Today's General Audience began at 10:30 in Saint Peter's Square, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful who had come from various parts of Italy and other parts of the world. In his discourse, spoken in Italian, the Pope focused once again on the resurrection of the dead.
Following the syntheses of the catechesis, presented in various languages, Pope Francis addressed particular greetings to the groups of faithful who were present. He then made a special appeal for the monks of the Greek-Orthodox Monastery of Saint Tecla a Ma'lula in Syria who were sequestered there two days ago.
The General Audience was concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imposition of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, I return once more to the affirmation I believe in the resurrection of the dead. This is not a simple truth, not at all obvious because, living immersed in this world, it is not easy to understand future realities, but the Gospel sheds some light: our resurrection is strictly tied to the resurrection of Jesus; the fact that Elijah rose is the proof that a resurrection from the dead exists. I would like therefore to present a few aspects regarding the relationship between Christ's resurrection and our resurrection. He is risen, and because he is risen, we too will one day rise.
First of all, the same Sacred Scripture contains a path toward full faith in the resurrection of the dead. This is expressed as faith in God, the creator of all men - soul and body - and as faith in God, the liberator, the God who is always faithful to his covenant with his people. The prophet Ezekiel, in a vision, contemplates the tombs of those who have died and who come to life again, and their dry bones which come back to life thanks to the infusion of a life-giving spirit. This vision expresses the hope of the future resurrection of Israel, that is, in the resurrection of a people who have been defeated and humiliated (cf Ez 37:1-14).
In the New Testament, Jesus completes this revelation and links faith in the resurrection to his own person. He says: I am the resurrection and the life (Jn 11:25). In fact, the Lord Jesus will rise again on the last day and many have come to believe in Him. Jesus came among us, became a man like us in all things but sin; in this way, he takes us with him on his return journey to the Father. He is the incarnate Word who died for us and who is risen again to life. He gives the Holy Spirit to his disciples as a pledge of full communion in his Kingdom, a communion which we await with hope. This expectation is the source and the reason for our hope, a hope which if cultivated and protected - our hope, if we cultivate it and protect it - becomes a light to illuminate our personal history and our communal history. Let us always remember: we are disciples of the One who came, who comes every day, the one who we will see on the last day. If we could be more present to this reality, we would be less fatigued by the day to day struggles, less imprisoned by the ephemeral and more willing to walk with merciful hearts in the way of salvation.
Another aspect: what does it mean to rise again? The resurrection that awaits us all will take place on the last day, at the end of time, through the working of the omnipotence of God, who will return life to our bodies, reuniting them with our souls by virtue of the resurrection of Jesus. This is the fundamental reason: because Jesus is risen, we too will one day rise; we have the hope of resurrection because he has opened the door to this resurrection. This transformation, this transfiguration of our bodies is being prepared in this life through a relationship with Jesus which is strengthened through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. We who in this life are nourished by his body and by his blood will rise like Him, with Him and through Him. Just as Jesus is risen, with his own body, but has not returned to a terrestrial life, so we too will rise, with our bodies which will be transfigured into glorious bodies. This is not a lie; it is the truth! We believe that Jesus is risen, that Jesus is living at this very moment. Do you believe that Jesus is alive? And if Jesus is alive, do you think that he will allow us to die and not raise us again to life? No! He is waiting for us, and because he is risen, the power of his resurrection will raise us all to new life.
One last element: already in this life, we have within us a participation in the resurrection of Christ. If it is true that Jesus will raise us up at the end of time, it is also true that, to a certain extent, we are already raised with Him. Eternal life has already begun, in this life; it begins in this life, during our entire earthly lives which are already aiming toward the moment of our final resurrection. In fact, we are already raised through Baptism. We have been numbered among those who have died and have risen in Christ, and who now share in the life that is his life. Therefore, while we wait for the last day, we already have within us a seed of resurrection which anticipates the full resurrection which we will receive as our inheritance. For this reason, our bodies are resonating with eternity, and must always be respected. Above all, we must respect and love the lives of those who suffer because they know the nearness of the Kingdom of God, the nearness of the eternal life to which we are all destined. This thought gives us hope: we are on a journey toward our resurrection. We will see Jesus, we will meet Jesus: this is our joy! We will all be together - not here in the square, but in another place - joyfully united with Jesus. This is our destiny.
Following the syntheses of the catechesis outlined above, the Holy Father shared greetings with the groups of faithful who were present. Here is the text of the greeting which he shared with English-speaking pilgrims:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Denmark, Australia and the United States. Upon you and your families I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!
Finally, the Holy Father issued a special appeal:
Now I would like to invite you all to pray for the monks of the Greek-orthodox Monastery of Santa Tecla a Ma'lula in Syria, who were kidnapped two days ago by armed men. Let us pray for those monks, for the sisters and for all those who are sequestered because of the conflict that is currently taking place. Let us continue to pray and to work together for peace. Let us ask the Madonna to pray for us ... Hail Mary ...
Following the syntheses of the catechesis, presented in various languages, Pope Francis addressed particular greetings to the groups of faithful who were present. He then made a special appeal for the monks of the Greek-Orthodox Monastery of Saint Tecla a Ma'lula in Syria who were sequestered there two days ago.
The General Audience was concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imposition of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, I return once more to the affirmation I believe in the resurrection of the dead. This is not a simple truth, not at all obvious because, living immersed in this world, it is not easy to understand future realities, but the Gospel sheds some light: our resurrection is strictly tied to the resurrection of Jesus; the fact that Elijah rose is the proof that a resurrection from the dead exists. I would like therefore to present a few aspects regarding the relationship between Christ's resurrection and our resurrection. He is risen, and because he is risen, we too will one day rise.
First of all, the same Sacred Scripture contains a path toward full faith in the resurrection of the dead. This is expressed as faith in God, the creator of all men - soul and body - and as faith in God, the liberator, the God who is always faithful to his covenant with his people. The prophet Ezekiel, in a vision, contemplates the tombs of those who have died and who come to life again, and their dry bones which come back to life thanks to the infusion of a life-giving spirit. This vision expresses the hope of the future resurrection of Israel, that is, in the resurrection of a people who have been defeated and humiliated (cf Ez 37:1-14).
In the New Testament, Jesus completes this revelation and links faith in the resurrection to his own person. He says: I am the resurrection and the life (Jn 11:25). In fact, the Lord Jesus will rise again on the last day and many have come to believe in Him. Jesus came among us, became a man like us in all things but sin; in this way, he takes us with him on his return journey to the Father. He is the incarnate Word who died for us and who is risen again to life. He gives the Holy Spirit to his disciples as a pledge of full communion in his Kingdom, a communion which we await with hope. This expectation is the source and the reason for our hope, a hope which if cultivated and protected - our hope, if we cultivate it and protect it - becomes a light to illuminate our personal history and our communal history. Let us always remember: we are disciples of the One who came, who comes every day, the one who we will see on the last day. If we could be more present to this reality, we would be less fatigued by the day to day struggles, less imprisoned by the ephemeral and more willing to walk with merciful hearts in the way of salvation.
Another aspect: what does it mean to rise again? The resurrection that awaits us all will take place on the last day, at the end of time, through the working of the omnipotence of God, who will return life to our bodies, reuniting them with our souls by virtue of the resurrection of Jesus. This is the fundamental reason: because Jesus is risen, we too will one day rise; we have the hope of resurrection because he has opened the door to this resurrection. This transformation, this transfiguration of our bodies is being prepared in this life through a relationship with Jesus which is strengthened through the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. We who in this life are nourished by his body and by his blood will rise like Him, with Him and through Him. Just as Jesus is risen, with his own body, but has not returned to a terrestrial life, so we too will rise, with our bodies which will be transfigured into glorious bodies. This is not a lie; it is the truth! We believe that Jesus is risen, that Jesus is living at this very moment. Do you believe that Jesus is alive? And if Jesus is alive, do you think that he will allow us to die and not raise us again to life? No! He is waiting for us, and because he is risen, the power of his resurrection will raise us all to new life.
One last element: already in this life, we have within us a participation in the resurrection of Christ. If it is true that Jesus will raise us up at the end of time, it is also true that, to a certain extent, we are already raised with Him. Eternal life has already begun, in this life; it begins in this life, during our entire earthly lives which are already aiming toward the moment of our final resurrection. In fact, we are already raised through Baptism. We have been numbered among those who have died and have risen in Christ, and who now share in the life that is his life. Therefore, while we wait for the last day, we already have within us a seed of resurrection which anticipates the full resurrection which we will receive as our inheritance. For this reason, our bodies are resonating with eternity, and must always be respected. Above all, we must respect and love the lives of those who suffer because they know the nearness of the Kingdom of God, the nearness of the eternal life to which we are all destined. This thought gives us hope: we are on a journey toward our resurrection. We will see Jesus, we will meet Jesus: this is our joy! We will all be together - not here in the square, but in another place - joyfully united with Jesus. This is our destiny.
Following the syntheses of the catechesis outlined above, the Holy Father shared greetings with the groups of faithful who were present. Here is the text of the greeting which he shared with English-speaking pilgrims:
I offer an affectionate greeting to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Audience, including those from England, Denmark, Australia and the United States. Upon you and your families I invoke God’s blessings of joy and peace!
Finally, the Holy Father issued a special appeal:
Now I would like to invite you all to pray for the monks of the Greek-orthodox Monastery of Santa Tecla a Ma'lula in Syria, who were kidnapped two days ago by armed men. Let us pray for those monks, for the sisters and for all those who are sequestered because of the conflict that is currently taking place. Let us continue to pray and to work together for peace. Let us ask the Madonna to pray for us ... Hail Mary ...
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