VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2002 (VIS) - In this Wednesday's general audience, celebrated in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke about verses 12 through 16 of Psalm 50, the 'Miserere', "Mercy of my Lord."
John Paul II related that in Psalm 50 there is a triple invocation to the Spirit which "penetrates the soul of the faithful, instilling it with new life and raising it from the kingdom of sin to heaven, full of grace. The Fathers of the Church see in the 'Spirit' invoked by the psalmist the effective presence of the Holy Spirit."
The divine Spirit, he continued, "restores, renews, transfigures and transforms repentant sinners, embraces them and makes them participate in the joy of salvation. Man, inspired then by Him, sets out on the way of justice and love."
The Holy Father affirmed that "those who have experienced God's merciful love become ardent witnesses, especially compared to those who are still ensnared in the net of sin."
After emphasizing that "the supplicant looks at his dark past and cries to God, 'Free me from the blood, oh God, God my salvation'," the Pope said that in the general sense "invocation indicates the desire for purification from evil, violence and hatred, always present in the human heart with obscure and evil strength. However, the lips of the faithful, purified by sin, now sing to the Lord."
John Paul II concluded by indicating that the part of Psalm 50 on which he commented today "ends with the commitment to proclaim the 'justice' of God. The term 'justice' here, which appears frequently in biblical language, does not precisely refer to the punitive action of God with regards to evil, but indicates rather the rehabilitation of the sinner, because God expresses his justice by rendering sinners upright. God does not desire the death of the wicked, but rather wants them to give up their conduct and live."
AG;PSALM 50;...;...;VIS;20021204;Word: 320;
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