Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Castel Gandolfo (Agenzia Fides) – In the morning, on Sunday, September 21, the Holy Father Benedict XVI traveled to Albano for the celebration of the Mass and Dedication of the Altar inside the Cathedral, which has recently had the area surrounding the altar reconstructed. Reflecting on the First Reading from the Mass, on the purification of the Temple and the dedication of the new altar for the holocaust, a cause for joy, Benedict XVI affirmed that: “. But how much greater, dear brothers and sisters, must our joy be, knowing that every day on this altar, that we are preparing to consecrate, the sacrifice of Christ is offered; on this altar he will continue to immolate himself, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, for our salvation and that of the whole world. In the Eucharistic mystery, that is renewed on every altar, Jesus is really present. His is a dynamic presence, which seizes us in to make us his, to assimilate us to him; He draws us with the power of his love, bringing us out of ourselves to unite us with him, making us one with him.”
Continuing with his homily, the Pope mentioned that “Christ's real presence makes each of us his ‘house,’ and we all together form his Church, the spiritual edifice of which St. Peter speaks... It is therefore the love of Christ, the charity that ‘never ends’ (1 Corinthians 13:8), the spiritual energy that unites those who participate in the same sacrifice and who nourish themselves from the same Bread broken for the salvation of the world. Is it indeed possible to be in communion with the Lord if we are not in communion with each other? How can we present ourselves divided and far from each other at God's altar? May this altar upon which the sacrifice of the Lord will soon be renewed be for you, dear brothers and sisters, be a constant invitation to love; always draw near to it with a heart open to the love of Christ and to spreading it, to receiving and bestowing forgiveness.”
The Gospel passage that was proclaimed in the Mass (cf. Mt. 5:23-24) offers a pressing call to fraternal reconciliation, “a reconciliation that is indispensable if we are to present our offering worthily at the altar; it is a reminder that takes up again a teaching that is already quite present in the preaching of the prophets,” the Pope said. “Every time that you come to the altar for the Eucharistic celebration your soul opens to forgiveness and fraternal reconciliation, ready to accept the apologies of those who have hurt you and ready, in turn, to forgive.”
In the Second Reading, from the Book of Revelation, Saint John presents an account of the heavenly liturgy, and thus for us, “The altar of sacrifice becomes in a certain way the point of encounter between heaven and earth; the center, we could say, of the one Church that is at the same time heavenly and in pilgrimage on earth, where, in the midst of the persecutions of the world and God's consolations, the Lord's disciples proclaim his passion and death until he returns in glory.”
Mentioning the beauty of the Cathedral, reconstructed and restored, the Pope made reference to the importance of the fact that the entire diocesan community grow “in charity and in apostolic and missionary dedication.” Benedict XVI continued, saying: “It is also a matter of cultivating ecclesial communion that is, first of all, a gift, a grace, fruit of God's free and gratuitous love, that is, something divinely efficacious, always present and working in history, beyond all contrary appearances. Ecclesial communion is, however, also a task entrusted to the care of each individual. May the Lord grant you to live an evermore convinced and active communion, in cooperation and co-responsibility at every level: among the priests, the consecrated, and the laity, among the different Christian communities of your region, among the various lay groups.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 22/9/2008)
