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Pope Benedict XVI- Apostolic Journey to the Holy Land |
"The Church Herself Is a Pilgrim People"
Homily
at Vespers in Jordan
H.H. Benedict XVI
Greek-Melkite Cathedral of St. George in Amman, Jordan
May 9, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is a great joy for me to celebrate Vespers with you this evening
in the Greek-Melkite Cathedral of Saint George. I warmly greet His
Beatitude Gregorios III Laham, the Greek Melkite Patriarch, who has
joined us from Damascus, Emeritus Archbishop Georges El-Murr and His
Excellency Yaser Ayyach, Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia, whom
I thank for his kind words of welcome which I gladly reciprocate
with sentiments of respect. I also greet the leaders of the other
Catholic Churches present in the East - Maronite, Syrian, Armenian,
Chaldean and Latin - as well as Archbishop Benediktos Tsikoras of
the Greek Orthodox Church. To all of you and to the priests, Sisters
and Brothers, seminarians and lay faithful gathered here this
evening I express my sincere thanks for giving me this opportunity
to pray with you and to experience something of the richness of our
liturgical traditions.
The Church herself is a pilgrim people and thus, through the
centuries, has been marked by determinant historical events and
pervading cultural epochs. Sadly, some of these have included times
of theological dispute or periods of repression. Others, however,
have been moments of reconciliation - marvellously strengthening the
communion of the Church - and times of rich cultural revival, to
which Eastern Christians have contributed so greatly. Particular
Churches within the universal Church attest to the dynamism of her
earthly journey and manifest to all members of the faithful a
treasure of spiritual, liturgical, and ecclesiastical traditions
which point to God's universal goodness and his will, seen
throughout history, to draw all into his divine life.
The ancient living treasure of the traditions of the Eastern
Churches enriches the universal Church and could never be understood
simply as objects to be passively preserved. All Christians are
called to respond actively to the Lord's mandate - as Saint George
did in dramatic ways according to popular record - to bring others
to know and love him. In fact the vicissitudes of history have
strengthened the members of particular Churches to embrace this task
with vigor and to engage resolutely with the pastoral realities of
today. Most of you trace ancient links to the Patriarchate of
Antioch, and your communities are thus rooted here in the Near East.
And, just as two thousand years ago it was in Antioch that the
disciples were first called Christians, so also today, as small
minorities in scattered communities across these lands, you too are
recognized as followers of the Lord. The public face of your
Christian faith is certainly not restricted to the spiritual
solicitude you bear for one another and your people, essential
though that is. Rather, your many works of universal charity extend
to all Jordanians - Muslims and those of other religions - and also
to the large numbers of refugees whom this Kingdom so generously
welcomes.
Dear brothers and sisters, the first Psalm (103) we prayed this
evening presents us with glorious images of God the bountiful
Creator, actively present in his creation, providing life with
abundant goodness and wise order, ever ready to renew the face of
the earth! The Epistle reading we have just heard, however, paints a
different picture. It warns us, not in a threatening way, but
realistically, of the need to stay alert, to be aware of the forces
of evil at work creating darkness in our world (cf. Eph 6:10-20).
Some might be tempted to think this a contradiction; yet reflecting
on our ordinary human experience we recognize spiritual struggle, we
acknowledge the daily need to move into Christ's light, to choose
life, to seek truth. Indeed, this rhythm - turning away from evil
and girding ourselves with the Lord's strength - is what we
celebrate at every Baptism, the gateway to Christian life, the first
step along the way of the Lord's disciples. Recalling Christ's
baptism by John in the waters of the Jordan, the assembled pray that
the one to be baptized will be rescued from the kingdom of darkness
and brought into the splendour of God's kingdom of light, and so
receive the gift of new life.
This dynamic movement from death to newness of life, from darkness
to light, from despair to hope, that we experience so dramatically
during the Triduum, and is celebrated with great joy in the season
of Easter, ensures that the Church herself remains young. She is
alive because Christ is alive, truly risen. Vivified by the presence
of the Spirit, she reaches out every day, drawing men and women to
the living Lord. Dear Bishops, priests, Brothers and Sisters, dear
lay faithful, our respective roles of service and mission within the
Church are the tireless response of a pilgrim people. Your
liturgies, ecclesiastical discipline and spiritual heritage are a
living witness to your unfolding tradition. You amplify the echo of
the first Gospel proclamation, you render fresh the ancient memories
of the works of the Lord, you make present his saving graces and you
diffuse anew the first glimmers of the Easter light and the
flickering flames of Pentecost.
In this way, imitating Christ and the Old Testament patriarchs and
prophets, we set out to lead people from the desert towards the
place of life, towards the Lord who gives us life in abundance. This
marks all your apostolic works, the variety and calibre of which are
greatly appreciated. From kindergartens to places of higher
education, from orphanages to homes for the elderly, from work with
refugees to a music academy, medical clinics and hospitals,
interreligious dialogue and cultural initiatives, your presence in
this society is a marvellous sign of the hope that defines us as
Christian.
That hope reaches far beyond the confines of our own Christian
communities. So often you find that the families of other religions,
with whom you work and offer your service of universal charity, hold
concerns and worries that cross religious and cultural boundaries.
This is especially noticeable in regard to the hopes and aspirations
of parents for their children. What parent or person of good will
could not be troubled by the negative influences so pervasive in our
globalized world, including the destructive elements within the
entertainment industry which so callously exploit the innocence and
sensibility of the vulnerable and the young? Yet, with your eyes
firmly fixed on Christ, the light who dispels all evil, restores
lost innocence, and humbles earthly pride, you will sustain a
magnificent vision of hope for all those you meet and serve.
May I conclude with a special word of encouragement to those present
who are in formation for the priesthood and religious life. Guided
by the light of the Risen Lord, inflamed with his hope, and vested
with his truth and love, your witness will bring abundant blessings
to those whom you meet along the way. Indeed the same holds for all
young Christian Jordanians: do not be afraid to make your own wise,
measured and respectful contribution to the public life of the
Kingdom. The authentic voice of faith will always bring integrity,
justice, compassion and peace!
Dear friends, with sentiments of great respect for all of you
gathered with me this evening in worship, I again thank you for your
prayers for my ministry as the Successor of Peter and I assure you
and all those entrusted to your pastoral care of a remembrance in my
own daily prayer.
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