Pope's general audience of Nov. 3

(November 3, 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 him and hearing him speak in several of their languages. The general audience of Nov. 3 was held indoors in the Vatican’s Paul VI audience hall. It began with aides taking turns reading a scripture passage in various languages. An aide greeted the Pope on behalf of the English-speaking pilgrims, and presented the various groups to him. Pope Benedict then delivered a discourse in English.

Listen:
Dear Brothers and Sisters, our catechesis today deals with Marguerite d’Oingt, a thirteenth-century Carthusian prioress and mystic. Marguerite’s writings, which include the earliest known examples of Provençal French, were inspired by the evangelical spirituality of Saint Bruno; they reveal her fine sensibility and her deep desire for God. Marguerite viewed life as a path of perfection leading to complete configuration to Christ, above all in the contemplation of his saving passion. She imagined the Lord’s life, his words and his actions, as a Book which he holds out to us, a Book to be studied and imprinted on our hearts and lives, until the day we read it from within, in the contemplation of the Blessed Trinity. Marguerite’s writings, filled with imagery drawn from family life, radiate a warm love of God and deep gratitude for his grace which purifies our affections and draws us more closely to him. The life and writings of Marguerite d’Oingt invite us to meditate daily on the mystery of God’s infinite love, revealed above all in the sufferings of Christ on the Cross, and to find in it the strength and joy to place our lives at his service and that of our brothers and sisters.
As I welcome all the English-speaking visitors this morning, I am especially pleased to greet the delegation from the Anti-Defamation League, as well as the representatives of Pittsburgh’s Jewish and Catholic communities. Upon them and upon all the English-speaking visitors present at today’s audience,

Later addressing Spanish-speaking pilgrims from various countries, Pope Benedict urged prayers for his pastoral visit to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona, this weekend. He said that in Santiago de Compostela where St. James is venerated he will join pilgrims who are coming to the Apostle during the current Holy Year there. In Barcelona, he will have the joy of visiting the wonderful church of the Sagrada Familia or the Holy Family, designed by the great architect Antoni Gaudí. Pope Benedict also spoke in several other languages before concluding Wednesday’s audience with his blessing.
Listen: