to do so. Not everything that today’s world proposes is worthy of acceptance by the people of Malta. Many voices try to persuade us to put aside our faith in God and His Church, and to choose for ourselves the values and beliefs by which to live. They tell us we have no need of God or the Church.

If we are tempted to believe them, we should recall the incident in today’s Gospel, when the disciples, all of them experienced fishermen, toiled all night but failed to catch a single fish. Then, when Jesus appeared on the shore, He directed them to a catch so great that they could scarcely haul it in. Left to themselves, their efforts were fruitless; when Jesus stood alongside them, they netted a huge quantity of fish. My dear brothers and sisters, if we place our trust in the Lord and follow His teachings, we will always reap immense rewards.

Our first reading at Mass today is one that I know you love to hear, the account of Paul’s shipwreck on the coast of Malta, and his warm reception by the people of these islands. Notice how the crew of the ship, in order to survive, were forced to throw overboard the cargo, the ship’s tackle, even the wheat which was their only sustenance. Paul urged them to place their trust in God alone, while the ship was tossed to and fro upon the waves. We too must place our trust in Him alone.

It is tempting to think that today’s advanced technology can answer all our needs and save us from all the perils and dangers that beset us. But it is not so. At every moment of our lives we depend entirely on God, in whom we live and move and have our being. Only He can protect us from harm, only He can guide us through the storms of life, only He can bring us to a safe haven, as He did for Paul and his companions adrift off the coast of Malta. They did as Paul urged them to do, and so it was “that they all escaped safely to the land” (Acts 27:44).

More than any of the cargo we might carry with us – in terms of our human accomplishments, our possessions, our technology – it is our relationship with the Lord that provides the key to our happiness and our human fulfilment. And He calls us to a relationship of love.

Notice the question that He put three times to Peter on the shore of the lake: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” On the basis of Peter’s affirmative response, Jesus assigns him a task – the task of feeding His flock. Here we see the basis of all pastoral ministry in the Church. It is our love for the Lord that must inform every aspect of our preaching and teaching, our celebration of the sacraments, and our care for the people of God. It is our love for the Lord that moves us to love those whom He loves, and to accept gladly the task of communicating His love to those we serve.

During our Lord’s Passion, Peter denied Him three times. Now, after the Resurrection, Jesus invites him three times to avow his love, in this way offering him healing and forgiveness and at the same time entrusting him with His mission. The miraculous catch of fish underlined the apostles’ dependence on God for the success of their earthly projects. The dialogue between Peter and Jesus underlined the need for divine mercy in order to heal their spiritual wounds, the wounds of sin. In every area of our lives we need the help of God’s grace. With Him, we can do all things: without Him we can do nothing.

We know from Saint Mark’s Gospel the signs that accompany those who put their faith in Jesus: they will pick up serpents and be unharmed, they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover (cf. Mk 16:18). These signs were immediately recognized by your forebears when Paul came among them. A viper attached itself to his hand, but he simply shook it off into the fire, and suffered no harm. He was taken to see the father of Publius, the protos of the island, and after praying and laying hands on him, Paul healed him of his fever.

Of all the gifts brought to these shores in the course of your people’s history, the gift brought by Paul was the greatest of all, and it is much to your credit that it was immediately accepted and treasured. Għożżu l-fidi u l-valuri li takom l-Appostlu Missierkom San Pawl (Preserve the faith and values transmitted to you by your father the Apostle Saint Paul). Continue to explore the richness and depth of Paul’s gift to you and be sure to hand it on not only to your children, but to all those you encounter today. No visitor to Malta could fail to be impressed by the devotion of your people, the vibrant faith manifested in your feast-day celebrations, the beauty of your churches and shrines.

But that gift needs to be shared with others, it needs to be articulated. As Moses taught the people of Israel, the words of the Lord “shall be upon your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise” (Deut 6:6-7). This was well understood by Malta’s first canonized Saint, Dun Ġorġ Preca. His tireless work of catechesis, inspiring young and old with a love for Christian doctrine and a deep devotion to the Incarnate Word of God, set an example that I urge you to maintain. Remember that the exchange of goods between these islands and the world outside is a two-way process. What you receive, evaluate with care, and what you have that is of value, be sure to share with others. . . .

As I look around me now at the great crowds gathered here in Floriana for our celebration of the Eucharist, I am reminded of the scene described in our second reading today, in which myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands united their voices in one great song of praise: “To the One seated on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever” (Rev 5:13). Continue to sing that song, in praise of the risen Lord and in thanksgiving for His manifold gifts.

In the words of Saint Paul, Apostle of Malta, I conclude my words to you this morning: “L-imħabba tiegħi tkun magħkom ilkoll fi Kristu Ġesù” (My love is with you all in Christ Jesus)(1 Cor 16:24).
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God Charts a Course of His Own for Us

Remarks of Pope Benedict XVI
Church of St. Paul in Rabat, Malta
Apostolic Journey to Malta on the Occasion of
the 1950th Anniversary of St. Paul's Shipwreck on the Island
April 17, 2010

My pilgrimage to Malta has begun with a moment of silent prayer at the Grotto of Saint Paul, who first brought the faith to these islands. . . .

Saint Paul’s arrival in Malta was not planned. As we know, he was travelling to Rome when a violent storm arose and his ship ran aground on this island. Sailors can map a journey, but God, in His wisdom and providence, charts a course of His own. Paul, who dramatically encountered the Risen Lord while on the road to Damascus, knew this well. The course of his life was suddenly changed; henceforth, for him, to live was Christ (cf. Phil 1:21); his every thought and action was directed to proclaiming the mystery of the Cross and its message of God’s reconciling love.

That same word, the word of the Gospel, still has the power to break into our lives and to change their course. Today, the same Gospel which Paul preached continues to summon the people of these islands to conversion, new life and a future of hope. Standing in your midst as the Successor of the Apostle Peter, I invite you to hear God’s word afresh, as your ancestors did, and to let it challenge your ways of thinking and the way you live your lives.

From this holy place where the apostolic preaching first spread throughout these islands, I call upon each of you to take up the exciting challenge of the new evangelization. Live out your faith ever more fully with the members of your families, with your friends, in your neighbourhoods, in the workplace and in the whole fabric of Maltese society.

In a particular way I urge parents, teachers and catechists to speak of your own living encounter with the Risen Jesus to others, especially the young people who are Malta’s future. "Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!" (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 2). Believe that your moments of faith assure an encounter with God, who in His mighty power touches human hearts. In this way, you will introduce the young to the beauty and richness of the Catholic faith, and offer them a sound catechesis, inviting them to ever more active participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

The world needs this witness! In the face of so many threats to the sacredness of human life, and to the dignity of marriage and the family, do not our contemporaries need to be constantly reminded of the grandeur of our dignity as God’s children and the sublime vocation we have received in Christ? Does not society need to reappropriate and defend those fundamental moral truths which remain the foundation of authentic freedom and genuine progress?

Just now, as I stood before this Grotto, I reflected on the great spiritual gift (cf. Rom 1:11) which Paul gave to Malta, and I prayed that you might keep unblemished the heritage bequeathed to you by the great Apostle. May the Lord confirm you and your families in the faith which works through love (cf. Gal 5:6), and make you joyful witnesses to the hope which never disappoints (cf. Rom 5:5).

Christ is risen! He is truly risen! Alleluia!
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Bernadette Soubirous

Happy Feast Day!


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Saint Bernadette,

Pray for us.





Holy Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes,
Pray for us.

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Happy Birthday Holy Father!

Benedetto, We Love You!

V. Let us pray for Benedict, our Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. [Ps 40:3]

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou has chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he has charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, he may attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Coming Soon . . .

The final draft materials for the group presentation on a Study of the Plagues of Egypt.

Karol Wojtyla, Pray for Us

Homily of Camillo Cardinal Ruini
Novendiali Mass in Memory of Pope John Paul II
Third Sunday of Easter, 10 April 2005

The Lord Jesus, risen from the dead, became the travelling companion of the two disciples who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus: we might make a bold comparison and say that our deeply beloved Pope, "who came from far away", became the travelling companion of Christians of Rome for over 26 years.

Today, while we are stunned and filled with sorrow by the demise of John Paul II but also confident and joyful at the certainty of his presence in a new, mysterious and luminous way, we might ask ourselves how John Paul II managed to be so close to us and touch so deeply the hearts of the people of Rome, but also of the Italians and of so many citizens of the world.

The true answer is simple and significant: he was and continues to be for everyone a brother and father, because he was a man of God who lived constantly in God's presence, closely united with him and trusting totally in his infinite mercy.

Our Pope, therefore, was first and foremost a man of prayer, and he spent most of his time and energy praying. He identified with Jesus Christ and configured himself to the Priesthood of Christ so that he could say: "Holy Mass is absolutely the centre of my life and of all my days".

He was totally consecrated to Mary; and he proved how authentic this consecration was when, on awakening from the anaesthetic after his tracheotomy, he wrote immediately: "To Mary... I once again entrust myself: Totus Tuus!" [totally yours: the Pope's motto].

Yet this extraordinary closeness to God did not distance him from us earthly, sinful people, nor did it envelop him in an atmosphere of remote holiness.

On the contrary, John Paul II was a real man who fully enjoyed and appreciated the savour of life: from the beauty of art, poetry and nature to the vigour of sport, from philosophical and theological thought to the courage required to take the most demanding decisions.

Through him, therefore, we felt the Lord truly close to us. We realized in a certain way that God does not dwell in inaccessible regions but is the Lord of life and wants to be the centre of our lives.

Moreover, our Pope wrote in his first Encyclical Redemptor Hominis that man is "the primary and fundamental way for the Church", explaining that "we are not dealing with the "abstract' man, but the real, "concrete', "historical' man... in the full truth of his existence, of his personal community and social being" (Redemptor Hominis, nn. 13, 14).

John Paul II showed in many ways, to us Romans in particular, what it meant to him, Bishop and Pastor, for man to be the primary way of the Church. It is right and also a pleasure, at this point, to recall them.

First of all, how could we forget his Pastoral Visits to 130 parishes of Rome? Personally, I cannot forget the insistence, not to say anxiety, with which he would ask me: "When are we going to visit the parishes?"

This insistence and concern were gradually to increase as his health deteriorated. When he could no longer visit the parishes in person, he wished to receive another 16 parish communities in the Vatican. Even last January, he was planning to receive as soon as possible the remaining 16 of the 333 parishes of Rome: a desire that he took with him when he entered into the joy of the Lord.

As well as visiting the parishes, he visited hospitals: he paid these visits every year, as long as he himself could go to the patients' bedside. Nor did he give up meeting the sick in wheelchairs who came to him in this Basilica of St Peter's for the 11 February celebrations [World Day of the Sick].

Each year his visit to the Roman Seminary on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Trust gave him heartfelt joy. And his meeting with the clergy of Rome on the Thursday after Ash Wednesday was also a joyful, friendly moment, as were his lunches with the parish priests and parochial vicars a few days before visiting the parishes.

Another appointment he never missed and very much looked forward to was the Mass for the University students that he would preside at here in St Peter's a few days before Christmas, and likewise, the meeting with the young people of Rome on the Thursday before Palm Sunday to draw greater benefit from the diocesan dimension of World Youth Day.

Furthermore, let us not forget that John Paul II was the Pope who wanted to visit the many Roman Universities systematically.

So it was that every day he lived his ministry as Bishop of Rome, putting into practice his own words to the priests of Rome on 9 November 1978, soon after his election: "I am deeply aware of having become Pope of the universal Church, because of being Bishop of Rome. The ministry... of the Bishop of Rome, as Peter's Successor, is the root of universality" (L'Osservatore Romano English edition [ORE], 16 November 1978, p. 3, n. 1).

If we then look at his principal instructions and pastoral initiatives, we can say that the Diocese of Rome not only deeply benefited from the universal magisterium of its Bishop, but also received from him certain specific, fundamental instructions for events, two of which were particularly important: the Diocesan Synod and the City Mission.

The Synod was convoked in 1986 and ended in 1993. Indeed, as John Paul II had explicitly desired, the Synod subsequently became in the life of the Diocese a great practical training ground for the ecclesiology of communion of the Second Vatican Council. The Diocese of Rome stands particularly in need of this communion because of the great variety and wealth of people and charisms that exist side by side within it.

The Synod then developed in a fruitful and innovative way in the City Mission. It was on 8 December 1995 that the Pope asked the Church of Rome to launch this Mission, "in order to prepare the hearts of the inhabitants to welcome the grace of the Holy Year and to find again in their faith in Jesus Christ and in the wealth of life and culture that springs from it the reasons for the particular task entrusted to the Eternal City in relation to the entire world" (ORE, 13 December 1995, n. 2, p. 5).

It was not merely a "mission to the people", although it extended to the whole city, but rather, of the "People of God in mission"; in fact, the parishes, religious communities, associations and movements endeavoured for three years to be missionaries to Rome's families and to the various milieus of work and life by means of the direct commitment of a great number of lay people beside the priests, women religious and deacons.

Dear brothers and sisters of this Church of Rome, the mission is, as it were, the Pastoral Testament that John Paul II has entrusted to his Diocese: let us remember what he said about parishes and the Church, which must seek and find themselves outside themselves, wherever people live. This is the Church which he wanted, and which today he continues to ask us to be and to live: a Church which has not withdrawn into herself, a Church neither timid, nor disheartened, a Church that burns with the love of Christ for the salvation of every person.

Let us now attempt to delve more deeply into his Bishop's and Father's heart in order to penetrate it. His words on taking possession of his Cathedral, the Basilica of St John Lateran, on 12 November 1978, can help us.

John Paul II identified in the commandment of love the essential content of his own ministry, by recalling the marvellous assertion of Jesus: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love" (Jn 15: 9). And the Pope continued: "Love constructs; only love constructs!" (ORE, 23 November 1978, n. 4, p. 7).

The disciples of Emmaus asked the Risen Jesus, whom they had not yet recognized: "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent". This evening we feel in our own hearts an overwhelming need to ask this Pope to "Stay with us". And we well know that he truly remains with us.

But we also know the only way in which we will really be able to stay with him, and that is, not only emotionally and superficially. It is the way to remain, each one of us personally and the whole Church of Rome, all together in the love of the Lord, that love which is nourished by faith and daily obedience to his will and especially to his commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you" (cf. Jn 15: 12).

In his suffering and death and throughout his life, Pope John Paul II was an extraordinarily effective witness and preacher of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead; he resembled the Apostles Peter and Paul, whose great Christian and human legacy he inherited.

Therefore, the days of mourning and of the funeral rites, for Rome and for the entire world, became days of extraordinary unity, of hearts open to God and to reconciliation. This unity was possible because the Pope had kept them firmly together and had shown the entire world with his whole life the integrity of faith in Christ and the universality of the love of Christ himself, who offered himself on the Cross for us all.

We Romans have received the gift of being direct witnesses of these events of grace and of being able to collaborate with them. We wholeheartedly thank the Lord and as we pray for our great Pope, let us entrust ourselves especially to his prayers, that we may become livelier and better members of that Church which, down the centuries, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is still living and renewing herself as the Bride of Christ and our gentile Mother.

We should await our new Bishop and Pope in the light of this same Spirit. Let us not be pointlessly and too humanly curious to know beforehand who he will be. Let us prepare ourselves instead to welcome in prayer, trust and love, the one whom the Lord chooses to give us.

While I renew our gratitude to God for this Pope who broke the Eucharistic Bread with us and for us for 26 years, let us also thank our Sister Church of Krakow and the beloved Polish Nation which gave life, faith and wonderful Christian and human riches to John Paul II, Karol Wojtyła, so that he might give them to Rome and to the whole world.
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