Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Prague (Agenzia Fides) – At 6pm on Saturday, September 26, the Holy Father Benedict XVI presided the Celebration of Vespers with Bishops, priests, religious, seminarians, members of lay movements, and members of the Catholic volunteer associations in the country, in the Cathedral of Saint Vitus in Prague. “Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lord in his goodness make you like the salt spoken of in the Gospel, salt that gives savor to life, so that you may be faithful laborers in the Lord’s vineyard,” the Holy Father said in his homily, addressing those present with these words: “Dear Bishops and priests, it is your task to work tirelessly for the good of those entrusted to your care. Always draw inspiration from the Gospel image of the Good Shepherd...Dear consecrated persons, by professing the evangelical counsels you recall the primacy that each of us must give to God in our lives. By living in community, you bear witness to the enrichment that comes from practicing the commandment of love (cf. Jn 13:34). By your fidelity to this vocation, you will help the men and women of today to let themselves be captivated by God and by the Gospel of his Son (cf. Vita Consecrata, 104). And you, dear young people in seminaries or houses of formation, be sure to acquire a solid cultural, spiritual and pastoral preparation. In this Year of Priests, with which I chose to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of the Curé d’Ars, may you learn from the example of this pastor who was completely dedicated to God and to the care of souls; he was well aware that it was his ministry, nourished by prayer, that constituted his path to sanctification.”
In his homily, the Pope recalled “your people’s rich history of faith and Christian tradition: a history that is illuminated in particular by the faithfulness of those who sealed their adherence to Christ and to the Church by martyrdom.” In addition to Saints Wenceslaus, Adalbert, John Nepomuk, and Saint Vitus, Benedict XVI recalled to Archbishops from the last century: Cardinals Josef Beran and Frantisek Tomasek, and “many Bishops, priests, men and women religious, and lay faithful, who resisted Communist persecution with heroic fortitude, even to the sacrifice of their lives.” These “courageous friends of Christ” found strength for their testimony from the Gospel. “The heroism of these witnesses to the faith reminds us that only through personal intimacy and a profound bond with Christ is it possible to draw the spiritual vitality needed to live the Christian vocation to the full. Only the love of Christ can make the apostolate effective, especially in moments of difficulty and trial. Love for Christ and for one’s fellow men and women must be the hallmark of every Christian and every community.” The Pope then exhorted all to rekindle love in every parish and community, in the various associations and movements, and nurture this love of Christ “by prayer and listening to his word” to become “builders of unity and peace wherever you go.”
In facing the difficulties in living and bearing witness to the Gospel, in a society still wounded by atheist ideology and often “seduced by the modern mentality of hedonistic consumerism amid a dangerous crisis of human and religious values and a growing drift towards ethical and cultural relativism,” the Pope called for “renewed effort throughout the Church so as to strengthen spiritual and moral values in present-day society.” “Your pastoral activity in the field of educating new generations should be undertaken with particular zeal. Catholic schools should foster respect for the human person; attention should also be given to the pastoral care of young people outside the school environment, without neglecting other groups of the faithful. Christ is for everyone!” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 28/9/2009)
