I DON'T like this!!!

People are eating their lunch behind a coffin exposed on the steps of St-Laurent's church on March 31, 2012 in Lausanne. Coffins were exhibited with humour and provocation around the theme of the Resurrection during an action by local Reformed Church to draw attention to passers-by about the meaning of Easter. (Getty Images)

Palm Sunday - Honduras

Palm branches for sale are seen outside a church in Tegucigalpa March 30, 2012, as Catholics around the country are getting ready to celebrate Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Holy Week celebrations. (Reuters Pictures)

A man works a palm branch for sale outside a church in Tegucigalpa March 30, 2012. (Reuters Pictures)

Prayer Saturday Fifth Week of Lent

Saturday Fifth Week of Lent

Prayer:

Almighty God,
we thank you for journeying with us
and supporting us as we observed our acts
of penance and self-denial.

As the Holy week is upon us,
we ask you to sustain us by your grace,
so that we may complete this last leg
with greater zeal and passion.
Help us keep our minds and hearts pure,
now that we have confessed our guilt.

Continue to bless and protect all those who bear your name
and the ones soon to be united to the sheep-fold
by the saving waters of baptism.

We make our prayer
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

We Cannot Eliminate Suffering

“We can try to limit suffering,
to fight against it, but we cannot eliminate it.
It is when we attempt to avoid suffering
by withdrawing from anything that might involve hurt,
when we try to spare ourselves the effort
and pain of pursuing truth, love, and goodness,
that we drift into a life of emptiness,
in which there may be almost no pain,
but the dark sensation of meaninglessness
and abandonment is all the greater.

It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering
that we are healed,
but rather by our capacity for accepting it,
maturing through it and finding meaning
through union with Christ,
who suffered with infinite love.”

~ Pope Benedict XVI, Saved in Hope: Spe Salve

Prayer Friday Fifth Week of Lent

Friday Fifth Week of Lent

Prayer:

Ever loving Lord,
when you walked this earth two thousand years ago,
your chosen people failed to recognise your divinity,
in spite of all the miraculous deeds
and wonders you performed.
Today we stand in judgement
and blame them for refusing to accept you.
But in so many ways
we are walking the same paths that the Jews of old did.
Whenever, we shut our eyes to the working of the Holy Spirit,
and block our ears to the testimonies of others,
we knowingly or unknowingly slam the door on you.

Open the eyes the our hearts, Lord,
declutter our minds from doubts,
set us free from the chains that weigh us down,
help us trod away from the miry clay.

And in your loving mercy
forgive all the sins that we have wrought;
and increase the good that we have sought.

We make our prayer
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Vatican confirms excommunication of four Ukrainian clergy

Vatican City, Mar 29, 2012 / 06:00 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican's doctrinal office has confirmed the excommunication of four priests expelled from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, who asserted themselves as rivals to its bishops.

“These priests continue to challenge ecclesiastical authority, causing moral and spiritual damage, not only to the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat and the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church, but also to this Apostolic See and the Catholic Church as a whole,” the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said March 29.

“All this provokes division and bewilderment among the faithful,” the Vatican's highest doctrinal office observed. The comments were made in a March 29 notification intended “to inform the faithful, especially in the countries of origin of the so-called 'bishops,' about their current canonical status.”

“This Congregation … formally declares that it does not recognize the validity of their episcopal ordinations, or of any and all ordinations that have derived, or will derive therefrom. Moreover, the canonical status of the four so-called 'bishops' is that of excommunication.”

Fr. Elias Dohnal, Fr. Markian Hitiuk, Fr. Metodej Spirik, and Fr. Robert Oberhauser are ex-members of the Basilian Order, a society of priests within the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Ukraine's Eastern Catholics make up one of the largest eastern churches in communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

In 2008, the four priests were declared excommunicated by the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which follows its own procedures of canon law. They claimed to have been ordained as bishops, in rites that Ukraine's Eastern Catholic hierarchy regarded as both illegitimate and invalid.

According to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the priests insisted on the validity of their ordinations, and sought to be recognized by state authorities as leaders of the “Ukrainian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church.”

“The Holy See, concerned to protect the unity and peace of Christ's flock, had hoped in the repentance and subsequent return of the aforementioned priests to full communion with the Catholic Church,” the doctrinal congregation's head Cardinal William J. Levada and secretary Archbishop Luis Ferrer said.

“Unfortunately the most recent developments - such as the unsuccessful attempt to acquire State registration … demonstrate their continuing disobedience.”

Catholics are instructed “not to adhere to the aforementioned group as, to all canonical effects, it is outside ecclesiastical communion. The faithful are invited to pray for the members of the group, that they may repent and return to full communion with the Catholic Church.”

“Furthermore, the use of the name 'Catholic' by groups which are not recognized by the competent ecclesiastical authority is to be considered as illegitimate,” the prefect and secretary noted.


News Source

O Lord, Please Forgive!

For the souls I’ve wounded this day
And for the ones I’ve turned away
If I’ve caused my neighbour to go astray
O Lord, please forgive!

For the times I’ve been harsh and cold
Out of envy tired to push another out of your fold
If during the day I’ve taken your patience to the threshold
O Lord, please forgive!

For not reaching out and helping someone in need
And setting a bad example by my deed
For the ones I've ignored to feed
O Lord, please forgive!

For every wrong I might have done
And for any half truths I may have spun
If I’ve indulged in the wrong kind of fun
O Lord, please forgive!

Now I lay me down to sleep
And I know Lord, my soul you’ll keep
Grant me peace, let no nightmares creep
So refreshed and strengthened a new day I'll greet, with a joyful leap

Amen



~Olivia

Copyright© 2012 All rights reserved

Prayer Thursday Fifth Week of Lent

Thursday Fifth Week of Lent

Prayer:

Stand by your people, Lord,
who place all their hope
and trust in your divine mercy.

Wash away the stain of our sins,
and re-unite us with your family,
so that we can live in your presence
all the days of our eternity;
the inheritance you have promised.

We make our prayer
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Pope's back home after his Apostolic Voyage to Mexico and Cuba

Security members and officials look at the plane carrying Pope Benedict XVI landing at Rome's Ciampino airport,past the pontif's helicopter (L) on March 29, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI left Cuba the day before, heading home at the end of his first trip to Spanish-speaking Latin America which also included a visit to Mexico. (Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI (C) boards his helicopter for The Vaticcan after his plane arriving from Cuba landed at Rome's Ciampino airport on March 29, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI left Cuba the day before, heading home at the end of his first trip to Spanish-speaking Latin America which also included a visit to Mexico. (Getty Images)

Fidel Castro meets Pope Benedict XVI

In this picture made available by the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano Pope Benedict XVI, right, meets with Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday March 28, 2012. (AP Photo)

Pope Benedict XVI and Cuba's President Raul Castro exchange gifts

Pope Benedict XVI (L) and Cuba's President Raul Castro look at a statue of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, patron saint of Cuba, which the Pope received as a gift from Castro, at the Revolution Palace in Havana March 27, 2012. (Reuters Pictures)

Pope Benedict XVI and Cuba's President Raul Castro (C) look at a book Castro received as a gift from the Pope, at the Revolution Palace in Havana March 27, 2012. (Reuters Pictures)

Pope prays at sanctuary of the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre

HAVANA, CUBA - MARCH 28: Pope Benedict XVI lights a candle in the sanctuary of the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre on March 28, 2012 in Havana, Cuba. Fourteen years after Pope John Paul II visited the communist country Pope Benedict XVI has made a visit and conducted a mass in the city of Santiago de Cuba followed by a mass in Havana. (Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI prays during a visit to the sanctuary of the "Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre" in Santiago de Cuba March 27, 2012. Picture taken March 27, 2012. (Reuters Pictures)

Front Row Seats -- Taken!

Nuns take their seat before the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate mass, at Revolution Square in Havana, on March 28, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI wraps up a three-day visit to Cuba in which he called for a more 'open society' on the Communist-run island. (Getty Images)

Pope's homily at Plaza de la Revolución José Martí, Havana

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO MEXICO AND THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA
(MARCH 23-29, 2012)

HOLY MASS

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Plaza de la Revolución José Martí, Havana
Wednesday, 28 March 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“Blessed are you, Lord God…, and blessed is your holy and glorious name” (Dan 3:52). This hymn of blessing from the Book of Daniel resounds today in our liturgy, inviting us repeatedly to bless and thank God. We are a part of that great chorus which praises the Lord without ceasing. We join in this concert of thanksgiving, and we offer our joyful and confident voice, which seeks to solidify the journey of faith with love and truth.

“Blessed be God” who gathers us in this historic square so that we may more profoundly enter into his life. I feel great joy in being here with you today to celebrate Holy Mass during this Jubilee Year devoted to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.

I greet with cordial affection Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of Havana, and I thank him for the kind words which he has addressed to me on your behalf. I extend warm greetings to the Cardinals and to my brother Bishops in Cuba and from other countries who wished to be in this solemn celebration. I also greet the priests, seminarians, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful gathered here, as well as the civil authorities who join us.

In today’s first reading, the three young men persecuted by the Babylonian king preferred to face death by fire rather than betray their conscience and their faith. They experienced the strength to “give thanks, glorify and praise God” in the conviction that the Lord of the universe and of history would not abandon them to death and annihilation. Truly, God never abandons his children, he never forgets them. He is above us and is able to save us by his power. At the same time, he is near to his people, and through his Son Jesus Christ he has wished to make his dwelling place among us in.

“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn 8:31). In this text from today’s Gospel, Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God the Father, the Saviour, the one who alone can show us the truth and give us genuine freedom. His teaching provokes resistance and disquiet among his hearers, and he accuses them of looking for reasons to kill him, alluding to the supreme sacrifice of the Cross, already imminent. Even so, he exhorts them to believe, to keep his word, so as to know the truth which redeems and justifies.

The truth is a desire of the human person, the search for which always supposes the exercise of authentic freedom. Many, without a doubt, would prefer to take the easy way out, trying to avoid this task. Some, like Pontius Pilate, ironically question the possibility of even knowing what truth is (cf. Jn 18:38), claiming is incapable of knowing it or denying that there exists a truth valid for all. This attitude, as in the case of scepticism and relativism, changes hearts, making them cold, wavering, distant from others and closed. There are too many who, like the Roman governor, wash their hands and let the water of history drain away without taking a stand.

On the other hand, there are those who wrongly interpret this search for the truth, leading them to irrationality and fanaticism; they close themselves up in “their truth”, and try to impose it on others. These are like the blind scribes who, upon seeing Jesus beaten and bloody, cry out furiously, “Crucify him!” (cf. Jn 19:6). Anyone who acts irrationally cannot become a disciple of Jesus. Faith and reason are necessary and complementary in the pursuit of truth. God created man with an innate vocation to the truth and he gave him reason for this purpose. Certainly, it is not irrationality but rather the yearning for truth which the Christian faith promotes. Each man and woman has to seek the truth and to choose it when he or she finds it, even at the risk of embracing sacrifices.

Furthermore, the truth which stands above humanity is an unavoidable condition for attaining freedom, since in it we discover the foundation of an ethics on which all can converge and which contains clear and precise indications concerning life and death, duties and rights, marriage, family and society, in short, regarding the inviolable dignity of the human person. This ethical patrimony can bring together different cultures, peoples and religions, authorities and citizens, citizens among themselves, and believers in Christ and non-believers.

Christianity, in highlighting those values which sustain ethics, does not impose, but rather proposes Christ’s invitation to know the truth which sets us free. The believer is called to offer that truth to his contemporaries, as did the Lord, even before the ominous shadow of rejection and the Cross. The personal encounter with the one who is Truth in person compels us to share this treasure with others, especially by our witness.

Dear friends, do not hesitate to follow Jesus Christ. In him we find the truth about God and about mankind. He helps us to overcome our selfishness, to rise above our vain struggles and to conquer all that oppresses us. The one who does evil, who sins, becomes its slave and will never attain freedom (cf. Jn 8:34). Only by renouncing hatred and our hard and blind hearts will we be free and a new life will well up in us.

Convinced that it is Christ who is the true measure of man, and knowing that in him we find the strength needed to face every trial, I wish to proclaim openly that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. In him everyone will find complete freedom, the light to understand reality most deeply and to transform it by the renewing power of love.

The Church lives to make others sharers in the one thing she possesses, which is none other than Christ, our hope of glory (cf. Col 1:27). To carry out this duty, she must count on basic religious freedom, which consists in her being able to proclaim and to celebrate her faith also in public, bringing to others the message of love, reconciliation and peace which Jesus brought to the world. It must be said with joy that in Cuba steps have been taken to enable the Church to carry out her essential mission of expressing her faith openly and publicly. Nonetheless, this must continue forwards, and I wish to encourage the country’s Government authorities to strengthen what has already been achieved and advance along this path of genuine service to the true good of Cuban society as a whole.

The right to freedom of religion, both in its private and in its public dimension, manifests the unity of the human person, who is at once a citizen and a believer. It also legitimizes the fact that believers have a contribution to make to the building up of society. Strengthening religious freedom consolidates social bonds, nourishes the hope of a better world, creates favourable conditions for peace and harmonious development, while at the same time establishing solid foundations for securing the rights of future generations.

When the Church upholds this human right, she is not claiming any special privileges for herself. She wishes only to be faithful to the command of her divine founder, conscious that, where Christ is present, we become more human and our humanity becomes authentic. This is why the Church seeks to give witness by her preaching and teaching, both in catechesis and in the schools and universities. It is greatly to be hoped that the moment will soon arrive when, here too, the Church can bring to the fields of knowledge the benefits of the mission which the Lord entrusted to her and which she can never neglect.

A shining example of this commitment is found in the outstanding priest Félix Varela, teacher and educator, an illustrious son of this city of Havana, who has taken his place in Cuban history as the first one who taught his people how to think. Father Varela offers us a path to a true transformation of society: to form virtuous men and women in order to forge a worthy and free nation, for this transformation depends on the spiritual, in as much as “there is no authentic fatherland without virtue” (Letters to Elpidio, Letter 6, Madrid 1836, 220). Cuba and the world need change, but this will occur only if each one is in a position to seek the truth and chooses the way of love, sowing reconciliation and fraternity.

Invoking the maternal protection of Mary Most Holy, let us ask that each time we participate in the Eucharist we will also become witnesses to that charity which responds to evil with good (cf. Rom 12:51), offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to the one who lovingly gave himself up for our sake. Let us walk in the light of Christ who alone can destroy the darkness of error. And let us beg him that, with the courage and strength of the saints, we may be able, without fear or rancour but freely, generously and consistently, to respond to God. Amen.

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Before they call, I will answer (Isaiah 65:24)

Isaiah 65:24

This story is told by *Helen Roseveare, a missionary doctor from England to Zaire, Africa.

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

We also had no special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates)

'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles.

They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts, "your" job is to keep the baby warm.'

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with many of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'

As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say 'Amen?' I just did not believe that God could do this.

Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home.

Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the verandah was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.

Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be?

I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried.

I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!'

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

Looking up at me, she asked, 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'

'Of course,' I replied!

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator.

And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'

'Before they call, I will answer.' (Isaiah 65:24)

Amen.
________________

Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a lot of rewards. Prayer lays hold of God’s plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit’s prayer. It is the only exercise which draws God's grace. We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.

So let's continue praying for one another.

Say this prayer:

Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those in need of grace.
I ask You to minister to their spirit.
Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy.
Where there is self doubting, release a renewed confidence to work through them.
Where there is tiredness or exhaustion,
I ask You to give them understanding, guidance, and strength.
Where there is fear, reveal Your love and release to them Your courage.
Bless their finances, give them greater vision,
and raise up leaders and friends to support and encourage them.
I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name.

Amen

*Helen Roseveare, a missionary-doctor from England to Zaire, Africa, narrated her testimony on a Wednesday night at Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Prayer Wednesday Fifth Week Of Lent

Wednesday Fifth Week of Lent

Prayer:

Merciful God,
bless us with the blessings of Abraham,
for by faith we are heirs of that promise.
Let our words and deeds point towards you.
May we walk in the anointing of the Holy Spirit,
and be a blessing to others
as we advance on our pilgrim journey.

Lord, stay with us in mind and heart
as we renew our life in your spirit.
May your word find a home in us.
Shed your light on hearts that have been purified by penance,
and in your goodness give us a favourable hearing
when you move us to pray.

We make our prayer
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer Tuesday Fifth Week Of Lent

Tuesday Fifth Week of Lent

Prayer:

Loving Father,
oftentimes we struggle in following your ways,
there have been numerous occasions
when we've cried out to you in distress
and received no answer.
Lost in despair we wander through the rocky crags
hopelessly searching for instant gratification.
Engrave deep within us O Lord, that your ways are not our ways,
and that you build us up with patience and humility.

Thank you Lord, for enduring with
our constant grumbling and complaining.
Help us to rely on your word,
knowing that you work all things for good
to those who love you and are called
according to your plan of salvation.

May we your chosen people,
persevere in obedience to do your will,
so that your Church in our time
may grow in grace and increase in numbers.

We make our prayer
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Ariel view of the massive crowd at Santiago de Cuba, Plaza Antonio Maceo Square

Homily of Pope Benedict XVI on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Cuba 2012

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO MEXICO AND THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA
(MARCH 23-29, 2012)

HOLY MASS FOR THE 400th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE DISCOVERY OF THE IMAGE
OF THE "VIRGEN DE LA CARIDAD DEL COBRE"

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Santiago de Cuba, Plaza Antonio Maceo Square
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Monday, 26 March 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I give thanks to God who has allowed me to come to you and to make this much anticipated trip. I greet Bishop Dionisio García Ibáñez, Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, and I thank him for his warm words of welcome offered on behalf of everyone. I greet the Bishops of Cuba and those who have come from elsewhere, and the priests, religious men and women, seminarians and lay faithful present for this celebration. I cannot forget all those who, for reasons of illness, advanced age or for other motives, are not able to join us. I also greet the civil Authorities who have graciously wished to join us.

This first Holy Mass which I have the joy of celebrating during my pastoral visit to this country, takes place in the context of the Marian Jubilee Year called to honour and to venerate Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Patroness of Cuba, in this fourth centenary of the discovery and presence of her venerable statue in this blessed land. I cannot forget the sacrifices and the dedication with which this jubilee has been prepared, especially spiritually. I was deeply touched to hear of the fervour with which Mary has been welcomed and invoked by so many Cubans during her journey to every corner of the island.

These important events in the Church in Cuba take on a special lustre because of the feast celebrated today throughout the universal Church: the Annunciation of the Lord to the Virgin Mary. The Incarnation of the Son of God is the central mystery of the Christian faith, and in it Mary occupies a central place. But, we ask, what is the meaning of this mystery? And, what importance does it have for our concrete lives?

First of all, let us see what the Incarnation means. In the Gospel of Saint Luke we heard the words of the angel to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Lk 1:35). In Mary, the Son of God is made man, fulfilling in this way the prophecy of Isaiah: “Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, which means ‘God-with-us’” (Is 7:14). Jesus, the Word made flesh, is truly God-with-us, who has come to live among us and to share our human condition. The Apostle Saint John expresses it in the following way: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn 1:14). The expression, “became flesh” points to our human reality in most concrete and tangible way. In Christ, God has truly come into the world, he has entered into our history, he has set his dwelling among us, thus fulfilling the deepest desire of human beings that the world may truly become a home worthy of humanity. On the other hand, when God is put aside, the world becomes an inhospitable place for man, and frustrates creation’s true vocation to be a space for the covenant, for the “Yes” to the love between God and humanity who responds to him. Mary did so as the first fruit of believers with her unreserved “Yes” to the Lord.

For this reason, contemplating the mystery of the Incarnation, we cannot fail to turn our eyes to her so as to be filled with wonder, gratitude and love at seeing how our God, coming into the world, wished to depend upon the free consent of one of his creatures. Only from the moment when the Virgin responded to the angel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), did the eternal Word of the Father began his human existence in time. It is touching to see how God not only respects human freedom: he almost seems to require it. And we see also how the beginning of the earthly life of the Son of God was marked by a double “Yes” to the saving plan of the Father - that of Christ and that of Mary. This obedience to God is what opens the doors of the world to the truth, to salvation. God has created us as the fruit of his infinite love; hence, to live in accordance with his will is the way to encounter our genuine identity, the truth of our being, while apart from God we are alienated from ourselves and are hurled into the void. The obedience of faith is true liberty, authentic redemption, which allows us to unite ourselves to the love of Jesus in his determination to conform himself to the will of the Father. Redemption is always this process of the lifting up of the human will to full communion with the divine will (cf. Lectio Divina with the parish priests of Rome, 18 February 2010).

Dear brothers and sisters, today we praise the Most Holy Virgin for her faith, and with Saint Elizabeth we too say, “Blessed is she who believed” (Lk 1:45). As Saint Augustine said, Mary conceived Christ by faith in her heart before she conceived him physically in her womb; Mary believed and what she believed was came to be in her (cf. Sermo 215, 4: PL 38, 1074). Let us ask the Lord to strengthen our faith, to make it active and fruitful in love. Let us implore him that, like her, we may welcome the word of God into our hearts, and carry it out with docility and constancy.

The Virgin Mary, by her unique role in the mystery of Christ, represents the exemplar and model of the Church. The Church, like the Mother of Christ, is also called to embrace in herself the mystery of God who comes to live in her. Dear brothers and sisters, I know with what effort, boldness and self-sacrifice you work every day so that, in the concrete circumstances of your country, and at this moment in history, the Church will better present her true face as a place in which God draws near and encounters humanity. The Church, the living body of Christ, has the mission of prolonging on earth the salvific presence of God, of opening the world to something greater than itself, to the love and the light of God. It is worth the effort, dear brothers and sisters, to devote your entire life to Christ, to grow in his friendship each day and to feel called to proclaim the beauty and the goodness of his life to every person, to all our brothers and sisters. I encourage you in this task of sowing the word of God in the world and offering to everyone the true nourishment of the body of Christ. Easter is already approaching; let us determine to follow Jesus without fear or doubts on his journey to the Cross. May we accept with patience and faith whatever opposition or affliction may come, with the conviction that, in his Resurrection, he has crushed the power of evil which darkens everything, and has brought the dawn of a new world, the world of God, of light, of truth and happiness. The Lord will not fail to bless with abundant fruits the generosity of your commitment.

The mystery of the Incarnation, in which God draws near to us, also shows us the incomparable dignity of every human life. In his loving plan, from the beginning of creation, God has entrusted to the family founded on matrimony the most lofty mission of being the fundamental cell of society and an authentic domestic church. With this certainty, you, dear husbands and wives, are called to be, especially for your children, a real and visible sign of the love of Christ for the Church. Cuba needs the witness of your fidelity, your unity, your capacity to welcome human life, especially that of the weakest and most needy.

Dear brothers and sisters, before the gaze of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, I appeal to you to reinvigorate your faith, that you may live in Christ and for Christ, and armed with peace, forgiveness and understanding, that you may strive to build a renewed and open society, a better society, one more worthy of humanity, and which better reflects the goodness of God. Amen.

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pictures of the mass at Antonio Maceo Revolution Squarein, Cuba

Members of the Order of Malta arrive at the Antonio Maceo Revolution Square before a mass is celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Santiago de Cuba March 26, 2012. (Reuters Pictures)

Clergy arrive to attend the holy mass conducted by Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the the discovery of the image of the 'Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre' at Antonio Maceo square in Santiago de Cuba on March 26, 2012. (Getty Images)

Altar boys stand behind the altar as Pope Benedict XVI celebrates a mass in Antonio Maceo square in Santiago de Cuba March 26, 2012. (Reuters Pictures)

Pope Benedict XVI (2nd L) walks past Our Lady of Charity, Cuba's patron saint, while celebrating mass at the Antonio Maceo Revolution Square in Santiago de Cuba March 26, 2012. (Reuters Pictures)

Pope Benedict XVI blesses the crowds after celebrating mass at Revolution Square in Santiago de Cuba, 915 km southeast of Havana on March 26, 2012. (Getty Images)