杏MAP导航

By Lydia O'Kane

Following the Easter celebrations, 杏MAP导航 Francis on Wednesday continued his catechesis on Christian prayer during the General Audience, focusing this week on the Communion of Saints.

He explained that whenever we pray, we are never alone, but find ourselves immersed in a great stream of past, present and future intercession for the needs of individuals and of the whole world.

Expansive power of Prayer

We pray together with all the saints in the communion of the Body of Christ which is the Church, the 杏MAP导航 said, adding that those good prayers are 鈥渆xpansive,鈥� 鈥渢hey propagate themselves continuously, with or without being posted on social networks: from hospital wards, from moments of festive gatherings to those in which we suffer silently.鈥�

 鈥淥ne person鈥檚 pain is everyone鈥檚 pain, and one person鈥檚 happiness is transmitted to someone else鈥檚 soul,鈥� he added.

Intercession of the saints

杏MAP导航 Francis noted, 鈥淧rayer is always born again: each time we join our hands and open our hearts to God, we find ourselves in the company of anonymous saints and recognized saints who pray with us and who intercede for us as older brothers and sisters who have preceded us on this same human adventure.鈥�

鈥淭here is no grief in the Church that is borne in solitude,鈥� he underlined, 鈥渢here are no tears shed in oblivion, because everyone breaths and participates in one common grace.鈥�

Great cloud of witnesses

The 杏MAP导航 described the saints as this "great cloud of witnesses" both known and unknown who ceaselessly pray with us and for us in giving glory to God. "Our veneration of the saints draws us closer to Jesus, the sole Mediator between man and God," he said.

Never too late to convert to holiness

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to say that the saints 鈥渞emind us that even in our lives, however weak and marked by sin, holiness can unfold. It is never too late to be converted to the Lord who is good and great in love.鈥� In Christ too, he continued, 鈥渨e sense a mysterious solidarity with our loved ones who have died, for whom we continue to pray.鈥� 

In off the cuff remarks, the 杏MAP导航 noted, "Holiness is a life journey, an encounter with Jesus, whether long or short, whether in an instant. But always it is a witness; a saint is a witness, of a man, a woman, who met Jesus and followed Jesus.鈥� He also highlighted that here on earth there are to be found 鈥渢he saints next door.鈥�

Giving a hand

The 杏MAP导航 emphasized that the intercession of the saints 鈥渋s their most exalted service to God鈥檚 plan鈥� and we can and should 鈥渁sk them to intercede for us and for the whole world.鈥�

Dwelling on loved ones who have passed from this life, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥淭here is a mysterious solidarity in Christ between those who have already passed to the other life and we pilgrims in this one: from Heaven, our beloved deceased continue to take care of us. They pray for us and we pray for them.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 stressed that the saints are there to 鈥溾�檊ive us a hand鈥� to obtain the grace from God that we need.鈥�

Divine Mercy Sunday

Concluding his catechesis and addressing the Polish-speaking faithful, the 杏MAP导航 recalled that next Sunday the Church will celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy, instituted by St John Paul II. 杏MAP导航 Francis said "that the liturgy of this Sunday seems to outline the path of mercy which, while reconstructing the relationship of each person with God, also arouses among men new relationships of fraternal solidarity." Man, in fact, receives God's mercy, "but he is also called to 'use mercy' toward others." Let us ask, said the 杏MAP导航, for "the grace of forgiveness and of working love toward our neighbour."