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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus
Message
On the Heart of Christian Life
"Love Renders Us Witnesses to Christ"
H.H. Benedict XVI
July 15, 2007
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I thank the Lord that also this year he offers me the possibility to
pass some days of rest in the mountains, and I am grateful to those
who have welcomed me here in Lorenzago, in this enchanting panorama
in which the summit of Mount Cadore forms the background and where
my beloved predecessor John Paul II visited several times.
I offer a special thanks to the bishop of Treviso and the bishop of
Belluno-Feltre, and to all who in various ways are contributing to
assure me a serene and profitable sojourn. Before this scene of
meadows, of woods, of peaks ascending toward heaven, the desire to
praise God for the marvel of his works spontaneously arises in the
soul and easily transforms itself into prayer.
Every good Christian knows that vacations are an opportune time to
stretch one's body and to nourish the spirit in more ample spaces of
prayer and meditation, to grow in one's personal relationship with
Christ, and to conform more and more to his teachings. Today, for
example, the liturgy invites us to reflect on the celebrated parable
of the Good Samaritan (cf. Luke 10:25-37), that introduces love for
God and neighbor into the heart of the evangelical message.
But who is my neighbor? Jesus' interlocutor asks. And the Lord
answers, reversing the question, showing through the story of the
Good Samaritan that each one of us must be the neighbor of each
person we meet. "Go and do the same!" (Luke 10:37). To love, Jesus
says, is to conduct oneself like the Good Samaritan. We know that
Jesus is the Good Samaritan par excellence: Although he was God, he
did not hesitate to abase himself to the point of becoming man and
giving his life for us.
Love, therefore, is the "heart" of Christian life; in fact, only the
love awakened in us by the Holy Spirit renders us witnesses to
Christ.
I wanted to re-propose this important spiritual truth in the message
for the 23rd World Youth Day, which will be made known next Friday,
July 20: "You will receive power from the Holy Spirit, who will
descend upon you" (Acts 1:8).
This is what I invite you to reflect on in the next months, dear
young people, to prepare for our big meeting in Sydney, Australia,
that, precisely in these days of July, will take place one year from
now. The Christian communities of that beloved nation are actively
working to welcome you and I am grateful to them for their efforts
in organizing.
Let us entrust to Mary, who tomorrow we will invoke as the Virgin of
Mount Carmel, the preparation and unfolding of the next meeting with
the young people of the whole world, to which I invite you, dear
friends of every continent.
[Translation by ZENIT]
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