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Homily given by Pope Benedict XVI at Yankee Stadium Provided by the Vatican. Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus tells his Apostles to put their faith in him, for he is the way, and the truth and the life (Jn 14:6). Christ is the way that leads to the Father, the truth which gives meaning to human existence, and the source of that life which is eternal joy with all the saints in his heavenly Kingdom. Let us take the Lord at his word! Let us renew our faith in him and put all our hope in his promises! With this encouragement to persevere in the faith of Peter (cf. Lk 22:32; Mt 16:17), I greet all of you with great affection. I thank Cardinal Egan for his cordial words of welcome in your name. At this Mass, the Church in the United States celebrates the 200th anniversary of the creation of the Sees of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville from the mother See of Baltimore. The presence around this altar of the Successor of Peter, his brother bishops and priests, and deacons, men and women religious, and lay faithful from throughout the 50 states of the Union, eloquently manifests our communion in the Catholic faith which comes to us from the Apostles. Our celebration today is also a sign of the impressive growth which God has given to the Church in your country in the past two hundred years. From a small flock like that described in the first reading, the Church in America has been built up in fidelity to the twin commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. In this land of freedom and opportunity, the Church has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith and, through her many educational, charitable and social works, has also contributed significantly to the growth of American society as a whole. This great accomplishment was not without its challenges. Todays first reading, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, speaks of linguistic and cultural tensions already present within the earliest Church community. At the same time, it shows the power of the word of God, authoritatively proclaimed by the Apostles and received in faith, to create a unity which transcends the divisions arising from human limitations and weakness. Here we are reminded of a fundamental truth: that the Churchs unity has no other basis than the Word of God, made flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord. All external signs of identity, all structures, associations and programs, valuable or even essential as they may be, ultimately exist only to support and foster the deeper unity which, in Christ, is Gods indefectible gift to his Church. The first reading also makes clear, as we see from the imposition of hands on the first deacons, that the Churchs unity is apostolic. It is a visible unity, grounded in the Apostles whom Christ chose and appointed as witnesses to his resurrection, and it is born of what the Scriptures call the obedience of faith (Rom 1:5; cf. Acts 6:7). Authority. Obedience. To be frank, these are not easy words to speak nowadays. Words like these represent a stumbling stone for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ -- the way and the truth and the life -- we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom, the freedom of the children of God, is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33). True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness in him who is infinite love, infinite freedom, infinite life. In his will is our peace. Real freedom, then, is Gods gracious gift, the fruit of conversion to his truth, the truth which makes us free (cf. Jn 8:32). And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on the mind of Christ (cf. Phil 2:5), new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world. We become the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-14), entrusted with the apostolate of making our own lives, and the world in which we live, conform ever more fully to Gods saving plan. This magnificent vision of a world being transformed by the liberating truth of the Gospel is reflected in the description of the Church found in todays second reading. The Apostle tells us that Christ, risen from the dead, is the keystone of a great temple which is even now rising in the Spirit. And we, the members of his body, through Baptism have become living stones in that temple, sharing in the life of God by grace, blessed with the freedom of the sons of God, and empowered to offer spiritual sacrifices pleasing to him (cf. 1 Pet 2:5). And what is this offering which we are called to make, if not to direct our every thought, word and action to the truth of the Gospel and to harness all our energies in the service of Gods Kingdom? Only in this way can we build with God, on the one foundation which is Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:11). Only in this way can we build something that will truly endure. Only in this way can our lives find ultimate meaning and bear lasting fruit. Today we recall the bicentennial of a watershed in the history of the Church in the United States: its first great chapter of growth. In these two hundred years, the face of the Catholic community in your country has changed greatly. We think of the successive waves of immigrants whose traditions have so enriched the Church in America. We think of the strong faith which built up the network of churches, educational, healthcare and social institutions which have long been the hallmark of the Church in this land. We think also of those countless fathers and mothers who passed on the faith to their children, the steady ministry of the many priests who devoted their lives to the care of souls, and the incalculable contribution made by so many men and women religious, who not only taught generations of children how to read and write, but also inspired in them a lifelong desire to know God, to love him and to serve him. How many spiritual sacrifices pleasing to God have been offered up in these two centuries! In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith, but also to participate fully in civic life, bringing their deepest moral convictions to the public square and cooperating with their neighbors in shaping a vibrant, democratic society. Todays celebration is more than an occasion of gratitude for graces received. It is also a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming gene You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he claims for his own, to proclaim his glorious works (1 Pet 2:9). These words of the Apostle Peter do not simply remind us of the dignity which is ours by Gods grace; they also challenge us to an ever greater fidelity to the glorious inheritance which we have received in Christ (cf. Eph 1:18). They challenge us to examine our consciences, to purify our hearts, to renew our baptismal commitment to reject Satan and all his empty promises. They challenge us to be a people of joy, heralds of the unfailing hope (cf. Rom 5:5) born of faith in Gods word, and trust in his promises. Each day, throughout this land, you and so many of your neighbors pray to the Father in the Lords own words: Thy Kingdom come. This prayer needs to shape the mind and heart of every Christian in this nation. It needs to bear fruit in the way you lead your lives and in the way you build up your families and your communities. It needs to create new settings of hope (cf. Spe Salvi, 32ff.) where Gods Kingdom becomes present in all its saving power. Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for its growth in every sector of society. It means facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christs victory and a commitment to extending his reign. It means not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal. It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, there is no human activity - even in secular affairs - which can be withdrawn from Gods dominion (Lumen Gentium, 36). It means working to enrich American society and culture with the beauty and truth of the Gospel, and never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives. And this, dear friends, is the particular challenge which the Successor of Saint Peter sets before you today. As a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you! Hasten the coming of Gods Kingdom in this land! Past generations have left you an impressive legacy. In our day too, the Catholic community in this nation has been outstanding in its prophetic witness in the defense of life, in the education of the young, in care for the poor, the sick and the stranger in your midst. On these solid foundations, the future of the Church in America must even now begin to rise! Yesterday, not far from here, I was moved by the joy, the hope and the generous love of Christ which I saw on the faces of the many young people assembled in Dunwoodie. They are the Churchs future, and they deserve all the prayer and support that you can give them. And so I wish to close by adding a special word of encouragement to them. My dear young friends, like the seven men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom whom the Apostles charged with care for the young Church, may you step forward and take up the responsibility which your faith in Christ sets before you! May you find the courage to proclaim Christ, the same, yesterday, and today and for ever and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in him (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10; Heb 13:8). These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world - including the most defenseless of all human beings, the un In todays Gospel, the Lord promises his disciples that they will perform works even greater than his (cf. Jn 14:12). Dear friends, only God in his providence knows what works his grace has yet to bring forth in your lives and in the life of the Church in the United States. Yet Christs promise fills us with sure hope. Let us now join our prayers to his, as living stones in that spiritual temple which is his one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Let us lift our eyes to him, for even now he is preparing for us a place in his Fathers house. And empowered by his Holy Spirit, let us work with renewed zeal for the spread of his Kingdom. Happy are you who believe! (cf. 1 Pet 2:7). Let us turn to Jesus! He alone is the way that leads to eternal happiness, the truth who satisfies the deepest longings of every heart, and the life who brings ever new joy and hope, to us and to our world. Amen. 
Top tags: faith, church, christ, freedom, god, life, truth, gods, hope, gospel Comments from Abp Mary Trombly I am not even of the catholic faith; but I have to say that Pope Benedict has my utmost respect. He has returned to Rome this evening (Sunday " 4/20/08). During his recent visit here, I listened in awe of his solid stance and outspoken words of truth and Salvation. He spoke of putting the proper values on personal freedoms and how "freedom was a Gift from God." He went on to say, "God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the Earth. Turn to your way of love to those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred." Pope Benedict also went on to speak of Human rights saying, "Security concerns should be balanced with respect for human dignity. The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and increasing security. It is evident, though, that the rights recognized and expounded in the declaration apply to everyone by virtue of the common origin of the person, who remains the high-point of God's creative design for the world and for history," he said. "They are based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts and present in different cultures and civilizations. Removing human rights from this context would mean restricting their range and yielding to a relativistic conception, according to which the meaning and interpretation of rights could vary and their universality would be denied in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks." He also was quite outspoken about priests and anyone who is a member of clergy who sexually abuse children as if they had immunity from prosecution because of their position. Benedict referred publicly to the suffering caused by priests who had abused children, an issue that has become the defining theme of his six-day visit. "I have already had occasion to speak of this, and of the resulting damage to the community of the faithful," he said in his 22-minute homily to the nearly 3,000 priests, deacons and seminarians present. "I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to the continuing challenges this situation presents. I join you in praying that this will be a time of purification for each and every particular church and religious community, and a time for healing." On Saturday, he urged conciliation, "We can only move forward if we turn our gaze together in Christ," he said. "In the light of faith, we will then discover the wisdom and strength needed to open ourselves to points of view which may not necessarily conform to our own ideas or assumptions. Thus, we can value the perspectives of others, be they younger or older than ourselves, and ultimately hear what the Spirit is saying to us and to the church," he said, apparently referring to a generational gap among priests, in which older ones who remember the council tend to be more liberal than younger ones who do not." He then traveled to St. Joseph"s Seminary in Yonkers to meet with disabled children and seminarians, and to participate in a youth rally. A crowd had gathered near the seminary, but his motorcade went by so quickly that if anyone saw the pope, it was behind the tinted windows of his car. After waiting patiently for several hours in the chapel of the seminary, dozens of disabled children, most of them in wheelchairs, saw the pope suddenly appear at the chapel doors, beginning a long, slow walk down the aisle, along which they were lined up. He took each by the hands, or kissed a child on the head. "God has blessed you with life," he told them. Benedict also made a rare reference to his upbringing in Nazi Germany. "My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew " infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion " before it was fully recognized for the monster it was," said the pope, who deserted the German army near the end of World War II." He took the time to mention he predecessor, John Paul II by saying "John Paul II, the great communicator, trained actor, vanquisher of communism, acclaimed poet, celebrity pontiff."
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