VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Only with the help of God is it possible to cope with the dangers and evil that every man and woman must face in daily life, John Paul II said at today’s general audience.
«God will not abandon us in the struggle against evil,» the Pope told some 18,000 pilgrims, gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the general audience. He commented on Psalm 143 [144], king David’s prayer for victory and peace.
«Only with divine support can we overcome the dangers and difficulties that stud every day of our life. Only counting on the help of Heaven will we be able to be committed, like the ancient king of Israel, to walk toward freedom from every oppression.,» he said.
The Psalm presents God with martial images: «military instructor, impregnable fortress, protective shield, victor.»
On one hand, it exalts the personality of God «who commits himself against the evil in history: he is not a dark power, or a sort of fate, nor an impassible and indifferent sovereign in regard to human affairs,» the Holy Father clarified.
On the other hand, «the firm conviction emerges that we are inconsistent, like a breath of wind, if the Creator does not sustain us in life,» he said.
Christians repeat the prayer that Psalm 143 [144] raises, fixing their gaze on Christ «who delivers us from every evil» and sustains the believer in the battle against perverse and hidden spirits.
Today’s reflection was a continuation of the series of meditations on the Psalms and Canticles of the Old Testament, which John Paul II has been offering at the general audiences. They may be found in the «Wednesday Audience» section of ZENIT’s web page http://www.zenit.org/english/audience/.
