from the Canção Nova Newsroom
Pope Francis,resumed on Wednesday, August 6 the traditional general audiences with the faithful. After the rest period of a month, the Holy Father received thousands of people in the Paul VI audience hall and showed the characteristics of God’s people, highlighting the need to follow the Beatitudes that Jesus speaks in the Gospel of Matthew.
Firstly, the Pope reminded the people of God that the Church was founded on the New Covenant established by God with the gift of his life. He also stressed the role of John the Baptist, the ‘precursor’, who prepared the coming of the Lord predisposing people to the conversion of hearts and to receive God’s consolation.
“With his testimony, John showed us Jesus invited us to follow him and told us, without compromises, it requires humility, repentance and conversion,” the Pontiff taught.
The Holy Father recalled the new teaching that Jesus left with the Beatitudes. These constitute the path indicated by God as a response to the desire of happiness in man; they perfected the commandments of the Old Covenant.
Francis interacted with the faithful asking them if they remembered the Beatitudes and inviting everyone to repeat them to him, imprinting them on their hearts. He recommended that the faithful reread chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew, which portrays all of them.
“These words all the newness brought by Christ: the beatitudes are the portrait of Jesus, His way of life; they are the way to true happiness. Jesus also gave us the criteria by which we will be judged at the end of the world: be with Him in eternal life if we are able, during our earthly life, to recognize him in the poor, the hungry, the needy, the marginalized, the sick and the sufferer. “
In conclusion, Francis stressed that the New Covenant is able to recognize that God embraces humanity with his mercy and compassion in Christ. “That’s what fills our hearts with joy, what makes our life a beautiful and believable testimony of God’s love for all the brethren we find every day.”
This was the first time in his pontificate that Francis’ catechesis was held in Paul VI Hall. The place is air conditioned, being more suitable to receive the faithful in the summer.