"Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church. Together with you, I would like to entrust to his patronage the Church and the whole world, especially all fathers, who have in him a unique model to imitate. To St. Joseph we also entrust the peoples of the martyred Ukraine and the Holy Land, who suffer so much from the horror of war".
With this final greeting in Italian, Pope Francis commended the Holy Patriarch on the Audience the Church and war-torn peoples, on this Wednesday after the Solemnity of St. Joseph, and a few days before the beginning of the mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord, "the reason for our faith and hope," said the Pontiff, who personally read only the final part of the catechesis.
Earlier, in his address to the French-speaking pilgrims, the Pope emphasized: "At the school of St. JosephWe have just celebrated, let us learn to rediscover the virtues of courage and prudence in order to effectively carry out our mission as baptized persons in today's society.
"No one owns life."
The Holy Father, who celebrated a solemn Eucharist yesterday in St. Peter's Square on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary from the beginning of his Petrine ministry in 2013, has launched a special appeal for the protection of life, on the occasion of the National Day of Life in Poland on March 24.
"Thinking of your homeland, I would like to share with you my dream, which I expressed a few years ago when writing about Europe," the Pope noted. "May Poland be a land that protects life at every moment, from its birth in the womb to its natural end. "Let us not forget that no one owns life, neither his own nor that of others. I bless you from my heart.
He also took advantage of the Audience to recall the celebration next week of the mysteries of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord, the reason for our faith and hope. May He bless you abundantly and may Our Lady keep you".
Prudence, working our true good
The Pope continued with the catechesis cycle on "The vices and the virtues", and focused his reflection on the virtue of prudence (Prov 15.14.21-22.33).
Prudence is one of the cardinal virtues, along with justice, fortitude and temperance. This virtue disposes intelligence and freedom to discern and act our true good, explained the Holy Father, with words read by Father Pier Luigi Giroli, one of his collaborators.
"Before making decisions, the prudent person weighs situations, asks for advice, tries to understand the complexity of reality and does not get carried away by emotions, pressures or superficiality."
"In storms, grounded in Christ, the cornerstone."
In various passages of the Gospel, he continued, "we find teachings of Jesus that help us to grow in the knowledge of this virtue. For example, when he describes the action of the wise man who built his house on rock, and that of the foolish man who built it on sand. These Gospel images, which illustrate how the prudent person acts, show us that the Christian life requires simplicity and, at the same time, shrewdness, in order to know how to choose the path that leads to goodness and true life".
In conclusion, the Holy Father said: "Let us ask the Lord to help us grow in the virtue of prudence so that, in the midst of the storms and winds that can shake our lives, we may remain grounded in Christ, the cornerstone. May Jesus bless you and the Blessed Virgin watch over you. Thank you very much.
Earlier, in welcoming the English-speaking pilgrims - groups from England, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Japan, Korea and the United States of America - he mentioned Lent: "To all of you I wish that the Lenten journey may lead to the joy of Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. I invoke upon you and your families the joy and peace of Christ".
