Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - For his Angelus reflection on Sunday November 4, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI took his inspiration from Jesus' encounter with Zaccheus, the Gospel of the 31st Sunday of the Liturgical year, to underline that “the grace of that unexpected encounter was such as to completely change the life of Zaccheus”. Addressing the crowds gathered in St Peter's Square to listen to him, the Pope recalled that Zaccheus, “the tax collector of the Roman authorities and for this reason considered a public sinner”, anxious to see Jesus who was passing through Jericho and of small stature, climbed up a tree. “Jesus stopped exactly under that tree - the Pope continued - and addressing him by name said: ‘Zaccheus, come down quickly, today I must come to your house. What a message in this simple sentence! ‘Zaccheus’: Jesus calls by name a man despised by all. ‘Today’: yes, precisely this is the moment of salvation for him. ‘I must come: why ‘I must’? Because the Father, rich in mercy, wants Jesus to ‘find and save what was lost. The grace of that unexpected encounter was such as to completely change the life of Zaccheus”: ‘See - he tells Jesus - I will give half of my possessions to the poor and if I have defrauded anyone I will give back four times as much’. Once again the Gospel tells us that love, coming from the heart of God and working through the heart of man, is the power which renews the world.”
The Holy Father then recalled the figure of Saint Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milano, whose liturgical feast day is November 4, “an exemplary model of shepherd for charity, doctrine, apostolic zeal and above all prayer ”. His motto was "Humilitas", and as Benedict XVI recalled, “humility led him, like the Lord Jesus, to renounce self and become the servant of all”, the Pope concluded: “Recalling my venerated predecessor John Paul II, who bore his name with devotion, let us entrust to the intercession of St Charles all the bishops of the world for whom we invoke the heavenly protection of Most Holy Mary, Mother of the Church”.
After the Marian prayer the Pope appealed for a peaceful solution to tensions between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdish region, and for harmony among peoples: “News reports in recent days relative to events in the border region between Turkey and Iraq are for me a source of concern. I wish therefore to encourage every effort to reach a peaceful solution to the problems which recently emerged between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdish region. I cannot forget that numerous people have found refuge in that region from insecurity and terrorism which have made life difficult in Iraq in recent years. For the good of those peoples who include many Christians, I sincerely hope the sides will work to promote solutions of peace. I also hope between migrant and local people there may be relations in the spirit of moral civilisation which is fruit of the spiritual and cultural values of the different peoples and countries. May those charged with ensuring security and reception use means which guarantee the rights and duties at the basis of all true harmony and encounter among peoples.” (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 5/11/2007 - righe 37, parole 560)
