God isn't too busy for us, Pope assures at the start of Advent, condemns violence in India, Nigeria

(December 1, 2008) We may not take time for God, but he takes time for us, says Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope spoke about God's availability for his creatures on Sunday before he prayed the midday “Angelus” with crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square. On the first day of the Advent season that leads up to Christmas, the Holy Father observed, “We all say 'I don't have time' because the rhythm of daily life has become too frenetic for everyone." The Church, he said, has 'good news' about this: “God gives us his time.” “Especially in regard to the Lord,” he said, “we do not know how to find him, or, sometimes, we do not want to find him. And yet God has time for us!” “Yes,” the Pope said, “God gives us his time, because he has entered into history, with his Word and his works of salvation…” Pope Benedict explained that Advent "celebrates God's coming in its two moments: First it invites us to awaken the expectation of Christ's glorious return; then, nearing Christmas, it calls us to welcome the Word made man for our salvation." "But," he said, "the Lord comes constantly into our lives pointing to Sunday’s Gospel reading: 'Be vigilant!' “Everyone,' he said, “at the hour that God alone knows, will be called to give an account of his own life.” “This,” Pope Benedict explained, “entails a proper detachment from worldly goods, a sincere repentance for one's errors, an active charity toward one's neighbour and above all a humble and confident placing of oneself into God's hands, our tender and merciful Father."
After reciting the ‘Angelus’ prayer Pope Benedict XVI encouraged people to be meek and loving so as to build a society where violence will not be considered the solution to problems. He turned his attention to two separate tragedies: one in the western Indian city of Mumbai, where a 60-hour terrorist attack on 10 sites resulted in the death of at least 174 people; and another in Jos, Nigeria, where a disputed election brought fighting between Muslims and Christians and the death of as many as 400 people. "I would like to invite you to join in prayer for the numerous people killed, wounded or in any way harmed in the brutal terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, and the fighting that has broken out in Jos, Nigeria," the Holy Father said. "The causes and the circumstances of these tragic events are different but the horror and the disapproval of the explosion of such cruel and senseless violence must be the same." The Pontiff asked listeners to appeal to God to "touch the hearts of those who falsely believe that this is the way to resolve local or international problems and let us all feel encouraged to offer an example of meekness and love to build a society worthy of God and man."