Pope says world needs peace, believers are men of peace
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The world needs peace, it "needs men and women peacemakers and conciliators, the faithful must be men of peace" and the new evangelization “the new evangelization needs well prepared zealous and courageous apostles, so the light and beauty of the Gospel takes precedence over cultural orientations of ethical relativism and religious indifference, and transforms ways of thinking and acting into an authentic Christian humanism". This is the lesson that Benedict XVI has drawn from the life of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, "doctor apostolicus", in an audience that saw over ten thousand people take part outdoors, in St Peter's Square.
Born in 1559, he was orphaned at seven years, "from childhood he was attracted by the spirituality of St. Francis" and was a man of peace, to which he also contributed with important diplomatic missions and "even today the world needs peace."
As for Lawrence, who moved to Venice in 1575, he entered the Capuchins. Lawrence demonstrated the "outstanding intellectual qualities he was gifted", easily learning ancient and modern languages, knowing not only the Bible "by heart," but also "the texts of rabbinic literature, so the rabbis themselves were astonished and admiring, expressing their appreciation and respect".
His knowledge allowed him to speak in particular to Christians, especially in Germany, who had joined the Reformation. "With his clear and calm explanation he showed the biblical and patristic basis of all articles of faith challenged by Martin Luther. Among them, the primacy of St. Peter and his successors, the divine origin of the episcopate, justification as the inner transformation of man, the necessity of good works for salvation. The success Lawrence enjoyed helps us to understand that even today, in carrying forward ecumenical dialogue with great hope and enthusiasm, the approach to Sacred Scripture, read in the tradition of the Church, is indispensable and of fundamental importance".
St. Lawrence of Brindisi, who became a priest in 1582, was professor of theology and master of novices, he was also, among other things, provincial vicar and vicar general of the order. But above all, the Pope said, he had a "spiritual life of exceptional fervor" devoting time to prayer and especially the Mass that he celebrated for hours.
"Even today - said Benedict XVI - in carrying forward ecumenical dialogue with great hope and enthusiasm, the approach to Sacred Scripture, read in the tradition of the Church, is indispensable and of fundamental importance". Convinced that "listening to the Word of God brings about an inner transformation and leads to holiness," Lawrence "teaches us to love the Bible, to grow in familiarity with it, to cultivate a friendship with the Lord in prayer."
"In the school of the saints, every priest can avoid the danger of activism, that is, to act forgetting the profound motivations of ministry, by nurturing one’s inner life". "Time for prayer is the most important in the life of the priest, it is when one interacts most effectively with the grace of God, giving fruitfulness to ministry. Prayer is the first service to render to the community. And therefore moments of prayer in our lives must have a priority. If we are not inwardly in communion with God, we can not give anything to others. So God is the first priority".
"In fact, Lorenzo urges everyone, not just priests to cultivate a life of prayer, because through it we talk to God and God speaks to us." "God is not only present when we pray and he listens to us, indeed He can and He desires to willingly comply to our questions with the greatest of pleasure."
Lawrence died in 1619 in Lisbon, where he had gone on a mission to the king of Spain. He was beatified in 1783, canonized in 1881 and 1959 proclaimed Doctor of the Church by John XXIII under the title "doctor apostolicus”, partly because he is the author of many works of biblical exegesis, theology and writings for the preaching. "Also, being a valuable Mariologist, author of a collection of sermons entitled Mariale on Our Lady, he highlights the unique role of the Virgin Mary, which clearly affirms the Immaculate Conception and Her cooperation in the work of redemption accomplished by Christ. "
"St. Lawrence of Brindisi - concluded Benedict XVI - teaches us to love the Bible, to grow in familiarity with it, to cultivate our friendship with the Lord in daily prayer, because everything we do, all our activities have in Him their beginning and their end. This is the source from which to draw, so that our Christian witness is bright and capable of leading men of our time to God. "
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