(Vatican Radio) Marking the first week of Advent and the beginning of
the new liturgical year, Pope Benedict XVI dedicated his general
audience catechesis to living the season as an act of faith in God’s
benevolent plan for humanity. Emer McCarthy reports: 
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At the beginning of his letter to the Christians of Ephesus (cf. 1, 3-14), the apostle Paul raises a prayer of blessing God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – a prayer that we have just heard - that introduces us to live the season of Advent, in the context of the faith. The theme of this hymn of praise is God's plan for man, defined in terms full of joy, wonder and gratitude, as a "benevolent plan" (see 9), mercy and love.
