|
Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
On
Lent's Baptismal Journey
"Let Us Allow Jesus to Heal Us"
H.H. Benedict XVI
March 2, 2008
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In these Sundays of Lent, through the texts of the Gospel of John,
the liturgy leads us on a true and proper baptismal journey: Last
Sunday Jesus promised the Samaritan woman the gift of "living
water"; today, healing the blind man, Jesus reveals himself as the
"light of the world"; next Sunday, resurrecting his friend Lazarus
from the dead, he will present himself as "the resurrection and the
light." Water, light, life: these are symbols of baptism, the
sacrament that "immerses" believers in the mystery of the death and
resurrection of Christ, freeing them from the slavery of sin and
granting them eternal life.
Let us pause briefly over the story of the man born blind (John
9:41). The disciples, according to the mentality that was common at
that time, take for granted that his blindness is the consequence of
his sin or his parents' sin. Jesus, however, rejects this view and
affirms: "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works
of God might be made visible through him" (John 9:3).
What comfort these words offer us! They allow us to hear the living
voice of God, who is provident and wise Love! Before the man marked
by limitation and suffering Jesus does not think about possible
faults, but about the will of God that created man for life. And so
he solemnly declares: "We must do the works of the one who sent me
... While I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John
9:5).
And he immediately takes action: With a little bit of earth and
saliva he makes some mud and spreads it on the eyes of the blind
man. This gesture alludes to the creation of man, which the Bible
recounts with the symbol of earth that is formed and animated by the
breath of God (cf. Genesis 2:7). "Adam," in fact, means "soil," and
the human body is indeed composed of elements of the earth. Healing
the man, Jesus brings about a new creation.
But that healing provokes a heated debate because Jesus performed it
on the Sabbath, thereby transgressing a precept of the feast. Thus,
at the end of the episode, Jesus and the blind man meet up again,
both being chased out by the Pharisees: one because he violated the
law and the other because, despite the healing, he remains marked as
a sinner from birth.
To the blind man whom he healed Jesus reveals that he has come into
the world for judgment, to separate the blind who can be healed from
those who do not allow themselves to be healed because they presume
that they are healthy. The tendency in man to construct an
ideological system of security is strong: Even religion itself can
become an element in this system, as can atheism, or secularism; but
in constructing this system, one becomes blind to his own egoism.
Dear brothers, let us allow Jesus to heal us, Jesus who can and
wants to give us the light of God! Let us confess our own
blindnesses, our myopias, and above all that which the Bible calls
the "great sin" (Psalm 18:14): pride. May Mary Most Holy help us in
this, who, giving birth to Christ in the flesh, gave the world the
true light.
[After the Angelus the Holy Father said the following in Italian:]
With profound sadness I follow the dramatic event of the kidnapping
of Monsignor Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul, in
Iraq. I join the call of the patriarch, Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly,
and his co-workers, for the dear prelate -- who is also in very poor
health -- to be released immediately. I also elevate my prayer of
supplication for the souls of the three young people who were with
him and were killed at the time of the kidnapping. I express,
moreover, my closeness to the entire Church in Iraq and in
particular to the Chaldean Church, who have once again been dealt a
serious blow, while I encourage all of the pastors and faithful to
be strong and firm in hope. May the efforts of those who control the
fate of the Iraqi people be multiplied so that, thanks to the
commitment and wisdom of all, this people may again find peace and
security, and the future to which it has a right not be destroyed.
Unfortunately, in recent days the tension between Israel and the
Gaza Strip has reached very grave levels.
I renew my pressing invitation to Israeli and Palestinian officials,
that this spiral of violence be stopped, unilaterally, without
conditions: only by showing an absolute respect for human life, even
that of the enemy, can one hope to provide a future of peace and
coexistence for the young generations of those peoples who both have
their roots in the Holy Land. I invite the whole Church to lift up
supplications to the Almighty for peace in the land of Jesus and to
show attentive and active solidarity with both populations, Israeli
and Palestinian.
Over the course of the week the Italian news directed its attention
to the sad end of two children, known as Ciccio and Tore. It is an
end that has deeply stricken me as it has many families and persons.
I would like to take this occasion to launch an appeal on behalf of
childhood: let us care for our little ones! We must love them and
help them to grow. I say this to parents but also to institutions.
In launching this appeal, I think of childhood in every part of the
world, above all of that which is defenseless, exploited and abused.
I entrust every child to the heart of Christ, who said: "Let the
children come unto me!" (Luke 18:16).
[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]
[After the Angelus the Holy Father greeted the pilgrims in several
languages. In English, he said:]
I am happy to greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors
present for this Angelus. In today's Gospel, we encounter Jesus, the
light of the world, who cures the man born blind. By opening our
eyes to faith, to the light that comes from God, Jesus continues to
cure us from the darkness of confusion and sin present in this
world. May his light always purify our hearts and renew our
Christian love as we journey with him to Eternal Life. I wish you
all a pleasant stay in Rome, and a blessed Sunday!
© Copyright 2008 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
Mary
