Vatican City, 8th December 2008
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the
Blessed Virgin Mary
Reverend and dear brothers,
On
this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2008, the first anniversary of the
Letter by which the initiative of Eucharistic Adoration for the Sanctification
of Priests and Spiritual Motherhood was presented, I am pleased to be able to
address myself to you once more who live and work in various parts of the
world, to share the joys and consolations which the Lord has allowed us to
receive through his providential Goodness, to be confirmed in the happiness and
certainty of our vocation, continuing to scatter untiringly the abundant seed
of the Gospel.
The
response to this simple but effective initiative has been truly very generous
and encouraging: one has the impression, indeed the assurance, that having demonstrated
the heart of the vocational and priestly question once more to be in the
Eucharist, in the Risen Lord, Sacramentally (that is to say truly) present in
the human-divine time and space of the Church, through His Spirit and the
Priestly ministry, it has concretely answered the thirst of many who have
responded to the suggestions offered with cordial and Christian docility.
The
“alliance” of prayer and Eucharistic Adoration now exists!
Where
the prayer of Adoration for priests was already a well established habit it has
been strengthened and confirmed; where it has not already existed a new
microcosm has been given life to create a network which envelops all priests,
and will envelop them ever the more, silently and mysteriously but nevertheless
effectively, accompanying them in their irreplaceable ministry.
Providence,
which is always extraordinarily generous to us, her unworthy children, has
disposed that the 150th Anniversary of the Dies Natalis (the birth into heaven) of the blessed Curé of Ars, St
John Mary Vianney, will occur next year, the Year of Our Lord 2009, the patron
of all the Parish Priests of the world and a wonderfully enigmatic figure for
every priest.
Regarding
him, who is more than ever our Saintly Confrere, we shall have the joy of
celebrating together on the forthcoming Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,
the 19th June 2009, by welcoming to Rome the reliquary of the heart
of the Holy Curé and praying a Vigil of Eucharistic Adoration in a spirit of
affective and effective ecclesial communion, which will make us all feel close
together even if physically far apart.
This
memorial may also be an opportune time in which to indicate, or to repeat where
it might be necessary, that which is the authentic priestly identity,
sacramentally and christologically established, which has its deep and
immediate roots not in a human will but in the positive and immutable will of
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who “called to himself those whom he wished” and who yet
today continues to call men that they might be totally at the service of God
and, therefore, of their brethren. This identity gives priests capable of
proclaiming the Kerigma in a frank
and free manner to every human condition, accompanying the men of our time to
an authentic experience of the Risen One, which is personal and communitarian;
in short, priests taking up the great and always current theme of the mission
which is in every respect a permanent feature of the very identity of the
Church.
With
the imminent Solemnity of the Nativity it is even more suitable to look with
joyous wonder at all the Lord has given us, at all that he ever prepares for
us, beyond our greatest expectation. It is He, in truth, whom we await, it is
He whom we love, because only He can fully respond to the most profound needs
of our human, Christian and priestly being.
Whilst
wishing each one of you a fruitful ministry in this time of Advent, conscious
above all of how the Sacrament of Reconciliation should and must be celebrated
with particular availability and abundance, and leaving every intention to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, I invite everyone to live ever more fruitfully and
joyously the intimate bond which runs between the spiritual life and the daily
exercise of the pastoral ministry.
Claudio
Card. Hummes
Prefect
XMauro Piacenza
Titular Archbishop
of Vittoriana
Secretary