Third Sunday In Advent – Pope Francis

Below is the Holy Father’s sharing just before the recitation of the Angelus to those gathered at St. Peter’s Square.

Dear brothers and sisters, hello!

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. It is called “Gaudete Sunday,” that is, the Sunday of joy. Frequently in the liturgy [today] we hear invitation to express joy, to be delighted. Why? Because the Lord is near. Christmas is near. The Christian message is called “gospel,” that is, “happy tidings,” an announcement of joy for the entire individuals; the Church is not a sanctuary for unfortunate people, the Church is a residence of joy! And those who are sad discover joy in her, they find true joy in her.

[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”1592763936″ locale=”us” height=”500″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Tl38yl2QL.jpg” width=”329″]However the joy of the Gospel is not just any joy. It is caused by our discovering ourselves welcomed and liked by God. As the prophet Isaiah (cf. 35:1 -6 a, 8a, 10) reminds us, God is he who concerns conserve us, and offer succor specifically to the afraid of heart. His coming among us reinforces, solidifies, encourages, raises and makes the desert and plain bloom, that is, our life when it becomes arid. And when does our life ended up being arid?

This takes place when it lacks the water of the Word of God and his Spirit of love. Nevertheless wonderful are our limits and our dismay, we are not permitted to be downhearted and vacillating in the face of our infirmities. On the contrary, we are welcomed to get a grip and align our weak knees, to have courage and not hesitate since our God constantly shows us the greatness of his mercy. He offers us the strength to go ahead. He is constantly with us to help us go forward. He is a God who genuinely wants what is good for us, he loves us and so he is with us, to help us, to reinforce us and go forward. Take heart!

Constantly forward! Thanks to his assistance we can always begin over. How? Exactly how do we start over? Somebody may state to me: “No, Father, I have done a bunch of … I am a wonderful sinner … I can not start over!” You’re wrong! You can start over! Exactly how? Because he waits for you, he is near you, he likes you, he is merciful, he forgives you, he gives you the strength to begin over! He gives it to everybody! Then we have the ability to open our eyes once again, to overcome sadness and splits and sing a new tune. And this real joy remains in times of trial too, even in suffering, because it is not a superficial joy but takes part in the extremely depths of the person who leaves himself to God and confides in him.

Christian joy, like hope, has its foundation in God’s fidelity, in the certainty that he always keeps his pledges. The prophet Isaiah exhorts those who have actually lost their method and are in problem to rely on the Lord’s fidelity due to the fact that his salvation will not delay in breaking into their life. Those who have actually satisfied Jesus along the way have experienced a joy that nothing and no one can take away. Jesus Christ is our joy! His faithful love is limitless! Thus, when a Christian becomes sad, it means that he has actually distanced himself from Jesus. However we should not leave him to his own gadgets. We must pray for him, and make him feel the heat of the community.

The Virgin Mary assists us rush towards Bethlehem to satisfy the Child who is born for us, for the salvation and joy of all men. To her the Angels says: “Rejoice, loaded with grace. The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). She obtains for us the joy of the Gospel in the family, at work, in the parish and everywhere. It is an intimate joy, made from marvel and inflammation. It is exactly what a mom experiences when she looks at her newborn kid, and feels that he is a gift of God, a wonder that she can just be grateful for!

[Following the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.] Dear brothers and sisters, I am sorry that you need to stand in the rain! However I am with you, away … Courage! Thank you!

Today the first greeting is for the kids of Rome, who have actually come for the traditional true blessing of the “Bambinelli” (figures of the Christ Child for the crèche), arranged by the Centro Oratori Romani. Dear children, when you hope before your crèche, remember me too, as I will remember you. I thank you, and Merry Christmas!

I greet the families, parish teams, associations and specific pilgrims from Rome, from Italy and from many parts of the world, particularly Spain and the United States of America. I greet the young people from Zambia with affection, and I hope that they will become “living stones” to develop a more human society. I extend a greeting to all the young people who exist right here, specifically those from Piscopio and Gallipoli, and the Catholic Action college team from Lucano.

I greet the choirs of Vicenza, L’Aquila and Mercato San Severino; the faithful from Silvi Marina and San Lorenzello; and the members of CRAL Telecom with their families.
I want everyone a good Sunday and a good lunch. Goodbye.