Pope St Gregory the Great faced bands of roving hoards of robbers and pagan tribes which sought to utterly destroy any order of society. What was clearly needed was a renewal of the enter known world. Pope St Gregory did this first with the renewal of man's interior in Christian holiness, and then in a new expression of music (gregorian chant), art, and architecture. This is a cycle that has happened continually in the history of the Church. Pope Benedict has spoken of great movements of the Holy Spirit in the Church's history where there have been paradigmatic shifts or renewals in Christian holiness.
Listen to my homily for today's Mass:
If you have trouble listening, click here.
"Today, the human race is involved in a new stage of history."
So said the Second Vatican Council (Gaudium et Spes, 4). What is needed for a new stage in human history is a new wisdom, and new way of ordering the world to Jesus Christ. In the New Evangelization, we are called to preach the ever ancient Gospel of salvation with an ever new ardor, methods, and expression.
A new wisdom is needed today, a new way of ordering the world to Christ. May I suggest that this new movement is two fold:
1. Marian
2. Trinitarian
We have entered the age of Mary. Now as in no other time in the Church's history are eccleisal movements and individuals turning to Our Lady to do all things through, with, in, for, by the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God so that they may do things radically through, with, in, for, by Jesus Christ. It is a very radical centering of the world on Christ.
Secondly, there is the need to build a spirituality of commuio, communion not only with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but to see the Church and the kind of holiness needed for today as a holiness of relationships in the Church. This was testified to by Blessed Pope John Paul II in his aposolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, especially the last chapter and the section called, "a spirituality of communion."
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