This morning's General Audience began at 9:15am local time (3:15am EST) in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican 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 concluded the cycle of catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, adding his meditation on the theme: Paul welcomed all those who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God ... with frankness and without any impediment (Acts 28:30-31). Paul's prison in Rome and the fruitfulness of proclamation (Acts 28; 16:30-31).
After having summarized His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today, we conclude the catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles with the final step of Saint Paul's mission: which took place in Rome (cf Acts 28:14).
Paul's voyage, which was at one with that of the Gospel, is proof that the paths of mankind, if lived in faith, can become transit spaces for God's salvation, through the Word of faith which is a source of active fermentation throughout history, capable of transforming situations and opening ever new paths.
With Paul's arrival in the heart of the Empire, the story of the Acts of the Apostles ends; this book does not end with Paul's martyrdom, but with the abundant sowing of the Word. The end of Luke's story, which is centred on the journey of the Gospel in the world, contains and summarizes all the dynamism of the Word of God, an unstoppable Word that wants to run in order to communicate salvation to all people.
In Rome, Paul first meets his brothers in Christ, who welcome him and instil courage in him (cf Acts 28:15). Their warm hospitality suggests how awaited and desired his arrival was. Then he was allowed to live on his own under military custody, that is, with a soldier who was guarding him, he was under house arrest. Despite his prisoner status, Paul met with Jewish notables to explain why he was forced to appeal to Caesar and to tell them about the kingdom of God. He tries to convince them about Jesus, starting with the Scriptures and showing the continuity between the newness of Christ and the hope of Israel (Acts 28.20). Paul recognized himself as being deeply Jewish and saw in the Gospel that he was preaching, that is, in the proclamation of the risen Christ, the fulfillment of the promises made to the chosen people.
After this first informal meeting which found the Jews well disposed, a more official one followed during which, for a whole day, Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God and tried to open his interlocutors to faith in Jesus, starting with the law of Moses and the Prophets (Acts 28:23). Since not everyone was convinced, he denounced the hardening of the heart of the people of God, the cause of his condemnation (cf Is 6:9-10), and he celebrated with passion the salvation of the nations that show themselves to be sensitive to God and capable of listening to the Word of the Gospel of life (cf Acts 28:28).
At this point in the narrative, Luke concludes his work by showing us not the death of Paul but the dynamism of his sermon, a Word that is not chained (2 Tm 2;9). Paul did not have the freedom to move but he was free to speak because the Word was not chained - it is a Word that is ready to be sown with full hands by the Apostle. Paul does it with all frankness and without impediment (Acts 28:31), in a house where he welcomes those who want to receive the proclamation of the kingdom of God and know Christ. This house, which is open to all hearts that are searching, is an image of the Church which, although persecuted, misunderstood and chained, never tires of welcoming every man and woman with a motherly heart in order to proclaim to them the love of the Father who made himself visible in Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, at the end of this journey, lived together following the race of the Gospel in the world, the Spirit revives in each of us the call to be courageous and joyful evangelizers. May it make us, like Paul, capable of impregnating our homes with the Gospel and making them cenacles of fraternity, where we can welcome the living Christ, who comes to meet us in every man and in every age (cf II Preface of Advent).
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and the Pope offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, His Holiness said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from Finland and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you!
In his speech, the Pope concluded the cycle of catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, adding his meditation on the theme: Paul welcomed all those who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God ... with frankness and without any impediment (Acts 28:30-31). Paul's prison in Rome and the fruitfulness of proclamation (Acts 28; 16:30-31).
After having summarized His catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father offered greetings to each group 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,
Today, we conclude the catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles with the final step of Saint Paul's mission: which took place in Rome (cf Acts 28:14).
Paul's voyage, which was at one with that of the Gospel, is proof that the paths of mankind, if lived in faith, can become transit spaces for God's salvation, through the Word of faith which is a source of active fermentation throughout history, capable of transforming situations and opening ever new paths.
With Paul's arrival in the heart of the Empire, the story of the Acts of the Apostles ends; this book does not end with Paul's martyrdom, but with the abundant sowing of the Word. The end of Luke's story, which is centred on the journey of the Gospel in the world, contains and summarizes all the dynamism of the Word of God, an unstoppable Word that wants to run in order to communicate salvation to all people.
In Rome, Paul first meets his brothers in Christ, who welcome him and instil courage in him (cf Acts 28:15). Their warm hospitality suggests how awaited and desired his arrival was. Then he was allowed to live on his own under military custody, that is, with a soldier who was guarding him, he was under house arrest. Despite his prisoner status, Paul met with Jewish notables to explain why he was forced to appeal to Caesar and to tell them about the kingdom of God. He tries to convince them about Jesus, starting with the Scriptures and showing the continuity between the newness of Christ and the hope of Israel (Acts 28.20). Paul recognized himself as being deeply Jewish and saw in the Gospel that he was preaching, that is, in the proclamation of the risen Christ, the fulfillment of the promises made to the chosen people.
After this first informal meeting which found the Jews well disposed, a more official one followed during which, for a whole day, Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God and tried to open his interlocutors to faith in Jesus, starting with the law of Moses and the Prophets (Acts 28:23). Since not everyone was convinced, he denounced the hardening of the heart of the people of God, the cause of his condemnation (cf Is 6:9-10), and he celebrated with passion the salvation of the nations that show themselves to be sensitive to God and capable of listening to the Word of the Gospel of life (cf Acts 28:28).
At this point in the narrative, Luke concludes his work by showing us not the death of Paul but the dynamism of his sermon, a Word that is not chained (2 Tm 2;9). Paul did not have the freedom to move but he was free to speak because the Word was not chained - it is a Word that is ready to be sown with full hands by the Apostle. Paul does it with all frankness and without impediment (Acts 28:31), in a house where he welcomes those who want to receive the proclamation of the kingdom of God and know Christ. This house, which is open to all hearts that are searching, is an image of the Church which, although persecuted, misunderstood and chained, never tires of welcoming every man and woman with a motherly heart in order to proclaim to them the love of the Father who made himself visible in Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, at the end of this journey, lived together following the race of the Gospel in the world, the Spirit revives in each of us the call to be courageous and joyful evangelizers. May it make us, like Paul, capable of impregnating our homes with the Gospel and making them cenacles of fraternity, where we can welcome the living Christ, who comes to meet us in every man and in every age (cf II Preface of Advent).
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
The Holy Father's catechesis was then summarized in various languages, and the Pope offered greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance. To English-speaking visitors, His Holiness said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from Finland and the United States of America. Upon you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you!
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