Pope’s general audience of Jan 16. Appeal for prayer for Christian unity
January 16, 2013 - 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 in several languages and also receive his blessing.
The general audience of Jan. 16 was held indoors in the Vatican’s Paul VI audience
hall. It began with aides reading a passage from the First Letter of St. John in
several languages. After an greeted the Pope on behalf of the English speaking pilgrims,
the Holy Father delivered a discourse in English.
Listen: Dear
Brothers and Sisters, During the Christmas season we celebrated the mystery
of the Incarnation as the culmination of God’s gradual self-revelation to Israel,
a revelation mediated by those great figures such as Moses and the Prophets who kept
alive the expectation of God’s fulfilment of his promises. Jesus, the Word made flesh,
is truly God among us, “the mediator and the fullness of all revelation” (Dei Verbum,
2). In him, the ancient blessing is fulfilled: God has made his face to shine upon
us (cf. Num 6:25). As the Incarnate Son, the one mediator between God and man (cf.
1 Tim 2:5), Jesus does not simply speak to us about God; he shows us the very face
of God and enables us to call him our Father. As he says to the apostle Philip, “whoever
has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). May our desire to see the Lord’s face
grow through our daily encounter with him in prayer, in meditation on his word and
in the Eucharist, and thus prepare us to contemplate for ever the light of his countenance
in the fullness of his eternal Kingdom. I am pleased to greet all the English-speaking
visitors present at today’s Audience, including the pilgrimage groups from Australia
and the United States of America. My particular greeting goes to the pilgrims from
the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. I also welcome the deacons from Saint
Paul Seminary and the many college and university students present. May the light
of the Lord’s face shine upon all of you and fill you with his richest blessings of
joy and peace!
At the end of the audience Pope Benedict reminded the pilgrims
of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that various Christian denominations, including
the Catholic Church observe each year from Jan 18-25. The theme of this year’s unity
week , starting on Friday is, “What Does God Require of Us?” from the Book of Micah.
“I invite all to pray, to unceasingly ask God for the great gift of unity among all
the disciples of the Lord,” the Pope said in Italian. He prayed that the “inexhaustible
power of the Holy Spirit encourage us to a sincere commitment in the search for unity,
so that we can all together profess that Jesus is the Saviour of the world.” Pope
Benedict XVI concluded Wednesday’s general audience with his blessing.