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fullness of his desire to draw all people to himself, uniting them together as one.4

Breathing his Spirit upon us he revealed his power to enable us to participate in

his mission of reconciliation.5 In that breath, through the redemption that

unites, stands our mission! Little wonder, then, that it is precisely in our bur-

ning desire to bring Christ to others, to make known his message of reconcilia-

tion,6 that we experience the shame of our division. Yet, sent out into the

world,7 empowered by the unifying force of the Holy Spirit,8 proclaiming the

reconciliation that draws all to believe that Jesus is the Son of God,9 we shall

find the strength to redouble our efforts to perfect our communion, to make it

complete, to bear united witness to the love of the Father who sends the Son

so that the world may know his love for us.10

Some two thousand years ago, along these same streets, a group of Greeks

put this request to Philip: "Sir, we should like to see Jesus".11 It is a request

made again of us today, here in Jerusalem, in the Holy Land, in the region

and throughout the world. How do we respond? Is our response heard? Saint

Paul alerts us to the gravity of our response: our mission to teach and preach.

He says: "faith comes from hearing, and what is heard comes through the

word of Christ".12 It is imperative therefore that Christian leaders and their

communities bear vibrant testimony to what our faith proclaims: the eternal

Word, who entered space and time in this land, Jesus of Nazareth, who

walked these streets, through his words and actions calls people of every

age to his life of truth and love.

Dear friends, while encouraging you to proclaim joyfully the Risen Lord,

I wish also to recognize the work to this end of the Heads of Christian

communities, who meet together regularly in this city. It seems to me that

the greatest service the Christians of Jerusalem can offer their fellow citizens

is the upbringing and education of a further generation of well-formed and

committed Christians, earnest in their desire to contribute generously to the

religious and civic life of this unique and holy city. The fundamental priority

of every Christian leader is the nurturing of the faith of the individuals and

families entrusted to his pastoral care. This common pastoral concern will

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4 Cfr. Jn 12:32. 5 Cfr. Jn 19:30; 20:22-23. 6 Cfr. 2 Cor 5:19. 7 Cfr. Jn 20:21. 8 Ibid. v. 22. 9 Ibid. v. 31. 10 Cfr. Jn 17:23. 11 Jn 12:21. 12 Rom 10:17.