Monday, March 05, 2012

The Pope's visit to a Roman parish, "become missionaries of Christ to your brothers wherever they live, work, study or spend their leisure time"

Fides


VATICAN - 

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "The position of your church placed on the highest spot in the neighborhood reminds you that the Gospel must be communicated and announced to everyone. Wait not for others to bring you different messages that do not lead to the real life; instead become yourselves missionaries of Christ to your brothers wherever they live, work, study or spend leisure time." This is the exhortation that the Holy Father Benedict XVI addressed to the faithful of the parish of St. John Baptist de La Salle in Torrino, in the Southern part of the Diocese of Rome, where he paid a pastoral visit on Sunday morning, March 4. Warmly welcomed by the members of the parish, the Pope emphasized that "faith must be lived together and the parish is a place where you learn to live one's own faith in the 'we' of the Church", so he hopes that the upcoming "Year of Faith" "is an auspicious occasion for the parish to grow and consolidate the experience of catechesis on the great truths of Christian faith, so as to allow the neighborhood to know and learn the Creed of the Church, and overcome that '"religious illiteracy" which is one of the biggest problems of our day."
Finally the Holy Father focused on the centrality of the Eucharist, in personal and community life, and the importance of Sunday, "which must be rediscovered and lived as the day of God and the community": "Gathered around the Eucharist, in fact, we more easily perceive how the mission of every Christian community is to bring the message of God's love to all men. That is why it is important that the Eucharist is always the heart of the life of the faithful." (SL) (Agenzia Fides 05/03/2012)

On Sunday morning, Pope Benedict XVI visited the Roman parish of San Giovanni Battista de La Salle in Torrino, in the southern part of the Diocese of Rome. During his homily on the Second Sunday of Lent, the Holy Father said, "If God gave His Son for all of us, no one can condemn us, no one can separate us from his great love." He said the supreme sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is the definitive exodus which open the door to freedom and the newness of the Resurrection. It also gives us the firm hope that God will be victorious in our lives. The Pope said this offers us comfort, which we need in our daily journey, which is so often marked by the darkness of evil. 

Posted via email from deaconjohn's posterous

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.