Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Even though "problems exist within the Church and inside families, our hope does not rely on improbable predictions, nor even on economic forecasts . . . . Our hope is in God, not in the sense of a general religiosity or on some kind of fatalism cloaked in faith. Our trust is in the God who in Jesus Christ completely and definitively revealed his will to be with man, to share his history and guide us to his Kingdom of love and life. This great hope drives and sometimes amends our human hopes," Benedict XVI said as he renewed his best wishes for the New Year to more than 30,000 pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square for today's Angelus.
In commenting the readings in today's Mass, the second Sunday after Christmas—Chapter 24 of the Book of Sirach, the hymn that opens Saint Paul's Letter to the Ephesians and the prologue to the Gospel of John—, the Holy Father said, "These texts assert that God is not only the creator of the universe, something which is found in other religions, but that he is also Father who 'chose us in him, before the foundation of the world' and 'destined us for adoption to himself' (Eph, 1:4,5). For this reason, he went as far as doing the inconceivable and became man: 'And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us' (John, 1:14).
"The mystery of the Incarnation of the Word of God was prepared in the Old Testament, especially where Divine Knowledge coincides with the Mosaic Law," the Pope said. "That Knowledge says, ' Then the Creator of all gave me his command, and he who formed me chose the spot for my tent, Saying, 'In Jacob make your dwelling, in Israel your inheritance' (Sir, 24:8). In Jesus Christ, God's Law became a living account, written in the heart of man in which, through the work of the Holy Spirit, dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily (cf Col, 2:9). Dear friends, this is humanity's true reason for hope. History makes sense because God's Knowledge 'dwells' in it."
"However, the divine plan is not achieved automatically because it is a project of love, and love generates freedom and calls for freedom. The Kingdom of God certainly comes, or better still, is already present in history. With the coming of Christ, it has already defeated the negative force of the Evil One. But every man and every woman is responsible for accepting him in their lives, each day. Therefore, 2010 will be more or less "good" to the extent that each one of us, in accordance with our responsibilities, will be able to work with the grace of God".
"Let us address the Virgin Mary," the Pontiff finally said, "to learn this spiritual attitude from Her. The Son of God took flesh from Her with her consent. Each time the Lord wants to take a step forward, together with us, towards the 'Promised Land', he knocks first at the door of our hearts, and then waits so to speak for us to say 'Yes' through our choices, big and small. May Mary help us accept always God's will with humility and courage so that even life's trials and suffering can bring forward the coming of his Kingdom of justice and peace."
Right before the Angelus, the Press Office of the Holy See released a statement confirming that on 31 December, "Mgr Georg Gaenswein made a private visit to Ms Maiolo, showing the Holy Father's interest in her situation." Susanna Maiolo is the 25-year-old woman who on Christmas Night vaulted a barrier inside Saint Peter's Basilica and was able to hug the Pope before being swarmed by bodyguards, thus causing his fall. The woman, who is mentally unstable, is currently being held at a medical facility in Subiaco (Italy).
