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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
On
Evangelization and Christmas
"Nothing Is More Beautiful Than Freely Giving What We Have Freely
Received"
H.H. Benedict XVI
December 23, 2007
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Only one day separates the Fourth Sunday of Advent from holy
Christmas. Tomorrow night we will gather to celebrate the great
mystery of love that does not cease to stupify us. God became the
Son of Man so that we could become sons of God. During Advent, from
the heart of the Church a prayer has often gone up: "Come, Lord, to
visit us with your peace, your presence fills us with joy."
The evangelizing mission of the Church is the answer to the cry
"Come, Lord Jesus," which runs through the whole of salvation
history and which continually goes up from the lips of believers.
"Come, Lord, to transform our hearts so that justice and peace are
spread throughout the world." This is meant to bring to mind the
doctrinal note on some aspects of evangelization just published by
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The document
proposes, in effect, to remind all Christians -- in a situation in
which the reason for being itself of evangelization is often no
longer clear -- that the welcoming itself of the glad tidings of the
faith moves us to communicate the salvation received as a gift.
In fact, the truth that saves life, that became flesh in Jesus,
ignites in those who receive it a love of neighbor that moves our
freedom to give as a gift that which has been freely received. Being
reached by the presence of God, who draws near to us at Christmas,
is an inestimable gift, a gift that is capable of making us live in
the universal embrace of the friends of God, in that network of
friendship with Christ that binds heaven and earth, that directs
human freedom toward its fulfillment and that, if lived in its
truth, flourishes in a gratuitous love and a concern for the good of
all people.
Nothing is more beautiful, urgent and important than freely giving
to people what we have freely received from God. Nothing can exempt
or discharge us from this fascinating duty. The joy of Christmas of
which we already have a foretaste, as we are filled with hope, moves
us at the same time to proclaim to all the presence of God in our
midst.
Mary is the incomparable model of evangelization, she who did not
communicate an idea to the world but rather Jesus, the incarnate
Word. Let us invoke her with confidence so that also the Church in
our time proclaims Christ the Savior. Every Christian and every
community feels the joy of sharing with others the good news that
God so loved the world to give his only begotten Son so that the
world might be saved through him. This is the authentic meaning of
Christmas, that we must always rediscover and live intensely.
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
[After the Angelus the Holy Father greeted the people in several
languages. In English, he said:]
I address my cordial greeting to the staff of the Vatican newspaper
"Osservatore Romano," who this morning in Saint Peter's Square
propose an initiative of solidarity for the children of Uganda.
While I express appreciation for the special attention that the "Osservatore
Romano" dedicates to humanitarian emergencies in every part of the
world I praise the fact that it is being answered even with concrete
gestures such as this for which I wish a successful outcome.
I extend warm greetings to all the English speaking pilgrims and
tourists present to this Angelus. On this fourth Sunday of Advent,
we contemplate God's ancient promise to send us his Son, Emmanuel,
God is with us. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, I
pray that you may open your hearts to welcome this joy. God bless
you all.
© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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