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God hears our cry and makes a covenant

Catechesis by Pope Francis
General Audience, Wednesday 27 January 2016, St Peter's Sqaure - in Arabic, Croatian, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese & Spanish

"Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
In Sacred Scripture, God’s mercy is present throughout the entire history of the people of Israel.

With his mercy, the Lord accompanies the journey of the Patriarchs, gives them children despite being barren, leads them on paths of grace and reconciliation, as demonstrated by the story of Joseph and his brothers (cf. Gen ch. 37-50). I think of the many brothers and sisters in a family who are distant and do not speak to each other. This Year of Mercy is a good opportunity to meet again, embrace, forgive and forget the bad things. But as we know, in Egypt, life is hard for the people. It is precisely when the Israelites are about to give in to resignation, that the Lord intervenes and works salvation.

One reads in the Book of Exodus: “In the course of those many days the King of Egypt died. And the people of Israel groaned under their bondage, and cried out for help, and their cry under bondage came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the people of Israel, and God knew their condition” (2:23-25). Mercy cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of the oppressed, to the cry of those who are subjected to violence, reduced to slavery, condemned to death. It is a painful reality that afflicts every era, including ours, and which often makes us feel powerless, tempted to harden our heart and think of something else. However, God “is not indifferent” (Message for the Celebration of the 2016 World Day of Peace, n. 1). He does not look away from our human pain. The God of mercy responds and takes care of the poor, of those who cry out in desperation. God listens and intervenes in order to save, raising men able to hear the groan of suffering and to work in favour of the oppressed.

And so begins the story of Moses as the mediator of freedom for the people. He confronts the Pharaoh to convince him to let the Israelites depart; and he then leads the people, across the Red Sea and the desert, toward freedom. Moses — whom just after his birth, divine mercy saved from death in the waters of the Nile — becomes the mediator of that very mercy, allowing the people to be born to freedom, saved from the waters of the Red Sea. In this Year of Mercy we too can do this work of acting as mediators of mercy through the works of mercy in order to approach, to give relief, to create unity. So many good things can be done.

God’s mercy always operates to save. It is quite the opposite of the work of those who always act to kill: for example, those who wage war. The Lord, through his servant Moses, guides Israel in the desert as if Israel were a son, educates the people to the faith and makes a covenant with Israel, creating a bond of the strongest love, like that of a father with his child and of a groom with his bride.

Divine mercy goes that far. God offers a special, exclusive, privileged relationship of love. When he gives instructions to Moses regarding the covenant, he says: “if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:5-6).

Of course, God already possesses all the earth because he created it; but his people become for him a different, special possession: his personal “reserve of gold and silver” such as King David stated he had given for the construction of the Temple.

So we become thus for God, by accepting his covenant and letting ourselves be saved by him. The Lord’s mercy renders man precious, like a personal treasure that belongs to him, which he safeguards and with which he is well pleased.

These are the wonders of divine mercy, which reaches complete fulfillment in the Lord Jesus, in the “new and eternal covenant” consummated in his blood, which annuls our sin with forgiveness and renders us definitively Children of God (cf. 1 Jn 3:1), precious gems in the hands of the good and merciful Father. And as we are Children of God and have the opportunity to receive this legacy — that of goodness and mercy — in comparison to others, let us ask the Lord that in this Year of Mercy we too may do merciful things; let us open our heart in order to reach everyone with the works of mercy, to work the merciful legacy that God the Father showed toward us."

Saluti:

"Je salue cordialement les pèlerins de langue française, en particulier l’Institut Saint Dominique de Rome et les nombreux jeunes, ainsi que les personnes venues de Côte d’Ivoire.  Nous sommes chacun précieux et unique aux yeux de Dieu. Que le Seigneur, par sa miséricorde, nous donne la grâce d’approfondir chaque jour la relation qu’il entretient avec nous et de répondre à son appel de tout notre cœur. Que Dieu vous bénisse !

I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those from the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!

Mit Freude heiße ich die Pilger und Besucher deutscher Sprache willkommen. Insbesondere grüße ich die Mitglieder der Unabhängigen Opferschutzkommission in Österreich in Begleitung von Kardinal Christoph Schönborn und Bischof Klaus Küng. Der Herr verlässt uns nie. Lassen wir uns von seiner barmherzigen Liebe umwandeln, um echte Kinder Gottes zu sein. Von Herzen segne ich euch alle.

Saludo cordialmente a los peregrinos de lengua española, en particular a los grupos provenientes de España y Latinoamérica. Que el Señor Jesús nos conceda experimentar siempre en nuestra vida el amor y la misericordia de Dios, nuestro Padre. Muchas gracias.

Queridos peregrinos de língua portuguesa, sede bem-vindos! A todos vos saúdo, especialmente aos fiéis de Brasília e São José dos Campos, desejando-vos que nada e ninguém possa impedir-vos de viver e crescer na amizade de Deus Pai; mas deixai que o seu amor sempre vos regenere como filhos e vos reconcilie com Ele e com os irmãos. Desça, sobre vós e vossas famílias, a abundância das suas bênçãos.

أتوجه بتحية قلبية للحجاج الناطقين باللغة العربية، وخاصة القادمين من العراق ومن الشرق الأوسط.‏ ‏إن الله لا يبقى صامتا أمام آلام وصراخ أبنائه، وأمام الظلم والاضطهاد بل يتدخل ويمنح برحمته الأبدية‏ ‏الخلاص والمعونة.‏ فهو يمهل الخاطئ حتى يتوب، ويبحث عن الضال حتى يعود، لأن الله "يريد أن جميع ‏الناس يخلصون وإلى معرفة الحق يقبلون" (1 تي 2، 4). ليبارككم الرب جميعا ويحرسكم من الشرير!‏‏

Witam przybyłych na tę audiencję pielgrzymów polskich. Nadzwyczajny Jubileusz zaprasza nas, byśmy otworzyli serca na dary Bożego Miłosierdzia: nawrócenia, przebaczenia grzechów, odnowy ducha, miłości i pokoju. Umocnieni tymi darami pamiętajmy, że Bóg nieustannie nas kocha, słucha, oczekuje naszej wierności przymierzu, które zawarł z nami w dniu naszego Chrztu świętego. Bądźmy dla bliźnich i świata całego świadkami Jego miłości. Niech będzie pochwalony Jezus Chrystus."

AVVISO

"Il Pontificio Consiglio Cor Unum, in occasione del Giubileo della Misericordia, ha promosso una giornata di ritiro spirituale per le persone e i gruppi impegnati nel servizio della carità. La giornata, da tenersi nelle singole diocesi durante la prossima Quaresima, sarà occasione per riflettere sulla chiamata ad essere misericordiosi come il Padre. Invito ad accogliere questa proposta, utilizzando le indicazioni e i sussidi preparati da Cor Unum.

* * *

Rivolgo un cordiale benvenuto ai pellegrini di lingua italiana. Saluto in particolare le Figlie di San Paolo, la Lega Sacerdotale Mariana, i formatori dell’Istituto internazionale Don Bosco e l’Opera Famiglia di Nazaret nel sessantesimo di fondazione. Saluto gli artisti e operatori del circo e li ringrazio per la loro gradita esibizione; voi siete fautori di bellezza, voi fate la bellezza e la bellezza fa bene all’anima. La bellezza ci avvicina a Dio, ma dietro questo spettacolo di bellezza, quante ore di allenamento ci sono! Andate avanti, continuate, grazie. Saluto i membri dell’ANTAS e gli studenti e i familiari della Scuola Santa Maria di Formia, che ricordano i 50 anni di attività delle Suore Pallottine. Il Giubileo Straordinario, con il passaggio dalla Porta Santa, ci inviti ad uscire dall’egoismo – tutti abbiamo qualcosa di egoismo - Dobbiamo uscire da questo. Dobbiamo uscire dall’egoismo e promuovere in ciascuno l’esercizio delle opere di misericordia verso i fratelli.

Un pensiero speciale ai giovani, ai malati e agli sposi novelli. Domani ricorre la memoria liturgica di San Tommaso d’Aquino, patrono delle scuole cattoliche. Il suo esempio spinga voi, cari giovani, a vedere in Gesù misericordioso l’unico maestro di vita; la sua intercessione ottenga per voi, cari ammalati, la serenità e la pace presenti nel mistero della croce; e la sua dottrina sia un incoraggiamento per voi, cari sposi novelli, ad affidarvi alla sapienza del cuore per adempiere la vostra missione."