Mass with the Holy Father
ends Schuelerkreis seminar
Translated from the 8/30-8/31 issue of
What counts in liturgy are not the exterior aspects but its spiritual profundity. This was one of the ideas reflected on by Benedict XVI during the seminar reunion held by his former doctoral students in the so-called Ratzinger Schuelerkreis, on August 27-28.
[In the two-day seminar on the subject of the interpretation of Vatican II, the second of two lectures given by the principal resource speaker, Mons. Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, was on Sacrosanctum concilium, Vatican-II's Constitution on the Liturgy.]
The Pope underscored the need for liturgical formation in depth that must always take into account the spiritual dimension of liturgy.
On Sunday morning, August 29, the Pope celebrated Mass with his former students at the Centro Mariopoli where the seminar was held.
Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, Archbishop of Vienna, delivered the homily and said humility should impel the Christian to always look to Jesus and to his fellowmen with soberiety, gratitude and joy.
The Vatican press office released the text of the Holy Father's brief remarks to his former students before the Mass. Here is a translation of the German text.
Dear friends,
At the end of today's Gospel, the Lord points out how we continue to live in the manner of pagans - when we only invite those who can invite us back, and we only give to those who can give back to us.
God's way is different: We experience it in the Holy Eucharist where he invites us to his table, we who are lame, blind and deaf. We must, above all, be moved by gratitude on this occasion that God is, that God is as he is, that he is as Jesus Christ is, that he invites us to his table and wishes to sit with us at table, even if we have nothing to give him and even if we are full of sin.
But we must also be moved to feel our sin, that we have barely gone beyond paganism because we have barely lived the novelty of God's way. Thus, we begin Holy Mass with a plea for forgiveness, for a forgiveness that will change us, that will truly make us like God, in in his image and likeness.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 31/08/2010 16:23]