Today'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 who had come from Italy and from every corner of the world.
In his address, the Pope, continuing the cycle of catechesis dedicated to the Church, added a meditation on the Church as the Body of Christ.
Following the summaries of His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each group of the faithful who were present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
The image of the body is used when one wants to show how the elements that make up a reality are closely united with one another and form together one thing. Beginning with the apostle Paul, this expression is applied to the Church and is recognized as his most profound and beautiful distinctive trait. Today, we wish to ask ourselves: in what sense does the Church form the body? And why is it defined as the body of Christ?
In the Book of Ezechiel, there is a peculiar vision that is described, impressive, but capable of instilling confidence and hope in our hearts. God shows the prophet a valley of bones, detached from each other and dry. A desolate scenario. Imagine, an entire hill full of bones. God asks him, then, to invoke the Spirit upon them. At that moment, the bones begin to draw closer and unite, first the nerves grow on them and then the flesh and thus the body is formed, complete and full of life. (Ez 37: 1-14). This is the Church! I recommend, today when you are home, that you read Ezechiel, Chapter 37. Do not forget! It is beautiful. It is a masterpiece, a masterpiece of the Spirit, in which the new life of the Risen One is infused and puts one next to the other, one at the service and support of the other, thus making us all one body, built in communion and love.
The Church, however, is not only a body built in the Spirit: the Church is the body of Christ! And it is not simply a way of saying: we truly are! It is the great gift that we receive on the day of our Baptism! In the Sacrament of Baptism, in fact, Christ makes us His, welcoming us into the heart of the mystery of the Cross, the supreme mystery of his love for us, to make us rise again with Him, as new creatures. Behold: that is how the Church is born, that is how the Church is recognized as the body of Christ. Baptism constitutes a true rebirth, that regenerates us in Christ, makes us a part of Him, and unites us intimately among us, as members of the same body, of which He is the head (cf Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12-13).
That which emerges, then, is a profound communion of love. In this sense, it is enlightening how Paul, exhorting husbands to love their wives as their own body, he states: As Christ also does with the Church, because we are members of his body (Eph 5:28-30). It would be beautiful if we remembered more often what we are, of what the Lord Jesus has made us: we are His Body, that Body that nothing and no one can ever tear us from and that he covers all with his passion and His love, just like a husband with his wife. This thought, however, should heighten within us the desire to respond to the Lord and to share his love among us, as living members of his body. In the time of Paul, the community of Corinth found many difficulties in that sense, living, as we too often experience: the experience of division, of jealousies, of misunderstandings and marginalizations.
All these things are not good because, instead of building and making the Church grow as the body of Christ, it shatters into many pieces, it dismembers it.
And even this happens in our days. Think about the Christian communities, parishes, think about our neighbourhoods. How many divisions, how many jealousies, talking behind one’s back, so many misunderstandings and marginalizations!
And what does this do? It dismembers us! It is the start of war. War does not begin in the field of battle. Wars begin in the heart of these misunderstandings, divisions, jealousies with this struggle with others. And the community of Corinth was like this. They were experts!
And so the Apostle gave the Corinthians some concrete advice that applies to us: do not be jealous, but appreciate in our communities the gifts and qualities of our brothers and sisters;
Jealousies ... I look at that one who has bought a new car and I start to feel jealous. That one won the lottery, another jealousy. And that one does something well, yet another jealousy. This dismembers, it hurts us! You shouldn’t do it! Because jealousies grow and fill the heart. A jealous heart, is a bitter heart, a heart that instead of blood looks like its full of vinegar. It is a heart that is never happy. It is a heart that dismembers the community.
But what should we do? Appreciate in our community the gifts, the qualities of others, of our brothers and sisters. But when we are jealous, because it comes to all, we are all sinners. When you become jealous, say Thank you Lord because you gave this to that person.
Appreciate the qualities; be close and participate in the sufferings of the least ones and of those most needy; express your gratitude to all.
Say thank you! The heart that knows how to say thank you is a good heart, a noble heart, a heart that is happy. Know how to say thank you. I ask myself: all of us, do we always know how to say thank you? Not always, eh! Because envy, jealousy ... it stops us a bit.
And lastly, this is a word of advice that the apostle Paul gives to the Corinthians and we should give to ourselves: do not esteem anyone as superior to the other.
How many people feel they are superior to others! Even we many times say like the Pharisee in the parable: I thank you Lord because I am not like that one, I am superior. This is awful! Don’t ever do it! And when this thought comes to you, remember your sins, those that no one knows about, humble yourself before God and say, You Lord, you know who is superior. I will close my mouth. This does us well.
And always in charity consider yourselves members one to another, that you may live and give to the benefit of all (cf 1 Cor 12-14).
Dear brothers and sisters, like the prophet Ezechiel and like the apostle Paul, let us also invoke the Holy Spirit, so that His grace and the abundance of His gifts may help us to live always as the body of Christ, united as a family, like the body of Christ and as a visible and beautiful sign of the love of Christ.
Following the above catechesis, summaries of this text were shared in various languages and the Holy Father shared particular greetings to each linguistic group of pilgrims who were present. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from England, Ireland, Denmark, Lithuania, Nigeria, Vietnam, China, Japan, Qatar and the United States of America. In a particular way, my greeting goes to the Irish pilgrims from the Diocese of Limerick, accompanied by their Bishop. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
In his address, the Pope, continuing the cycle of catechesis dedicated to the Church, added a meditation on the Church as the Body of Christ.
Following the summaries of His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each group of the faithful who were present.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
The image of the body is used when one wants to show how the elements that make up a reality are closely united with one another and form together one thing. Beginning with the apostle Paul, this expression is applied to the Church and is recognized as his most profound and beautiful distinctive trait. Today, we wish to ask ourselves: in what sense does the Church form the body? And why is it defined as the body of Christ?
In the Book of Ezechiel, there is a peculiar vision that is described, impressive, but capable of instilling confidence and hope in our hearts. God shows the prophet a valley of bones, detached from each other and dry. A desolate scenario. Imagine, an entire hill full of bones. God asks him, then, to invoke the Spirit upon them. At that moment, the bones begin to draw closer and unite, first the nerves grow on them and then the flesh and thus the body is formed, complete and full of life. (Ez 37: 1-14). This is the Church! I recommend, today when you are home, that you read Ezechiel, Chapter 37. Do not forget! It is beautiful. It is a masterpiece, a masterpiece of the Spirit, in which the new life of the Risen One is infused and puts one next to the other, one at the service and support of the other, thus making us all one body, built in communion and love.
The Church, however, is not only a body built in the Spirit: the Church is the body of Christ! And it is not simply a way of saying: we truly are! It is the great gift that we receive on the day of our Baptism! In the Sacrament of Baptism, in fact, Christ makes us His, welcoming us into the heart of the mystery of the Cross, the supreme mystery of his love for us, to make us rise again with Him, as new creatures. Behold: that is how the Church is born, that is how the Church is recognized as the body of Christ. Baptism constitutes a true rebirth, that regenerates us in Christ, makes us a part of Him, and unites us intimately among us, as members of the same body, of which He is the head (cf Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12-13).
That which emerges, then, is a profound communion of love. In this sense, it is enlightening how Paul, exhorting husbands to love their wives as their own body, he states: As Christ also does with the Church, because we are members of his body (Eph 5:28-30). It would be beautiful if we remembered more often what we are, of what the Lord Jesus has made us: we are His Body, that Body that nothing and no one can ever tear us from and that he covers all with his passion and His love, just like a husband with his wife. This thought, however, should heighten within us the desire to respond to the Lord and to share his love among us, as living members of his body. In the time of Paul, the community of Corinth found many difficulties in that sense, living, as we too often experience: the experience of division, of jealousies, of misunderstandings and marginalizations.
All these things are not good because, instead of building and making the Church grow as the body of Christ, it shatters into many pieces, it dismembers it.
And even this happens in our days. Think about the Christian communities, parishes, think about our neighbourhoods. How many divisions, how many jealousies, talking behind one’s back, so many misunderstandings and marginalizations!
And what does this do? It dismembers us! It is the start of war. War does not begin in the field of battle. Wars begin in the heart of these misunderstandings, divisions, jealousies with this struggle with others. And the community of Corinth was like this. They were experts!
And so the Apostle gave the Corinthians some concrete advice that applies to us: do not be jealous, but appreciate in our communities the gifts and qualities of our brothers and sisters;
Jealousies ... I look at that one who has bought a new car and I start to feel jealous. That one won the lottery, another jealousy. And that one does something well, yet another jealousy. This dismembers, it hurts us! You shouldn’t do it! Because jealousies grow and fill the heart. A jealous heart, is a bitter heart, a heart that instead of blood looks like its full of vinegar. It is a heart that is never happy. It is a heart that dismembers the community.
But what should we do? Appreciate in our community the gifts, the qualities of others, of our brothers and sisters. But when we are jealous, because it comes to all, we are all sinners. When you become jealous, say Thank you Lord because you gave this to that person.
Appreciate the qualities; be close and participate in the sufferings of the least ones and of those most needy; express your gratitude to all.
Say thank you! The heart that knows how to say thank you is a good heart, a noble heart, a heart that is happy. Know how to say thank you. I ask myself: all of us, do we always know how to say thank you? Not always, eh! Because envy, jealousy ... it stops us a bit.
And lastly, this is a word of advice that the apostle Paul gives to the Corinthians and we should give to ourselves: do not esteem anyone as superior to the other.
How many people feel they are superior to others! Even we many times say like the Pharisee in the parable: I thank you Lord because I am not like that one, I am superior. This is awful! Don’t ever do it! And when this thought comes to you, remember your sins, those that no one knows about, humble yourself before God and say, You Lord, you know who is superior. I will close my mouth. This does us well.
And always in charity consider yourselves members one to another, that you may live and give to the benefit of all (cf 1 Cor 12-14).
Dear brothers and sisters, like the prophet Ezechiel and like the apostle Paul, let us also invoke the Holy Spirit, so that His grace and the abundance of His gifts may help us to live always as the body of Christ, united as a family, like the body of Christ and as a visible and beautiful sign of the love of Christ.
Following the above catechesis, summaries of this text were shared in various languages and the Holy Father shared particular greetings to each linguistic group of pilgrims who were present. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from England, Ireland, Denmark, Lithuania, Nigeria, Vietnam, China, Japan, Qatar and the United States of America. In a particular way, my greeting goes to the Irish pilgrims from the Diocese of Limerick, accompanied by their Bishop. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
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