VATICAN CITY, JUL 15, 2001 (VIS) - Several thousand faithful gathered under a pouring rain to pray the noon Angelus today with Pope John Paul who is spending a period of rest in the mountains of northwestern Italy, in Les Combes d'Introd. In reflections made before reciting the prayer, the Pope spoke of those communities in the area which had suffered serious flooding last October and also meditated on creation.
He reminded the faithful that in the past several months, in the weekly general audiences, he has been giving special catecheses on the Psalms. "In these days, before such stupendous scenery, my thoughts naturally go to those Psalms in which creation, especially the mountains, plays a primary role." He mentioned in particular Psalms 8, 18, 22 and 103.
"The Lord is my shepherd - says the splendid Psalm 22 - He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness. All of Psalm 103 is a hymn to the Creator: Bless the Lord, oh my soul; O Lord my God, thou art very great. ... Thou makest springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills. ... The high mountains are for the wild goats, the rocks are a refuge for the badgers. ... Oh Lord, how manifold are thy works! How can these not be our feelings before such moving natural wonders?"
The Holy Father said, as he "contemplates the mountain peaks which are by now familiar, my soul often turns to Mary. ... In tomorrow's liturgy we celebrate Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Today we venerate the 'Queen of Valle d'Aosta': this is suggested to us by this statue brought precisely for today from the cathedral of Aosta. It is the same statue that in 1948 traversed the villages of this region, spreading among the inhabitants, after the second world war, a renewed spirit of fraternity!"
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