Pope Benedict remembers Pope John Paul II

(April 04, 2011) “While, through our Lenten journey, we prepare for the feast of Easter, we are also joyfully approaching the day when we will venerate as Blessed this great witness of Christ and Pope, and rely even more on his intercession”, said Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday, referring to his predecessor Pope John Paul II, whom he will declare Blessed in less than a month on May 1. He was speaking after praying his weekly midday “Angelus’ prayer with a large crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square. The previous day, Saturday, was the 6^th death anniversary of the Polish pope who passed away April 2, 2005. Precisely because of the impending beatification, Pope Benedict XVI did not celebrate a memorial Mass on Saturday but he said he fondly remembered him in prayer, as did many of the faithful.
Before the ‘Angelus’ Pope Benedict reflected on the Sunday Gospel episode of Jesus healing the man born blind, drawing attention to the simple and sincere person’s gradual journey of faith. In opposition to the faith of the healed blind man, the Pope said there is a hardening of the hearts of the Pharisees who did not want to accept the miracle, because they refuse to accept Jesus as the Messiah. The Pope said, “We too because of the sin of Adam are born” blind “, but in the baptismal font we were enlightened by the grace of Christ. “In Baptism – he recalled - the gifting of the candle, lit from the paschal candle, the great symbol of the Risen Christ, is a sign which helps to understand what happens in the Sacrament.” “When our lives are enlightened by the mystery of Christ, we experience the joy of being liberated from all that threatens our fulfilment,” the Pope said. The Pope concluded with an invitation to “revive in ourselves the gift received in baptism, that flame that is sometimes in danger of being extinguished. He urged all to make this gift burn brighter with prayer and charity toward our neighbour.