Vatican
City, 28 April 2013 (VIS) – “Remain steadfast in the journey of
faith, with firm hope in the Lord,” Pope Francis exhorted the
100,000 persons gathered this morning in St. Peter's Square to
participate in the Mass at which he conferred the Sacrament of
Confirmation on 44 faithful from around the world, representing the
Church around the world. In his homily, the Bishop of Rome reflected
on three themes: the newness of God, the trials of life, and firm
hope in the Lord. Following is the full text of his homily.
The
Newness of God
In
the second reading, we listened to the beautiful vision of Saint
John: new heavens and a new earth, and then the Holy City coming down
from God. All is new, changed into good, beauty and truth; there are
no more tears or mourning. This is the work of the Holy Spirit: he
brings us the new things of God. He comes to us and makes all things
new; he changes us. The Spirit changes us! And Saint John’s vision
reminds us that all of us are journeying towards the heavenly
Jerusalem, the ultimate newness which awaits us and all reality, the
happy day when we will see the Lord’s face—that marvellous face,
the most beautiful face of the Lord Jesus—and be with him for ever,
in his love.
You
see, the new things of God are not like the novelties of this world,
all of which are temporary; they come and go, and we keep looking for
more. The new things which God gives to our lives are lasting, not
only in the future, when we will be with him, but today as well. God
is even now making all things new; the Holy Spirit is truly
transforming us, and through us he also wants to transform the world
in which we live. Let us open the doors to the Spirit, let ourselves
be guided by him, and allow God’s constant help to make us new men
and women, inspired by the love of God which the Holy Spirit bestows
on us! How beautiful it would be if each of you, every evening, could
say: Today at school, at home, at work, guided by God, I showed a
sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person!
How beautiful!
The
Trials of Life
A
second thought. In the first reading Paul and Barnabas say that “we
must undergo many trials if we are to enter the kingdom of God”
(Acts 14:22). The journey of the Church, and our own personal
journeys as Christians, are not always easy; they meet with
difficulties and trials. To follow the Lord, to let his Spirit
transform the shadowy parts of our lives, our ungodly ways of acting,
and cleanse us of our sins, is to set out on a path with many
obstacles, both in the world around us but also within us, in the
heart. But difficulties and trials are part of the path that leads to
God’s glory, just as they were for Jesus, who was glorified on the
cross; we will always encounter them in life! Do not be discouraged!
We have the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these trials!
Firm
Hope in the Lord
And
here I come to my last point. It is an invitation which I make to
you, young confirmandi, and to all present. Remain steadfast in the
journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of
our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay
attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good
for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus
gives us this courage! There are no difficulties, trials or
misunderstandings to fear, provided we remain united to God as
branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our friendship with
him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives. This is
especially so whenever we feel poor, weak and sinful, because God
grants strength to our weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion
and forgiveness to our sinfulness. The Lord is so rich in mercy:
every time, if we go to him, he forgives us. Let us trust in God’s
work! With him we can do great things; he will give us the joy of
being his disciples, his witnesses. Commit yourselves to great
ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen
by the Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest
principles. Stake your lives on noble ideals, my dear young people!
The
new things of God, the trials of life, remaining steadfast in the
Lord. Dear friends, let us open wide the door of our lives to the new
things of God which the Holy Spirit gives us. May he transform us,
confirm us in our trials, strengthen our union with the Lord, our
steadfastness in him: this is a true joy! So may it be.
