VATICAN CITY, SEP 22, 2004 (VIS) - The hymn of the second chapter of the first letter of St. Peter, "The voluntary passion of Christ, Servant of God," was the theme of the Pope's catechesis today during the general audience held in St. Peter's Square.
John Paul II told the crowd of 13,000 people that this canticle "presents the face of the suffering Christ to us" and recalls the prayer of the early Church. "He bore our sins in His body…so that we would live for justice, not for sin. Through His wounds, we have been healed."
"'He' is the patient Christ," the Pope continued, "He who committed no sin, He who was reviled, did not ask vendetta. ... It is He, Christ, who starts on the bitter path of the passion, without opposing injustice and violence, without recriminations or complaint, but giving Himself and His painful situation to 'the One Who judges with justice'. ... It is not, therefore, a blind and passive resignation but a courageous faith, destined to be an example for all his disciples who will go down the dark path of trial and persecution."
The Holy Father highlighted that Christ "is presented as the Savior, uniting himself to us in His human 'body'. … He is and always will be the Son of God and His solidarity with us is radically transforming, liberating, purifying and saving."
"In this way," he concluded, "our poor humanity, wounded by the twisted and perverse ways of evil, is guided toward 'justice,' the beautiful plan of God. The last sentence of the hymn is particularly moving: 'By His wounds we have been healed.' We see here the great price Christ paid for our salvation."
AG/LETTER ST PETER/… VIS 20040922 (280)
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