S. John Paul II Homil. 365


APOSTOLIC PILGRIMAGE TO BANGLADESH, SINGAPORE, FIJI ISLANDS,

NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND SEYCHELLES

366
Suva (Fiji), 21 November 1986




"This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you".

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. It is a greater joy for me to be with you today in Suva. I wish to express my cordial greetings to the citizens of the whole nation of Fiji, a multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious society.

Fiji - an archipelago of two main islands and several hundred smaller ones, a "crossroads" in the blue Ocean of the South Pacific where the paths of the Melanesian and Polynesian migration meet - is beautiful both in its natural scenery and in you, its people.

From time immemorial you have been a religious people, particularly concerned with nature and conscious of the value of the community. Your social awareness is seen in the way that the different races, cultures and religions live together in harmony without losing their own identity. I encourage you to continue to pursue the paths of creative dialogue and mutual understanding. And may you always cherish your own particular cultural values and customs as a means of enriching one another.

2. Today I have come here in order to proclaim in your presence what the Lord Jesus said to his disciples: "This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you". Our faithfulness to this commandment to love one another as the Lord has loved us is the best way we can live our dedication to the Lord.

In order to reflect upon this theme, "Dedication to the Lord", let us turn our attention to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is our Mother in the order of grace. In a special way Mary fulfilled the Lord’s command to love, and as a result she gives us the perfect example.

Let us listen again to Mary’s Song of Praise as recorded in Saint Luke’s Gospel, for there is no more eloquent expression of Mary’s love:

"My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my Saviour, For he has looked upon his servant in her lowliness; all ages to come shall call me blessed. God who is mighty has done great things for me, holy is his name".

More than any other person, Mary was aware of God’s love for her, of all the great things that the Lord had done for her. Mary’s life was a response of God’s love. She was the lowly handmaid of the Lord who gave herself without reserve to love of God and neighbour.

367 In the Scriptures we find Mary ready to do the Lord’s will even when it is difficult and mysterious. In the Gospel of Luke we hear Mary called blessed by Elizabeth, for she "trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled". We can see in the events of Mary’s life how she devoted herself unceasingly to the will of God the Father and to the mission of her Son. She was always willing to offer herself as a gift of love, while "she served on earth as the loving mother of the divine Redeemer, an associate of unique nobility, and the Lord’s humble handmaid".

Her dedication to the Lord is shown at the moment of the Annunciation in the poverty of Bethlehem, in the anxiety of the flight into Egypt, in the humble and hard-working life of Nazareth, and finally in Jerusalem, both on the sorrowful way to Calvary, and at the foot of the Cross, where she offered herself in union with the Sacrifice of her Son. Even after her Son’s glorious Resurrection, Mary continues to devote herself to the Father’s will and to her Son’s mission, as she perseveres in prayer with the other women and the Apostles as they await the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

In the words of the Second Vatican Council, we can say by way of summary: "In an utterly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Saviour’s work of restoring supernatural life to souls".

3. On a certain occasion during our Lord’s public ministry, his Mother and other relatives approached him while he was addressing the crowds. Upon hearing that they wished to speak to him, Jesus asks: " ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ Then, turning to his disciples, he says: ‘These are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is brother and sister and mother to me".

These words of Jesus in response to his Mother are meant to explain that our relationship to him is a spiritual one, not dependent on a family tie. What matters for us is to do the Father’s will. Mary understands this truth very well, and the words of her Son only confirm her resolve to devote herself with greater love to accomplishing the Father’s will even when this means sacrifice. Thus Mary teaches us that true love for God the Father and for Jesus his Son always consists in perfect conformity to the divine will.

Mary’s readiness to dedicate herself to the Lord finds its most profound expression at the moment of the Annunciation, when in response to the angel’s message she declares: "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say".

We can say that it is through Mary’s total self-offering at the moment of the Annunciation that she becomes our model, our guide and our Mother. The Second Vatican Council highlights this fact when it teaches that: "Mary’s maternity in the order of grace began with the consent which she gave in faith at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross. This maternity will last without interruption until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect".

In the Gospel to which we have just listened, Jesus assures each of us of his love. He says: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Live on in my love". We must keep reminding ourselves of this fundamental truth that the Lord loves us in a special way. We must often repeat the words of the Psalmist: "Strong is the Lord’s love for us; he is faithful forever". The Lord’s love is real for each of you here in Fiji and the whole Pacific. This love is personal and unconditional, and it is clearly seen in the many ways in which he has blessed you. His love is the source of your strength. And you are called upon each day of your lives to respond to this love of the Lord, just as Mary did.

4. In today’s Gospel, when Jesus tells us to love one another as he loves us, he also says: “All this I tell you that my joy may be yours and your joy may be complete”. We must understand that in order to love as Jesus does we must offer to others the gift of ourselves. And it is only in the giving of ourselves through charity, service and compassion that we can experience true joy. Faithfulness to the Lord’s command to love one another as he has loved us brings us a share in the joy of the Lord now and forever.

5. Our Lord’s own life illustrates the words which he speaks to us today: "There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends". Following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose life was a fragrant offering of love, you are invited to live your lives out of love for others in imitation of the Lord Jesus, who first laid down his life in love for you. Your dedication to the Lord and to his command of love assures you of his friendship, for in today’s Gospel Jesus repeats: "You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer speak of you as slaves, for a slave does not know what his master is about. Instead, I call you friends, since I have made known to you all that I heard from my Father".

My dear brothers and sisters: all of you have been chosen by the Lord, just as Mary was. May you respond wholeheartedly and generously to the Lord’s call to embrace a life of service for others.

368 In the Letter to the Colossians that has just been read to us Saint Paul writes: "Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt mercy, with kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. Over all these virtues put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect".

In this passage Saint Paul is clearly referring to the fact that we are God’s chosen ones, and so he exhorts us to bear with one another, to forgive any grievances we have against one another, and in obedience to the Lord’s command to love one another.

6. The history of the beginning of the Church in Oceania offers us an inspiring example of dedication to the Lord and of that selfgiving love " to lay down one’s life for one’s friends ". I am referring to the heroic witness and martyrdom of Saint Peter Chanel, the Marist Father who came from France as one of the first missionaries to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in Western Oceania. In the face of great difficulties he laboured with profound faith, patience and fortitude. After many hardships and seeming failure, Peter Chanel became the first martyr of Oceania. He laid down his life for the sake of the Gospel, and his selfless dedication to the Lord bore great fruit when in 1843 all the inhabitants of Futuna were converted to Christ.

The Church in Fiji itself can be traced to the arrival in 1844 of Peter Chanel’s Marist colleagues from France. With immense gratitude to the Lord, I praise the many generations of missionaries who over the last hundred and fifty years have followed in the footsteps of Saint Peter Chanel and have laboured for the spread of the Gospel in Oceania. The vitality of the Church today is linked to the generosity of their lives.

The present Archdiocese of Suva, erected in 1966, and the Regional Seminary of the Pacific established under the patronage of Saint Peter Chanel, are a testimony to the Church’s growth here and throughout Oceania. By the grace of God, the spirit of sacrifice and dedication to the Lord shown by past generations is being continued by the clergy, religious and laity of today. We can see proofs of this dedication in the Catholic schools, in the hospitals, especially Makogai, in the help given to the homeless and the unemployed and to all those in great need. I call upon all of you to keep up your wholehearted service to the Lord, especially in the poorest of your brothers and sisters. May the memory of the heroic missionaries inspire many young men today to dedicate themselves to the Lord in the priesthood and inspire other young men and women to aspire to the religious life; may this memory sustain all the People of God in their vocation to holiness.

7. Dearly beloved in Christ: always be mindful of your Baptism, and know that God has chosen you to share in his Son’s mission. Your vocation is to follow Jesus and to obey his word. Saint Paul says: "Let the Word of Christ, rich as it is, dwell in you. In wisdom made perfect, instruct and admonish one another".

You can be sure that the word of Christ dwelling in your hearts will bear abundant fruit, especially in acts of mercy and compassion. When he tells his disciples to love one another, Jesus emphasizes that he has chosen them and not the other way round, and that they are to go forth and bear fruit: "It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you to go forth and bear fruit. Your fruit must endure, so that all you ask the Father in my name he will give you".

The Lord’s command of love has been proclaimed to the people of Fiji from the arrival of the first Christian missionaries. I invite all of you to become more aware of Christ’s call to spread the Gospel to others as well as to pray and work together for Christian unity. I encourage you in your esteem and friendship for your Hindu and Muslim brethren, so that respectful dialogue may bring about better mutual understanding.

It is my fervent prayer that my Pastoral Visit to Fiji will help you to dedicate yourselves ever more to doing the Father’s will and to sharing in the mission of his Son. For this reason:

I call upon you to love one another as Jesus has commanded.

I call upon you to renew your efforts to appreciate and respect each other’s cultural diversity.

369 I call upon you to show special concern for the poor and those who are pushed to the margins of society.

I call upon you to mark for a more just society, in which wealth will be more equally divided and in which it will be possible for all to live a life in keeping with their human dignity.

I call upon you to give your prayerful support to Archbishop Petero Mataca as he proclaims to you the Gospel of salvation.

I call upon you especially, the young people, to respond to the Lord’s love and to share his joy with others.

I call upon you who are sick to offer your sufferings for the growth of the Kingdom of God.

And I commend all of you to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the perfect example of dedication to the Lord, the Mother of him who says: "This is my commandment: Love one another as I have loved you". Amen.





APOSTOLIC PILGRIMAGE TO BANGLADESH, SINGAPORE, FIJI ISLANDS,

NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND SEYCHELLES

Auckland (New Zealand), 22 November 1986



"I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God s house’ ".

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

1. I rejoice to be in your midst. Indeed I rejoice that it has been possible for me to come to God’s house here, that is, to the People of God, the Church in Auckland, the Church in New Zealand.

The Church here is young. It is less than two centuries since the Good News of Jesus was first preached on these islands. Yet the Catholic faith has been quick to take root and flourish, enriched as it is by a variety of cultures from many parts of the world. Each of those traditions has brought its special gifts; none has come empty handed.

370 A rich culture already existed in your country before the arrival of the Church or the many immigrants: the culture of the Maori people. This culture has in turn been strengthened and enriched by the uplifting and purifying power of the Gospel.

I wish to extend special greetings to you, the Maori people of Aotearoa, and to thank you for your cordial ceremonial welcome. The strengths of Maori culture are often the very values which modern society is in danger of losing: an acknowledgment of the spiritual dimension in every aspect of life: a profound reverence for nature and the environment; a sense of community, assuring every individual that he or she belongs; loyalty to family and a great willingness to share; an acceptance of death as part of life and a capacity to grieve and mourn the dead in a human way.

As you rightly treasure your culture, let the Gospel of Christ continue to penetrate and permeate it. confirming your sense of identity as a unique part of God’s household. It is as Maoris that the Lord calls you; it is as Maoris that you belong to the Church, the one Body of Christ.

I wish also to offer very cordial greetings to our brothers and sisters in Christ belonging to other Christian communions. It is my hope that this pastoral visit to the Church in New Zealand will further the cause of ecumenism and draw us all closer to our one Lord and Saviour.

2. "And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem . . . For Israel’s law it is, There to praise the Lord’s name".

As the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Saint Peter, I wish to praise the Lord’s name with the whole Church that lives here in these islands of the Pacific.

The psalm of praise that we have sung in today’s liturgy is a song of pilgrims. And all of us – as the Church of the living God – are a pilgrim people on our way to the "heavenly Jerusalem". Like all pilgrims, we are a people of hope, fully aware of evil and suffering in the world, ourselves tested by temptation and trial, and yet firmly believing that "what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unravelled, which is waiting for us".

Saint Augustine described the Church as being "like a stranger in a foreign land", which "presses forward amid the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God". As she presses forward, seeking always to be faithful to Christ and the Gospel, she rejoices to experience God’s grace, which gives her strength to embrace the Cross as the way to the triumph of the Resurrection. And she finds continued reason to give thanks and praise to God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Let us then, as pilgrims full of hope, join our hearts and voices in praise of the Most Holy Trinity.

3. In fact, we have great reason to rejoice continually, for we are the people to whom the Father has sent his beloved Son. And today we hear the Son’s words to us in the Gospel, just as his contemporaries once heard him as he travelled through Galilee, Judea and Samaria.

Jesus teaches us about God as our loving Father and about Divine Providence.

He draws attention to the beauty of creation and to God’s care for it. In this way, he gives his audience a greater awareness of God’s goodness: "Think of the flowers; they never have to spin or weave; yet, I assure you, not even Solomon in all his glory was robed like one of these.

371 At the same time, Jesus points out creation’s corruptible and transitory nature, saying: "Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he look after you". Thus he encourages his listeners to look beyond created things, however good or beautiful they may be, and to focus on that which does not pass away, on eternity.

Christ then invites his hearers to place their trust in the Father’s loving care: "You must not set your hearts on things to eat and things to drink; nor must you worry . . . Your Father well knows you need them. No; set your hearts on his Kingdom".

Peace comes when we learn to rest in God’s loving providence, knowing that this world will pass away, and that only his Kingdom will endure. To set our hearts on the things that endure is to be at peace in ourselves.

4. We are followers of Christ just as much as those men and women who first heard these words. We are today’s generation of the people whom he redeemed through his own blood. We too have believed that the Father wishes to give us his Kingdom. And we wish to respond to that gift.

Christ says: "There is no need to be afraid, little flock". We must take courage, then, and seek to overcome our tear through the interior power of faith, by setting our hearts first of all on the Kingdom of God. It is precisely in this way that we show ourselves to be the Church. For the Church is the community of people who place their trust in God’s promises, promises like those we have heard in today’s heard reading from the Prophet Ezekiel.

5. Ezekiel is speaking to a people in exile, separated from their land and their roots. They know that they have strayed from the right path; they have become strangers to God and to one another. But now the Lord promises to bring them home.

He will give them a new heart and a new spirit. They will learn to keep his law, not from outward constraint but from inner conviction. They will discover true peace, for the Lord’s own Spirit will be in them "You shall be my people and I will be your God".

How modern this Old Testament writer sounds! His words seem to fit so many people today, alienated from God and estranged from one another. All around us we can see what happens when the Prophet’s words go unheeded: if the Spirit of the Lord does not breathe in our hearts, they quickly turn to stone. But the Church is that place where the Holy Spirit breathes, that community of people who are cleansed of their sins in Baptism, and who, though scattered all over the earth, enjoy true communion with one another.

6. What an amazing mystery the Church is! While her members belong to every nation on earth, she remains undivided, always one. The Church is both universal and particular, since her members, though belonging to different cultures and peoples, have received the same Baptism and share in the same Holy Spirit. We are like that group of first believers described in the Acts of the Apostles; we too seek to remain "faithful to the teaching of the Apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers".

In these last four days, I have celebrated the Eucharist with the Church in Bangladesh, the Church in Singapore, the Church in Fiji, and now the Church in New Zealand. In each of these countries the Church has different traditions and customs, different needs and gifts. The Christian faith does not destroy culture, but purifies and uplifts it. It takes away nothing of genuine value from a society or nation, but strengthens whatever is good for the betterment of all.

No particular Church is the same as another, yet the one, holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is present and active in each one. It is not as if the People of God were a loosely-linked International society or even a federation of particular Churches. No, the Holy Spirit himself unites the particular Churches with one another in a communion of life under the headship of Christ our Redeemer. Thus they are called to live together in peace and unity.: And by Christ’s design, the Successor of Peter is called to serve all the local Churches through a ministry of faith and charity.

372 7. Such unity and catholicity in the one Body of Christ must never be taken for granted; it is a gift to be received with gratitude and a gift that requires a response. As the Second Vatican Council stated: " In virtue of this catholicity each individual part of the Church contributes through its special gifts to the good of the other parts and of the whole Church. Thus through the common sharing of gifts and through the common effort to attain fullness in unity, the whole and each of the parts receive increase".

In view of the gift of catholicity, do not the words of Saint Peter apply, not only to individual persons, but also to the particular Churches? "Each one of you", he writes, "has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others". It has always been necessary for local Churches to assist and support one another, especially to assist those who are near and those with the greatest needs. Such actions foster communion among these Churches and show the fruitful nature of the catholicity of the Church.

The gifts of unity and universality also urge us on to greater progress ix ecumenism. The desire for complete communion among all Christians has grown remarkably throughout the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. For this we rejoice and give thanks to God. But our prayers for full unity must increase even more. Spiritual and theological dialogue must continue at all levels. And we must, in all appropriate ways, collaborate in endeavours of service and common witness to Christ, so that the Church may be seen by all as the Sacrament of Unity and Reconciliation, and so that she may more effectively further the cause of peace.

8. The Gospel acclamation of today’s Mass recalls the words of Saint Paul: "May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body". The Apostle’s prayer becomes ours today, for we also deeply desire the peace of Christ to reign in every heart.

The Church is very conscious of people’s longing for peace and has taken numerous initiatives to further it. Every year since 1968 she has invited all people of good will to join her on New Year’s Day in celebrating the World Day of Peace. And, in addition, Christians in every country, as individuals and together with others, are praying and working for peace.

Jesus said: "Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you". And to all of you today I say: Peace be with you.

In Maori: Kia tau iho te rangimarie o te Ariki ki a koutou. In Samoan: Ia faatasi le Filemu ma outou.

In Tongan: Ke iate Kimoutolu ‘a e melino ‘a e ‘eiki. In Cook Island Maori: Ei a kotou te ‘au.

In Polish: Pokoj Wam.

In Croatian: tvIir Stobom.

In Dutch: Vrede zij met u.

373 In Gaelic: Síochán Dé libh go léir. In Latin: Pax Vobis!

9. Together in peace as members of a pilgrim Church, we wish once again to stand in spirit at the gates of Jerusalem, singing the words of the Psalm:

"For the peace of Jerusalem pray: ‘Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in our walls, in your palaces, peace!’ For love of my brethren and friends I say: ‘Peace upon you!’ For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good".

Peace for Jerusalem! Peace for the community of the Church! Peace for the world! Peace which is the fruit of love. And love flourishes where the faithful are united with the Pastors of the Church, where priests work in harmony with the bishop, where the bishops are united in collegial communion among themselves and with the Bishop of Rome.

There is an essential and dynamic link between unity and peace. As Saint Paul tells us: "In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us". Christ’s love breaks down the hostility and barriers that keep people divided from one another. And through his Holy Spirit, he plants in our hearts the seeds of ecclesial communion. From this interior action of the Holy Spirit, the whole Body of Christ is built up "into one holy temple in the Lord", "into a house where God lives, in the Spirit", into a communion of love and peace.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, as those "whom Christ calls his friends, we proclaim to the world that Jesus "came to bring the good news of peace". The Church carries on the work of Christ in the world, rejoicing in his blessings: especially the blessing of peace.

"Blessed are the peacemakers,

They shall be called children of God". Amen.





APOSTOLIC PILGRIMAGE TO BANGLADESH, SINGAPORE, FIJI ISLANDS,

NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA AND SEYCHELLES

Wellington (New Zealand), 23 November 1986



Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. Give thanks to the Father who has made it possible for you to join the saints and with them to inherit the light. Because that is what he has done: he has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the Kingdom of the Son that he loves".

374 Today on the Solemnity of Christ the King it is my honour and privilege to proclaim the unity of the universal Church in this land in the Pacific: here at Wellington, the Capital of New Zealand.

It is with great joy that I celebrate the Eucharist with you today. My heart is filled with a deep sense of gratitude to be able to join my voice with yours in praising and glorifying the Most Blessed Trinity. I greet with fraternal affection the Archbishop of this See, Cardinal Thomas Williams, Bishop Cullinane, and my other brother bishops. Together with them, I great most cordially all my brother priests, the men and women religious, and all the faithful, particularly those from the Archdiocese of Wellington and the Diocese of Palmerston North.

To all of you I say: Let us give thanks to the Father!
"He has taken us out of the power of darkness!".
"He has created a place for us in the Kingdom of the Son that he loves!".
Yes, the Son that he loves!

This is the same Jesus of Nazareth, about whom there was heard a voice from on high saying: "This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him".

2. The Liturgy brings us today to the place where the words of Saint Paul are confirmed in a definitive way, the place where the truth of the Redemption is most fully revealed.

We are on Calvary at the moment of the Crucifixion. Together with Jesus, two criminals are also being crucified. One of these insults him, saying: "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us as well". But the second instead says: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom". This second man believed in the Kingdom of the Crucified One. He believed in the Kingdom that draws near to each human person through Christ Crucified.

Truly, it was not flesh and blood that had revealed this truth to him, but the Father - this Father who frees us from "the power of darkness and creates a place for us in the Kingdom of the Son that he loves". The Son, Jesus, in agony on the Cross, says to his crucified companion: "Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise".

3. The main theme of today’s liturgy is expressed in the phrase: "Peace of heart is the heart of peace". These words on the Solemnity of Christ the King are confirmed by what Saint Paul proclaims in the second reading. Christ, the image of the invisible God, is at the same time "the firstborn of all creations". Moreover, "God wanted all perfection to be found in him and all things to be reconciled through him and f or him, everything in heaven and everything on earth, when he made peace by his death on the Cross".

375 Peace of heart, peace of the human conscience, is precisely the fruit of this reconciliation through the Cross.

4. The scene of Jesus in agony on the Cross, hanging between two criminals, is a striking symbol of the mystery of reconciliation.

In the first place, it shows us vividly the horrifying effects of sin, the stark and terrible reality of evil, the awful consequences of disobedience and alienation from God. Who could gaze on the Cross of Christ and not acknowledge the reality of sin? And not only the reality of sin but also its destructive consequences?

Sin is a personal act which disrupts one’s relationship with God and weakens the intellect and will. Sin also has an impact on others. "There is no sin, not even the most intimate and secret one, that exclusively concerns the persons committing it. With greater or lesser violence, with greater or lesser harm, every sin has repercussions on the entire ecclesial body and the whole human family".

Today’s Gospel scene reminds us of an even greater reality than sin, a higher and more important truth: namely the redeeming love of Christ, a love which is stronger than evil, stronger than death. It was at this precise point in human history, when he was offering his life for us on the Cross, that "God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself". As Saint Paul says regarding this event of loving mercy, "through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins".

Yes, Christ on the Cross "was reconciling the whole world to himself", all of humanity of every time and place, "everything in heaven and everything on earth". This is why the Son of God came into the world: "God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life".

And yet, reconciliation is offered to each person individually. Each one must freely decide to accept or reject it. We must remember the two criminals crucified with Jesus. Each of them acting by his own free choice responded to Jesus, but in opposite ways. God respects our human freedom. He generously offers us the gift of reconciliation, but he does not force us to accept. He gives us the freedom to reject it. We must freely choose it if we are to belong to the Kingdom of God.

5. And if we do desire to belong to the Kingdom of God, what are the ways in which this Kingdom of God begins to take root in the human heart? How do reconciliation and peace come about in our innermost self?

The first way, of course, is prayer. This means liturgical prayer in which we join ourselves with Christ the High Priest in the official worship of the Church, and individual prayer, when we meet the Lord alone in our soul. Prayer opens the mind and heart to God. It deepens our longing for his Kingdom. Prayer consciously links us to the Communion of the Saints who support us by their continual intercession.

A second way of gaining peace of heart is by accepting the Gospel message. Jesus began his public preaching with a call to conversion: "Repent, and believe in the Good News". The Church continues Christ’s mission by condemning sin, calling people to conversion, and inviting them to be reconciled to God. And in every age, the Church proclaims the goodness and mercy of the Lord. She invites us all to "lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely" and to "run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith".

Dialogue is yet another way towards reconciliation and peace, that dialogue of faith which proceeds from a deep respect for others and a confidence in the ultimate victory of truth. In order that genuine dialogue may take place, "we must all apply to ourselves the word of God; we must relinquish our own subjective views and seek the truth where it is to be found, namely in the divine word itself and in the authentic interpretation of that word provided by the Magisterium of the Church". In this regard, I am pleased to know that in New Zealand you are striving to bring about a greater knowledge of God’s word and to deepen your love for Christ.

376 The ways of conversion include penitential practices, almsgiving, fasting and whatever truly helps us pass from sin to spiritual freedom, from selfishness to justice and love, from hatred to a desire for peace. Through all the Sacraments of the Church, Christ himself establishes Gods Kingdom in our hearts. In the Eucharist we receive the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and grants us peace. In the Sacrament of Penance, the Lord reconciles us to himself and sends us forth to be servants of reconciliation in the world. Each of the Sacraments, in its own way, joins us with our Risen Saviour and renews in us the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

6. Peace, as well as love, is born from a new heart, a heart made new by God’s gift of reconciliation. A new heart is the foundation of peace in the world. All truly human actions proceed from the heart, the innermost centre of the human person, the dwelling-place of our conscience and of our deepest convictions. This is why peace of heart is the heart of peace - peace inside families. peace within villages, towns and cities, peace between nations and in International life. Peace anywhere in the world is possible only if there is first of all peace of heart.

But this inner peace is continually threatened in our modern world. It is disturbed by human passions: by hatred, envy, lust for power, pride, prejudice and an uncontrolled desire for wealth. Violence and war come from our blindness of spirit and the disorder in our hearts. These lead to injustice, which in turn causes tension and conflict. In addition, people’s consciences are often confused today by an ideological manipulation of information.

Clearly it takes great courage to open ourselves to conversion of heart and to maintain this conversion in humility and freedom. The obstacles to peace are many. "They are grave, they present serious threats. But since they depend on the spirit, the will, the human ‘heart’, with the help of God, people can overcome them. They must refuse to give in to fatalism and discouragement. Positive signs are already piercing the darkness". And let us never forget that the final triumph over darkness has already been won by Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.

7. Our hope for the victory of peace is rooted in our faith in God, the Creator of heaven and earth. From the very beginning, in the act of creation itself, God’s goodness and providence are revealed. As the Book of Genesis says: "God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good".

The created world is not the result of mere chance. It springs from God’s love; it is sustained by God’s love, and all the events of human history are subject to God’s loving providence.

In the great event of the Incarnation - the mystery of God becoming man - we understand much more of the mystery of creation. For Christ is, as Saint Paul says, "the firstborn of all creation, for in him were created all things in heaven and on earth, everything visible and everything invisible".

God loved the world so much that, from the beginning, he intended through the human nature of Jesus his beloved Son to enter into union with all humanity. Being both God and Man, Jesus could restore what sin had destroyed; he could bring creation back to its original destiny. Thus, in the words of Saint Paul, "God wanted all perfection to be found in him and all things to be reconciled through him and for him, everything in heaven and everything on earth".

The mystery of creation, then, is part of our celebration today on this feast of Christ the King, for Christ is also the Lord of heaven and earth, the one who reconciled all creation to himself and "made peace by his death on the Cross". With grateful hearts, we praise the Lord with the words of the Psalm:

"Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him, we are his people . . .
377 Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age".

8. God made us.

Not only did God make us, but he "has made it possible for us to join the Saints and with them to inherit the light . . . He has taken us out of the power of darkness and created a place for us in the Kingdom of the Son that he loves . . . In him were created all things in heaven and on earth . . . all things were created through him and for him. Before anything was created, he existed, and he holds all things in unity".

Christ the King is the beginning.
He is the firstborn from the dead.
Christ the King is the head of his body the Church.
In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of Our sins.
In Christ the King all fullness dwells! Amen.



S. John Paul II Homil. 365