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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
On Our Lady of Mount Carmel
H.H. Benedict XVI
July 16, 2006
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I again have the
joy this year of spending a period of rest here in the Aosta Valley,
in the house that so often welcomed beloved John Paul II and in
which I feel perfectly at home, truly on holiday, in a place where
the Creator gives us this fresh air, beauty and restfulness and the
joy of being alive.
I have immersed
myself immediately in this magnificent Alpine scenery that helps
reinvigorate body and spirit, and today I am happy to have this
family meeting, for as the Bishop has said, it is not a crowd but a
gathering, indeed, it is a family of the faithful. A cordial
greeting to each one of you, residents and vacationers!
I would first
like to greet and thank Aosta's Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi, Pastor of
the Church that resides in this valley, whom I thank for his words
and his hospitality. And I also very cordially greet the
Metropolitan present here, Cardinal Poletto, Archbishop of Turin -
welcome, your Eminence!
I greet the
priests, Religious and lay people of the diocesan community. I
assure each one of my remembrance in prayer, and I am grateful for
your prayers of which the Bishop of Aosta has assured me and which I
carry in my work; and a special remembrance in prayer is always for
the sick and the suffering.
My grateful
thoughts then go to the Salesians, who have put their most beautiful
house at the Pope's disposal.
I address a
respectful greeting to the Authorities of the State and the Region,
the Municipal Administration of Introd, the Forces of Order and all
who in various ways are collaborating to ensure that my stay is
peaceful, and there are very many of them. May the Lord reward you!
Through a happy
coincidence, this Sunday falls on 16 July, the day when the liturgy
commemorates Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The slopes of Carmel, a high
ridge that runs down the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea at
the altitude of Galilee, are dotted with numerous natural caves,
beloved by hermits.
The most famous
of these men of God was the great Prophet Elijah, who in the ninth
century before Christ strenuously defended the purity of faith in
the one true God from contamination by idolatrous cults. Inspired by
the figure of Elijah, the contemplative order of Carmelites arose.
It is a religious family that counts among its members great saints
such as Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of the Child
Jesus and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (in the world: Edith Stein).
The Carmelites
have spread among the Christian people devotion to Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, holding her up as a model of prayer, contemplation and
dedication to God. Indeed, Mary was the first, in a way which can
never be equalled, to believe and experience that Jesus, the
Incarnate Word, is the summit, the peak of man's encounter with God.
By fully accepting the Word, she "was blessedly brought to the holy
Mountain" (cf. Opening Prayer of the Memorial), and lives for
ever with the Lord in body and soul.
Today, I would
like to entrust to the Queen of Mount Carmel all contemplative life
communities scattered throughout the world, especially those of the
Carmelite Order, among which I recall the Monastery of Quart, not
far from here, that I have had the opportunity to visit in these
days. May Mary help every Christian to find God in the silence of
prayer.
After the
Angelus:
Dear Friends,
In recent days
news from the Holy Land has been a cause of serious alarm to
everyone, particularly because of the extension of aggressive
actions also to Lebanon and the many victims among the civil
population. At the root of these merciless contrasts, unfortunately,
are objective situations of the violation of law and justice. But in
no way can terrorist acts or reprisals be justified, especially when
they have tragic consequences for the civilian population. These are
not paths - as bitter experience shows - to positive results.
Today, as I
said, is dedicated to Our Lady of Carmel, a Mountain in the Holy
Land only a few kilometres from Lebanon that dominates the Israeli
city of Haifa, which has also recently been hit. Let us pray to
Mary, Queen of Peace, to implore from God the fundamental gift of
harmony, redirecting political leaders to the path of reason and
opening up new possibilities for dialogue and understanding. With
this in view, I invite the local Churches to raise special prayers
for peace in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.
I am pleased to
greet the English-speaking visitors here today. I pray that all who
are on holiday at this time will find refreshment in body and spirit
and an opportunity to draw closer to the Lord in prayer and
thanksgiving. May God bestow his Blessings of joy and peace upon all
of you, your families and loved ones at home.
I wish you all a
good Sunday!
© Copyright 2006 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
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