Pope Francis: we are all called to be witnesses of the Gospel before the world
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday reminded the faithful that through baptism
we are reborn to a new life of grace and we are called to be witnesses of the Gospel
before the world.
Speaking to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for
the weekly General Audience, the Pope continued in his catechesis on the sacrament
of baptism.
He reflected on how, through baptism we become members of Christ’s
mystical body, the Church. “In every generation” – he said – “through baptism, we
are reborn to the new life of grace and called to be witnesses of the Gospel before
the world. Baptism makes us “missionary disciples” within the communion of the Church”.
The
Pope said there is a close bond, then, “between our rebirth in water and the Holy
Spirit, our responsibility to live this new life within the Church, in our families
and our parishes, and our mission to bring the Gospel to others as channels of God’s
grace”.
And he invited us to look to the remarkable history of the Church
in Japan “where small communities of the faithful survived clandestinely for over
two centuries thanks to the grace of baptism”.
The Pope conclude his address
pointing us to this example to “help us to appreciate more fully the profound mystical,
communitarian and missionary dimensions of our baptism”.