Cardinal Cantalamessa: Church must bear Christ for our world

Pope Francis listens to Cardinal Cantalamessa's second Advent Sermon

VATICAN

The Preacher of the Papal Household, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, delivers his third Advent sermon to the Pope and the Roman Curia, and reflects on Jesus鈥� birth 鈥渙f a woman鈥� and what that means for the Church鈥檚 mission to preach Christ.

By Devin Watkins

鈥淲hen the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman.鈥�

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa took this line from Paul鈥檚 Letter to the Galatians as the basis of his reflection for the third Advent Sermon on Friday, which saw Pope Francis and various officials of the Roman Curia take part.

The Preacher of the Papal Household focused especially on the implications of the phrase: 鈥渂orn of a woman.鈥�

He noted with the Fathers of the Church that, without those words, Christ would appear as 鈥渁 heavenly, disembodied illusion鈥�, an image of Christ which the Docetist heresy sought to promote.

Being born 鈥渙f a woman鈥� and in the flesh is 鈥渃lear proof of his human nature,鈥� said the Cardinal with St. Leo the Great.

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鈥楳ary, or the Church, or the soul鈥�

Cardinal Cantalamessa said St. Paul鈥檚 reference to Mary as 鈥渨oman鈥� places her within the long Biblical tradition that begins with Eve and ends with the woman of the Book of Revelations who is 鈥渃lothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet鈥�, a clear reference to the Church. It also reflects Jesus鈥� way of referring to his mother in the Gospel of John at the wedding at Cana and at Golgotha.

The Cardinal noted that the Church Fathers closely linked the images of the Church, the Virgin Mary, and the individual Christian. So, what Sacred Scripture says of one can be applied to the other two analogously.

鈥淚n the inspired Scriptures, what is said in a universal sense of the virgin mother, the Church, is understood in an individual sense of the Virgin Mary, and what is said in a particular sense of the virgin mother Mary is rightly understood in a general sense of the virgin mother, the Church... In a way, every Christian is also believed to be a bride of God鈥檚 Word, a mother of Christ, his daughter, and sister, at once virginal and fruitful. These words are used in a universal sense of the Church, in a special sense of Mary, in a particular sense of the individual Christian. (Isaac of Stella)鈥�

Church bearing Christ

Therefore, said Cardinal Cantalamessa, just as Mary conceived Jesus in her womb and bore Him in the flesh for the world, so must the Church give birth to Jesus for humanity of every age.

He said that whoever sees the Church should not stop there but 鈥渟hould look to Jesus.鈥�

鈥淭his is the struggle against the Church becoming self-referential, a theme often underscored by the last two Supreme Pontiffs: Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.鈥�

He added that Christ has entrusted his message of salvation to the Church and sent her into the world, though many people still unknowingly dream of receiving that message.

Dangers and 鈥渨alls of division鈥� lurk within the Church, however, noted the Cardinal. He said these include 鈥渆xcess bureaucracy, the remnants of meaningless ceremonials, including vestments, former laws, and disputes that by now have become nothing more than debris.鈥�

Cardinal Cantalamessa then thanked Pope Francis for 鈥渢he steps forward鈥� which the Church has made to 鈥渞each the existential peripheries of the world, bringing them the message of Christ.鈥�

Born of our hearts

At the same time, each individual Christian must bear Christ for our world.

鈥淚n the Gospel Jesus explains to us how to become a mother of Christ, He says that it happens by listening to the Word and putting it into practice (see Lk 8:21). It is important to note that two things need to take place. Even Mary became the mother of Christ through these two processes: first, by conceiving him, and then by giving birth to him.鈥�

However, Cardinal Cantalamessa warned against two forms of 鈥渟piritual abortion鈥�.

One is that the believer 鈥渃onceives Jesus without giving birth to Him鈥�, that is, he or she welcomes the Word but then never puts it into practice through concrete actions.

On the other hand, the believer can 鈥済ive birth to Christ without having conceived Him鈥�, much like a form of in vitro fertilization.

He said these people perform many good things without their actions being motivated by kindness, or the love of God, or even right intentions. Habit or hypocrisy motivates them. Rather, our deeds are good 鈥渙nly if they come from the heart and are conceived for the love of God and in faith.鈥�

鈥榃hile all around was silence鈥�

Cardinal Cantalamessa therefore recalled the need for 鈥渟ound discernment鈥� in the quest to put into practice what has been conceived in the heart.

鈥淲e must insist on one thing, however: the determination or resolution to lead a new life must be translated without delay into concrete action, into a change in the way we live and in our habits, possibly even in external and visible ways. If our resolution is not acted upon, Jesus is conceived, but not brought to birth. It will be one of many spiritual abortions.鈥�

The first way to start, urged the papal preacher, is to create 鈥渁 little silence around us and within us.鈥� In this way, we mirror the contemplative silence that surrounded Jesus upon His virgin birth into our world.

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