ANGELUS: THE VALUE OF VACATIONS AND REST PERIODS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 23, 2000 (VIS) - Today at noon, Pope John Paul appeared on the central balcony of the inner courtyard of the papal residence at Castelgandolfo to greet the faithful who had assembled there and to pray the angelus with them. In reflections made before the angelus, he spoke of the need and value of vacations and periods of rest, "using one's free time for healthy physical, and above all spiritual, relaxation."

Recalling that he had just concluded a brief vacation period in Valle d'Aosta, the Pope pointed to today's Gospel where Jesus told the Apostles to rest. "Jesus and the disciples," he said, "tired by the incessant activity among people, felt the need, every so often, for a calm moment."

"In today's society, so often frenetic and competitive," the Holy Father observed, "where the logic of production and profit predominate, often to the detriment of the person, it is more than ever necessary that each person take advantage of adequate periods of rest in order to recuperate one's energies and at the same time rediscover a just inner equilibrium.

"Vacations should be wisely used so that they help the individual and families, thanks to contact with nature, tranquility, the occasion to cultivate family harmony, good reading and healthy recreational activities; thanks above all to the possibility of dedicating oneself in a greater way to prayer, contemplation and to listening to God."

John Paul II told the faithful that his stay at Castelgandolfo would be shorter this year due to the Jubilee Year activities.

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