Vatican City, Mar 3, 2010 / 12:22 pm
The preacher of the Papal Household, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, will start a series of Lenten meditations at the Vatican this Friday. He will deliver a total of three talks before Easter on the theme "Dispensers of the Mystery of God. The priest, minister of the Word and the sacraments."
The refelctions by the Capuchin priest will take place in the Redemptoris Mater chapel of the Apostolic Palace, with the first session starting at 9 a.m.
According to L'Osservatore Romano (LOR) newspaper, Fr. Cantalamessa will use the passage from 1 Corinthians in which St. Paul reflects on how priests are "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God," to meditate on two important elements of the priesthood proposed in the New Testament. Those elements are: "the announcement of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments corresponding to the two meanings of the word 'mysteries,' as revealed truth and effective sign of grace."
Fr. Cantalamessa aims to encourage thought on the person of Christ being at the heart of the the Christian announcement, how to announce the Gospel and live it, how to live and help live the Eucharistic mystery, and on promoting a renewal of the Catholic priesthood in the Holy Spirit, LOR reported.
The pontifical preacher will lead further meditations on March 12 and 16 for the Holy Father and members of the Papal Household, Prelates of the Roman Curia and the Vicariate of Rome, as well as Superior Generals and Procurators of religious orders.
Within these Lenten reflections, Fr. Cantalamessa, the official Apostolic Preacher at the Vatican since 1980, builds on the series of meditations he offered during Advent this year on "Ministers of Christ and dispensers of the Mystery of God."