Mar

26

Aide: God Works Through His Saints

March 26, 2008 |

Father Lombardi Comments on Recent Deaths of Church Figures

God enters our lives in the company of the saints, the director of the Holy See’s press office said in commenting on the recent deaths of the archbishop of Mosul and Chiara Lubich.Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul of the Chaldeans, Iraq died sometime after being kidnapped on Feb. 29 by terrorists. Lubich, 88, died March 14 in her home near Rome. She was the founder of the Focolare Movement.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi commented on the deaths of the two Christian figures on the last episode of the weekly Vatican Television program “Octava Dies.”

“Jesus, the Son of God died for us and with us. But then he rises. Those who die in union with him, having made love of others and service the meaning of their lives, also die to enter into a fuller life,” Father Lombardi explained.

“The Pope,” he then added, “recalled Archbishop Rahho’s love of the poor and the handicapped, he recalled Chiara’s dedication to the unity of Christians and fraternity among peoples.”

Father Lombardi continued: “Benedict XVI loves to repeat that God does not come into our lives by himself, but in the company of his saints. This is how it is. And perhaps we can add that the risen Jesus returns to us also accompanied in particular by those who accompanied him in his life and death.

“[This is] because Jesus journeys through his life to the cross in a singular way, but not alone; and those who have the grace to be able to know how to consciously unite, in faith, their life, their passion and death to Christ’s, also become a great sign of hope for many people: They do a great service for their community and people.”

“Because witnesses,” he concluded, “help us to understand that that which was realized in them in a more luminous and eminent way is really a path open to all who are loved by God, who walks with them and dies for them and with them. That is, absolutely for all.” 

Courtesy Zenit.org

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