For his General Audience, Pope Francis greeted pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in the popemobile to the sounds of a band.
The Pope remembered the people in Ukraine who continue to suffer as a result of the war, especially those affected by the recent bombings in Kyiv.
These days, my heart always goes out to the Ukrainian people, especially to the inhabitants of the places where the bombings raged on. I carry within me their pain.
Pope Francis continued his weekly catechesis on discernment, calling pilgrims to use desire as a guiding principle that can help in overcoming challenges in life.
Using the Gospel passage of the paralytic in Bethseda, the Pope cautioned against not truly understanding one's desires because it can often lead to doing nothing.
This paralytic is the typical example of people who say, “yes, yes, I want , I want,” but I don't want, want, want. I don't do anything. This wanting to do something becomes like an illusion, but no step is taken to do it.
He warned that falling into this complacency and not taking the step forward to fulfill these desires can lead to simply complaining, which can be toxic.
Be careful as complaints are a poison, a poison to the soul, a poison to life because they do not make you grow the desire to move forward. Be careful with complaints.
To combat this, the Pope reminded pilgrims that desire can be a tool in pushing them to take action and speaking with God can help people understand their desires.
KG
