Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Video message to youth in Pompeii

Today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis inaugurated an initiative known as KeepLent, organized and promoted by the Office of Youth of the Prelature of Pompeii (Italy) to proclaim the Lenten gospel through social media.


Audio Message prepared by the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to inaugurate Keep Lent

Dear young people,

Jesus said to his disciples: Be attentive and do not practice your good deeds before others in order to be admired by them ... When you give alms, do not sound a trumpet ... Your Father, who sees in secret will reward you.

The Word of God gives us the proper understanding for living Lent well.

When we do something good, sometimes we are tempted to be appreciated and to have a reward: human glory.  But this is false reward because it is based on what others think about us.

Jesus calls us to do good because it is good.  He asks us to always be aware of the gaze of our heavenly Father, and to know that we live in communion with Him, not according to the judgments of others.

To live in the presence of the Father is a much deeper joy than any worldly glory.

Our attitude during Lent is therefore to live in secret, where the Father sees us, loves us, waits for us.  Sure, external things are also important, but we should always choose to live in God's presence.

In our prayer, our self-denial and our fraternal charity, let us do what we can, humbly, before God.  In this way, we will be worthy of the reward of God our Father.

Happy Lent, may Our Lady of Pompeii accompany you, and please pray for me.

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