(Vatican Radio) In his Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis spoke about the need
to “pray always, without growing weary.” Starting from the parable of the widow in
the day’s Gospel, the Holy Father said we must “cry out to the Lord day and night”
– not because God does not know our needs, or doesn’t listen to us, but because the
daily struggle against evil requires “patience and resistance.” “There is a struggle
to carry on every day,” he said, “but God is our ally, faith in Him is our strength,
and prayer is the expression of this faith.”
But Pope Francis also recalled
the words of Jesus at the end of the Gospel: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find
faith on earth?” (Lk. 18:8). “If the faith goes out, if prayer ends,” the Pope said,
"we end up walking in darkness, and losing the way on the journey of life.”
After
the Angelus, Pope Francis recalled World Mission Sunday, celebrated throughout the
Church on the second to last Sunday of October. He thanked all those who support the
missions through their prayers and concrete help. On this day, the Pope said, we are
especially close to all missionaries, men and women, who quietly give their lives
to spread the Gospel message.
The Holy Father also expressed his closeness
to the people of the Philippines, especially the victims of the recent earthquake.
He invited everyone to pray for the Philippines, which has been struck by numerous
disasters in recent days.
Pope Francis also greeted all the pilgrims present
for the Angelus. Pope Francis had a special welcome for a group of young people who
had taken part in a special “100 metre sprint for faith” organised by the Pontifical
Council for Culture. The impromptu race track was set up along the Via della Conciliazione
leading into Saint Peter’s Square, with the participants concluding their races in
time to hear the Holy Father’s address. Pope Francis thanked them for “reminding us
that the believer is an athlete of the spirit!”
As he concluded his remarks
by greeting various groups from around the world, Pope Francis noted that Argentina
today celebrates “Mother’s Day.” His “affectionate greeting to the mothers” of his
native country was met with loud applause.
Listen to Christopher Wells'
report:
Below,
please find Vatican Radio’s translation of Pope Francis’ Sunday Angelus address:
Dear
brothers and sisters, good day!
In today’s Gospel, Jesus told a parable about
the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. The main character is
a widow who, forced to plead before a dishonest judge, manages to get him to grant
her justice. And Jesus concludes, if the widow managed to convince that judge, do
you think God will not hear us, if we pray to Him insistently? The expression used
by Jesus is very strong: “Will not God then do justice for His chosen ones who call
out to Him day and night?”
“To cry out day and night” to the Lord! This is
a striking image of prayer. But we might ask, why does God want this. Doesn’t He already
know our needs? What does it mean to “insist” with God?
And this is a good
question, that leads us to deepen a very important aspect of the Faith: God invites
us to pray with insistence, not because He doesn’t know what we need, or because He
doesn’t listen to us. On the contrary, He always hears and knows all of us, with love.
In our daily journey, especially in difficulties, in the fight against evil outside
of ourselves and within us, the Lord is not far away, He is at our side; we fight
with Him beside us, and our weapon is prayer, which makes us feel His presence alongside
of us, His mercy, even His help. But the fight against evil is hard and long, it requires
patience and resistance – like Moses, who had to hold up his arms so that his people
could triumph (cf. Ex. 17:8-13). It is so: there is a struggle to carry on every day;
but God is our ally, faith in Him is our strength, and prayer is the expression of
this faith. Therefore, Jesus assures us of victory but in the end He asks “When the
Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Lk. 18:8). If the faith goes out,
if prayer goes out, and we walk in the darkness, we will be lost on the journey of
life.
Let us learn, therefore, from the widow of the Gospel, and pray always
without growing weary. This widow was good, she knew to fight for her children, and
I think of the many women who fight for their families, who pray, who never grow weary!
Today let us remember, all of us, these women who with their behaviour give us a true
witness of faith, of courage, of a model of prayer. Let us remember them! Pray always,
but not to convince the Lord by the strength of words! He knows better than we do
what it is we need. And so persevering prayer is an expression of faith in a God Who
calls us to fight along with Him, every day, every moment, to overcome evil with good.
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today
is World Mission Day. What is the mission of the Church? To spread throughout the
world the flame of faith that Jesus has lighted in the world: faith in God who is
Father, Love, and Mercy. The method of the Christian mission is not proselytism, but
that the sharing of the flame that heats up the soul. I thank all those who through
prayer and concrete help sustain the work of the missions, in particular the solicitude
of the Bishop of Rome for spread of the Gospel. On this Day, we are close to all men
and women missionaries, who work without making noise, and who give their lives. [Missionaries]
like the Italian Afra Martinelli, who worked for many years in Nigeria: one day she
was killed in a robbery; everyone wept, Christians and Muslims. They really loved
her! She announced the Gospel with her life, with the works she accomplished, a centre
of instruction; in this way she spread the flame of faith, she fought the good fight.
Let us think about this our sister, and greet her with applause, all of us!
I
think too of Stefano Sándor, who was beatified yesterday in Budapest. He was a lay
Salesian, exemplary in service to young people, in the oratory and in professional
instruction. When the Communist regime closed all the Catholic churches, he confronted
the persecutions with courage, and was killed when he was 39 years old. Let us unite
ourselves with the Salesian family and the Hungarian Church in giving thanks.
I
want to express my closeness to the people of the Philippines who have been struck
by a strong earthquake, and I invite you to pray for that dear Nation, which in recent
days has suffered different calamities.
I affectionately greet all the pilgrims
present, beginning with the young people who gave lift to the “100 metre spring for
faith” event, which was organised by the Pontifical Council for Culture. Thank you
for reminding us that the believer is an athlete of the spirit! Thank you so much!
I
welcome with joy the faithful of the Dioceses of Bologna and of Cesena-Sarsina, led
by Cardinal Caffarra and Bishop Regattieri; as well as those of Corrientes, Argentina,
and of Maracaibo and Barinas in Venezuela. And today in Argentina, “Mother’s Day”
is celebrated. I offer an affectionate greeting to the mothers of my land!
I
greet the prayer group “Raio de Luz” of Brazil; and the Fraternity of Secular Trinitarians.
There
are many Italian parishes and associations, I can’t name them, but I greet all of
you with affection and I thank you.