Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Pope: no one has the Gospel for himself alone, it is a gift for all

» 02/18/2009 14:36
VATICAN

Benedict XVI today revisited the Church's duty to bring the word of Jesus to the world, illustrating the figure of the Venerable Bede at the general audience. The saint is responsible for establishing the birth of Christ as the point of reference for the calendar.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - No one has the Gospel for himself alone, it is also a gift for others. Benedict XVI today revisited the Church's duty to bring the word of Jesus to the world, speaking to the 20,000 people present at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. "For the first time this year," the pope said, "we are outside, even if it is cold, but at least it is not raining or snowing, so we have to be thankful for that." The wind, which whipped across the square for the entire audience, at a certain point blew the berretta off the pope's head.

Benedict XVI had the opportunity to talk about mission while he was illustrating the figure of the Venerable Bede, an English monk who lived from about 672 to 735.

He spent his life in a Benedictine monastery, where he was sent by his parents at the age of seven to be educated. "The instruction and reputation of his writings brought him friendships with the leading personalities of his time." He was the author of many works of theology and commentaries on the Bible, written to "educate the faithful to celebrate joyfully the sacred mysteries." Sacred Scripture was the constant source of his theological reflection. "He commented on the Bible, interpreting it in the light of Christology." "He listened attentively to what the text says, but he was convinced that in order to understand Sacred Scripture precisely, the key is Christ."
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 10:47 AM