During the summer, when we have time to relax, we must rediscover how great it is
to read the bible. In the first general audience since his July break, Pope Benedict
XVI invited pilgrims at Castel Gandolfo, to use some of their vacation to re-familiarise
themselves with the beauty of the bible, and meditate on its meaning.
Thousands
flooded the main square of the tiny hill top village which borders onto the main
entrance to the Papal summer residence.
Appearing on the balcony overlooking
the square, the Pope said "each of us needs time and space for meditation, reflection
and calm ... Thank God it's so! In fact, this requirement tells us that we are not
made only for work but also to think, reflect, or simply to follow a story with our
minds and hearts, a story that we can connect with, in a sense 'get lost' in to then
find ourselves enriched. “
Of course, the Pope observed, many books "are mostly
for escapism." And yet, he added, many are also dedicated to a more challenging reading:
"Why not discover some books of the Bible, which are normally unknown? Or of which
we have maybe heard some passages during the liturgy, but we never read in its entirety?
In fact, many Christians have never read the bible, and have a very limited and superficial
knowledge of it. “
The bible, the Holy Father said, is like a collection of
books, "a small library." Some of these books, he said, "remain almost unknown to
most people, even good Christians." He mentioned some of these books, such as the
"Book of Tobit," on family and marriage, the "Book of Esther "on the power of prayer
and the "Book of Ruth", on Divine providence.
These little books can be read
through in one hour, he said, before pointing to more challenging, and authentic masterpieces,
such as “the Book of Job, which tackles the great problem of innocent suffering, Ecclesiastes
for its disconcerting modernity which questions the meaning of life and the world,
the Song of Songs, a beautiful poem symbolic of human love".
The Pope also
spoke of the New Testament stressing "the beauty of reading one Gospel straight through"
as well as the Acts of the Apostles, or Letters. He then reiterated his suggestion
to "keep the Bible on hand during the summer or during breaks", " to enjoy it in a
new way”.
After the catechesis, speaking in English, the Pope greeted, among
others, a group of faithful from the Japanese city of Nagasaki who on August 9 next
will commemorate the 66th anniversary of the atomic bombing during the
Second War World. Then before taking his leave Pope Benedict went to personally greet
the sick and the faithful in the front rows behind the barriers. Listen: