Lent, a journey back homeIn this Wednesday's audience - from the Library of the Apostolic Palace, broadcast via streaming - Pope Francis wanted to deal with a profound theme, "how, thanks to Jesus, prayer opens us wide to the immense mystery of the Holy Trinity, to the depths of the God of Love", continuing his catechesis on prayer. In fact, he announced that next week he will also deal with the same line of prayer.
The Holy Father wanted to rely on the models of the Bible, recalling that "no one has ever seen the Father; it was Jesus who revealed him to us. Without him our prayer would not be able to reach God, we would not even be worthy to mention his name. The Bible gives us several examples of prayers that God did not accept, because not all prayers are good. However, it is Jesus who fulfills our longing by teaching us how to pray.
Therefore, it is good for us to recognize the poverty of our prayer, like the centurion in the Gospel.
It is Jesus who fulfills our longing by teaching us to pray.
Therefore, it is good for us to recognize the poverty of our prayer, like the centurion in the Gospel.
Dialoguing with God is an immense grace, considering," Francis continued, "that 'one word from him' is enough for us to be saved. There is nothing in us that justifies his love, there is no proportion. The ancient philosophers hardly considered it possible, with sacrifices and devotions, to ingratiate themselves with a mute and indifferent god".
Emphasizing the figure of the fatherhood of God, he pointed out that "Jesus, on the other hand, with his life, shows us to what extent God is Father and that no one is Father like him. He assures us that he is the shepherd who looks for the lost sheep, the merciful father who goes out to meet the prodigal son.
Jesus shows us to what extent God is Father and that no one is Father like him. He assures us that he is the shepherd who seeks the lost sheep, the merciful father who goes out to meet the prodigal son.
What God would be willing to die for men, to love them always with patience, without expecting anything in return? How could we even conceive of the infinite abyss of God's love? How can we believe that this sea of mercy would have extended to the shores of our humanity? We can only accept and understand it thanks to the mystery of the cross.
