The Pope's last audible words, on hearing tens of thousands of young people singing in St. Peter's Square as he lay in his deathbed, Friday, April 1, 2005.

HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II

Sunday , March 4, 1990

"Forgive us, Lord, we have sinned" (Responsorial Psalm).

1. Dear brothers and sisters, on this first Sunday of Lent, the beginning of that journey of conversion that will lead us, renewed in the spirit to celebrate the paschal mystery, the liturgy places on our lips the words of the "Miserere". They are simultaneously an observation and a prayer.

A finding, first of all we have sinned! Believers are led to humbly acknowledge their status as children of God, even called to live in communion with the Father and with his brothers, they often say "no" to this project of love.

Introduces us in this meditation the word of God, we have heard. In the first reading, with a style of images that reveal a language and a culture very different from the way we express ourselves, the sacred author addresses some issues that have always troubled humanity: What is the plan of God for man? How do you explain the presence of evil in man and in the world?

The response calls into question the faith: God created man in his own image, has communicated his breath, that his life, he called to live in communion with him and with others made him lord of creation , has set himself the rule of moral behavior with a law written in the heart, to allow them to choose what is truly good and avoid evil. The happiness of man and the fraternal community of men are related to loyalty and obedience to this project.

2. Man, however, has known since the beginning and continues to feel always the temptation to break free from this divine plan, to replace God to become the sole arbiter of his life and history, leading to their decision what is good and what that is bad.

Satisfy this urge means exclude God from his horizon, deliberately severing communion with him and, therefore, with those whom God has placed beside the man as brothers. The illusory claim to "be like God" brings the sad consequences of the loss, and then the division of death not only invest your heart and life of man, but crack fraternal relations and those with the cosmos, swept itself the rebellion of man.

It is "the mystery of lawlessness" ( 2 Thess 2, 7) of which St. Paul speaks, but that all men are witnesses and they experience. For believers, then evil is not only the result of unconscious psychological processes or anonymous oppressive structures. The first root of the evil lies in the free and conscious person who disobeys God, excludes it from his life, denies his lordship in history. So evil - that revelation called "sin" - came into the world from the beginning and still reigns. The experience of Adam is that of every man.

3. What to do before this dramatic picture? Surrender to discouragement? The word of God, and complaint and explains the presence of sin in the world, at the same time invites us to open our hearts to hope. Sin - it points out - has been defeated by Jesus Christ. He is the new Adam, the Son-Servant who by his obedience "unto death," he reconciled men with God, and by his resurrection has bestowed on all who believe in him the gift of the Spirit and the abundance of grace.

This is what Jesus already evident at the beginning of his mission. Solidarity with the man, he is subjected to the test during the forty days spent in the desert and overcomes the temptations, which instead was the victim Israel during the forty years of his retirement and to which men perish in the way of their lives. He reports reaffirming victory, by obedience to the commandment of the Father ("it is written"), the primacy of God's first-born among many brothers, founded as the certainty of victory for those who behave like him.

4. Such a victory, however, while still remaining a "gift", can not be achieved without active cooperation of man. Thus was born the instance of conversion, spiritual journey that the sinner is called to follow led by the Spirit, putting constant discussion in the light of the word of God, his way of thinking and acting.

Conversion is the basis and prerequisite for reconciliation and living in communion. It urges us with particular insistence this Lenten season, "appropriate time" to return to God and renew the covenant with him.

From the observation of sin is, therefore, the invocation: Forgive us, Lord! The commitment to change the way we think and live to be reconciled with God and one another will not reach its goal, if it is not nourished and sustained by the knowledge that God himself farcene gift and plucked capable.

5. Dear brothers and sisters of the parish of St. Grisogono, this is therefore the "opportune time" to pursue with renewed vigor the path of conversion and be so reconciled to God's call of the Apostle Paul, proclaimed in our assemblies from the first day of Lent, should be welcomed with generosity by the whole Church of Rome, in this promising spiritual season in which you are preparing the Diocesan Pastoral Synod.

This, in fact, nothing if you do not want to be a personal and community conversion, in which Christians are examined on their faithfulness to the Lord to live more authentically and make itself more and more likely to witness to communion before his fellows. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the believers reconciled with the Father and with each other, realized in the City the kingdom of truth, justice, love and peace, which opened in the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

Such efforts must be intensified in the last 40 days in which the call to conversion becomes more insistent, more frequent opportunities to hear the word of God and pray together, the stronger the urge to live the Gospel of charity and translate it into works concrete solidarity and service to our brothers and sisters in need.

6. The various investigations initiated in the first phase of the synodal you have allowed a better understanding of the situation of the city and your neighborhood. By a number of significant findings is confirmation of how deeply the human and social reality is marked by sin. There are several tears that seen in the relationships between people and groups, the result of injustice and disregard of fundamental rights of the human person. At the root of these divisions is the wound that sin has opened in man.

At the same time, it is strong, not only believers but also in men of good will, the desire to mend fractures, wound healing, at all levels to establish a deeper communion. The Church must be attentive and available to meet these demands. And it does announcing to everyone that in Christ Jesus the reconciliation is possible, indeed it is already a reality. Provided, however, that the men they turn to him and, with him, do you obedient to God's plan In a word: they convert. This is the content of the "new evangelization" to which the Church must recommit themselves.

7. The synodal process, especially in the last 40 days, simultaneously question the ecclesial community also other commitments. First of all, that of a more intense prayer. It is necessary to awaken the consciousness of all the belief that "unless the Lord builds the house, in vain do its builders labor" ( Ps 128, 1). This means that you can not build communion, to respond to the expectations of reconciliation, justice and peace, unless the Lord forewarns us and accompanies us with his grace. We therefore face more insistent prayer, because the Synod to reach these goals!

To those who have received communion as a gift and strive to live it and make it grow in oneself and in others, the Synod also calls for participation and co-responsibility. In this delicate and decisive phase parishes, religious institutes, groups, associations and movements have received from the preparatory commission "tools" for the investigation of the Synod and to extend the initial observations and suggestions that will help to shape the patterns to be submitted to 'examination and approval of synod assemblies themselves. It's about building decisions together for a spiritual and pastoral renewal.

Lent, a period of more frequent meetings privileged church, must be wisely used for that too. It will be a practical way to grow together in a spirit of research, conversion box.

8. I am sure that your parish community, dear brothers and sisters of St. Grisogono, will not fail to draw from Lent incitement and encouragement in meeting these commitments. I am glad to see you this morning, here gathered around me for this celebration of the Eucharist. I greet the Cardinal Vicar and Bishop. Filippo Giannini, auxiliary bishop for this area. I greet your pastor, Father Luigi Cianfriglia, together with the parish vicar and the fine priests who offer their service at the various churches and chapels included in the parish. I greet the religious communities of men and women who faithfully abiding by respective charisms keep alive among you the testimony of the evangelical counsels.

I wish to extend a special greeting to the laity engaged in various forms of apostolate parish, both as individuals and as members of groups, associations and movements. Your neighborhood, well known in Rome and beyond the boundaries of the City, is a destination for many visitors who flock here attracted not only by the number of tourists, but also from the ancient and illustrious Christian memories, preserved in historical and often beautiful places of worship. Be proud of this precious legacy that still speaks to the hearts of the pilgrims with the examples of the saints which Crisogono, Agatha, Cecilia, Gallicano, Francesca Romana, whose death occurs this year the 550th anniversary of the Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, whose remains are venerated here next. You, my dear, that you are among those who are impressed with the fervor of your religious practice and consistency of your conduct in every circumstance of life.

9. Each of you do own the prayer of the Psalm, which was played recently: "Create in me, O God, a new heart and renew in me a steadfast spirit." Yes, you need an understanding heart to build a Christian community sample. You need a steadfast spirit in faith to proclaim the love of God which triumphs over sin and saves is Christ who died and rose again.

Create in us the Lord this heart docile and firm in the faith, so that this Lent and the synodal process that it takes place, may become for all "favorable time" to "grow in the knowledge of the mystery of Christ" and to "bear witness to a worthy conduct of life. " Amen!