On Sunday, Pope Benedict prayed the Angelus with the faithful gathered at the Pope’s
summer residence at Castel Gandalfo. Before the recitation of the Marian prayer, the
Holy Father reflected on the day’s readings. The Gospel of the day relates the story
of the reaction of Christ’s disciples to the Bread of Life discourse. Many of the
those disciples left Jesus, the Pope said, because Christ’s revelation that He was
the “living bread which came down from heaven” was incomprehensible to them. They
had understood Jesus’ words in a material sense, when in reality they were a revelation
of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. The Apostles, however, remained with the Lord. Pope
Benedict, quoting Saint Augustine, said the Apostles understood that Jesus had the
words of eternal life because they had first believed.
One of those
who remained with Jesus, though, did not believe. Judas, expecting a worldly Messiah,
felt betrayed by Jesus, and decided to betray Him. Judas’ problem, the Pope said,
was that, not believing in Jesus, he nonetheless remained with Him. “The problem is
that Judas did not go away, and his most serious fault was falsehood, which is the
mark of the devil.” Concluding his remarks, Pope Benedict prayed that Mary would “help
us to believe in Jesus, as St. Peter did, and to always be sincere with Him and with
all people.”
Listen:
The
full text of Pope Benedict’s Angelus message is below:
Dear brothers and
sisters!
In the past few Sundays we have meditated on the “Bread of
Life” discourse that Jesus pronounced in the synagogue of Capernaum after feeding
thousands of people with five loaves and two fishes. Today, the Gospel presents the
disciples’ reaction to that speech, a reaction that Christ Himself knowingly provoked.
First of all, John the Evangelist - who was present along with the other Apostles
- reports that “from that time many of His disciples drew back and no longer went
about with Him” (Jn 6:66). Why? Because they did not believe the words of Jesus when
He said: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. He who eats my flesh
and drinks my blood will live forever” (cf. Jn 6,51.54). This revelation, as I have
said, remained incomprehensible to them, because they understood it in a material
sense, while in these words was foretold the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, in which He
would give Himself for the salvation of the world: the new presence in the Holy Eucharist.
Seeing that many of His disciples were leaving, Jesus addressed the
Apostles, saying: “Will you also go away?” (Jn 6:67). As in other cases, it is Peter
who replied on behalf of the Twelve: “Lord, to whom shall we go? - and we too can
reflect: to whom shall we go? - You have the words of eternal life and we have believed
and know that You are the Holy One of God" (Jn 6:68-69). On this passage we have a
beautiful commentary of St. Augustine, who says in one of his homilies on John 6:
“Do you see how Peter, by the grace of God, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
has understood? Why did he understand? Because he believed. You have the words
of eternal life. You give us eternal life by offering your risen body and your
blood, your very self. And we have believed and understood. He does not say
we have understood and then we believed, but we believed and then we understood. We
have believed in order to be able to understand; if, in fact, we wanted to understand
before believing, we would not be able either to understand or to believe. What have
we believed and what have we understood? That You are the Christ, the Son of God,
that is, that You are that very eternal life, and that You give in Your flesh and
blood only that which You are” (Commentary on the Gospel of John, 27, 9). So Saint
Augustine said in a homily to his faithful people.
Finally, Jesus knew
that even among the twelve apostles there was one that did not believe: Judas. Judas
could have left, as many of the disciples did; indeed, he would have left if he were
honest. Instead he remained with Jesus. He did not remain because of faith, or because
of love, but with the secret intention of taking vengeance on the Master. Why? Because
Judas felt betrayed by Jesus, and decided that he in turn would betray Him. Judas
was a Zealot, and wanted a triumphant Messiah, who would lead a revolt against the
Romans. Jesus had disappointed those expectations. The problem is that Judas did not
go away, and his most serious fault was falsehood, which is the mark of the devil.
This is why Jesus said to the Twelve: “One of you is a devil” (John 6.70). We pray
to the Virgin Mary, help us to believe in Jesus, as St. Peter did, and to always be
sincere with Him and with all people.
After the recitation of the Angelus,
Pope Benedict pilgrims and visitors from around the world. Speaking to the English
speaking groups, the Holy Father offered special greetings to the new American seminarians
of the Pontifical North American college. He prayed that we might all “remain faithful
to the Lord, even when our faith in His teaching is tested.”
I offer a warm
welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at this Angelus prayer.
I also greet the new students of the Pontifical North American College. Dear seminarians,
use your time in Rome to conform yourselves more completely to Christ. Indeed, may
all of us remain faithful to the Lord, even when our faith in his teachings is tested.
May God bless you all!