Following the July interruption, the Holy Father's usual Wednesday General Audience with the faithful began again today. This morning, the Audience began at 10:30am and was held in the Paul VI Hall within the Vatican. There, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of the faithful who had come from various parts of Italy and from every part of the world.
In his catechesis, the Holy Father continued the cycle of teachings dedicated to the Church, adding a meditation on the theme: New Covenant and new people. Following the summations of the catechesis which were presented in various languages, the Holy Father also offered greetings to groups of the faithful who were present today. The Pope also added a call for prayers for the people of the Chinese province of Yunan, who are suffering because of a severe earthquake which struck this past Sunday.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In previous catecheses, we have seen how the Church constitutes a people, a people prepared with patience and love by God and to which we are all called to belong. Today I want to concentrate on the novelty that characterizes this people: this truly is a new people, founded on a new covenant, established by Jesus Christ through the gift of his life. This new beginning does not negate the path that was followed before it, nor does it contradict it; rather it continues its development and brings it to fruition.
There is a very significant figure, which acts as a kind of hinge between the Old and the New Testament: the person of John, the Baptist. In the Synoptic Gospels, he is described as the precursor, the one who prepares the coming of the Lord, predisposing the people for a heart-felt conversion so that they might welcome the consolation of God which is close at hand. In the Gospel of John, the Baptist is described as the witness, who helps us to recognize in Jesus, the one who has come from above in order to forgive our sins and to make of his people a bride, the first fruits of a new humanity. As a precursor and a witness, John, the Baptist plays a central role in all of the scriptures, creating a bridge between the promise of the Old Testament and its accomplishment, between the prophesies foretold and their accomplishment in Jesus Christ. Through his testimony, John points out Jesus, invites us to follow him, and tells us in no uncertain terms that discipleship requires humility, repentance and conversion: it is an invitation to humility, repentance and conversion.
Just as Moses had entered into a covenant with God by virtue of the law received at Sinai, so too Jesus, from a hill on the banks of the sea of Galilee, shared with his disciples and with the crowds, a new teaching which began with the Beatitudes. Moses gave the Law on Sinai and Jesus, the new Moses, gave the Law on another mount, on the banks of the sea of Galilee. The Beatitudes are the path that God points our as a response to his desire for our happiness, the perfection of the commandments given in the Old Testament. We are used to learning the ten commandments - I'm sure that you all know them, you learned them with your catechism - but we are not used to repeating the Beatitudes. Let's try to remember them and to remember them in our hearts. Let's do one thing: I will recite them, one after another, and you repeat them. Ok?
First: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the sorrowful, they will be consoled (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the meek, they will have the earth for their heritage (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are those who hunger for justice, they will be satisfied (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the merciful, they will have mercy shown to them (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called children of God (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Everyone repeats.)
Blessed are you when others insult you or persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account. Let me help you: (the Pope repeats with the people) Blessed are you when others insult you or persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (Everyone repeats).
Good! But let's do one thing: I want to give you some homework, something to do in your homes. Take up the gospel, the one that you are carrying with you ... Remember that you should always carry a small copy of the gospel with you, in your pocket, in your purse, always; one that you have at home. Pick up the gospel, and in the first chapters of Matthew - I believe it's in chapter 5 - you'll find the Beatitudes. Today, tomorrow, read them again at home. Will you do this? (All: Yes!) Don't forget, because this is the Law that Jesus has given us! Will you do it? Thank you.
These words contain all the renewal that Christ brought to us, and all of Christ's teachings are contained in these words. In fact, the Beatitudes give us a portrait of Jesus, they outline his way of living; they are the way to true happiness, that we too can travel with the grace that Jesus gives us.
Aside from the new Law, Jesus also gave us the criteria by which we will be judged. At the end of time, we will be judged. And what questions will be asked of us then? What are those questions? What are the criteria by which the judge will judge us? We find them in the twenty-fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Today, our task is to read the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew where we find the Beatitudes; and to read the twenty-fifth chapter too, where we find the criteria, the questions that will be asked on the day of judgement. This will not be a matter of titles, credits or privileges that we have collected. The Lord will ask us whether we ourselves have seen him in the poor, in the hungry, in those who are rejected and marginalized, in those who are suffering and alone ... This is one of the key criteria for judging the effectiveness of our Christian life, by which Jesus invites us to measure ourselves every day. Let us read the Beatitudes and think about how we should live our Christian lives, then let us make an examination of conscience using chapter 25 of Matthew's gospel. Every day: have I done this, have I done that ... It will be good for us! They are simple but concrete things.
Dear friends, the new covenant consists precisely in this: recognizing ourselves in Christ, surrounded by the mercy and the compassion of God. For this reason, our hearts are filled with joy, and this is the reason for which our lives can be beautiful witnesses to the believable truth of the love of God for all the brothers and sisters we encounter every day. Let us not forget our homework! Chapter five of Matthew's gospel and chapter 25 too. Thank you!
When the catechesis had been presented in its entirety, summaries were also offered in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of visitors. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from the United Kingdom, Norway, Zimbabwe, Japan and the United States. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus.
At the conclusion of the Holy Father's remarks, he also issued the following call for prayer:
I want to express my closeness to the population of the Chinese province of Yunan, which was struck last Sunday by an earthquake which has caused numerous casualties and considerable damage. I pray for those who have died and for their families, for those who are wounded and for all those who have lost their homes. May the Lord give them comfort, hope and support in their moment of trial.
In his catechesis, the Holy Father continued the cycle of teachings dedicated to the Church, adding a meditation on the theme: New Covenant and new people. Following the summations of the catechesis which were presented in various languages, the Holy Father also offered greetings to groups of the faithful who were present today. The Pope also added a call for prayers for the people of the Chinese province of Yunan, who are suffering because of a severe earthquake which struck this past Sunday.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis offered by His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In previous catecheses, we have seen how the Church constitutes a people, a people prepared with patience and love by God and to which we are all called to belong. Today I want to concentrate on the novelty that characterizes this people: this truly is a new people, founded on a new covenant, established by Jesus Christ through the gift of his life. This new beginning does not negate the path that was followed before it, nor does it contradict it; rather it continues its development and brings it to fruition.
There is a very significant figure, which acts as a kind of hinge between the Old and the New Testament: the person of John, the Baptist. In the Synoptic Gospels, he is described as the precursor, the one who prepares the coming of the Lord, predisposing the people for a heart-felt conversion so that they might welcome the consolation of God which is close at hand. In the Gospel of John, the Baptist is described as the witness, who helps us to recognize in Jesus, the one who has come from above in order to forgive our sins and to make of his people a bride, the first fruits of a new humanity. As a precursor and a witness, John, the Baptist plays a central role in all of the scriptures, creating a bridge between the promise of the Old Testament and its accomplishment, between the prophesies foretold and their accomplishment in Jesus Christ. Through his testimony, John points out Jesus, invites us to follow him, and tells us in no uncertain terms that discipleship requires humility, repentance and conversion: it is an invitation to humility, repentance and conversion.
Just as Moses had entered into a covenant with God by virtue of the law received at Sinai, so too Jesus, from a hill on the banks of the sea of Galilee, shared with his disciples and with the crowds, a new teaching which began with the Beatitudes. Moses gave the Law on Sinai and Jesus, the new Moses, gave the Law on another mount, on the banks of the sea of Galilee. The Beatitudes are the path that God points our as a response to his desire for our happiness, the perfection of the commandments given in the Old Testament. We are used to learning the ten commandments - I'm sure that you all know them, you learned them with your catechism - but we are not used to repeating the Beatitudes. Let's try to remember them and to remember them in our hearts. Let's do one thing: I will recite them, one after another, and you repeat them. Ok?
First: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the sorrowful, they will be consoled (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the meek, they will have the earth for their heritage (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are those who hunger for justice, they will be satisfied (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the merciful, they will have mercy shown to them (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the pure in heart, they will see God (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called children of God (Everyone repeats).
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Everyone repeats.)
Blessed are you when others insult you or persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account. Let me help you: (the Pope repeats with the people) Blessed are you when others insult you or persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (Everyone repeats).
Good! But let's do one thing: I want to give you some homework, something to do in your homes. Take up the gospel, the one that you are carrying with you ... Remember that you should always carry a small copy of the gospel with you, in your pocket, in your purse, always; one that you have at home. Pick up the gospel, and in the first chapters of Matthew - I believe it's in chapter 5 - you'll find the Beatitudes. Today, tomorrow, read them again at home. Will you do this? (All: Yes!) Don't forget, because this is the Law that Jesus has given us! Will you do it? Thank you.
These words contain all the renewal that Christ brought to us, and all of Christ's teachings are contained in these words. In fact, the Beatitudes give us a portrait of Jesus, they outline his way of living; they are the way to true happiness, that we too can travel with the grace that Jesus gives us.
Aside from the new Law, Jesus also gave us the criteria by which we will be judged. At the end of time, we will be judged. And what questions will be asked of us then? What are those questions? What are the criteria by which the judge will judge us? We find them in the twenty-fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Today, our task is to read the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew where we find the Beatitudes; and to read the twenty-fifth chapter too, where we find the criteria, the questions that will be asked on the day of judgement. This will not be a matter of titles, credits or privileges that we have collected. The Lord will ask us whether we ourselves have seen him in the poor, in the hungry, in those who are rejected and marginalized, in those who are suffering and alone ... This is one of the key criteria for judging the effectiveness of our Christian life, by which Jesus invites us to measure ourselves every day. Let us read the Beatitudes and think about how we should live our Christian lives, then let us make an examination of conscience using chapter 25 of Matthew's gospel. Every day: have I done this, have I done that ... It will be good for us! They are simple but concrete things.
Dear friends, the new covenant consists precisely in this: recognizing ourselves in Christ, surrounded by the mercy and the compassion of God. For this reason, our hearts are filled with joy, and this is the reason for which our lives can be beautiful witnesses to the believable truth of the love of God for all the brothers and sisters we encounter every day. Let us not forget our homework! Chapter five of Matthew's gospel and chapter 25 too. Thank you!
When the catechesis had been presented in its entirety, summaries were also offered in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of visitors. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from the United Kingdom, Norway, Zimbabwe, Japan and the United States. Upon all of you, and upon your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus.
At the conclusion of the Holy Father's remarks, he also issued the following call for prayer:
I want to express my closeness to the population of the Chinese province of Yunan, which was struck last Sunday by an earthquake which has caused numerous casualties and considerable damage. I pray for those who have died and for their families, for those who are wounded and for all those who have lost their homes. May the Lord give them comfort, hope and support in their moment of trial.
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