Continuing to reflect on Baptism, Pope Francis, spoke of the missionary discipleship of all the baptized who should transmit the faith.
Jéssica Marçal
from the Canção Nova newsroom
Pope Francis joined with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, yesterday for the tradition general audience. Still speaking on Baptism, as in past catechesis, Francisco stressed that this sacrament makes the man member of the body of Christ and of the people of God.
The Holy Father reminded that in the same way life is transmitted from generation to generation, so happens with grace transmitted through the baptismal font.
Giving the example of the disciples, that with the word of Jesus begin to baptize the people, to today there is a sequence of faith transmitted through baptism. “As a river that irrigates the earth is also the grace of God, our faith, which we should transmit to children, in order that they when adults may be able to transmit it to their children.”
It is also with this sacrament that the human being is to become the missionary disciple, called to announce the Gospel, explains the Pope. According to him, the new evangelization should imply a new protagonism of each of the baptized. “The people of God is a disciple people, because they receive the faith, and they are missionaries because they transmit it. And this is what Baptism does in us: to receive the faith and to transmit it.”
Another aspect stressed by Francis was the life of the people of God in only one community, that experienced the beauty of sharing the experience of a love that precedes all. At the same time, he said, this love asks each one to be a channel of grace for another, despite the limitations and sins.
As an example, the Pontiff cites the history of the Christian community in Japan. Even under hard persecution beginning in the 17th century, thousands of faithful were assasinated and forced to live as clandestines, the community kept the faith and prayer, baptizing its children in secret to continue transmitting the faith. After two and a half centuries, the Church in this country could be reborn and was formed by thousands of faithful.
“Baptism makes the transformation to one body in Christ. We can learn so much with this history.” he taught.