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Pope Benedict XVI- Apostolic Journey to USA |
 Homily
at Yankee Stadium
"Look to the Future With Hope"
Pope Benedict XVI
Yankee Stadium, New York City, USA
April 20, 2008
Here is the
homily delivered by Pope Benedict XVI today during the Mass he
celebrated in Yankee Stadium on the last day of his U.S. trip.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus tells his Apostles to
put their faith in him, for he is "the way, and the truth and
the life" (Jn 14:6). Christ is the way that leads to the Father,
the truth which gives meaning to human existence, and the source
of that life which is eternal joy with all the saints in his
heavenly Kingdom. Let us take the Lord at his word! Let us renew
our faith in him and put all our hope in his promises!
With this encouragement to persevere in the faith of Peter (cf.
Lk 22:32; Mt 16:17), I greet all of you with great affection. I
thank Cardinal Egan for his cordial words of welcome in your
name. At this Mass, the Church in the United States celebrates
the two hundredth anniversary of the creation of the Sees of New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville from the mother See of
Baltimore. The presence around this altar of the Successor of
Peter, his brother bishops and priests, and deacons, men and
women religious, and lay faithful from throughout the fifty
states of the Union, eloquently manifests our communion in the
Catholic faith which comes to us from the Apostles.
Our celebration today is also a sign of the impressive growth
which God has given to the Church in your country in the past
two hundred years. From a small flock like that described in the
first reading, the Church in America has been built up in
fidelity to the twin commandment of love of God and love of
neighbor. In this land of freedom and opportunity, the Church
has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith
and, through her many educational, charitable and social works,
has also contributed significantly to the growth of American
society as a whole.
This great accomplishment was not without its challenges.
Today’s first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles,
speaks of linguistic and cultural tensions already present
within the earliest Church community. At the same time, it shows
the power of the word of God, authoritatively proclaimed by the
Apostles and received in faith, to create a unity which
transcends the divisions arising from human limitations and
weakness. Here we are reminded of a fundamental truth: that the
Church’s unity has no other basis than the Word of God, made
flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord. All external signs of identity,
all structures, associations and programs, valuable or even
essential as they may be, ultimately exist only to support and
foster the deeper unity which, in Christ, is God’s indefectible
gift to his Church.
The first reading also makes clear, as we see from the
imposition of hands on the first deacons, that the Church’s
unity is "apostolic". It is a visible unity, grounded in the
Apostles whom Christ chose and appointed as witnesses to his
resurrection, and it is born of what the Scriptures call "the
obedience of faith" (Rom 1:5; cf. Acts 6:7).
"Authority" … "obedience". To be frank, these are not easy words
to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a "stumbling
stone" for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society
which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in
the light of our faith in Jesus Christ -- "the way and the truth
and the life" -- we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and
indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true
freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in
the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by
losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves
(cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the
burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our
resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him
who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. "In his
will is our peace".
Real freedom, then, is God’s gracious gift, the fruit of
conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn
8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and
liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on "the mind of
Christ" (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the
light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find
the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in
the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the
earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the "apostolate" of
making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform
ever more fully to God’s saving plan.
This magnificent vision of a world being transformed by the
liberating truth of the Gospel is reflected in the description
of the Church found in today’s second reading. The Apostle tells
us that Christ, risen from the dead, is the keystone of a great
temple which is even now rising in the Spirit. And we, the
members of his body, through Baptism have become "living stones"
in that temple, sharing in the life of God by grace, blessed
with the freedom of the sons of God, and empowered to offer
spiritual sacrifices pleasing to him (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). And what
is this offering which we are called to make, if not to direct
our every thought, word and action to the truth of the Gospel
and to harness all our energies in the service of God’s Kingdom?
Only in this way can we build with God, on the one foundation
which is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:11). Only in this way can we build
something that will truly endure. Only in this way can our lives
find ultimate meaning and bear lasting fruit.
Today we recall the bicentennial of a watershed in the history
of the Church in the United States: its first great chapter of
growth. In these two hundred years, the face of the Catholic
community in your country has changed greatly. We think of the
successive waves of immigrants whose traditions have so enriched
the Church in America. We think of the strong faith which built
up the network of churches, educational, healthcare and social
institutions which have long been the hallmark of the Church in
this land. We think also of those countless fathers and mothers
who passed on the faith to their children, the steady ministry
of the many priests who
devoted their lives to the care of souls, and the incalculable
contribution made by so many men and women religious, who not
only taught generations of children how to read and write, but
also inspired in them a lifelong desire to know God, to love him
and to serve him. How many "spiritual sacrifices pleasing to
God" have been offered up in these two centuries! In this land
of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to
practice their faith, but also to participate fully in civic
life, bringing their deepest moral convictions to the public
square and cooperating with their neighbors in shaping a
vibrant, democratic society. Today’s celebration is more than an
occasion of gratitude for graces received. It is also a summons
to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of
freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming
generations.
"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people he claims for his own, to proclaim his glorious works" (1
Pet 2:9). These words of the Apostle Peter do not simply remind
us of the dignity which is ours by God’s grace; they also
challenge us to an ever greater fidelity to the glorious
inheritance which we have received in Christ (cf. Eph 1:18).
They challenge us to examine our consciences, to purify our
hearts, to renew our baptismal commitment to reject Satan and
all his empty promises. They challenge us to be a people of joy,
heralds of the unfailing hope (cf. Rom 5:5) born of faith in
God’s word, and trust in his promises.
Each day, throughout this land, you and so many of your
neighbors pray to the Father in the Lord’s own words: "Thy
Kingdom come". This prayer needs to shape the mind and heart of
every Christian in this nation. It needs to bear fruit in the
way you lead your lives and in the way you build up your
families and your communities. It needs to create new "settings
of hope" (cf. Spe Salvi, 32ff.) where God’s Kingdom
becomes present in all its saving power.
Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means being
constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for
its growth in every sector of society. It means facing the
challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ’s
victory and a commitment to extending his reign. It means not
losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal.
It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and
countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means
rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life,
since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, "there is no human
activity -- even in secular affairs -- which can be withdrawn
from God’s dominion" (Lumen Gentium, 36). It means
working to enrich American society and culture with the beauty
and truth of the Gospel, and never losing sight of that great
hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which
inspire our lives.
And this, dear friends, is the particular challenge which the
Successor of Saint Peter sets before you today. As "a chosen
people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation", follow faithfully in
the footsteps of those who have gone before you! Hasten the
coming of God’s Kingdom in this land! Past generations have left
you an impressive legacy. In our day too, the Catholic community
in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in
the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for
the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst. On these
solid foundations, the future of the Church in America must even
now begin to rise!
Yesterday, not far from here, I was moved by the joy, the hope
and the generous love of Christ which I saw on the faces of the
many young people assembled in Dunwoodie. They are the Church’s
future, and they deserve all the prayer and support that you can
give them. And so I wish to close by adding a special word of
encouragement to them. My dear young friends, like the seven
men, "filled with the Spirit and wisdom" whom the Apostles
charged with care for the young Church, may you step forward and
take up the responsibility which your faith in Christ sets
before you! May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, "the
same, yesterday, and today and for ever" and the unchanging
truths which have their foundation in him (cf. Gaudium et Spes,
10; Heb 13:8). These are the truths that set us free! They are
the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable
dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world --
including the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn
child in the mother’s womb. In a world where, as Pope John Paul
II, speaking in this very place, reminded us, Lazarus continues
to stand at our door (Homily at Yankee Stadium, October 2, 1979,
No. 7), let your faith and love bear rich fruit in outreach to
the poor, the needy and those without a voice. Young men and
women of America, I urge you: open your hearts to the Lord’s
call to follow him in the priesthood and the religious life. Can
there be any greater mark of love than this: to follow in the
footsteps of Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for
his friends (cf. Jn 15:13)?
In today’s Gospel, the Lord promises his disciples that they
will perform works even greater than his (cf. Jn 14:12). Dear
friends, only God in his providence knows what works his grace
has yet to bring forth in your lives and in the life of the
Church in the United States. Yet Christ’s promise fills us with
sure hope. Let us now join our prayers to his, as living stones
in that spiritual temple which is his one, holy, catholic and
apostolic Church. Let us lift our eyes to him, for even now he
is preparing for us a place in his Father’s house. And empowered
by his Holy Spirit, let us work with renewed zeal for the spread
of his Kingdom.
"Happy are you who believe!" (cf. 1 Pet 2:7). Let us turn to
Jesus! He alone is the way that leads to eternal happiness, the
truth who satisfies the deepest longings of every heart, and the
life who brings ever new joy and hope, to us and to our world.
Amen.
© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
[The Pope continued in Spanish:]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
I greet you with affection and I am happy to celebrate this holy
Mass in thanksgiving to God for the bicentennial of the moment
in which the Catholic Church in this nation began to develop.
Upon looking at the path of faith taken in these years, not
without difficulties, we praise the Lord for the fruits that the
Word of God has given these lands and shows to him our desire
that Christ, the way, the truth and the life, be know and love
more each day.
Here, in this country of freedom, I want to proclaim with
strength that the Word of Christ does not eliminate our
aspirations to a full and free life, but rather in it we
discover our true dignity as sons of God and it encourages us to
fight against all that enslaves us, beginning with our own
egotism and whims. At the same time, it encourages us to
manifest our faith through our life of charity and make our
ecclesial lives be each day more welcoming and fraternal.
Above all to the youth I entrust you to take on the great
challenge that comes with believing in Christ, and to manifest
your faith through closeness to the poor, and through generous
responses to the calls that he continues to make to leave
everything and begin a life of total consecration to God and the
Church, in the priestly or religious life.
Dear brothers and sisters, I invite you to look to the future
with hope, allowing Jesus to enter into your lives. Only he is
the path that leads to the happiness that never ends, the truth
that satisfies the noblest human aspirations, and the life
overflowing with joy for the good of the Church and the world.
May God bless you.
[Translation by ZENIT]
Cardinal Egan's Greeting at Papal Mass
We "Feel Especially Blessed By Your Coming Among Us"
Yankee Stadium, New York City, USA
April 20, 2008
Here is the
greeting Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, gave to
Benedict XVI before the Pontiff celebrated Mass today at Yankee
Stadium.
Most Holy Father, welcome to New York!
Your pastoral visit is for all of us gathered here this
afternoon an immense blessing for which we are truly and deeply
grateful.
Two hundred years ago this month, your wise and heroic
predecessor of happy memory, Pope Pius VII, elevated the Diocese
of Baltimore, the only Diocese in the nation at the time, to the
dignity of an Archdiocese and created within its Metropolitan
Province four Suffragan Sees. They were Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, and Bardstown, which is now Louisville. All four
have since become Archdioceses and, along with Baltimore, are
engaged in Bicentennial Celebrations which, in the providence of
God, culminate most fittingly with the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass offered by the Vicar of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
here in our midst. For your visit and your leading us in this
Eucharist, Most Holy Father, we express our humble and heartfelt
gratitude.
With us on this splendid and grace-filled occasion are
cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, religious,
and faithful from all 195 dioceses and archdioceses of the
United States of America. They represent an extraordinary
variety of races and ethnic backgrounds, all united in the One,
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of which you are the
Supreme Shepherd. They are joined by clergy and laity of many
faiths and communions, political leaders, and men, women, and
children from every corner of this land. It is an extraordinary
privilege to be allowed to tell you on their behalf what a
splendid and deeply appreciated grace your presence is for all
of us.
Most Holy Father, we have read with pleasure and gratitude your
most recent Encyclical Letter, “Saved by Hope.” It sets the
theme for this Eucharist, “Christ, Our Easter Hope,” and points
out most tellingly the path we need to follow with unlimited
trust and confidence in the Lord over the years that lie ahead.
Thank you most sincerely for that Encyclical and for all that
you have said, written, and done over the past three years as
Successor of Saint Peter to deepen our faith and strengthen our
commitment to live as the Lord has taught us to live.
Finally, Most Holy Father, allow me to add that we in New York
feel especially blessed by your coming among us in our
Cathedral, at our seminary, in one of our parish churches,
before the world community at the United Nations, and in Lower
Manhattan at what we have come to call “Ground Zero,” a place of
tragedy hallowed by your concern and prayer.
Please know that your visit inspires and heightens in the hearts
of all of us that “life-changing and life-sustaining hope” about
which you wrote in your Encyclical Letter with such depth and
learning. We pray for the Bishop of Rome, the Supreme Pontiff,
and the Vicar of Christ; and we promise to continue that prayer
throughout the years that lie ahead with ever-greater love and
hope.
Most Holy Father, welcome!
Look
at the One they Pierced!
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