avanti

Andiamo avanti insieme! Benedetto XVI

Prayer for the Church

This Prayer for the Church, composed by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, is being made available to you so that we all may join together in prayer and solidarity for the Church, for Pope Benedict XVI and our future Pope. Prayer for the Church O Lord Jesus Christ, Supreme Pastor of Your Church, we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI and the selfless care with which he has led us as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth. Good Shepherd, who founded your Church on the rock of Peter's faith and have never left Your flock untended, look with love upon us now, and sustain Your Church in faith, hope, and charity. Grant, Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us, a new Pope for Your Church who will please you by his holiness and lead us faithfully to You, who are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.

everyone

Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex If only everyone could experience the joy of being Christian, being loved by God who gave his Son for us!

grateful

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I offer a warm and affectionate greeting to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors who have joined me for this, my last General Audience. Like Saint Paul, whose words we heard earlier, my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God who ever watches over his Church and her growth in faith and love, and I embrace all of you with joy and gratitude. During this Year of Faith, we have been called to renew our joyful trust in the Lord’s presence in our lives and in the life of the Church. I am personally grateful for his unfailing love and guidance in the eight years since I accepted his call to serve as the Successor of Peter. I am also deeply grateful for the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you, not only here in Rome, but also throughout the world. The decision I have made, after much prayer, is the fruit of a serene trust in God’s will and a deep love of Christ’s Church. I will continue to accompany the Church with my prayers, and I ask each of you to pray for me and for the new Pope. In union with Mary and all the saints, let us entrust ourselves in faith and hope to God, who continues to watch over our lives and to guide the journey of the Church and our world along the paths of history. I commend all of you, with great affection, to his loving care, asking him to strengthen you in the hope which opens our hearts to the fullness of life that he alone can give. To you and your families, I impart my blessing. Thank you! Benedict XVI

pray

Benedicto XVI ‏@Pontifex_es En este momento particular, os ruego que recéis por mí y por la Iglesia, confiando como siempre en la Providencia de Dios. -In these momentous days, I ask you to pray for me and for the Church, trusting as always in divine Providence.

redescubrir

Benedicto XVI ‏@Pontifex_es La cuaresma es un tiempo favorable para redescubrir la fe en Dios como fundamento de nuestra vida y de la vida de la Iglesia.

foundation

Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex Lent is a favourable time in which to rediscover faith in God as the foundation of our lives and of the Church’s life

rediscover

BENEDICT XVI “The Church, which is our mother and teacher, calls all its members to a spiritual renewal. A call to refocus our energy towards God, leaving behind pride and selfishness to instead live with love. During this Year of Faith, Lenten Season is an opportunity to rediscover our faith in God, as a base for our lives and the life of the Church.”

temptation

Today we contemplate Christ in the desert, fasting, praying, and being tempted. As we begin our Lenten journey, we join him and we ask him to give us strength to fight our weaknesses. Let me also thank you for the prayers and support you have shown me in these days. May God bless all of you!

path

Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex During the season of Lent which begins today, we renew our commitment to the path of conversion, making more room for God in our lives.

mercy

Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex We must trust in the mighty power of God’s mercy. We are all sinners, but His grace transforms us and makes us new

new Adam

Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our continuing catechesis during this Year of Faith, we now reflect on the Creed’s description of God as “Creator of heaven and earth”. In the work of creation, God is seen as the almighty Father who by his eternal Word brings into existence a universe of goodness, harmony and beauty. The world thus has meaning as a part of the divine plan, a plan which in a special way embraces man and woman as the culmination of God’s creative activity. The Scriptures teach us that man was created in the image and likeness of God, formed from the dust of the earth. Here we see the basis not only of the unity of the human family but also of our inviolable human dignity. We also see something of the mystery of man as a finite creature called to a sublime role in God’s eternal plan. The tragedy of Adam’s sin, by falsifying our original relationship with God, has affected our relationship with one another and the world itself. Through the saving obedience of Christ, the new Adam, God himself has justified us and enabled us to live in freedom as his beloved sons and daughters. Benedict XVI

dependence

Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex Everything is a gift from God: it is only by recognizing this crucial dependence on the Creator that we will find freedom and peace.

imitate

Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex Let us imitate the Virgin Mary in welcoming and guarding the word of Jesus, in order to recognize him as Lord in our lives

faithfully

Benedict XVI ‏@Pontifex Today I have a special thought for every religious: may they always follow Christ faithfully in poverty, chastity and obedience.