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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 160
DATE 12-09-2012
Summary:
- NO PRAYER IS EVER LOST
- MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS MUST BE BUILDERS OF PEACE AND ARCHITECTS OF
RECONCILIATION
- DEVELOPMENT OF EVERY PERSON AND OF THE WHOLE PERSON IS THE HEART OF
EVANGELISATION
- AUDIENCES
___________________________________________________________
NO PRAYER IS EVER LOST
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - During his general audience, held this
morning in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI focused his catechesis on prayer in
the second part of the Book of Revelation in which, he noted, attention moves
from the interior
life of the Church "to the entire world, because the Church advances through
history and is a part thereof".
In this second part of Revelation, the Christian assembly is called "to
undertake a profound interpretation of the history in which it lives, learning
to discern events with faith so that, through its actions, it may collaborate
in the advancement of
the kingdom of God. Such interpretation, discernment and action are closely
associated with prayer".
The assembly is invited to ascend unto heaven "in order to see reality with
the eyes of God". There, according to St. John's narrative, we find three
symbols with which to interpret history: the throne, the scroll and the Lamb.
On the throne sits
Almighty God "Who has not remained isolated in heaven but has approached man
and entered into a covenant with him". The scroll "contains God's plan for
history and mankind, but it is hermetically sealed with seven seals and no one
can read it. ... Yet
there is a remedy to man's confusion before the mystery of history. Someone is
able to open the scroll and illuminate him".
That someone appears in the third symbol: "Christ, the Lamb, Who was immolated
in the sacrifice of the cross but stands in sign of His resurrection. The
Lamb, Christ, Who died and rose again, will progressively open the seals so as
to reveal the plan of
God, the profound meaning of history".
These symbols, the Pope explained, "remind us of the path we must follow to
interpret the events of history and of our own lives. Raising our gaze to
God's heaven in an unbroken relationship with Christ, ... in individual and
community prayer, we learn
to see things in a new way and to grasp their most authentic significance".
The Lord invites the Christian community "to a realistic examination of the
present time in which they are living. The Lamb then opens the first four
seals of the scroll and the
Church sees the world of which she is part; a world containing ... the evils
accomplished by man, such as violence ... and injustice, ... to which must be
added the evils man suffers such as death, hunger, and sickness".
"In the face of these often dramatic issues the ecclesial community is invited
never to lose hope, but to remain firm in the belief that the apparent
omnipotence of the Evil One in fact comes up against true omnipotence, that of
God". St. John speaks of
the white horse, which symbolises that "the power of God has entered man's
history, a power capable not only of counterbalancing evil, but also of
overcoming it. ... God became so close as to descend into the darkness of
death and illuminate it with the
splendour of divine life. He took the evil of the world upon Himself to purify
it with the fire of His love".
The Holy Father went on: "How can we progress in this Christian interpretation
of reality? The Book of Revelation tells us that prayer nourishes this vision
of light and profound hope in each one of us and in our communities. ... The
Church lives in
history, she is not closed in herself but courageously faces her journey
amidst difficulties and sufferings, forcefully affirming that evil does not
defeat good, that darkness does not shade God's splendour. This is an
important point for us too: as
Christians we can never be pessimists. ... Prayer, above all, educates us to
see the signs of God, His presence and His action; or rather, it educates us
to become lights of goodness, spreading hope and indicating that the victory
is God's".
At the end of the vision an angel places grains of incense in a censer then
throws it upon the earth. Those grains represent our prayers, the Pope said.
"and we can be sure that there is no such thing as a superfluous or useless
prayer. No prayer is
lost. ... God is not oblivious to our prayers. ... When faced with evil we
often have the sensation that we can do nothing, but our prayers are in fact
the first and most effective response we can give, they strengthen our daily
commitment to goodness.
The power of God makes our weakness strong".
___________________________________________________________
MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS MUST BE BUILDERS OF PEACE AND ARCHITECTS OF
RECONCILIATION
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - At the end of his general audience
today, the Holy Father spoke of his forthcoming apostolic trip to Lebanon,
where he is due to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special
Assembly for the Middle
East of the Synod of Bishops.
"At this hour in two days' time", he said, "I will be on a plane bound for
Lebanon. I rejoice at this apostolic trip which will enable me to meet many
members of Lebanese society: the civil and ecclesiastical authorities,
Catholic faithful of various
rites, other Christians, and the Muslims and Druze of the region. I thank the
Lord for this rich variety, which will be able to continue only if people live
in permanent peace and reconciliation. For this reason I exhort all Christians
of the Middle
East, both those born there and the newly arrived, to be builders of peace and
architects of reconciliation. Let us pray to God that He may fortify the faith
of Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East, and fill them with hope. I thank
God for their
presence and call upon the entire Church to show solidarity, that they may
continue to bear witness to Christ in those blessed lands, seeking communion
in unity. I thank God for all the individuals and institutions who, in many
ways, help
them
to do so. The history of the Middle East teaches us the important and
sometimes primordial role. played by the various Christian communities in
inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue Let us ask God to give that region
of the world its longed-for
peace, and respect for legitimate differences. May God bless Lebanon and the
Middle East. May God bless you".
___________________________________________________________
DEVELOPMENT OF EVERY PERSON AND OF THE WHOLE PERSON IS THE HEART OF
EVANGELISATION
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone S.D.B. has sent a letter, in the Holy Father's name, to Cardinal
Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, for the opening of the
first Integrated Meeting
for the Pastoral Care of the Road/Street for the Continent of Africa and
Madagascar, which is currently taking place in that city.
"As the Synod Fathers at the two Special Assemblies for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops prophetically acknowledged, the Church's concern for the development
of every person and the whole person, especially of the poorest and most
neglected, is at the
heart of her mission of evangelisation in Africa", the English-language text
reads.
"His Holiness trusts that the present meeting will lead to greater cooperation
and coordinated efforts among the particular Churches for the sake of
safeguarding every life at risk on African streets and roads. He asks that
special attention be paid to
the pastoral needs of those women and children who find themselves on the
streets, whether as a result of concrete social, economic and political
factors, or as victims of organised national and international exploiters. He
is likewise confident that
the meeting will address situations affecting the lives of those who travel in
their work and, not least, the road insecurity which threatens the lives of
millions on African soil.
"With these sentiments, the Holy Father offers fervent prayers that the
meeting will confirm the Church in Africa and Madagascar in its witness to the
Gospel and its contribution to the building up of civil society and to the
forging of a new Africa".
___________________________________________________________
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - Following this morning's general
audience, the Holy Father received in audience Karekin II, Catholicos and
Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians.
___________________________________________________________
Per ulteriori informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il
sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va
Il servizio del VIS viene inviato soltanto agli indirizzi di posta
elettronica che ne hanno fatto richiesta. Se per qualunque motivo
non si desidera continuare a riceverlo, si prega di visitare nostra pagina
dinizio:
http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vis/italinde.php
Copyright (VIS): Le notizie contenute nei servizi del Vatican
Information Service possono essere riprodotte parzialmente o totalmente
citando la fonte: V.I.S. - Vatican Information Service.
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VISnews120912
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 160DATE 12-09-2012
Summary: - NO PRAYER IS EVER LOST -
MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS MUST BE
BUILDERS OF PEACE AND ARCHITECTS OF RECONCILIATION - DEVELOPMENT OF
EVERY PERSON AND OF THE WHOLE PERSON IS THE HEART OF EVANGELISATION -
AUDIENCES
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - During his general audience, held
this morning in the Paul VI Hall, Benedict XVI focused his catechesis on
prayer in the second part of the Book of Revelation in which, he noted,
attention moves from the
interior life of the Church "to the entire world, because the Church advances
through history and is a part thereof".
In this second part of Revelation, the Christian assembly is called "to
undertake a profound interpretation of the history in which it lives, learning
to discern events with faith so that, through its actions, it may collaborate
in the advancement of
the kingdom of God. Such interpretation, discernment and action are closely
associated with prayer".
The assembly is invited to ascend unto heaven "in order to see reality with
the eyes of God". There, according to St. John's narrative, we find three
symbols with which to interpret history: the throne, the scroll and the Lamb.
On the throne sits
Almighty God "Who has not remained isolated in heaven but has approached man
and entered into a covenant with him". The scroll "contains God's plan for
history and mankind, but it is hermetically sealed with seven seals and no one
can read it. ... Yet
there is a remedy to man's confusion before the mystery of history. Someone is
able to open the scroll and illuminate him".
That someone appears in the third symbol: "Christ, the Lamb, Who was
immolated in the sacrifice of the cross but stands in sign of His
resurrection. The Lamb, Christ, Who died and rose again, will progressively
open the seals so as to reveal the plan
of God, the profound meaning of history".
These symbols, the Pope explained, "remind us of the path we must follow to
interpret the events of history and of our own lives. Raising our gaze to
God's heaven in an unbroken relationship with Christ, ... in individual and
community prayer, we
learn to see things in a new way and to grasp their most authentic
significance". The Lord invites the Christian community "to a realistic
examination of the present time in which they are living. The Lamb then opens
the first four seals of the scroll
and the Church sees the world of which she is part; a world containing ... the
evils accomplished by man, such as violence ... and injustice, ... to which
must be added the evils man suffers such as death, hunger, and sickness".
"In the face of these often dramatic issues the ecclesial community is
invited never to lose hope, but to remain firm in the belief that the apparent
omnipotence of the Evil One in fact comes up against true omnipotence, that of
God". St. John speaks
of the white horse, which symbolises that "the power of God has entered man's
history, a power capable not only of counterbalancing evil, but also of
overcoming it. ... God became so close as to descend into the darkness of
death and illuminate it with
the splendour of divine life. He took the evil of the world upon Himself to
purify it with the fire of His love".
The Holy Father went on: "How can we progress in this Christian
interpretation of reality? The Book of Revelation tells us that prayer
nourishes this vision of light and profound hope in each one of us and in our
communities. ... The Church lives in
history, she is not closed in herself but courageously faces her journey
amidst difficulties and sufferings, forcefully affirming that evil does not
defeat good, that darkness does not shade God's splendour. This is an
important point for us too: as
Christians we can never be pessimists. ... Prayer, above all, educates us to
see the signs of God, His presence and His action; or rather, it educates us
to become lights of goodness, spreading hope and indicating that the victory
is God's".
At the end of the vision an angel places grains of incense in a censer then
throws it upon the earth. Those grains represent our prayers, the Pope said.
"and we can be sure that there is no such thing as a superfluous or useless
prayer. No prayer is
lost. ... God is not oblivious to our prayers. ... When faced with evil we
often have the sensation that we can do nothing, but our prayers are in fact
the first and most effective response we can give, they strengthen our daily
commitment to goodness.
The power of God makes our weakness strong".
MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIANS MUST BE BUILDERS OF PEACE AND ARCHITECTS OF
RECONCILIATION
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - At the end of his general audience
today, the Holy Father spoke of his forthcoming apostolic trip to Lebanon,
where he is due to sign the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Special
Assembly for the
Middle East of the Synod of Bishops.
"At this hour in two days' time", he said, "I will be on a plane bound for
Lebanon. I rejoice at this apostolic trip which will enable me to meet many
members of Lebanese society: the civil and ecclesiastical authorities,
Catholic faithful of various
rites, other Christians, and the Muslims and Druze of the region. I thank the
Lord for this rich variety, which will be able to continue only if people live
in permanent peace and reconciliation. For this reason I exhort all Christians
of the Middle
East, both those born there and the newly arrived, to be builders of peace and
architects of reconciliation. Let us pray to God that He may fortify the faith
of Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East, and fill them with hope. I thank
God for their
presence and call upon the entire Church to show solidarity, that they may
continue to bear witness to Christ in those blessed lands, seeking communion
in unity. I thank God for all the individuals and institutions
who, in many ways, help them to do so. The history of the Middle East teaches
us the important and sometimes primordial role. played by the various
Christian communities in inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue Let us
ask God to give that region
of the world its longed-for peace, and respect for legitimate differences. May
God bless Lebanon and the Middle East. May God bless you".
DEVELOPMENT OF EVERY PERSON AND OF THE WHOLE PERSON IS THE HEART OF
EVANGELISATION
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State
Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a letter, in the Holy Father's name, to
Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, for the
opening of the first Integrated
Meeting for the Pastoral Care of the Road/Street for the Continent of Africa
and Madagascar, which is currently taking place in that city.
"As the Synod Fathers at the two Special Assemblies for Africa of the Synod
of Bishops prophetically acknowledged, the Church's concern for the
development of every person and the whole person, especially of the poorest
and most neglected, is at the
heart of her mission of evangelisation in Africa", the English-language text
reads.
"His Holiness trusts that the present meeting will lead to greater
cooperation and coordinated efforts among the particular Churches for the sake
of safeguarding every life at risk on African streets and roads. He asks that
special attention be paid
to the pastoral needs of those women and children who find themselves on the
streets, whether as a result of concrete social, economic and political
factors, or as victims of organised national and international exploiters. He
is likewise confident that
the meeting will address situations affecting the lives of those who travel in
their work and, not least, the road insecurity which threatens the lives of
millions on African soil.
"With these sentiments, the Holy Father offers fervent prayers that the
meeting will confirm the Church in Africa and Madagascar in its witness to the
Gospel and its contribution to the building up of civil society and to the
forging of a new
Africa".
Vatican City, 12 September 2012 (VIS) - Following this morning's general
audience, the Holy Father received in audience Karekin II, Catholicos and
Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians.
Per ulteriori informazioni e per la ricerca di documenti consultare il
sito: www.wisnews.org e www.vatican.va Il servizio del
VIS viene inviato soltanto agli indirizzi di posta elettronica che ne
hanno
fatto richiesta. Se per qualunque motivo non si desidera continuare a
riceverlo, si prega di visitare nostra pagina dinizio: http://212.77.1.245/news_services/press/vi
/italinde.php
Copyright (VIS): Le notizie contenute nei servizi del Vatican
Information Service possono essere riprodotte parzialmente o totalmente
citando la fonte: V.I.S. - Vatican Information Service.
--Boundary_(ID_+gKb8URrBaFYsosWvgWqLw)--
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