Pope Francis asked Christians during the Angelus this Sunday, November 17, not to link “their hearts to the realities of the world.” He invited them to ask themselves a daily question, especially when the challenges are numerous.
“If everything passes, Christ remains,” assured Pope Francis during the Angelus recited from the window of the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican this Sunday, November 17, 2024. In a short catechesis, Francis asked Catholics to give a “just weight” to the things of the world and to trust in the Gospel “which contains a promise of salvation and eternity.” “Do not bind our hearts to the realities of the world because they will pass away.” This is the warning given by the Pope to the thousands of faithful gathered in Saint Peter's Square under a beautiful sun. With crises, failures, “the pain caused by wars” or even “natural disasters”, man has the “feeling that everything has an end”, recognized Pope Francis. But “the realities of this world […] are destined to pass,” he insisted.
“If everything passes, Christ remains. In him, we will one day find the things and people who have passed and who have accompanied us,” he nevertheless assured. For the Pope, it is through this promise of the Gospel that life on earth takes on a new meaning: “Everything dies and we too will die one day, but we will lose nothing of what we have built and loved, because death will be the beginning of a new life.” In conclusion, the Pope hoped that Christians could take the time to ask themselves this question: “Are we linked to the things of earth, which pass away quickly, or to the words of the Lord, which remain and guide us towards eternity ?”
An act of faith in God
In a commentary on the Gospel, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, former preacher of the Pontifical Household, compared our lives a few years ago to those of the Apostles caught in the storm: if we have not put Christ on our boat , we are lost. Like James and John calling out to God by saying: “Lord, we are lost, does that matter to You?”, we often welcome the accidents of our lives as injustices. To the panicked Apostles, the Lord replied: “Why be afraid, how is it that you do not have faith?” Let us in turn take an act of faith in God by accepting not to understand everything right away. Let us trust in him to whom “even the wind and the sea obey.”
Like the disciples in the Gospel of Mark, let us take Jesus into the little boat of our lives. To take Christ is to keep faith in him who can do all things. His strength will allow us to weather all storms, fight all evil winds and, with Him, reach the other shore. And let's not forget the words of Pope Francis spoken in January 2014: “Trust in God is the key to success in life, because He never, ever disappoints.”
