MARIANUMNEWS NOTIZIARIO DELLA PONTIFICIA FACOLTA’ TEOLOGICA «MARIANUM» V.Le Trenta Aprile 6 – I – 00153 ROMA – Tel
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MARIANUMNEWS NOTIZIARIO DELLA PONTIFICIA FACOLTA’ TEOLOGICA «MARIANUM» V.le Trenta Aprile 6 – I – 00153 ROMA – Tel. +39.06-58391601 – Fax +39.065880292 Sito web: www.marianum.it - e-mail: [email protected] 1/2-2014 The President’s Letter Mary of Nazareth «a living hope» (1 Pet 1, 3) Primo piano Mary and icon of hope: The Hope is a gift from the Triune God; it is BOTH strength and a struggle for the 6 Seville Congress believer. This was the subject of the Extraordinary International Mariological Congress sponsored by the International Pontifical Marian Academy. The Congress was celebrated in Seville, Spain (May 27 – May 30, 2014). It had Inauguration of the 2014- as its icon, the credible teacher of trustworthy hope (Jesus Christ) his Holy 11 2015 academic year Mother.[1] Historical-theological study 13 From the desert of post-modernism and in a presentism without heaven convention there is the dew of hope Pope Francis award to the 14 From its very beginning the concept of hope has involved modernity. In the italian interdisciplinary words of Kant: “What can I know? What can I do? What can I legitimately mariological association – hope for?” Hope is crucially based on overcoming of despair. We looked A.M.I. forward to this third millennium with so much hope and now more than ten years after its arrival we is more and more see the dark side of its impact on Woman and Christianity 15 history. But we must not give up hope. In his Theology of Hope Jűrgen Department: Mary in Moltmann writes: “We are active to the extent that we hope. We hope to contemporary literature the extent that our eyes are on future possibilities. We do what we believe is possible […]. If we exclude the future, if nothing goes forward we can no From the Secreteriat 16 longer do anything. Unlike Kant I am speaking about action that is stimulated by hope not as a moral obligation but as something we can do. Action prompted by hope is free action; it is not something imposed upon us, something we must faith. She became the model of the in so many ways involved in the joy of absolutely do. Hope is always vivid spirituality of faith as the fruit of the evangelization. She is totally commi- expectation; it awakens all our agape-like love instilled in the believer tted and needs motivated and senses and moves us to take every by the Spirit of the Father and the determined co-workers. We are chance to achieve what we hope Son.[3] To follow Jesus faithfully and reminded that faith is a personal for whenever and wherever humbly involves – especially for his “yes” to God, a “yes” pronounced possible. This distinguishes hope mother – following the path of with great seriousness and determi- from simple or patient waiting purification of hope. Through Christ’s nation. The proof of its authenticity is […]. Realism teaches us the example of humiliation and self- found in our encounter with our meaning of reality. Hope awakens abasement (Cf. Phil 2, 5-11) hope neighbor; and in a time of globali- our sense of what is possible […]. It must cease being just a human aspi- zation in our ability to make our is through hope that we join ration and become a theological world, our panic-stricken cities, our reachable long-term and short- virtue designed to build and anonymous and inhumane neighbor- term goals.” [2] strengthen the Kingdom (Catechism hoods livable – our ability to revive a 1818). Mary experienced the culmi- diminishing hope. Reviving hope Mary is the fruit and servant of nation of this purification, deep and recalls the paradigmatic Gospel Messianic hope authentic “Christological incultu- episode of Jesus and the Samaritan ration,” the conformity with Christ (Cf. woman at Jacob’s well (Cf. John 4, To understand the theological rele- Gal 2,20) in the drama of the Cross, 5-30). Christ presents and offers vance of Mary as the woman of “where she stood, (Cf. John 19,25) in himself as the water of eternal life hope we must start with the defini- keeping with the divine plan, grieving that will quench all historical and tion of hope found in the Cate- exceedingly with her only begotten meta-historical thirst. Like the woman chism of the Catholic Church: Son, uniting herself with a maternal at Jacob’s well we are sometimes “Hope is the theological virtue by heart with His sacrifice, and lovingly unsure, disenchanted or indifferent in which we desire the kingdom of consenting to the immolation of this the secular city; we must know how heaven and eternal life as our Victim which she herself had brought to ask Jesus “give me this water!” (Cf. happiness, placing our trust in forth.” (Lumen Gentium 58). For John 4, 15). Christ's promises and relying not on followers of Jesus of Nazareth Mary is our own strength, but on the help the credible and imitable disciple of Jesus’ Mother is fully aware of the of the grace of the Holy the Word that gives hope and superabundant mystery of love that Spirit.” (Catechism of the Catholic saves.[4] This concept can be found in shines forth from the person and Church, 1817). Mary of Nazareth the teaching of John Paul II and evangelical, messianic work of her was constantly filled with the Benedict XVI. In a time of global and son. With confidence and perseve- Spirit. From the very beginning of globalizing crisis it has an impact on rance she daily absorbed the water her story she shows her ability to the faith of believer and therefore of truth, mercy and divine “understand” God as he explains requires a genuine re-education.[5] companionship from Jesus. It infused himself through saving dialo- her personal experience as a gue. She can do this because she For Pope Francis Mary is the vessel of believer and her service and witness shares the deep and genuine Christian Hope to the Kingdom. Pope Francis is theological spirituality of the convinced that in the “new evange- anawim of the Kingdom (Cf. Lumen In his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii lization” of people and culture the Gentium 55). She proves this when Gaudium (September 24, 2013) [EG] Church everywhere must treasure she pronounces her free and the Pope considers the many needs and imitate the Marian style of disci- conscious fiat (Cf. Lk 1,38) and and problems of our time that cry out pleship, service and witness which recites the Magnificat (Cf. Lk 1, 46- for wise and genuine charity and flows from bold and active faith into 55). These declarations are made urges believers to become “living charity. precious by her dogged determi- sources of water from which others nation to affirm her service to the can drink.” (EG 86). Speaking of the The life of a disciple of Christ has two Saving Lord (Cf. Lk 1, 38.48). She vessels of living water giving meaning dimensions: the historical and the was evangelized by the words, and hope to our existence calls to the eschatological and these two persons and events that were coro- mind a specific event: the wedding dimensions are joined. The future llaries of the mystery of the feast at Cana in Galilee (Cf. John 2, 1- flows from the present and becomes Incarnation of God’s Son (Cf. Lk 2, 12). The wine vessels were empty and its horizon. At the same time the 8-19; 2, 25-38; 2, 41-51; Mt 1, 18-24; this could have ruined the wedding present is enlightened by the 2, 9-11). Faith permeates hope, feast but then the situation changes future. These two dimensions are enflames charity, sharpens unders- thanks to the dynamic relationship joined but are not the same. A tanding and strengthens the will to between Mary the Mother and Jesus commitment to prove and reveal the discipleship in the times of trouble the Son. It is a relationship in which eschatological promise in the and crisis experienced by the “Full faith and hope play a major role. It is present continually reminds us of the of Grace” (Cf. Mk 3, 31; Lk 2, at the heart of the church’s expe- transcendent reality of the 50). Progressively she became the rience. It is a relationship that trans- eschaton. It is beyond history and Servant of the Lord and the forms the vessels from useless objects more than history. It is the pure gift of Woman of the New Covenant. She into a sign of joy from God; the vessels agape-like love from the Trinitarian became – in a singular fashion – become instruments of authentic God of Christ. The Christian is the one of those who obey Christ (Cf. evangelization. man of hope (Cf. 1 Thess 4,13; Eph 2, Heb 5,9) and for this reason she was 12). The Christian is freed from the justified and saved by her Mary is therefore fully, personally and short-sightedness of merely earthly 2 MarianumNews [1/2-2014] optimism and certainty (this is why cultural and practical us as one who has always taken care how she heard presentism is foolish!). We must never forget that we are and how she served. This was her life’s only treasure: “foreigners and strangers” on this earth (Cf. 1 Pet 2, her heart was yours and consequently neither moth nor 11). We are continually striving – in nomine Domini – to decay could touch her (Cf. Mt 6, 19-21). We know that achieve fulfillment. As Pope Francis has it in his creation is groaning in labor pains even now (Cf.