ANGELUS TODAY
In his remarks today, the Holy Father commented on the reading from St. Paul's Letter to the Corinthians, in which he likened the Church to the human body; recalled the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with Vespers in St. Paul's Basilica tomorrow; and paid tribute to St. Francis de Sales, patron of communications, on his feast day today.
He also recalled the beatification yesterday in Barcelona of José Samsó i Elías, Cataln priest and martyr who was killed during the Spanish Civil War.
In English, he cited today's Gospel:
In today’s liturgy, Jesus tells us plainly that he has been anointed "to preach good news to the poor" (Lk 4:18). Indeed, it is the poor whom God has chosen to be rich in faith and heirs of His kingdom (cf. Jas 2:5).
Dear brothers and sisters, may those in need take courage from the Good News, and may all of us be generous with God’s gifts to us (cf. Mk 4:24).
Here is a full translation of the Holy Father's words:
Dear brothers and sisters:
Among the Biblical readings in the liturgy today is the famous text from the First letter to the Corinthians in which St. Paul compares the Church to the human body.
He wrote: "As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor 12,12-13).
The Church is conceived as a body, of which Christ is the head, and she is one with him. But what the Apostle wished to communicate was the idea of unity in the multiplicity of charisms, which are the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks to these, the Church is a rich and vital organism, not uniform, the fruit of the one Spirit who leads everyone to profound unity, assuming diversity without abolishing it and realizing a harmonious ensemble.
The Church prolongs the presence of the Risen Lord throughout history, particularly through the Sacraments, the Word of God, the charisms and ministries distributed among the community.
That is why, it is in Christ and the Spirit that the Church is one and holy - an intimate communion that transcends and sustains human capacities.
I wish to underscore this aspect as we observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which ends tomorrow, feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Following tradition, I will celebrate Vespers in the afternoon at the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls, with the participation of representatives from other Churches and ecclesial communities who are present in Rome.
We will ask God for the gift of full unity of all the disciples of Christ, and, in particular, according to the theme this year, we will renew our commitment to be witnesses together of the crucified and risen Christ (cfr Lk 24,48).
The communion of Christians, indeed, would render the proclamation of the Gospel more credible and effective, as Jesus himself affirmed in praying to the Father on the eve of his death: "That they may all be one... so that the world may believe" (Jn 17,21).
Finally, dear friends, I wish to recall the figure of St. Francis de Sales, whose liturgical feast we observe on January 24. Born in Savoy in 1567, he studied law in Paris and Padua, then, called by the Lord, he became a priest. He dedicated himself with great success to preaching and the spiritual formation of the faithful, teaching that the call to sainthood is for everyone, and that each one - as St. Paul says in comparing the Church to the human body - has his place in the Church.
St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of journalists and the Catholic press. To his spiritual assistance, I entrust the Message for the World Day of Social Communications that I sign every year on this occasion and which was presented yesterday at the Vatican.
May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, obtain for us that we may always progress in communion in order to transmit the beauty of being 'only one' in the unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
After the prayers, he said this:
Yesterday, in Barcelona, José Samsó i Elías, a Catalan priest and martyr killed during the Spanish Civil War, was proclaimed Blessed. A true witness to Christ, he died forgiving his persecutors. For priests, especially parish priests, he is a model of dedication to catechesis and to charity towards the poor.
He repeated the message in his Spanish greeting, after which he also said a few words in Catalan. To Polish pilgrims, he said:
In the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Christ the Lord once again prays for us: "That they may all be one!" Let us pray, too, to obtain this desired gift from God - that the Church and other Communities may unite in the spirit of faith, the civilization of life, peace and love. Nourishing the desire of communion among all who believe in Christ, let us build our daily lives on Christ and his Gospel.
In his final greeting in Italian he said this:
I address a special greeting to the families in the Movimento dell’Amore Familiare and all those who last night held vigil at the church of St. Gregory VII to pray for just and peaceful solutions to the problems related to immigration.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 24/01/2010 15:31]