Benedict XVI: "Prayer is above all God's gift"



May 30, 2012. (Romereports.com) During the General Audience, Benedict XVI explained how the trust in God helped Saint Paul to overcome difficulties. He also taught about the meaning of prayer and the origin of words like 'Amen'.


CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:


Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

In our continuing reflection on prayer in the letters of Saint Paul, we now consider the Apostle’s striking affirmation that Jesus Christ is God’s “Yes” to mankind and the fulfilment of all his promises, and that through Jesus we say our “Amen”, to the glory of God (cf. 2 Cor 1:19-20).  For Paul, prayer is above all God’s gift, grounded in his faithful love which was fully revealed in the sending of his Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit, poured forth into our hearts, leads us to the Father, constantly making present God’s “Yes” to us in Christ and in turn enabling us to say our “Yes” – Amen! – to God.  Our use of the word “Amen”, rooted in the ancient liturgical prayer of Israel and then taken up by the early Church, expresses our firm faith in God’s word and our hope in his promises.  Through this daily “Yes” which concludes our personal and communal prayer, we echo Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s will and, through the gift of the Spirit, are enabled to live a new and transformed life in union with the Lord.

I welcome the Vietnamese pilgrims from the Archidiocese of Hochiminh City, led by Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Mân.  I also welcome the participants in the Buddhist-Christian Symposium being held in Castelgandolfo.  My greeting likewise goes to the Hope for Tomorrow Foundation from the United States.  Upon all the English-speaking visitors, including those from England, Ireland, Norway, India, Indonesia, Japan and the United States I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!
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