Pope's 'Angelus' of Sunday, March 18

(March 19, 2012) On the horizon of the desert, which Jesus crosses with us through Lent, looms the culmination of his mission – his supreme act of love on the Cross. This was the image that Pope Benedict offered on the 4^th Sunday of Lent before praying his weekly midday ‘Angelus’ with a large crowd in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Reflecting on John’s Gospel about the bronze serpent that Moses held up in the desert, the Pope said Jesus speaks about Himself being lifted upon the Cross, so that anyone in danger of death because of sin, might be saved by turning to Him in faith. For this to happen the Pope said each one of us must admit we are ill, and in order to be healed we must confess our sin in order that God's forgiveness, already given on the Cross, might take effect in our heart and life. Pope Benedict noted that sometimes man loves the darkness more than light, because he is attached to his sins. But it is only by frankly confessing our sins to God, that we find true peace and true joy. The HOLY Father thus insisted on the importance of approaching the Sacrament of Penance regularly, especially in Lent, to receive the Lord's forgiveness and intensify our path of conversion.
At the ‘Angelus’ prayer, Pope Benedict also urged for prayers for his next foreign trip to Mexico and Cuba, from March 23 to 29. He entrusted his 6-day visit to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is loved and revered in the two countries is visiting. Later, speaking in Spanish, he said he was going to “confirm the faith of Christians in these beloved nations and all of Latin America” and to help spur progress in both countries with a renewal of the faith. Pope Benedict also thanked all those who ahead of Monday’s Feast of St. Joseph have remembered him in prayers. Pope Benedict was baptized Joseph Ratzinger.
After the ‘Angelus’, the German Pope recalled the 6^th World Water Forum, which ended on Saturday in Marseille, France, and said that the World Water Day to be observed on Thursday, highlights the fundamental link between the precious and limited resource with food safety. He hoped that these initiatives will help to ensure an equitable, safe and adequate access to water for all, thereby promoting every human being’s right to life and nutrition. He also hoped that they will promote a responsible use of the goods of the earth based on solidarity, for the benefit of present and future generations.