VATICAN - Pope at Pentecost: "Jesus sends his Spirit to the Church so that every Christian can become his effective witness in the world"

Monday, 28 May 2012

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "Jesus, risen and ascended into heaven, sends his Spirit to the Church, so that all Christians can participate in his divine life and become his effective witness in the world. The Holy Spirit, breaking into history, defeats aridity, opens hearts to hope, stimulates and fosters in us the inner maturity in the relationship with God and one’s neighbor." With these words the Holy Father introduced the Marian prayer of the Regina Caeli on Pentecost Sunday, May 27.
The Pope also announced that on October 7, at the beginning of the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, he will proclaim St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen, Doctors of the Universal Church. "These two great witnesses of the faith lived in very different historical periods and cultural settings - said the Holy Father -. But the sanctity of life and the depth of the doctrine make them permanently present... Especially in light of the project of a new evangelization, to which the mentioned Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be dedicated, and on the eve of the year of Faith, these two types of Saints and Doctors are of considerable importance and timeliness. Even nowadays, through their teaching, the Spirit of the Risen Lord his voice continues to resonate and to illuminate the path that leads to that Truth which alone can make us free and give full meaning to our lives."
On the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Holy Father presided the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, concelebrated by Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops. In his homily he recalled that "this mystery is the baptism of the Church, it is an event that has given her, so to speak, the initial shape and the push for her mission." Focusing on "an essential aspect of the mystery of Pentecost", Benedict XVI highlighted that "it is a feast of unity, understanding and human communion." But "unity can exist only with the gift of the Spirit of God, who will give us a new heart and a new language, a new capacity to communicate. And this is what occurred at Pentecost ... The fear vanished, the heart felt a new force, the tongues began to speak out, so that everyone could understand the message of Jesus Christ crucified and risen. At Pentecost, where there was division and alienation, unity and understanding were born." (SL) (Agenzia Fides 28/5/2012)


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