Desire for justice, truth and love manifests desire for salvation, says Pope

Vatican City, Jun 22, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Holy Father spoke about the Canticle in chapter 15 of the Book of Revelation, “Hymn of adoration and praise,” in todays’s general audience celebrated in the Paul VI Hall.

John Paul II said that this hymn "is sung by those who are saved, the just of this earth. ... Like the Hebrews, after having crossed the seas, the chosen people raise up to God their 'hymn of Moses and the Lamb,' having conquered the beast, the enemy of God."

With this hymn, he continued, those who are saved "exalt the 'great and admirable works' of the 'Lord God Almighty', his saving action in the governing of the world and in history. True prayer, as well as supplication, is praise, thanksgiving, blessing, celebration, and profession of faith in the Lord who saves."

The Holy Father indicated that "the universal dimension in this hymn, which is expressed in the terms of Psalm 85, is significant: 'All the nations thou hast made shall come and bow down before thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name.'

“Our gaze extends to the whole horizon and we see crowds of people going toward the Lord in order to recognize 'His just judgements', His interventions in history to fend off evil and to praise good,” he continued.

“Therefore,” the Holy Father concluded, “the desire for justice present in all cultures, the need for truth and love that is perceived in all spiritualities, manifests a desire for salvation which can only come from the Lord.”