Pope's General Audience: Each Christian must contribute in building the Temple of the Church

June 26, 2013. (Romereports.com)  During his weekly general audience, the Pope explained the views of the Church, as expressed by the Second Vatican Council. He said the Church can be considered a 'Temple,' where Christians are like 'living stones'  who reveal the beauty of the Christian message.

CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:

Speaker: “Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on the Creed, today we consider the Church as God’s temple.  The great temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, a place of prayer and encounter with the Lord, was a prefigurement of the Church.  Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son who dwelt among us, is himself the definitive and living temple where we encounter God’s presence in our midst.  Christ makes us, the members of his mystical body, “living stones” for the construction of a “holy temple in the Lord” (Eph 2:21), in which we exercise our baptismal priesthood by offering spiritual sacrifices.   The Holy Spirit, in the variety of his gifts, unites us and enables us to contribute to the building up of the Church in holiness.  In this great work, each of us has a part to play; each of us, as a “living stone”, is needed for the growth and the beauty of God’s holy temple.  Let us ask the Lord to help us to take an ever more active part in the Church’s life and mission, guided by the Holy Spirit and with Jesus as our cornerstone.”

Holy Father: “Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini di lingua inglese presenti all’odierna Udienza, specialmente quelli provenienti da Inghilterra, Scozia, Galles, Sud Africa, Indonesia, Canada e Stati Uniti.   Il vostro soggiorno nella Città eterna vi confermi nell’amore di Cristo e della Chiesa.  Dio vi benedica tutti!”

“Speaker: I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada and the United States.  May your stay in the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord and his Church.  God bless you all!”