Still missing from the Vatican site, but Zenit --bless 'em-- has their translation up in the Documents section.
One of the things I love about B16s preaching is that he often begins with the Old Testament. I recently picked up his book on the liturgy (for my mom, actually, who asked for it --but I found it so fascinating that I can't give it to her yet). He asks what liturgy is, and begins by talking about the purpose of the Exodus --which was not freedom per se, but the right to worship properly, which Pharoah would not grant. That leads him into the question of right worship.
Here he goes again. This time discussing Rome as the crossroads of civilization that would be the center of Peter & Paul's proclamation of the kingdom to all peoples. He said:
Also a part of the proclamation of the Old Covenant is, in fact, the mission to the whole world: The People of Israel were destined to be light to the Gentiles. The great psalm of the Passion, Psalm 21, whose first verse "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus pronounced on the cross, ended with the vision: "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him" (Psalm 21:28). When Peter and Paul came to Rome the Lord, who invoked that psalm on the cross, was risen; this victory of God would now have to be proclaimed to all peoples, thus fulfilling the promise with which the psalm concluded.
He loves to draw the saints into his homilies, too. Peter & Paul were obviously going to figure prominently, but yesterday was the feast of St. Irenaeus, and he's brought in as well. Then the teacher comes out as he addresses the new archbishops who received the pallium, and he closes with a meaty reflection on the Gospel and its implications. You could do worse than learning something about the Old Testament, Tradition, the Gospel and your Mission in your weekly homily, no?
UPDATE: Here's the original Italian, if you like.
