Pope urges Christians to be courageous in witnessing and prayer

03 May, 2013 - Pope Francis on Friday challenged all followers of Christ to avoid being lukewarm and witness to their faith with courage and prayer. The exhortation came in his Mass, Friday morning, in the chapel of his Santa Martha residence, where among the faithful were the Swiss Guards. Speaking in his homily, the Pope said that since we have received the faith, we must transmit it, we must proclaim it with our lives and our words. And the foundation of this faith, he pointed out, is the Risen Jesus, who has forgiven our sins with his death and has reconciled with the Father. The Pope noted that many want this strong certainty diluted and talk of a spiritual resurrection. But the Pope stressed, “No, Christ is alive” and he is also alive among us. The Holy Father also talked about the courage to pray, pointing to Jesus in Friday’s Gospel reading: “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The Holy Father said Jesus challenges us to pray – pray for others, for the Church. But when the Church loses courage it enters a lukewarm stage without courage which greatly harms the Church because this tepidity draws you inwards and problems arise among us with our envies, jealousies, carriers and egoisms, and we lose the horizon or the courage to pray toward heaven and proclaim the Gospel.