This morning's General Audience began at 9:30am 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 delivered his meditation on the theme: The hopes of the world and the hope of the cross (cf Jn 12:24-25).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Last Sunday we remembered Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, among the festive acclamations of the disciples and many others in the crowds. These people placed many hopes in Jesus: many of them had been waiting for Him to perform miracles and great signs, demonstrations of the power and even freedom from enemy occupiers. Who among them would have imagined that there, in that very place, very soon afterwards, Jesus would be humiliated, condemned and killed on a cross? The earthly hopes those people held fell before the cross. But we believe that our hope is reborn in the Crucifixion. Earthly hopes fall before the cross but new hopes are re-born, those that endure forever. The hope that is born from the cross is different. It is different from the hopes that fall, from those of this world. But what is this hope? What hope can be born from the cross?
A few words spoken by Jesus after he entered into Jerusalem can help us to understand: Unless a grain of wheat should fall into the ground and die, it remains but a single grain; but if it dies, it produces much fruit (Jn 12:24). Let us try to think of a bean or a small seed that falls on the ground. If it remains closed within itself, nothing will happen; if however it breaks apart, it opens, it will give life and sprout, a bud will form and then a plant and the plant will bear fruit.
Jesus brought new hope into the world, and he did it like a seed would: he made himself small, very small, like a seed; he left his heavenly glory and came to live among us: he fell into the earth. But even that was not enough. In order to bear fruit, Jesus lived love to the very end, allowing himself to be broken by death like a seed allows itself to be broken underground. There, at the extreme of his abasement - which is also the highest point of love - hope began to blossom. If someone among you were to ask: How is hope born? ... we should respond: From the cross. Look to the cross, look to the crucified Christ and there you will find hope that will never vanish, hope that will endure for eternal life. This hope is planted precisely through the strength of love: because love hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor 13:7), love, which is the life of God, renews everything that it touches. Therefore, at Easter, Jesus transformed, taking upon himself all our sins and transforming them into forgiveness. Listen closely to the transformation that takes place at Easter: Jesus transformed our sins into forgiveness, our death into resurrection, our fear into trust. This is the reason why, there on the cross, our hope is born and reborn over and over again; this is the reason why with Jesus, all our darkness can be transformed into light, every defeat can become a victory, every delusion a hope. Every one of them: yes, every one. Hope overcomes everything, because it is born out of the love of Jesus who made himself like a grain of wheat buried in the ground; he died in order to give life and from the fullness of life which is filled with love, hope is born.
When we choose to hope in Jesus, little by little we come to discover that our way of life is a matter of planting seeds, of living in humble love. There is no other way to overcome evil and to give hope to the world. You may say to me: No, this is an erroneous logic! It would seem to be true, that there is something wrong with this logic, because someone who loves loses power. Have you ever thought about this? Those who love lose their power, those who give give away something, to love is a gift. In reality the logic of planting and dying, of humble love, and the way of God, only these can bear fruit. We also see it in ourselves: possessing always pushes us on to something else - I have this thing for myself and suddenly I want something else that is greater, and so on, and we are never satisfied. It is a terrible thirst! The more we have, the more we want. Someone who is voracious is never satisfied. Jesus says this clearly: Whoever loves his own life will lose it (Jn 12:25). If you are ravenous, you can seek out many things but ... you will loose everything, even your life, that is to say: those who love themselves and concern themselves only with their own interests will be filled with self-concern but will lose everything. On the other hand, those who make themselves available for service, live according to God's plan: they will be successful, they will save themselves and others as well; they will become seeds of hope for the world. It is good to help others, to serve others ... Perhaps we will grow tired! But life is like that, and our hearts are filled with joy and hope. This is what it means to love and to hope together: to serve and to give.
Of course, this true love comes through the cross, through sacrifice, as it was for Jesus. The cross is the necessary way, but the cross is not a goal in and of itself, it is but a passage: the goal is glory, as we see at Easter. And here, another beautiful image helps us, an image which Jesus left to his disciples during the Last Supper: When a woman is in labour, she is in pain, because her hour has come; but, when she has given birth to her child, she no longer remembers her suffering, because of the joy that has come into the world (Jn 16:21). In order to give life, we cannot possess it. This is what mothers do: they give life to someone else, they suffer, but then they are joyous, happy because they have given light to another life. To give joy; love gives life to light and gives sense to our suffering. Love is the driving force that spurs our hope. I repeat: love is the driving force that spurs our hope. Every one of us can ask ourselves: Do I love? Have I learned how to love? Do I learn more and more every day how to love? ... because love is the driving force that spurs our hope.
Dear brothers and sisters, in these days, days of love, let us allow ourselves to be enveloped by the mystery of Jesus who, like a dying grain of wheat, gives us life. He is the seed of our hope. Let us contemplate the Crucifix, the font of hope. Little by little, we will come to understand that to hope with Jesus is to learn and to see the plant already present in the seed, the Easter of the cross, the life that comes from death. Now I want to give you a challenge to do when you get home. It would be good for all of us to stop before the Crucifix - all of us have one at home - look at the crucifix and say: With you, nothing is lost. With you, I can always hope. You are my hope. Let us all imagine the scene right now, see the Crucifix before us and together let us say these words to the Crucified Jesus three times: You are my hope. All together: You are my hope. Louder: You are my hope. Thank you.
The above catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and the Holy Father greeted each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Nigeria, Australia, Canada and the United States of America. I offer a particular greeting to many student groups present. May this Lenten journey bring all of us to Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. God bless you!
During his speech, the Pope delivered his meditation on the theme: The hopes of the world and the hope of the cross (cf Jn 12:24-25).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
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, good morning!
Last Sunday we remembered Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, among the festive acclamations of the disciples and many others in the crowds. These people placed many hopes in Jesus: many of them had been waiting for Him to perform miracles and great signs, demonstrations of the power and even freedom from enemy occupiers. Who among them would have imagined that there, in that very place, very soon afterwards, Jesus would be humiliated, condemned and killed on a cross? The earthly hopes those people held fell before the cross. But we believe that our hope is reborn in the Crucifixion. Earthly hopes fall before the cross but new hopes are re-born, those that endure forever. The hope that is born from the cross is different. It is different from the hopes that fall, from those of this world. But what is this hope? What hope can be born from the cross?
A few words spoken by Jesus after he entered into Jerusalem can help us to understand: Unless a grain of wheat should fall into the ground and die, it remains but a single grain; but if it dies, it produces much fruit (Jn 12:24). Let us try to think of a bean or a small seed that falls on the ground. If it remains closed within itself, nothing will happen; if however it breaks apart, it opens, it will give life and sprout, a bud will form and then a plant and the plant will bear fruit.
Jesus brought new hope into the world, and he did it like a seed would: he made himself small, very small, like a seed; he left his heavenly glory and came to live among us: he fell into the earth. But even that was not enough. In order to bear fruit, Jesus lived love to the very end, allowing himself to be broken by death like a seed allows itself to be broken underground. There, at the extreme of his abasement - which is also the highest point of love - hope began to blossom. If someone among you were to ask: How is hope born? ... we should respond: From the cross. Look to the cross, look to the crucified Christ and there you will find hope that will never vanish, hope that will endure for eternal life. This hope is planted precisely through the strength of love: because love hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor 13:7), love, which is the life of God, renews everything that it touches. Therefore, at Easter, Jesus transformed, taking upon himself all our sins and transforming them into forgiveness. Listen closely to the transformation that takes place at Easter: Jesus transformed our sins into forgiveness, our death into resurrection, our fear into trust. This is the reason why, there on the cross, our hope is born and reborn over and over again; this is the reason why with Jesus, all our darkness can be transformed into light, every defeat can become a victory, every delusion a hope. Every one of them: yes, every one. Hope overcomes everything, because it is born out of the love of Jesus who made himself like a grain of wheat buried in the ground; he died in order to give life and from the fullness of life which is filled with love, hope is born.
When we choose to hope in Jesus, little by little we come to discover that our way of life is a matter of planting seeds, of living in humble love. There is no other way to overcome evil and to give hope to the world. You may say to me: No, this is an erroneous logic! It would seem to be true, that there is something wrong with this logic, because someone who loves loses power. Have you ever thought about this? Those who love lose their power, those who give give away something, to love is a gift. In reality the logic of planting and dying, of humble love, and the way of God, only these can bear fruit. We also see it in ourselves: possessing always pushes us on to something else - I have this thing for myself and suddenly I want something else that is greater, and so on, and we are never satisfied. It is a terrible thirst! The more we have, the more we want. Someone who is voracious is never satisfied. Jesus says this clearly: Whoever loves his own life will lose it (Jn 12:25). If you are ravenous, you can seek out many things but ... you will loose everything, even your life, that is to say: those who love themselves and concern themselves only with their own interests will be filled with self-concern but will lose everything. On the other hand, those who make themselves available for service, live according to God's plan: they will be successful, they will save themselves and others as well; they will become seeds of hope for the world. It is good to help others, to serve others ... Perhaps we will grow tired! But life is like that, and our hearts are filled with joy and hope. This is what it means to love and to hope together: to serve and to give.
Of course, this true love comes through the cross, through sacrifice, as it was for Jesus. The cross is the necessary way, but the cross is not a goal in and of itself, it is but a passage: the goal is glory, as we see at Easter. And here, another beautiful image helps us, an image which Jesus left to his disciples during the Last Supper: When a woman is in labour, she is in pain, because her hour has come; but, when she has given birth to her child, she no longer remembers her suffering, because of the joy that has come into the world (Jn 16:21). In order to give life, we cannot possess it. This is what mothers do: they give life to someone else, they suffer, but then they are joyous, happy because they have given light to another life. To give joy; love gives life to light and gives sense to our suffering. Love is the driving force that spurs our hope. I repeat: love is the driving force that spurs our hope. Every one of us can ask ourselves: Do I love? Have I learned how to love? Do I learn more and more every day how to love? ... because love is the driving force that spurs our hope.
Dear brothers and sisters, in these days, days of love, let us allow ourselves to be enveloped by the mystery of Jesus who, like a dying grain of wheat, gives us life. He is the seed of our hope. Let us contemplate the Crucifix, the font of hope. Little by little, we will come to understand that to hope with Jesus is to learn and to see the plant already present in the seed, the Easter of the cross, the life that comes from death. Now I want to give you a challenge to do when you get home. It would be good for all of us to stop before the Crucifix - all of us have one at home - look at the crucifix and say: With you, nothing is lost. With you, I can always hope. You are my hope. Let us all imagine the scene right now, see the Crucifix before us and together let us say these words to the Crucified Jesus three times: You are my hope. All together: You are my hope. Louder: You are my hope. Thank you.
The above catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and the Holy Father greeted each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Nigeria, Australia, Canada and the United States of America. I offer a particular greeting to many student groups present. May this Lenten journey bring all of us to Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. God bless you!
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