The visit of the Holy Father was indeed a moment of grace for America. Talking to the American Catholic Bishops the Holy Father said: "Today the Catholic community you serve is one of the largest in the world, and one of the most influential. How important it is, then, to let your light so shine before your fellow citizens and before the world, "that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Mt 5: 16).

"Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel.

Addressing the sexual abuse crisis the Holy Father said, "I simply wish to assure you of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to the continuing challenges that this situation presents.

This is a time of purification for each and every particular Church and religious community, and a time for healing.  

Christ's abiding presence in the midst of our suffering is gradually transforming our darkness into light: all things are indeed being made new in Christ Jesus our hope.

The Pope said that even for those inside the Church, "the light of faith can be dimmed by routine, and the splendor of the Church obscured by the sins and weaknesses of her members. It can be dimmed too, by the obstacles encountered in a society which sometimes seems to have forgotten God and to resent even the most elementary demands of Christian morality.

"It is not always easy to see the light of the Spirit. Yet the word of God reminds us that, in faith, we see the heavens opened, and the grace of the Holy Spirit lighting up the Church and bringing sure hope to our world.

We need to rediscover the joy of living a Christ-centered life, cultivating the virtues, and immersing ourselves in prayer. When the faithful know that their pastor is a man who prays and who dedicates his life to serving them, they respond with warmth and affection, which nourishes and sustains the life of the whole community.

"Time spent in prayer is never wasted, however urgent the duties that press upon us from every side. Prayer helps us  to teach and sanctify the faithful in the name of Jesus, to bring his reconciliation, his healing and his love to all his beloved brothers and sisters. "

"In this country, the Church's mission has always involved drawing people "from every nation under heaven" (cf. Acts 2: 5) into spiritual unity, and enriching the Body of Christ by the variety of their gifts. As we give thanks for past blessings, and look to the challenges of the future, let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America.

"The Gospel teaches us that true freedom is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love. Only by losing ourselves, the Lord tells us, do we truly find ourselves (cf. Lk 17:33).

True freedom blossoms when we turn away from the burden of sin, which clouds our perceptions and weakens our resolve, and find the source of our ultimate happiness.

In this way, the Church in America will know a new springtime in the Spirit, and point the way to Heaven