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TRÁI TIM
MẸ: NƠI CON NƯƠNG NÁU - ĐƯỜNG ĐẾN VỚI CHÚA |
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"Chúa Giêsu muốn dùng con để làm
cho Mẹ được nhận biết và yêu mến" |
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May 10, 2009 - Fifth Sunday of Easter
LITURGICAL/THEME MEDITATION:
“He who abides in me, and I in
him, he it is that bears much fruit”
UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENT(S):
Papal Homily at Vespers in
Jordan
SAINT OF THE DAY
Blessed Damien of
Molokai
GENERAL
MARIOLOGY
THE DIVINE
HISTORY AND LIFE
OF THE
VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD
Book Two -
Chapter VI
THE TRIALS OF THE QUEEN IN THE
TEMPLE AND THE DEATH OF HER PARENTS.
DIVINE MERCY
Divine Mercy in My Soul
Notebook II
TEACHING/TESTIMONY/CONVICTION:
Papal Address at Mount Nebo

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DAILY LITURGICAL MEDITATION |
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“ He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit”
Scripture: John 15:1-8
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every
branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that
does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are
already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in
me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the
vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is
that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If a man
does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the
branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be
done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much
fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.
Meditation: Why does Jesus speak of himself as the true
vine? The image of the vine was a rich one for the Jews since the
land of Israel was covered with numerous vineyards. It had religious
connotations to it as well. Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel as
“the vineyard of the Lord” (Isaiah 5:7). Jeremiah said that God had
planted Israel “as his choice vine” (Jeremiah 2:21). While the
vine became a symbol of Israel as a nation, it also was used in the
scriptures as a sign of degeneration. Isaiah’s prophecy spoke of Israel
as a vineyard which “yielded wild grapes” (see Isaiah 5:1-7).
Jeremiah said that Israel had become a “degenerate and wild vine”
(Jeremiah 2:21). When Jesus calls himself the true vine he makes
clear that no one can claim their spiritual inheritance through
association with a particular people or bloodline. Rather, it is only
through Jesus Christ that one can become grafted into the true “vineyard
of the Lord”.
Jesus offers true life – the abundant life which comes from God and
which results in great fruitfulness. How does the vine become fruitful?
The vinedresser must carefully prune the vine before it can bear good
fruit. Vines characteristically have two kinds of branches – those
which bear fruit and those which don’t. The non-bearing branches must be
carefully pruned back in order for the vine to conserve its strength for
bearing good fruit. Jesus used this image to describe the kind of life
he produces in those who are united with him – the fruit of
“righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
Jesus says there can be no fruit in our lives apart from him. The fruit
he speaks of here is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians
5:22-23).
There is a simple truth here: We are either fruit-bearing or
non-fruit-bearing. There is no in-between. But the bearing of healthy
fruit requires drastic pruning. The Lord promises that we will bear much
fruit if we abide in him and allow him to purify us. Do you trust in the
Lord's abiding presence with you?
"Lord Jesus, may I be one with you in all that I say and do. Draw me
close that I may glorify you and bear fruit for your kingdom. Inflame my
heart with your love and remove from it anything that would make me
ineffective or unfruitful in loving and serving you as My All."
Psalm 22:25-31
25 From thee comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will
pay before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall
praise the LORD! May your hearts live for ever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and
all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
29 Yea, to him shall all the proud of the earth bow down; before him
shall bow all who go down to the dust, and he who cannot keep himself
alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him; men shall tell of the Lord to the coming
generation,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, that he has
wrought it.
www.dailyscripture.net
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UNIVERSAL CHURCH/WORLD EVENTS |
Papal Homily at Vespers in Jordan
"The Church Herself Is a Pilgrim People"
AMMAN, Jordan, MAY 9, 2009 ( Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the homily Benedict XVI delivered today at the celebration of Vespers in the Greek-Melkite Cathedral of St. George in Amman.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is a great joy for me to celebrate Vespers with you this evening in the Greek-Melkite Cathedral of Saint George. I warmly greet His Beatitude Gregorios III Laham, the Greek Melkite Patriarch, who has joined us from Damascus, Emeritus Archbishop Georges El-Murr and His Excellency Yaser Ayyach, Archbishop of Petra and Philadelphia, whom I thank for his kind words of welcome which I gladly reciprocate with sentiments of respect. I also greet the leaders of the other Catholic Churches present in the East - Maronite, Syrian, Armenian, Chaldean and Latin - as well as Archbishop Benediktos Tsikoras of the Greek Orthodox Church. To all of you and to the priests, Sisters and Brothers, seminarians and lay faithful gathered here this evening I express my sincere thanks for giving me this opportunity to pray with you and to experience something of the richness of our liturgical traditions.
The Church herself is a pilgrim people and thus, through the centuries, has been marked by determinant historical events and pervading cultural epochs. Sadly, some of these have included times of theological dispute or periods of repression. Others, however, have been moments of reconciliation - marvellously strengthening the communion of the Church - and times of rich cultural revival, to which Eastern Christians have contributed so greatly. Particular Churches within the universal Church attest to the dynamism of her earthly journey and manifest to all members of the faithful a treasure of spiritual, liturgical, and ecclesiastical traditions which point to God's universal goodness and his will, seen throughout history, to draw all into his divine life.
The ancient living treasure of the traditions of the Eastern Churches enriches the universal Church and could never be understood simply as objects to be passively preserved. All Christians are called to respond actively to the Lord's mandate - as Saint George did in dramatic ways according to popular record - to bring others to know and love him. In fact the vicissitudes of history have strengthened the members of particular Churches to embrace this task with vigor and to engage resolutely with the pastoral realities of today. Most of you trace ancient links to the Patriarchate of Antioch, and your communities are thus rooted here in the Near East. And, just as two thousand years ago it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians, so also today, as small minorities in scattered communities across these lands, you too are recognized as followers of the Lord. The public face of your Christian faith is certainly not restricted to the spiritual solicitude you bear for one another and your people, essential though that is. Rather, your many works of universal charity extend to all Jordanians - Muslims and those of other religions - and also to the large numbers of refugees whom this Kingdom so generously welcomes.
Dear brothers and sisters, the first Psalm (103) we prayed this evening presents us with glorious images of God the bountiful Creator, actively present in his creation, providing life with abundant goodness and wise order, ever ready to renew the face of the earth! The Epistle reading we have just heard, however, paints a different picture. It warns us, not in a threatening way, but realistically, of the need to stay alert, to be aware of the forces of evil at work creating darkness in our world (cf. Eph 6:10-20). Some might be tempted to think this a contradiction; yet reflecting on our ordinary human experience we recognize spiritual struggle, we acknowledge the daily need to move into Christ's light, to choose life, to seek truth. Indeed, this rhythm - turning away from evil and girding ourselves with the Lord's strength - is what we celebrate at every Baptism, the gateway to Christian life, the first step along the way of the Lord's disciples. Recalling Christ's baptism by John in the waters of the Jordan, the assembled pray that the one to be baptized will be rescued from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the splendour of God's kingdom of light, and so receive the gift of new life.
This dynamic movement from death to newness of life, from darkness to light, from despair to hope, that we experience so dramatically during the Triduum, and is celebrated with great joy in the season of Easter, ensures that the Church herself remains young. She is alive because Christ is alive, truly risen. Vivified by the presence of the Spirit, she reaches out every day, drawing men and women to the living Lord. Dear Bishops, priests, Brothers and Sisters, dear lay faithful, our respective roles of service and mission within the Church are the tireless response of a pilgrim people. Your liturgies, ecclesiastical discipline and spiritual heritage are a living witness to your unfolding tradition. You amplify the echo of the first Gospel proclamation, you render fresh the ancient memories of the works of the Lord, you make present his saving graces and you diffuse anew the first glimmers of the Easter light and the flickering flames of Pentecost.
In this way, imitating Christ and the Old Testament patriarchs and prophets, we set out to lead people from the desert towards the place of life, towards the Lord who gives us life in abundance. This marks all your apostolic works, the variety and calibre of which are greatly appreciated. From kindergartens to places of higher education, from orphanages to homes for the elderly, from work with refugees to a music academy, medical clinics and hospitals, interreligious dialogue and cultural initiatives, your presence in this society is a marvellous sign of the hope that defines us as Christian.
That hope reaches far beyond the confines of our own Christian communities. So often you find that the families of other religions, with whom you work and offer your service of universal charity, hold concerns and worries that cross religious and cultural boundaries. This is especially noticeable in regard to the hopes and aspirations of parents for their children. What parent or person of good will could not be troubled by the negative influences so pervasive in our globalized world, including the destructive elements within the entertainment industry which so callously exploit the innocence and sensibility of the vulnerable and the young? Yet, with your eyes firmly fixed on Christ, the light who dispels all evil, restores lost innocence, and humbles earthly pride, you will sustain a magnificent vision of hope for all those you meet and serve.
May I conclude with a special word of encouragement to those present who are in formation for the priesthood and religious life. Guided by the light of the Risen Lord, inflamed with his hope, and vested with his truth and love, your witness will bring abundant blessings to those whom you meet along the way. Indeed the same holds for all young Christian Jordanians: do not be afraid to make your own wise, measured and respectful contribution to the public life of the Kingdom. The authentic voice of faith will always bring integrity, justice, compassion and peace!
Dear friends, with sentiments of great respect for all of you gathered with me this evening in worship, I again thank you for your prayers for my ministry as the Successor of Peter and I assure you and all those entrusted to your pastoral care of a remembrance in my own daily prayer.
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DAILY LITURGICAL SAINT |
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May 10, 2009

Blessed Damien of Molokai
(1840-1889)
When
Joseph de Veuster was born in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840, few people in
Europe had any firsthand knowledge of leprosy (Hansen's disease). By the
time he died at the age of 49, people all over the world knew about this
disease because of him. They knew that human compassion could soften the
ravages of this disease.
Forced to quit school at age 13 to work on the family farm, six years
later Joseph entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary, taking the name of a fourth-century physician and martyr. When his
brother Pamphile, a priest in the same congregation, fell ill and was
unable to go to the Hawaiian Islands as assigned, Damien quickly
volunteered in his place. In May 1864, two months after arriving in his
new mission, Damien was ordained a priest in Honolulu and assigned to
the island of Hawaii.
In
1873, he went to the Hawaiian government's leper colony on the island of
Molokai, set up seven years earlier. Part of a team of four chaplains
taking that assignment for three months each year, Damien soon
volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people's physical,
medical and spiritual needs. In time, he became their most effective
advocate to obtain promised government support.
Soon the settlement had new houses and a new church, school and
orphanage. Morale improved considerably. A few years later he succeeded
in getting the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by Mother Marianne
Kope, to help staff this colony in Kalaupapa.
Damien contracted Hansen's disease and died of its complications. As
requested, he was buried in Kalaupapa, but in 1936 the Belgian
government succeeded in having his body moved to Belgium. Part of
Damien's body was returned to his beloved Hawaiian brothers and sisters
after his beatification in 1995.
When Hawaii became a state in 1959, it selected Damien as one of its two
representatives in the Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol.
Comment:
Some people thought Damien was a hero for going to Molokai and others
thought he was crazy. When a Protestant clergyman wrote that Damien was
guilty of immoral behavior, Robert Louis Stevenson vigorously defended
him in an "Open Letter to Dr. Hyde."
Quote:
During the beatification homily, Pope John Paul II said: "Holiness is
not perfection according to human criteria; it is not reserved for a
small number of exceptional persons. It is for everyone; it is the Lord
who brings us to holiness, when we are willing to collaborate in the
salvation of the world for the glory of God, despite our sin and our
sometimes rebellious temperament."
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintofDay
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GENERAL
MARIOLOGY |
THE DIVINE HISTORY AND
LIFE
OF THE
VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD
BOOK TWO
Treats of the Presentation
of the Princess of Heaven in the Temple, the
Favors She Received at the Hand of God, the Sublime
Perfection
with which She Observed the Rules of the Temple,
the Heavenly Excellence of Her Heroic Virtues
and Visions, Her Most Holy Espousal and
other Events up to the Incarnation
of the Son of God
CHAPTER VI.
THE TRIALS OF THE QUEEN IN THE TEMPLE AND THE DEATH OF
HER PARENTS.
It happened one day, that, impelled by the diabolical
suggestions, these girls brought Mary to a retired room, where they
could act with more safety. Here they began to heap unmeasured injuries
and insults upon Her, to excite Her to weakness or anger and to entrap
modesty into some hasty action. But as the Queen of virtues could not
even for a moment be subject to vice, She showed Herself immovable, and
She answered them with great kindness and sweetness. Being enraged
beyond bounds on account of not succeeding in their purpose, her
companions raised their voices in discordant strife, so that they were
heard in the temple and by such unwonted noise caused great astonishment
and confusion. The priests and the teacher hastened to the place whence
the noise proceeded, and the Lord permitted a new humiliation of his
Spouse, for they asked with severity, what was the cause of this strife.
While the most meek Dove remained silent, the other maidens angrily
answered and said: "Mary of Nazareth brings us all into strife and
quarreling by her horrid conduct: for in your absence, She irritates and
provokes us in such a manner, that if She does not leave the temple, it
will he impossible to keep any peace with Her. When we allow Her her own
way, She becomes overbearing; if we reprehend Her, She makes fun of all
of us by prostrating Herself at our feet with feigned humility, and
afterwards She quarrels anew and throws all into uproar."
The priests and the instructress brought the Mistress
of the world into another room, and there they severely reprehended Her,
giving full credit at that time to all the accusations of her
companions, and, having exhorted Her to reform and behave as one living
in the house of God, they threatened to expel Her from the temple, if
She would not mend Her conduct. This threat was the most severe
punishment, which they could have given Her, even if She had been
guilty: so much the more severe was it, when She was altogether innocent
of any of the faults imputed to Her.
Our Queen added other words full of sweetest
innocence and modesty; and therewith the instructress and the priests
dismissed Her, enjoining anew upon Her that doctrine, of which She
herself was the most wise Teacher. Immediately She betook Herself to her
companions, and prostrating Herself at their feet, She asked them
pardon, as if the faults, with which they had charged Her, could ever
have been shared by the Mother of all innocence. They received Her this
time with more good will, because they thought that her tears were the
effect of the punishment and the warning of the priests and the
instructress, whom they had induced to act thus in pursuance of their
badly governed passions. The dragon, who was secretly contriving this
entanglement, urged the incautious hearts of all these girls to still
greater haughtiness and presumption, and as they had now made headway in
the estimation of the priests themselves, they proceeded to greater
audacity in discrediting and lowering the good name of the most pure
Virgin. Accordingly by instigation of the devil, they fabricated new
accusations and lies; but the Most High never permitted them to say
anything very grave and dishonorable of Her, whom He had chosen as the
most holy Mother of his Onlybegotten. He merely allowed the indignation
and deceit of the maidens go so far as to exaggerate very much some
small faults, which were even in themselves altogether fictitious, but
which they accused Her of. Moreover they were permitted to practice many
feminine intrigues, to which their own restlessness drove them. In these
different ways and in the reprehensions of her instructress and of the
priests our most humble Lady Mary found many occasions of exercising
virtues, of increasing the gifts of the Most High, and of exalting Her
merit.
The Lord did not sleep, nor did He slumber (Psalm
120, 4) during the clamors of his beloved spouse Mary, although He
pretended not to hear them, delighting in the prolonged exercise of her
sufferings, which occasioned so many glorious triumphs and the
admirations and praises of the supernal spirits. The smouldering fire of
the persecution already mentioned continued unabated, in order that the
Phenix, Mary, might many times renew Herself from the ashes of her
humility, and in order that her most pure heart be regenerated over and
over again to new estates and conditions of divine grace. But when the
opportune time arrived for putting an end to the blind envy and jealousy
of those ensnared maidens, and in order that their petulance might not
altogether discredit Her who was to be the excellence of nature and
grace itself, the Lord spoke to the priest in his sleep and said to Him
"My servant Mary is pleasing in my eyes, and She is my perfect and my
chosen One: She is entirely innocent of anything of which She is
accused." The same revelation was given to Anne, the instructress of the
maidens. That morning the priest and the instructress conferred with
each other about the message, which both had received. Being now
certain, they repented of the deceit, into which they had been led, and
called the Princess Mary, asking her pardon for having given credit to
the false report of the girls and offering Her all the reparation
necessary to defend Her from the persecution and the sufferings
consequent upon it.
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DIVINE MERCY
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Divine Mercy In my soul
NOTEBOOK II
The Mercy of the Lord I will sing Forever.
Divine Mercy in my soul.
Sr. Faustina, Diary
Notebook II
August 4, 1936. Inner
torment for more than two hours. Agony…. Suddenly, God’s presence pervades
me and I feel as though I am coming under the power of the just God. His
justice pervades me to the marrow; outwardly I lose strength and
consciousness. With this, I come to know the great holiness of God and my
own great misery. A great torment afflicts my soul; the soul perceives its
deeds to be not without blemish. Then the strength of trust is awakened in
the soul, which longs for God with all its might. Yet it sees how miserable
it is and what utter vanity everything that surrounds it. And face to face
with such holiness, oh, poor soul…
August 13. I was tormented by terrible temptations all day; blasphemies
thrust themselves upon my lips, and I felt an aversion for everything that
is holy and godlike. Yet I struggled throughout the day. In the evening, my
mind became oppressed: what’s the use of telling this to the confessor? He
will ridicule it. A feeling of aversion and discouragement filled my soul,
and it seemed to me that I could by no means receive Holy Communion in that
condition. At the thought of not receiving Communion, such a terrible pain
seized my soul that I almost cried aloud in the chapel. But I suddenly
realized that the sisters where there and decided to go to the garden and
hide myself there so as to be able to at least cry out loud. Then suddenly,
Jesus stood by me and said, Where are you
intending to go?
I gave no answer to Jesus, but poured out all
my sorrow before Him, and satan’s attempts ceased. Jesus then said to me,
the inner peace that you have is a grace,
and suddenly He was gone. I felt happy and
unaccountably peaceful. Really, for so much peace to return within a moment,
that is a thing only Jesus can do, He, the most high Lord.
August 7, 1936. When I received the article about Divine Mercy with the
Image [on the cover] God’s presence filled me in an extraordinary way. When
I steeped myself in a prayer of thanksgiving, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus
in a great brightness, just as He is painted, and at His feet I saw Father
Andrasz and Father Sopocko. Both were holding pens in their hands, and
flashes of light and fire, like lightning, were coming from the tips of
their pens and striking a great crowd of people who were hurrying I know not
where. Whoever was touched by the ray of light immediately turned his back
on the crowd and held out his hands to Jesus. Some returned with great joy,
others with great pain and compunction. Jesus was looking at both priests
with great kindness. After a while, I was left alone with Jesus, and I said,
“Jesus, take me now, for Your will has already been accomplished.” And Jesus
answered, My will has not yet been completely
accomplished in you; you will still suffer much, but I am with you; do not
fear.
I have been talking much with the Lord about
Father Andrasz and also about Father Sopocko. I know that whatever I ask of
the Lord He will not refuse me, and He will give them that for which I ask.
I sensed and I know how greatly Jesus loves them. I am not writing about
this in detail, but I know this, and it makes me very happy.
August 15, 1936. During a Mass celebrated by Father Andrasz, a moment before
the Elevation, God’s presence pervaded my soul, which was drawn to the
altar. Then I saw the Mother of God with the Infant Jesus. The infant Jesus
was holding onto the hand of Our Lady. A moment later, the infant Jesus ran
with joy to the center of the altar, and the Mother of God said to me,
see with what assurance I entrust Jesus into his
hands. In the same way, you are to entrust your soul and be like a child to
him.
After these words, my soul was filled with
unusual trust. The Mother of God was clothed in a white dress, strangely
white, transparent; on Her shoulders she had a transparent blue; that is, a
blue like mantle; with uncovered head and flowing hair, She was exquisite,
and inconceivably beautiful. She was looking at Father with great
tenderness, but after a moment, He broke up this beautiful child, and living
blood flowed forth. Father bent forward and received the true and living
Jesus into himself. Had he eaten Him? I do not know how this took place.
Jesus, Jesus, I cannot keep up with You, for in an instant, You become
incomprehensible to me.

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CATHOLIC TEACHING/CONVICTION/TESTIMONY |
Papal Address at Mount Nebo
"Like Moses, We Too Have Been Called by Name"
AMMAN, Jordan, MAY 9, 2009 ( Zenit.org).- Here is the text of the discourse Benedict XVI gave today when he visited the Basilica of the Moses Memorial at Mount Nebo. Tradition holds that at this spot, God showed Moses the Promised Land.
* * *
Father Minister General,
Father Custos,
Dear Friends,
In this holy place, consecrated by the memory of Moses, I greet all of you with affection in our Lord Jesus Christ. I thank Father José Rodríguez Carballo for his warm words of welcome. I also take this occasion to renew my gratitude, and that of the whole Church, to the Friars Minor of the Custody for their age-old presence in these lands, their joyful fidelity to the charism of Saint Francis, and their generous concern for the spiritual and material welfare of the local Christian communities and the countless pilgrims who visit the Holy Land each year. Here I wish to remember also, with particular gratitude, the late Father Michele Piccirillo, who devoted his life to the study of Christian antiquity and is buried in this shrine which was so dear to him.
It is appropriate that my pilgrimage should begin on this mountain, where Moses contemplated the Promised Land from afar. The magnificent prospect which opens up from the esplanade of this shrine invites us to ponder how that prophetic vision mysteriously embraced the great plan of salvation which God had prepared for his People. For it was in the valley of the Jordan which stretches out below us that, in the fullness of time, John the Baptist would come to prepare the way of the Lord. It was in the waters of the River Jordan that Jesus, after his baptism by John, would be revealed as the beloved Son of the Father and, anointed by the Holy Spirit, would inaugurate his public ministry. And it was from the Jordan that the Gospel would first go forth in Christ's own preaching and miracles, and then, after his resurrection and the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost, be brought by his disciples to the very ends of the earth.
Here, on the heights of Mount Nebo, the memory of Moses invites us to "lift up our eyes" to embrace with gratitude not only God's mighty works in the past, but also to look with faith and hope to the future which he holds out to us and to our world. Like Moses, we too have been called by name, invited to undertake a daily exodus from sin and slavery towards life and freedom, and given an unshakeable promise to guide our journey. In the waters of Baptism, we have passed from the slavery of sin to new life and hope. In the communion of the Church, Christ's Body, we look forward to the vision of the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, where God will be all in all. From this holy mountain Moses directs our gaze on high, to the fulfilment of all God's promises in Christ.
Moses gazed upon the Promised Land from afar, at the end of his earthly pilgrimage. His example reminds us that we too are part of the ageless pilgrimage of God's people through history. In the footsteps of the prophets, the apostles and the saints, we are called to walk with the Lord, to carry on his mission, to bear witness to the Gospel of God's universal love and mercy. We are called to welcome the coming of Christ's Kingdom by our charity, our service to the poor, and our efforts to be a leaven of reconciliation, forgiveness and peace in the world around us. We know that, like Moses, we may not see the complete fulfilment of God's plan in our lifetime. Yet we trust that, by doing our small part, in fidelity to the vocation each of us has received, we will help to make straight the paths of the Lord and welcome the dawn of his Kingdom. And we know that the God who revealed his name to Moses as a pledge that he would always be at our side (cf. Ex 3:14) will give us the strength to persevere in joyful hope even amid suffering, trial and tribulation.
From the earliest times, Christians have come on pilgrimage to the sites linked to the history of the Chosen People, the events of Christ's life and the nascent Church. This great tradition, which my present pilgrimage is meant to continue and confirm, is grounded in the desire to see, to touch, and to savor in prayer and contemplation the places blessed by the physical presence of our Savior, his Blessed Mother, the apostles and the first disciples who saw him risen from the dead. Here, in the footsteps of the countless pilgrims who have preceded us in every century, we are challenged to appreciate more fully the gift of our faith and to grow in that communion which transcends every limit of language, race and culture.
The ancient tradition of pilgrimage to the holy places also reminds us of the inseparable bond between the Church and the Jewish people. From the beginning, the Church in these lands has commemorated in her liturgy the great figures of the Patriarchs and Prophets, as a sign of her profound appreciation of the unity of the two Testaments. May our encounter today inspire in us a renewed love for the canon of Sacred Scripture and a desire to overcome all obstacles to the reconciliation of Christians and Jews in mutual respect and cooperation in the service of that peace to which the word of God calls us!
Dear friends, gathered in this holy place, let us now raise our eyes and our hearts to the Father. As we prepare to pray the prayer which Jesus taught us, let us beg him to hasten the coming of his Kingdom so that we may see the fulfilment of his saving plan, and experience, with Saint Francis and all those pilgrims who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, the gift of untold peace - pax et bonum - which awaits us in the heavenly Jerusalem.
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