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John
Paul II- on the Blessed Mother |
APOSTOLIC
JOURNEY TO AMERICA
HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City
Saturday, 23 January 1999
Beloved Brothers in the Episcopate and the Priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
1. "When
the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman
... " (Gal 4:4). What is the fullness of time? From the
standpoint of human history, the fullness of time is a
concrete fact. It is the night when the Son of God came into the
world in Bethlehem, as foretold by the prophets and as we have
heard in the first reading: "The Lord himself will give you a
sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and
you shall call his name Emmanuel" (Is 7:14). These words, spoken
many centuries ago, were fulfilled on the night when the Son
conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary
entered the world.
Christ's birth was preceded by the message of the angel Gabriel.
Afterwards, Mary went to the home of her cousin Elizabeth to be
of service to her. We were reminded of this by the Gospel of
Luke, which puts before us Elizabeth's unusual, prophetic
greeting and Mary's splendid response: "My soul magnifies the
Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour" (1:46-47). These
are the events referred to in today's liturgy.
2.
The reading from the Letter to the Galatians, for its part,
reveals to us the divine dimension of this fullness of time. The
words of the Apostle Paul sum up the whole theology of Jesus'
birth, at the same time explaining the meaning of this fullness.
It is something extraordinary: God has entered human history.
God, who in himself is the unfathomable mystery of life; God,
who is Father and is himself reflected from all eternity in the
Son, consubstantial with him and through whom all things were
made (cf. Jn 1:1, 3); God, who is the unity of the Father and
the Son in the flow of eternal love which is the Holy Spirit.
Despite the poverty of our words for expressing the ineffable
mystery of the Trinity, the truth is that man, in his temporal
condition, has been called to share in this divine life. The Son
of God was born of the Virgin Mary to obtain this divine
adoption for us. The Father has poured out in our hearts the
Spirit of his Son, through whom we can say "Abba, Father!"
(cf. Gal 4:4). Here, then, is the fullness of time which fulfils
all the yearnings of history and of humanity: the revelation of
God's mystery, given to human beings through the gift of divine
adoption.
3.
The fullness of time to which the Apostle refers is related to
human history. By becoming man, God in a certain way has entered
our time and has transformed our history into the history of
salvation. A history that includes all the vicissitudes of the
world and of mankind, from creation to their conclusion, but
advances through important moments and dates. One of them is the
2,000th year, now close at hand, since the birth of Jesus, the
year of the Great Jubilee, for which the Church has also been
preparing by holding Extraordinary Synods dedicated to each
continent, such as the one held in the Vatican at the end of
1997.
4.
Today in this Basilica of Guadalupe, the Marian heart of
America, we thank God for the Special Assembly for America of
the Synod of Bishops - a true Upper Room of ecclesial communion
and collegial affection among all the Pastors from the north,
centre and south of the continent - shared with the Bishop of
Rome as a fraternal experience of encounter with the risen Lord,
the way to conversion, communion and solidarity in America.
Now, one year after the celebration of
that Synod Assembly, and in conjunction with the centenary of
the Plenary Council of Latin America held in Rome, I have come
here to place at the feet of the mestiza Virgin of Tepeyac, Star
of the New World, the Apostolic Exhortation
Ecclesia in America, which
incorporates the contributions and pastoral suggestions of that
Synod, entrusting to the Mother and Queen of this continent the
future of its evangelization.
5. I
wish to express my gratitude to those whose work and prayer
enabled that Synod Assembly to reflect the vitality of the
Catholic faith in America. I also thank this Primatial
Archdiocese of Mexico City and its Archbishop, Cardinal Norberto
Rivera Carrera, for their cordial welcome and generous
cooperation. I affectionately greet the large group of Cardinals
and Bishops who have come from every part of the continent and
the great many priests and seminarians present here, who fill
the Pope's heart with joy and hope. My greeting also extends
beyond the walls of this basilica to embrace those who are
following the celebration from outside, as well as to all the
men and women of various cultures, ethnic groups and nations
which form the rich and multifaceted reality of America.
6. "Blessed
is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was
spoken to her from the Lord" (Lk 1:45). Elizabeth's words to
Mary, who is carrying Christ in her womb, can also be applied to
the Church on this continent. Blessed are you, Church in
America, for you have welcomed the Good News of the Gospel and
given birth in faith to numerous peoples! Blessed are you for
believing, blessed are you for hoping, blessed are you for
loving, because the Lord's promise will be fulfilled! The heroic
missionary efforts and the wonderful evangelization of these
five centuries were not in vain. Today we can say that, as a
result, the Church in America is the Church of Hope. We need
only look at the vigor of her many young people, the exceptional
value put on the family, the blossoming of vocations to the
priesthood and the consecrated life and, above all, the deep
piety of her peoples. Let us not forget that in the next
millennium, now close at hand, America will be the continent
with the largest number of Catholics.
7.
However, as the Synod Fathers stressed, if the Church in America
has many reasons to rejoice, she also faces serious problems and
important challenges. Should we be discouraged by all that? Not
at all: "Jesus Christ is Lord!" (Phil 2:11). He has
conquered the world and sent his Holy Spirit to make all things
new. Would it be too ambitious to hope that after this Synod
Assembly - the first American Synod in history - a more
evangelical way of living and sharing would grow on this
continent where Christians are the majority? There are many
areas where the Christian communities of North, Central and
South America can demonstrate their fraternal ties, practice
real solidarity and collaborate on joint pastoral projects, with
each one contributing the spiritual and material wealth at its
disposal.
8.
The Apostle Paul teaches us that in the fullness of time God
sent his Son, born of a woman, to redeem us from sin and to make
us his sons and daughters. Accordingly, we are no longer
servants but children and heirs of God (cf. Gal 4:4-7).
Therefore, the Church must proclaim the Gospel of life and speak
out with prophetic force against the culture of death. May the
Continent of Hope also be the Continent of Life! This is our
cry: life with dignity for all! For all who have been conceived
in their mother's womb, for street children, for Guadalupe! To
you we present this countless multitude of the faithful praying
to God in America. You who have penetrated their hearts, visit
and comfort the homes, parishes and Dioceses of the whole
continent. Grant that Christian families may exemplarily raise
their children in the Church's faith and in love of the Gospel,
so that they will be the seed of apostolic vocations. Turn your
gaze today upon young people and encourage them to walk with
Jesus Christ. O Lady and Mother of America! Strengthen the will
be celebrated throughout America with the liturgical rank of
feast.
O
Mother! You know the paths followed by the first evangelizers of
the New World, from Guanahani Island and Hispaniola to the
Amazon forests and the Andean peaks, reaching to Tierra del
Fuego in the south and to the Great Lakes and mountains of the
north. Accompany the Church which is working in the nations of
America, so that she may always preach the Gospel and renew her
missionary spirit. Encourage all who devote their lives to the
cause of Jesus and the spread of his kingdom. O gentle Lady of
Tepeyac, Mother of indigenous peoples and Afro-Americans, for
immigrants and refugees, for the young deprived of opportunity,
for the old, for those who suffer any kind of poverty or
marginalization.
Dear
brothers and sisters, the time has come to banish once and for
all from the continent every attack against life. No more
violence, terrorism and drug-trafficking! No more torture or
other forms of abuse! There must be an end to the unnecessary
recourse to the death penalty! No more exploitation of the weak,
racial discrimination or ghettoes of poverty! Never again! These
are intolerable evils which cry out to heaven and call
Christians to a different way of living, to a social commitment
more in keeping with their faith. We must rouse the consciences
of men and women with the Gospel, in order to highlight their
sublime vocation as children of God. This will inspire them to
build a better America. As a matter of urgency, we must stir up
a new springtime of holiness on the continent so that action and
contemplation will go hand in hand.
9. I
wish to entrust and offer the future of the continent to Blessed
Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church. For this reason, I
have the joy now of announcing that I have declared that on 12
December Our Lady of Guadalupe faith of our brothers and
sisters, so that in all areas of social, professional, cultural
and political life they may act in accord with the truth and the
new law which Jesus brought to humanity. Look with mercy on the
distress of those suffering from hunger, loneliness, rejection
or ignorance. Make us recognize them as your favorite children
and give us the fervent charity to help them in their needs.
Holy
Virgin of Guadalupe, Queen of Peace! Save the nations and
peoples of this continent. Teach everyone, political leaders and
citizens, to live in true freedom and to act according to the
requirements of justice and respect for human rights, so that
peace may thus be established once and for all.
To
you, O Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, belong
all the love, honor, glory and endless praise of your American
sons and daughters!
At the end of Mass the Holy Father said in Spanish:
Thank you for this splendid gift which I will take with me. I
had the joy once again of celebrating in this basilica which is
loved so much by all Mexicans, all Americans, children of peace.
I thank you for the prayers you offer each day for me and for my
Petrine ministry. I know that you will always continue to do so.
Thank you.
©
Copyright 1999 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
