Second Sermon of Advent

On Friday morning, 9 December, in the Paul VI Hall, the Preacher of the Papal Household, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, o.f.m . Cap., held the second Sermon of Advent on the theme: “Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted up, you ancient portals” (Ps24:7-8). Faith, Hope and Charity: the three doors to open to Christ who is coming.

In his second homily for the season, Cardinal Cantalamessa highlighted the importance of Christian hope, and encourages the Church to offer the world this gift of hope that has eternity as its horizon, and as guarantor, Jesus Christ and his resurrection. He noted that the Temple of Jerusalem had a door called the “Beautiful Gate” (Acts 3:2) and the temple of God, which is our heart, also has a “beautiful gate” which is the door of hope — the door we want to open to Christ who comes.

Then, the Cardinal made a distinction between two classes of people: those who think only of the material and personal good, and those who think of the moral good of all — the common good. For those who think of the material good, Cantalamessa explained, the world has not changed much since the time of Isaiah and St. Paul when the saying “let us eat and drink because tomorrow we will die” was common, and it is indeed, more interesting to understand those who proposed to “live well” not only materially and individually, but also morally and together with others.

The next and final Advent Sermon will take place on Friday, 16 December.