Today the pope continued his catechesis on hope, and reflected on the First Letter of St. Peter. He emphasized the passage 'it is better to suffer for doing good.â?
By doing so, the pope says, 'we imitate the Lord's redemptive suffering and bear witness to God's infinite love.â? Love, he continues, 'is the basis of all of our hopeâ?, in which Christians must use to bring peace to the world.
SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS IN ENGLISH:
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
In our continuing catechesis on Christian hope, we now turn to the First Letter of Peter. The Apostle encourages us to rejoice in Christâ??s resurrection from the dead and to sanctify him in our hearts. Because we have received the gift of new life in Christ, Saint Peter urges us to 'account for the hopeâ? that is in us.
We are to show forth that hope by imitating Jesusâ?? loving concern for the needs of our brothers and sisters, but also by forgiving those who have offended us. Peter tells us that 'it is better to suffer for doing goodâ?, for in this way we imitate the Lordâ??s redemptive suffering and bear witness to Godâ??s infinite love, revealed on the cross and sealed in the resurrection. That love is the basis of all our hope. May our lives radiate the hope that is Christ himself, who dwells within us and acts through us to bring his mercy and peace to our world.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in todayâ??s Audience, particularly the groups from England, Ireland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam and the United States of America. I offer a particular greeting to the priests of the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the Pontifical North American College. May this Lenten journey bring us to Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Upon you and your families I invoke joy and peace in Christ our Redeemer. God bless you all!
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