Pope's Message to Rimini Meeting: Only God can truly fill the hearts of men.
(22 Aug 10 – RV) "Witness in our time that the great things that the human heart longs
for are found in God" is Pope Benedict XVI’s message to participants at the Rimini
Meeting, which opened Sunday morning in the Italian seaside resort with a Mass celebrated
by the diocesan bishop, Mgr. Francesco Lambiasi.
The Meeting, in its 31st
edition has drawn thousands of participants from throughout Italy and abroad to discuss
the theme: “The nature which pushes us to desire great things is the heart”.
The
papal message, read during mass, noted that there is a risk of establishing a purely
materialistic concept of life, but that "human nature” is expressed first of all,
in the hearts longing for ‘greater things’. “Every man – the Pope states in his message,
- intuitively knows that in realizing the deepest desires of his heart, man finds
the opportunity for achievement, fulfilment, to become truly himself". "Mankind –
the message continues - is often tempted to stop at the little things, those that
give 'cheap' satisfaction and pleasure, those that satisfy for a passing moment, things
that are as easy to obtain as they are illusory." "God - continues the Pope - came
into the world to awaken in us a thirst for 'greater things'." "And we should purify
our desires and our hopes to be able to welcome the sweetness of God”. “We can ask
God - continued the Pope, "for all that is good. The goodness and power of God, knows
no boundary between great and small things, between material and spiritual things,
between earthly and heavenly things. In dialogue with him, living our whole life under
his gaze, we learn to desire the good things, in the end to desire God Himself.".
In the message, the Pope also recalled the fifth anniversary of the death of Mgr.
Giussani, the founder of Communion and Liberation, who organise and host the event.
The Rimini Meeting has dedicated a tribute to him through words, images and a short
video documenting his passion for life. As Don Giussani was known to say: "I do not
want to live in vain, this is my obsession".