” “"The joy" that the Liturgy of the third Sunday of Advent "reawakens in the hearts of the Christians is not aimed at them only: it is a prophetic announcement that is directed to the whole humankind, especially to the poor ones, in this case to those who are poor in joy": this was said yesterday morning by the Pope before saying the Angelus prayer from Saint Peter’s Square. "Let’s think he added of out brothers and sisters who, especially in the Middle East, in some regions of Africa and in other parts of the world, go through the tragedy of war: what joy can they ever experience? What will their Christmas be like? Let’s think of the many sick people and lonely people who, as well as being physically exhausted, are also morally exhausted, because they often feel forsaken: how to share joy with them without being disrespectful to their suffering?" Then, Benedict XVI invited the devotees to think "also of those people especially young people who have lost the sense of true joy and look for it fruitlessly where it is impossible to find it: in the frantic rush to self-assertion and success, in cheap thrills, in consumerism, in intoxication, in drug-induced euphoria and in any form of alienation". According to the Holy Father, "we cannot help comparing today’s liturgy with its Rejoice! with such dramatic reality". (to be continued)” “
