Pope Francis
By Linda Bordoni
Aug 28 2023
Pope Francis leads the recitation of the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square and invites Christians to renew their trust in the Lord, cultivating His presence through the Word and the Sacraments.
Taking his cue from the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus asks the disciples: “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” (Mt 16:13-20), Pope Francis said it is a question we too ask ourselves.
Addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, the Pope noted that generally Jesus is seen as “a great teacher, a special person: good, righteous, consistent, courageous…”
But, he continued, this is not enough for Jesus who is not just an agent of history, a distant prophet: He is here for us today, He is God who is close to us!
The Holy Father went on to explain that Christ is not a memory of the past, but the God of the present.
Chris is the God of the present
Jesus, he added, is alive and accompanies us. “He is at our side, He offers us His Word and His grace, which enlighten and refresh us on the journey.”
We are never alone
Assuring believers that they are never alone on the path of life, he said Christ is with us and helps us on our way, as he did with Peter and the other disciples.
It is Peter, in today’s Gospel, he added, who understands this and by grace recognises in Jesus “the Christ, the Son of the living God”, not a character from the past, but the Christ, that is, the Messiah, “the Son of the living God, made man and come to share the joys and the labours of our journey.”
Nothing is impossible with Jesus at our side
Pope Francis said that if sometimes “the summit of Christian life seems too high and the path too steep,” look to Jesus who walks beside us, welcoming our frailties, sharing our efforts and resting his firm and gentle arm on our weak shoulders.
“With Him close at hand, let us also reach out to one another and renew our trust: with Jesus, what seems impossible on our own is no longer so!” he concluded, inviting Christians to renew their trust in Him, to cultivate His presence through the Word and the Sacraments, and allowing themselves to be guided by Him together with their brothers and sisters, in the community. – Vatican News
