| During the General Audience on Wednesday 25 October, Pope John Paul
II linked his catechesis with that of his predecessor, Pope John Paul I,
by dedicating his discourse to the fourth "Lamp of the Christian
life" the virtue of Prudence. His Holiness
spoke as follows:
When the Holy Father John Paul I spoke to participants in the General
Audience on Wednesday 27 September, no one could imagine that it was for
the last time. His death after thirty-three days of pontificate
surprised the whole world and filled
it with a deep sense of loss. He who brought forth such great joy in the
Church and inspired such hope in men's hearts, consummated and
terminated his mission, in such a short time. In his death the words so
often repeated in the Gospel came true: "...be ready; for the Son
of man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Mt 24:44). John
Paul I always kept watch. The Lord's call did not take him by surprise.
He followed it with the same trembling joy with which he had accepted
the election to St Peter's throne on 26 August.
First General Audience
Today John Paul II presents himself to you, for the first time. Four
weeks after that General Audience, he wishes to greet you and speak to
you. He wishes to carry on with the subjects already started by John
Paul I. We remember that he spoke of the three theological virtues:
faith, hope and charity. He ended with charity. As St Paul teaches (1
Cor 13:13), charity which constituted his last teaching is the greatest virtue here on earth;
it is the one that crosses the threshold of life and death. For when the
time of faith and hope ends, love continues. John Paul I has already
passed through the time of faith, hope and charity, charity which has
been expressed so magnificently on this earth, and the fullness of which
is revealed only in eternity.
Today we must speak of another virtue, since I have learned from the
notes of the late Pontiff that it was his intention to speak not only of
the three theological virtues, faith, hope and charity, but also of the
four so-called cardinal virtues. John Paul I wished to speak of the
"seven lamps" of the Christian life, as Pope John XXIII called
them.
Cardinal virtues
Well, today I wish to continue this plan, which the late Pope had
prepared, and to speak briefly of the virtue of prudence. The ancients
spoke a great deal of this virtue. We owe them, for this reason, deep
gratitude and thanks. In a certain dimension, they taught us that the
value of man must be measured with the yardstick of the moral good which
he accomplishes in his life. It is just this that ensures the virtue of
prudence first place. The prudent man, who strives for everything that
is really good, endeavours to measure every thing, every situation and
his whole activity according to the yardstick of moral good. So a
prudent man is not one who as is often meant is able to wangle things in life and
draw the greatest profit from it; but one who is able to construct his
whole life according to the voice of upright conscience and according to
the requirements of sound morality.
So prudence is the key for the accomplishment of the fundamental task
that each of us has received from God. This task is the perfection of
man himself. God has given our humanity to each of us. We must meet this
task by planning it accordingly.
But the Christian has the right and the duty to look at the virtue of
prudence also in another perspective. It is, as it were, the image and
likeness of the Providence of God himself in the dimensions of concrete
man. For man as we know from the book of Genesis was created in the image and likeness
of God. And God carries out his plan in the history of creation, and
above all in the history of mankind. The purpose of this plan is as St Thomas teaches the ultimate good of the universe. The
same plan in the history of mankind becomes simply the plan of
salvation, the plan that embraces us all. At the central point of its
realization is Jesus Christ, in whom was expressed the eternal love and
solicitude of God himself, the Father, for the salvation of man. This is
at the same time the full expression of Divine Providence.
Well, man who is the image of God, must as St Thomas again teaches in some way be providence: but within
the proportions of his life. He can take part in this great march of all
creatures towards the purpose, which is the good of creation. He must expressing ourselves even more in the
language of faith take part in the divine plan of
salvation. He must march towards salvation, and help others to save
themselves. By helping others, he saves himself.
I pray in order that, in this light, those who are listening to me
will think now of their own lives. Am I prudent? Do I live consistently
and responsibly? Does the programme I am realizing serve the real good?
Does it serve the salvation that Christ and the Church want for us? If a
boy or girl student, a son or a daughter, is listening to me today, let
such a person look in this light at the homework, reading, interests,
pastimes, the circle of friends, boys and girls. If a father or a mother
of a family is listening to me, let such a person think a little of the
conjugal and parental commitments. If a minister or statesman is
listening to me, let him look at the range of his duties and
responsibilities. Is he pursuing the real good of society, of the
nation, of mankind? Or only particular and partial interests? If a
journalist or publicist is listening to me, one who exercises an
influence on public opinion, let such a person reflect on the value and
purpose of this influence.
Gift of counsel
I, too, who am speaking to you, I the Pope, what must I do to act
prudently? There come into my mind the letters to St Bernard of Albino
Luciani, then Patriarch of Venice. In his answer to Cardinal Luciani,
the Abbot of Chiaravalle a Doctor of the Church recalls emphatically that he who
governs must be "prudent". What, then, must the new Pope do in
order to operate prudently? Certainly he must do a great deal in this
direction. He must always learn and always meditate on these problems.
But in addition to this, what can he do? He must pray and endeavour to
have that gift of the Holy Spirit which is called the gift of counsel.
And let all those who wish the new Pope to be a prudent Pastor of the
Church, implore for him the gift of counsel. And for themselves, let
them also ask for this gift through the special intercession of the
Mother of Good Counsel. For it ought to be very greatly desired that all
men will behave prudently and that those who wield power will act with
true prudence. So may the Church prudently strengthening herself with
the gifts of the Holy Spirit and, in particular, with the gift of
counsel take part effectively in this great
march towards the good of all, and so may she show to everyone the way
to eternal salvation.
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