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CONCLUDING EXPRESSION OF HOPE
35. At the end of this document I hear echoing within me
and I desire to repeat to all of you the exhortation which the first bishop of
Rome, at a critical hour of the beginning of the church, addressed "to the
exiles of the dispersion...chosen and destined by God the Father...: Have unity
of spirit, sympathy, love of the brethren, a tender heart and a humble
mind."(200) The apostle urged: "Have unity of spirit."
But he immediately went on to point out the sins against harmony and peace
which must be avoided: "Do not return evil for evil or reviling for
reviling; but on the contrary bless, for to this you have been called, that you
may obtain a blessing." And he ended with a word of encouragement and
hope: "Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is
right?"(201)
At
an hour of history which is no less critical, I dare to join my exhortation to
that of the prince of the apostles, the first to occupy this See of Rome as a
witness to Christ and as pastor of the church, and who here "presided in
charity" before the entire world. In communion with the bishops who are
the successors of the apostles and supported by the collegial reflection that
many of them, meeting in the synod, devoted to the topics and problems of
reconciliation, I too wish to speak to you with the same spirit of the
fisherman of Galilee when he said to our brothers and sisters in the faith,
distant in time but so closely linked in heart: "Have unity of spirit....
Do not return evil for evil.... Be zealous for what is
right."(202) And he added: "It is better to suffer for doing
right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong."(203)
This
exhortation is completely permeated by words which Peter had heard from Jesus
himself and by ideas which formed part of his "good news": the new
commandment of love of neighbor; the yearning for and commitment to unity; the
beatitudes of mercy and patience in persecution for the sake of justice; the
repaying of evil with good; the forgiveness of offenses; the love of enemies.
In these words and ideas is the original and transcendent synthesis of the
Christian ethic or, more accurately and more profoundly, of the spirituality of
the new covenant in Jesus Christ.
I
entrust to the Father, rich in mercy, I entrust to the Son of God, made man as
our redeemer and reconciler, I entrust to the Holy Spirit, source of unity and
peace, this call of mine, as father and pastor, to penance and reconciliation.
May the most holy and adorable Trinity cause to spring up in the church and in
the world the small seed which at this hour I plant in the generous soil of
many human hearts.
In
order that in the not too distant future abundant fruits may come from it, I
invite you all to join me in turning to Christ's heart, the eloquent sign of
the divine mercy, the "propitiation for our sins," "our peace
and reconciliation,"(204) that we may draw from it an interior
encouragement to hate sin and to be converted to God, and find in it the divine
kindness which lovingly responds to human repentance.
I
likewise invite you to turn with me to the immaculate heart of Mary, mother of
Jesus, in whom "is effected the reconciliation of God with humanity..., is
accomplished the work of reconciliation, because she has received from God the
fullness of grace in virtue of the redemptive sacrifice of
Christ."(205) Truly Mary has been associated with God, by virtue
of her divine motherhood, in the work of reconciliation.(206)
Into
the hands of this mother, whose fiat marked the beginning of that
"fullness of time" in which Christ accomplished the reconciliation of
humanity with God, to her immaculate heart-to which we have repeatedly
entrusted the whole of humanity, disturbed by sin and tormented by so many
tensions and conflicts-I now in a special way entrust this intention: that
through her intercession humanity may discover and travel the path of penance,
the only path that can lead it to full reconciliation.
To
all of you who in a spirit of ecclesial communion in obedience and
faith(207) receive the indications, suggestions and directives
contained in this document and seek to put them into living pastoral practice,
I willingly impart my apostolic blessing.
Given
in Rome at St. Peter's on December 2, the first Sunday of Advent, in the year
1984, the seventh of my pontificate.
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