(VIDEO ONLY) Pope Francis explained what the hope of Christians consists of during the General Audience. He said that upon Christ's return, the Church will be a city where 'all men and women live at last in harmonyâ?. He asked Christians to be 'credible and joy-filled witnessesâ? of this hope.
SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S CATECHESIS
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
In our catechesis on the Church, we now consider the object of our Christian hope, the fulfilment of Godâ??s promises in the coming of Christ at the end of time. Saint John speaks of this joyful encounter between the Lord and his people using the image of 'the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned to meet her husbandâ? (cf. Rev 21:2).
This spousal imagery contains a profound truth: by taking on our flesh, Jesus united humanity to himself, and at his coming we will see the consummation of this mystic marriage in the wedding feast of heaven. The vision of the new Jerusalem also reminds us that the Church is meant in Godâ??s plan to be a City in which all men and women live at last in harmony and blessed peace. Christian hope, then, is our joyful expectation of the Lordâ??s coming and the fulfilment of his saving plan for the human family.
In every generation the Church holds high the lamp of this hope before the world. Today let us ask whether our own lamps are alight with the oil of faith, and to what extent we live as credible and joy-filled witnesses to our hope in Godâ??s promises.
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