Novo Millennio Ineunte I

A Vision for a Future Full of Hope
by Virginia King

In 2000, Pope John Paul II wrote a letter to you and to me. In case you haven’t read it yet, I wanted to bring it to your attention. It is very important that we not only read this letter, but that we take it to heart.

The Pope takes his role as Shepherd very seriously and in this letter he is exhorting us to take our roles seriously as well, to be who we are meant to be and to do what we are meant to do. He wrote it because he has a vision to share with the People of God—a vision for a future full of hope!

The letter is entitled Novo Millennio Ineunte, translated “At the beginning of the new millennium.” While it includes reflections on the Great Jubilee which had just concluded, and rejoices in the outpouring of graces of that year, the real purpose of the letter is to look forward, not back.

The Holy Father sets as the theme of this new “beginning” the Latin phrase: “Duc in altum,” or “Put out into the deep.” In Luke 5, Simon Peter has an encounter with Jesus which changed the course of his life. After borrowing Peter’s boat to use as a pulpit, Jesus tells him to “put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Peter and his shipmates had been working long and hard already. They had done their night’s work and they were cleaning their nets and getting ready to go home for a well-deserved rest. I’m sure Peter was tempted to say “no.” But thank God, he said “yes.”

Peter said “yes” and the catch was so great that the nets almost broke and two boats nearly sank! Without Jesus, they had caught nothing. Because of a simple act of obedience to Jesus, they experienced a miracle. When you allow Jesus in your boat, you never know what will happen!

This miracle really got Peter’s attention. He was struck with “fear of the Lord” and acknowledged his sinfulness, his lack of holiness, his lack of worthiness to be in the presence of the Lord. But Jesus isn’t focused on Peter’s worthiness. He is focused on His mission and on Peter’s part in that mission. And so He calls Peter to follow Him and Peter does.

In Novo Millennio Ineunte, we are reminded that this same call is given to every baptized Christian, this call to follow Jesus and to take part in His mission. The deep water we are asked to put out into is the new millennium and the catch we are going to bring in will be the result of the new evangelization:

“DUC IN ALTUM! A new millennium is opening before the Church like a vast ocean upon which we shall venture, relying on the help of Christ. …Now the Christ whom we have contemplated and loved bids us to set out once more on our journey: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ (Mt 28:19).  …We can count on the power of the same Spirit who was poured out at Pentecost and who impels us still today to start out anew, sustained by the hope ‘which does not disappoint’ (Rom 5:5).” (NMI, 58)

We rely on the help of Jesus to fulfill the will of the Father, and we do this in the power of the Holy Spirit. Like Peter, we know we are sinful, we know we lack holiness, we know we are unworthy. But, also like Peter, we say “yes” to Jesus and we rejoice in being invited to participate in the coming of the Kingdom of God!

Putting Out Into the Deep

Pope John Paul II’s letter does not attempt to give specific initiatives for each diocese or each individual to undertake in response to the call of Jesus. Quite to the contrary, he directs us each to prayerfully discern what actions are needed to bring the Kingdom into our own particular place and situation.

But what the Holy Father does outline are certain pastoral priorities, which are foundational to every plan of action. But even before he does this, he presents a beautiful overview of the mission of the Church: “to reflect the light of Christ in every historical period, to make His face shine before the generations of the new millennium.”

Some Greeks once came to the Apostle Philip with the request, “We wish to see Jesus” (Jn 12:21). This is a request which resounds throughout the ages. “Men and women of our day, often perhaps unconsciously, ask believers not only to ‘speak’ of Christ, but in a certain sense to ‘show’ him to them. Our witness, however, would be hopelessly inadequate if we ourselves had not first contemplated his face.” (NMI, 16)

To be followers of Jesus and to share His mission will always involve both contemplation and action. At the root of all else is a dynamic relationship with Jesus that is marked by deep adoration of His divinity and profound identification with His humanity.

 In this letter, our Pope journeys with us on a path which he is traveling just as much as we are. He doesn’t avoid the ambiguities and uncertainties of the Christian life, but rather he invites us to enter more fully into the mystery. “We know that our concepts and our words are limited…but they enable us, albeit with trepidation, to gaze in some way into the depths of the mystery.” (NMI, 21)

The next article contains more detail about the “pastoral priorities” which the letter presents. You may read the letter for yourself by looking it up on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) or you can order a copy from our bookstore for $3.95.