With Francesca Pollio Fenton

CNA Staff, November 1, 2024 / 17:05

in it Angelus’ speech on Friday Pope Francis talked about the “identity card” of Christians at the All Saints ceremony.

Referring to that day’s Gospel passage, the beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew, the Holy Father asked the following question: “So what is the identity card of the Christian? Happiness. “It is our identity card, but also the path to holiness.”

The pope noted that “Jesus shows us the way of love,” which serves “both as a gift from God and as our answer.”

This is a gift from God, the Pope said, citing St. Paul, because “it is he who sanctifies. That is why it is the Lord we first ask to sanctify us and make our hearts like his.”

Our Holy Father reminded the faithful that God does not impose his holiness on us, but instead “plants it within us, allowing us to taste its flavor and see its beauty, but then awaits our response.”

The Pope attributed this statement to the saints of the Church and how we see these characteristics lived out in each of them. Taking the place of a father sentenced to death in Auschwitz, St. He drew attention to the life of Maximilian Kolbe; St. Teresa of Calcutta, who spent her life serving the poorest of the poor; and St. Paul, the bishop who was murdered for speaking out against social injustices while celebrating Mass. Oscar Romero.

Pope Francis noted the saints he likes to call “‘neighboring saints,’ saints who go about their ordinary, secret, everyday Christian lives.”

“My brothers and sisters, how many secret saints there are in the Church! “We know many of our brothers and sisters created by happiness: the poor, the docile, the merciful, the hungry and thirsty for justice, those who work for peace,” he said. “They are ‘God-filled’ people who cannot remain indifferent to the needs of their neighbors; they are witnesses to the bright paths that are possible for us too.”

He concluded by asking believers to consider these questions: “Do I ask God for the gift of a holy life in prayer? Do I allow myself to be guided by the good impulses that His Spirit awakens in me? And do I personally commit myself to practicing the beatitudes of the Gospel in the environments in which I live?

Prayers for those affected by war and natural disasters

After the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the people of Chad, especially to the families of those who lost their lives in the attack. The latest terrorist attack that resulted in the death of 40 soldiers A military base as well as those affected by severe flooding, considered one of the worst natural disasters in Spain’s modern history.

The Holy Father also asked believers to continue to pray for the people of Ukraine, as well as Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan and all those suffering because of war, telling the audience that “it is always a defeat, always! ”

Francesca is the Social Media Manager for the Catholic News Agency. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a degree in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media.