REGINA CAELI
May 20, 2012
At the Regina caeli prayers, the Holy Father reflected on the Ascension of Jesus, and had a number of reminders and special messages.
First, the World Day for Social Communications, marked every year on May 20, about which he released his message last January on 'Silence and words'; and the Feast of Mary Help of Christians on May 24, which is celebrated most especially in the Marian shrine of Sheshan near Shanghai, and which, since 2008, the Church marks as a day of prayer for the Church in China.
The Pope called on Catholics worldwide to join in prayer with the Church in China, so that believers thre may persevere in their faith despite all the difficulties and obstacles to the free practice of Catholicism in mainland China.
In a series of appeals following the midday prayers, the Holy Father also strongly condemned a bomb attack on a high school in Brindisi, southern Italy, on Saturday that left a young girl dead and others seriously wounded and called for prayers for the victims of a magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck just north of Bolonga early Sunday morning.
He had a special greeting for Italy's Movement for Life who turn out annually for the Angelus or Regina caeli to publicize their movement.
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words today:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Forty days after the Resurrection, according to the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus ascebded to heaven. That is, he returned to his Father who had sent hom to the world.
In many countries, this mystery is celebrated not on Thursday (that is the 40th day since Easter Sunday] but today, which is the Sunday after that Thursday.
The Ascension of the Lord marks the full compliance of the work of salvation that began with the Incarnation. After having instructed his disciples for the last time, Jesus rose to heaven (cfr Mk 16,19).
But he has not not 'distanced himself from our lowly state' (cfr Preface for Ascension I). In fact, in his humanity, he has taken up mankind with himself to the intimacy of the Father, and has revealed the final destination of our earthly pilgrimage.
Just as he came down from heaven for us, and suffered and died on the cross for us, so he rose again and returned to the Father, who is no longer remote, but 'our God', 'our Father' (cfr Jn 20,17).
The Ascension is the last act of our liberation from the yoke of sin, as the apostle Paul writes: "He ascended on high and took prisoners captive" (Eph 4,8). St. Leo the Great explains that this mystery "proclaims not just the immortality of the soul but also that of the flesh. Today, in fact, we are not only confirmed to be the possessors of Paradsie. but we are also penetrated by Christ from the heights of heaven" (De Ascensione Domini, Tractatus 73, 2.4: CCL 138 A, 451.453).
That is why the disciples, when they saw the Master rise from the earth and towards the sky, they were not seized by desolation, but felt a great joy and felt themselves urged on to proclaim the victory of Christ over death (cfr Mk 16,20).
And the Risen Lord worked with them, distributing to each one his own charism, so that the Christian community in its entirety could reflect the harmonous richness of heaven.
St. Paul continues: "He gave gifts to men... And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers... for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the full stature of Christ" (Eph 4,8.11-13).
Dear friends, the Ascension tells us that in Christ, our humanity is carried up to God. And so, everytime we pray, the earth conjoins with heaven. Just as incense when it burns sends its smoke upwards with its gentle odor, so it is that when we raise our fervent and trustful prayer to the Lord, it reaches up to the Throne of God, where it is heard by him and answered.
In the famous work of San Juan de la Cruz [John of the Cross], Ascent to Mount Carmel, we read that "for us to see the desires of our heart fulfilled, there is no better way than to place the force of our prayers into that which pleases God most. Then, he will not just give us what we ask for, namely, salvation, but also what he sees right and good for us, even if we do not ask for it" (Libro III, cap. 44, 2, Roma 1991, 335).
After the prayers, he said:
Today, we celebrate the World Day for Social Communications on the theme "Silence and words: The path to evangelization". Silence is an integral part of communication - it is the favored place in which to encounter the Word of God and our brothers and sisters.
I invite everyone to pray so that communications, in its every form, may always serve to establish authentic dialog with others, one that is based on reciprocal respect, on listening, adn on sharing.
Thursday, May 24, is a day dedicated to the liturgical commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Help of Christians, venerated with great devotion in the shrine of Sheshan, near Shanghai.
Let us join in prayer with all the Catholics of China so that they may announce Christ who died and rose again, with humility and joy; that they may be faithful to his Church and to the Successor of Peter; and that they may live daily in a way that is consistent with the faith that they profess.
Mary, faithful Virgin, sustain the Chinese Catholics on their journey, make their prayers ever more intensely valuable in the eyes of the Lord, and let the affection and participation of the universal Church in the journey of the Chinese Catholics continue to grow.
I address a heartfelt greeting to the thousands of members of the Italian Movement for Life who are now gathered in Aula Paolo VI. Dear friends, your movement has always been committed to the defense of human life, according to the teachings of the Church.
Along these lines, you have announced a new initiative called 'Uno di noi' (One of us) to stand up for the dignity and fundamental rights of every human being from the time he is conceived.
I encourage you and urge you to always be witnesses and builders of the culture of life.
In his closing greeting to Italian pilgrims, he said:
Today, unfortunately, I must talk about the children at the school in Brindisi who were the targets yesterday of a vile bomb attack. Let us pray together for the wounded, many among them seriously, and especially for the young Melissa, innocent victim of brutal violence, for her family, and all those who are in grief.
My affectionate thoughts also go to the dear people of Emilia-Romagna stricken a few hours ago by an earthquake. I am spiritually close to all those who are being tested by this calamity. Let us ask God's mercy for those who have died, and relief in their suffering for those who were injured.
NB: The bomb planted in the Brindisi school was intended to mark the 20th anniversary of the ambush killing near Palermo by Mafia gunmen of a judge who was trying some Mafia cases, his wife and three bodyguards. It will be recalled that when Pope Benedict made a pastoral visit to Palermo in 2010, on his way to the airport afterwards, he stopped to offer a prayer at the roadside memorial to those Mafia victims... The magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck north of Bologna and has claimed six deaths so far.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 21/05/2012 13:25]