Pope Francis says Keep Confirmation in the Heart "First of all with prayer, asking the Lord to give us the strength to go forward, to keep this strength of the Holy Spirit...And always pray..."
GREETING FROM THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO THE CRESIMANDI OF THE DIOCESE OF GENOA
Piazzale Santa Marta
Saturday, May 21, 2022
[Image from Vatican News of Pope Francis wearing a hat from the youth who received the sacrament of Confirmation]
Hello and thank you very much, thank you very much for this visit!
I apologize for the delay, I made you wait 35 minutes, sorry but thanks for your visit. I heard the noise but I did not finish the things that had to be done before, a little in a hurry. Thanks!
The Archbishop said that you are being confirmed and confirmed. Those who have made Confirmation raise your hand! Ah, okay, they haven't left, because they say that Confirmation is the "sacrament of farewell". The boy makes Confirmation and leaves the Church, is this true or not? [they answer: no!]. No, alright, this is a great thing, to stay. Because with the strength of Confirmation we go forward, we go forward not only in the Church, but in our own life, of each one of us, because Confirmation prepares us to become good people, good citizens, good Christians. Go on with this.
And one thing that comes to me, a word: “to keep”. Because Confirmation is a gift and we have to keep the gift, take care of the gift, understand? We must not put this gift in the drawer, no: keep it in the heart.
And how is it preserved? First of all with prayer, asking the Lord to give us the strength to go forward, to keep this strength of the Holy Spirit that we have all received. And always pray, because the Lord said that if you ask, I will give you. But sometimes we don't ask. We forget to ask, to pray, and we know that "he who does not cry does not teat" [Genoese proverb], we know it well! Thus, we must pray and insist that the Lord listen to us and give us the strength to move forward.
And the second thing is friendship between you, because in the Church we are not "me alone", me and God, no, we are all of us, in community. This beautiful trip that you are doing, this is one thing that will help you move forward. Courage and forward, that is, prayer and community, community life. Understood? [they answer: yes!] Are you sure? [they answer: yes!]
And be generous, the generosity of giving ourselves, each of us, to the community, to the other. They say that generosity is not a Genoese virtue, I don't know ... But this is the generosity of money: the Genoese are stingy - they say -; I also have Genoese blood on the maternal side, I understand well ... But generous, always generous. Helping others and living in community. Prayer, going forward in community and generosity. Understood? [they answer: yes!].
Now two things. The first I would like to give the blessing to all of you, and let us pray to Our Lady first, all together.
[recitation of the Hail Mary and blessing]
Secondly, do not forget this trip, so communal, of fraternity, of friendship. Go on with the friendship! Forward as brothers and sisters, as good friends! Have a nice trip and thank you for your visit, and excuse me for the 35 minutes!
TO THE CRESIMANDI OF THE DIOCESE OF GENOA
Piazzale Santa Marta
Saturday, May 21, 2022
[Image from Vatican News of Pope Francis wearing a hat from the youth who received the sacrament of Confirmation]
Hello and thank you very much, thank you very much for this visit!
I apologize for the delay, I made you wait 35 minutes, sorry but thanks for your visit. I heard the noise but I did not finish the things that had to be done before, a little in a hurry. Thanks!
The Archbishop said that you are being confirmed and confirmed. Those who have made Confirmation raise your hand! Ah, okay, they haven't left, because they say that Confirmation is the "sacrament of farewell". The boy makes Confirmation and leaves the Church, is this true or not? [they answer: no!]. No, alright, this is a great thing, to stay. Because with the strength of Confirmation we go forward, we go forward not only in the Church, but in our own life, of each one of us, because Confirmation prepares us to become good people, good citizens, good Christians. Go on with this.
And one thing that comes to me, a word: “to keep”. Because Confirmation is a gift and we have to keep the gift, take care of the gift, understand? We must not put this gift in the drawer, no: keep it in the heart.
And how is it preserved? First of all with prayer, asking the Lord to give us the strength to go forward, to keep this strength of the Holy Spirit that we have all received. And always pray, because the Lord said that if you ask, I will give you. But sometimes we don't ask. We forget to ask, to pray, and we know that "he who does not cry does not teat" [Genoese proverb], we know it well! Thus, we must pray and insist that the Lord listen to us and give us the strength to move forward.
And the second thing is friendship between you, because in the Church we are not "me alone", me and God, no, we are all of us, in community. This beautiful trip that you are doing, this is one thing that will help you move forward. Courage and forward, that is, prayer and community, community life. Understood? [they answer: yes!] Are you sure? [they answer: yes!]
And be generous, the generosity of giving ourselves, each of us, to the community, to the other. They say that generosity is not a Genoese virtue, I don't know ... But this is the generosity of money: the Genoese are stingy - they say -; I also have Genoese blood on the maternal side, I understand well ... But generous, always generous. Helping others and living in community. Prayer, going forward in community and generosity. Understood? [they answer: yes!].
Now two things. The first I would like to give the blessing to all of you, and let us pray to Our Lady first, all together.
[recitation of the Hail Mary and blessing]
Secondly, do not forget this trip, so communal, of fraternity, of friendship. Go on with the friendship! Forward as brothers and sisters, as good friends! Have a nice trip and thank you for your visit, and excuse me for the 35 minutes!
Source: Vatican.va - Image Screenshot Vatican News
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