Vatican City, 7 December 2015 (VIS) -
“'Why do we need to convert? Conversion is for an atheist who
becomes a believer, or a sinner who becomes righteous. We do not need
it, we are already Christian' we think,” said Pope Francis to the
faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, before today's
Sunday Angelus prayer. “And this is not true”, he added. “If we
think in this way, we do not realise that it is precisely because of
this presumption – that we are Christians, good and doing the right
thing – that we must convert from the supposition that all things
considered, it is fine this way and we are not in need of any form of
conversion”.
“The voice of the Baptist still cries
in today's deserts of humanity … closed minds and hardened hearts.
It causes us to ask ourselves if we actually are following the right
path, living a life according to the Gospel. Today, as then, he
admonishes us with the words of the prophet Isaiah: 'Prepare the way
of the Lord!'. It is a pressing invitation to open our heart and
receive the salvation that God incessantly, almost stubbornly offers,
because he wants us all to be free of the slavery of sin. … And
salvation is offered to every man, and every people, without
excluding anyone, to each one of us. None of us can say, 'I am a
saint; I am perfect; I am already saved'. No. We should always accept
this offer of salvation, and that is the reason for the Year of
Mercy: to advance further in this journey of salvation, this path
that Jesus has taught us. God wants all mankind to be saved by the
mediation of Jesus, the only mediator”.
The Pope recalled that “each one of
us is called to make Jesus known to those who still do not know Him.
But this does not mean proselytising: no. It means opening a door.
'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!', St. Paul declared. … I
leave you with this question: Am I truly in love with Jesus? Am I
convinced that Jesus offers me and gives me salvation? And, if I am
in love, I have to make Him known! But we should be courageous: level
the the mountains of pride and rivalry; fill in the valleys of
indifference and apathy; straighten the paths of our laziness and our
comforts”.
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