HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II
November 1, 2000
. 1. "Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our Lord, for ever and ever "(Rev 7, 12).
With an attitude of deep adoration of the Blessed Trinity, we join all the saints who celebrate the heavenly liturgy perpetually to repeat them thanksgiving to our God for the wonders he has made in the history of salvation.
Praise and thanksgiving to God for having raised in the Church a great multitude of saints, no one can tell (cf. Ap 7, 9). A huge crowd : not only the saints and blessed to celebrate the liturgical year, but the Saints anonymous that only God knows. Mothers and fathers that, through their dedication to their children daily, effectively helped the growth of the Church and society building, priests, religious and laity, as lighted candles at the altar of the Lord have been consumed in the service of one's neighbor of material and spiritual missionaries who have left everything to bring the Gospel message to everyone. And the list could go on.
2. Praise and thanksgiving to God so particular the holiest of all creatures, Mary, loved by the Father because Jesus blessed fruit of her womb, and sanctified and made new creature by the Holy Spirit! Model of holiness for putting their lives at the disposal of the Almighty, "with its light above the pilgrim people of God as a sign of hope and solace" (Lumen Gentium , 68).
Just today marks the fiftieth anniversary ceremony with which my venerable Predecessor Pope Pius XII, in the same place, defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary into heaven body and soul. We praise the Lord for having glorified his mother, joining his victory over sin and death.
A wanted to join our worship today, especially, the faithful of Pompeii , which in large numbers, have been on pilgrimage, led by Archbishop Shrine prelate, Archbishop Francesco Saverio Toppi, and accompanied by the mayor. His presence is a reminder that it was the Blessed Bartolo Longo, founder of the new Pompeii, who started in 1900, the movement promoting the definition of the dogma of the Assumption.
3. All today's liturgy speaks of holiness. But to know the path of holiness, we must go with the Apostles on the Mount of Beatitudes, Jesus and get closer to listen to the words of life that come from his lips. Today also we repeat: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The Divine Master proclaimed "blessed" and could say, "canonized" above all to the poor in spirit , ie those with a heart free of prejudices and constraints and therefore are willing to meet all the divine. The total membership and trusting God is the detachment and consistent self-detachment.
Blessed are they that mourn. It is the bliss of not only those suffering from the many miseries inherent in the mortal human condition, but also from those who accept with courage the suffering stemming from the sincere profession of the evangelical morality.
Blessed are the pure in heart . Christ proclaims blessed those who are not content with the outside or ritual purity, but rather seek the absolute inner righteousness which excludes all lies and all fold.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . Human justice is already a high goal, which ennobles the soul of those who aspire to it, but the thought of Jesus refers to greater justice, who is seeking the saving will of God is blessed above all who has This hunger and thirst for justice. In fact, Jesus said: "He will enter the kingdom of heaven who does the will of my Father" (Mt 7, 21).
Blessed are the merciful. How mature are happy hard-heartedness and indifference to specifically recognize the primacy of compassion, following the example of the Good Samaritan and, ultimately, the Father rich in mercy "(Eph 2, 4).
Blessed are the peacemakers . Peace, synthesis of the messianic goods, is a demanding task. In a world that presents tremendous antagonisms and barriers, it is necessary to promote a fraternal life inspired by love and fellowship, overcoming enmity and contrasts. Blessed are those who engage in this noble enterprise.
4. The Saints took seriously the words of Jesus. They believed that their "happiness" would come to translate specifically into existence. And found its truth in daily confrontation with the experience: despite the evidence, the shadows and failures in the land and enjoyed the deep joy of communion with Christ. It discovered this in time, the initial germ of the future glory of the kingdom of God.
This was discovered in a special way, Mary Most Holy, who lived a unique communion with the Incarnate Word, giving himself unreservedly to his saving plan. For this reason it was granted to hear, in advance to "sermon of the mountain "the bliss summarizes all the others: " Blessed are you who believed that what you said the Lord would be fulfilled "(Lk 1, 45).
5. deep faith of the Virgin in the words of God is reflected clearly in the song of Magnificat: "My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden" ( Lc 1, 46-48).
This song shows what Mary was the foundation of his holiness, his deep humility . One might ask what it was that humility. In this regard, it is very significant the "embarrassment" that caused the angel's greeting: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1, 28). Before the mystery of grace, to experience a special presence of God who stared at her, Mary experienced a natural impulse of humility (literally "humiliation"). Is the reaction of the person who is fully aware of your smallness before God's greatness. Mary referred to in the truth itself, others and the world.
Your question: "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" (Lk 1, 34) was already a sign humility. Just heard that she would conceive and give birth to a child, who would reign on the throne of David and Son of the Most High. Of course, not fully understood the mystery of the divine will, but realized that meant a total change in the reality of his life. However, not asked, "Is it really so? Should this happen?". He said simply: "How is that?". Without hesitation or reservations accepted divine intervention that changed his life. Your question expressed the humility of faith, the willingness to put their lives in service of divine mystery, but he did not understand how should happen.
That humility of spirit, the full submission in faith expressed in his special way fiat: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord, unto me according to your word" (Lk 1, 38). Thanks to Mary's humility could be fulfilled which then sing the Magnificat : "Henceforth all generations will call me blessed, because the Almighty has done great things for me holy is his name" (Lk 1, 48 - 49).
At the depth of humility corresponding the greatness of the gift. The Almighty made for her "great works" (Lk 1, 49), and she learned to accept with gratitude and transmit them to all generations of believers. This is the way to Heaven followed by Mary, Mother of the Saviour, preceding it with all the saints and blessed of the Church.
6. Blessed are you, Mary, assumed into heaven body and soul . Pope Pius XII defined this truth "for the glory of God Almighty (...), for the honor of His Son, the immortal King of ages and conqueror of sin and death, to increase the glory of the same August Mother, and joy and rejoicing of the whole Church "( Munificentissimus Deus: AAS 42 [1950] 770).
And we rejoice, O Mary, assumed into heaven in the contemplation of yourself glorified and risen Christ, which became a contributor to the Holy Spirit for the communication of divine life to men. In you we see the goal of holiness to which God calls all members of the Church. In your life of faith we see the clear indication of the path to spiritual maturity and Christian holiness.
with you and all the saints glorify the triune God, who sustains our earthly pilgrimage and lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. |
0 comments:
Post a Comment