VATICAN - At the general audience in the Vatican the Pope continues his catechesis on the Psalms: "Man often walks through the dark path of life, but suddenly the darkness is breached by the splendour of the Word of God".

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Vatican City (Fides Agency) - "Now, after a break due to my stay in Valle d'Aosta, at this General Audience let us move on along our itinerary through the Psalms proposed by the Liturgy of the Vespers. Today we encounter the fourteenth of the twenty-two parts constituting psalm 118, the great hymn to the law of God, the expression of his will." With these words the Holy Father John Paul II started his catechesis during the general audience, held in the Paul VI hall in the Vatican this morning.
"Man often walks through the dark path of life, but suddenly the darkness is breached by the splendour of the Word of God” - the Pope explained - “Even Psalm 18 compares the Law of God to the sun, when it says 'The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes' (18, 9). The Book of the Proverbs says that 'these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light' (6, 23). Christ himself presents himself as the final revelation of this very image: 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (Jn 8, 12).
The Psalmist evokes the sufferings and dangers of life, which needs to be illuminated by the Lord: "Peace of one's conscience is the strength of the believer; his or her constancy in obeying the divine commands is the source of serenity". The final declaration: 'Your teachings are my heritage forever, they are the joy of my heart' (v. 111) underlines how the most precious thing the psalmist possesses and cares for are the teachings and commandments of the Lord: "He or she wants to be totally faithful to God's will. Along this path he or she shall find peace for his or her soul and prove capable of passing through the dark web of tests, finally reaching true joy".
At the end, the Pope quoted St Augustine, who developed the issue of the joy that comes from observing the Law of the Lord in connection to Psalm 118: "Blessed, therefore, be those who are faultless throughout their path, those who walk in the law of the Lord!" (S.L.) (Fides Agency 21/7/2004 - Lines 24; Words 348)