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Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "The Holy Spirit is the ever-gushing source of Christian hope ". And "if the Church is a boat, the Holy Spirit is the sail that propels it and lets it advance on the sea of history, today as in the past!". Hope is precisely "the most beautiful gift that the Church can give to all of humanity, especially at times in which everything seems to be dragging down the sails".
This is what Pope Francis said this morning in the Paul VI Hall, concluding the cycle of catechisms of the general audience on the theme "The Spirit and the Bride", focusing on the theme "The Holy Spirit and Christian hope". A theme that also coincides with the theme chosen by the Pope for the upcoming Jubilee Year.
In introducing the catechesis, the Pope explained the reference to the title given to the entire cycle, which refers to one of the last verses of the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, which says: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come’” (Rev 22:17). An invocation, explained the Bishop of Rome, "addressed to the risen Christ". Both Saint Paul and the Didaché, a text from apostolic times, "attest that in the liturgical meetings of the first Christians there resounded the cry in Aramaic, “Maràna tha!”, which indeed means “Come, Lord!”. A prayer to Christ, for Him to come.
Saint Paul and the Didache, a writing from apostolic times, testified "that in the liturgical assemblies of the first Christians the cry 'Maràna tha!' was shouted in Aramaic, which means 'Come, Lord!'"
A prayer, the Pope stressed, with an "eschatological" background, which "expressed the ardent expectation of the glorious return of the Lord. And this cry, and the expectation it expresses, have never been extinguished in the Church". But this expectation of the final coming of Christ "has not remained the one and only". "To this," explained Pope Francis, "has also been joined by the expectation of his continuous coming in the present and pilgrim situation of the Church."
From this perspective, the call "Come!" is not habitually "addressed only to Christ, but also to the Holy Spirit Himself! He who cries out is now Him to whom we cry out." After the Resurrection "the Holy Spirit is Christ’s true “alter ego”, He who takes His place, who makes Him present and operative in the Church," the Pope continued. "The Holy Spirit is the ever-gushing source of Christian hope."
Hope, the Bishop of Rome stressed, "is not an empty word, or a vague desire of ours that things may turn out for the best; hope is a certainty, because it is founded on God’s fidelity to His promises. And this is why it is called a theological virtue: because it is infused by God and has God as its guarantor.
It is not a passive virtue, which merely waits for things to happen. It is a supremely active virtue that helps make them happen”. For the Pope, however, the Christian “cannot be satisfied with having hope”, he or she must also radiate hope. Therefore, hope is “the most beautiful gift that the Church can give to all of humanity, especially at times in which everything seems to be dragging down the sails”.
The Bishop of Rome recalled how the Apostle Peter exhorted the first Christians: “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope”. But he added a recommendation: “But do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pt 3:15-16). And this is because it is not so much the strength of the arguments that will convince people, but rather the love that we know how to put in them. This is the first and most effective form of evangelization. And it is open to everyon!”
Before the final blessing, Pope Francis' thoughts turned to the Middle East: "I am following what is happening in Syria, in this moment that is so delicate in its history. I hope that a political solution may be reached that, without further conflicts or divisions, may responsibly promote the stability and unity of the country. I pray, by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that the Syrian people may live in peace and security in their beloved land, and that the different religions may walk together in friendship and mutual respect for the good of the nation, afflicted by so many years of war."
Pope Francis also called for peace in the Middle East, in Myanmar and the "tortured Ukraine" "which is suffering so much from this war". "Let us pray that a way out can be found. And I think of Palestine, Israel, Myanmar. May peace return, may there be peace! War is always a defeat. Let us pray for peace". (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 11/12/2024)
