GENERAL AUDIENCE: GOD PROTECTS THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIS WAYS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 13, 2001 (VIS) - The theme of John Paul II's catechesis for today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, was Psalm 28, which "invites us to an attitude of profound and trusting adoration of the divine Majesty."

The Holy Father explained that "Psalm 28 is dominated by the image of a thunderstorm, seen as a powerful symbol of the voice of God. The storm rises from the sea and its unstoppable and destructive power is felt throughout the land. ... The Psalm goes on to speak of the adoration of God in the Temple at Jerusalem. There the terror of the storm is replaced by the certainty of God's protection."

"Before these two antithetical pictures, the one praying is invited to ... discover that the mystery of God, expressed in the symbol of the storm, cannot be captured or dominated by man. ... In this light is highlighted what a modern thinker, Rudolph Otto, has described as the 'tremendum' of God, that is His ineffable transcendence and His presence as just judge of the history of humanity."

John Paul II affirmed that the Psalm "presents, however, another aspect of the face of God, that which is discovered in the intimacy of prayer and in the celebration of the liturgy. It is, according to Otto, the 'fascinosum' of God, that is the charm which emanates from His grace, the mystery of the love which is poured out on the faithful one, the serene security of the blessing reserved for the just man.

"Even in the face of the chaos of evil, the storms of history, and the anger of divine justice itself," he concluded, "the one praying feels at peace, wrapped in the mantle of protection which Providence offers to those who praise God and follow His ways. Through prayer one recognizes that the true desire of the Lord consists in giving peace."

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