Vatican
City, 16 December 2013 (VIS) – On the third Sunday of Advent, or
"Gaudete Sunday" – joyful because it is soon before the
Nativity, and therefore the Lord is near – the Holy Father appeared
at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful
gathered in a rainy St. Peter's Square, reaffirming that the Gospel
is “a proclamation of joy for all people” and that “the Church
"is not a haven for sad people. The Church is the house of joy!
And those who are sad find true joy in her”.
“But
the joy of the Gospel, however, is not just any joy”, continued the
Pope. “It is motivated by the knowledge that we are wanted and
loved by God … God is He Who comes to save us, and Who especially
comes to the aid of a fearful heart. His coming among us strengthens
us; it makes us stand firm, it gives us courage, it makes the desert
and the steppe rejoice and bloom; our lives become arid without the
water of God's Word and His Spirit of love. No matter how great our
limitations and our disorientation, we are not permitted to be weak
and uncertain in the face of difficulties and our own weaknesses.
Instead, we are invited to strengthen our hands, to stand firm, to be
courageous and not to fear, for our God always shows the greatness of
His mercy. He gives us the strength to carry on. … He is a God Who
loves us very much, Who loves us and is therefore among us, to help
us to grow stronger and to move on. Courage, on we go!”
Pope
Francis added that, thanks to His help, “we can always start
afresh”, even when we are sure it is impossible. “Wrong!” he
exclaimed. “You can start again, because he awaits you, He is close
to you, He loves you, and He is merciful. … We are able to open our
eyes again, overcome sadness and tears and sing a new song. And this
true joy stands up to the test, even of suffering, because it is not
a superficial joy; on the contrary, it permeates the very depths of
the person who entrusts himself to God".
Christian
joy, like hope, “has its foundation in the faithfulness of God, in
the certainty that He always keeps His promises. … Those who have
met Jesus along the way have experienced a serenity and joy that
nothing and nobody can deprive them of. Our joy is Jesus Christ, His
faithful and inexhaustible love! Therefore, when a Christian becomes
sad it means that he or she has turned away from Jesus. But then we
must not leave him alone, we must pray for him, and let him feel the
warmth of the community".
The
Virgin Mary, the Pope concluded, "helps us to hasten our steps
toward Bethlehem to meet the Child Who is born for us, for the
salvation and happiness of all humanity. … May she help us to live
the joy of the gospel in the home, at work, in the parish and in any
environment. An intimate joy, born of wonder and tenderness. The same
joy of a mother who looks at her newborn baby, aware that she has
received a gift from God, a miracle for which she can only give
thanks".
Following
the Angelus, the Pope greeted the children of Rome who brought their
figurines of the newborn Baby Jesus to St. Peter's Square to be
blessed by the Pontiff, as is customary on the third Sunday of
Advent.
Shortly
after, the Holy Father transferred to the Hall of the Blessings to
greet the members of the Community of Villa Nazareth – the centre
founded by Cardinal Domenico Tardini, to enable young people from
families with insufficient resources to undertake university studies
– where he participated in the traditional Nativity Mass.
The
Pope greeted all those present and gave special thanks to the
president of the Foundation, Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, who
celebrated his 90th birthday on 23 October. “Thank you to the
Cardinal who has done so much good, through his strong and fruitful
thought, for the dignity of the human person … and for enabling
everyone to find the talents the Lord has given them, in order that
they may put them to use in life”, said the Holy Father. And thanks
to all of you for your work. … And I ask you for your prayers, as I
need them”.
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