2013-12-02 15:45:47

Pope exhorts Christians to open their hearts with faith to Christ


December 02, 2013 - Pope Francis is reminding Christians that in our Advent journey to meet Jesus, it is important we keep our hearts open to Him faith to allow Him to transform us. Preaching a homily at Mass, Monday morning, at the Casa Santa Marta residence, the Pope reflected on the day’s Gospel on the Faith of the Centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant. He reminded Christians that Christmas is not a mere recurrence in time, but a journey for an encounter with the Lord that takes place in faith in the heart and in life. Jesus marvels at the centurion’s faith, the Pope said, explaining the soldier made a journey to meet the Lord, but he did it with faith. Hence he not only met the Lord but also felt the joy of being met by the Lord. “This encounter of faith is precisely the encounter we desire,” the Pope said. He explained that it is important we allow ourselves be encountered by the Lord, for which we need to have open hearts. He said that when we just meet the Lord, we so-to-say become the master of this meeting, but when we allow ourselves to be met by Him, it is He who re-fashiones us all over – the heart, the soul, life, hope and our journey. Like the centurion, the Pope said, we are on a journey of faith, to meet the Lord and mainly to allow ourselves be transformed by Him. This requires an open heart, as He meets and speaks to me in person, not in a mass, and loves me concretely and wants that we allow ourselves be loved by Him. The Pope thus urged Christians to approach Christmas with perseverance in prayer, with brotherly charity towards those in need and with joy in praise of the Lord, with an open heart, so that the Lord is able to meet us.







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