杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis spoke to the faithful from the Apostolic Library in the Vatican on Wednesday inviting them to find courage, strength and hope in God鈥檚 infinite love.

He began his General Audience, that was streamed live, with a poignant question:

鈥�During these weeks filled with anxiety and suffering because of the pandemic (鈥�) we may be asking ourselves a question about God: What does He do in the face of our pain? Where is He when everything is going wrong? Why doesn鈥檛 He solve the problems immediately?鈥�

The account of Jesus鈥� Passion, which accompanies us in these Holy Days, the 杏MAP导航 said, helps us go forward with trust and hope.

In fact, he explained, the Gospels tell us that many questions were raised during the time of the Lord鈥檚 Passion, starting with when, after having welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, the people asked themselves when He would finally free them from their enemies.

鈥淭hey expected a powerful and triumphant Messiah yielding a sword鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航. Instead, He was meek and humble of heart, calling for conversion and mercy.

It was precisely the crowd that greeted Him singing 鈥淗osanna鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said, that then cried out saying 鈥淟et Him be crucified鈥�.

They were confused and frightened, 杏MAP导航 Francis explained, and 鈥渢hose who followed Him abandoned Him. They were thinking: if this is Jesus鈥� fate, He is not the Messiah, because God is strong and invincible.鈥�

But, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued, if we read further ahead in the Gospel account of the Passion, 鈥渨e discover something surprising鈥�:

鈥淲hen Jesus died, a Roman centurion, a man who was not a believer, but had seen Him suffer on the Cross, who had heard Him forgive those who had harmed Him, was touched by His infinite love and said: 鈥�Truly, this man was the Son of God鈥欌��.

He revealed the true face of God, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, by saying the opposite of what others were saying.

The 杏MAP导航 went on to explain that God revealed Himself completely on the Cross, reminding the faithful not to forget that the Cross is the 鈥渃hair鈥� of God.

鈥�It will do us good to look at the Crucified One in silence and see who our Lord is: He does not point His finger at anyone, but opens His arms wide to all, even to the one who is crucifying Him; He does not crush us with his glory, but allows Himself to be undressed for us; He does not love us with words, but gives us life in silence.鈥�

It is time, the 杏MAP导航 observed, 鈥渢o free ourselves from prejudices about God, and to look at the Crucified One".

Contemplate the Crucifix and read the Gospel

杏MAP导航 Francis continued his catechesis urging the faithful to live life, in these holy days, as 鈥渁 domestic liturgy鈥�.

In these days of the Easter Triduum, he said, 鈥渓ook at the Crucifix and read the Gospel:

鈥�In these days of quarantine when we are secluded at home, let鈥檚 take these two things in our hands: the Crucified One 鈥� let鈥檚 look at Him 鈥� and the Gospel. It will be for us like a great domestic liturgy because we cannot go to church.鈥�

With God鈥檚 love all will be well

The true nature of God is Love, said the 杏MAP导航, "the power of this world passes, while love remains鈥�.

鈥淕od鈥檚 love healed our sin with His forgiveness at Easter by making death a passage that changed our fear into trust and our anguish into hope,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis explained. In the same way, Easter tells us that God can turn everything to good, and that with Him we can truly trust that all will be well.

鈥淭hat is why on Easter morning we are told: Do not be afraid!鈥�. We are not alone, God does not forget us...鈥� he said.

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded saying that Jesus changed history "by being close to us."

鈥淭hrough His death, He conquered death,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淪o we too can change our lives by being close to Him,鈥� in the certainty that 鈥渨e are not alone because the Lord loves us, He does not abandon us and He never forgets us".