Today the pope reflected on St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, in which he emphasized the necessity of putting hope and faith, to 'accept the promise of new life given to us in the Lord's resurrection.â?
Pope Francis recalled that 'faith teaches us to hope against hope by putting our trust in God's word even at those times when hope seems humanly impossible.â? It is in this way that the fulfillment of the Lenten journey towards Easter can be achieved.
SUMMARY OF POPE CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
In the chapter from the Letter to Romans that opened todayâ??s Audience, Saint Paul presents Abraham not only as our father in
faith, but also as our father in hope.
Paul tells us that Abraham put his faith in the God who gives life to the dead, who calls all things into being. Hoping against hope, he trusted in Godâ??s promise that, despite his old age and that of Sarah his wife, he would become the father of many nations.
In Abraham, we see the close bond existing between faith and hope. Abrahamâ??s hope in Godâ??s promises was fulfilled in the birth of his son Isaac, and, in the fullness of time, in the 'many nationsâ? gathered into a new humanity set free from sin and death by the power of Christâ??s resurrection.
Faith teaches us, in fact, to hope against hope by putting our own trust in Godâ??s word even at those times when hope seems humanly impossible. In our Lenten journey to Easter, may we be confirmed in faith and hope, and show ourselves children of Abraham by accepting the promise of new life given us in the Lord's resurrection.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in todayâ??s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Scotland, Finland, Norway, the Philippines and the United States of America.
I offer a special welcome to the United Kingdomâ??s All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Holy See, with
appreciation for their work. With prayerful good wishes that this Lent will be a time of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!
JC
CTV
SV
-PR
UP: JMB
