VATICAN - “We are not at the mercy of dark forces, nor are we alone with our freedom; rather we are entrusted to the action of the powerful and loving Lord”: the pope says a Pope Benedict’s weekly audience

Wednesday, 1 February 2006

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Vatican City (Fides Service) - In his teaching at the general audience in the Paul VI Hall this morning the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on Psalm 144 (Vespers Friday week 4) in which, he said, the Lord is exalted as a loving and tender sovereign, concerned for all His creatures”.
“The psalm is addressed to the Lord invoked and described as King… the spiritual heart of our song constitutes precisely an intense and passionate celebration of divine royalty” the Pope explained in his teaching. This royal symbolism “is the expression of God’s plan for salvation: he is not indifferent to human history, indeed he desires to enact for it a plan of harmony and peace. To achieve this plan all humanity is convoked to adhere to God’s saving will....a universal action which tears evil from the world and installs there the ‘glory’ of the Lord, in other words his personal effective and transcendent presence”.
At the centre of the composition the Psalmist speaks for the faithful exalting God who is present and active in history. “This prayer is a sort of litany which proclaims God’s entrance into human vicissitudes in order to bring all created reality to fullness of salvation. We are not at the mercy of dark forces, nor are we alone with our freedom; rather we are entrusted to the action of the powerful and loving Lord, who has a plan for us a to establish.”
The Kingdom of God is not like earthly kingdoms: “it is a place of devotion, tenderness, goodness, grace, justice as it is said repeatedly in the verses of praise”. Lastly the Pope said: “The summary of this divine portrait is in verse 8: the Lord is «slow to anger and rich in grace». We have here a preparation for St John’s profession of faith in God who is love”. Our attention then focuses on the next beautiful verse 9: «The Lord is good to all, he lavishes his love on all his creatures»”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 1/2/2006, righe 26, parole 376)