In the Angelus speech on Sunday, Pope Francis reminds Christians that every moment is the right time to convert our hearts to love for God and neighbor.
By Devin Watkins
In catechesis before the Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope Francis took advantage of the Gospel of the day (Mk 1: 14-20), in which Jesus begins his public ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist.
Jesus’ preaching, said the Pope, can be summed up in these words: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. “
He said that two key themes emerge from this message: “time and conversion”.
Lifespan
Pope Francis noted that the Gospel of Mark refers to time as “the duration of the history of salvation worked by God”.
“The ‘accomplished’ time is the time when this saving action reaches its peak, its full realization,” he said. “It is the historic moment when God sent His Son into the world and His Kingdom has become ‘closer’ than ever.”
Salvation and conversion
However, he added, salvation is not an automatic process. “Salvation is a gift of love,” he said. “And as such, it is given free of charge and requires an answer given freely: it requires a conversion”.
The Pope said that conversion implies a change in mentality, in which we refuse to follow the path of the world.
“Sin has brought into the world a mentality that tends to affirm itself against others and against God,” he said, “and for that he does not hesitate to use deceit and violence.”
The time is now
On the other hand, Jesus’ message of conversion invites us to recognize our dependence on God and His grace. It also involves cultivating a balanced attitude towards material goods, making us welcoming and humble in our relationships and finding fulfillment in service to others.
Pope Francis warned that the time we have to welcome our salvation is limited to the duration of our earthly life, which is short.
“It is a gift of God’s infinite love, but it is also a time to prove our love for Him,” said the Pope. “Therefore, every moment, every moment of our existence is a precious time to love God and our neighbor and, thus, enter eternal life.”
Times and seasons of life
The Pope also noted that our lives follow two rhythms: “one, measurable, made of hours, days, years; the other, composed of the seasons of our development: birth, childhood, adolescence, maturity, old age, death. “
Faith, said Pope Francis, helps us to discover the true spiritual meaning of each of these moments in life.
He added that God comes to us with a specific call at each stage of our life, to which we are free to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
And the Pope urged everyone to pay attention so that we do not let Jesus pass by without answering his call.
Constant call from God
In conclusion, Pope Francis invited us to allow the Blessed Virgin Mary to help us to recognize the call of God at every time in life.
“And may it help us to change the mentality of the world,” he prayed, “to that of love and service.”