Holidays as a time to rediscover silence and the voice of God
Les Combes (AsiaNews) - Away from the "constant noise and clatter" of modern life, holidays are a time to rediscover silence and quietly listen to the voice of God.
Cheerful, slightly tanned, the Pope recited the Angelus from Les Combes, a hamlet of Introd municipality, Valle d'Aosta Region (Italy), where he is taking some time off to rest. He recited the Angelus under a wooden canopy built for the occasion, flowers in the foreground, trees all around, and the splendour that is Mont Blanc in the background. The Pope thanked the thousand or so local residents and tourists who made the journey to hear the Sunday prayers for their welcome.
"In this oasis of quiet" said Pope John II before the Angelus, "before this wonderful spectacle of nature, we can easily experience the rewards of silence, something increasingly rare today. The many opportunities we have to relate to one another and to exchange information can rob us of the time needed to meditate so much so that we may no longer be able to reflect and pray. In reality, only in silence can we successfully plunge to the depth of our conscience and listen to the voice of God. Only this voice can make us truly free. Holidays are indeed ideal in helping us rediscover this indispensable inner facet of human existence."
"Mary Most Holy," the Pope said, "is the perfect model of how we can listen to God speaking to man's heart. We turn to her, thinking of the Marian shrines and the images of the Virgin that dot the mountain roads and paths of Valle d'Aosta. Among them, I bless the statue of the "Little Virgin of Great Paradise Mountain," restored 50 years after being placed on the summit of this majestic mountain. May Mary, whom we shall celebrate in a few days time as Queen of Mount Carmel, help us see in the Creation's beauty the reflection of God's glory. May she encourage us to reach the spiritual summit of holiness with all our strength."
After the Angelus, John Paul II expressed his "special thanks" to the Les Combes's Salesian community" at whose chalet he is staying. "To all," he concluded, "I wish a Good Sunday and happy holidays."
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