From the Homily of Pope John Paul II in the United States of America (Baltimore, Maryland) Oct 8, 1995
openness to the Lord,
a willingness to let the Lord transform our lives,
a willingness to let the Lord transform our lives,
should produce
a renewed spiritual and missionary vitality
among American Catholics.
Jesus Christ is the answer
to the question posed by every human life,
and the love of Christ compels us
to share that great good news with everyone.
We believe that the death and resurrection of Christ
reveal the true meaning of human existence;
therefore nothing that is genuinely human
fails to find an echo in our hearts.
Christ died for all,
so we must be at the service of all....
Christian witness takes different forms
at different moments in the life of a nation.
Sometimes, witnessing to Christ
will mean drawing out of a culture
the full meaning of its noblest intentions,
a fullness that is revealed in Christ.
At other times, witnessing to Christ
means challenging that culture,
especially when the truth about the human person
is under assault.
America has always wanted to be a land of the free.
Today, the challenge facing America
is to find freedom's fulfillment in the truth:
the truth that is intrinsic to human life
created in God's image and likeness,
the truth that is written on the human heart,
the truth that can be known by reason
and can therefore form the basis of a profound
and universal dialogue among people
about the direction they must give to their lives
and their activities.
Catholics of America!
Always be guided by the truth,
by the truth about God who created and redeemed us,
and by the truth about the human person,
made in the image and likeness of God
and destined for a glorious fulfillment
in the Kingdom to come.
Always be convincing witnesses to the truth.
"Stir into a flame the gift of God"
that has been bestowed upon you in baptism.
Light your nation, light the world,
with the power of that flame!
