Describing the New Evangelisation

During the Jubilee Year, the then Cardinal Ratzinger gave a superb address to Catechists, in which he described the nature of the New Evangelisation. Lest this great discourse be forgotten by our readers, I have placed a PDF file of this discourse on the Community of Grace website. You kind find it by visiting the "Holy Father" page on the site.

This teaching comes from the keen vision of one who the Holy Spirit was using very powerfully. And let us recall, that during the last part of the Twentieth Century, the two pricipal forerunners, architects, of the New Evangelisation were precisely John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger. And how wonderful that the Holy Spirit should have chosen Cardinal Ratzinger to lead the Church after John Paul II. We should follow his lead with great diligence.

Practical advice from the Holy Father for priests

On ZENIT yesterday there was a second transcription of a Q & A that the Holy Father recently had with a group of seminarians. This answer particularly stood out to me because it basically echoes the aims of the Société Jean-Marie Vianney, which I wrote about earlier.

Marco Ceccarelli: Diocese of Rome, (Deacon): Your Holiness, in the coming months my companions and I will be ordained priests. We will move from a well-regulated seminary life to the broader context of parish life. What advice can you give us to enable us to adjust as well as possible at the beginning of our priestly ministry?

Benedict XVI: Well, here at the seminary you do have a very good routine. I would say as the first point that it is also important in the life of pastors of the Church, in the daily life of the priest, to preserve as far as possible a certain order. You should never skip Mass -- a day without the Eucharist is incomplete -- and thus already at the seminary we grow up with this daily liturgy. It seems to me very important that we feel the need to be with the Lord in the Eucharist, not as a professional obligation but truly as an interiorly-felt duty, so that the Eucharist should never be missed.

Another important point is to make time for the Liturgy of the Hours and therefore, for this inner freedom: with all the burdens that exist, it frees us and helps us to be more open, to be deeply in touch with the Lord. Of course, we must do all that is required by pastoral life, by the life of a parochial vicar or of a parish priest or by another priestly office. However, I would say, never forget these fixed points, the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, so that you have a certain order in the daily routine. As I said at the outset, we learned not to have to plan the timetable ever anew; "Serva ordinem et ordo servabit te". These are true words.

Next, it is important not to neglect communion with other priests, with one's companions on the way, and not to lose one's personal contact with the Word of God, meditation. How should this be done? I have a fairly simple recipe for it: combine the preparation of the Sunday homily with personal meditation to ensure that these words are not only spoken to others but are really words said by the Lord to me myself, and developed in a personal conversation with the Lord. For this to be possible, my advice is to begin early on Monday, for if one begins on Saturday it is too late, the preparation is hurried and perhaps inspiration is lacking, for one has other things on one's mind. Therefore, I would say, already on Monday, simply read the Readings for the coming Sunday which perhaps seem very difficult: a little like those rocks at Massah and Meribah, where Moses said: "But how can water come from these rocks?". Then stop thinking about these Readings and allow the heart to digest them. Words are processed in the unconscious, and return a little more every day. Obviously, books should also be consulted, as far as possible. And with this interior process, day by day, one sees that a response gradually develops. These words gradually unfold, they become words for me. And since I am a contemporary, they also become words for others. I can then begin to express what I perhaps see in my own theological language in the language of others; the fundamental thought, however, remains the same for others and for myself. Thus, it is possible to have a lasting and silent encounter with the Word that does not demand a lot of time, which perhaps we do not have. But save a little time: only in this way does a Sunday homily mature for others, but my own heart is also touched by the Lord's Word. I am also in touch with a situation when perhaps I have little time available.

I would not dare now to offer too much advice, because life in the large city of Rome is a little different to what I experienced 55 years ago in our Bavaria. But I think these things are essential: the Eucharist, the Office of Readings, prayer and a conversation every day, even a brief one, with the Lord on his words which I must proclaim. And never lose either your friendship with priests, listening to the voice of the living Church, or naturally, availability to the people entrusted to me, because from these very people, with their suffering, their faith experiences, their doubts and difficulties, we too can learn, seek and find God, find our Lord Jesus Christ.

New Papal teaching document coming soon

I'm looking forward to the Pope's first Apostolic Exhortation which will be on the Eucharist. It is the document which sums up what was discussed at the last Synod of Bishops in November 2005 - these documents take some writing. The Pope, in promising that it will be out soon, promises that it is "a document for meditation. It will help both the liturgical celebration as well as personal reflection, both the preparation of homilies as well as the celebration of the Eucharist. And it will serve to guide, illuminate and revitalize popular devotion."I think this could be something big in the life of the Church, helping to bring about the much needed reform of the reform in liturgy. I know liturgy is a dodgy subject to blog about...but I'm sure everyone will hope that this document will contribute to the worthy celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.

Young people in the first place

In a Q&A session with priests of the Diocese of Rome, the Pope spoke about priests working with young people. At the moment it's just reported on ZENIT, and the full text isn't available, mainly because the Pope spoke off the cuff and they have to get a transcript sorted out. His main points were:

• Young people must be a priority for priests, as they live in a world that is so remote from God.
• Priests need to provide opportunities for young people to find the space to have an encounter with Christ.
• Many young people see Jesus as merely a great prophet - but they need to be invited to encounter into the Mystery of Christ, and encounter the true God who is full of mercy.

On a more human level the Pope said that although he recognised that, for Christ, prayer at night was a necessary part of his life, for the Pope it is not possible as he likes to sleep at night. I know how he feels.

On a more serious note...Human Love and the Pope's message for Lent

Yesterday the Holy See published the Holy Father's message for Lent. Lent may immediately bring to mind abstaining from nice things, and doing penitential devotions, but Pope Benedict has pointed out the true nature of Lent: to be perfected in love. The ultimate icon of love is the divine love made human love, that is the heart of Christ which draws us into friendship with himself. This icon reaches its most transparent in the crucifixion. And so the Pope invites us to meditate on this text throughout the course of Lent: "They shall look on Him whom they have pierced".

"'They shall look on Him whom they have pierced' (Jn 19:37). This is the biblical theme that this year guides our Lenten reflection. Lent is a favourable time to learn to stay with Mary and John, the beloved disciple, close to Him who on the Cross, consummated for all mankind the sacrifice of His life (cf. Jn 19:25). With a more fervent participation let us direct our gaze, therefore, in this time of penance and prayer, at Christ crucified who, dying on Calvary, revealed fully for us the love of God."

In speaking of the love of God, the Holy Father comes back to the wonderful mystery of which he spoke in his Encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est, where he dwelt upon the different types of love expressed by the Greek terms agape and eros. Agape is the self-giving love where one is wholly consumed by seeking the good of the other person, whereas eros is a love where the person seeks the love of another in order to feel fulfilled. The love of God is most obviously agape because it is providential, and seeks the good of man, especially in the ultimate will of God which is that all men might be saved and come to live in friendship with Him. But the Scriptures also show us times when God is looking for us to return love to Him. Although God in himself needs nothing from us, for he is perfect being and perfect love, he makes humbles before man so that it can be seen that He longs for our love in return for his. He longs for love which has been given to be returned - just as it is between the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit - for perfect love is reciprocal - a two-way process.

"In the Encyclical Deus Caritas Est, I dwelt upon this theme of love, highlighting its two fundamental forms: agape and eros. The term agape, which appears many times in the New Testament, indicates the self-giving love of one who looks exclusively for the good of the other. The word eros, on the other hand, denotes the love of one who desires to possess what he or she lacks and yearns for union with the beloved. The love with which God surrounds us is undoubtedly agape. Indeed, can man give to God some good that He does not already possess? All that the human creature is and has is divine gift. It is the creature then, who is in need of God in everything. But God's love is also eros. In the Old Testament, the Creator of the universe manifests toward the people whom He has chosen as His own a predilection that transcends every human motivation. The prophet Hosea expresses this divine passion with daring images such as the love of a man for an adulterous woman (cf. 3:1-3). For his part, Ezekiel, speaking of God's relationship with the people of Israel, is not afraid to use strong and passionate language (cf. 16:1-22). These biblical texts indicate that eros is part of God's very heart: the Almighty awaits the 'yes' of His creatures as a young bridegroom that of his bride. Unfortunately, from its very origins, mankind, seduced by the lies of the Evil One, rejected God's love in the illusion of a self-sufficiency that is impossible (cf. Gn 3:1-7). Turning in on himself, Adam withdrew from that source of life who is God Himself, and became the first of 'those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage' (Heb 2:15). God, however, did not give up. On the contrary, man's 'no' was the decisive impulse that moved Him to manifest His love in all of its redeeming strength."

The self-giving offering of the love of God is so blatant on the Cross. But as Christ hangs there he says those words "I thirst". He did not just express that he thirsts for physical drink - though that is the external human meaning of the words. He also expresses a deeper thirst - the internal thirst of which his human thirst is a sacramental expression - a thirst for your love. He has shown his love to the extreme. Now he thirsts for your love.

"It is in the mystery of the Cross that the overwhelming power of the heavenly Father's mercy is revealed in all of its fullness. In order to win back the love of His creature, He accepted to pay a very high price: the blood of His only begotten Son. Death, which for the first Adam was an extreme sign of loneliness and powerlessness, was thus transformed in the supreme act of love and freedom of the new Adam. One could very well assert, therefore, together with Saint Maximus the Confessor, that Christ 'died, if one could say so, divinely, because He died freely'. On the Cross, God's eros for us is made manifest. Eros is indeed - as Pseudo-Dionysius expresses it - that force 'that does not allow the lover to remain in himself but moves him to become one with the beloved'. Is there more 'mad eros' (N. Cabasilas) than that which led the Son of God to make Himself one with us even to the point of suffering as His own the consequences of our offences?

"Dear brothers and sisters, let us look at Christ pierced in the Cross! He is the unsurpassing revelation of God's love, a love in which eros and agape, far from being opposed, enlighten each other. On the Cross, it is God Himself who begs the love of His creature: He is thirsty for the love of every one of us. The Apostle Thomas recognized Jesus as 'Lord and God' when he put his hand into the wound of His side. Not surprisingly, many of the saints found in the Heart of Jesus the deepest expression of this mystery of love. One could rightly say that the revelation of God's eros toward man is, in reality, the supreme expression of His agape. In all truth, only the love that unites the free gift of oneself with the impassioned desire for reciprocity instills a joy, which eases the heaviest of burdens. Jesus said: 'When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself' (Jn 12:32). The response the Lord ardently desires of us is above all that we welcome His love and allow ourselves to be drawn to Him. Accepting His love, however, is not enough. We need to respond to such love and devote ourselves to communicating it to others. Christ 'draws me to Himself' in order to unite Himself to me, so that I learn to love the brothers with His own love."

There you see how the Holy Father refers to the Heart of Christ drawing us to Himself. This friendship with Christ, the true living relationship with Him, is what he so desires in his Heart. It draws us closer into the mystery of who He is. We become completely one with Him. We don't just receive a condescending shower of love from above. He comes to be completely one with us. This oneness with Him means we also become that love for others. It is not that we sort of condescend to love others because God has condescended to love us. We love because we are loved. We are loved deeply in a vulnerable way by God Himself, who thirsts for our love. We should love others in the same way, opening ourselves in vulnerability to others, offering them our lives. This means we need a real victimhood with Christ, in order to offer our lives to the world in union with Him, so that others may be drawn in to the mystery of this love of Christ. How do we draw deeper into life with Christ? The ultimate way of experiencing this grace is through the sacraments. The sacramental life of the Church was itself born from the side of Christ, so we draw closer to that Heart of Christ when we receive sacramental grace.

"'They shall look on Him whom they have pierced.' Let us look with trust at the pierced side of Jesus from which flow 'blood and water' (Jn 19:34)! The Fathers of the Church considered these elements as symbols of the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. Through the water of Baptism, thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, we are given access to the intimacy of Trinitarian love. In the Lenten journey, memorial of our Baptism, we are exhorted to come out of ourselves in order to open ourselves, in trustful abandonment, to the merciful embrace of the Father. Blood, symbol of the love of the Good Shepherd, flows into us especially in the Eucharistic mystery: "The Eucharist draws us into Jesus' act of self-oblation; we enter into the very dynamic of His self-giving" (Deus Caritas Est, 13). Let us live Lent then, as a 'Eucharistic' time in which, welcoming the love of Jesus, we learn to spread it around us with every word and deed. Contemplating 'Him whom they have pierced' moves us in this way to open our hearts to others, recognizing the wounds inflicted upon the dignity of the human person; it moves us, in particular, to fight every form of contempt for life and human exploitation and to alleviate the tragedies of loneliness and abandonment of so many people. May Lent be for every Christian a renewed experience of God's love given to us in Christ, a love that each day we, in turn, must 'regive' to our neighbour, especially to the one who suffers most and is in need. Only in this way will we be able to participate fully in the joy of Easter.

"May Mary, Mother of Beautiful Love, guide us in this Lenten journey, a journey of authentic conversion to the love of Christ. I wish you, dear brothers and sisters, a fruitful Lenten journey, imparting with affection to all of you, a special Apostolic Blessing."

St Josephine Bakhita

The last revision of the Roman Missal a few years ago gave us some more saints in the Roman calendar, one of them being St Josephine Bakhita. It is her feast day today. Her story has really impressed me and I find her a real model for young people, for she came from slavery to find true freedom in friendship with Christ.

Briefly, she was born in Darfur in Sudan. She was kidnapped at the age of seven, and sold into slavery, having various masters, until she was 'bought' by an Italian consul. He passed her on to another Italian friend, who took her into his home in order to look after his daughter. When the daughter went to the convent school, our saint felt called to become a Catholic. And so she was instructed and was baptised and confirmed at the age of 22. She expressed a wish to join the sisters, but her 'owner' wanted her to return to Africa with his family. However, the Patriarch of Venice intervened, and in a court case it was held that as, in Italy, slavery was illegal, Josephine was free and had been since arriving in Italy. So she entered the convent of the Institute of St Magdalene of Canossa, and made her profession three years later. Her duties in the convent were the usual activities of household work, but her love for the children was returned by them. She was well known for encouraging them to love the Lord and to pray for those who do not yet know him. She herself said "What a great grace it is to be a friend of the Lord". She died in 1947 and was beatified in 1992 and canonised in the great year of jubilee by the Great Servant of God Pope John Paul II.

What strikes me about this saint is how she went from slavery to true freedom in Christ. Her slavery was a literal slavery. Today young people often live in other slaveries - drugs, drink, gambling, poor self-image, self-hate, despair, sex. St Josephine is a sign that friendship with Christ, which she exemplified, has the power to release us from the slavery to anything. This is really what our Holy Father meant when he said, at the beginning of his Pontificate:

"If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ and you will find true life. Amen"

Dare to Love

What a message the Holy Father has delivered to young people in preparation for this year's World Youth Day (not the International one which is next year in Sydney, but the Diocesan level one which should be taking place on Palm Sunday)! Pope Benedict is certainly becoming a true Apostle of Love and Friendship. This could be the real inheritance he leaves to the Church. His message to young people begins by contrasting real love with the cheap versions of love which we have in our human experience of infidelity. He says this can really lead to a personal crisis - living by the assumption that true love is an impossible dream. This really is a tremendous crisis for postmodern culture. The reason that people are so cynical about marriage and commitment to celibacy is precisely because they find it impossible to believe in a love which is completely faithful and lasting. Of course, for humans subject to original sin, such a prospect as lifelong faithful love seems a mere dream, but for God's grace it is not only a reality, but it is the essence of what grace is...the essence of God who is love.

Everybody feels the longing to love and to be loved. Yet, how difficult it is to love, and how many mistakes and failures have to be reckoned with in love! There are those who even come to doubt that love is possible. But if emotional delusions or lack of affection can cause us to think that love is utopian, an impossible dream, should we then become resigned? No! Love is possible, and the purpose of my message is to help reawaken in each one of you - you who are the future and hope of humanity-, trust in a love that is true, faithful and strong; a love that generates peace and joy; a love that binds people together and allows them to feel free in respect for one another. Let us now go on a journey together in three stages, as we embark on a “discovery” of love. What an invitation the Holy Father gives us: the pilgrimage of discovery of love. This is the real meaning of living a life of grace. As the Pope says, it comes in three stages.

The first of these stages is the love of God. As the first letter of St John says, "It's not our love for God, but God's love for us in Christ Jesus". At the weekend, I was lecturing on the BA Divinity course at Maryvale on the Trinity, where my starting point is always that the Trinity is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to live, grow into. Precisely because 'God is love', he is Trinity.

The first stage concerns the source of true love. There is only one source, and that is God. Saint John makes this clear when he declares that “God is love” (1 Jn 4: 8,16). He was not simply saying that God loves us, but that the very being of God is love. Here we find ourselves before the most dazzling revelation of the source of love, the mystery of the Trinity: in God, one and triune, there is an everlasting exchange of love between the persons of the Father and the Son, and this love is not an energy or a sentiment, but it is a person; it is the Holy Spirit.

Of course, we cannot see the Trinity - not as it is in eternity in itself. But as the Gospel of St John says: "Nobody has ever seen God, it is the Son who is closest to the Father's heart who has made him known" (Jn 1.18). And it is upon the Cross that we see that love revealed in its fullness. So discovering Christ crucified, and meditating upon that immensity of love is the second stage of our pilgrimage of discovery of love.

How is God-Love revealed to us? We have now reached the second stage of our journey. Even though the signs of divine love are already clearly present in creation, the full revelation of the intimate mystery of God came to us through the Incarnation when God himself became man. In Christ, true God and true Man, we have come to know love in all its magnitude. In fact, as I wrote in the Encyclical Deus caritas est, “the real novelty of the New Testament lies not so much in new ideas as in the figure of Christ himself, who gives flesh and blood to those concepts unprecedented realism” (n. 12). The manifestation of divine love is total and perfect in the Cross where, we are told by Saint Paul, “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Rm 5:8). Therefore, each one of us can truly say: “Christ loved me and gave himself up for me” (cf Eph 5:2). Redeemed by his blood, no human life is useless or of little value, because each of us is loved personally by Him with a passionate and faithful love, a love without limits. The Cross, - for the world a folly, for many believers a scandal-, is in fact the “wisdom of God” for those who allow themselves to be touched right to the innermost depths of their being, “for God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor 1:25). Moreover, the Crucifix, which after the Resurrection would carry forever the marks of his passion, exposes the “distortions” and lies about God that underlie violence, vengeance and exclusion. Christ is the Lamb of God who takes upon himself the sins of the world and eradicates hatred from the heart of humankind. This is the true “revolution” that He brings about: love.

The third stage of this pilgrimage of discovery is translating the love God has for us into love for one another. This is not a mere liking or sentimental love, but a love which is even till death. As Christ has called us his friends, and he has not refused to lay down his life for his friends, so also we should - out of our friendship with Christ - lay down our lives for our friends. That may not mean actually giving up our life in the sense of physical death, but rather to make of our lives a true sacrificial offering to bring our friends to friendship with Christ, and to serve them in their needs.

Now we have arrived at the third stage of our reflection. Christ cried out from the Cross: “I am thirsty” (Jn 19:28). This shows us his burning thirst to love and to be loved by each one of us. It is only by coming to perceive the depth and intensity of such a mystery that we can realise the need and urgency to love him as He has loved us. This also entails the commitment to even give our lives, if necessary, for our brothers and sisters sustained by love for Him. God had already said in the Old Testament: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Lev 19:18), but the innovation introduced by Christ is the fact that to love as he loves us means loving everyone without distinction, even our enemies, “to the end” (cf Jn 13:1).

This of course means that we become witnesses of love. As the Holy Father told us in his encyclical letter there are many ways in which we can bear witness to that love: some heroic, some which just require us to put ourselves out a little. But, if our lives are given over to friendship with Christ, then we will not refuse any act - no matter how small or great - to bear witness to this love. The Holy Father gives us three areas in which young people need to be able to grow in love, and in a demonstration of that love. The first is within the context of the Church.

I would like to linger for a moment on three areas of daily life where you, my dear young friends, are particularly called to demonstrate the love of God. The first area is the Church, our spiritual family, made up of all the disciples of Christ. Mindful of his words: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35), you should stimulate, with your enthusiasm and charity, the activities of the parishes, the communities, the ecclesial movements and the youth groups to which you belong. Be attentive in your concern for the welfare of others, faithful to the commitments you have made. Do not hesitate to joyfully abstain from some of your entertainments; cheerfully accept the necessary sacrifices; testify to your faithful love for Jesus by proclaiming his Gospel, especially among young people of your age.

Young people are also engaged in a constant formation for life. That's part of what it is to be young, and isn't about going on courses and and formation programmes all the time - though they can be very helpful. It is about making your youth a true building block for the rest of life. This means not treating being young as an excuse to be irresponsible or just as a time to enjoy with no responsibilities (though of course it is a very enjoyable time of life, but even more so if we engage in the real project of our life). This is the Holy Father's second point therefore. And here he speaks most especially to those who are in love - to engaged couples and to boy/girlfriends.

The second area, where you are called to express your love and grow in it, is your preparation for the future that awaits you. If you are engaged to be married, God has a project of love for your future as a couple and as a family. Therefore, it is essential that you discover it with the help of the Church, free from the common prejudice that says that Christianity with its commandments and prohibitions places obstacles to the joy of love and impedes you from fully enjoying the happiness that a man and woman seek in their reciprocal love. The love of a man and woman is at the origin of the human family and the couple formed by a man and a woman has its foundation in God’s original plan (cf Gen 2:18-25). Learning to love each other as a couple is a wonderful journey, yet it requires a demanding “apprenticeship”. The period of engagement, very necessary in order to form a couple, is a time of expectation and preparation that needs to be lived in purity of gesture and words. It allows you to mature in love, in concern and in attention for each other; it helps you to practise self-control and to develop your respect for each other. These are the characteristics of true love that does not place emphasis on seeking its own satisfaction or its own welfare. In your prayer together, ask the Lord to watch over and increase your love and to purify it of all selfishness. Do not hesitate to respond generously to the Lord’s call, for Christian matrimony is truly and wholly a vocation in the Church. Likewise, dear young men and women, be ready to say “yes” if God should call you to follow the path of ministerial priesthood or the consecrated life. Your example will be one of encouragement for many of your peers who are seeking true happiness.

Relationships are what it's all about. But it's not just about the deepest friendships which are at the basis of the companionship of boy/girlfriend or fiancés. We have many relationships which build up our lives and enrich them. These are the third platform on which we can build our life in love.

The third area of commitment that comes with love is that of daily life with its multiple relationships. I am particularly referring to family, studies, work and free time. Dear young friends, cultivate your talents, not only to obtain a social position, but also to help others to “grow”. Develop your capacities, not only in order to become more “competitive” and “productive”, but to be “witnesses of charity”. In addition to your professional training, also make an effort to acquire religious knowledge that will help you to carry out your mission in a responsible way. In particular, I invite you to carefully study the social doctrine of the Church so that its principles may inspire and guide your action in the world. May the Holy Spirit make you creative in charity, persevering in your commitments, and brave in your initiatives, so that you will be able to offer your contribution to the building up of the “civilisation of love”. The horizon of love is truly boundless: it is the whole world!

The life of grace is something which is not abstract and other worldly. It is seen in the example and life of the saints. We are called to imitate them, and to benefit from their intercession. The Holy Father puts before us most especially the life and witness of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

My dear young friends, I want to invite you to “dare to love”. Do not desire anything less for your life than a love that is strong and beautiful and that is capable of making the whole of your existence a joyful undertaking of giving yourselves as a gift to God and your brothers and sisters, in imitation of the One who vanquished hatred and death forever through love (cf Rev 5:13). Love is the only force capable of changing the heart of the human person and of all humanity, by making fruitful the relations between men and women, between rich and poor, between cultures and civilisations. This is shown to us in the lives of the saints. They are true friends of God who channel and reflect this very first love. Try to know them better, entrust yourselves to their intercession, and strive to live as they did. I shall just mention Mother Teresa. In order to respond instantly to the cry of Jesus, “I thirst”, a cry that had touched her deeply, she began to take in the people who were dying on the streets of Calcutta in India. From that time onward, the only desire of her life was to quench the thirst of love felt by Jesus, not with words, but with concrete action by recognising his disfigured countenance thirsting for love in the faces of the poorest of the poor. Blessed Teresa put the teachings of the Lord into practice: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). The message of this humble witness of divine love has spread around the whole world.

Although the prayers of the saints are a great benefit to us, they cannot replace the reality of love which is given to us as a gift when we receive Holy Communion. This is the greatest gift for it is the gift of Christ giving us his very presence to live in our hearts. But it is not a static presence. When we celebrate the Mass, or kneel in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus Christ is not just present there doing nothing. The silence and hiddenness of the sacramental presence of the Eucharist may lead us to think that Christ is merely resting among us. But he isn't. The very same self-giving and self-sacrificing love which was in his Heart the night before he died for us, when he instituted this great Sacrament - that same love is active in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a dynamic presence. It is the presence of Christ loving us.

Each one of us, my dear friends, has been given the possibility of reaching this same level of love, but only by having recourse to the indispensable support of divine Grace. Only the Lord’s help will allow us to keep away from resignation when faced with the enormity of the task to be undertaken. It instills in us the courage to accomplish that which is humanly inconceivable. Above all, the Eucharist is the great school of love. When we participate regularly and with devotion in Holy Mass, when we spend a sustained time of adoration in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, it is easier to understand the length, breadth, height and depth of his love that goes beyond all knowledge (cf Eph 3:17-18). By sharing the Eucharistic Bread with our brothers and sisters of the Church community, we feel compelled, like Our Lady with Elizabeth, to render “in haste” the love of Christ into generous service towards our brothers and sisters.

Pope Benedict ends with an invitation to come to Sydney for the next World Youth Day in Sydney.

On this subject, the recommendation of the apostle John is illuminating: “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth” (1 Jn 3: 18-19). Dear young people, it is in this spirit that I invite you to experience the next World Youth Day together with your bishops in your respective dioceses. This will be an important stage on the way to the meeting in Sydney where the theme will be: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). May Mary, the Mother of Christ and of the Church, help you to let that cry ring out everywhere, the cry that has changed the world: “God is love!” I am together with you all in prayer and extend to you my heartfelt blessing.

Just to summarise then. There are three dimensions to our pilgrimage of discovery of love:

• The love of God, the source of love
• The love of Christ crucified
• Our love for God

These dimensions have a real incarnation in our lives, in these ways:

• Love experienced within the Church
• Love of man for woman
• Love of all people in all sorts of different relationships

We are helped most especially by:

• The example and prayers of the saints
• The Holy Eucharist
  

Many of you will have read or at least seen George Weigels' tremendous biography of Pope John Paul II 'Witness to Hope'. I think maybe Pope Benedict XVI is showing himself to be 'Witness to Love' and that his teaching on friendship with Christ will be the true legacy to the Church.