This morning's General Audience (Pope Francis' 100th) began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square, where the Holy Father met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.
During his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of teachings on the family, concluding his reflection on the three dimensions that characterize family life: celebrations, work and prayer, focusing todayon the importance of prayer.
Following a series of summaries of his catechesis presented in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each of the groups of the faithful who were present. Then, he issued an invitation for those who were present to take part in a Liturgy of the Word over which he will preside in the afternoon of September 1 in the Vatican Basilica to mark the first World Day of Prayer for the care of creation.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
After having reflected on how a family lives in times of celebration and of work, let us consider now the time of prayer. The most frequent complaint of Christians has to do with time: Do you have to pray more ...; I want to do it but sometimes I don't have enough time. We continually feel this way. Our regret is sincere, certainly, for the human heart continually wants to pray, even without knowing it: and if we cannot, we are not at peace. Why does this trouble arise? We must cultivate in our heart a loving warmth for God, an affectionate love.
We can ask ourselves a very simple question. It's okay to believe in God with all our hearts, to hope that he will help us when we face difficulties, to feel the need to thank him. All this is good, but do we also love the Lord, even just a little bit? Does thinking about God move us, surprise us, soften our hearts?
Let us consider the makeup of the great commandment, that supports all the others: You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Deut 6:5; Mt 22:37). This commandment uses the intense language of love, revealed in God. Thus, the spirit of prayer lives in all of us here, and if it is alive here, it has also been alive throughout all of time, and will never die. Can we think of God as a caress that keeps us alive, before whom nothing else existed? A caress from which nothing, even death, can separate us? Or do we think of Him only as a great Being, the Omnipotent one who has made everything, the Judge who controls every one of our actions? All of this is true, surely, but only when God is the object of all our affections do the meanings in all our words become fully realized. So, we feel happy, and also a bit confused because He is always thinking about us, and loving us! Is this not impressive? Are we not impressed that God embraces us with the love of a father? This is so beautiful! He could have simply been recognized as the supreme Being; he could have given his commandments and waited for results. Instead, God made everything we see and touch, and he continues to create infinite possibilities. He is always guiding us on our way through life, protecting us, loving us.
If affection for God is not enough to light the fire, the spirit of prayer will not warm with time. We can also multiply our words: like the pagans do, Jesus says, or we can also create rituals: like the Pharisees do (cf Mt 6:5, 7). A heart that is filled with affection for God can create a prayer even from a thought that has no words, or an invocation uttered before a sacred image, or a kiss sent toward the church. It is beautiful when a mother teaches her little children to send kisses to Jesus or to Our Lady. There is so much tenderness in such a moment! At that moment, the hearts of children are transformed into places of prayer. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us never forget to ask for this gift, for each of us! The Spirit of God has its special way of saying in our hearts: Abba - Father, and of teaching us to say Father just like Jesus used to say it, an experience that we can never have on our own (cf Gal 4:6). It is through the gift of our families that we learn to ask for and to appreciate this gift of the Spirit. If you learn this lesson with the same spontaneity with which we learn to say daddy and mommy, you will have learned it for good. When this happens, it's time for the entire family to sit together at the feet of God and to seek a time of spontaneous prayer.
As we are well aware, family time is a complicated matter, often crowded, busy and filled with preoccupations. There is always too little time, never enough time, and there are so many things that need to be done. Those who have families soon learn to solve equations that not even great mathematicians can solve: how do we make twenty-four hours feel twice as long! There are mothers and fathers who should win Nobel prizes for this ability. Out of 24 hours, they can move in and find 48. I don't know how they do it! There is so much work in families!
The spirit of prayer returns some time to God, taking us away from the obsession of our lives to focus on the things that we never have time for, we recover peace in necessary things, and we discover the joy of unexpected gifts. Our best guides in this matter are the sisters Martha and Mary, who are spoken of in the gospel we have heard today; they learned from God the harmony of family rhythms: the beauty of celebrations, the serenity of work, the spirit of prayer (cf Lk 10:38-42). A visit from Jesus, who they loved, was a moment to celebrate. One day though, Martha learned that the work of hospitality, though important, is not everything, but listening to the Lord, as Mary was doing, was the essential thing, the better part at the time. Prayer flows from listening to Jesus, from reading the gospel. Let us never forget this, every day, we should read a passage of the gospel. Prayer flows from intimate knowledge of the Word of God. Is there such intimacy in our family relationships? Do we have a copy of the gospels at home? Do we open the bible once in awhile to read it together? Do we meditate while reciting the rosary? The gospel, read and meditated upon in a family setting is like good bread that feeds the heart. In the morning or at night, when we sit at table, let us learn to say a prayer together, with great simplicity: and Jesus will come to live among us, like he used to visit with the family of Martha and Mary and Lazarus. One thing that is very dear to me, and which I have seen in cities: there are children who have never learned how to make the sign of the cross! You, fathers, mothers, teach your children how to pray, how to make the sign of the cross: this is a beautiful task for mothers and fathers!
Through prayer in families, in moments of strength and in difficult situations, we are confided to each other's prayer, and each one of us in a family is cared for by the love of God.
As is customary, following this catechesis, which was spoken in Italian, summaries were presented in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each of the groups 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 those from England, Denmark, Malta, China, Dubai, Nigeria, Canada and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
During his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of teachings on the family, concluding his reflection on the three dimensions that characterize family life: celebrations, work and prayer, focusing todayon the importance of prayer.
Following a series of summaries of his catechesis presented in various languages, the Holy Father addressed particular greetings to each of the groups of the faithful who were present. Then, he issued an invitation for those who were present to take part in a Liturgy of the Word over which he will preside in the afternoon of September 1 in the Vatican Basilica to mark the first World Day of Prayer for the care of creation.
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!
After having reflected on how a family lives in times of celebration and of work, let us consider now the time of prayer. The most frequent complaint of Christians has to do with time: Do you have to pray more ...; I want to do it but sometimes I don't have enough time. We continually feel this way. Our regret is sincere, certainly, for the human heart continually wants to pray, even without knowing it: and if we cannot, we are not at peace. Why does this trouble arise? We must cultivate in our heart a loving warmth for God, an affectionate love.
We can ask ourselves a very simple question. It's okay to believe in God with all our hearts, to hope that he will help us when we face difficulties, to feel the need to thank him. All this is good, but do we also love the Lord, even just a little bit? Does thinking about God move us, surprise us, soften our hearts?
Let us consider the makeup of the great commandment, that supports all the others: You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength (Deut 6:5; Mt 22:37). This commandment uses the intense language of love, revealed in God. Thus, the spirit of prayer lives in all of us here, and if it is alive here, it has also been alive throughout all of time, and will never die. Can we think of God as a caress that keeps us alive, before whom nothing else existed? A caress from which nothing, even death, can separate us? Or do we think of Him only as a great Being, the Omnipotent one who has made everything, the Judge who controls every one of our actions? All of this is true, surely, but only when God is the object of all our affections do the meanings in all our words become fully realized. So, we feel happy, and also a bit confused because He is always thinking about us, and loving us! Is this not impressive? Are we not impressed that God embraces us with the love of a father? This is so beautiful! He could have simply been recognized as the supreme Being; he could have given his commandments and waited for results. Instead, God made everything we see and touch, and he continues to create infinite possibilities. He is always guiding us on our way through life, protecting us, loving us.
If affection for God is not enough to light the fire, the spirit of prayer will not warm with time. We can also multiply our words: like the pagans do, Jesus says, or we can also create rituals: like the Pharisees do (cf Mt 6:5, 7). A heart that is filled with affection for God can create a prayer even from a thought that has no words, or an invocation uttered before a sacred image, or a kiss sent toward the church. It is beautiful when a mother teaches her little children to send kisses to Jesus or to Our Lady. There is so much tenderness in such a moment! At that moment, the hearts of children are transformed into places of prayer. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us never forget to ask for this gift, for each of us! The Spirit of God has its special way of saying in our hearts: Abba - Father, and of teaching us to say Father just like Jesus used to say it, an experience that we can never have on our own (cf Gal 4:6). It is through the gift of our families that we learn to ask for and to appreciate this gift of the Spirit. If you learn this lesson with the same spontaneity with which we learn to say daddy and mommy, you will have learned it for good. When this happens, it's time for the entire family to sit together at the feet of God and to seek a time of spontaneous prayer.
As we are well aware, family time is a complicated matter, often crowded, busy and filled with preoccupations. There is always too little time, never enough time, and there are so many things that need to be done. Those who have families soon learn to solve equations that not even great mathematicians can solve: how do we make twenty-four hours feel twice as long! There are mothers and fathers who should win Nobel prizes for this ability. Out of 24 hours, they can move in and find 48. I don't know how they do it! There is so much work in families!
The spirit of prayer returns some time to God, taking us away from the obsession of our lives to focus on the things that we never have time for, we recover peace in necessary things, and we discover the joy of unexpected gifts. Our best guides in this matter are the sisters Martha and Mary, who are spoken of in the gospel we have heard today; they learned from God the harmony of family rhythms: the beauty of celebrations, the serenity of work, the spirit of prayer (cf Lk 10:38-42). A visit from Jesus, who they loved, was a moment to celebrate. One day though, Martha learned that the work of hospitality, though important, is not everything, but listening to the Lord, as Mary was doing, was the essential thing, the better part at the time. Prayer flows from listening to Jesus, from reading the gospel. Let us never forget this, every day, we should read a passage of the gospel. Prayer flows from intimate knowledge of the Word of God. Is there such intimacy in our family relationships? Do we have a copy of the gospels at home? Do we open the bible once in awhile to read it together? Do we meditate while reciting the rosary? The gospel, read and meditated upon in a family setting is like good bread that feeds the heart. In the morning or at night, when we sit at table, let us learn to say a prayer together, with great simplicity: and Jesus will come to live among us, like he used to visit with the family of Martha and Mary and Lazarus. One thing that is very dear to me, and which I have seen in cities: there are children who have never learned how to make the sign of the cross! You, fathers, mothers, teach your children how to pray, how to make the sign of the cross: this is a beautiful task for mothers and fathers!
Through prayer in families, in moments of strength and in difficult situations, we are confided to each other's prayer, and each one of us in a family is cared for by the love of God.
As is customary, following this catechesis, which was spoken in Italian, summaries were presented in various languages, and the Holy Father offered greetings to each of the groups 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 those from England, Denmark, Malta, China, Dubai, Nigeria, Canada and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
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