New York, New York–Calling the congregation of Religious and Priests to be mindful of the poor, Pope Benedict preached at St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning. The mass in the packed Cathedral was his second public liturgy since arriving in the United States on Tuesday.

Pope Benedict called on those in attendance to engage in proclaiming the message of hope which he defined as life in abundance. He said this message was at the heart of the new evangelization. “For true life-our salvation-can only be found in reconciliation, freedom and love which are God’s gracious gifts.” he preached.

He taught that we must preach and embody this message “in a world where self-centeredness, greed, violence and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts.”

Pope Benedict indicated that this is more urgent in our society which sees the Church as legalistic and “institutional” to many people. “Our most urgent challenge is to communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love.”

Specifically, he referenced St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a building icon in New York, as a place known to all people’s as a house of prayer. “Each day,” he said, “thousands of men, women and children enter its doors and find paece within its walls”

Mixing the architecture with its history, Pope Benedict described the stained glass windows as channels of mystic light. He stated that this image has been used by writers to illustrate the mystery of the Church, specifically citing Nathaniel Hawthorne, the 19th century American writer from New England, most famous for The Scarlet Letter.

He called the aftermath of Vatican II a disappointment in its fruit of divisions instead of the greater engagement of the Church with the world that the Ecumenical Council sought. He said that we must be reunited in our united gaze upon Christ to to bring forth this work. This means that we must seek that point of view which may not necessarily be our own. We need to hear the Spirit’s word to us and to the church.

Pope Benedict has been focused on a theme of seeking Christ in unity and in bringing that message of Christ to the world. He is clearly calling the Church to go beyond the accepted norm in serving Christ that we might witness to the world.

Prior to the mass the Pope greeted may laity, religious, ordained and dignitaries, including former Mayor Rudolph Guliani and current Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

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