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 continued the cycle of catecheses on the Commandments, adding his meditation on the theme: Thou shalt not desire your neighbour's wife; thou shalt not desire your neighbour's property (Biblical passage: Exodus 17).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. Then, he offered an invitation to remember all cloistered religious communities on the occasion of the Day pro Orantibus which is observed today.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Our meetings on the Decalogue lead us today to the last commandment. We heard it at the beginning of this encounter. These are not only the last words of the text, but much more: they are the fulfillment of the journey through the Decalogue, touching the heart of all that is delivered to it. In fact, on closer inspection, they do not add any new content: the indications «you will not desire your neighbour's wife ..., nor anything that belongs to your neighbour are at least latent in the commands on adultery and theft; what then is the function of these words? Are they meant as a summary? Is there something more?
Keep in mind that all the commandments have the task of indicating the boundaries of life, the limits beyond which man destroys himself and his neighbour, spoiling his relationship with God. If we go further, we may destroy ourselves, we may even destroy our relationship with God and our relationships with others. The commandments point to this. Through this last word, the fact is emphasized that all transgressions arise from a common inner root: evil desires. All sins are born of an evil desire. All of them. The heart begins to move, and we enter that wave, and the story ends in transgression. But not a formal, legal transgression: a transgression that wounds itself and others.
In the Gospel, the Lord Jesus explicitly says: From within, in fact, from the heart of men, the intentions of evil come out: impurity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these bad things come from within and make man impure (Mk 7:21-23).
Thus we understand that the whole journey made by the Decalogue would have no use if it did not reach this level, the heart of man. Where do all these bad things come from? The Decalogue shows itself to be lucid and profound on this aspect: the point of arrival - the last commandment - of this journey is the heart, and if this, if the heart is not liberated, the rest is of little use. This is the challenge: freeing the heart from all these evil and ugly things. God's precepts can be reduced to being only the beautiful facade of a life that still remains an existence of slaves and not sons. Often, behind the pharisaic mask of suffocating correctness, something ugly and unresolved hides.
Instead, we must allow ourselves ourselves to be unmasked by these commands that concern desire, because they show us our poverty; they lead us to a holy humiliation. Each of us can ask ourselves: but what bad wishes do I often come to? Envy, greed, gossip? All these things that come from inside me. Everyone can ask and it will do us good. Man needs this blessed humiliation, that from which he discovers he can not free himself, the aspects for which he shouts to God to be saved. Saint Paul explains it in a wonderful way, referring to the commandment not to desire (cf Rom 7: 7-24).
It is vain to think of being able to correct ourselves without the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is futile to think of purifying our hearts in a titanic effort of our sole will: this is not possible. We must open ourselves to a relationship with God, in truth and in freedom: only in this way can our efforts be fruitful, because it is the Holy Spirit who carries us forward.
The task of the Biblical Law is not to delude mankind into believing that literal obedience will lead us to an artificial and, moreover, unattainable salvation. The task of the Law is to bring mankind to his truth, that is, to his poverty, which becomes authentic openness and personal openness to the mercy of God, who transforms and renews us. God is the only one who is capable of renewing our hearts, as long as we open our hearts to him: this is the only condition; He does everything, but we have to open our hearts.
The last words of the Decalogue teach everyone to recognize themselves as beggars; they help us to face the disorder of our hearts, to stop living selfishly and to become poor in spirit, authentic in the presence of the Father, allowing ourselves to be redeemed by the Son and taught by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the teacher who guides us: let us allow ourselves to be helped. We are beggars, we must ask for this grace.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). Yes, blessed those who stop deluding themselves by believing that they can save themselves from their weakness without the mercy of God, who alone can heal. Only God's mercy heals the heart. Blessed are those who recognize their evil desires and with a repentant and humbled heart do not stand before God and other men as righteous, but rather as sinners. It is beautiful that Peter said to the Lord: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinner. This is a beautiful prayer: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinner.
These are the ones who know how to have compassion, who know how to have mercy on others, because they experience it in themselves.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and His Holiness offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, Ireland, Nigeria, Israel, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Canada and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father issued the following call for prayers:
Today, on the Liturgical Memorial of the Presentation of Blessed Mary in the Temple, we celebrate the Day pro Orantibus, dedicated to the memory of religious cloistered communities: there are many of them! This is a most opportune time to thank the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, dedicate themselves totally to God in prayer, in silence and in hiding. These communities offer the entire Church affection, closeness and material support.
In his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catecheses on the Commandments, adding his meditation on the theme: Thou shalt not desire your neighbour's wife; thou shalt not desire your neighbour's property (Biblical passage: Exodus 17).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. Then, he offered an invitation to remember all cloistered religious communities on the occasion of the Day pro Orantibus which is observed today.
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!
Our meetings on the Decalogue lead us today to the last commandment. We heard it at the beginning of this encounter. These are not only the last words of the text, but much more: they are the fulfillment of the journey through the Decalogue, touching the heart of all that is delivered to it. In fact, on closer inspection, they do not add any new content: the indications «you will not desire your neighbour's wife ..., nor anything that belongs to your neighbour are at least latent in the commands on adultery and theft; what then is the function of these words? Are they meant as a summary? Is there something more?
Keep in mind that all the commandments have the task of indicating the boundaries of life, the limits beyond which man destroys himself and his neighbour, spoiling his relationship with God. If we go further, we may destroy ourselves, we may even destroy our relationship with God and our relationships with others. The commandments point to this. Through this last word, the fact is emphasized that all transgressions arise from a common inner root: evil desires. All sins are born of an evil desire. All of them. The heart begins to move, and we enter that wave, and the story ends in transgression. But not a formal, legal transgression: a transgression that wounds itself and others.
In the Gospel, the Lord Jesus explicitly says: From within, in fact, from the heart of men, the intentions of evil come out: impurity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these bad things come from within and make man impure (Mk 7:21-23).
Thus we understand that the whole journey made by the Decalogue would have no use if it did not reach this level, the heart of man. Where do all these bad things come from? The Decalogue shows itself to be lucid and profound on this aspect: the point of arrival - the last commandment - of this journey is the heart, and if this, if the heart is not liberated, the rest is of little use. This is the challenge: freeing the heart from all these evil and ugly things. God's precepts can be reduced to being only the beautiful facade of a life that still remains an existence of slaves and not sons. Often, behind the pharisaic mask of suffocating correctness, something ugly and unresolved hides.
Instead, we must allow ourselves ourselves to be unmasked by these commands that concern desire, because they show us our poverty; they lead us to a holy humiliation. Each of us can ask ourselves: but what bad wishes do I often come to? Envy, greed, gossip? All these things that come from inside me. Everyone can ask and it will do us good. Man needs this blessed humiliation, that from which he discovers he can not free himself, the aspects for which he shouts to God to be saved. Saint Paul explains it in a wonderful way, referring to the commandment not to desire (cf Rom 7: 7-24).
It is vain to think of being able to correct ourselves without the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is futile to think of purifying our hearts in a titanic effort of our sole will: this is not possible. We must open ourselves to a relationship with God, in truth and in freedom: only in this way can our efforts be fruitful, because it is the Holy Spirit who carries us forward.
The task of the Biblical Law is not to delude mankind into believing that literal obedience will lead us to an artificial and, moreover, unattainable salvation. The task of the Law is to bring mankind to his truth, that is, to his poverty, which becomes authentic openness and personal openness to the mercy of God, who transforms and renews us. God is the only one who is capable of renewing our hearts, as long as we open our hearts to him: this is the only condition; He does everything, but we have to open our hearts.
The last words of the Decalogue teach everyone to recognize themselves as beggars; they help us to face the disorder of our hearts, to stop living selfishly and to become poor in spirit, authentic in the presence of the Father, allowing ourselves to be redeemed by the Son and taught by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the teacher who guides us: let us allow ourselves to be helped. We are beggars, we must ask for this grace.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:3). Yes, blessed those who stop deluding themselves by believing that they can save themselves from their weakness without the mercy of God, who alone can heal. Only God's mercy heals the heart. Blessed are those who recognize their evil desires and with a repentant and humbled heart do not stand before God and other men as righteous, but rather as sinners. It is beautiful that Peter said to the Lord: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinner. This is a beautiful prayer: Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinner.
These are the ones who know how to have compassion, who know how to have mercy on others, because they experience it in themselves.
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages and His Holiness offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from England, Ireland, Nigeria, Israel, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Canada and the United States of America. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you!
At the conclusion of the General Audience, the Holy Father issued the following call for prayers:
Today, on the Liturgical Memorial of the Presentation of Blessed Mary in the Temple, we celebrate the Day pro Orantibus, dedicated to the memory of religious cloistered communities: there are many of them! This is a most opportune time to thank the Lord for the gift of so many people who, in monasteries and hermitages, dedicate themselves totally to God in prayer, in silence and in hiding. These communities offer the entire Church affection, closeness and material support.
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