L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO

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FORTIETH YEAR
UNICUIQUE SUUM NON PRAEVALEBUNT
N. 9 (1983) - 28 February 2007
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The ‘yes’ of the priesthood An absolute ‘yes’ to life

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ANGELUS, FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT: FEBRUARY 25

Enter Lent gazing on the pierced side of Jesus

The following is a translation from May humankind understand that only
Italian of the Holy Father's Angelus from this font is it possible to draw the
Reflection for Sunday, 25 February. indispensable spiritual energy to build
that peace and happiness which every
Dear Brothers and Sisters, human being continually seeks.
This year the Message for Lent is in- Let us ask the Virgin Mary, pierced in
spired by a verse of John's Gospel, spirit next to the Cross of her Son, to
which in turn refers to a messianic
prophecy of Zechariah: “They shall look obtain for us a solid faith. Guiding us
on him whom they have pierced” (Jn along the Lenten journey, may she help
19:37). The beloved disciple, present at us to leave all that distances us from lis-
Calvary together with Mary, the Mother tening to Christ and his saving Word.
of Jesus, and some other women, was To her I entrust in€particular€the week
an eyewitness to the thrust of the lance of Spiritual Exercises that will begin this
that passed through Christ's side, caus- afternoon here in the Vatican, and in
ing blood and water to flow forth (cf. Jn which I will participate along with my
19:31-34). That gesture by an anony- collaborators of the Roman Curia.
mous Roman soldier, destined to be lost Dear brothers and sisters, I ask you
in oblivion, remains impressed on the to accompany us with your prayer,
eyes and heart of the Apostle, who which I willingly reciprocate during the
takes it up in his Gospel. How many recollection of the retreat, invoking the
conversions have come about down the divine power upon each of you, your
centuries thanks to the eloquent mes- families and your communities.
sage of love that the one who looks up- After the Angelus the Pope said:
on Jesus crucified receives!
Therefore, we enter into the Lenten The Holy Father calls all Christians to fasting and penance I am happy to greet all the English-
Season with our “gaze” fixed on the side during his Ash Wednesday Homily at Rome's speaking pilgrims and visitors present
of Jesus. In the Encyclical Letter Deus Basilica of Santa Sabina. For more, see pages 6-7. for this Angelus, particularly the group
Caritas Est (cf. n. 12), I wished to em- of Missionaries of Faith from Samoa.
phasize that only by looking at Jesus Contemplating the Crucified One with distance our hearts from this mystery of Today, the First Sunday of Lent, we are
dead on the Cross for us can this funda- the eyes of faith we can understand in profound humanity and lofty spirituali- invited to contemplate Jesus as an ex-
mental truth be known and contemplat- depth what sin is, how tragic is its grav- ty. Looking at Christ, we feel at the ample of how to conduct our daily
ed: “God is love” (I Jn 4:8, 16). “In this ity, and at the same time, how immense same time looked at by him. He whom struggle against temptation. May this
contemplation”, I wrote, “the Christian is the Lord's power of forgiveness and we have pierced with our faults never time of purification prepare our hearts
discovers the path along which his life mercy. tires of pouring out upon the world an to celebrate the saving mysteries of the
and love must move” (n. 12). During these days of Lent, let us not inexhaustible torrent of merciful love. death and Resurrection of Christ.

At the GENERAL AUDIENCE on Ash Wednesday, 21

President:€South€Korea PAGE€2 Ambassador:€Costa€Rica PAGE€4 February, in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall, the
Holy Father commented on the graced period of Lent
and on his annual Message for this season. The Pope
Annuario€Pontificio€2007 PAGE€2 Ambassador:€Colombia PAGE€4 explained that the whole of Lent is “a journey towards
this important encounter with Christ”, a journey which
is enabled by true conversion, so that for us today Lent
is “an opportunity to ‘become’ Christian ‘anew’”.
Latin€American€Nuncios PAGE€3 Basilica confessors PAGE€5 PAGE€11