Posted on 08/26/2014 8:40:57 PM PDT by marshmallow
Vatican City, Aug 26, 2014 / 12:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Participants in the annual Ratzinger “schulerkreis” study group were overjoyed at seeing the retired pontiff in good health, noting that they were deeply moved by his homily on the triumph of God's love.
“The homily was very moving. It was the Gospel of the day about Cesarea of Philippi where Jesus asks the apostles, 'Who do you say I am?'” Father Vincent Twomey recalled to CNA Aug. 25.
“Peter answered 'you are Christ, son of the living God,'” to which Jesus responds: “you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.”
Fr. Twomey was one of the participants of this year's Ratzinger “schuelerkreis,” or “students' circle,” which has met annually to discuss topics in theology and the life of the Church since 1978, when their professor Josef – later to become Pope Benedict XVI – was tapped to become a bishop.
This year's encounter was held at Castel Gandolfo Aug. 21-24, with German theologian Karl-Heinz Menke serving as relator. During the main meetings he gave a presentation on the “Theology of the Cross.”
Following the normal discussions, Fr. Twomey explained that on Sunday the group traveled to the Campo Santo Teutonico chapel in the Vatican for Mass, where the main celebrant was retired pontiff Benedict XVI.
The main points of Benedict’s homily, the priest explained, were that “today people are always asking who is Jesus Christ.”
“They say he was a great man, a teacher, a revolutionary perhaps. People outside see him in different ways. And that's not a bad thing; that means that Jesus image has spread throughout society and religions,” he went on, “But, to recognize him as the Son of God is a gift of faith.”
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
Can a Pope come out of retirement? It would work for me.
I remember when numerous freepers insisted that Benedict XVI was resigning because he was “obviously” deathly ill and “will likely pass away within a few weeks”. They told me that I was a “fool” for not seeing it and “realizing” he was “in terrible health and can barely get out of bed”. Many told me back in February 2013 that if I had been “paying attention” the last few months, I’d realize how “gravely sick” he is.
Interestingly enough, not one of them has ever admitted they were wrong, let along apologized to us “idiots” who DIDN’T think the retiring Pope was “dying” or his resignation was due to some “secret” illness that hadn’t been made public.
**“What struck us all is that despite being older each year,” Benedict XVI “looks much better, fresher. He’s very clear in his mind,” he noted, observing how the former pontiff stood for nearly an hour and a half during the mass even though a chair was provided for him.
“He was in good form. There was a good spirit about him.”**
Good news.
I thought that he had a longer term, incapacitating illness and didn't want to duplicate the last few years of John Paul II's papacy. Happily I was wrong.
“Miss me yet?”
You bet.
Benedict is simply an old man. I think he was just worn out physically.
Too bad he never found his Ratzinger to help him out, as he did John Paul.
Is there anyone alive who doesn't get older each year?
I miss him.
Benedict’s renewed strength makes me think of a couple of scriptures:
“They that hope in the LORD will renew their
strength ...” -Isaiah 40:31
“he renews my strength”
(”he refreshes my soul”) -Psalm 23:3
He is unquestionably, the “Theological Einstein” of our times. No one even comes close.
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