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Pope Benedict XVI- Regina Caeli |
Regina
Caeli
Message
On Solemnity of Pentecost
"We Relive the Birth of the Church"
H.H. Benedict XVI
May 27, 2007
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost. And through today's
liturgy we relive the birth of the Church as it is narrated by Luke
in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-13). Fifty days after
Easter, the Holy Spirit descended upon the community of disciples --
"persevering with one mind in prayer" -- gathered together "with
Mary, the mother of Jesus" and with the twelve apostles (cf. Acts
1:14; 2,1).
We can say, therefore, that the Church had its solemn beginning with
the descent of the Holy Spirit. In this extraordinary event we find
the essential and qualifying marks of the Church: the Church is one,
like the community of Pentecost, which was united in prayer and "of
one mind": "it had but one heart and one soul" (Acts 4:32).
The Church is holy, not because of its own merits, but because,
animated by the Holy Spirit, it keeps its gazed fixed upon Christ to
become conformed to him and his love. The Church is catholic because
the Gospel is destined for all people and for this reason, already
at the beginning, the Holy Spirit gives the Church the ability to
speak in different tongues. The Church is apostolic because, built
upon the foundation of the apostles, it faithfully conserves their
teaching through the uninterrupted chain of apostolic succession.
The Church, moreover, is missionary by its nature, and from the day
of Pentecost the Holy Spirit does not cease to move it along the
roads of the world to the ends of the earth and to the end of time.
This reality, which we can verify in every epoch, is already
anticipated in the Book of Acts, in which the passage of the Gospel
from the Jews to the pagans, from Jerusalem to Rome, is described.
Rome represents the pagan world and therefore all peoples who are
outside the ancient people of God. In fact, the Acts conclude with
the arrival of the Gospel in Rome. We can say, then, that Rome is
the concrete name of the catholicity and missionary spirit of the
Church; it expresses fidelity to the origins, to the Church of all
times, to a Church that speaks in all languages and goes out to meet
every culture.
Dear brothers and sisters, the first Pentecost happened when Mary
Most Holy was present among the disciples in the cenacle in
Jerusalem and prayed. Today also we entrust ourselves to her
maternal intercession so that the Holy Spirit descend abundantly
upon the Church of our time and fill the hearts of all the faithful
and enkindle in them -- in us -- the fire of his love.
[After the recitation of the Regina Caeli the Pope greeted all the
faithful and pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square. To the
English-speaking pilgrims he addressed the following words:]
I warmly greet all the English-speaking pilgrims who have come here
today, especially the Families of Nazareth and the members of the
military community of Hohenfels, who are making their retreat in
Rome. On this Pentecost Sunday the whole Church gives thanks for the
gift of the Holy Spirit sent to the Apostles. May the same Spirit
pour out his gifts upon all of you, filling your hearts with love
and strengthening you to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ. May
God bless you all.
© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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