Pope Francis says "...if we are discouraged, God awakens hope in us; and if our heart is hardened, God softens it with His love." and "Let us pray for peace." FULL TEXT + Video

POPE FRANCIS at the GENERAL AUDIENCE
Saint Peter's Square - Wednesday, 24 April 2024
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The following text includes parts that were not read out loud, but should be considered as such.
Cycle of Catechesis. Vices and Virtues. 16. The life of grace according to the Spirit
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In recent weeks we have reflected on the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. They are the four cardinal virtues. As we have emphasized several times, these four virtues belong to a very ancient wisdom that predates even Christianity. Even before Christ, honesty was preached as a civic duty, wisdom as the rule for actions, courage as the fundamental ingredient for a life that tends towards the good, and moderation as the necessary measure not to be overwhelmed by excesses. This patrimony that is so ancient, the patrimony of humanity has not been replaced by Christianity, but focused on, enhanced, purified, and integrated in the faith.

There is therefore in the heart of every man and woman the capacity to seek the good. The Holy Spirit is given so that those who receive it can clearly distinguish good from evil, have the strength to adhere to good by shunning evil, and, in so doing, achieve full self-realization.

But in the journey that we are all making towards the fullness of life, which belongs to the destiny of every person – the destiny of each person is fulness, to be full of life – the Christian enjoys special assistance from the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus. It is implemented through the gift of three other, distinctly Christian virtues, which are often mentioned together in the New Testament writings. These fundamental attributes, which characterize the life of the Christian, are three virtues that we often speak of together: faith, hope and charity.

Let’s say it to gether: [together] faith, hope… I don’t hear anything! Louder! [together] Faith, hope, and charity! Good job!

Christian writers soon called them “theological” virtues, insofar as they are received and lived out in relationship with God, to differentiate them from the other four, called “cardinal” insofar as they constitute the “hinge” [It., “cardine”] of a good life. These three are received in Baptism and come from the Holy Spirit. The one and the other, both the theological and the cardinal, put together in so many systematic reflections, have thus composed a wonderful septenary, which is often contrasted with the list of the seven deadly sins. This is how the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the action of the theological virtues: “the theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character. They inform and give life to all the moral virtues. They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being” (n. 1813).

While the risk of the cardinal virtues is of generating men and women who are heroic in doing good, but all alone, isolated, the great gift of the theological virtues is existence lived in the Holy Spirit. The Christian is never alone. He does good not because of a titanic effort of personal commitment, but because, as a humble disciple, he walks in the footsteps of Jesus, the Master. He goes forward on the way. The Christian has the theological virtues, which are the great antidote to self-sufficiency. How often do certain morally irreproachable men and women run the risk of becoming conceited and arrogant in the eyes of those who know them! It is a danger that the Gospel rightly warns us against, when Jesus advises the disciples: “You too, when you have done all that you have been commanded, say, ‘We are useless servants. We have done what we ought to have done’” (Lk 17:10). Pride is a poison, a powerful poison: a drop of it is enough to spoil a whole life marked by goodness. A person may have performed a mountain of good deeds, may have reaped accolades and praise, but if he has done all this only for himself, to exalt himself, can he still call himself a virtuous person? No!
Good is not only an end, but also a means. Goodness needs a lot of discretion, a lot of kindness. Above all, goodness needs to be stripped of that sometimes too cumbersome presence that is our ego. When our “I” is at the centre of everything, everything is ruined. If we perform every action in life only for ourselves, is this motivation really so important? The poor “I” takes hold of everything and thus pride is born.
To correct all these situations, which sometimes become painful, the theological virtues are of great help. They are especially so in times of falling, because even those with good moral intentions sometimes fall We all fall in life, because we are all sinners. Just as even those who practice virtue daily sometimes make mistakes; we all make mistakes in life: intelligence is not always clear, will is not always firm, passions are not always governed, courage does not always overcome fear. But if we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit – the Master of the interior life – He revives the theological virtues in us: then, if we have lost confidence, God reopens us to faith; with the strength of the Spirit, if we have lost confidence, God reopens us to faith; if we are discouraged, God awakens hope in us; and if our heart is hardened, God softens it with His love. Thank you.
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APPEAL
And then, thoughts go out to tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, who are at war, and so many other countries. War is always a defeat, and those who profit the most are the arms manufacturers. Please, let us pray for peace; let us pray for tormented Ukraine: it suffers so, so much. Young soldiers go to die... Let us pray. And let us also pray for the Middle East, for Gaza: it suffers so much there, in the war. For peace between Palestine and Israel, that they may be two states, free and with good relations. Let us pray for peace.

Special Greetings

[I cordially greet the French-speaking pilgrims, in particular the various parishes and schools who have come from France, and who have also come from the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We implore the Holy Spirit to fill us with ever more faith, hope and charity to help us walk in following Jesus by doing good. God bless you.]

Je salue cordialement les pèlerins de langue française, en particulier les diverses paroisses et écoles venues de France, et venues également de Côte d’Ivoire et de République démocratique du Congo. Implorons l’Esprit Saint de nous remplir de toujours plus de foi, d’espérance et de charité pour nous aider à marcher à la suite de Jésus en faisant le bien. Que Dieu vous bénisse.

I greet all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today's Audience, especially those coming from England, Finland, India, Indonesia, Tanzania and the United States of America. In the joy of the Risen Christ, I invoke upon you and your families the loving mercy of God our Father. May the Lord bless you all!

Liebe Brüder und Schwestern German Sprache, rufen wir oft den Heiligen Geist an: Er möge in uns den Glauben, die Hoffnung und die Liebe vermehren, damit wir den Vater im Himmel durch ein evangeliumsgemäßes Leben verherrlichen.

[Dear German-speaking brothers and sisters, let us frequently invoke the Holy Spirit: May he increase faith, hope and charity in us so that we can glorify the Father who is in heaven with a life according to the style of the Gospel.]

I cordially greet the pilgrims of the Spanish language. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to grant us the grace to believe, hope and love in imitation of the Corazón of Christ, being his witnesses in every circumstance. May Jesus bless him and the Holy Virgin guard him. Much thanks.

I cordially welcome all the Portuguese language groups, especially the Indian groups from Belo Horizonte and Braga. Abramos our hearts to the action of the Holy Spirit, so that it makes us grow in faith, hope and love. God welcome everyone!

[I cordially greet all the Portuguese-speaking faithful, especially the groups who have come from Belo Horizonte and Braga. Let us open our hearts to the action of the Holy Spirit, so that faith, hope and love may grow within us. God bless everyone!]

أُحَيِّي المُؤمِنينَ النَّاطِقينَ باللغَةِ العربِيَّة. الفضائِلُ الإلهِيَّة، الإيمانُ والرَّجاءُ والمَحَبَّة، هي تَشفِينا وتَجعَلُنا نَشفي الآخرين، وهي نِعَمٌ تَفتَحُ أمامَنا آفا قًا جديدة، حتَّى عندما نُبحِرُ في مياهِ زَمَنِنا الصَّعبَة. Let's go!

[I greet the Arabic-speaking faithful. The theological virtues, faith, hope and charity, are gifts that heal us and make us healers, gifts that open us to new horizons, even as we navigate the difficult waters of our time. May the Lord bless you all and protect you always from all evil!]

Pozdrawiam serdecznie Polaków. W przyszłą sobotę przypada 10. rocznica kanonizacji św. Jana Pawła II. Patrząc na jego życie di lui widzimy, do czego może dojść człowiek, kiedy przyjmie i rozwinie w sobie Boże dary: wiary, nadziei i miłości. Pozostańcie wierni jego dziedzictwu of him. Promujcie życie i nie dajcie się zwieść kulturze śmierci. Za jego wstawiennictwem prośmy Boga o dar pokoju, o który on jako Papież tak bardzo zabiegał. Z serca wam błogosławię.]

[I cordially greet the Poles. Next Saturday marks the tenth anniversary of the canonization of Saint John Paul II. Looking at his life, we can see what man can achieve by accepting and developing within himself the gifts of God: faith, hope and charity. Remain faithful to his legacy. Promote life and do not be fooled by the culture of death. Through his intercession, we ask God for the gift of peace for which he, as Pope, worked so hard. I bless you from the bottom of my heart.]

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I extend a cordial welcome to the Italian-speaking pilgrims. In particular, I greet the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Child Jesus, who are celebrating the General Chapter, and the Marist Brothers.

I warmly welcome the faithful of Borgo Faiti di Latina, Mondragone and Gragnano, entrusting each one to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, protector of their respective communities.

I also greet the Network of San Calogero Committees from Sicily, the “Nunziatella” Military School of Naples and the Galati Mamertino Band.

Finally, my thoughts go to the young people, the sick, the elderly and the newlyweds. Tomorrow we will celebrate the liturgical feast of Saint Mark, the Evangelist who vividly and concretely described the mystery of the person of Jesus of Nazareth. I invite all of you to let yourselves be fascinated by Christ, to collaborate with enthusiasm and fidelity in building the Kingdom of God.

My blessing to all!