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Gospel Saints Papal Teaching Congregation Pontifical Mission Societies Urban University Mission texts Animation Statistics From the Holy See Testimonies Martyrology Jubilee 2000 Church life Missionaries Religious institutes Movements & Associations Catholic universities Culture History Art Cinema / Photo Radio & tv Music Poetry Health Technology Geography News 360° Dossier In-depth study Interviews Stories Book review Children’s corner		Pastoral Visit in Albania of Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples (8-12 November 2002) Celebration of the Eucharist - Shkodrë Cathedral Sunday 10 November 2002 - 10 am 32nd Sunday of the Year - Wis. 6, 12-16; 1 Thes 4, 13-18; Mt 25, 1-13 Celebration of the Eucharist - Shkodrë Cathedral Praised be Jesus Christ! "We believe that Jesus died and is risen" [1 Thes 4, 13], the Apostle Paul writes to the Christian community in Thessalonica as we heard in the second reading of this 32nd Sunday of the year. Today, I too, humble successor of the Apostles, wish to confirm to you that extraordinary event with absolute certainty. Jesus Christ is our Saviour in the fullest sense of the word because, with his words and actions, crowned with his rising from the dead, he revealed himself to be the Son of God, who reigns for ever, as Lord and Messiah of time and history. During this Eucharistic celebration, I wish first of all to bring to you the embrace of the Holy Father. Pope John Paul II recalls with emotion his visit here almost ten years ago in April 1993, when he ordained the first 4 Albanian Bishops after a long period of brutal communist persecution. Five years ago, on 6 January 1997, Solemnity of the Epiphany, in St Peter's Basilica, the Pope ordained your own Bishop. The day before yesterday, as I was leaving, the Holy Father asked me to carry his Blessing to you and to your families. So what is the message offered to us today by the Word of God that we have just heard? In the Gospel parable we hear about ten young women who are asked to wait for the bridegroom to accompany him to the Wedding Feast. The task, in appearance easy, entailed certain snares: there is the risk of fatigue and distraction, the danger of boredom and drowsiness due to the bridegroom's delay and in fact some of them run out of oil, that is the spirit of keeping watch. So it was that half the young women missed the encounter with the bridegroom, that is the most important appointment in life. To what appointment are we committed and on which side do we stand? If we look around us we see how many people are waiting: people who search on the horizon of life to discern the position of the lighthouse and find the route for their journey; people like the Samaritan woman, who are looking for a source which satisfies their thirst for eternity [Jn 4, 1-42]. Expectations great and small, honest and dishonest. And what about us? Very often we find ourselves at a cross-roads, and we do not know where to go. Yet if we look into our hearts, we find there is someone waiting for us. This someone is Christ who is patiently waiting for us to notice him and to see that he is showing us the way. The figure of the waiting Christ can be found at the intersections of many roads in many Eastern countries. And the Church of Albania, what journey has it undertaken? If I look at your roads I see that everywhere they are bathed in the blood of martyrs and paved with the testimony of countless confessors of Christ. Still today we are dumbfounded by the testimony of those who survived and who saw. Today in this Cathedral, eye-witnesses are present and what lies in their eyes is a challenge to us. What deep emotion and admiration was felt by the Holy Father and all of us who listened to the testimony given by Fr Anton Luli SJ in the Paul VI Hall on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the priestly Ordination of Pope John Paul II! Nevertheless these heroic witnesses, most of them unknown, gave unexpected new vitality to the Church in Albania. It is really true that a persecuted Church has a great future, so much so that Tertullian said: "The more of us are killed, the more we become, for the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians" [Apologeticum, 50]. It was precisely during persecution that the Church in Albania encountered Christ and began her journey. In fact in these ten years the Church has resumed her activity working above all through initiatives of charity, to uplift the people from the serious religious economic and social crisis into which they had fallen. With the help of zealous missionaries, the local Church rediscovered the roots of the faith, walking the arduous path of justice in God and Christian forgiveness. It is from this forgiveness, received, welcomed and given that in the fertile soil of your hearts new shoots of hope will blossom. Only God's unconditioned love can in fact help the human soul to remove dark shadows and open wounds from the heart, as Psalm 147 says: "The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, he gathers the dispersed. He heals broken hearts and binds up their wounds" [Ps 147, 2-3]. Allow me in this celebration to give thanks with you to God for the many missionaries who left family and homeland for love of Jesus and for love of your people. Many valorous apostles of the Gospel walk the length and breadth of your land to proclaim the Gospel and render visible the love of God, helping your Church to grow in faith and love of God. Beloved Church of Shkodrë, I ask you to carry beyond your borders the faith you have received. In this way your own faith will be strengthened and you will be a light for the many souls who are longing to know Christ. "For missionary activity renews the Church - as the Holy Father writes in Redemptoris Missio - revitalises faith and Christian identity and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive" [RM 2]. To you, the priests of this blessed local Church I would address a word of special encouragement, reminding you of what St Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy: "I urge you to revive the gift of God that is in you through my laying on of hands" [2 Tim 1,6]. Dear priests, if you are generous with the Lord, he will be generous with you and rest assured that neither the project of holiness that comes from your singular vocation, nor the pastoral passion for the people entrusted to you, will ever die out. To you Christian families I renew the call made by the Holy Father during his visit in 1993. Make prayer the centre of your life and your homes in order to build the family on the rock of Christ. Do not be afraid of Jesus or his Gospel. He is the Son of the living God, God made man, the Lord of life and history. He is the advocate of the orphan, defender of the widow, father of the poor. he is watching you and he loves you. He asks you to have respect for new life, for the sick and the terminally ill; he asks you to place as the foundation of civil life the family, wise education of children, openness and joyful acceptance of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. Dear parents, you must realise that you cooperate with the creative work of God, you are children of the God of peace, capable of understanding, tolerance and reciprocal forgiveness. Lastly I would like to make a special call to the young people. Keep in mind the words of Saint John: " I address you young men for you are strong and the Word of God remains in you and you have conquered the evil one. Have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords. If anyone loves the world, the Father's love has no place in him" [1 Jn 2, 14-16]. Dear young people learn to live like Christ, like people who are risen from the dead. Be generous, fly high like the eagle on your national flag. Fly high, above all banalities. God loves you deeply. Love him in return and love your country, also by proclaiming the Gospel. And if God whispers to your heart to follow him "for ever and totally" have the courage to say yes. Joy will be your reward here and in heaven. Church of Shkodrë, welcome the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, and transform it in life for your people. Take courage! God, who sees your faith and your dynamism, will be with you always. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of good counsel, protect you! May the Lord bless you, today and for ever! Amen Crescenzio Card. Sepe. >>rtf file download<<		Index

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