(April 7, 2010) Every week on Wednesday, the Pope holds a public meeting, called
the general audience, during which pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome have a chance
of seeing and hearing him speak. The Holy Father delivers a spiritual reflection
and greets various groups in their languages, including in English. The General
Audience of April 7th was held in St. Peter’s Square under a bright spring sky. It
began with aides taking turns reading a scripture passage in various languages.
One of the aides greeted the Pope on behalf of the English-speaking pilgrims, and
presented the various groups to him. Pope Benedict then delivered a reflection in
English. Listen:
Dear
Brothers and Sisters, Our General Audience today is marked by the spiritual
joy of Easter, as the Church continues her celebration of Christ’s glorious resurrection
from the dead. The resurrection is the greatest of God’s mighty acts in history;
mysterious beyond all imagining, it is also a real event attested by trustworthy witnesses
who in turn became messengers of this Good News before the world. In every generation,
the Gospel of Christ, crucified and risen, must constantly be proclaimed anew. Each
of us, as a disciple of Christ, is called to testify to the reality and power of the
new life bestowed by the Risen Lord upon those who believe. Saint Mark, at the end
of his Gospel, tells us that the Lord “worked with” the Apostles, and “confirmed the
message by the signs which accompanied it” (Mk 16:20). Today too, the Risen Christ
wishes to work with us, so that we may reflect his words in our words and reveal the
power of his love by our actions. During this Easter season, may our personal encounter
with the Lord deepen our faith, hope and love, and inspire us to proclaim, with our
lips and in our lives, the Good News that “Christ is truly risen!”. I offer
a warm welcome to the newly-ordained deacons from the Pontifical Irish College, together
with their families and friends. Dear young deacons: may the grace of your ordination
conform you ever more fully to the Lord in humble obedience and faithful service to
the building up of the Church in your beloved homeland. Upon all the English-speaking
visitors present at today’s Audience, especially those from England, Scotland, Ireland,
Sweden, Malta, Croatia, Australia, Japan and the United States, I invoke the joy and
peace of the Risen Christ!