Pope Benedict in Portugal: Homily for Mass in Oporto
(14 May 10 - RV) Below the full text of Pope Benedict XVI's homily for Mass in Oporto,
Portugal: Dear Brothers and Sisters,“It is written in the book of Psalms, … ‘His
office let another take’. One of these men, then […] must become a witness with us
to his resurrection” (Acts 1:20-22). These were the words of Peter, as he
read and interpreted the word of God in the midst of his brethren gathered in the
Upper Room following Jesus’ ascension to heaven. The one who was chosen was Matthias,
who had been a witness to the public life of Jesus and his victory over death, and
had remained faithful to him to the end, despite the fact that many abandoned him.
The “disproportion” between the forces on the field, which we find so alarming today,
astounded those who saw and heard Christ two thousand years ago. It was only he,
from the shore of the Lake of Galilee right up to the squares of Jerusalem, alone
or almost alone at the decisive moments: he, in union with the Father; he, in the
power of the Spirit. Yet it came about, in the end, that from the same love that
created the world, the newness of the Kingdom sprang up like a small seed which rises
from the ground, like a ray of light which breaks into the darkness, like the dawn
of a unending day: it is Christ Risen. And he appeared to his friends, showing them
the need for the Cross in order to attain the resurrection. On that day Peter
was looking for a witness to all this. Two were presented, and heaven chose “Matthias,
and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26). Today we celebrate
his glorious memory in this “undefeated city”, which festively welcomes the Successor
of Peter. I give thanks to God that I have been able come here and meet you around
the altar. I offer a cordial greeting to you, my brethren and friends of the city
and the Diocese of Oporto, to those who have come from the ecclesiastical province
of Northern Portugal and from nearby Spain, and to all those physically or spiritually
present at this liturgical assembly. I greet the Bishop of Oporto, Dom Manuel Clemente,
who greatly desired this visit of mine, welcomed me with great affection, and voiced
your sentiments at the beginning of this Eucharist. I greet his predecessors, his
brother Bishops, all the priests, women and men religious, and the lay faithful, and
in particular those actively involved in the Diocesan Mission, and, more concretely,
in the preparations for my visit. I know that you have been able to count on the
practical cooperation of the Mayor of Oporto and the public authorities, many of whom
honour me by their presence; I wish to take advantage of this opportunity to greet
them and to express to them, and to all whom they represent and serve, my best wishes
for the good of all. “One of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection,”
said Peter. His Successor now repeats to each of you: My brothers and sisters, you
need to become witnesses with me to the resurrection of Jesus. In effect, if you
do not become his witnesses in your daily lives, who will do so in your place? Christians
are, in the Church and with the Church, missionaries of Christ sent into the world.
This is the indispensable mission of every ecclesial community: to receive from God
and to offer to the world the Risen Christ, so that every situation of weakness and
of death may be transformed, through the Holy Spirit, into an opportunity for growth
and life. To this end, in every Eucharistic celebration, we will listen more attentively
to the word of Christ and devoutly taste the bread of his presence. This will make
us witnesses, and, even more, bearers of the Risen Jesus in the world, bringing him
to the various sectors of society and to all those who live and work there, spreading
that “life in abundance” (cf. Jn 10:10) which he has won for us by his cross
and resurrection, and which satisfies the most authentic yearnings of the human heart. We
impose nothing, yet we propose ceaselessly, as Peter recommends in one of his Letters:
“In your hearts, reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defence to
any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1Pet
3:15). And everyone, in the end, asks this of us, even those who seem not to. From
personal and communal experience, we know well that it is Jesus whom everyone awaits.
In fact, the most profound expectations of the world and the great certainties of
the Gospel meet in the ineluctable mission which is ours, for “without God man neither
knows which way to go, nor even understands who he is. In the face of the enormous
problems surrounding the development of peoples, which almost make us yield to discouragement,
we find solace in the sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who teaches us: ‘Apart from
me you can do nothing’ (Jn 15:5) and who encourages us: ‘I am with you always,
to the close of the age’ (Mt 28:20)” (Caritas in Veritate, 78). Yet
even though this certainty consoles and calms us, it does not exempt us from going
forth to others. We must overcome the temptation to restrict ourselves to what we
already have, or think we have, safely in our possession: it would be sure death in
terms of the Church’s presence in the world; the Church, for that matter, can only
be missionary, in the outward movement of the Spirit. From its origins, the Christian
people has clearly recognized the importance of communicating the Good News of Jesus
to those who did not yet know him. In recent years the anthropological, cultural,
social and religious framework of humanity has changed; today the Church is called
to face new challenges and is ready to dialogue with different cultures and religions,
in the search for ways of building, along with all people of good will, the peaceful
coexistence of peoples. The field of the mission ad gentes appears much broader
today, and no longer to be defined on the basis of geographic considerations alone;
in effect, not only non-Christian peoples and those who are far distant await us,
but so do social and cultural milieux, and above all human hearts, which are the real
goal of the missionary activity of the People of God. This is the mandate whose
faithful fulfilment “must follow the road Christ himself walked, a way of poverty
and obedience, of service and of self-sacrifice even unto death, a death from which
he emerged victorious by his resurrection” (Ad Gentes, 5). Yes! We are called
to serve the humanity of our own time, trusting in Jesus alone, letting ourselves
be enlightened by his word: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed
you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide” (Jn
15:16). How much time we have lost, how must work has been set back, on account of
our lack of attention to this point! Everything is to be defined starting with Christ,
as far as the origins and effectiveness of mission is concerned: we receive mission
always from Christ, who has made known to us what he has heard from his Father, and
we are appointed to mission through the Spirit, in the Church. Like the Church herself,
which is the work of Christ and his Spirit, it is a question of renewing the face
of the earth starting from God, God always and alone. Dear brothers and sisters
of Oporto, lift up your eyes to the One whom you have chosen as the patroness of your
city, the Immaculate Conception. The angel of the Annunciation greeted Mary as “full
of grace”, signifying with this expression that her heart and her life were totally
open to God and, as such, completely permeated by his grace. May Our Lady help you
to make yourselves a free and total “Yes” to the grace of God, so that you can be
renewed and thus renew humanity by the light and the joy of the Holy Spirit.