ON THE MEANING OF THE MULTIPLICATION OF LOAVES AND FISH

"Let us allow ourselves once again to be astonished by Christ's words"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 20, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Sunday before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

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Dear brothers and sisters!

This Sunday's Gospel (cf. John 6:51-58) is the concluding part and culmination of Jesus' discourse in the synagogue at Capernaum, after he had the previous day fed thousands of people with only five loaves and two fish. Jesus reveals the meaning of that miracle; namely, that the time of the promise has been fulfilled: God the Father, who fed the Israelites with manna in the desert, now sent him, the Son, as the true Bread of life, and this bread is his flesh, his life, offered in sacrifice for us. 

It is a matter, then, of receiving him in faith, of not being scandalized by his humanity, and of "eating his flesh and drinking his blood" (cf. John 6:54), in order to have the fullness of life. It is clear that this discourse is not offered to draw approval. Jesus knows this and he delivers it deliberately; and, in fact, it was a critical moment, a turning point in his public mission. The people, and his own disciples, were enthusiastic about him when he was performing miraculous signs; and even the multiplication of the loaves and the fish was a clear revelation that he was the Messiah, so much so that immediately afterward the crowd would have liked to carry Jesus away in triumph and proclaim him king of Israel. But this was not the will of Jesus, who precisely with this lengthy discourse, dampens the enthusiasm of many and provokes much dissent. 

Indeed, in explaining the image of the bread, he states that he was sent to offer his very life, and that whoever wishes to follow him must unite himself to him in a deep and personal way, by participating in his sacrifice of love. For this reason, Jesus at the Last Supper would institute the Sacrament of the Eucharist: so that his disciples might have his charity within themselves -- this is decisive -- and as one body with him, prolong in the world the mystery of salvation.

In listening to this discourse, the people understood that Jesus was not a Messiah as they wanted, one who aspired to an earthly throne. He did not look for a consensus to conquer Jerusalem: indeed, He willed to go up to the Holy City in order to share the fate of the prophets: to give His life for God and for the people. The loaves, broken for thousands of people, would not result in a triumphal procession but would foreshadow the sacrifice of the Cross, in which Jesus would become Bread, his body and blood offered in expiation. Jesus offered the discourse in order to disillusion the crowds and, above all, to provoke a decision in His disciples. In fact, many among them, from that time on, no longer followed Him.

Dear friends, let us allow ourselves once again to be astonished by Christ's words: He, the grain of wheat thrown into the furrows of history, is the first fruits of a new humanity, freed from the corruption of sin and death. And let us rediscover the beauty of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which expresses all of God's humility and holiness: He makes himself little -- God becomes little -- a fragment of the universe, to reconcile all things in His love. May the Virgin Mary, who gave the world the Bread of life, teach us to always live in profound union with him.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

[After the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted the people in various languages. In English, he said:]

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present for this Angelus. In the Gospel of today's liturgy, Jesus presents himself as the living bread come down from heaven. May we always hunger for the gift of his presence in the Eucharistic sacrifice, wherein Jesus gives us his very self as food and drink to sustain us on our pilgrim journey to the Father. God bless all of you!

[In Polish, he said:]

I welcome all the Poles. During these days, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill I, is a guest of the Orthodox Church in Poland. I cordially greet His Holiness and all of the Orthodox faithful. The program for this visit also included meetings with Catholic bishops and the common declaration of the desire to deepen their fraternal union and to collaborate in spreading Gospel values in the modern world, in the spirit of the same faith in Christ Jesus. This is an important event that inspires hope for the future. I entrust its fruits to the kindness of Mary, imploring God’s blessing. Praised be Jesus Christ.

[Overlooking the square in front of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father invited everyone to live well this time of year, which for many is one of calm and of rest,] "because it helps us to see things that normally we do not see, the beauty of creation, the beauty of the Creator, who knows us and loves us; it helps us, then, to be aware that behind all things there is a heart, the heart of the Creator. Let us learn this in these weeks," the Holy Father continued. "May the Lord bless you. I wish you blessed holidays and a blessed Sunday!"

POPE'S HOMILY ON SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION

"In the Assumption we see that in God there is space for man"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 16, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is the translation of Pope Benedict XVI’s homily on the feast of the Assumption at the parish church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

On November 1, 1950, the Venerable Pope Pius XII proclaimed as dogma that the Virgin Mary "having ended the course of earthly life, was assumed into heavenly glory in soul and body." This truth of faith was known by the Tradition, affirmed by the Fathers of the Church, and it was above all relevant to the veneration that the Church offered the Mother of Christ. Precisely this element of veneration was the moving force, so to speak, that determined the formulation of this dogma: the dogma appears as an act of praise and exaltation with respect to the Holy Virgin. This also emerges in the text itself of the apostolic constitution, where it is stated that the dogma is proclaimed "to honor the Son, for the glorification of the Mother and to the joy of the whole Church." In this way what was already celebrated in the worship and devotion of the People of God as the highest and most customary glorification of Mary was expressed in dogmatic form: the act of the proclamation of her Assumption was presented almost as a liturgy of faith. 

And in the Gospel that we heard, Mary herself prophetically speaks some words that point in this direction: "From this day forth, all generations shall call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). It is a prophecy for the whole history of the Church. The "Magnificat," which we find in Luke's Gospel, indicates that the praise of the Holy Virgin, the Mother of God, intimately united to Christ her son, regards the Church of all times and places. The evangelist's report of these words presupposes that the glorification of Mary was already present at that time and that he saw it as a duty and task of the Christian community for all generations. Mary's words tell us that it is a duty of the Church to recall Our Lady's greatness in faith. This solemnity is, then, an invitation to praise God and to look to Our Lady's greatness since we know who God is by gazing about the faces of those who are his.

But why is Mary glorified by the Assumption into heaven? St. Luke, as we have heard, sees the root of Mary's exaltation and praise in Elizabeth's words: "Blessed is she who believed" (Luke 1:45). And the "Magnificat," this song to the living God who acts in history, is a hymn of faith and love that flows from the heart of the Virgin. She lived with exemplary fidelity and treasured in the depths of her heart God's words to his people, the promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, making them the content of her prayer: in the "Magnificat" God's Word becomes Mary's word, the light of her path, making her open even to receiving the Word of God made flesh in her womb. Today's Gospel passage recalls this presence of God in history and in the very unfolding of events; in particular it is a reference to the second Book of Samuel, chapter 6 (6:1-5), in which David transports the Ark of the Holy Covenant. The parallel that the evangelist makes is clear: Mary awaiting the birth of the Son, Jesus, is the Holy Ark. Mary is God's "visit" that brings joy. Zachariah, in his song of praise, will say this explicitly: "Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people" (Luke 1:68). Zachariah's house had experienced God's visit with the birth of John the Baptist, but above all with the presence of Mary, who bears the Son of God in her womb.

But we now ask ourselves: what does Mary's Assumption do for our journey, our life? The first answer is: in the Assumption we see that in God there is space for man, God himself is the mansion with many rooms of which Jesus speaks (cf. John 14:2); God is the house of man; in God there is the space of God. And Mary, uniting herself to God, and united with him, does not distance herself from us, she does not enter an unknown galaxy. Those who go to God come near to us because God is near to us, and Mary, united to God, participates in God's presence, which is so close to us, to each one of us. There is a beautiful line that St. Gregory the Great says of St. Benedict but that we can also apply to Mary: St. Gregory the Great says that heart of St. Benedict became so large that the whole of creation was able to enter into this heart. This is even more true of Mary: Mary, completely united to God, has a heart that is so immense that the whole of creation can enter into this heart, and the ex-votos that are in every part of the world show this. Mary is near, she can hear, she can help, she is near to all of us. There is space for man in God, and God is near, and Mary, united to God, is very near, she has a heart that is great like the heart of God.

But there is another aspect: not only is there space for man in God; in man there is space for God. We also see this in Mary, the Holy Ark that bears the presence of God. In us there is space for God and this presence of God in us – so important for bringing light to the world's sadness, its problems – is realized in faith: in faith we open the gates of our being so that God may enter into us, so that God can be the power that gives a light and a path to our being. There is space in us, let us open ourselves up as Mary did, saying: "Thy will be done, I am the Lord's servant." Opening up to God, we lose nothing. On the contrary: our life becomes rich and great.

And thus, faith and hope and love combine. Today there are many things said about a better world in the future: it would be our hope. Whether and when this better world will come, we do not know, I do not know. It is certain that a world that distances itself from God does not become better, but worse. Only the presence of God can guarantee a good world too. But let us leave  this aside. One thing, one hope is certain: God awaits us, he attends to us, we are not headed for a void, we are expected. God awaits us and passing to the other world we will find the Mother's goodness, we will find our loved ones, we will find Eternal Love. God awaits us: this is our great joy and our great hope that is born precisely from this feast. Mary visits us, and she is the joy of our life and joy is hope.

So, what, then, should be said? We have spoken of a great heart, of the presence of God in the world, the space of God in us and the space of God for us, of hope, of being awaited: this is the symphony of this feast, the instruction that we are given by meditating on this solemnity. Mary is the dawn and splendor of the Church triumphant; she is the consolation and hope of the people still on pilgrimage, says today's preface. Let us entrust ourselves to her maternal intercession, so that she obtain from the Lord the strengthening of our faith in eternal life; may she help us to live well and with hope the time offered to us by God. A Christian hope that is not only a nostalgia for heaven but a living and active desire of God here in the world, desire of God that makes us pilgrims who are unwearied, nourishing courage and the power of faith in us, which at the same time are the courage and power of love. Amen.

[Translation by Joseph Trabbic]

ON THE PRAYER OF ST. DOMINIC

"The day he dedicated to his neighbor, but the night he gave to God"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 8, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held at Castel Gandolfo. This morning the Holy Father reflected on the prayer of St. Dominic.

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Dear brothers and sisters!

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Dominic de Guzmán, priest and founder of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans. In a previous catechesis, I presented this illustrious figure and the fundamental contribution he made to the renewal of the Church of his time. Today I wish to highlight an essential aspect of his spirituality: his life of prayer. St. Dominic was a man of prayer. In love with God, he had no other aspiration than the salvation of souls, especially those who had fallen into the snares of the heresies of his day. An imitator of Christ, he radically embodied the three evangelical counsels, uniting to the proclamation of the Word a witness of a life of poverty. Under the Holy Spirit's guidance, he advanced along the way of Christian perfection. At each moment, prayer was the force that renewed and rendered his apostolic works increasingly fruitful.

Blessed Jordan of Saxony (who died in 1237), his successor as head of the Order, writes: "During the day, no one showed himself more sociable than he … Conversely, by night, there was none more assiduous than he in keeping watch in prayer. The day he dedicated to his neighbor, but the night he gave to God" (P. Filippini, San Domenico visto dai suoi contemporanei, Bologna 1982, pg. 133). In St. Dominic we can see an example of the harmonious integration between contemplation of the divine mysteries and apostolic activity. According to the testimonies of the persons closest to him, "he always spoke with God or of God." This observation points to his deep communion with the Lord and, at the same time, to his constant commitment to leading others to this communion with God.

He left behind no writings on prayer, but the Dominican tradition has collected and handed on his living experience in a work titled: The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic. This book was composed between the year 1260 and 1288 by a Dominican friar. It helps us to understand something of the saint's interior life, and it also helps us, as different as we are, to learn something about how to pray.

According to St. Dominic, then, there are nine ways of prayer, and each of these -- which he always carried out in the presence of Jesus Crucified -- express a bodily and a spiritual attitude that, intimately interpenetrating, favors recollection and fervor. The first seven ways follow an ascending line, as steps on a journey toward communion with God, with the Trinity: St. Dominic prays standing, bowed down to express humility; prostrate on the ground to ask pardon for his sins; kneeling in penance to participate in the sufferings of the Lord; with arms outstretched gazing at the crucifix to contemplate Supreme Love, his gaze turned toward heaven, feeling drawn to the world of God. Thus, there are three forms: standing, kneeling, and lying prostrate on the ground -- but always with one's gaze turned to the Crucified Lord. 

The two final ways, which I would like briefly to consider, correspond to two forms of piety the saint normally practiced. First, there was personal meditation, where prayer acquires a still more intimate, fervent and comforting dimension. At the end of the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours, and following the celebration of the Mass, St. Dominic prolonged his colloquy with God, without placing any limits on time. Seated quietly, he would recollect himself in an attitude of listening, reading a book or gazing upon the Crucifix. He lived these moments in his relationship with God so intensely that even outwardly his reactions of joy and tears could be perceived. Thus, through meditation, he assimilated the realities of the faith. Witnesses recount that at times he entered into a kind of ecstasy, his face transfigured; but immediately afterward, he would humbly resume his daily activities, recharged by the power that came to him from above.  

Then, there was his prayer during journeys between one friary and another; he recited Lauds, the Midday hour and Vespers with his companions, and as he crossed valleys and hills he contemplated the beauty of creation. From his heart there flowed a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for so many gifts, especially for the greatest wonder: the redemption wrought by Christ.

Dear friends, St. Dominic reminds us that prayer, that personal contact with God, is at the heart and origin of the witness of faith that every Christian must give within family life, at work, in social commitments, and even in times of relaxation. Only this real relationship with God gives us the strength to live each event intensely, especially the most painful moments. This saint also reminds us of the importance of exterior attitudes in our prayer: kneeling, standing before the Lord, fixing one's gaze on the Crucified, pausing to recollect oneself in silence are not secondary; rather, they help us to place ourselves interiorly, with the whole of our person, in relation to God. I would like to recall once again the need in our spiritual lives to find quiet moments for prayer each day, to have a little time to speak with God. We should take this time especially during the summer holidays, and make a little time to speak with God. It will also be a way of helping those around us to enter into the luminous rays of the presence of God, who brings the peace and love that we all need. Thank you.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

[In English, he said:]

greet all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today's Audience, especially those from England, Macau, Japan and the United States. Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers. In his life, Saint Dominic was able to combine constant prayer and zealous activity in the service of the Lord and his Church. By his example and intercession, may all of us rediscover the importance and beauty of daily prayer, and bear joyful witness to our faith in Christ the Saviour!

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

[In Italian, he said:]

I address a cordial greeting to Italian pilgrims, especially the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood and newlywed couples. In expressing my gratitude for your presence, I am pleased to invoke on each of you the fullness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit for a renewed spiritual and apostolic fervor. Thank you for your presence and attention; I wish you a good day and a good week. Thank you and blessed summer holidays to you all.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

ON FOOD THAT DOES NOT PERISH

ON FOOD THAT DOES NOT PERISH

"Jesus, the true bread of life, who satisfies our hunger for meaning, for truth, cannot be 'earned' by human work"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 6, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Sunday before and after praying the midday Angelus with crowds gathered at Castel Gandolfo.

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Dear brothers and sisters,

The reading of Chapter 6 of John's Gospel continues in this Sunday's Liturgy of the Word. We are in the synagogue of Capernaum, where Jesus is giving his famous discourse after the multiplication of the loaves. The people tried to make him king, but Jesus slipped away to the mountain with God, with the Father, before they could do so and then went to Capernaum. Not seeing him, the people set out in search of him, boarding boats to reach the other side of the lake, where they found him at last. But Jesus knew well the "why" of their enthusiasm in following him and explains it clearly: you "seek me not because you have seen signs [because your heart was moved], but because you have eaten the bread and were filled" (6:26). 

Jesus wants to help the people to go beyond the immediate satisfaction of their material needs, however important. He wants to open their eyes to an existential horizon that is not merely that of our daily concerns about what we are going to eat, what clothes we will wear, about our career. Jesus speaks of a food that does not perish, which it is important to seek and receive. He says: "Do not work for the food that does not last but for the food that endures for eternal life" (6:27).

The crowd does not understand, they think that Jesus is asking them to observe rules of conduct that will lead to a continuation of that miracle and ask: "What must we do to be doing the works of God?" (6:28). Jesus' answer is clear: "This is the work of God: that you believe in him whom he has sent" (6:29). 

The center of existence, that which gives meaning and firm hope to the often difficult journey of life, is faith in Jesus, the encounter with Christ. We too ask: "What must we do to have eternal life?" And Jesus says: "Believe in me." Faith is the fundamental thing. It is not a matter here of following an idea, a project, but of encountering Jesus as a living Person, of letting ourselves be totally drawn by him and his Gospel. Jesus invites us not to stop at the purely human horizon but to open ourselves up to God's horizon, to the horizon of faith. He demands only one sort of work: accepting God's plan, that is, "believing in him whom he has sent" (6:29). Moses gave manna to Israel, the bread of heaven with which God himself had fed his people. Jesus does not give some external thing, he gives himself: he is "the true bread come down from heaven," he, the living Word of the Father; in encountering him we encounter God.

"What must we do to be doing the works of God?" (6:28) the crowd asks, ready to act so that the miracle of the bread will continue. But Jesus, the true bread of life, who satisfies our hunger for meaning, for truth, cannot be "earned" by human work; he comes to us only as the gift of God's love, as the work of God that we must ask for and welcome.

Dear friends, in days full of worry and problems, but also in those of rest and relaxation, the Lord invites not to forget that if it is important to concern ourselves with material bread to restore our strength, it is still more fundamental to foster the growth of our relationship with him, to strengthen our faith in him who is the "bread of life," who satisfies our desire for truth and for love. May the Virgin Mary, on the day in which we remember the dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, sustain us on our journey of faith.

[Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted those present in various languages. In English he said:]

I welcome all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present today and I pray that your stay in Rome will help you to grow closer to the Lord Jesus. In today's Gospel he says to the people: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, whoever believes in me will never thirst." Let us put our faith in him, and let us put our trust in his promises, so that we may have life in abundance. May God bless you all!

[Concluding in Italian he said:]

Thank you for your attention and presence. I wish you all a good Sunday, a good week! Have a good Sunday!

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]

ON PRAYER ACCORDING TO ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI

"He who prays is saved. He who prays not is damned!"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, AUG. 1, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held at Castel Gandolfo. This morning the Holy Father resumed his Wednesday audiences after a customary pause in July by reflecting on St. Alphonsus Liguori's teaching on prayer.

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Dear brothers and sisters!

Today marks the liturgical memorial of St. Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer -- the Redemptorists -- patron saint of scholars and moral theology and of confessors. St. Alphonsus is one of the most popular saints of the 18th century because of his simple, straightforward style and his teaching on the sacrament of Penance: In a period of great rigorism -- the result of the influence of Jansenism -- he recommended to confessors to administer this sacrament by revealing the joyous embrace of God the Father, who in His infinite mercy never tires of welcoming back the repentant son. 

Today's memorial offers us the occasion to consider St. Alphonsus' teachings on prayer, which are extremely valuable and filled with spiritual inspiration. He considered his treatise, Prayer: The Great Means of Salvation and of Perfection, which dates back to 1759, to be the most useful of all his writings. In fact, he there describes prayer as "the necessary and sure means of obtaining salvation, and all the graces we need to attain it" (Introduction). 

This sentence sums up the Alphonsian understanding of prayer. First, in saying that it is a means, he reminds us of the end to be attained: God created out of love in order to be able to give us the fullness of life; but because of sin, this goal, this abundance of life has, so to say, drifted away -- we all know this -- and only God's grace can make it available. To explain this basic truth, and to enable us to understand in a straightforward way how real the risk is of man's "being lost," St. Alphonsus coined a famous, very elementary maxim, which states: "He who prays is saved. He who prays not is damned!" Commenting on this lapidary statement, he added: "To save one's soul without prayer is most difficult, and even impossible … but by praying our salvation is made secure, and very easy" (Chapter II, Conclusion). And he goes on to say: "If we do not pray, we have no excuse, for the grace of prayer is given to everyone … if we are not saved, the whole fault will be ours, because we did not pray" (ibid.). 

In saying that prayer is a necessary means, St. Alphonsus wanted us to understand that in every situation in life, we cannot manage without praying, especially in times of trial and difficulty. We must always knock at the Lord's door with trust, knowing that in all things He takes care of His children, of us. We are invited, therefore, not to be afraid of turning to Him and of presenting our requests to Him with trust, in the certainty of obtaining what we need.

Dear friends, this is the central question: What is truly necessary in my life? With St. Alphonsus I respond: "Health and all the graces we need for this" (ibid.); naturally, he means not only bodily health, but above all also that of the soul, which Jesus gives to us. More than anything else, we need His liberating presence, which truly makes our lives fully human and therefore full of joy. And it is only through prayer that we are able to welcome Him and His grace, which by enlightening us in each situation, enables us to discern the true good, and by strengthening us, makes our will effective; that is, it enables it to do the good that is known. Often we recognize the good, but we are unable to do it. Through prayer, we arrive at the point of being able to carry it out.

The Lord's disciple knows that he is always exposed to temptation, and he never fails to ask God for help in prayer in order to conquer it. St. Alphonsus recalls the example of St. Phillip Neri -- very interesting -- who "used to say to God from the first moment he awoke in the morning, 'Lord, keep Thy hands over Philip this day; for if not, Philip will betray Thee'" (III, 3). A great realist! He asks God to keep His hand upon him. We, too, in the awareness of our own weakness, should humbly ask God's help, relying on the richness of His mercy. 

In another passage, St. Alphonsus says: "We are so poor that we have nothing; but if we pray we are no longer poor" (II, 4). And in the wake of St. Augustine, he invites every Christian to not be afraid of obtaining from God, through prayer, the strength he does not possess and that he needs to do the good, in the certainty that the Lord does not withhold His help from whoever prays with humility (cf. III, 3). 

Dear friends, St. Alphonsus reminds us that our relationship with God is essential for our lives. Without a relationship with God, our fundamental relationship is missing. And a relationship with God develops by talking with God in daily personal prayer, and by participating in the Sacraments; and so it is that this relationship can grow in us, and that the divine presence that directs our path, enlightens it and makes it secure and serene can also grow in us, even amid difficulty and danger. Thank you.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

[In English, he said:]

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims, especially those from England and the United States. Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Alphonsus de' Liguori, the founder of the Redemptorists, a great moral theologian and a master of prayer. Saint Alphonsus teaches us the beauty of daily prayer, in which we open our minds and hearts to the Lord's presence and receive the grace to live wisely and well. By his example and intercession, may you and your families come to know God's saving love and experience his abundant blessings!

© Copyright 2012 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

[In Italian, he said:]

Lastly, I greet the young, the sick and newlyweds. I exhort everyone to render everywhere a joyous witness to the Gospel.

[Translation by Diane Montagna]

ON MARY MAGDALENE

"In what consists this profound healing that God works through Jesus? It consists in a true, complete peace"

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy, JULY 23, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave Sunday before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo.

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Dear brothers and sisters!

The Word of God this Sunday reproposes to us a fundamental and always fascinating theme of the Bible: it reminds us that God is the Shepherd of humanity. This means that God wants life for us, he wants to guide us to good pastures, where we can be nourished and find repose; he does not want us to be lost and die but to reach the goal of our journey, which is precisely the fullness of life. This is what every father and mother wants for their own children: goodness, happiness, completeness. In today’s Gospel Jesus presents himself as the Shepherd of the lost sheep of the House of Israel. He sees the people as a shepherd sees his sheep.  For example, this Sunday’s Gospel says that after Jesus "disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). Jesus incarnates God the Shepherd with his manner of preaching and his deeds, caring for the sick and sinners, those who are "lost" (cf. Luke 19:20), to bring them back to safety in the mercy of the Father.

Among the lost sheep whom Jesus brought back to safety there is a woman named Mary, who came from the town of Magdala (whence the surname Magdalene), which is on the Sea of Galilee. Today is her liturgical memorial on the Church’s calendar. The Evangelist Luke tells us that Jesus chased seven demons out of her (cf. Luke 8:2), that is, he saved her from total enslavement to the evil one.

In what consists this profound healing that God works through Jesus? It consists in a true, complete peace, the fruit of reconciliation of the person with himself and in his relationships: with God, with other people, and with the world. In effect, the evil one always seeks to ruin God’s work, sowing division in the human heart between body and soul, between man and God, in interpersonal, social and international relationships and also between man and creation. The evil one sows war; God creates peace. Indeed, as St. Paul says, Christ "is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh" (Ephesians 2:14).

To accomplish this work of radical reconciliation Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had to become the Lamb: "the Lamb of God ... who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). Only in this way was he able to realize the stupendous promise of the Psalm: "Only goodness and kindness follow me / all the days of my life; / and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord / for years to come" (Psalm 22/23:6).

Dear friends, these words make our hearts vibrate, because they express our most profound desire, they speak of that for which we are made: life, eternal life! They are the words of those who, like Mary Magdalene, have experienced God in their lives and know his peace. They are words that are true more than ever upon the lips of the Virgin Mary, who already lives forever in the pastures of heaven, where she has been led by the one who is the Lamb and the Shepherd. Mary, Mother of Christ our peace, pray for us!

[Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted those present in various languages. In Italian, he said:]

Dear brothers and sisters!

In a few days the 30th Olympic Games will take place. The Olympics are the greatest sporting event in the world, in which athletes of many nations participate and which, because of this, have great symbolic value. Thus, the Catholic Church looks upon them with special sympathy and attention. Let us pray that, according to God’s will, the London games be a true experience of fraternity among the peoples of the earth.

[In English he said:]

I welcome all the English-speaking visitors present and I pray that your stay in Rome will bring many blessings. I was deeply shocked by the senseless violence which took place in Aurora, Denver, and saddened by the loss of life in the recent ferry disaster near Zanzibar. I share the distress of the families and friends of the victims and the injured, especially the children. Assuring all of you of my closeness in prayer, I impart my blessing as a pledge of consolation and strength in the risen Lord.

In a few days from now, the Olympic Games are due to begin in Great Britain. I send greetings to the organizers, athletes and spectators alike, and I pray that, in the spirit of the Olympic Truce, the good will generated by this international sporting event may bear fruit, promoting peace and reconciliation throughout the world. Upon all those attending the London Olympic Games, I invoke the abundant blessings of Almighty God.

[Concluding in Italian, he said:]

I wish all of you a good Sunday and a good week.

[Translation by Joseph G. Trabbic]