00 15/03/2013 13:59


A prayer for Benedict
at the Missa pro Ecclesia

I must admit I was surprised today to hear the second of the Prayers of the Faithful offered at the Missa pro Ecclesia, after the prayer for the Pope, since it was a prayer for Benedict XVI, as follows:
“Per Sua Santita Benedeto XVI: serva la Chiesa nel nascondimento con una vita dedicata alla preghiera e alla meditazione.”

Translation:
"For His Holiness Benedict XVI: may he serve the Church in hiddenness with a life dedicated to prayer and meditation.”

I do not know who formulates these prayers, which change depending on the occasion, but we may presume this was cleared with the new Pope.

First, it is remarkable that whoever prepared this had thought of Benedict XVI at all - that's how cynical I have become about the seemingly universal attitude of 'out with the old, completely'.

I'd like to imagine it was Pope Francis himself who suggested it, in which case, the use of the phrase "His Holiness Benedict XVI", following the latter's decision that in retirement he would continue to be called 'Your Holiness', would indicate that Pope Francis is not going to overrule that, but who knows? Sandro Magister and his canonists seem to be rooting that he does.

However, what strikes me more is the use of the phrase 'in hiddenness' (nel nascondimento). True, it was a phrase Benedict XVI himself had used about his retirement, but to use it in the prayer was odd - as though to underscore that he must do whatever he has to do 'in hiddenness'. Or maybe that's more of the cynic in me reacting.

Anyway, I'd like to post here Vatican Radio's translation of Pope Francis's first homily, which was delivered spontaneously, without notes. To the gushing wonder of types like EWTN's Raymond Arroyo, who said, "That is so stunning! Popes never deliver homilies without a written text... It sounds so different, it really comes from the heart". He had the grace to add right afterwards, "Of course, all Popes speak from the heart, but still..."

Until Benedict XVI, I do not think any Pope ever delivered anything extemporaneously, because the thinking was they had to make sure they said not a single word, much less express any thought, that could in any way be construed as theologically wrong or confused, or that could raise questions about concordance with accepted Magisterium.

But to say now that the new Pope has done something no Pope had done before is to completely ignore the eight years of Benedict XVI's Pontificate - but that seems to be the point of all the commentary one hears and reads these days...

Pope Francis's first homily
Missa pro Ecclesia


March 14, 2013

With all that said, here is Vatican Radio's translation of Pope
Francis's homily at the Missa pro Ecclesia. Delivered in Italian, the homily is simple, well-structured and direct, and very much in Benedict XVI's Christ-centered penitential line :
In these three readings I see that there is something in common: it is movement. In the first reading, movement is the journey [itself]; in the second reading, movement is in the up-building of the Church. In the third, in the Gospel, the movement is in [the act of] profession: walking, building, professing.

Walking: the House of Jacob. “O house of Jacob, Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” This is the first thing God said to Abraham: “Walk in my presence and be blameless.”

Walking: our life is a journey and when we stop, there is something wrong. Walking always, in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live with that blamelessness, which God asks of Abraham, in his promise.

Building: to build the Church. There is talk of stones: stones have consistency, but [the stones spoken of are] living stones, stones anointed by the Holy Spirit. Build up the Church, the Bride of Christ, the cornerstone of which is the same Lord. With movement in our lives, let us build!

Third, professing: we can walk as much we want, we can build many things, but if we do not confess Jesus Christ, nothing will avail. We will become a pitiful NGO, but not the Church, the Bride of Christ.

When one does not walk, one stalls.

When one does not build on solid rocks, what happens? What happens is what happens to children on the beach when they make sandcastles: everything collapses, it is without consistency.

When one does not profess Jesus Christ - I recall the phrase of Leon Bloy – “Whoever does not pray to God, prays to the devil.” When one does not profess Jesus Christ, one professes the worldliness of the devil.

Walking, building-constructing, professing: the thing, however, is not so easy, because in walking, in building, in professing, there are sometimes shake-ups - there are movements that are not part of the path: there are movements that pull us back.

This Gospel continues with a special situation. The same Peter who confessed Jesus Christ, says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I will follow you, but let us not speak of the Cross. This has nothing to do with it.”

He says, “I’ll follow you on other ways, that do not include the Cross.”

When we walk without the Cross, when we build without the Cross, and when we profess Christ without the Cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly, we are bishops, priests, cardinals, Popes, but not disciples of the Lord.

I would like that all of us, after these days of grace, might have the courage - the courage - to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Cross of the Lord: to build the Church on the Blood of the Lord, which is shed on the Cross, and to profess the one glory, Christ Crucified. In this way, the Church will go forward.

My hope for all of us is that the Holy Spirit, that the prayer of Our Lady, our Mother, might grant us this grace: to walk, to build, to profess Jesus Christ Crucified. So be it.

[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 16/03/2013 12:14]