VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2005 (VIS) - At midday today, before praying the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope recalled that the morning's Eucharistic celebration, during which he had proclaimed five new saints, marked both the end of the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and the close of the Year of the Eucharist, inaugurated by John Paul II in October 2004.
"These new saints," he said, "whom we contemplate in their heavenly glory, invite us to resort in all circumstances to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, in order to progress ever more along the road of evangelical perfection, upheld by constant union with the Lord, truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
"In this way," he continued, "we will be able to live the vocation to which all Christians are called, that of being 'bread broken for the life of the world,' as today's World Mission Day most appropriately reminds us. The bond between the Church's mission and the Eucharist is more significant than ever. ... Those who welcome Christ in His Body and Blood cannot keep this gift for themselves, but feel compelled to share it in courageous witness of the Gospel, in the service of their brothers and sisters in difficulty, and in forgiveness of injuries. For some people, what is more, the Eucharist is the seed of a specific call to leave everything in order to go and announce Christ to those who do not yet know Him."
Benedict XVI then entrusted to Mary Most Holy, "Eucharistic woman," the "spiritual fruits of the Synod and of the Year of the Eucharist. May she watch over the Church's journey and teach us to grow in communion with the Lord Jesus, that we may be witnesses of His love, wherein the secret of joy lies."
Following the Angelus, the Pope greeted pilgrims, civil authorities and religious from the countries of provenance of the new saints.
ANG/SAINTS:EUCHARIST:MISSION/... VIS 20051024 (340)
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