GENERAL AUDIENCE: INVOKE THE LORD WITH CONFIDENCE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2002 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father spoke on Psalm 41 which contains the image of the deer longing for cooling streams to quench its thirst. This, he said, symbolizes: "the person in prayer who tends with all his being, body and soul, towards the Lord Who is felt to be distant yet, at the same time, necessary."

"The opening scene of the Psalm is an expression of the profound nostalgia generated by a past rendered joyful by wonderful liturgical celebrations that are now unattainable. ... The festive prayer of the past, raised to the Lord during worship in the Temple, is substituted by tears, lamentation and imploration."

Alas, the Pope went on, "the Psalmist is now far from Zion." He is in Galilee near the cataracts of the Jordan River. "However, these waters do not quench the thirst as do those of Zion. In the eyes of the psalmist they are similar to the turbulent waters of the flood that destroy all before them. He feels them overwhelm him like a raging torrent that annihilates life."

John Paul II explained that this deluge symbolizes "the corrupt, the enemy, perhaps even the pagans who live in the remote region where the faithful Psalmist has been relegated. They despise the just man and deride his faith, asking him ironically 'where is your God?' While he raises the anguished question to the Lord: 'Why have you forgotten me?' ... Faced by this tormented soul, can God remain silent? Of course not!" The following Psalm, number 42, contains "a faithful invocation to God: 'Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy'."

AG;PSALM 41;...;...;VIS;20020116;Word: 290;