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POPE-AUDIENCE Oct-4-2006 (400 words) With photos. xxxi
Pope says Christians must discover Jesus personally
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To truly know Jesus requires discovering him personally, Pope Benedict XVI said at his weekly general audience.
While hearing about Christ through the Bible or through other people can introduce a person to Christian belief, "it must then be ourselves (who) become personally involved in an intimate and deep relationship with Jesus" in order to know he is truly the savior of the world, the pope said.
Under gray, cloudy skies the pope returned to the Vatican Oct. 4 by helicopter from his long summer stay at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
Some 30,000 pilgrims packed into St. Peter's Square, where security was boosted by additional uniformed police officers -- some of whom held metal-detector wands -- posted along the periphery of the square.
The pope, however, continued his traditional tour of the square in his open jeep at the start of the audience, greeting pilgrims and kissing babies. Additional plainclothes Swiss Guards trailed the jeep.
Continuing a series of talks on the apostles, the pope focused his catechesis on St. Bartholomew, who is traditionally identified as Nathanael.
Little is known about this apostle, the pope said, which goes to show that "belonging to Jesus can be lived and witnessed without performing outstanding works."
It was Nathanael who, incredulous at first that the Messiah could come from an obscure town, said, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
But Philip urged him to "come and see" for himself. Jesus showed Nathanael that he already knew him and that he had seen him under a fig tree.
The pope said this struck Nathanael as proof that Jesus was someone who "knows everything about me, knows everything" in the world, including the right path to take in life, and that this was a man whom he could really trust.
It was then that Nathanael realized and proclaimed before Jesus that he was the Son of God and the king of Israel -- two aspects of Christ that all Christians must never lose sight of, the pope said.
Proclaiming only Christ's "heavenly dimension" as the Son of God risks turning him into something "ethereal and evanescent" or intangible and fleeting, said the pope, just as only recognizing his place in human history as the "king of peace" would overlook his divinity.
END
Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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