Vatican
City, 12 June 2013 (VIS) – The Church, defined in Vatican Council II as the
People of God, was the topic of Pope Francis' catechesis during the Wednesday
general audience. The Holy Father explained the concept of the People of God
through a series of questions: “What does it mean to be the People of God? How
does one become a member of this people? What is its law, its mission, and its
goal?”
To
be the People of God, the Bishop of Rome said, “first of all means that God
doesn't belong to any particular people because He is the one who calls us …
and this invitation is addressed to all, without distinction, because God's
mercy 'wills everyone to be saved'. Jesus doesn't tell the Apostles and us to
form an exclusive group of elite members. Jesus says: 'Go and make disciples of
all nations'. … I would also like to say to whoever feels far from God and from
the Church, to whoever is timorous or indifferent, to whoever thinks they are
no longer able to change: the Lord also calls you to be part of his people and
He does so with great respect and love!” A person becomes part of this people
“not through physical birth, but by a new birth … Baptism … through faith in
Christ, God's gift that must be nourished and made to grow throughout our
lives.”
What
is the law of the people of God? “It is the law of love, love for God and love
for neighbour … which isn't a sterile sentimentalism or something vague, but is
the recognition of God as the one Lord of life and, at the same time, welcoming
others as true brothers and sisters … the two go hand in hand. How much further
must we still journey to live this new law concretely? … When we look in the
newspapers or on TV there are so many wars between Christians; how can this
happen? Within the people of God, so many wars! In neighbourhoods, at work, how
many wars for envy and jealousy! Even in the same family, how many internal
wars! We must ask the Lord to help us understand this law of love. How
beautiful it is to love one another as true brothers and sisters. Let's do this
today. Maybe we all have the people we like and [those we] dislike. Perhaps
many of us are a little upset with someone. So let's say to the Lord: 'Lord, I
am angry with this person or that one. I will pray to you for him and for her.'
Praying for those we are angry with is a good step in this law of love. Shall
we do it? Let's do it today!”
“This
people's mission,” the Pope continued, “to to bring God's hope and salvation to
the world: to be a sign of the love of God who calls all to friendship with him
… It is enough to open a newspaper to see that the presence of evil is around
us, that the Devil is at work. But I want to say out loud: God is stronger! …
Let's all say it together … God is stronger! And I want to add that reality,
which at times is dark and marked by evil, can change if we first bring to it
the light of the Gospel, above all with our lives. If, in a stadium … on a dark
night, one person lights a light, it can barely be seen. But, if over 70,000
spectators each light their own light, then the stadium lights up. Let us make
our lives the light of Christ. Together we will bring the light of the Gospel
to all of reality.”
The
goal of this people is “God's kingdom, begun on earth by God himself, and which
must be further extended until it is brought to perfection, when Christ, our
life, shall appear. The objective [of the people of God], therefore, is full
communion with the Lord, familiarity with him, entering into the divine life
itself, into his family, where we will live the joy of his boundless love.”
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