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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
On Sickness and God's Healing Love
"We Are Made For Life"
H.H. Benedict XVI
February 8, 2009
www.zenit.org
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today the Gospel (cf. Mark 1:29-39) -- in direct continuation with
last Sunday -- presents us with Jesus, who after having preached on
the Sabbath in the synagogue of Capernaum, cured many ill people,
beginning with Simon's mother-in-law. Entering his house, he found
her in bed with a fever and immediately, taking her by the hand, he
healed her and had her get up. After sunset, he healed a multitude
of people afflicted with all sorts of ills.
The experience of the healing of the sick occupies a good portion of
the public mission of Christ and it invites us once again to reflect
on the meaning and value of illness in every situation in which the
human being can find himself. This opportunity comes also because of
the World Day of the Sick, which we will celebrate next Wednesday,
Feb. 11, liturgical memorial of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes.
Despite the fact that illness is part of human existence, we never
manage to get used to it, not only because sometimes it comes to be
burdensome and grave, but essentially because we are made for life,
for complete life. Precisely our "internal instinct" makes us think
of God as plenitude of life, and even more, as eternal and perfect
Life. When we are tested by sickness and our prayers seem in vain,
doubt wells up in us and, filled with anguish, we ask ourselves:
What is God's will?
It is precisely to this question that we find an answer in the
Gospel. For example, in the passage of today we read: "He cured many
who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him" (Mark 1:34). In
another passage from St. Matthew, it says: "He went around all of
Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the
Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness among the people"
(Matthew 4:23).
Jesus does not leave room for doubt: God -- whose face he himself
has revealed -- is the God of life, who frees us from all evil. The
signs of this, his power of love are the healings that he carries
out: He thus shows that the Kingdom of God is near, restoring men
and women to their full integrity in spirit and body. I refer to
these healings as signs: They guide toward the message of Christ,
they guide us toward God and make us understand that man's truest
and deepest illness is the absence of God, who is the fount of truth
and love. And only reconciliation with God can give us true healing,
true life, because a life without love and without truth would not
be a true life. The Kingdom of God is precisely the presence of
truth and love, and thus it is healing in the depths of our being.
Thanks to the action of the Holy Spirit, the work of Jesus is
prolonged in the mission of the Church. Through the sacraments, it
is Christ who communicates his life to the multitude of brothers and
sisters, as he cures and comforts innumerable sick people through so
many activities of health care service that Christian communities
promote with fraternal charity, thereby showing the face of God, his
love. It is true: How many Christians all over the world -- priests,
religious and laypeople -- have given and continue giving their
hands, eyes and hearts to Christ, true physician of bodies and
souls!
Let us pray for all the ill, especially for those who are most
grave, and who can in no way take care of themselves, but depend
entirely on the care of others; may every one of them be able to
experience, in the solicitude of those who are near to them, the
power of the love of God and the richness of his grace that saves
us. Mary, health of the sick, pray for us.
[After praying the Angelus, he said:]
In these weeks, strong political tensions are taking place in
Madagascar, which have also provoked popular disturbances. Because
of this, the bishops of the island have convoked for today a day of
prayer for national reconciliation and social justice. Intensely
concerned by the particularly critical moment that the country is
going through, I invite you to unite yourselves to the Catholics of
Madagascar to entrust to the Lord those who have died in the
manifestations and to invoke from him, through the intercession of
Most Holy Mary, the return of harmony of thought, social tranquility
and civil co-existence.
As I said just a moment ago, next Feb. 11, memorial of the Virgin
Mary of Lourdes, the World Day of the Sick is celebrated. In the
afternoon, I will meet with the sick and other pilgrims in St.
Peter's Basilica, after the holy Mass that the president of the
Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, Cardinal Lozano
Barragán, will preside over. From now, I assure my special blessing
to all the sick, the health care workers and the volunteers of every
part of the world.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[The Pope then greeted the people in several languages. In English,
he said:]
I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors here today
including those from the Saint Patrick's Evangelization school in
London. Today's Gospel reminds us of the duty to bring Christ's Good
News to all the world. May your time in Rome be filled with joy and
deepen your resolve to draw others to our Lord and his love. God
bless you all!
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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