VATICAN - Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus reflection: “God does not want to lose even one of his children and his soul overflows with joy when a sinner repents … in our day humanity needs powerful proclamation and witness of God's mercy”

Castel Gandolfo (Agenzia Fides) - The readings of the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time includes the passage of Saint Luke's Gospel on the three parables on divine mercy: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the merciful Father or the prodigal son. “It is moving to think that all over the world wherever Catholics gather for Sunday Mass today there resounds this Good News of truth and salvation: God is merciful Love” the Holy Father Pope Benedict said in his reflection before the Angelus prayer with visitors in the courtyard of his Summer residence Castel Gandolfo, on Sunday 16 September. “In this Gospel passage we can also hear the voice of Jesus revealing to us the face of His and our Father- the Pope continued -. In fact it was for this that He came into the world: to speak to us of the Father, to make Him known to us, lost sons and daughters and to rekindle in our hearts joy for belonging to Him, hope of being forgiven and restored to our full dignity and desire to live for ever in his house which is also ours.”
The Holy Father explained what Jesus wished to teach with these parables: “ God does not want to lose even one of his children and his soul overflows with joy when a sinner repents. Authentic religion consists then in tune with this Heart ‘rich in mercy, who asks us to love everyone, even those who are distant, and even our enemies, imitating the heavenly Father who respects the freedom of each and draws all to Him with the invincible power of his fidelity. This is the path that Jesus shows to those who wish to be his disciples”. Pope Benedict XVI continued “ in our day humanity needs powerful proclamation and witness of God's mercy”, and he mentioned Pope John Paul II “great apostle of Divine Mercy”. Besides dedicating his second encyclical to the Father of mercies, “throughout his pontificate he was a missionary of God's love for all peoples” and “following the tragic events of 11 September 2001, which darkened the dawn of the third millennium, he urged Christians and all men and women of good will to believe that the Mercy of God is stronger than any evil and that only in the Cross of Christ can the world find salvation”.
After the Angelus prayer the Pope mentioned holy men and women who are being beatified in various countries in these days, and held up as examples for all the faithful: Fr. Stanislao Papczyński, founder of the Congregation of Marian Clerics; Sister Maria Celina of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, nun of the Second Order of St Francis; Fr. Basilio Antonio Maria Moreau, founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. “To the intercession of these persons declared Blessed I entrust especially their spiritual sons and daughters - said Benedict XVI -, that they may follow with ardour their shining example as prophets of God, the Lord of every life.”
Recalling the 20th anniversary of the Protocol of Montreal on substances which impoverish the ozone causing serious damage to the human being and the ecosystem, the Pope highlighted important results already obtained, expressing the wish that “on all sides cooperation may be intensified in order to promote the common good, development and protection of creation, strengthening the alliance between man and the environment which should be the reflection of the creating love of God, from whom we come and to whom we are returning”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 17/9/2007 - righe 39, parole 572)