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                                  VIS-Press releases   
      
   SOLIDARITY WITH THE POOR AND WITH PEOPLE IN DIFFICULTIES   
      
   VATICAN CITY, 31 DEC 2010 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 6 p.m. today, the   
   Pope presided at first Vespers for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. This   
   was followed by the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the singing of the   
   traditional "Te Deum" of thanksgiving for the conclusion of the year, and the   
   Eucharistic blessing.   
      
   In his homily the Holy Father explained how, "with the coming of Christ and His   
   redemption we are 'at the fullness' of time. As St. Paul says, time comes to   
   fullness in Jesus, it reaches its fulfilment, acquiring that significance of   
   salvation and grace which God wished for it since before the creation of the   
   world".   
      
   "Our human time", the Pope went on, "is loaded with evils, sufferings and   
   dramas of every kind - from those caused by man's own wickedness to those   
   deriving from adverse natural events - but it now contains, definitively and   
   unchangeably, the joyful and liberating novelty of Christ the Saviour. In the   
   Child of Bethlehem we can see, in a particularly luminous and eloquent way, the   
   meeting of eternity and time, as the liturgy of the Church says".   
      
   The Church of Rome "is committed to helping all the baptised faithfully to live   
   the vocation they received and to bear witness to the beauty of the faith. As   
   we seek to be authentic disciples of Christ, essential support comes from daily   
   meditation on the Word of God", said the Holy Father. In this context he also   
   encouraged everyone "to cultivate an intense relationship with the Word,   
   especially through 'lectio divina', in order to obtain the light necessary to   
   discern the signs of God in our own time, and to proclaim the Gospel   
   effectively".   
      
   "Assistance in this evangelising activity in Rome", Benedict XVI continued,   
   "comes from the 'Centres for listening to the Gospel', which I suggest should   
   be recreated or revitalised, not only in homes but also in hospitals and   
   workplaces, and in the places where the new generations are formed and culture   
   is created".   
      
   "The best place to listen to the word of God is in the celebration of the   
   Eucharist. Last June's diocesan congress, in which I myself participated, chose   
   to underline the centrality of Sunday Mass in the life of all Christian   
   communities. ... I encourage pastors and priests to put the pastoral programme   
   into effect: forming liturgical groups to enliven the celebration and offering   
   a catechesis which helps everyone to a greater understanding of the Eucharistic   
   mystery, from which the witness of charity comes".   
      
   The Pope concluded his homily by referring to "concerns about insecurity, which   
   affect so many families and which call the entire diocesan community to draw   
   close to people living in conditions of poverty and distress. May God, infinite   
   love, enflame all our hearts with that charity which impelled Him to give His   
   Only-begotten Son".   
      
   Following the celebration, the Pope made a brief visit to the nativity scene in   
   St. Peter's Square.   
   HML/VIS 20110103 (500)   
      
   SUMMARY   
      
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    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)