Christianity: An Encounter with God

(03 Sept 08 - RV) Pope Benedict held his weekly general audience today during which he said Christianity was not a new philosophy or morality but an encounter with God. Lydia O’Kane reports....



Pope Benedict flew by helicopter from the Papal summer retreat at Castelgandolfo to join the many thousands of pilgrims in the Paul the VI hall who had gathered for his weekly general audience.


This week the Holy Father continued his catechesis on Saint Paul, whose year is being celebrated, focusing on his conversion on the road to Damascus.


In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke recounts for us the dramatic episode on the road to Damascus which transformed Paul from a fierce persecutor of the Church into a zealous evangelizer. In his own letters, Paul describes his experience not so much in terms of a conversion, but as a call to apostleship and a commission to preach the Gospel. In the first instance, this was an encounter not with concepts or ideas but with the person of Jesus himself. In fact, Paul met not only the historical Jesus of the past, but the living Christ who revealed himself as the one Saviour and Lord.

The Pope while speaking on the figure of St Paul noted that Christianity is not a new philosophy or a new morality but an encounter with God.

Similarly, the ultimate source of our own conversion lies neither in esoteric philosophical theories nor abstract moral codes, but in Christ and his Gospel. He alone defines our identity as Christians, since in him we discover the ultimate meaning of our lives. Paul, because Christ had made him his own (cf. Phil 3:12), could not help but preach the Good News he had received (cf. 1 Cor 9:16). So it is with us. Transfixed by the greatness of our Saviour, we – like Saint Paul – cannot help but speak of him to others. May we always do so with joyful conviction!

 
One of those who was at Wednesday’s audience was Father George Summet from Ontario in Canada who spoke of his delight at Pope Benedict’s forthcoming visit to Lourdes.

At the end of his audience Pope Benedict left the Vatican to return to Castelgandolfo.