During his homily on Thursday at Casa Santa Marta, the Pope asked that Christians always 'make a memory' of how God has appeared in their lives.
The pope said that memories make us draw closer to God and remind us that they take us beyond the ancient splendor that Adam had in the first creation.
POPE FRANCIS
'I give you this simple advice: Memorize it! Whatâ??s my life been like, what was my day like today or what has this past year been like? (Itâ??s all about) memory. What has my relationship with the Lord been like? Our memories of the beautiful and great things that the Lord has carried out in the lives of each one of us.â?
Pope Francis explained that we must thank Jesus from the heart because he has always been close, despite having disowned him.
EXCERPTS FROM PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican Radio)
'We must look back to see how God has saved us, follow â?? with our hearts and minds â?? this path with its memories and in this way arrive at Jesusâ??s side. Itâ??s the same Jesus, who in the greatest moment of his life â?? Holy Thursday and Good Friday, in the (Last) Supper - gave us his Body and his Blood and said to us â??Do this in memory of me.â?? In memory of Jesus. To remember how God saved us.
The Eucharist as a 'memorial,â? just as in the Bible the book of Deuteronomy is â??the book of the Memory of Israel.â?? And we must do the same in our personal lives, he said.'Itâ??s good for the Christian heart to memorize my journey, my personal journey: just like the Lord who accompanied me up to here and held me by the hand. And the times I said to our Lord: No! Go away! I donâ??t want you! Our Lord respects (our wishes). He is respectful.
'But we must memorize our past and be a memorial of our own lives and our own journey. We must look back and remember and do it often. â??At that time God gave me this grace and I replied in that way, I did this or thatâ?¦ He accompanied me.â?? And in this
way we arrive at a new encounter, an encounter of gratitude.â?
'Memory makes us draw closer to God. The memory of that work which God carried out in us, in this recreation, in this regeneration, that takes us beyond the ancient splendor that Adam had in the first creation. I give you this simple advice: Memorize it! Whatâ??s my life been like, what was my day like today or what has this past year been like? (Itâ??s all about) memory. What has my relationship with the Lord been like? Our memories of the beautiful and great things that the Lord has carried out in the lives of each one of us.â?
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