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 from Italy and from every corner of the world.
During his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses on the family, adding a meditation on the responsibility of the family to pass on the faith.
Following the customary summaries of his teaching in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful that was present. Then, marking the anniversary of the conclusion of the Second World War in the Far East, he renewed his call for peace in the world.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In this final part of our catechetical journey on the family, let us open our gaze upon the world in which we find those who are responsible for passing on the faith, for transmitting faith, either within (specific groups) or in general.
First, a few evangelical expressions come to mind which seem to put family ties and the call to follow Jesus in opposition to one another. For example, the striking words that we all know and which we have heard: Those who love father or mother more than (they love) me are not worthy of me; those who love brothers and sisters more than (they love) me are not worthy of me; those who do not take up their crosses and follow me are not worthy of me (Mt 10:37-38).
Of course, with these words, Jesus does not intend to go against the fourth commandment, which is the first great commandment addressed to people. The first three concern our relationship with God, but this one concerns our relationship with people. Neither should we think that the Lord, after having performed a miracle for the newlyweds at Cana, after having consecrated the conjugal union between a man and a woman, after having restored sons and daughters to family life, should ask us to be insensible toward these family ties! This is not the explanation. On the contrary, when Jesus affirms the primacy of faith in God, there is no more significant comparison than families. And, on the other hand, these same family ties, as experiences of faith and of the love of God, transform us and fill us with a greater sense of our capability to go beyond ourselves, in order to create a more ample paternity and a maternity, and to welcome as a brother and a sister even those who are on the margins of every relationship. One day, in reply to those who told him that his mother and his brothers were outside and were looking for him, Jesus responded, pointing out who his mother and his brothers were: These are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father, these are to me my brother, sister and mother (Mk 3:34-35).
The wisdom of emotions which cannot be bought or sold are the greatest quality and genius of a family. Especially in a family setting, we learn to grow in an atmosphere of wisdom based on emotions. Their grammar is learned there; otherwise, it is very difficult to learn. This is the language through which God makes himself known to us all.
The invitation to place family ties within the context of obedience to faith and to the covenant with the Lord does not place blame on us; it protects us, it frees us from self-centredness, it protects us from degrading and leads us to the safety of life that never dies. Being surrounded by a family lifestyle based on relationships between men and women is a blessing for us: it brings hope to the earth. When families allow themselves to be converted by the witness of the gospel, they become capable of unthinkable things, which allow us to touch the works of God with our own hands, the work that God has accomplished throughout history, such as the things that Jesus was able to accomplish for men, women and children he encountered. A simple smile miraculously appearing on the face of a child can transform him or her from abandonment and allow them to begin living again, enough to explain God's actions in a world of more than a thousand theological treatises. One man and one woman, capable of risking and of sacrificing for the sake of the other's child, and not only for his or her own child, explains things with love which many scientists are incapable of explaining. And where do we find these family affections, hidden in the gestures of the heart that are more eloquent than words. The gesture of love ... it makes us think.
A family that responds to the call of Jesus recognizes their leader in the covenant that is created between men and women and God. Think about how this witness is developed today. We can imagine that history's guide (in society, in economics, in politics) is accomplished - finally! - in the covenant between a man and a woman because they lead with an eye set on the generation that is to come. Issues of land and homes, of economy and work, sing music that sounds very different!
If we want to re-establish leadership - on the Church's part - we will aim our efforts toward families who hear the word of God and put it into practice, becoming like the good wine at the wedding of Cana, the source of fermenting for God's yeast!
In effect, the covenant of the family with God is called today to combat communal desertification in our modern cities. But our cities have become deserted because of a lack of love, a lack of smiles. There are so many other options, so many ways to spend our time, to make ourselves laugh, but there is not enough love. A family's smile is capable of overcoming this desertification in our cities. Thisi s the victory of family love. No economic or political engineer is capable of sustaining or replacing the contribution of families. The project of Babel was to build lifeless skyscrapers. The Spirit of God however, causes flowers to bloom in the desert (cf Is 32:15). We need to go out from our tours and the vaults of the elite, and to enter again the houses and spaces where the multitudes can be found, always open to the love of the family.
The communion of charisms - provided by the Sacraments of matrimony and those that consecrate us for the Kingdom of God - is destined to transform the Church into a place that is fully familiar with the encounter with God. Let us continue on this path, never losing hope. Where there is a loving family, that family is capable of warming the heart of all in a city with its witness of love.
Pray for me, let us pray for each other, that we may become capable of recognizing and of supporting God's visits. Then the Spirit will lead us to experience happy turmoil in our Christian families, and the city of man will move out of its depression!
As is his custom, the above catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and the Pope himself offered greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims present for today's meeting. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from Sweden, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Japan, Malaysia and the United States of America. My particular greeting goes to the Board of the Catholic Extension Society of the United States. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
At the conclusion of today's General Audience, the Holy Father renewed his call for peace in the world:
During these days, even in the Far East, we are remembering the conclusion of the Second World War. I renew my fervent prayer to the Lord for all those who, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, there may never again be such an experience of horror and the appalling suffering of such tragedies - What an experience! This is also the fervent desire of the people, especially those who are victims of bloody conflicts still in process. Persecuted minorities, persecuted Christians, the folly of destruction, and then those who manufacture and trade in arms, weapons which have been bloodied and have shed the blood of so many innocent people. Never more should there be war! This is the anguished cry that rises from our hearts and the hearts of men and women of good will toward the Prince of peace.
During his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses on the family, adding a meditation on the responsibility of the family to pass on the faith.
Following the customary summaries of his teaching in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful that was present. Then, marking the anniversary of the conclusion of the Second World War in the Far East, he renewed his call for peace in the world.
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!
In this final part of our catechetical journey on the family, let us open our gaze upon the world in which we find those who are responsible for passing on the faith, for transmitting faith, either within (specific groups) or in general.
First, a few evangelical expressions come to mind which seem to put family ties and the call to follow Jesus in opposition to one another. For example, the striking words that we all know and which we have heard: Those who love father or mother more than (they love) me are not worthy of me; those who love brothers and sisters more than (they love) me are not worthy of me; those who do not take up their crosses and follow me are not worthy of me (Mt 10:37-38).
Of course, with these words, Jesus does not intend to go against the fourth commandment, which is the first great commandment addressed to people. The first three concern our relationship with God, but this one concerns our relationship with people. Neither should we think that the Lord, after having performed a miracle for the newlyweds at Cana, after having consecrated the conjugal union between a man and a woman, after having restored sons and daughters to family life, should ask us to be insensible toward these family ties! This is not the explanation. On the contrary, when Jesus affirms the primacy of faith in God, there is no more significant comparison than families. And, on the other hand, these same family ties, as experiences of faith and of the love of God, transform us and fill us with a greater sense of our capability to go beyond ourselves, in order to create a more ample paternity and a maternity, and to welcome as a brother and a sister even those who are on the margins of every relationship. One day, in reply to those who told him that his mother and his brothers were outside and were looking for him, Jesus responded, pointing out who his mother and his brothers were: These are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father, these are to me my brother, sister and mother (Mk 3:34-35).
The wisdom of emotions which cannot be bought or sold are the greatest quality and genius of a family. Especially in a family setting, we learn to grow in an atmosphere of wisdom based on emotions. Their grammar is learned there; otherwise, it is very difficult to learn. This is the language through which God makes himself known to us all.
The invitation to place family ties within the context of obedience to faith and to the covenant with the Lord does not place blame on us; it protects us, it frees us from self-centredness, it protects us from degrading and leads us to the safety of life that never dies. Being surrounded by a family lifestyle based on relationships between men and women is a blessing for us: it brings hope to the earth. When families allow themselves to be converted by the witness of the gospel, they become capable of unthinkable things, which allow us to touch the works of God with our own hands, the work that God has accomplished throughout history, such as the things that Jesus was able to accomplish for men, women and children he encountered. A simple smile miraculously appearing on the face of a child can transform him or her from abandonment and allow them to begin living again, enough to explain God's actions in a world of more than a thousand theological treatises. One man and one woman, capable of risking and of sacrificing for the sake of the other's child, and not only for his or her own child, explains things with love which many scientists are incapable of explaining. And where do we find these family affections, hidden in the gestures of the heart that are more eloquent than words. The gesture of love ... it makes us think.
A family that responds to the call of Jesus recognizes their leader in the covenant that is created between men and women and God. Think about how this witness is developed today. We can imagine that history's guide (in society, in economics, in politics) is accomplished - finally! - in the covenant between a man and a woman because they lead with an eye set on the generation that is to come. Issues of land and homes, of economy and work, sing music that sounds very different!
If we want to re-establish leadership - on the Church's part - we will aim our efforts toward families who hear the word of God and put it into practice, becoming like the good wine at the wedding of Cana, the source of fermenting for God's yeast!
In effect, the covenant of the family with God is called today to combat communal desertification in our modern cities. But our cities have become deserted because of a lack of love, a lack of smiles. There are so many other options, so many ways to spend our time, to make ourselves laugh, but there is not enough love. A family's smile is capable of overcoming this desertification in our cities. Thisi s the victory of family love. No economic or political engineer is capable of sustaining or replacing the contribution of families. The project of Babel was to build lifeless skyscrapers. The Spirit of God however, causes flowers to bloom in the desert (cf Is 32:15). We need to go out from our tours and the vaults of the elite, and to enter again the houses and spaces where the multitudes can be found, always open to the love of the family.
The communion of charisms - provided by the Sacraments of matrimony and those that consecrate us for the Kingdom of God - is destined to transform the Church into a place that is fully familiar with the encounter with God. Let us continue on this path, never losing hope. Where there is a loving family, that family is capable of warming the heart of all in a city with its witness of love.
Pray for me, let us pray for each other, that we may become capable of recognizing and of supporting God's visits. Then the Spirit will lead us to experience happy turmoil in our Christian families, and the city of man will move out of its depression!
As is his custom, the above catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and the Pope himself offered greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims present for today's meeting. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from Sweden, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Japan, Malaysia and the United States of America. My particular greeting goes to the Board of the Catholic Extension Society of the United States. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke an abundance of joy and peace in the Lord Jesus. God bless you all!
At the conclusion of today's General Audience, the Holy Father renewed his call for peace in the world:
During these days, even in the Far East, we are remembering the conclusion of the Second World War. I renew my fervent prayer to the Lord for all those who, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, there may never again be such an experience of horror and the appalling suffering of such tragedies - What an experience! This is also the fervent desire of the people, especially those who are victims of bloody conflicts still in process. Persecuted minorities, persecuted Christians, the folly of destruction, and then those who manufacture and trade in arms, weapons which have been bloodied and have shed the blood of so many innocent people. Never more should there be war! This is the anguished cry that rises from our hearts and the hearts of men and women of good will toward the Prince of peace.
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