THE NEW MILLENNIUM (PART 1)

"PUT OUT INTO THE DEEP"

At the beginning of the new millennium, and at the close of the Great Jubilee..., our hearts ring out with the words of Jesus when one day ... He invited the Apostle to "put out into the deep" for a catch: "Duc in altum" (Lk 5:4). Peter and his first companions trusted Christ's words, and cast the nets. "When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish" (Lk 5:6). (1)

"GRATITUDE, ENTHUSIASM, AND CONFIDENCE"

Duc in altum! These words ring out for us today, and they invite us to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm, and to look forward to the future with confidence: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever" (Heb 13:8). (1)

"FRESH ENTHUSIASM"

Now is the time for each local Church to assess its fervor and find fresh enthusiasm for its spiritual and pastoral responsibilities by reflecting on what the Spirit has been saying to the People of God in this special year of grace, and indeed in the longer span of time from the Second Vatican Council to the Great Jubilee. (3)

"NEW ENERGY"

We must "put out into the deep," trusting in Christ's words ... What we have done this year cannot justify a sense of complacency and still less should it lead us to relax our commitment. On the contrary, the experiences that we have had should inspire in us new energy, and impel us to invest in concrete initiatives the enthusiasm which we have felt. (15)

TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST

It is not ... a matter of inventing a "new program." The program already exists: it is the plan found in the Gospel and in the living Tradition; it is the same as ever. Ultimately it has its center in Christ Himself, Who is to be known, loved and imitated so that in Him we may live the life of the Trinity and with him transform history until its fulfillment in the heavenly Jerusalem. (29)

A "PROGRAM FOR ALL TIMES"

This is a program which does not change with shifts of times and cultures, even though it takes account of time and culture for the sake of true dialogue and effective communication. This program for all times is our program for the Third Millennium. (29)

"AN EXCITING WORK"

What awaits us ... is an exciting work of pastoral revitalization — a work involving all of us. (29)

(Source: Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, issued January 6, 2001)