The following comes from a March 28 story in L’Espresso (Italy).
The Homiletic Directory promulgated by Pope Francis last February, when it comes to suggesting concrete outlines for good preaching during the Mass, reviews the liturgical year on the basis of its center which is the “Paschal mystery to which are connected all the mysteries of Christ and of salvation history that are actualized sacramentally.”
The Directory takes as the guide for this journey Benedict XVI and his apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, an application of the 2008 synod dedicated to the “Word of God in the life and mission of the Church.”
The following are not more guidelines, but actual homilies taken from that great homilist and liturgist, perhaps the greatest of the past century, who is none other than Benedict XVI.
The anthology begins with a homily for Palm Sunday, from among those of cycle B of the liturgical year, the same one in use this year in all the Masses of the Roman rite throughout the world.
At the beginning of the homily, Benedict XVI cites the account of the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem as presented by Mark, the evangelist of year B in the lectionary. But he then goes on to illustrate the Gospel of John and in particular the passage that had already been read – again in cycle B – on the preceding fifth Sunday of Lent.
This is followed by a homily for the Mass that the bishop of Rome – like every other bishop – celebrates in the cathedral on the morning of Holy Thursday with his priests, for the renewal of the vows of the priesthood and for the blessing of the oils of baptism, confirmation, holy orders, and the anointing of the sick. The homily selected here distinguishes itself by its profound biblical, theological, and cosmological reflections on the four elements of the Christian sacraments: water, wheaten bread, wine, and olive oil.
Then comes another homily for the Mass “in coena Domini” of Holy Thursday. The one in which Benedict XVI makes a step-by-step examination of the Roman canon as an account and actualization of the Eucharistic sacrifice of Jesus.
Finally, a homily for the Easter Vigil of year B. In which Joseph Ratzinger delves into the mystery of the Resurrection of Jesus through three symbols: light, water, and the new song, the alleluia.
They are four masterpiece homilies.
To read the homilies, click here.
Thank you CCD for bringing these Holy homilies to us for Holy Week. Pope Benedict XVI never ceases to amaze for the depth of his thinking. He sees things we are unable to. It is really worthwhile to press the two clicks that take us to the full texts in the Vatican webpage.
Take for example this one paragraph from Holy Thusday :
“We said that breaking the bread is an act of communion, an act of uniting through sharing. Thus, in the act itself, the intimate nature of the Eucharist is already indicated: it is agape, it is love made corporeal. In the word “agape”, the meanings of Eucharist and love intertwine. In Jesus’ act of breaking the bread, the love that is shared has attained its most radical form: Jesus allows himself to be broken as living bread. In the bread that is distributed, we recognize the mystery of the grain of wheat that dies, and so bears fruit. We recognize the new multiplication of the loaves, which derives from the dying of the grain of wheat and will continue until the end of the world. At the same time, we see that the Eucharist can never be just a liturgical action. It is complete only if the liturgical agape then becomes love in daily life. In Christian worship, the two things become one – experiencing the Lord’s love in the act of worship and fostering love for one’s neighbour. At this hour, we ask the Lord for the grace to learn to live the mystery of the Eucharist ever more deeply, in such a way that the transformation of the world can begin to take place.”
Ignatius Press has published several books of collections of B16 public Wednesday audiences on the Saints. These are must reads, as are these homilies.
Thank you CCD for these. A good time to reflect and be open to more of God’s graces, which we all need. Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior. I am grateful for Him, for all that He continues to bless us with, for even the hardships because it keeps us humble. What a loving and merciful God we have. I could never express enough or even know how to describe enough the gratitude I have for and in our beloved Jesus. All I know is that no one else can fill my everything like He does. With this Easter season I am grateful for His mercy. Jesus thank you, you are my love and my all. I need you always.
What prayer could be more true before God the Father than that which the Son, who is Truth, uttered with His own lips?
-Saint John Chrysostom
You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.
-Saint Therese of Lisieux
If we are, in fact, now occupied in good deeds, we should not attribute the strength with which we are doing them to ourselves. We must not count on ourselves, because even if we know what kind of person we are today, we do not know what we will be tomorrow.
-Saint Gregory the Great
We must fear God out of love, not love Him out of fear.
-Saint Francis de Sales
Catholics read your bible! Become the word of God, live your faith and be faithful to Rome!
“I feel it is time that I also pay tribute to my four writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. ” By Archbishop Fulton Sheen
“The Church is like Noah’s ark that was full of both clean and unclean animals. It must have had an unholy smell, and yet it was carrying eight persons to salvation. The world today is tearing up the photographs of a good society, a good family, a happy, individual personal life. But the Church is keeping the negatives. And when the moment comes when the world wants a reprint, we will have them.” By Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Pie Jesu – Faithful Jesus thank you for your mercy, for your love and rescue. Faithful Jesus, we adore thee and thank you for all the faithful homilies that also are attached to faithful actions from the lips of the priests and bishops.
Faithful Jesus this world may have raped , molested your faithful children, they may take our spirit away, they may impose on us their bad will but they do not own us, our soul belong to you. Take our will and make of it as thy will’s it. Lord We love you so very much. The enemy may do what it wants against my body and mind but it will not take my free will nor my soul, because it belongs to you only, the enemy will not tear me up or take me because I am yours Jesus, no one else has the right to me but only you beloved Jesus! Only you can do as thy will. Lord help us to learn from thee, take us, if we are to die today, let us not commit another sinful act against you, Lord! You do not deserve what our sins do to you! You are all that is good, you are truth and true love, you are love, my true love! I am grateful to thee Lord, I love you more and more each day, even with the persecutions that come strong to devour my flesh, being and body, even then, you make me stronger, the strength is pulled from you, the cure and courage is coming from you, only you! Thank you for Easter, Thank you Jesus.