THe Pope Talks About The End of the World-Yesterday's Angelus.

Thanks again to the Ratzinger Forum for the translation of yesterday' Angelus.
ANGELUS OF 11/18/07
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words at noonday Angelus today.

Dear brothers and sisters In today's Gospel, St. Luke re-proposes for our reflection the Biblical vision of history, referring to the words of Jesus, who invites his disciples not to be afraid, but to face difficulties, incomprehension and even persecutions with confidence, persevering in their faith in him. "When you hear of wars and insurrections," the Lord says, "do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end" (Lk 21,9).

Mindful of this admonition, the Church, from the beginning, lives in the prayerful expectation of the return of its Lord, scrutinizing the signs of the times and warning the faithful against recurring Messianisms, which from time to time announce that the end of the world is imminent. In fact, history must run its ourse, which includes human tragedies and natural calamities. Within it is situated the plan of salvation which Jesus fulfilled in his incarnation, death and resurrection.

It is this mystery that the Church continues to announce and to actualize in its preaching, in the celebration of the Sacraments, and in the testimony of charity. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept Christ's invitation to face the events of every day, trusting in his providential love. Let us not fear for the future, even when it appears dark to us, because the God of Jesus Christ, entered history in order to open it to transcendent fulfillment, of which he is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end (cfr Ap 1,8).

He guarantees us that in every small but genuine act of love, is found all the sense of the universe, and that he who does not hesitate to lose his own life for Christ, will find it back in fullness (cfr Mt 16,25). Keeping alive this prospect for us, consecrated persons invite us with particular effectiveness, because they have placed theri lives unconitionally in the service of the Kingdom of God. Among them, I would like to remember particularly the women who heed the call to the cloistered life.

The Church dedicates a special day for them on Wednesday, November 21, memorial of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple. We owe so much to these persons who live only by what Providence gives them through the generosity of other faithful. The monastery "as a spiritual oasis, shows today's world the most imprtant, and in fact, the only decisive thing: that there exists an ultimate reason for which life is worth living, namely, God and his inscrutable love" (Heiligenkreuz, Sept. 9, 2007).

The faith that works through charity is the true antidote to the nihilist mentality, which in our time, continues to extend its influence throughout the world. May Mary, Mother of the Word incarnate, accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage. We ask her to sustain the testimony of all Christians that it may always rest on a firm and persevering faith.

After the Angelus prayers, he spoke of the victims of the cyclone in Bangladesh:

In recent days, a poweerful cyclone hit the southern part of Bangladesh, with numerous victims and severe destruction. In renewing my expression of sincere condolence to the stricken families and to the entire Bengali nation, which is very dear to me, I call on international solidarity which is already in motion to attend to the imemdiate necessities, and I encourage every possible effort to help our brothers who are so severely tried. Today, in Jordan, is the opening of the 8th assembly of states who are signatories to the inernational convention prohibitng the use, stockpiling, production and transport of anti-personnel mines and for their destruction. The Holy See has been one of the principal promoters of this Convention, which has been in force for the past ten years. From my heart, I express my hope and my encouragement for the success of the conference, so that these types of ordnance, which continue to claim new victims, among them many children, may be completely banned.

This afternoon, the venerable Servant of God Antonio Rosmini will be beatified in Novara. He was a great figure as a priest and illustrious man of culture, who was animated by a fervent love of God and the Church. He bore witness to the virtue of charity in all its dimensions and at the highest level, but what mae him best known was his generous commitment to what he called 'intellectual charity', which is the reconciliation of reason with faith. May his example help the church, especially the church communities in Italy, to grow in the awareness that the light of human reason and of Grace, working together, constitute a spring of blessings for the human being and for society.

In English, he said:

I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking visitors gathered for this Angelus prayer, including the communities of the Neocatechumenal Way from Malta. Today’s Gospel urges us to be steadfast in our faith, trusting in Christ’s victory and the coming of his Kingdom. May we find in prayer the strength to remain always faithful to the Lord and his Church! God bless you and your families!