Saved in Hope

View other editions of Saved in Hope.
View books by Pope (Joseph Ratzinger) Benedict XVI.

Pope Benedict XVI radiating wisdom - Rated
This is a lovely encylical letter from the Holy Father, pointing to Christ, our hope. There is a lot to digest, heaven, hell (final judgement), purgatory (purification) and the simple joy of being a followe of Christ. Note his emphasis on the communality of Christianity (he refers to the wonderful book: "Catholicism" by De Lubac) and the need for a final jjudgement. I loved his comment abour faith being "performative". Benedict radiates a wisdom, which is the fruit of study and contemplation.

Listen to what he has to say about eternity:

"The term "eternal life" is intended to give a name to this known "unknown". Inevitably it is an inadequate term that creates confusion. "Eternal", in fact, suggests to us the idea of something interminable, and this frightens us; "life" makes us think of the life that we know and love and do not want to lose, even though very often it brings more toil than satisfaction, so that while on the one hand we desire it, on the other hand we do not want it. To imagine ourselves outside the temporality that imprisons us and in some way to sense that eternity is not an unending succession of days in the calendar, but something more like the supreme moment of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality--this we can only attempt. It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time--the before and after--no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy."