Vatican City, Nov 16, 2004 / 22:00 pm
In today's general audience in the Paul VI Hall, Pope John Paul II catechized on the theme of Psalm 66, "May all peoples glorify the Lord," which he said instructs us to “break down the walls of division, hostility and hatred so that the family of God can gather in harmony” and praise Him.
The Pope said that the phrase "'the earth has yielded its fruit', makes us think of a hymn of thanksgiving, addressed to the Creator for the gifts of the earth, a sign of divine blessing."
"The divine blessing asked for by Israel manifests itself in the fertility of the land and in fecundity, or the gift of life,” he said. “Thanks to the blessing that Israel begged God for, all of humanity will be able to know 'the way' and 'the saving power' of the Lord, that is His saving plan.”
The Holy Father explained that “it is revealed to all creatures and all societies that God judges and governs the peoples and the nations in the entire world, leading everyone toward the horizons of justice and peace."