“Let us always try to make our lives a gift for others”

Pope Francis received this Friday a group of volunteers and homeless people of Vienna at the Holy See, with whom he shared a brief reflection.

“You come from very different countries, you belong to different religious denominations and each of you has had your own life experiences, sometimes even serious vicissitudes”the Pope told them. “But one thing unites us all: we are brothers and sisters, we are children of one Father. This unites us all. And I am very happy that this reality becomes concrete in your community when you help each other and, in your meetings, share what each one can offer.”

A fraternal look

“In fact,” Francis stressed, “it is not true that some give and others only receive: we are all givers and receivers, “We all need each other and are called to enrich each other.”

“Let us remember,” the Pope noted, “that this is not achieved only through material gifts, but also through ‘a simple smile, a gesture of friendship, a fraternal look, a sincere listening, a free service’”.

“So, at that moment, we do what the Lord told us to do, that is, love each other as He has loved us,” he noted. “The Lord loves us beyond all limits and difficulties,” He has asserted, pointing out that “each one of us is unique in His eyes and He never forgets us. Let us always try, as brothers and sisters, to make our lives a gift to others.”