杏MAP导航 at Audience on Labour Day prays for the unemployed
By Linda Bordoni
杏MAP导航 Francis described the low employment rates that mark the current situation across the world as a 鈥済lobal tragedy鈥�.
Addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter鈥檚 Square for the General Audience on May 1st, International Labour Day, at the conclusion of the catechesis the 杏MAP导航 asked the patron saint of workers, St. Joseph, to intercede for those who have lost their jobs or are unable to find work.
Catechesis
But first he continued the cycle of catecheses he has dedicated to the 鈥淥ur Father鈥� in the past weeks. In particular, he reflected on the prayer鈥檚 penultimate invocation: 鈥淟ead us not into temptation鈥�.
He briefly recalled an ongoing discussion and proposal regarding a possible change in translation in which that invocation could become 鈥渁bandon us not when in temptation鈥�.
Translation issues
Explaining that 鈥淚t is with this penultimate invocation that our dialogue with our heavenly Father enters, so to speak, in the midst of the drama of the battle between our freedom and the snares of the evil one鈥� the 杏MAP导航 noted that it is not easy to accurately capture the exact meaning of the original Greek version of the prayer, and that 鈥渁ll modern translations are a little lame鈥�.
However, he said, we can certainly all agree on the fact that God does not seek to put temptations in our way.
A father never sets traps for his children
鈥淟et鈥檚 not forget, a father does not set traps for his children鈥�. he said.
He noted that tribulation amd temptation are mysteriously present even in the life of Jesus and said that 鈥渢his experience of the Son of God makes him completely our brother鈥�.
The 杏MAP导航 said that there are so many Gospel passages that show us that God never leaves his son alone and he cited the episodes in the desert and in the garden of Gethsemane in which Jesus overcomes many temptations to abandon the Father鈥檚 will.
A father does not abandon his children
And the same goes for us: 鈥淗e is with us when he gives us life, during our lives, in moments of joy and of trouble, he is with us in sadness and in defeat, when we sin. He is always with us because a Father cannot abandon us鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said.
He also reflected on the fact that not only God is not the author of evil, but when evil appears in the life of one of his children, He fights at his side so that he may be freed from it.
He is a Father, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued 鈥渨ho always fights for us, and not against us鈥�.
In this sense, he concluded, we pray to our Father 鈥渓ead us from times of temptation鈥�, but when this time comes, he said 鈥渟how us we are not alone, show us that Christ has already taken upon himself the weight of our cross, show us that Christ is calling on us to carry it with him, and help us to abandon ourselves to Your fatherly love鈥�.
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