This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.
During his speech, the Pope continued his catechesis on mercy, adding a meditation on the theme: The corporal and spiritual works of mercy (cf Mt 25:31-36).
After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. Then, he issued two appeals, one for the victims of the inhuman attacks in Syria and the other for the International Day for the reduction of natural disasters, which will be observed tomorrow.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters,
In previous catecheses, we have advanced little by little in our exploration of God's mercy. We have meditated on the actions of the Father in the Old Testament and then, through the gospel accounts, we have seen in Jesus, both in his words and his actions, the embodiment of mercy. He, in turn, taught his disciples: Be merciful as your Father is merciful (Lk 6:36). This is a commitment that challenges the conscience and the actions of every Christian. In fact, it is not enough merely to have an experience of God's mercy in our own lives; those who have experienced this mercy must themselves become signs and instruments of mercy for others. In other words, mercy is not reserved only for particular moments, rather it embraces every part of our daily existence.
Therefore, how can we be witnesses of mercy? We should not think that it is a matter of expending great efforts or superhuman gestures. No, it's not like that. The Lord shows us a much more simple way, made up of small gestures that in his eyes have great value, to the point that he has told us that we will be judged according to these little acts. In fact, one of the most beautiful pages of the gospel of Matthew recounts the teaching that we can understand, in some way, as the evangelist's account of Jesus' will and testament, evidence of the effect of mercy that Matthew himself had experienced. Jesus says that every time we feed someone who is hungry, every time that we give a drink to someone who is thirsty, every time that we clothe a person who is naked and every time we welcome a stranger, visit the sick or someone who is in prison, we do these things to him (cf Mt 25:31-46). The Church called these actions works of corporal mercy, because they take care of people's material needs.
However, there are seven other works of mercy, called spiritual works, that concern other duties that are equally as important, above all today, since they touch people intimately and sometimes make them suffer more. Everyone will certainly remember someone who has entered into a common language: Patiently support someone who has been wronged. And there are some; there are people who are molested! It might seem that such things are not as important, they might make us smile, however they contain a sentiment of profound love, and the same is true for the other six, which it is always good to remember: counsel those who have doubts, teach those who are ignorant, admonish the sinner, console the afflicted, forgive offenses, pray to God for the living and for the dead. These are every-day things! But I am afflicted ... But God will help you, I don't have time ... No! We need to stop, listen, waste some time and console the other person: this is an act of mercy and it is done not only to the person we can see; it is also done to Jesus.
In future catecheses, we will focus on these works, which the Church presents as concrete ways of experiencing mercy. Throughout the centuries, many simple people have put them into practice, thereby bearing genuine witness to their faith. Moreover, the Church, faithful to her Lord, develops and nourishes a preferential love for those who are weak. Often, the ones who are closest to us are those who are most in need of our help. We don't need to go in search of some kind of task to be accomplished. It's better to begin with something much more simple, which the Lord points out as the most urgent need. In a world that is unfortunately affected by the virus of indifference, the works of mercy are the best antidote. In fact, they teach us to pay attention to the most basic needs of others: our brothers and sisters most in need (Mt 25:40), in whom Jesus himself is present. Jesus is always present there. Where there is need, a person who is in need, either of material or spiritual help, Jesus is there. To recognize his face in those who are in need is truly a challenge to our indifference. It allows us to always be vigilant, not allowing Christ to walk by without us recognizing him. The saying of Saint Augustine comes to mind: Timeo Jesum transeuntem (Sermon, 88, 14, 13), I am afraid that the Lord is passing by and that I am not recognizing him, that the Lord is passing in front of me in one of these little ones, in need and I am not recognizing that it is Jesus. I am afraid that the Lord will pass by and I will not recognize him! I have wondered why Saint Augustine would say that he was afraid that Jesus would be passing by. The response, unfortuntately, is evident in our behaviour: because sometimes we are distracted, indifferent, and when the Lord passes us by, we lose an occasion to meet him.
The works of mercy reawaken in us the need and the ability to bring our faith to life in the works of charity. I am convinced that through these simple everyday gestures, we can accomplish a real cultural revolution, like it was in the past. If every one of us, every day, were to do just a little something, there would be a revolution throughout the world! All of us, every one of us. How many Saints are remembered today not for great things that they achieved but for the love that they were able to pass on! Let us think of Mother Teresa, so recently canonized: we do not remember her for the many houses she opened throughout the world, but because she bent down over every person she found in the streets in order to restore their dignity. How many abandoned children she held in her arms: how many of the dying she accompanied to the threshold of eternity, tenderly holding them by the hand! These works of mercy are the characteristics of the face of Jesus Christ who takes care of the smallest of his brothers in order to demonstrate the tenderness and closeness of God to everyone. May the Holy Spirit help us, may the Holy Spirit awaken in us a desire to live with this style of life: at least to work on it every day, at least! Let us once again learn the corporal and spiritual works of mercy by heart and let us call on the Lord to help us put them into practice every day and at the moment when we will see Jesus in a person in need.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and he himself offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Jersey, Ireland, Denmark, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the conclusion of the General Audience, Pope Francis issued two calls for prayer: for Syria and for the International Day for the reduction of natural disasters:
I want to highlight and to repeat my closeness to all the victims of the inhuman conflict in Syria. It is with a sense of urgency that I renew my appeal, imploring with all my strength, those who are responsible that they find a way to immediately stop firing, that there be a ceasefire at least for the length of time needed to concentrate efforts on evacuating civilians, especially the children who are already trapped in the bloody bombings.
Tomorrow, 13 October is the International Day of the reduction of natural disasters, which this year focuses us on the theme: Reduce mortality. In fact, natural disasters can be avoided or at least limited, because their effects are often due to a lack of human being caring for the environment. Therefore, I encourage you to join your efforts in a far-reaching way toward caring for our common home, promoting a culture of prevention, with the help of new-found knowledge in order to reduce the risks for the most vulnerable populations.
During his speech, the Pope continued his catechesis on mercy, adding a meditation on the theme: The corporal and spiritual works of mercy (cf Mt 25:31-36).
After summarizing his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. Then, he issued two appeals, one for the victims of the inhuman attacks in Syria and the other for the International Day for the reduction of natural disasters, which will be observed tomorrow.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters,
In previous catecheses, we have advanced little by little in our exploration of God's mercy. We have meditated on the actions of the Father in the Old Testament and then, through the gospel accounts, we have seen in Jesus, both in his words and his actions, the embodiment of mercy. He, in turn, taught his disciples: Be merciful as your Father is merciful (Lk 6:36). This is a commitment that challenges the conscience and the actions of every Christian. In fact, it is not enough merely to have an experience of God's mercy in our own lives; those who have experienced this mercy must themselves become signs and instruments of mercy for others. In other words, mercy is not reserved only for particular moments, rather it embraces every part of our daily existence.
Therefore, how can we be witnesses of mercy? We should not think that it is a matter of expending great efforts or superhuman gestures. No, it's not like that. The Lord shows us a much more simple way, made up of small gestures that in his eyes have great value, to the point that he has told us that we will be judged according to these little acts. In fact, one of the most beautiful pages of the gospel of Matthew recounts the teaching that we can understand, in some way, as the evangelist's account of Jesus' will and testament, evidence of the effect of mercy that Matthew himself had experienced. Jesus says that every time we feed someone who is hungry, every time that we give a drink to someone who is thirsty, every time that we clothe a person who is naked and every time we welcome a stranger, visit the sick or someone who is in prison, we do these things to him (cf Mt 25:31-46). The Church called these actions works of corporal mercy, because they take care of people's material needs.
However, there are seven other works of mercy, called spiritual works, that concern other duties that are equally as important, above all today, since they touch people intimately and sometimes make them suffer more. Everyone will certainly remember someone who has entered into a common language: Patiently support someone who has been wronged. And there are some; there are people who are molested! It might seem that such things are not as important, they might make us smile, however they contain a sentiment of profound love, and the same is true for the other six, which it is always good to remember: counsel those who have doubts, teach those who are ignorant, admonish the sinner, console the afflicted, forgive offenses, pray to God for the living and for the dead. These are every-day things! But I am afflicted ... But God will help you, I don't have time ... No! We need to stop, listen, waste some time and console the other person: this is an act of mercy and it is done not only to the person we can see; it is also done to Jesus.
In future catecheses, we will focus on these works, which the Church presents as concrete ways of experiencing mercy. Throughout the centuries, many simple people have put them into practice, thereby bearing genuine witness to their faith. Moreover, the Church, faithful to her Lord, develops and nourishes a preferential love for those who are weak. Often, the ones who are closest to us are those who are most in need of our help. We don't need to go in search of some kind of task to be accomplished. It's better to begin with something much more simple, which the Lord points out as the most urgent need. In a world that is unfortunately affected by the virus of indifference, the works of mercy are the best antidote. In fact, they teach us to pay attention to the most basic needs of others: our brothers and sisters most in need (Mt 25:40), in whom Jesus himself is present. Jesus is always present there. Where there is need, a person who is in need, either of material or spiritual help, Jesus is there. To recognize his face in those who are in need is truly a challenge to our indifference. It allows us to always be vigilant, not allowing Christ to walk by without us recognizing him. The saying of Saint Augustine comes to mind: Timeo Jesum transeuntem (Sermon, 88, 14, 13), I am afraid that the Lord is passing by and that I am not recognizing him, that the Lord is passing in front of me in one of these little ones, in need and I am not recognizing that it is Jesus. I am afraid that the Lord will pass by and I will not recognize him! I have wondered why Saint Augustine would say that he was afraid that Jesus would be passing by. The response, unfortuntately, is evident in our behaviour: because sometimes we are distracted, indifferent, and when the Lord passes us by, we lose an occasion to meet him.
The works of mercy reawaken in us the need and the ability to bring our faith to life in the works of charity. I am convinced that through these simple everyday gestures, we can accomplish a real cultural revolution, like it was in the past. If every one of us, every day, were to do just a little something, there would be a revolution throughout the world! All of us, every one of us. How many Saints are remembered today not for great things that they achieved but for the love that they were able to pass on! Let us think of Mother Teresa, so recently canonized: we do not remember her for the many houses she opened throughout the world, but because she bent down over every person she found in the streets in order to restore their dignity. How many abandoned children she held in her arms: how many of the dying she accompanied to the threshold of eternity, tenderly holding them by the hand! These works of mercy are the characteristics of the face of Jesus Christ who takes care of the smallest of his brothers in order to demonstrate the tenderness and closeness of God to everyone. May the Holy Spirit help us, may the Holy Spirit awaken in us a desire to live with this style of life: at least to work on it every day, at least! Let us once again learn the corporal and spiritual works of mercy by heart and let us call on the Lord to help us put them into practice every day and at the moment when we will see Jesus in a person in need.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and he himself offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Jersey, Ireland, Denmark, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
At the conclusion of the General Audience, Pope Francis issued two calls for prayer: for Syria and for the International Day for the reduction of natural disasters:
I want to highlight and to repeat my closeness to all the victims of the inhuman conflict in Syria. It is with a sense of urgency that I renew my appeal, imploring with all my strength, those who are responsible that they find a way to immediately stop firing, that there be a ceasefire at least for the length of time needed to concentrate efforts on evacuating civilians, especially the children who are already trapped in the bloody bombings.
Tomorrow, 13 October is the International Day of the reduction of natural disasters, which this year focuses us on the theme: Reduce mortality. In fact, natural disasters can be avoided or at least limited, because their effects are often due to a lack of human being caring for the environment. Therefore, I encourage you to join your efforts in a far-reaching way toward caring for our common home, promoting a culture of prevention, with the help of new-found knowledge in order to reduce the risks for the most vulnerable populations.
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