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 who had come from various parts of Italy and every corner of the world.
During his discourse, the Pope, continuing the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the Church, added his meditation on the universal vocation of holiness.
After having summarized His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to the various groups of the faithful who were present. He then issued a call for peace in the Holy Land and an invitation for the provision of spiritual and material support for cloistered communities on the occasion of the Day for those who pray which will be celebrated on November 21.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
One of the great gifts of the Second Vatican Council was having rediscovered a vision of the Church founded on communion which also embodies the principle of authority and the hierarchy in this context. This has helped us to better understand that all Christians, all those who are baptized possess equal dignity before the Lord and are unified by the same vocation, that is a vocation to holiness (cf Constitution Lumen gentium, 39-42). Now we must ask ourselves: what does this universal call to holiness mean? And how can we achieve it?
First of all, we must understand that holiness is not something that we ourselves can buy, something that we can obtain in exchange for our own qualities and skills. Holiness is a gift, a gift that is given by the Lord God when He takes us unto himself and makes us more like Himself. In the letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul says that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, in order to make her holy (Eph 5:25-26). So, holiness is truly the most beautiful face of the Church, the most beautiful face: it is rediscovered in communion with God, in the fullness of His life and Hs love. Therefore we understand that holiness is not only the calling of a few: holiness is a gift that is offered to all people, no one is excluded, it is the distinctive character of every Christian.
All this makes us understand that, to be holy, it is not necessary to be Bishops, priests or religious … We are all called to become saints! Very often, however, we are tempted to think that holiness is reserved only to those who have the possibility to detach themselves from ordinary tasks, to dedicate themselves exclusively to prayer. But it is not so! Some people think that holiness is closing your eyes and putting on a pious face ... No! That is not holiness! Holiness is something greater, more profound that God gives us. In fact, it is precisely by living with love and offering Christian witness in our daily tasks that we are called to become Saints – and each one in the conditions and in the state in which he finds himself. Are you consecrated? Be holy by living with joy your donation and your ministry. Are you married? Be holy by loving and taking care of your husband or your wife, as Christ did with the Church. Are you an unmarried baptized person? Be holy by doing your work with honesty and competence and offering time to the service of your brothers and sisters. But Father, I work in a factory ... I work as an accountant, always with the numbers, I cannot be a saint there... - Yes, you can! There, where you work you can become a saint.
God gives you the grace to become a saint. God communicates with you."Always and everywhere you can become a saint, that is, by being receptive to the grace that is working in us and leading us to holiness. Are you a parent or a grandparent? Be holy by passionately teaching your children or your grandchildren to know and to follow Jesus. And this takes a lot of patience, to be a good parent, a good grandfather, a good mother, a good grandmother, it takes a lot of patience and this patience is the holiness exercising patience. Are you a catechist, educator or volunteer? Be a Saint by becoming a visible sign of the love of God and of His presence at our side. This is it: every state of life leads to holiness, always! At home, on the streets, at work, at church, in the moment and with the state of life that you have, a door is opened on the road to sainthood. Do not be discouraged to travel this road. God gives you the grace to do so. And this is all that the Lord asks: that we are in communion with Him and serve others. If lived in communion with the Lord and in the service of others.
At this point, each of us can examine our conscience, we can do it now, everyone answering for himself, inside, in silence: So far how have we responded to God's call to holiness? But do I want to improve, to be a better Christian? This is the path to holiness. When the Lord calls us to be saints, he does not call us to something hard or sad... Not at all! It is an invitation to share His joy, to live and offer every moment of our lives with joy, at the same time making it a gift of love for the people around us. If we understand this, everything changes and takes on a new meaning, a beautiful meaning, to begin with the little everyday things. An example. A lady goes to the market to shop and meets another neighbour and starts talking and then comes the gossip and this lady says, No, no, no I will not gossip about anyone. That's one step towards holiness, this helps you to become more holy. Then, at home, your son asks you to talk to him about his fantasies: Oh, I'm so tired, I worked so hard today... - But sit down and listen to your son, he needs this. And you sit, you listen with patience... This is a step towards holiness. Then at end the day, we are all tired, but prayer... We must pray! That's one way to holiness. Then Sunday comes and you go to Mass and to take Communion, at times, a good confession that cleans us up a little. This is a step towards holiness. Then, Our Lady, so good, so beautiful, I take up the Rosary and pray. This is a step towards holiness. And so many steps towards holiness, little ones... Then I go down the street, I see a poor person, someone in need, I ask him, give him something, another step towards holiness. Small things are small steps toward holiness. And every step towards holiness will make us better people, free from selfishness and being closed in on ourselves, and open us up to our brothers and sisters and their needs.
Dear friends, in the First Letter of Saint Peter, this exhortation is addressed to us: As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (4:10-11). See the invitation to holiness! Let us receive it with joy, and support one another, because the path to holiness is not traveled on one’s own, each one on his own account, but it is traveled together, in the one Body that is the Church, loved and rendered holy by the Lord Jesus.
This catechesis was then repeated in various languages, and the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of pilgrims who were present at this morning's Audience. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from England, Denmark, Japan and the United States of America. I thanks the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Pope issued the following appeal:
I am following with concern the alarming increase of tensions in Jerusalem and in other parts of the Holy Land, with unacceptable and violent episodes which have not spared even places of worship. I assure you of a particular prayer for all the victims of these dramatic situations and for all those who suffer the consequences. From the depths of my heart, I issue an appeal to all the parties involved, to put an end to the spiral of violence and hatred and make bold decisions in favour of reconciliation and peace. It is difficult to build up peace, but to live without peace is a torment!
On Friday, November 21, the liturgical memorial of the Presentation of Blessed Mary in the Temple, we will celebrate the Day for those who pray, dedicated to cloistered religious communities. This is a favourable occasion to thank the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, dedicate themselves to God in prayer and in silent work, recognizing the primacy which only He deserves. We thank the Lord for the witness of cloistered life and we should not forget those who provide spiritual and material support in order that this mission might be accomplished.
During his discourse, the Pope, continuing the cycle of catecheses dedicated to the Church, added his meditation on the universal vocation of holiness.
After having summarized His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to the various groups of the faithful who were present. He then issued a call for peace in the Holy Land and an invitation for the provision of spiritual and material support for cloistered communities on the occasion of the Day for those who pray which will be celebrated on November 21.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning.
One of the great gifts of the Second Vatican Council was having rediscovered a vision of the Church founded on communion which also embodies the principle of authority and the hierarchy in this context. This has helped us to better understand that all Christians, all those who are baptized possess equal dignity before the Lord and are unified by the same vocation, that is a vocation to holiness (cf Constitution Lumen gentium, 39-42). Now we must ask ourselves: what does this universal call to holiness mean? And how can we achieve it?
First of all, we must understand that holiness is not something that we ourselves can buy, something that we can obtain in exchange for our own qualities and skills. Holiness is a gift, a gift that is given by the Lord God when He takes us unto himself and makes us more like Himself. In the letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul says that Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, in order to make her holy (Eph 5:25-26). So, holiness is truly the most beautiful face of the Church, the most beautiful face: it is rediscovered in communion with God, in the fullness of His life and Hs love. Therefore we understand that holiness is not only the calling of a few: holiness is a gift that is offered to all people, no one is excluded, it is the distinctive character of every Christian.
All this makes us understand that, to be holy, it is not necessary to be Bishops, priests or religious … We are all called to become saints! Very often, however, we are tempted to think that holiness is reserved only to those who have the possibility to detach themselves from ordinary tasks, to dedicate themselves exclusively to prayer. But it is not so! Some people think that holiness is closing your eyes and putting on a pious face ... No! That is not holiness! Holiness is something greater, more profound that God gives us. In fact, it is precisely by living with love and offering Christian witness in our daily tasks that we are called to become Saints – and each one in the conditions and in the state in which he finds himself. Are you consecrated? Be holy by living with joy your donation and your ministry. Are you married? Be holy by loving and taking care of your husband or your wife, as Christ did with the Church. Are you an unmarried baptized person? Be holy by doing your work with honesty and competence and offering time to the service of your brothers and sisters. But Father, I work in a factory ... I work as an accountant, always with the numbers, I cannot be a saint there... - Yes, you can! There, where you work you can become a saint.
God gives you the grace to become a saint. God communicates with you."Always and everywhere you can become a saint, that is, by being receptive to the grace that is working in us and leading us to holiness. Are you a parent or a grandparent? Be holy by passionately teaching your children or your grandchildren to know and to follow Jesus. And this takes a lot of patience, to be a good parent, a good grandfather, a good mother, a good grandmother, it takes a lot of patience and this patience is the holiness exercising patience. Are you a catechist, educator or volunteer? Be a Saint by becoming a visible sign of the love of God and of His presence at our side. This is it: every state of life leads to holiness, always! At home, on the streets, at work, at church, in the moment and with the state of life that you have, a door is opened on the road to sainthood. Do not be discouraged to travel this road. God gives you the grace to do so. And this is all that the Lord asks: that we are in communion with Him and serve others. If lived in communion with the Lord and in the service of others.
At this point, each of us can examine our conscience, we can do it now, everyone answering for himself, inside, in silence: So far how have we responded to God's call to holiness? But do I want to improve, to be a better Christian? This is the path to holiness. When the Lord calls us to be saints, he does not call us to something hard or sad... Not at all! It is an invitation to share His joy, to live and offer every moment of our lives with joy, at the same time making it a gift of love for the people around us. If we understand this, everything changes and takes on a new meaning, a beautiful meaning, to begin with the little everyday things. An example. A lady goes to the market to shop and meets another neighbour and starts talking and then comes the gossip and this lady says, No, no, no I will not gossip about anyone. That's one step towards holiness, this helps you to become more holy. Then, at home, your son asks you to talk to him about his fantasies: Oh, I'm so tired, I worked so hard today... - But sit down and listen to your son, he needs this. And you sit, you listen with patience... This is a step towards holiness. Then at end the day, we are all tired, but prayer... We must pray! That's one way to holiness. Then Sunday comes and you go to Mass and to take Communion, at times, a good confession that cleans us up a little. This is a step towards holiness. Then, Our Lady, so good, so beautiful, I take up the Rosary and pray. This is a step towards holiness. And so many steps towards holiness, little ones... Then I go down the street, I see a poor person, someone in need, I ask him, give him something, another step towards holiness. Small things are small steps toward holiness. And every step towards holiness will make us better people, free from selfishness and being closed in on ourselves, and open us up to our brothers and sisters and their needs.
Dear friends, in the First Letter of Saint Peter, this exhortation is addressed to us: As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God; whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies, in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (4:10-11). See the invitation to holiness! Let us receive it with joy, and support one another, because the path to holiness is not traveled on one’s own, each one on his own account, but it is traveled together, in the one Body that is the Church, loved and rendered holy by the Lord Jesus.
This catechesis was then repeated in various languages, and the Holy Father offered particular greetings to each group of pilgrims who were present at this morning's Audience. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from England, Denmark, Japan and the United States of America. I thanks the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Pope issued the following appeal:
I am following with concern the alarming increase of tensions in Jerusalem and in other parts of the Holy Land, with unacceptable and violent episodes which have not spared even places of worship. I assure you of a particular prayer for all the victims of these dramatic situations and for all those who suffer the consequences. From the depths of my heart, I issue an appeal to all the parties involved, to put an end to the spiral of violence and hatred and make bold decisions in favour of reconciliation and peace. It is difficult to build up peace, but to live without peace is a torment!
On Friday, November 21, the liturgical memorial of the Presentation of Blessed Mary in the Temple, we will celebrate the Day for those who pray, dedicated to cloistered religious communities. This is a favourable occasion to thank the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, dedicate themselves to God in prayer and in silent work, recognizing the primacy which only He deserves. We thank the Lord for the witness of cloistered life and we should not forget those who provide spiritual and material support in order that this mission might be accomplished.
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