At a recent concert in his honor, Pope Benedict XI delivered an address called "The Masterpiece of the Human Being Is His Every Act of Genuine Love"
Our Holy Father said “......human genius competes in creativity with nature, gives life to varied and manifold harmonies, where the human voice also takes part in this language, which is as a reflection of the great cosmic symphony........”
Pope Benedict invites us to reflect upon music and silence by analyzing how this particular musical interpretation “seems to represent the place and task of faith in the universe: In the midst of the vital forces of nature, which are around man and also within him, faith is a different force, which responds to a profound word, ‘arising from the silence,’ as St. Ignatius of Antioch would say. The word of faith needs great interior silence, to hear and obey a voice that goes beyond the visible and tangible. This voice also speaks through the phenomena of nature, because it is the power that has created and governs the universe; but to recognize it, a humble and obedient heart is necessary -- as the saint teaches, whose memorial we celebrate today: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. Faith follows this profound voice where art on its own cannot reach: It follows it on the path of witness, of selfless giving of oneself out of love, as Cecilia did. Then the most beautiful work of art, the masterpiece of the human being is his every act of genuine love, from the smallest -- in the daily martyrdom -- to the extreme sacrifice. Here life itself becomes a song: an anticipation of this symphony that we will sing together in Paradise.” (read full article in Zenit here).
Let us beg God for this interior silence and for a humble and obedient heart so that we, like St. Therese of the Child Jesus, can confidently walk in selfless giving of oneself out of love. Let us prepare our souls to hear God’s voice and to shout our response of “Yes!” in joy, singing our new song to the Lord in all we think, say and do!
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