In today's General Audience, Pope Benedict taught about St. Boniface (one of my favorite saints).  The Vatican Press Office's Daily Bulletin has the Italian text and summaries in several languages.  Vatican Information Service has a press release, and Asia News has an article.  Zenit has a full t...

In his words at today's midday Angelus, Pope Benedict mentioned the spiritual exercises of the past week as "a week of silence and prayer," a little bit like the Transfiguration, which is the subject of today's Gospel reading for Mass.  Jesus wanted His disciples to have a direct experience of His ...

"Experience shows that personal qualities and material goods are not enough to guarantee the hope which the human spirit is constantly seeking. As I wrote in the Encyclical Spe Salvi , politics, science, technology, economics and all other material resources are not of themselves sufficient to provi...

In his words at today's midday Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the angels, as they are mentioned in today's Gospel reading for Mass (Mark 1:12-15), and elsewhere in Scripture.  In conclusion, he said, "Let us call upon them often, that they sustain us in the task of following Jesus to the po...

Hat tip to PRF and The Hermeneutic of Continuity, here is a Novena of Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI that started yesterday, February 14, through February 22: One Our Father, three Hail Mary, Glory be V. Let us pray for our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI: R. May the Lord preserve him, give him lon...

In his words at today's Angelus, the Sunday before the beginning of Lent, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of today's Gospel reading for Mass about the healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12).  In the Gospel, Jesus healed the paralyzed man so "that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive si...

In today's General Audience, Pope Benedict turned his attention to the seventh century English saint called "the Venerable Bede."  The original Italian text is available from the Vatican Press Office's Daily Bulletin.  Full English translations are available from Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum. ...

In his address at today's midday Angelus, Pope Benedict spoke about the Sacrament of Penance, speaking from today's Gospel reading for Mass, Mark 1:40-45, about Jesus healing a leper.  He explained that under the ancient Jewish law, leprosy was not only an illness but also a form of impurity, and a...

Having completed his series on St. Paul last week, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about St. John Climacus in today's General Audience.  Drawing from the saint's classic book,The Ladder of Divine Ascent , he spoke about the steps in the spiritual life, in " a monk’s journey, from renunciation of the wor...

In his words at today's midday Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI called for prayer for the sick.  He mentioned the World Day of Prayer for the Sick, February 11, the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes.  He tied it to today's Gospel reading for Mass (Mark 1:29-39), in which Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-la...