Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) –When asked "Who is Jesus for you?" we too answer "correctly, with a formula that we learned at Catechism. But are we sure that this means really knowing Jesus?", said Pope Francis during the Sunday prayer with the pilgrims and believers gathered in St. Peter's Square, referring to the Gospel of the day.
To know the Lord, it is not enough to know something about Him, "but rather to follow Him, to let oneself be touched and changed by His Gospel", stressed the Pope.
In other words, "it is a matter of having a relationship with Him, an encounter. I can know many things about Jesus, but if I have not encountered Him, I still do not know who Jesus is. It takes this encounter that changes life: it changes the way of being, it changes the way of thinking, it changes the relationships you have with your brothers and sisters, the willingness to accept and forgive, it changes the choices you make in life". "Everything changes if you have truly come to know Jesus! Everything changes", said the Bishop of Rome, who in this context recalled the Lutheran theologian and pastor Bonhoeffer, victim of Nazism: “What is bothering me incessantly is the question of what Christianity really is, or indeed who Christ really is, for us today”.
Unfortunately, the Pope concluded, "many people no longer pose themselves this question and remain “unbothered”, slumbering, even far from God. Instead, it is important to ask ourselves: do I let myself be bothered, do I ask who Jesus is for me, and what place He occupies in my life?
After the blessing, the Pope's thoughts turned to Asia: "I express my closeness to the populations of Vietnam and Myanmar, who are suffering as a result of the floods caused by a violent typhoon. I pray for the deceased, the injured and the displaced. May God sustain those who have lost their loved ones and their home, and bless those who are coming to their aid". He also makes an appeal for peace: "Let us not forget the wars that are causing bloodshed in the world. I think of tormented Ukraine, Myanmar, I think of the Middle East. How many innocent victims. I think of the mothers who have lost their sons in war. How many young lives cut short!".
The Pontiff remembers Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was found dead with five other hostages in the Gaza Strip: "In November last year, I met his mother, Rachel, who impressed me with her humanity. I accompany her in this moment. May the conflict in Palestine and Israel cease! May the violence cease! May hatred cease! Let the hostages be released, let the negotiations continue, and let peaceful solutions be found!", the Pope urged. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 15/9/2024)
