"Christ Is Grace; Christ Is Peace"
Homily
at Marian House in Ephesus
H.H. Benedict XVI
Nov. 29, 2006
Zenit.org
Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
In this Eucharistic celebration we praise the Lord for Mary's
divine motherhood, a mystery solemnly confessed and proclaimed
in Ephesus at the Ecumenical Council of 431. To this place, so
dear to the Christian community, my venerable predecessors the
Servants of God Paul VI and John Paul II came as pilgrims; the
latter visited this Shrine on 30 November 1979, just over a year
after the beginning of his Pontificate. Another of my
Predecessors was in this country not as Pope, but as the Papal
Representative, from January 1935 to December 1944, Blessed John
XXIII, Angelo Roncalli, whose memory still enkindles great
devotion and affection. He very much esteemed and admired the
Turkish people. Here I would like to quote an entry in his
Journal of a Soul: "I love the Turks; I appreciate the natural
qualities of these people who have their own place reserved in
the march of civilization" (pp. 233-4). He also left to the
Church and the world the legacy of his Christian optimism,
rooted in deep faith and constant union with God. In that same
spirit, I turn to this nation and, in a special way, to the
"little flock" of Christ living in its midst, in order to offer
a word of encouragement and to manifest the affection of the
whole Church. With great love I greet all of you here present,
the faithful of Izmir, Mersin, Iskenderun and Antakia, and
others from different parts of the world, as well as those who
could not take part in this celebration but are spiritually
united with us. I greet in particular Archbishop Ruggero
Franceschini of Izmir, Archbishop Giuseppe Bernardini,
Archbishop emeritus of Izmir, Bishop Luigi Padovese, the priests
and the religious. Thank you for your presence, your witness and
your service to the Church in this blessed land where, at its
very beginnings, the Christian community experienced great
growth, a fact reflected in the numerous pilgrimages made to
Turkey to this day.
Mother of God -- Mother of the Church
We have listened to a passage from Saint John's Gospel which
invites us to contemplate the moment of the Redemption when
Mary, united to her Son in the offering of his sacrifice,
extended her motherhood to all men and women, and in particular
to the disciples of Jesus. A privileged witness to that event
was the author of the Fourth Gospel, John, the only one of the
Apostles to remain at Golgotha with the Mother of Jesus and the
other women. Mary's motherhood, which began with her fiat in
Nazareth, is fulfilled at the foot of the Cross. Although it is
true -- as Saint Anselm says -- that "from the moment of her
fiat Mary began to carry all of us in her womb", the maternal
vocation and mission of the Virgin towards those who believe in
Christ actually began when Jesus said to her: "Woman, behold
your son!" (Jn 19:26). Looking down from the Cross at his Mother
and the beloved disciple by her side, the dying Christ
recognized the first fruits of the family which he had come to
form in the world, the beginning of the Church and the new
humanity. For this reason, he addressed Mary as "Woman", not as
"Mother", the term which he was to use in entrusting her to his
disciple: "Behold your Mother!" (Jn 19:27). The Son of God thus
fulfilled his mission: born of the Virgin in order to share our
human condition in everything but sin, at his return to the
Father he left behind in the world the sacrament of the unity of
the human race (cf. "Lumen Gentium," 1): the family "brought
into unity from the unity of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit" (Saint Cyprian, "De Orat. Dom.," 23: PL 4, 536), at
whose heart is this new bond between the Mother and the
disciple. Mary's divine motherhood and her ecclesial motherhood
are thus inseparably united.
Mother of God -- Mother of Unity
The first reading presented what could be called the "Gospel" of
the Apostle of the Gentiles: all men and women, including the
pagans, are called in Christ to share fully in the mystery of
salvation. The text also contains the expression that I have
chosen as the motto for my Apostolic Journey: "He, Christ, is
our peace" (Eph 2:14). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul tells
us that Jesus Christ has not only brought us peace, but that he
is our peace. And he justifies this statement by referring to
the mystery of the Cross: by shedding "his blood", by offering
in sacrifice "his flesh", Jesus destroyed hostility "in himself"
and created "in himself one new man in place of the two" (Eph
2:14-16). The Apostle explains how, in a truly unforeseen way,
messianic peace has now come about in Christ's own person and
his saving mystery. He explains it by writing, during his
imprisonment, to the Christian community which lived here, in
Ephesus: "to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in
Christ Jesus" (Eph 1:1), as he says in the salutation of the
Letter. The Apostle wishes them "grace and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:2). Grace is the power
that transforms man and the world; peace is the mature fruit of
this transformation. Christ is grace; Christ is peace. Paul
knows that he has been sent to proclaim a "mystery", a divine
plan that only in the fullness of time has been carried out and
revealed in Christ: namely, that "the Gentiles have become
fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the
promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel" (Eph 3:6). This
mystery is accomplished, in salvation history, in the Church,
the new People in which, now that the old dividing wall has been
broken down, Jews and pagans find themselves united. Like Christ
himself, the Church is not only the instrument of unity, but
also its efficacious sign. And the Virgin Mary, the Mother of
Christ and of the Church, is the Mother of that mystery of unity
which Christ and the Church inseparably signify and build up, in
the world and throughout history.
Let us implore peace for Jerusalem and the whole world
The Apostle of the Gentiles says that Christ "has made us both
one" (Eph 2:14): these words properly refer to the relationship
between Jews and Gentiles in the mystery of eternal salvation,
yet they can also extend, by analogy, to the relationship
between the peoples and civilizations present in the world.
Christ "came to proclaim peace" (Eph 2:17), not only between
Jews and non-Jews, but between all nations, since all have their
origin in the same God, the one Creator and Lord of the
universe. Strengthened by God's word, from here in Ephesus, a
city blessed by the presence of Mary Most Holy -- who we know is
loved and venerated also by Muslims -- let us lift up to the
Lord a special prayer for peace between peoples. From this edge
of the Anatolian peninsula, a natural bridge between continents,
let us implore peace and reconciliation, above all for those
dwelling in the Land called "Holy" and considered as such by
Christians, Jews and Muslims alike: it is the land of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, destined to be the home of a people that would
become a blessing for all the nations (cf. Gen 12:1-3). Peace
for all of humanity! May Isaiah's prophecy soon be fulfilled:
"They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Is 2:4).
We all need this universal peace; and the Church is called to be
not only the prophetic herald, but even more, the "sign and
instrument" of this peace. Against the backdrop of universal
peace, the yearning for full communion and concord between all
Christians becomes even more profound and intense. Present at
today's celebration are Catholic faithful of various rites, and
this is a reason for joyful praise of God. These rites, when
they converge in unity and common witness, are an expression of
that marvelous variety which adorns the Bride of Christ. In this
regard, the unity of the Ordinaries of the Episcopal Conference
in fellowship and the sharing of pastoral efforts must set an
example.
Magnificat
In today's liturgy we have repeated, as the refrain of the
Responsorial Psalm, the song of praise proclaimed by the Virgin
of Nazareth on meeting her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth (cf. Lk
1:39). Our hearts too were consoled by the words of the
Psalmist: "steadfast love and faithfulness will meet,
righteousness and peace will kiss" (Ps 85:10). Dear brothers and
sisters, in this visit I have wanted to convey my personal love
and spiritual closeness, together with that of the universal
Church, to the Christian community here in Turkey, a small
minority which faces many challenges and difficulties daily.
With firm trust let us sing, together with Mary, a magnificat of
praise and thanksgiving to God who has looked with favor upon
the lowliness of his servant (cf. Lk 1:48). Let us sing
joyfully, even when we are tested by difficulties and dangers,
as we have learned from the fine witness given by the Roman
priest Don Andrea Santoro, whom I am pleased to recall in this
celebration. Mary teaches us that the source of our joy and our
one sure support is Christ, and she repeats his words: "Do not
be afraid" (Mk 6:50), "I am with you" (Mt 28:20). Mary, Mother
of the Church, accompany us always on our way! Holy Mary, Mother
of God, pray for us! "Aziz Meryem Mesih'in Annesi bizim için Dua
et." Amen.
[Translation of Italian original issued by the Holy See]
© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Look at
the One they Pierced!
