This morning's General Audience began at 9:20am 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.
In his speech, the Pope focused on the theme: Paradise, the goal of our hope.
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each of the groups of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
This is the final catechesis on the theme of Christian hope, which has been unfolding since the beginning of this liturgical year. I will conclude by speaking about paradise, the goal of our hope.
Paradise is one of the final words pronounced by Jesus on the cross, spoken to the good thief. Let us focus for a moment on that scene. On the cross, Jesus is not alone. Beside him, to the right and to the left, there are two wrongdoers. Perhaps, passing in front of those three crosses planted on the hill at Golgotha, someone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that finally justice was being served with the death of such people.
Beside Jesus, there was also someone who confessed his guilt: one who recognized the fact that he deserved that terrible punishment. We call him the good thief, the one who, challenging the other one's words, declared: we are receiving the punishment that we deserve for our actions (cf Lk 23:41).
On the mount of Calvary, on that tragic but holy Friday, Jesus reached the extreme of his incarnation, of his solidarity with sinners. There, he fulfilled the prophecy that had been spoken by Isaiah about the suffering servant: He was counted among the un-godly (Is 53:12; Lk 22:37).
It was there, on Calvary, that Jesus had his final encounter with a sinner, to throw open wide - even for him - the doors of the Kingdom. This is interesting: the only time that the word paradise appears in the gospels. Jesus promised paradise to a poor devil and on the wood of the cross that poor man had the courage to ask him the most humble of questions: Remember me when you enter into your kingdom (Lk 23:42). He had done no good deeds worth pointing to, he had nothing, but he relied on Jesus who recognized his innocence, the fact that he was good, so different from his own image of himself (Lk 23:41). Those words, spoken by a humble penitent, were enough to touch the heart of Jesus.
The good thief reminds us of our own true condition before God: we are his children, that he is compassionate toward us, that he is disarmed every time that we show him that we remember his love. In hospital rooms or in prison cells, this miracle is repeated time and time again: there is no person, no matter how bad he is, for whom there is no alternative but despair, to whom grace has been denied. Before God, we all present ourselves with empty hands, a little bit like the publican in the parable who had stopped to pray before the temple (cf Lk 18:13). Every time that someone, making the final examination of his or her life, discovers that there are many more unworthy activities than there are good ones, he or she should never despair, but rather entrust him or herself to the mercy of God. This gives us all hope, this opens our hearts!
God is a Father, and he is always waiting for our return. To the prodigal son who returned, who began to confess his wrongdoings, the father stopped him from speaking by lovingly embracing him cf Lk 15:20). This is what God does: this is how much he loves us!
Paradise is not a place of make believe, nor is it an enchanted garden. Paradise is an embrace with God, infinite Love, and we can enter that place thanks to Jesus who died on the cross for us. Where Jesus is, there is mercy and happiness; without him, there is cold and darkness. At the hour of death, the Christian repeats to Jesus: Remember me. And even if there is no one left to remember us, Jesus is there, beside us. He wants to take us to the most beautiful place that exists. He wants to take us there no matter whether we have known little or much good during our lives, so that nothing that he has already redeemed can be lost. And in the Father's house, he will gather all those who still need to be redeemed: the defects and the mistakes of our entire lives. This is the goal of our existence: that everything is accomplished and transformed into love.
If we believe this, death no longer scares us, and we can even hope to leave this world serenely, filled wit trust. Anyone who has known Jesus will never fear. And we can also repeat the words spoken by the elderly Simeon, even he was blessed by his encounter with Christ, after having spent an entire lifetime of waiting: Now Lord, you can let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation (Lk 2:29-30).
At that moment, finally, we will need nothing more, we will no longer see in a confused way. We will no longer weep for no reason, because everything will be gone, even prophecies, even knowledge. But love no, love will remain. Because charity will never end (cf 1 Cor 13:8).
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and he offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Norway, India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and the United States of America. I extend a particular welcome to the priests from the Metropolia of Nea Ionia of the Orthodox Church of Greece, accompanied by His Grace Metropolitan Gabriel. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In his speech, the Pope focused on the theme: Paradise, the goal of our hope.
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each of the groups of the faithful in attendance.
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!
This is the final catechesis on the theme of Christian hope, which has been unfolding since the beginning of this liturgical year. I will conclude by speaking about paradise, the goal of our hope.
Paradise is one of the final words pronounced by Jesus on the cross, spoken to the good thief. Let us focus for a moment on that scene. On the cross, Jesus is not alone. Beside him, to the right and to the left, there are two wrongdoers. Perhaps, passing in front of those three crosses planted on the hill at Golgotha, someone breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that finally justice was being served with the death of such people.
Beside Jesus, there was also someone who confessed his guilt: one who recognized the fact that he deserved that terrible punishment. We call him the good thief, the one who, challenging the other one's words, declared: we are receiving the punishment that we deserve for our actions (cf Lk 23:41).
On the mount of Calvary, on that tragic but holy Friday, Jesus reached the extreme of his incarnation, of his solidarity with sinners. There, he fulfilled the prophecy that had been spoken by Isaiah about the suffering servant: He was counted among the un-godly (Is 53:12; Lk 22:37).
It was there, on Calvary, that Jesus had his final encounter with a sinner, to throw open wide - even for him - the doors of the Kingdom. This is interesting: the only time that the word paradise appears in the gospels. Jesus promised paradise to a poor devil and on the wood of the cross that poor man had the courage to ask him the most humble of questions: Remember me when you enter into your kingdom (Lk 23:42). He had done no good deeds worth pointing to, he had nothing, but he relied on Jesus who recognized his innocence, the fact that he was good, so different from his own image of himself (Lk 23:41). Those words, spoken by a humble penitent, were enough to touch the heart of Jesus.
The good thief reminds us of our own true condition before God: we are his children, that he is compassionate toward us, that he is disarmed every time that we show him that we remember his love. In hospital rooms or in prison cells, this miracle is repeated time and time again: there is no person, no matter how bad he is, for whom there is no alternative but despair, to whom grace has been denied. Before God, we all present ourselves with empty hands, a little bit like the publican in the parable who had stopped to pray before the temple (cf Lk 18:13). Every time that someone, making the final examination of his or her life, discovers that there are many more unworthy activities than there are good ones, he or she should never despair, but rather entrust him or herself to the mercy of God. This gives us all hope, this opens our hearts!
God is a Father, and he is always waiting for our return. To the prodigal son who returned, who began to confess his wrongdoings, the father stopped him from speaking by lovingly embracing him cf Lk 15:20). This is what God does: this is how much he loves us!
Paradise is not a place of make believe, nor is it an enchanted garden. Paradise is an embrace with God, infinite Love, and we can enter that place thanks to Jesus who died on the cross for us. Where Jesus is, there is mercy and happiness; without him, there is cold and darkness. At the hour of death, the Christian repeats to Jesus: Remember me. And even if there is no one left to remember us, Jesus is there, beside us. He wants to take us to the most beautiful place that exists. He wants to take us there no matter whether we have known little or much good during our lives, so that nothing that he has already redeemed can be lost. And in the Father's house, he will gather all those who still need to be redeemed: the defects and the mistakes of our entire lives. This is the goal of our existence: that everything is accomplished and transformed into love.
If we believe this, death no longer scares us, and we can even hope to leave this world serenely, filled wit trust. Anyone who has known Jesus will never fear. And we can also repeat the words spoken by the elderly Simeon, even he was blessed by his encounter with Christ, after having spent an entire lifetime of waiting: Now Lord, you can let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation (Lk 2:29-30).
At that moment, finally, we will need nothing more, we will no longer see in a confused way. We will no longer weep for no reason, because everything will be gone, even prophecies, even knowledge. But love no, love will remain. Because charity will never end (cf 1 Cor 13:8).
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and he offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Norway, India, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and the United States of America. I extend a particular welcome to the priests from the Metropolia of Nea Ionia of the Orthodox Church of Greece, accompanied by His Grace Metropolitan Gabriel. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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