Vatican City, Jul 20, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Holy Father spoke on Psalm 118 during today’s general audience in the Paul VI Hall, in which he explaind that the source of peace of the faithful believer is his obedience to the plan of God and faithfulness to His commandments amidst trials and tribulations.
The psalm, said the Holy Father, says that “on the path of life, we often encounter moments of darkness, but the light of the Word of God dispels that darkness, often quite unexpectedly. .... The perfect image of God's light is Christ Himself, Who proclaims: 'I am the light of the world'.”
John Paul II indicated that the psalmist evokes "the suffering and dangers of life that the faithful must confront and who need to be illuminated and sustained. ... The faithful person passes through the world amidst dangers, cares, persecutions; he knows that tribulation is always close at hand. The Christian knows that every day he must take up the cross on the way to Calvary.”
“Nevertheless,” he said, “the just man remains faithful. ... Peace of conscience is the strength of the believer; his constancy in obeying the divine commandments is a source of serenity. He wants to be completely faithful to God's will. On this path, he will find peace in his soul and will be able to overcome the dark entanglement of trials, gaining true happiness.”