The "ordeals", "no matter how painful and heavy, can never dent the deep joy that comes from the love of God". It was said by the Pope during the sermon of the Mass he celebrated this afternoon at Stadium "Bentegodi" in Verona for the 4th National ecclesial meeting. As a still topical example of perseverance in faith, Benedict XVI mentioned the uninterrupted thread that still links the life of the Christian communities to the saints and martyrs of these days: "From the day of Pentecost he recalled the light of Jesus Resurrected has transfigured the life of the Apostles", "the witnesses elected and responsible for a revelation on which depended the salvation of their contemporaries and all the future generations". "The paschal faith he went on filled their heart with extraordinary ardour and zeal, that made them ready to face any difficulty and even death", "without fear" of the "hard persecutions" and martyrdom. A "truth", this one, "also documented in Italy by nearly two millenniums’ Christian history, with numberless proofs of martyrs, saints and blessed who have left indelible traces in every corner" of Italy. "We are the heirs to those victorious witnesses!" exclaimed the Pope.
