Ahead of Pentecost, let the Spirit of God which He has poured into our hearts, warm and illuminate our lives…

Let us also remember that having a hope-filled gaze toward God also brings new life amid hatred…

Pope St. Paul VI reached the heights of holiness, encourage each one to generously embrace the Gospel ideals…

Pope Francis stressed these three points during his General Audience, this Wednesday, May 27th, 2020, in his papal library, in the midst of the pandemic of coronavirus worldwide, as he focused on prayer, specifically on ‘the prayer of the just.’

Italy has entered its ‘phase two’ on May 4th, resulting in some relaxing of restrictions. Public Masses resumed across the country on Monday, May 18, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Karol Wojtyla.

Two week ago, the Holy Father began a new series of catecheses on prayer, noting that it is “a cry that arises from the hearts of those who trust in God,” as he exhorted  all faithful to embrace their prayer life.

In today’s catechesis, the Pope recalled how in Genesis, we read about the presence of wickedness, as in the Fall of Adam and Eve and of Cain murdering his brother Abel.

Lamenting this wickedness is still seen across the world, the Holy Father stressed that God’s will for his creatures is not evil, but for the good.

Francis recalled and praised other figures in the Bible who were humble and prayed sincerely to God, calling them “peacemakers who show that authentic prayer, freed from the tendency to violence,” and who have “a hope-filled gaze directed to God, which can cultivate new life in place of arid hatred.”

“Throughout history, righteous men and women of prayer – often misunderstood or marginalized – have ceaselessly offered up intercession for the world, invoking God’s power to bring about healing and growth.”

Pope Francis concluded, praying: “May we, like them, faithfully ask God to fulfil his work of transforming hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.”

Greeting Italian-speaking faithful, Francis recalled that the day after tomorrow, we celebrate the liturgical memory of Pope Saint Paul VI.

“The example of this Bishop of Rome, who has reached the heights of holiness, encourage each one to generously embrace the Gospel ideals.”

The Pontiff also addressed the elderly, young people, the sick and newlyweds.

“In the atmosphere of preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost that is now approaching,” the Pope said, “I urge you to always be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit, so that your life may always be warmed and illuminated by the love that the Spirit of God pours into hearts.”

“My blessing to all of you,” he said.

Here is the Vatican-provided English summary of today’s General Audience:

***

Speaker: Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on prayer, we now consider the prayer of the just. In the book of Genesis, the accounts of the fall of Adam and Eve and of the murder of Abel by his brother Cain, tell of the emergence and expansion of evil and sin across successive generations. We too still experience the presence of wickedness in the world. Yet God’s will for his creatures is for the good, not for evil. In the first pages of the Bible we also see another, less conspicuous story, with Abel, Seth, Enoch and Noah, who acted humbly and prayed to God with sincerity. These just men of prayer were peacemakers who show that authentic prayer, freed from the tendency to violence, is a hope-filled gaze directed to God, which can cultivate new life in place of arid hatred. Throughout history, righteous men and women of prayer – often misunderstood or marginalized – have ceaselessly offered up intercession for the world, invoking God’s power to bring about healing and growth. May we, like them, faithfully ask God to fulfil his work of transforming hearts of stone into hearts of flesh (cf. Ezek 36:26).

Speaker:

I greet the English-speaking faithful joining us through the media. As we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, I invoke upon you and your families an abundance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. May God bless you!

[00677-EN.01] [Original text: English]
[Vatican-provided text]

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