Saturday, April 15 : Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger [Pope Benedict XVI]

The day of Pentecost reveals to us the catholicity and universality of the Church. The Holy Spirit makes his presence known by the gift of tongues. Thus he renews, while reversing, the incident at Babel (Gn 11), that outward expression of the pride of those who want to be as God is and who, by their own strength – that is to say, without God – build a bridge to heaven, the tower of Babel. Such pride stirs up divisions in the world and sets up walls of separation. Because of pride, man acknowledges his own intelligence alone, his own will, his own heart. As a result, he is no longer able either to understand the speech of others nor hear the voice of God. The Holy Spirit, divine love, both understands and effects an understanding of other tongues. It creates unity in diversity. Thus, the Church speaks all languages from its first inception. From the start she is catholic and universal. The bridge between heaven and earth truly exists: this bridge is the cross and our Lord’s love has created this bridge. The construction of this bridge exceeds technology’s capability: Babel’s aim must and does fail. Only God’s incarnate love could answer to such an aim… The Church is catholic from the first moment of her existence; she embraces all tongues. The sign of tongues expresses a very important aspect of an ecclesiology that is faithful to Scripture: the universal Church precedes any particular church; unity comes before the different parts. The universal Church does not consist in a secondary fusion of local churches. It is a Church that is universal and catholic which gives rise to particular churches and these latter can only remain churches so long as they are in communion with catholicity. Moreover, catholicity demands the multiplicity of languages, sharing in common, and the bringing into harmony of humanity’s riches in the love of the Crucified.
maronite readings – rosary,team