In the General Audience, Pope Francis continued his catechesis on prayer. He said prayer “involves our entire being yearning for some “other” beyond ourselves.”
The pope said that in prayer we should approach God as a friend, unafraid, for He will always “embrace us in mercy.”
Pope Francis said the example of this “unconditional love” is Jesus' death on the cross. “The Lord never stops loving, even to the end.” He concluded saying, “the burning heart of every Christian prayer [is] entrusting ourselves to the loving and merciful arms of our heavenly Father.”
SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In our continuing catechesis on prayer, we now consider its essential characteristics. Prayer involves our entire being yearning for some “other” beyond ourselves. Specifically Christian prayer is born from the realization that the “other” we are seeking has been revealed in the tender face of Jesus, who teaches us to call God “Father”, and wants personally to enter into relationship with us.
In his farewell discourse at the Last Supper, Jesus no longer calls his disciples servants but friends. When we commune with God in prayer, we need not be fearful, for he is a friend, a trusted ally.
Whatever our situation, or however poorly we may think of ourselves, God is always faithful, and willing to embrace us in mercy. We see this unconditional love on Calvary, for the Lord never stops loving, even to the end. Let us seek to pray by entering into this mystery of God’s unending Covenant with us.
This is the burning heart of every Christian prayer: entrusting ourselves to the loving and merciful arms of our heavenly Father.
I greet the English-speaking faithful joining us through the media. In this Easter season, I invoke upon you and your families the joy and strength that come from the Risen Christ. May God bless you!
