SULMONA, Italy, JULY 4, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Though we live in a time of «great comfort and possibility,» we must keep our minds and hearts free, so as to find generosity to share with our neighbors, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope affirmed this today before he prayed the midday Angelus with the faithful in Sulmona, Italy. He is making a one-day trip to this region of central Italy, devastated by an earthquake in 2009.
Prior to his brief Angelus address, the Bishop of Rome had celebrated a Mass in Garibaldi Square and preached the homily.
«In Mary, Virgin of silence and listening, St. Peter del Morrone found the perfect model of obedience to the divine will, in a simple and humble life, committed to seeking out the essential, always able to thank the Lord, recognizing everything as a gift of his goodness,» the Holy Father observed.
He added, «We too, who live in a time of great comfort and possibility, are called to appreciate a sober way of life, to keep our minds and hearts more free to be able to share our goods with our brothers.»
The Pontiff concluded with a prayer that the Church of today might «bear credible witness to the Gospel» thanks to Mary’s help, she who «animated the first community of Jesus’ disciples with her maternal presence.»
After praying the Angelus, Benedict XVI went to a retirement home for ill and elderly priests, where he was to lunch with the region’s bishops.
The retirement home was inaugurated today after some restoration work and is dedicated precisely to Benedict XVI.
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full text: www.zenit.org/article-29790?l=english
