At his Sunday public audience on August 8, Pope Francis said that the day’s Gospel reading offered two important messages: “Do not be afraid” and “Be ready.”


These two directives, he said, are important “for conquering the fears that paralyze us at times, and to overcome the temptation of a passive, slumbering life.”

At the conclusion of his audience, the Pope reported with satisfaction the departure of “the first ships loaded with grain from the ports of Ukraine.” He said that the ending of an embargo on the grain trade was a “sign of hope,” encouraging belief that the war in Ukraine could be ended.