This morning's General Audience began at 9:35am 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 catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, adding his meditation on the theme: He proclaimed Jesus to him (Acts 8:35). Philip and the 'race' of the gospel on new paths (Biblical passage: from the Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to 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!
After the martyrdom of Stephen, the race of the Word of God seemed to suffer a setback, due to the unleashing of a violent persecution against the Church of Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). Following this, the Apostles remained in Jerusalem, while many Christians scattered to other places in Judea and Samaria.
In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, the persecution appears as the permanent state of the disciples' life, in accordance with what Jesus said: If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you (Jn 15:20). But the persecution, instead of extinguishing the fire of evangelization fed it even more.
We heard what the deacon Philip did, how he began to evangelize the cities of Samaria, and there are numerous signs of liberation and healing that accompanied the proclamation of the Word. At this point the Holy Spirit marked a new stage in the journey of the gospel: the Spirit pushed Philip to go towards a stranger with a heart that was open to God. Philip stood up and started off with enthusiasm and, on a deserted and dangerous road, he met a high official of the queen of Ethiopia, the administrator of her treasures. This man, a eunuch, after having been in Jerusalem for worship, was returning to his country. He was a Jewish preacher from Ethiopia. Sitting in a carriage, he read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, in particular the fourth song of the servant of the Lord.
Philip approached the carriage and asked him: Do you understand what you are reading? (Acts 8:30). The Ethiopian replied: And how could I understand, if no one guides me? (Acts 8:31). That powerful man recognized that he needed to be guided in order to understand the Word of God. He was the great banker, he was the minister of the economy, he had all the power of money, but he knew that without explanation he could not understand, he was humble.
And this dialogue between Philip and the Ethiopian also makes us reflect on the fact that it is not enough to read Scripture, we need to understand its meaning, find the juice by going beyond the rind, draw out the Spirit that enlivens the letter of the word. As Pope Benedict said at the beginning of the Synod on the Word of God, exegesis, the true reading of Sacred Scripture, is not just a literary phenomenon, ... It is the movement of my existence (Meditation, 6 October 2008). Entering the Word of God is being willing to go beyond one's own limits to meet God and conform to Christ who is the living Word of the Father.
So who is the protagonist in this story that the Ethiopian read? Philip offered his questioner the key to reading the story: that mild-mannered suffering servant, who does not react to evil with evil and who, even if he should be considered bankrupt and sterile and - in the end - taken away, frees all people from iniquity and bears fruit for God. It is precisely this Christ whom Philip and the Church proclaim! It is he who redeemed us all at Easter. Finally, the Ethiopian recognizes Christ, asks for baptism and professes faith in the Lord Jesus. This story is beautiful, but who prompted Philip to go to the desert to meet this man? Who inspired Philip to approach the carriage? It is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the protagonist of evangelization. Father, I'm going to evangelize - Yes, what do you do? - Ah, I announce the Gospel and I say who Jesus is, I try to convince people that Jesus is God. Dear child, this is not evangelization, if there is no Holy Spirit there is no evangelization. This can be proselytism, publicity ... but evangelization means letting yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit, let the Spirit be the one to push you to proclamation, to proclaiming with your witness, even with martyrdom, even with words.
After having brought the Ethiopian to meet the Risen One - the Ethiopian meets the risen Jesus because he ends up understanding the prophecy that he had been reading - Philip disappears, the Spirit takes him and sends him to do something else. I said that the protagonist of evangelization is the Holy Spirit and what is the sign that you who are a Christian, are an evangelizer? Joy. Even in martyrdom. And Philip full of joy went to another place to preach the gospel.
May the Spirit make it possible for baptized men and women who announce the Gospel to attract others not to themselves but to Christ, people who know how to make room for God's action, who know how to make others free and responsible before the Lord.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
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 the groups from England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Botswana, Australia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Canada, and the United States of America. In a particular way my greeting goes to the seminarians of the Pontifical North American College and their families gathered for the ordination to the Diaconate to be celebrated tomorrow. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you!
In his speech, the Pope continued the cycle of catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, adding his meditation on the theme: He proclaimed Jesus to him (Acts 8:35). Philip and the 'race' of the gospel on new paths (Biblical passage: from the Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8).
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered particular greetings to 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
during the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters!
After the martyrdom of Stephen, the race of the Word of God seemed to suffer a setback, due to the unleashing of a violent persecution against the Church of Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). Following this, the Apostles remained in Jerusalem, while many Christians scattered to other places in Judea and Samaria.
In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, the persecution appears as the permanent state of the disciples' life, in accordance with what Jesus said: If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you (Jn 15:20). But the persecution, instead of extinguishing the fire of evangelization fed it even more.
We heard what the deacon Philip did, how he began to evangelize the cities of Samaria, and there are numerous signs of liberation and healing that accompanied the proclamation of the Word. At this point the Holy Spirit marked a new stage in the journey of the gospel: the Spirit pushed Philip to go towards a stranger with a heart that was open to God. Philip stood up and started off with enthusiasm and, on a deserted and dangerous road, he met a high official of the queen of Ethiopia, the administrator of her treasures. This man, a eunuch, after having been in Jerusalem for worship, was returning to his country. He was a Jewish preacher from Ethiopia. Sitting in a carriage, he read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, in particular the fourth song of the servant of the Lord.
Philip approached the carriage and asked him: Do you understand what you are reading? (Acts 8:30). The Ethiopian replied: And how could I understand, if no one guides me? (Acts 8:31). That powerful man recognized that he needed to be guided in order to understand the Word of God. He was the great banker, he was the minister of the economy, he had all the power of money, but he knew that without explanation he could not understand, he was humble.
And this dialogue between Philip and the Ethiopian also makes us reflect on the fact that it is not enough to read Scripture, we need to understand its meaning, find the juice by going beyond the rind, draw out the Spirit that enlivens the letter of the word. As Pope Benedict said at the beginning of the Synod on the Word of God, exegesis, the true reading of Sacred Scripture, is not just a literary phenomenon, ... It is the movement of my existence (Meditation, 6 October 2008). Entering the Word of God is being willing to go beyond one's own limits to meet God and conform to Christ who is the living Word of the Father.
So who is the protagonist in this story that the Ethiopian read? Philip offered his questioner the key to reading the story: that mild-mannered suffering servant, who does not react to evil with evil and who, even if he should be considered bankrupt and sterile and - in the end - taken away, frees all people from iniquity and bears fruit for God. It is precisely this Christ whom Philip and the Church proclaim! It is he who redeemed us all at Easter. Finally, the Ethiopian recognizes Christ, asks for baptism and professes faith in the Lord Jesus. This story is beautiful, but who prompted Philip to go to the desert to meet this man? Who inspired Philip to approach the carriage? It is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the protagonist of evangelization. Father, I'm going to evangelize - Yes, what do you do? - Ah, I announce the Gospel and I say who Jesus is, I try to convince people that Jesus is God. Dear child, this is not evangelization, if there is no Holy Spirit there is no evangelization. This can be proselytism, publicity ... but evangelization means letting yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit, let the Spirit be the one to push you to proclamation, to proclaiming with your witness, even with martyrdom, even with words.
After having brought the Ethiopian to meet the Risen One - the Ethiopian meets the risen Jesus because he ends up understanding the prophecy that he had been reading - Philip disappears, the Spirit takes him and sends him to do something else. I said that the protagonist of evangelization is the Holy Spirit and what is the sign that you who are a Christian, are an evangelizer? Joy. Even in martyrdom. And Philip full of joy went to another place to preach the gospel.
May the Spirit make it possible for baptized men and women who announce the Gospel to attract others not to themselves but to Christ, people who know how to make room for God's action, who know how to make others free and responsible before the Lord.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
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 the groups from England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Botswana, Australia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Canada, and the United States of America. In a particular way my greeting goes to the seminarians of the Pontifical North American College and their families gathered for the ordination to the Diaconate to be celebrated tomorrow. Upon all of you, and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you!
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