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.”
“Being
the Church, being the people of God,” Francis concluded, “...
means being God's leaven in this our humanity. It means proclaiming
and bearing God's salvation in this our world, which is often lost
and needful of having encouraging answers, answers that give hope,
that give new energy along the journey. May the Church be the place
of God's mercy and love, where everyone can feel themselves welcomed,
loved, forgiven, and encouraged to live according to the good life of
the Gospel. And in order to make others feel welcomed, loved,
forgiven, and encouraged, the Church must have open doors so that all
might enter. And we must go out of those doors and proclaim the
Gospel”