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VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - N° 178
DATE 04-10-2012
Summary:
- IT IS FAITH WHICH GIVES US A HOME IN THIS WORLD
___________________________________________________________
IT IS FAITH WHICH GIVES US A HOME IN THIS WORLD
Vatican City, 4 October 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today made a pastoral visit
to Loreto, Italy, where he entrusted to the Blessed Virgin - venerated in the
famous Marian shrine there - two impending ecclesial events: the Synod of
Bishops on new
evangelisation which is to run from 7 to 28 October, and the Year of Faith
which will begin on 11 October. The Holy Father's visit today was also
intended to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Blessed Pope John XXIII's
pilgrimage to Loreto during
which, on the eve of the inauguration of Vatican II, he entrusted the Council
to the Virgin.
The shrine of Loreto, which has been a pilgrim destination since the
fourteenth century, conserves the house where Mary lived in Nazareth, the
which, according to popular pious tradition, was transported by the angels to
Loreto in 1294, shortly after
the definitive expulsion of the Crusaders from the Holy Land. Recent
examinations of documents and archaeological remains (excavations under the
Holy House), as well as philological and iconographic studies, are giving
increasing weight to the
hypothesis that the stones of the Holy House were transported to Loreto by
ship at the initiative of the aristocratic Angelos family which then ruled the
region of Epirus. Divine assistance in this undertaking remained as a symbol
in the presence of
angels. The House is the place where the Virgin was born, lived with St.
Joseph, received the Annunciation from Gabriel and conceived the Son of God.
It is therefore associated with the Mystery of the Incarnation.
Mary's house in Nazareth was composed of two parts: a grotto which is still to
be seen in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and a house with
three stone walls. Comparative studies between the Holy House of Loreto and
the grotto of Nazareth
have revealed the coexistence and contiguity of the two. Another recent study
on the way in which the stone has been worked - in the manner used by the
Nabateans which was widespread in Galilee at Jesus' time - also confirms the
popular tradition. When
the three walls of the Holy House arrived in Loreto they were set up, without
foundations, in a public street, but almost immediately they became the object
of the extraordinary measures of care and protection afforded to a precious
relic.
Benedict XVI departed from the Vatican by helicopter at 9 a.m. and arrived in
Loreto an hour later, where he was welcomed by the local civil and religious
authorities. He then visited the shrine where he greeted the community of
Capuchin Friars before
going on to adore the Blessed Sacrament and pray before Our Lady of Loreto.
At 10.30 a.m. he celebrated Mass in the Piazza della Madonna di Loreto,
pronouncing a homily ample extracts of which are given below.
"On 4 October 1962, Blessed John XXIII came as a pilgrim to this Shrine to
entrust to the Virgin Mary the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, due to begin
a week later. ... Fifty years on, having been called by divine Providence to
succeed that
unforgettable Pope to the See of Peter, I too have come on pilgrimage to
entrust to the Mother of God two important ecclesial initiatives: the Year of
Faith, which will begin in a week, on 11 October, on the fiftieth anniversary
of the opening of the
Second Vatican Council, and the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops, which I have convened this October with the theme “The New
Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”".
"As I said in my Apostolic Letter announcing the Year of Faith, “I wish
to invite my brother bishops from all over the world to join the Successor of
Peter, during this time of spiritual grace that the Lord offers us, in
recalling the precious
gift of faith”. It is precisely here at Loreto that we have the
opportunity to attend the school of Mary who was called “blessed”
because she “believed”. ... Mary offered her very body; she placed
her entire being at the
disposal of God’s will, becoming the “place” of His
presence, a “place” of dwelling for the Son of God. ... The will
of Mary coincides with the will of the Son in the Father’s unique
project of love and, in her,
heaven and earth are united, God the Creator is united to His creature. God
becomes man, and Mary becomes a “living house” for the Lord, a
temple where the Most High dwells.
"Here at Loreto fifty years ago, Blessed John XXIII issued an invitation to
contemplate this mystery. ... He went on to affirm that the aim of the Council
itself was to spread ever wider the beneficial impact of the Incarnation and
Redemption on all
spheres of life. This invitation resounds today with particular urgency. In
the present crisis affecting not only the economy but also many sectors of
society, the Incarnation of the Son of God speaks to us of how important man
is to God, and God to
man. Without God, man ultimately chooses selfishness over solidarity and love,
material things over values, having over being. We must return to God, so that
man may return to being man. With God, even in difficult times or moments of
crisis, there is
always a horizon of hope: the Incarnation tells us that we are never alone,
that God has come to humanity and that He accompanies us.
"The idea of the Son of God dwelling in the “living house”, the
temple which is Mary, leads us to another thought: we must recognise that
where God dwells, all are “at home”; wherever Christ dwells, His
brothers and sisters are
no longer strangers. ... So it is faith which gives us a home in this world,
which brings us together in one family and which makes all of us brothers and
sisters. As we contemplate Mary, we must ask if we too wish to be open to the
Lord, if we wish to
offer Him our life as His dwelling place; or if we are afraid that the
presence of God may somehow place limits on our freedom, if we wish to set
aside a part of our life in such a way that it belongs only to us. Yet it is
precisely God Who liberates
our liberty, He frees it from being closed in on itself, from the thirst for
power; ... He opens it up to the dimension which completely fulfils it: the
gift of self, of love, which in turn becomes service and sharing.
"Faith lets us reside, or dwell, but it also lets us walk on the path of life.
The Holy House of Loreto contains an important teaching in this respect as
well. Its location on a street is well known. ... It is not a private house,
... rather it is an
abode open to everyone placed, as it were, on our street. So here in Loreto we
find a house which lets us stay, or dwell, and which at the same time lets us
continue, or journey, and reminds us that we are pilgrims, that we must always
be on the way to
another dwelling, towards our final home, the Eternal City, the dwelling place
of God and the people He has redeemed.
"There is one more important point in the Gospel account of the Annunciation
which I would like to underline, one which never fails to strike us: God asks
for mankind’s “yes”; He has created a free partner in
dialogue, from whom He
requests a reply in complete liberty. ... God asks for Mary’s free
consent that He may become man. To be sure, the “yes” of the
Virgin is the fruit of divine grace. But grace does not eliminate freedom; on
the contrary it creates and
sustains it. Faith removes nothing from the human creature, rather it permits
his full and final realisation".
"On this pilgrimage in the footsteps of Blessed John XXIII - which comes,
providentially, on the day in which the Church remembers St. Francis of
Assisi, a veritable “living Gospel” - I wish to entrust to the
Most Holy Mother of God all the
difficulties affecting our world as it seeks serenity and peace. ... I also
wish to place in the hands of the Mother of God this special time of grace for
the Church, now opening up before us. Mother of the “yes”, you who
heard Jesus, speak
to us of Him; tell us of your journey, that we may follow Him on the path of
faith; help us to proclaim Him, that each person may welcome Him and become
the dwelling place of God".
Following Mass, the Pope had lunch at the local John Paul II Centre. He is due
to leave Loreto at 5 p.m. and to arrive back in the Vatican at 6 p.m.
___________________________________________________________
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
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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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VISnews121004
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE YEAR XXII - N° 178DATE 04-10-2012
Summary: - IT IS FAITH WHICH GIVES US A
HOME IN THIS WORLD ___________________________________________________________
IT IS FAITH WHICH GIVES US A HOME IN THIS WORLD
Vatican City, 4 October 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI today made a pastoral
visit to Loreto, Italy, where he entrusted to the Blessed Virgin - venerated
in the famous Marian shrine there - two impending ecclesial events: the Synod
of Bishops on new
evangelisation which is to run from 7 to 28 October, and the Year of Faith
which will begin on 11 October. The Holy Father's visit today was also
intended to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Blessed Pope John XXIII's
pilgrimage to Loreto during
which, on the eve of the inauguration of Vatican II, he entrusted the Council
to the Virgin.
The shrine of Loreto, which has been a pilgrim destination since the
fourteenth century, conserves the house where Mary lived in Nazareth, the
which, according to popular pious tradition, was transported by the angels to
Loreto in 1294, shortly after
the definitive expulsion of the Crusaders from the Holy Land. Recent
examinations of documents and archaeological remains (excavations under the
Holy House), as well as philological and iconographic studies, are giving
increasing weight to the
hypothesis that the stones of the Holy House were transported to Loreto by
ship at the initiative of the aristocratic Angelos family which then ruled the
region of Epirus. Divine assistance in this undertaking remained as a symbol
in the presence of
angels. The House is the place where the Virgin was born, lived with St.
Joseph, received the Annunciation from Gabriel and conceived the Son of God.
It is therefore associated with the Mystery of the Incarnation.
Mary's house in Nazareth was composed of two parts: a grotto which is still
to be seen in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and a house with
three stone walls. Comparative studies between the Holy House of Loreto and
the grotto of
Nazareth have revealed the coexistence and contiguity of the two. Another
recent study on the way in which the stone has been worked - in the manner
used by the Nabateans which was widespread in Galilee at Jesus' time - also
confirms the popular
tradition. When the three walls of the Holy House arrived in Loreto they were
set up, without foundations, in a public street, but almost immediately they
became the object of the extraordinary measures of care and protection
afforded to a precious
relic.
Benedict XVI departed from the Vatican by helicopter at 9 a.m. and arrived
in Loreto an hour later, where he was welcomed by the local civil and
religious authorities. He then visited the shrine where he greeted the
community of Capuchin Friars
before going on to adore the Blessed Sacrament and pray before Our Lady of
Loreto.
At 10.30 a.m. he celebrated Mass in the Piazza della Madonna di Loreto,
pronouncing a homily ample extracts of which are given below.
"On 4 October 1962, Blessed John XXIII came as a pilgrim to this Shrine to
entrust to the Virgin Mary the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, due to begin
a week later. ... Fifty years on, having been called by divine Providence to
succeed that
unforgettable Pope to the See of Peter, I too have come on pilgrimage to
entrust to the Mother of God two important ecclesial initiatives: the Year of
Faith, which will begin in a week, on 11 October, on the fiftieth anniversary
of the opening of the
Second Vatican Council, and the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops, which I have convened this October with the theme “The New
Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”".
"As I said in my Apostolic Letter announcing the Year of Faith, “I
wish to invite my brother bishops from all over the world to join the
Successor of Peter, during this time of spiritual grace that the Lord offers
us, in recalling the precious
gift of faith”. It is precisely here at Loreto that we have the
opportunity to attend the school of Mary who was called “blessed”
because she “believed”. ... Mary offered her very body; she placed
her entire being at the
disposal of God’s will, becoming the “place” of His
presence, a “place” of dwelling for the Son of God. ... The will
of Mary coincides with the will of the Son in the Father’s unique
project of love and, in her,
heaven and earth are united, God the Creator is united to His creature. God
becomes man, and Mary becomes a “living house” for the Lord, a
temple where the Most High dwells.
"Here at Loreto fifty years ago, Blessed John XXIII issued an invitation to
contemplate this mystery. ... He went on to affirm that the aim of the Council
itself was to spread ever wider the beneficial impact of the Incarnation and
Redemption on all
spheres of life. This invitation resounds today with particular urgency. In
the present crisis affecting not only the economy but also many sectors of
society, the Incarnation of the Son of God speaks to us of how important man
is to God, and God to
man. Without God, man ultimately chooses selfishness over solidarity and love,
material things over values, having over being. We must return to God, so that
man may return to being man. With God, even in difficult times or moments of
crisis, there is
always a horizon of hope: the Incarnation tells us that we are never alone,
that God has come to humanity and that He accompanies us.
"The idea of the Son of God dwelling in the “living house”, the
temple which is Mary, leads us to another thought: we must recognise that
where God dwells, all are “at home”; wherever Christ dwells, His
brothers and sisters
are no longer strangers. ... So it is faith which gives us a home in this
world, which brings us together in one family and which makes all of us
brothers and sisters. As we contemplate Mary, we must ask if we too wish to be
open to the Lord, if we wish
to offer Him our life as His dwelling place; or if we are afraid that the
presence of God may somehow place limits on our freedom, if we wish to set
aside a part of our life in such a way that it belongs only to us. Yet it is
precisely God Who liberates
our liberty, He frees it from being closed in on itself, from the thirst for
power; ... He opens it up to the dimension which completely fulfils it: the
gift of self, of love, which in turn becomes service and
sharing.
"Faith lets us reside, or dwell, but it also lets us walk on the path of
life. The Holy House of Loreto contains an important teaching in this respect
as well. Its location on a street is well known. ... It is not a private
house, ... rather it is an
abode open to everyone placed, as it were, on our street. So here in Loreto we
find a house which lets us stay, or dwell, and which at the same time lets us
continue, or journey, and reminds us that we are pilgrims, that we must always
be on the way to
another dwelling, towards our final home, the Eternal City, the dwelling place
of God and the people He has redeemed.
"There is one more important point in the Gospel account of the
Annunciation which I would like to underline, one which never fails to strike
us: God asks for mankind’s “yes”; He has created a free
partner in dialogue, from whom He
requests a reply in complete liberty. ... God asks for Mary’s free
consent that He may become man. To be sure, the “yes” of the
Virgin is the fruit of divine grace. But grace does not eliminate freedom; on
the contrary it creates and
sustains it. Faith removes nothing from the human creature, rather it permits
his full and final realisation".
"On this pilgrimage in the footsteps of Blessed John XXIII - which comes,
providentially, on the day in which the Church remembers St. Francis of
Assisi, a veritable “living Gospel” - I wish to entrust to the
Most Holy Mother of God all
the difficulties affecting our world as it seeks serenity and peace. ... I
also wish to place in the hands of the Mother of God this special time of
grace for the Church, now opening up before us. Mother of the &l
quo;yes”, you who heard Jesus,
speak to us of Him; tell us of your journey, that we may follow Him on the
path of faith; help us to proclaim Him, that each person may welcome Him and
become the dwelling place of God".
Following Mass, the Pope had lunch at the local John Paul II Centre. He is
due to leave Loreto at 5 p.m. and to arrive back in the Vatican at 6 p.m.
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_4WlS3EI3AI0+U+iKh5G7vg)--
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