Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The experience of the spiritual exercises and the Gospel of the Lord's Transfiguration were the main theme of the address given by the Holy Father Benedict XVI to faithful gathered in Saint Peter's Square on Sunday, March 8, the Second Sunday of Lent. The Spiritual Exercises were “a week in silence of silence and prayer: the mind and heart heart were able to dedicate themselves entirely to God, to listening to his Word, to meditation on the mysteries of Christ,” the Pope said, and he continued: “In a certain way, it was little like what happened to the apostles Peter, James and John when Jesus took them away with him up the mountain alone, and while he prayed was "transfigured": his face and his person appeared luminous, shining...Jesus wanted his disciples, especially those who would have the responsibility of leading the newborn Church, to directly experience his divine glory, to be able to face the scandal of the cross.”
Benedict XVI then explained that “that Jesus' transfiguration was essentially an experience of prayer. Prayer, in fact, reaches its culmination -- and thus becomes the source of interior light -- when the spirit of man adheres to that of God and their wills join almost to form a single will. When Jesus ascends the mountain he immerses himself in the contemplation of the Father's plan of love, who sent him into the world to save humanity. Elijah and Moses appear alongside Jesus, signifying that the Sacred Scriptures were in agreement in announcing the paschal mystery: that Jesus had to suffer and die to enter into his glory. In that moment Jesus sees the cross outlined before him, the extreme sacrifice necessary to liberate us from the reign of sin and death. And in his heart he once again repeats his 'Amen.' He says yes, here I am, let your will of love be done, Father. And, as happened after the baptism in the Jordan, the signs of God's pleasure came from heaven: the light that transfigured Christ and the voice that proclaimed him 'my beloved Son' (Mk 9:7).”
Prior to the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Pope once again recalled that “prayer forms the essential structure of our spiritual life. Dear brothers and sisters, I exhort you to find in this time of Lent moments of prolonged silence, perhaps a retreat, to reflect again on your life in the light of heavenly Father's plan of love. Let the Virgin Mary, teacher and model of prayer, be your guide in this more intense listening to God. Even in the deepest darkness of Christ's passion she did not lose but safeguarded the light of the Divine Son in her soul. For this reason let us call upon Mary with confidence and hope!”
After the Angelus, the Pope recalled International Women's Day (March 8), which “invites us to reflect on the condition of women and to renew our commitment, that always and everywhere every woman can live and fully manifest her particular abilities, obtaining complete respect for her dignity...” Recalling that “this is the sense in which the Second Vatican Council and the pontifical magisterium,” Benedict XVI highlighted the testimony of the Saints, especially in this era, that of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. “How many other women work in a hidden way every day for the good of humanity and for the Kingdom of God! Today I pledge my prayer for all women, that they be evermore respected in their dignity and valued in their positive possibilities.”
The Holy Father then asked the faithful to prayer for his upcoming apostolic journeys: March 17-23 to Africa, Cameroon and Angola, “to show my concrete nearness and that of the Church to the Christians and peoples of that continent, which is particularly dear to me,” and May 8-15, in the Holy Land, “to ask the Lord, while visiting the places sanctified by his life on earth, for the precious gift of unity and peace for the Middle East and for all of humanity.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 9/3/2009)
