VATICAN - “God passionately desires and ardently longs for our salvation” the Pope said in his Wednesday teaching focused on the ancient hymn of blessing for “the wonders God has worked for us in Christ”:

Vatican City (Fides Service) - At his Wednesday Audience on 18 February Pope John Paul II focussed his teaching on a hymn dedicated to ‘God the Saviour’ (cfr Eph 1,3-10): “The splendid hymn of «blessing», which introduces the Letter to the Ephesians and is proclaimed every Monday during the Liturgy of Vespers, will be the subject of a series of meditations on our itinerary - the Holy Father said -. For the moment we will be content to take a general view of this solemn and well structured text, somewhat like majestic building destined to praise the wonders God has worked for us in Christ.”
Before the beginning of time and before creation, God prepared “a destiny of salvation and glory” for mankind. “In this transcendent plan, which includes creation and redemption, the cosmos and human history, God «in his goodness», pre-established to «recapitulate in Christ», that is to restore order and profound meaning, all things, those in heaven and those on earth” the Holy Father explained. “The Lordship of Christ extends, therefore, both to the cosmos and to that more specific horizon which is the Church”.
The whole canticle “sets its attention above all on the history of salvation which is a vivid sign of divine «goodness» , «generosity» and love. Hence the praise for «redemption through his blood», the Cross, the «remission of sins», the abundant outpouring of «the riches of grace». Hence the divine filiation of the Christian and «knowledge of the mystery of the will» of God by means of which we enter into the very life of the Trinity.”
The Pope concluded his teaching with a quotation from Saint John Chrysostom, in his comment on the same hymn: “God did all this for us «according to the generosity of his will». What does this mean? It means that God passionately desires and ardently longs for our salvation. «And why does he love us to this extent? What is the reason for his great love? Goodness: "grace", in fact, is proper to goodness»”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 18/2/2004 - Righe 25; Parole 339)