The Holy Fathers's Angelus for the 5th Sunday of Lent

Pope Benedict had a very nice Angelus yesterday that focused on the Gospel we heard at Mass yesterday. He also talked briefly on Iraq and the violence in the Holy Land. He also made mention of a Penitential Liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica for the youth of the Diocese of Rome which he will be part of this Coming Thursday. Thanks again to the Ratzinger Forum for the translation
ANGELUS OF 3/9/08
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's words at the noonday Angelus today:

In our Lenten itinerary we have reached the fifth Sunday, characterized by the Gospel of the resurrection of Lazarus (Jn 11,1-48). It was the last great 'sign' from Jesus, after which the high priests called the Sanhedrin to discuss killing him.

They would also decide to kill Lazarus himself, who was the living proof of the divinity of Christ, Lord of life and death. Indeed, this Gospel episode shows Jesus as true man and true God. Above all, the evangelist emphasizes his friendship with Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary.

He underscores that "Jesus loved them" ['Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus'(Jn 11,5)], and so he wanted to perform the great miracle. "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him" (Jn 11,11), he told his disciples, expressing with the metaphor of sleep God's view of physical death:

God sees it as sleep, from which one can awaken. Jesus showed absolute power over such death: it was evident when he gave back life to the young son of the widow of Nain (cf Lk 7, 11-17) and to the 12-year-old girl (cfr Mk 5m35-43). Of this girl, he said, "She is not dead, she sleeps" (Mk 5,39), drawing the derision of those present.

But in truth, it is so: the death of the body is a sleep from which God can make us arise at any moment. This mastery over death did not keep Jesus from feeling sincere compassion for the sorrow of separation. Seeing Martha and Mary sweeping, along with those who came to comfort them, he "became perturbed and deeply troubled" and finally, "Jesus wept" (Jn 121,33-35).

The heart of Christ is divine and human: in him God and man are perfectly joined, without separation and without confusion. He is the image - more, the incarnation - of the God who is love, mercy, maternal and paternal kindness, of the God who is life. That is why he declared solemnly to Martha: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." Then he adds, "Do you believe this?" (Jn 11, 25-26).

That is a question that Jesus addresses to each of us. A question that is beyond us, really - it transcends our ability to understand, and asks us to trust in him, as he himself trusts the Father. Martha's response is exemplary: "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world" (Jn 11,27).

Yes, Lord! We too believe, despite our doubts and our being in darkness. We believe in you because you have the words of eternal life. We want to believe in you who gives us a reliable hope for life beyond life, the authentic and full life in your Kingdom of light and peace.

Let us entrust this prayer to the Most Blessed Mary. May her intercession reinforce our faith and our hope in Jesus, especially in the moments of greatest trial and difficulty.

After the Angelus, the Holy Father had the following messages:

In the past days, violence and horror have once again bloodied the Holy Land, feeding a spiral of destruction and death which seems to have no end. While I invite you to pray insistently to the Allmighty Lord for the gift of peace in that region, I wish to entrust to his mercy the so many innocent victims and to express solidarity with their families and the wounded. Moreover, I encourage the Israeli and Palesitinian authorities in their intention to continune to build, through negotiations, a peaceful and just future for their peoples. And I ask overyone, in the name of God, to leave the tortuous ways of hatred and vengeance, and to follow responsibly the paths of dialog and mutual trust.

This is also my hope for Iraq, even as we are still fearful for the fate of His Excellency, Mons. Rahho, and of so many Iraqis who continue to experience blind and absurd violence, which is certainly contrary to the will of God.

On Thursday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m., I will preside at a Penitential Liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica for the youth of the Diocese of Rome. It will be a high point in the preparation for the XXIII World Youth Day, that we will celebrate on Palm Sunday and which will culminate in July with the great gathering in Sydney.

Dear young people of Rome, I invite you all to this appointment with the mercy of God! To the priests and other responsible persons, I urge you to encourage the participation of the youth, making the words of the Apostle Paul your own: "So we are ambassadors for Christ... We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5,20).

In English, he said:

My greetings to all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims... In this Sunday’s Gospel, we hear how Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. We also hear how Martha, in the midst of her grief, was able to make her great profession of faith: "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world." As we approach the season of Our Lord’s Passion, we pray that our own faith may be strengthened, so that we too can place all our hope in him who is the resurrection and the life. Upon all of you here today, and upon your families and loved ones at home, I invoke God’s abundant blessings.