Every week on Wednesday, the Pope holds a public meeting, called the general audience,
where pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome have a chance of seeing and hearing him
speak in several languages, and also receive his blessing. The general audience
of Dec. 5was held indoors in the Vatican’s Paul VI audience hall. It
began with aides reading a passage from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, in
several languages. An aide greeted the Pope on behalf of the English speaking pilgrims.
Pope Benedict then spoke in English.
Listen: Dear
Brothers and Sisters, In this Year of Faith, we begin the Advent season
by reflecting on the grandeur of God’s plan for our salvation. The great hymn which
begins Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians praises the merciful love with which God “chose
us in Christ, before the foundation of the world” (Eph 1:4) to become his adopted
sons and daughters. God’s plan is to unite all things in Christ, bringing all creation
to fullness in him (v. 10). He has made this plan known to us through an economy
of revelation which culminates in the incarnation of the Son and the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit. God’s self-revelation in Christ corresponds to our deepest human
hopes and aspirations, and it invites us to respond by offering God the obedience
of faith. As our free assent of mind and will to divine revelation, faith calls us
to conversion and brings a new way of seeing the reality of our lives and the world
around us. During this Advent, may we contemplate ever more fully the beauty of God’s
loving plan, and strive to be living signs of his saving presence in our world. I
offer a cordial welcome to the pilgrimage group from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
My greeting also goes to the Anglican visitors from Ardingly College. I thank the
choir for their praise of God in song. Upon all the English-speaking pilgrims, including
the groups from Australia and the United States of America, I invoke God’s blessings
of joy and peace.