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November 15, 2008 – Saturday of 32nd Week in Ordinary Time       DAILY LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION: "Always pray and do not lose heart" UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S): Benedict XVI Notes Pius XII's Impact on Vatican II; Jews, Catholics Want Calm on Pius XII Issue SAINT OF THE DAY St. Albert the Great  GENERAL MARIOLOGY The Virgin Mary in the New Testament, Part I: "The Fullness of Time" (Gal 4:4) DIVINE MERCY On Glory, Glorify: Giving God The Glory  TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION: Benedict XVI on John Paul II and Vatican II   Monthly Index

DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION

Saturday (11/15):  "Always pray and do not lose heart" Scripture:  Luke 18:1-8 1 And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; 3 and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, `Vindicate me against my adversary.'  4 For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, `Though I neither fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" Meditation: What can a shameless and unjust judge pitted against a crusty and pestering woman teach us about justice and vindication in the kingdom of God? Jesus tells a story that is all too true – a defenseless widow is taken advantaged of and refused her rights. Through sheer persistence she wears down an unscrupulous judge until he gives her justice. Persistence pays off, and that's especially true for those who trust in God. Jesus illustrates how God as our Judge is much quicker to bring us his justice, blessing, and help when we need it. But we can easily lose heart and forget to ask our heavenly Father for his grace and help. Jesus told this parable to give fresh hope and confidence to his disciples. In this present life we can expect trials and adversity, but we are not without hope in God. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices perpetrated by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death (Song of Songs 8:6). The just who put their trust in God can look forward with hope to that day when they will receive their reward. Jesus ends his parable with a probing question for us. Will you and I have faith – the faith that perseveres to the end – when Jesus returns in glory to judge the living and the dead? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. If we want to live, grow, and persevere in faith until the end, then we must nourish our faith with the word of God and ask the Lord to increase it (Luke 17:5). When trials and setbacks disappoint you, where do you place your hope? Do you pray with expectant faith and confidence in God's merciful care and providence for you? "Lord Jesus, make my faith strong that I may never doubt your promises. When I face trials and difficulties, help me to trust in your unfailing love and to find joy and contentment in you alone." Psalm 105:1-11 1 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples! 2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, tell of all his wonderful works! 3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 4 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually! 5 Remember the wonderful works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, 6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 8 He is mindful of his covenant for ever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 9 the covenant which he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, 10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 11 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."   RETURN TO TOP

UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS

Benedict XVI Notes Pius XII's Impact on Vatican II Says Faithful Should Thank God for Gift of Late Pope   VATICAN CITY, NOV. 11, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says it is impossible to understand the Second Vatican Council without Pius XII's pontificate -- his writings are the second most cited source in the council documents. The German Pontiff spoke of his predecessor Saturday when he received in audience participants from the Thursday-Saturday conference on "The Heritage of the Magisterium of Pius XII." The conference was organized by the Pontifical Gregorian and Lateran Universities and marked the 50th anniversary of Pius XII's death, Oct. 9, 1958. Benedict XVI's address focused on Vatican II as a continuation with the past and Church tradition, as carried on by the pontificate that immediately preceded the council's convocation. "Certainly the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, is a living and vital organism, which is not stuck in what it was 50 years ago," the Pope affirmed. "But this development happens with continuity. That is why the heritage of the magisterium of Pius XII has been taken up by the Second Vatican Council and proposed to successive generations of Christians." The Holy Father noted that in the oral and written interventions from the council fathers, there are more than 1,000 references to the magisterium of Pius XII. And, though not all of the council documents have footnotes, in those that do, he said, "The name of Pius XII appears more than 200 times." That means, the Pontiff said, "that with the exception of sacred Scripture, this Pope is the authorized source that the council cites most frequently." "Moreover," he continued, "the references to these documents are not, in general, mere explanatory notes, but rather frequently are authentic integral parts of the conciliar texts; they do not just offer justifications in support of what the text affirms, but further offer an interpretive key." The German Pope explained that he offered a broader look at the late Pontiff, given that "when [Pius XII] has been spoken of in recent years, attention has been concentrated excessively on one problem, generally dealt with in a rather unilateral way." Modern press reports regarding Pius XII are generally about accusations that the Pope lacked zeal in condemning the Nazi regime and the Holocaust, despite the fact that historians and witnesses have provided ample evidence to the contrary. "Independently of other considerations, this has impeded an adequate vision of a figure of great historical-theological depth like that of Pius XII," Benedict XVI added. "His teaching continues giving light today in the Church. "In the person of the Sovereign Pontiff Pius XII, the Lord has given his Church an exceptional gift, for which all of us should thank him." Jews, Catholics Want Calm on Pius XII Issue Joint Statement Urges Mutual Respect   BUDAPEST, Hungary, NOV. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Exacerbating tensions regarding controversial issues is contrary to the desire of a panel of Jews and Catholics working for growing rapprochement between the two creeds, a joint statement affirmed. The statement came at the end of the 20th meeting of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee of the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations With the Jews and the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, which took place Sunday through Wednesday in Budapest. The affirmation was particularly in regard to reports and statements made about the role Pope Pius XII played in speaking out against the Holocaust. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, which oversees the Commission for Religious Relations With the Jews, and Rabbi David Rosen, the co-chairs of the committee, declared: "We reiterate our commitment to a relationship based on mutual respect and sensitivity. Disagreements between us which inevitably occur from time to time must always be expressed in a manner that reflects this spirit and not in language that only exacerbates tension." Cardinal Kasper assured during the meeting that the concerns of Jewish parties have been clearly conveyed to the Holy See at the highest levels. On Oct. 30, the request was made by the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations at a papal audience with Benedict XVI that all archival material be made available for independent scholarly review before any far-reaching decisions are made by the Holy See concerning persons and policies during the period of the Second World War. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office, soon afterward clarified that the Holy See is working to catalogue the archives in question so that they can be opened to expert review. But he warned that the sheer number of documents (some 16 million from the 1939-1958 pontificate) would take six to seven years to prepare at the current rate of progress. RETURN TO TOP

DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT

November 15, 2008 St. Albert the Great (1206-1280)  Albert the Great was a 13th-century German Dominican who influenced decisively the stance of the Church toward Aristotelian philosophy brought to Europe by the spread of Islam. Students of philosophy know him as the master of Thomas Aquinas. Albert’s attempt to understand Aristotle’s writings established the climate in which Thomas Aquinas developed his synthesis of Greek wisdom and Christian theology. But Albert deserves recognition on his own merits as a curious, honest and diligent scholar. He was the eldest son of a powerful and wealthy German lord of military rank. He was educated in the liberal arts. Despite fierce family opposition, he entered the Dominican novitiate. His boundless interests prompted him to write a compendium of all knowledge: natural science, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy, ethics, economics, politics and metaphysics. His explanation of learning took 20 years to complete. "Our intention," he said, "is to make all the aforesaid parts of knowledge intelligible to the Latins." He achieved his goal while serving as an educator at Paris and Cologne, as Dominican provincial and even as bishop of Regensburg for a time. He defended the mendicant orders and preached the Crusade in Germany and Bohemia. Albert, a Doctor of the Church, is the patron of scientists and philosophers. Comment: An information glut faces us Christians today in all branches of learning. One needs only to read current Catholic periodicals to experience the varied reactions to the findings of the social sciences, for example, in regard to Christian institutions, Christian life-styles and Christian theology. Ultimately, in canonizing Albert, the Church seems to point to his openness to truth, wherever it may be found, as his claim to holiness. His characteristic curiosity prompted Albert to mine deeply for wisdom within a philosophy his Church warmed to with great difficulty. Quote: "There are some who desire knowledge merely for its own sake; and that is shameful curiosity. And there are others who desire to know, in order that they may themselves be known; and that is vanity, disgraceful too. Others again desire knowledge in order to acquire money or preferment by it; that too is a discreditable quest. But there are also some who desire knowledge, that they may build up the souls of others with it; and that is charity. Others, again, desire it that they may themselves be built up thereby; and that is prudence. Of all these types, only the last two put knowledge to the right use" (St. Bernard, Sermon on the Canticle of Canticles). RETURN TO TOP

GENERAL MARIOLOGY

The Virgin Mary in the New Testament, Part I By Fr. Settimio M. Manelli, F.I.   "The Fullness of Time" (Gal 4:4) Regarding the first theme, as already said, it is sometimes maintained that St. Paul had no intention of speaking about or referring in this passage to the virginal conception of Jesus by the work of the Holy Spirit. Were this the case, he would have spoken more clearly; indeed he may not have known anything of this mystery, having written this before the circulation of the gospels. To these difficulties the excellent studies of A. Vicent Cernuda gave a clear and definitive reply quite some time ago (37). The author, in the second part of his research on the human origins of Jesus Christ according to St. Paul, where he accurately examines Pauline thought and vocabulary, makes this claim. If the expression "born of a virgin" is not used, but rather "born of a woman," this does not mean that the apostle was not informed about this truth and that he had not wanted to imply it. Revelation 12 also presents a "woman" about to give birth; but without ever mentioning a father, who for the rest is not even present in the context of that passage. Revelation 12 never calls the woman méter (mother), but always guné (woman). The parallel with Gal 4:4 is surely notable (38). To this reflection, developed at great length by the author, another may be added, which sets in relief the value of the term "woman" applied to the Mother of Jesus. St. Paul did not adopt the formula "born of a virgin," but preferred "born of a woman," because his reasoning was developed according to a progressive parallelism: It begins with a reference to the relation Father-Son and continues with the relation Son-woman. The term "woman" implies the motherhood of Mary, and is in conformity with biblical-messianic usage of the term (cf. Gen 3:15; Jn 2:4; 19:26; Rev 12). In addition, the use of the term "woman" is required by the context of the argumentation: The expression is not only informative, because it asserts a known fact, but also because it has doctrinal import. Here we are treating "of the woman" inserted into the saving plan of God, at the side of, indeed united intimately to the Savior Messiah by bonds of maternity, bonds never merely passive, least of all in the case of the virginal maternity of Mary. In the commentaries one often reads that the phrase "born of woman" is merely a characteristic expression of the Old Testament, and therefore, as was already mentioned above, not bearing special Mariological significance. It only indicates that Jesus was born of a woman like any other human being, and hence like any other has assumed the weakness of human nature (39). In fact, the phrase occurs also in Job 11:2, 12; 14:1; 15:14; 25:4; Sir 10:18; and in the New Testament in Mt 11:11; and Lk 7:28, in the last with the added preposition. This assertion is true, but is partial, insofar as it is limited to a mere literary consideration. True, the phrase "born of woman" is a linguistic commonplace of the Bible. But in Greek the formula normally appears with a verbal adjective: gennetòs gunaikós ("begetting woman," in Sir 10:18: gennémasin gunaikon: womanly begetting); or the formula is structured with the verb gennáo (40). Rare are the examples employing the verb gínomai (born, the verb used in Gal 4:4) in the same sense as gennáo. In only one instance are these two verbs used in the same sense in two verses of the same context (41). Further, it is true that the expression "born of woman" is usual to indicate the common aspect of human nature. But the normal construction in this case employs the verb gennáo. St. Paul in Gal 4:4 uses instead the verb gígnomai, and this to connote a singular birth. In fact, an examination of the Pauline letters reveals clearly how the apostle never uses the verbs gennáo or tíkto in reference to the begetting of Jesus, but always the verb gígnomai (cf. Rom 9:11; 1 Cor 4:15; Gal 4:23ff., 29; Philemon 10, etc.) (42). In particular one should note that in chapter four itself of Galatians, St. Paul uses the verb gennáo, when he speaks of Abraham who had "begotten" Isaac of Sarah and Ishmael of Hagar. This confirms that in 4:4 the apostle deliberately excluded human paternity in the begetting of Jesus. Evidently, the faith of the Church in the truth of the virginal conception of Mary is not based exclusively on Gal 4:4, where the reference is only implicit. Rather, it rests on what the gospels of Matthew and Luke clearly state. One may not, however, deny, the possibility that Gal 4:4 can be understood in this sense, even if such a meaning be present only implicitly. Hence, as various exegetes have observed, "Pauline theology on the origin of Christ not only does not ignore and does not deny his virginal conception, but to the contrary also contains surprising aspects perfectly in accord with it" (43). In regard to the virginity of Mary, we make our own the clear conclusion of A. Vicent Cernuda. He states that his research shows: St. Paul acknowledged the virginal conception and taught it quite naturally as an integrating element of the Incarnation; and if it is true that in itself this mystery does not constitute a characteristic feature of Pauline theology, it is no less true that the stylized allusions to this mystery (analyzed above) suggest how and with what depth the apostle had meditated on this theme to be able to compose these two verses treating of the assumption of a concrete human nature by a divine person and the connatural, but virginal manner in which this was accomplished. … He thus devised a means for bequeathing to us a fundamental Christology and Mariology coded as it were with marvelous tracery. To tell the truth it is no easy task to imagine how St. Paul might have limited himself in this context to repeating by rote clichés of the community. … Although many in recent years have accused this ancient view as being contrived, the archaic character of the formulae confirm that the thesis, according to which the virginal conception belongs to the most ancient forms of Christian faith, is not in error (44). The second theme touched on in Gal 4:4 deals with Mary’s role in the history of salvation. Now, notwithstanding the existence of minimizing interpretations (45), there remain in the pericope strong evidence of the Father-Son, Son-woman relationships and finally that of sons-Father. If the mode of conception and birth of Christ is not expressly indicated, it is expressly noted that our adoptive sonship passes through the birth of the Son of God from the woman (46). This entails an involvement of the woman in the saving plan realized by God in favor of a sinful mankind. We obtain adoptive sonship as a consequence of, and starting from, the fact that the Son is born of the woman. In this regard we must remark that in accord with the chiastic structure of the pericope, "born of woman" is related to the phrase "that we might receive the adoption of sons," while "born under the law" stands in relation to "that those under the law might be delivered." In the second affirmation there is found a progression between the two elements constituting it (a and b): the Son is born under the Law for the sake of rescuing those under the Law. Hence, there is a passage from a condition of slavery to one of freedom in Christ, and in this sense the first phrase (a) has a negative value, while the second (b) signals the end of a state of oppression and the beginning of a state of freedom (47). The first correlation, "born of woman" and "that we might receive the adoption of sons," also entails a progression: the birth of the woman (the Incarnation) not only had made the Son of God our brother, but even more has effected (hína … apolábamen) adoptive filiation (tèn uiothesían). If we can be called "sons of God" and call God "Father," this is because the Son was born of the woman. The motherhood of Mary is, then, not seen here only at the natural level (she gave human nature to the Son of God and so transmitted to him a condition of frailty), because in reality her "natural" motherhood in relation to Jesus is at the origin of the adoptive sonship of all men or all times. Because of this we can be called sons of God thanks to the "divine" maternity of Mary. This analysis makes clearer the role of Mary in the divine plan of salvation. The Father is at the origin of this saving project, Christ is at its center, but Mary is called to play a part, engaged in first person in the mission of Christ. And on the basis of its explicit affirmation in Gal 4:4, it is not unreasonable to find it implicitly present elsewhere in St. Paul, e.g., in Eph 1:3ff. (as does John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater), in Eph 5:21-32; Rom 5:12-21; 8:28-30; Phil 2:5-11; Heb 10:5-10; and Titus 3:4-7. Nor is it unreasonable to suggest that the very "dogmatic" Marian premises of St. Paul’s teaching are related to the gospel of the infancy of Jesus according to his good friend and dear physician, the Evangelist, St. Luke. From the theological point of view it has also been observed that in Gal 4:4 St. Paul refers, even if fleetingly, to the dual origin of Jesus: the eternal origin from the bosom of the Father, as is shown from the theological meaning of the word "sent" or "sent out of:" eksapésteilen ho Theòs ton huiòn autou (God sent his own Son); and the temporal origin from the womb of the Virgin Mary: genómenon ek gunaikós, factum ex muliere (born of a woman) (48). A comment almost always made is that St. Paul says little of Mary. Galatians 4:4 is the only reference to her. "Nonetheless, this verse presents her vividly inserted into the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word and of the redemption of men called to ‘adoption of sons’" (49). In effect, Mary has made Jesus to be in "the fullness of time," and this time is that which the Father from eternity has fixed for the redemption of men. And the redemption begins properly with the Incarnation of the Son of God, according to the saving designs of God. In these designs, Mary is shown "inseparable from the Son of God by nature and from the sons of God by ‘adoption,’ from the Redeemer and from redeemed mankind, and lastly from Christ and from the Church. In Gal 4:4 one comes to perceive, precisely, the Virgin Mother of Christ and of the Church" (50). St. Paul here presents an indispensable frame "for understanding the divine plan and the place of Mary in the history of salvation" (51). Another term for this in Tradition is Mediatrix. One may add that in this passage Mary enjoys the specific function of guaranteeing the reality of the Incarnation against the Docetist heresy. But as we have seen, with the expression: genómenon ek gunaikós, unusual in this form in biblical Greek, St. Paul, in conformity with Tradition (cf. Mt 1:16, 18-25, and Lk 1:26-38), affirms the exclusion of human paternity in the generation of Jesus. In this way, "implicitly, but unequivocally" he grounds "not only the maternal virginity of Mary in regard to Christ, but also the divine maternity in regard to the Son of God and the spiritual maternity in regard to the ‘adoptive’ sons of God" (52). (to be continued)  RETURN TO TOP

DIVINE MERCY

Dairy from St. Faustina On Glory, Glorify Giving God The Glory There are no indifferent moments in my life, since every moment of my life is filled with prayer, suffering, and work. If not in one way, then in another, I glorify God; and if God were to give me a second life, I do not know whether I would make better use of it. ... (Diary, 1545). I know that I will give God the glory He expects of me if I try faithfully to cooperate with God's grace (Diary, 1548). RETURN TO TOP

CATHOLIC  TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY

Benedict XVI on John Paul II and Vatican II "A Qualified Interpreter and Coherent Witness"   VATICAN CITY, NOV. 14, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Benedict XVI sent Oct. 28 to the international congress on the theme "The Second Vatican Council in the Pontificate of John Paul II." The event was sponsored by the St. Bonaventure Theological Faculty and the Institute for Documentation and Study of the Pontificate of John Paul II. * * * To the Most Reverend Father Marco Tasca Minister General of the Friars Minor Conventual and Grand Chancellor of The Pontifical Theological Faculty of St Bonaventure Seraphicum I learned with joy that the Pontifical Theological Faculty, together with the Institute for Documentation and Study of the Pontificate of John Paul II, has chosen to promote an International Congress on the theme "The Second Vatican Council in the Pontificate of John Paul II". With this initiative the Theological Faculty's intention among other things, is to develop a deeper reflection on the current situation of the Church in view of the celebration of the eighth centenary of the Rule that St Francis presented to Pope Innocent III in 1209, for which he received verbal approval. With this important scientific event the Institute for Documentation and Study proposes to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the election of Karol Wojtyla to the See of Peter with a view to making better known the great Pontiff's teaching and love for the Church in the historical and theological context of the Council which was so dear to his heart. Dear Minister General, as I address my cordial greeting to you, I ask you to express to your Conventual Confreres, the Professors of the Athenaeum, the Director and Members of the Institute and all who are taking part in the Congress the sentiments of fatherly affection that I feel for each one of them. I can only rejoice at the choice of a theme that unites two topics of quite special interest to me: on the one hand, the Second Vatican Council, in which I had the honour of taking part as an expert and on the other, the figure of my beloved Predecessor John Paul II who made a significant personal contribution to that Council as a Council Father and subsequently, by God's will, became its first executor during the years of his Pontificate. In this context it seems only right also to recall that the Council sprang from the great heart of Pope John XXIII, the 50th anniversary of whose election to the Chair of Peter we are commemorating today, 28 October. I said that the Council sprang from John XXIII's heart, yet it would be more accurate to say that ultimately, like all the great events in the Church's history, it came from the Heart of God, from his saving will: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3: 16). To make divine salvation accessible to contemporary man was Pope John XXIII's main reason for convoking the Council, and the Fathers worked with this in mind. For this very reason, "As the years have passed, the Conciliar Documents" as I recalled on 20 April 2005, the day after my election to the Pontificate, "have lost none of their timeliness; indeed, their teachings are proving particularly relevant to the new situation of the Church and the current globalized society" (Message to Cardinals, 20 April 2005). In practically all his documents, and especially in his decisions and his behaviour as Pontiff, John Paul II accepted the fundamental petitions of the Second Vatican Council, thus becoming a qualified interpreter and coherent witness of it. His constant concern was to make known to all the advantages that could stem from acceptance of the Conciliar vision, not only for the good of the Church but also for that of civil society itself and of the people working in it. "We have contracted a debt to the Holy Spirit", he said in his Reflection prior to the Angelus on 6 October 1985, referring to the extraordinary session of the Synod of Bishops which was about to be celebrated precisely in order to reflect on the Church's response during the 20 years that had passed since the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. "We have contracted a debt to the Spirit of Christ.... This, in fact, is the Spirit who speaks to the Churches (cf. Rv 2: 7); during the Council and by means of it, his word has become particularly expressive and decisive for the Church" (ore, 14 October 1985, p. 12). We are all truly indebted to him for this extraordinary ecclesial event. The multiple doctrinal legacy that we find in its Dogmatic Constitutions, Declarations and Decrees still stimulates us to deepen our knowledge of the Word of God in order to apply it to the Church in the present day, keeping clearly in mind the many needs of the men and women of the contemporary world who are extremely in need of knowing and experiencing the light of Christian hope. The Synod of Bishops that has just ended placed these needs at the centre of its own rich and fruitful reflections, reaffirming the hope expressed in the past by the Constitution Dei Verbum: "So may it come that, by the reading and study of the sacred books, "the Word of God may speed on and triumph' (2 Thes 3: 1), and the treasure of the Revelation entrusted to the Church may more and more fill the hearts of men" (n. 26), bringing them the salvation of God and with it authentic happiness. This is a commitment that I am pleased to entrust in particular to you, dear Professors of the Pontifical Theological Faculty, who venerate the Seraphic Doctor St Bonaventure as its heavenly Patron. In the wealth of his thought, St Bonaventure can offer interpretative keys which are still up-to-date and with which you may approach the Conciliar Documents to seek in them satisfactory answers to the many questions of our time. The anxiety for humanity's salvation which motivated the Council Fathers, guiding their commitment in the search for solutions to the numerous problems of the day was equally alive in St Bonaventure's heart as he faced the hopes and anguish of the people of his own time. On the other hand, since the basic questions that man carries in his heart do not change with the changing of times, the answers the Seraphic Doctor attained have remained substantially applicable also in our day. In particular, the Itinerarium mentis in Deum that St Bonaventure composed in 1259 has remained valid. Although it is a guide to the heights of mystical theology, this precious little book also speaks to all Christians of what is essential in their lives. The ultimate goal of all our activities must be communion with the living God. Thus, for the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council too, the ultimate aim of all the individual aspects of the Church's renewal was to lead the faithful to the living God revealed in Jesus Christ. I am certain that the Pontifical Faculty of St Bonaventure and the Institute for Documentation and Study on the Pontificate of John Paul II will continue to develop their reflection on the Conciliar texts, also availing themselves of the insights shared during this Congress. I assure you in this regard of the support of my prayers and, as a pledge of heavenly illumination for work that will yield abundant fruit, I impart the Apostolic Blessing to you, Most Reverend Minister General, to the Relators of the Congress and to all the participants, as well as to the John Paul II Foundation which generously contributed to it. From the Vatican, 28 October 2008 BENEDICTVS PP. XVI   RETURN TO TOP

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