April 15, 2007
Courtesy of Zenit.org
Be men and women of the Mercy of God, Pope Benedict XVI urges those present at the double anniversary Mass celebrated in his honor at the St. Peter's Square. Today's Mass of Divine Mercy Sunday marked the occasion of the Pontiff's 80th birthday, Monday, and the Second Anniversary of his election as Pope, Thursday.
In his homily, the Holy Father also remembered Pope John Paul II, recalling that the Polish Pontiff had designated the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, and had died on the eve of the Feast Day in 2005.
In his homily, the Holy Father also remembered Pope John Paul II, recalling that the Polish Pontiff had designated the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, and had died on the eve of the Feast Day in 2005.
Nearly 50,000 people attended the Mass, with some 70 Cardinals, Archbishops, Heads of the Roman Curia, and priests of the Archdiocese of Rome concelebrated.
Benedict XVI dedicated the main part of his homily to reflect on Divine Mercy, referring back to the teachings of his predecessor John Paul II: "In the word Mercy, he found summarized and newly interpreted for our time the Mystery of Redemption."
WITNESS
Benedict XVI said that the Polish Pope was a direct witness of two "dictatorial regimes," "poverty, necessity and violence" and "the power of darkness" that also threatens our time.
John Paul II also "experienced with equal or more intensity, the presence of God that opposes all our strength with His totally different and divine power: the power of mercy" said Benedict XVI. He added that "it is Mercy that puts limit to evil, in it is expressed the nature of all that is special in God, His Holiness, the power of Truth and Love."
The Pope added: "The friendship of Jesus Christ is the friendship of Him who makes of us people who forgive, of Him who also forgives us, who infuses into us the awareness of the interior duty of love, of the duty to correspond to His confidence with our fidelity."
The Holy Father said that John Paul II says to us: "Have confidence in Divine Mercy! Convert yourselves day after day into men and women of the Mercy of God.!"
WOUNDED GOD
Commenting on the Sunday Gospel in which Christ appears to His disciples and allows Thomas to touch His wounds, the Pontiff said: "The Lord has taken His wounds with Him for all eternity. He is a wounded God; who has allowed Himself to be wounded out of love for us." The Holy Father added that the wounds signify "certainty of His Mercy and Consolation."
Present at the celebration was a delegation of the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, led by Metropolitan Ioannis Zizioulas of Pergamum. The Pope greeted the Patriarch's delegation with "fraternal affection" and expressed his desire that Catholic Orthodox dialogue be carried out with "renewed vigor'.
Benedict XVI used for the first time today a new processional Cross, made in the gold workshop of Benedictine Abby of Santo Domingo de Silos, in Burgos, Spain.
Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, retired Archbishop of Munich and Freising, gave as a gift to the Holy Father the Book of Gospels used in the Mass. It is the work of Max Faller.
Benedict XVI dedicated the main part of his homily to reflect on Divine Mercy, referring back to the teachings of his predecessor John Paul II: "In the word Mercy, he found summarized and newly interpreted for our time the Mystery of Redemption."
WITNESS
Benedict XVI said that the Polish Pope was a direct witness of two "dictatorial regimes," "poverty, necessity and violence" and "the power of darkness" that also threatens our time.
John Paul II also "experienced with equal or more intensity, the presence of God that opposes all our strength with His totally different and divine power: the power of mercy" said Benedict XVI. He added that "it is Mercy that puts limit to evil, in it is expressed the nature of all that is special in God, His Holiness, the power of Truth and Love."
The Pope added: "The friendship of Jesus Christ is the friendship of Him who makes of us people who forgive, of Him who also forgives us, who infuses into us the awareness of the interior duty of love, of the duty to correspond to His confidence with our fidelity."
The Holy Father said that John Paul II says to us: "Have confidence in Divine Mercy! Convert yourselves day after day into men and women of the Mercy of God.!"
WOUNDED GOD
Commenting on the Sunday Gospel in which Christ appears to His disciples and allows Thomas to touch His wounds, the Pontiff said: "The Lord has taken His wounds with Him for all eternity. He is a wounded God; who has allowed Himself to be wounded out of love for us." The Holy Father added that the wounds signify "certainty of His Mercy and Consolation."
Present at the celebration was a delegation of the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, led by Metropolitan Ioannis Zizioulas of Pergamum. The Pope greeted the Patriarch's delegation with "fraternal affection" and expressed his desire that Catholic Orthodox dialogue be carried out with "renewed vigor'.
Benedict XVI used for the first time today a new processional Cross, made in the gold workshop of Benedictine Abby of Santo Domingo de Silos, in Burgos, Spain.
Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, retired Archbishop of Munich and Freising, gave as a gift to the Holy Father the Book of Gospels used in the Mass. It is the work of Max Faller.
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