Holy Mass in the Parish of San Bartolome of Orcasitas (3 November 1982)

On Wednesday, 3 May 1982, the Holy Father celebrated Holy Mass in the Parish of San Bartolome of Orcasitas in Madrid. In his homily, the Pope defined a parish as “a community of men who, by reason of baptism, are personally and socially connected to the priesthood of Christ: to the full dedication that Christ made of himself to the worship and praise of God, Creator and Father.”

Mr Cardinal,
brothers in the Episcopate,
dear brothers and sisters.

1. “The stone that the builders rejected is now the cornerstone . . .” ( Mk 12, 10).

With these encouraging words taken from the Psalm ( Ps 118 [119], 1), which Saint Mark places on the lips of Jesus, the primitive Christian community joyfully celebrates the glory of the Risen One, the diffusive joy of those who felt safe and happy in the new construction of God: the Church.

The stone, says Saint Paul ( 1 Cor 10, 4b), “was Christ”. And he adds ( 1 Cor 3, 11): “as for the foundation, no one can lay any other than that which is already there, which is Jesus Christ”.

Jesus Christ is, therefore, the fundamental stone of the new temple of God (cf. Eph 2, 20). Rejected, discarded, abandoned, left for dead - then as now - the Father placed him and places him forever as a solid and immovable foundation of the new construction. And he makes it so because of his glorious resurrection. “This is the work of Yahweh, marvelous in our eyes.”

Christians are built on him, through faith in his resurrection. Thus the apostle Peter teaches in his first letter: "Clinging to him, a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious before God, you too are used as living stones for the construction of a spiritual building, for a priesthood holy. . .” ( 1 Pt 2, 4-5).

The new temple, body of Christ (cf. Jn 2, 21), spiritual, invisible, is built by each and every one of the baptized, on the living "cornerstone", Christ ( Eph 2, 20), to the extent that they adhere to him and grow in him, until the "fullness of Christ" ( Eph 2, 13). In and through this temple, "the dwelling place of God through the Spirit" ( Eph 2, 21 b), he is glorified by virtue of the "holy priesthood", which offers "spiritual sacrifices" ( 1 Peter 2, 5), and his Kingdom is established in the world.

The top of this new temple penetrates the sky, while on earth, Christ, the cornerstone, supports it through the "foundation of the apostles and prophets" ( Eph 2:20), and those who succeed them, that is, first place, the College of Bishops, and the "stone" that is Peter ( Mt 16, 18).

Every visible temple is a symbol of this splendid ecclesial reality, full of lessons and meanings for every Christian, like this one in front of which we find ourselves, and which brings together the members of Christ's legacy who constitute a parish, in a local Church.

2. Many centuries have passed since the time of Christ. God's legacy has continued to grow wonderfully - but not without repeated rejections, misunderstandings and struggles - on the cornerstone: Christ dead and resurrected. Every day there are more men and peoples who accept him with faith and love, who seek in him the solid foundation to build a better and more united world, where they feel safe under the gaze of goodness of one God and Father . Among all these peoples who did not reject, but who made faith in Jesus the center of their history, there is beloved Spain, profoundly Christian; among these men, heirs of God through baptism which makes them similar to his dead and resurrected son, there are also you, brothers and sisters of this Madrid parish of Orcasitas, gathered around the altar of Christ himself. I feel you all very close to me and I welcome you as beloved members of his Church.

This meeting fills me with intimate satisfaction, because it makes me relive here the periodic visits to the parishes of Rome, the diocese of the successor of Peter; parishes often located, like yours, in peripheral areas of the city or in new buildings. Not without a certain nostalgia it also reminds me of my ministerial work in the parishes of my homeland, as a priest, and then of my pastoral visits as Archbishop of Krakow.

3. I know that this parish was gradually built up with inhabitants coming from different places. I know your struggles as workers equally well. My great desire is that your life as citizens also grows and that the desires that pushed you to come and the improvements to which you aspire and to which you have full rights become reality. At the same time I take on the numerous and serious problems that arise in a new neighborhood, and almost always with worrying consequences not only in terms of work, but also family, religious and moral ones. These are human problems, caused largely by accelerated urbanization and the onset of rampant peripheral populations, which often disturb the peaceful rhythm of usual occupations, considerably conditioning daily life, perhaps obscuring religious customs, even the most deeply rooted ones.

The Church, a legacy of God in solidarity with the fate of man in every historical moment, does not consider such conditioning as insurmountable obstacles to carrying out its mission; on the contrary, she sees in them the incitement to do oneself with self-denial and dedication, according to need, so that the redemptive work of Christ does not suffer any impairment. This new temple warmly invites you to bear witness, as individuals and as a parish community, to the fact that you are united in Christ in the same faith and in the same hope. This temple will be a sign of the permanent construction of the Kingdom of God in you and in your country. It is God's house and your home. Consider it, therefore, as a place of meeting with the common Father. I am happy to know that under the impetus of the Cardinal Archbishop a vast program of construction of parish churches is being developed in Madrid. I am pleased with those who participate in this ecclesial commitment.

Allow me now to discuss some concrete points which, as Pastor and head of the universal Church, I consider of particular importance so that the spiritual edifice of this community continues to grow, for your good and that of the entire ecclesial family.

4. I am not simply with you in front of a temple, but in a parish and, in this, you are called to form one thing in Christ, and pushed to bear witness to your community vocation.

A parish is, in effect, a community of men who, by reason of baptism, are personally and socially connected to the priesthood of Christ: to the full dedication that Christ made of himself to the worship and praise of God, Creator and Father. You are a parish, first of all, thanks to the fact that Christ is here: among you, with you, in you. You are a parish, because you are united with Christ, in a special way thanks to the memorial of his unique Sacrifice offered in his Body and Blood on the Cross; which becomes present and renewed in the Church like the sacramental sacrifice of bread and wine. This Eucharistic sacrifice marks the constant rhythm of the life of the Church and also of your parish. Center your parish activities on the sacred Eucharist, in the personal encounter with Christ, our perennial Guest! I especially wish to remind you of the need to participate in Holy Mass on Sundays and holidays.

Union with Jesus in the Eucharist will influence your life and enrich your parish, because the Christian community grows and consolidates thanks to the testimony of life that its members are able to offer. In this regard, it is essential that parents give an example of coherent life in their families, and that members of the various groups and associations know how to be good disciples of Christ, generous with everyone, including those who still show themselves refractory to the Christian message.

Of particular importance is the commitment of charity towards those who, for one reason or another, find themselves in need. The poor, the sick, the elderly, the disabled represent so many "appeals" with which God knocks at the door of your hearts. Ask him for the generosity necessary to respond with dedication, in the appropriate form for each case.

5. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” ( Eph 4:5), sing frequently, joyful before the mystery of the unity of the universal Church.

The parish's privileged task is to maintain and make visible this unity. It must be welcoming to all, collaborating "in the unity of the whole human race". None of you should feel like a stranger. Reflect, in all manifestations of parish life, that, as a portion of the Church, you are an instrument of union with God and of unity among men.

There is only one Church of Jesus Christ, which is like a great tree into which we are grafted. It is a profound, vital unity, which is a gift from God. It is not only, nor above all, external unity; it is a mystery and a gift.

It would be a useless and unfair commitment to demand unity at the level of the small community if the profound unity in faith, in the sacraments of faith, in charity were neglected. It is in Christ, Head of the Church, in his doctrine, in his sacraments, in his mandates, in the union with Christ that unity is realized and flows.

The grace of Christ continues to come without interruption through the visible Church. Remember well how the Lord indicated to his Apostles: "Whoever listens to you listens to me" ( Lk 10, 16), and gives Peter and the Apostles the power to loose and bind (cf. Mt 16, 18; 18, 18).

Unity is manifested, therefore, around the one who, in each diocese, has been constituted Pastor, the Bishop. And in the Church as a whole it is manifested around the Pope, successor of Peter, "perpetual and visible principle and foundation of the unity of both the Bishops and the mass of the faithful" ( Lumen Gentium , 23). A different way of proceeding, whether personally or in a group, would be nothing other than separating oneself from life (cf. Jn 15, 1-6).

You are a young parish, just born, still in need of many things. However, you must think not only of yourself, but also of others. You must build with your prayers and your commitment the development of Christianity in this city and in the entire world. Ask fervently that priestly vocations arise among your young people, who can bring the voice of Christ to other parishes and - why not? - also to other lands and nations.

6. As we conclude our meeting, I want to wholeheartedly bless this work and the other Churches that are being built or will be built in this area, in the most populous neighborhoods of the Archdiocese of Madrid and other cities in Spain.

Many of you present here experienced the difficulties of building this temple, and therefore participated in the joy of its construction, of its dedication to the worship of God. And today they participate with me in the joy of this meeting. The same thing happens with the construction of this temple of God which is each of us. He costs to build it, because this construction requires overcoming selfishness, anger, requires patience, fidelity, chastity, industriousness, rectitude. However, at the end of this effort, the joy that accompanies all those who are good children of God awaits us.

Don't forget: the parish is not just a place where some ceremonies are celebrated and catechism is taught; it is also the living environment in which this catechism must be implemented. The material stones or the external structure of the Church must always remind you that you are "living stones", that you must constantly build yourselves in Christ, according to the measure and example of Christ, in the personal, family and social dimension. This building is already built. Build your lives now according to the will of God.

For this reason, always be close to the Holy Virgin. She, who generated our Lord and Savior in her virginal womb, will equally generate your souls if you confidently ask for her help. May Saint Bartholomew, your patron, also intercede for you. So be it.

© Copyright 1982 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Copyright © Dicastery for Communication - Libreria Editrice Vaticana