“How can one rejoice before a by now impending death sentence? From where, or better, from whom does Saint Paul draw the serenity, the strength, the courage to meet his martyrdom and bloodshed?”. These are the questions the Pope asked himself at the start of the catechesis, reminding people that, in the last chapter of the Letter to the Ephesians, there is “a string call to joy, a fundamental feature” of our being Christians. “Rejoicing in front of the impending risk of martyrdom and bloodshed – Benedict XVI answered at the end of the catechesis – is possible only because the apostle never moved his eyes away from Christ, to such an extent that he conformed to Him in his death”. Benedict XVI urged, in particular, to rediscover the gesture of genuflection, that expresses “the attitude of adoration in front of God, with one’s body as well”, and that it is important “to make, not out of habit or hurriedly, but in perfect awareness”.

27/06/2012 -