The Secret Life of John Paul II by Lino Zani

Author:Lino Zani [Zani, Lino]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St Benedict Press
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

And then, after the celebration of the Mass, the pope expressed his thanks in these words:

Once again I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for this invitation during the Marian year. It was the duty of the pope to return here, after having come once before as a skier. He had to come during this Marian year to celebrate the Eucharistic service here. There is no place more suitable for this sacrifice of Christ. A place, an environment of so many sacrifices of young lives, of young persons, of brothers fallen in the Lord. So many sacrifices. The sacrifice of Christ had to be celebrated, which reminds us of his death, which gives us life, which assures us of the victory of life in him and for us. This mystery had to be celebrated here, today, and I thank you for having invited me. And you have invited me for a day so dear to me, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Virgin Mother of the Mountains must be present— just as Saint Luke recalls that, after conceiving the divine Word in the Holy Spirit, she went to the mountains to visit her cousin Elizabeth, [so also] she must be present in the mountains. She went into the mountains, and into these mountains of her town of Judea. In these mountains she heard the words, "Blessed are you who have believed." The words that guide us during the Marian year.

This image of the Blessed Mother must be the sign of her faith that guides us all, that guides the whole Church, all peoples, all persons. All the communities on the earthly pilgrimage, but a pilgrimage of faith that leads us to life, supernatural life. I thank you for this invitation to the mountains where during this Marian year we have been able to celebrate what I would like to call the Virgin of the Mountains. It was in the mountains, in the home of Elizabeth, that Mary said the Magnificat. And this inspires us always, it inspires us together with the faith of Mary. And the word of nature, the grandeur of the mountains inspires us to repeat, "Magnificat." The Lord has done great things for us. I wish for you, dearest brothers and sisters, this Marian inspiration during the Marian year and all years. I wish it above all for you, dearest alpine people. I also wish for all mountain climbers and all skiers, for all inhabitants of the mountains, for all people of the mountains, for all those who love the mountains, that the mountains may always be for us the sign of the pilgrimage that leads above, that leads us to God. With these wishes I thank you once again, I leave you returning not on foot, not with skis, but in a helicopter. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Those hours were truly dense with great emotions for many people. Together with his usual charisma, John Paul II brought an emotional participation that could be clearly felt in the words he chose for the homily.

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