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Pope
Benedict XVI - General Audiences |
General
Audience
On the Eve of Epiphany
"The Joyful Experience of Christ's Enduring Presence"
H.H. Benedict XVI
January 5, 2011
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In this first Audience of the New Year, on the eve of the Solemnity of
the Epiphany of the Lord, I offer my prayerful best wishes to you and
your families. The Church’s celebration of these days of Christmas is
not only a remembrance of things past, but a joyful experience of
Christ’s enduring presence in our lives and in our world. In Jesus, the
Word Incarnate, our salvation is accomplished in the flesh. Jesus’
humbling of himself, beginning with his conception in the womb of the
Virgin Mary, will find its fullest expression in the paschal mystery of
his death and resurrection. Our appreciation of the deep bond uniting
the Incarnation and the Redemption naturally draws us from the
contemplation of the Child Jesus in the Crib to the adoration of his
real presence in the sacrament of the Eucharist. The liturgical
celebrations of this holy season, from Christmas through the Epiphany to
the Baptism of the Lord, challenge us to be completely transformed by
the Son of God who became man so that we might attain our ultimate human
fulfilment by sharing in his glorious divine life.
* * *
I am pleased to greet the students and professors from the University of
Helsinki. My warm greetings also go to the seminarians of the Pontifical
College Josephinum. Upon all the English-speaking visitors present at
today’s Audience I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace today and
throughout the coming year!
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