Apr 13 2008
“God Will Deliver My Soul”
Pope Benedict’s last encyclical letter to us was about Hope. Clearly he feels that in the dark and often hopeless times in which we live, we desperately need this virtue. His General Intention for April is another expression of this as he asks us to join him in praying that Christians may not tire of proclaiming with their lives that Christ’s resurrection is the source of hope and peace. Let us pray with Pope Benedict and a great contemporary witness to hope, Archbishop Michael Sabbah of Jerusalem, by reflecting on the Archbishop’s Easter Sunday homily.
Brothers and Sisters, Christ is risen. Yes, right here, this tomb that we venerate witnessed the events that have been transmitted to us by our faith. Here, the empty tomb, in front of which we celebrate Easter this morning, testifies to our faith. It testifies to God’s love for all of humanity. With the entire Church, we renew our faith and we proclaim that Christ rose here. Yes, He is truly risen. We pray in this Eucharist for Christians, for Muslims, and for Jews, for all religions and for our two peoples, Palestinian and Israeli. We pray so that the hope of the Resurrection might revive and renew the hearts of all, and fill them with the mystery of God and of his love. …
Look up to heaven, contemplate Christ who died and resurrected, in order to learn how to die and resurrect each day and each moment and in order to give new hope to this land. Chosen people, your vocation is the same one that Jesus had: to give new life to the world, but first of all to yourselves…. We are witnesses of the Resurrection, said Saint Peter to the crowd after Pentecost. Like him, here, in this very place, we are witnesses of the Resurrection, in order to give new hope and to maintain this hope in everyone, despite all the evil of the people who destroy this land. Let us pray, my brothers and sisters, so that the Resurrection of the Lord will enable all of us to give new life to our land and to all those with whom we are called to live. With the Psalmist we proclaim our hope: “God will deliver my soul” (Ps 49:16) and deliver our land.
Today’s Readings: Acts 9:31-42; Psalm 116:12-17; John 6:60-69
