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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
On the Feast of the Holy Family
"Family of Nazareth, Expert in Suffering, Give Peace to the World"
H.H. Benedict XVI
December 28, 2008
www.zenit.org
Dear brothers and sisters:
On this Sunday that follows the birth of the Lord, we celebrate with
joy the Holy Family of Nazareth. The context is more than adequate,
since Christmas is the feast of the family, par excellence. So many
traditions and social customs demonstrate this, especially that of
gathering together, in family, for the festive meals and the
congratulations and the interchange of gifts. And, how can we not
see that in these circumstances, the discontent and the sorrow
caused by family strife is amplified?
Jesus wanted to be born and grow up in a human family; he wanted the
Virgin Mary to be his mom and Joseph to fulfill the role of father.
They raised and educated him with immense love. Jesus' family truly
merits the title of "holy," since it is entirely focused on the
desire of fulfilling the will of God, incarnated in the adorable
presence of Jesus. In one sense it is a family like all others, and
as such, it is a model of conjugal love, collaboration, sacrifice,
confidence in divine providence, a spirit of work and solidarity.
Certainly, it presents all these values that the family protects and
promotes, contributing in a basic sense to form the fabric of every
society.
At the same time, though, the family of Nazareth is unique,
different from all others, because of its singular vocation, linked
to the mission of the Son of God. Precisely because of its unique
character, it presents to every family, and in the first place to
Christian families, the horizon of God, the sweet and demanding
priority of his will, the perspective of heaven, to which we are
destined.
For all of this, today let us give thanks to God, like the Virgin
Mary and St. Joseph, who with such faith and willingness cooperated
in the Lord's plan of salvation.
To express the beauty and the value of the family, today thousands
of people have gathered in Madrid. To them, I want to address myself
in Spanish:
I offer now a cordial greeting to the participants who are gathered
in Madrid in this intimate gathering to pray for the family and to
commit oneself to work in favor of the family with strength and
hope. The family is certainly a grace from God, which reveals what
he, himself, is: love. A love that is entirely gratuitous, that
sustains fidelity without limits, even in the moments of difficulty
or dejection.
These qualities are incarnated in an eminent way in the Holy Family,
in which Jesus came to the world and grew and filled himself with
wisdom, with the exquisite care of Mary and the faithful
guardianship of St. Joseph.
Dear families, do not allow the love, openness to life, and the
incomparable bonds that unite your homes to be spoiled. Ask this
constantly of the Lord, pray together, so that your resolutions are
enlightened by faith and extolled by divine grace in the path toward
sanctity.
In this way, with the joy of your sharing everything in love, you
will give to the world a beautiful testimony of how important the
family is for the human being and for society. The Pope is at your
side, praying especially to the Lord for those in each family who
have greatest need of health, work, consolation and company. In this
prayer of the Angelus, I entrust all of you to our Mother in heaven,
the most holy Virgin Mary.
Dear brothers and sisters, speaking of the family, I cannot fail to
recall that from the 14th to 18th of January, 2009, the 6th World
Meeting of Families will take place in Mexico City. Let us pray
starting now for this important ecclesial event and entrust to the
Lord every family, especially those most tried by the difficulties
of life and the wounds of misunderstanding and division. May the
Redeemer, born in Bethlehem, give to all the serenity and the
strength to walk united in the path of good.
[After praying the Angelus, the Pope continued:]
Dear brothers and sisters:
The Holy Land, which in these days of Christmas is in the center of
the thoughts and the affections of the faithful of every part of the
world, finds itself again jolted by an explosion of unparalleled
violence. I am deeply bereaved for those who have died and the
wounded, by the material damages, the suffering and the tears of the
populations that are victims of this tragic chain of attacks and
retaliation.
Jesus' homeland cannot continue to be witness of so much bloodshed,
which continues endlessly! I implore an end to the violence, which
must be condemned in every one of its manifestations, and the
re-establishment of the truce in the Gaza Strip. I ask for a show of
humanity and wisdom from all those who have responsibility in the
situation. I implore the international community to do everything
possible to help Israelis and Palestinians to get out of this
dead-end street and to not resign themselves -- as I said a few days
ago in the "urbi et orbi" message -- to the perverse logic of
confrontation and violence, but rather to give priority to the path
of dialogue and negotiation.
Let us entrust to Jesus, Prince of Peace, our fervent prayer for
these intentions, and to him, to Mary and Joseph, let us implore:
"Family of Nazareth, expert in suffering, give peace to the world."
Give peace today above all to the Holy Land!
[Translation by ZENIT]
[The Holy Father then greeted the people in various languages. In
English, he said:]
I welcome all the English-speaking pilgrims at this Angelus. Today
we recall how Mary and Joseph, after presenting Jesus in the temple,
took the child to Nazareth and began their life as a family. May all
families strive to imitate their faith, hope and charity, so as to
bear greater witness to the singular importance of the "domestic
church" for the life of the universal Church and for society. God
bless you all!
© Copyright 2008 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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