Vatican City, Sep 25, 2005 / 22:00 pm
In his last Sunday angelus prayer at the papal Castelgandolfo summer residence before his return to the Vatican later this week, Pope Benedict said yesterday that the response of the faithful in receiving the Eucharist must be one of concrete love, conversion, and forgiveness.
Thousands of pilgrims had gathered to pray the Angelus in the internal courtyard of the pontifical residence and hear the Pope's continuing reflections on the Eucharistic mystery.
The Holy Father told them that charity "does not primarily mean the beneficial act or sentiment, but the spiritual gift, the love of God that the Holy Spirit pours into the human heart, moving it to give itself in turn to God and to others."
He stressed that "Jesus' entire earthly existence, from conception to death on the cross, was a single act of love" and pointed to the fact that "we can sum up our faith in these words: 'Jesus Caritas,' Jesus Love."