Monday, May 23, 2011

NEW TESTAMENT PUTS STOP TO GOD'S INVISIBILITY

VATICAN CITY, 22 MAY 2011 (VIS) - "This Sunday's Gospel ... proposes a double mandate of the faith: Believe in God and believe in Jesus. These are not two separate acts but one single act of faith. Full adherence to the salvation worked by the Father through His only Son", the Pope said while praying the Regina Coeli with the faithful gathered today at noon in St. Peter's Square.

  "The New Testament has put an end to the invisibility of the Father", the pontiff continued. "The Son of God, by His incarnation, death, and resurrection has freed us from the slavery of sin, giving us the freedom of sons and daughters of God: He has shown us the face of God, which is love. We can see God, He is visible in Christ".

  "Faith in Jesus means following Him daily in the simple actions that make up our day. ... For Christians, for each of us, therefore, the way toward the Father is letting ourselves be guided by Jesus, by His word of truth, welcoming the gift of His life. ... The challenge of proclaiming Jesus as 'the way, the truth, and the life' constitutes the Church's main task", the Holy Father finished.

  After the Regina Coeli, the Pope greeted pilgrims in Portuguese, showing his joy for the two new Blesseds, Sr.  Maria Clara do Menino Jesus, who was beatified yesterday in Lisbon, Portugal and Sr. Dulce Lopes Pontes, beatified today in San Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

  He also addressed, in English, the World Council of Churches, which is celebrating an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Kingston, Jamaica in these days. This meeting, said Benedict XVI is the culmination of a decade-long project with the goal of combating all forms of violence. We pray for "this noble intention and recommit ourselves to eliminating violence in families, in society, and in the international community".

  Finally, he greeted representatives of the Pro-Life Movement in Italian, thanking them in particular for "the dedication with which you help women who are facing a difficult pregnancy, as well as engaged and married couples who desire to procreate responsibly; you are thus acting concretely for a culture of life".
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