In his General Audience, Pope Francis prayed for the 38 migrants who lost their lives in a fire in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. He visited this border town in 2016.
POPE FRANCIS
Let us pray for the migrants who died yesterday in a tragic fire in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. May the Lord receive them into his Kingdom and give comfort to their families. Let us pray for them.
In his catechesis, the Pope focused on the figure of St. Paul. He reflected on what happened to make him go from wanting to destroy the Church to embracing the Gospel with apostolic zeal.
POPE FRANCIS
Becoming a Christian is not make-up that changes your face, no. If you are a Christian, your heart is changed. But if you are just appearing Christian, it doesn't work. Fake Christians don't work. The real change is of the heart and that is what happened to Paul.
Pope Francis said that apostolic zeal does not depend on education but on a personal encounter with Christ. That is why he invited Christians to let Jesus into their lives, something that goes beyond simply following the commandments.
POPE FRANCIS
I am religious. Good. Yes, I pray. Yes, I try to do the commandments. But where is Jesus in your life? “Ah, no, I do the things the Church commands.” But Jesus, where is He? Have you met Jesus? Have you talked with Jesus? Do you simply read the Gospel or do talk with Jesus and remember who Jesus is? This is something that we are so often lacking.
The Pope also asked pilgrims what Jesus means to them, if they have let Him into their hearts or if He is only an idea. Then Pope Francis said to them, if Jesus is only an idea, Christianity can become idealized.
RM
TR: OJ
