Pope says Letter to Ephesians tells of salvation plan, God's love

Published: 2004-02-18

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II, continuing a series of talks on prayer, said St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians offers a powerful summary of God's plan for salvation and his love for humanity. At the beginning of the letter, St. Paul's canticle -- recited every Monday at evening prayer -- touches upon the purpose of creation, the meaning of the sacrifice of Christ and the importance of the gift of grace, the pope said at his weekly general audience Feb. 18. The pope, seated on his mobile throne on the stage of the Vatican's audience hall, read less than half his prepared talk, and his voice was weak. He said St. Paul's meditation at the beginning of his Letter to the Ephesians reflects on the fullness of God's plan for humanity. "The canticle is a hymn to the saving power of God revealed in Jesus Christ. In his infinite goodness God planned before the creation of the world to bring all things into one through his beloved Son," he said in the English summary of his talk.

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