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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Regina
Caeli Message
On Jesus' Return to the Father
"St. Peter’s Square Is Like a 'Cenacle' Open to Heaven"
H.H. Benedict XVI
May 4, 2008
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today the solemnity of the Ascension of Christ into heaven is
celebrated in Italy and in various other countries. The book of the
Acts of the Apostles places this mystery of the faith 40 days after
the Resurrection (cf. Acts 1:3-11) and it is for this reason that
the Vatican and some countries already celebrated the Ascension on
Thursday.
After the Ascension the first disciples remain together in the
cenacle around the Mother of Jesus in fervent expectation of the
gift of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus (cf. Acts 1:14). On this
first Sunday of May, the month of Mary, we too relive this
experience, more intensely feeling Mary's spiritual presence. And
today, St. Peter's Square is like a "cenacle" open to heaven, filled
with the faithful, many of whom are members of Italian Catholic
Action, whom I will address after the Marian prayer of the Regina
Caeli.
In his farewell discourses to the disciples, Jesus greatly insisted
on the importance of his "return to the Father," the crowning of his
entire mission: Indeed he came into the world to bring man back to
God, not at the level of ideas -- like a philosopher or a master of
wisdom -- but in reality, like the shepherd who wants to bring his
sheep back into the sheepfold.
This "exodus" to the heavenly homeland that Jesus experienced in the
first person, he went through completely for us. It was for us that
he came down from heaven and for us that he ascended into heaven,
after having been made like us in all things, humiliated unto death
on a cross, and after having touched the abyss of the maximal
distance from God. It was precisely because of this that the Father
was pleased with him and exalted him (Philippians 2:9), returning to
him the fullness of his glory, but now with our humanity.
God in man -- man in God: Now this is not a theoretical truth but a
real truth. For this reason, Christian hope, founded in Christ, is
not an illusion but, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, "in him we
have an anchor of our life" (Hebrews 6:19), an anchor that
penetrates heaven, where Christ has gone before us.
And in every age, what does man need more than a firm anchoring of
his existence? Here again is the stupendous meaning of Mary's
presence among us. Turning our gaze to her, like the first disciples
did, we are immediately directed to the reality of Jesus: The Mother
points to the Son, who is no longer among us physically but awaits
us in the Father's house.
Jesus invites us not to stand there staring into the sky, but to be
joined together in prayer, to invoke the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Only to those who are "reborn from above," that is, by the Spirit of
God, is the entrance to the Kingdom of heaven opened (cf. John
3:3-5), and the first one "reborn from above" is precisely the
Virgin Mary. Because of this we turn to her in the fullness of
Easter joy.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
[After the Regina Caeli the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims in
several languages. In English, he said:]
I greet with joy the English-speaking pilgrims who have come here
today, particularly the members of the Neo-Catechumenal Way from
Mumbai in India. In the course of this week we will pray with the
whole Church for the coming of the Holy Spirit. May all of you
receive abundant blessings of peace and joy.
© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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