The general audience, as always, in front of many faithful who flocked to St. Peter’s Square to listen to his words. Pope Francis has left nothing out, on the contrary. He proposed a truly particular catechesis.
It was based on those three virtues that each of us should have or, in any case, always keep in mind in our personal life journey.
The theological virtues protagonists of the Pontiff’s words. Let’s see together what he talked about.
Faith, hope and charity are at the center of catechesis which the Holy Father decided to bring today to the faithful who arrived in St. Peter’s Square to listen to him. Simple words but which, at the same time, as always happens for Francesco, reach straight to the heart. His choice to speak, precisely on this Wednesday, about the three theological virtues was not accidental.
And the Pope began thus: “There is in the heart of every man and woman the ability to seek good”. A belief that, certainly, Francis will not easily abandon. The transition from one topic to another was not radical. In the previous general audiences, the Pontiff had spoken about the cardinal virtues and, as he himself pointed out, it is about “four virtues that belong to a very ancient wisdom, which even precedes Christianity”.
Pope Francis helps us to know the theological virtues
“[…] The Holy Spirit is given so that those who welcome him can clearly distinguish good from evil, having the strength to adhere to good while avoiding evil and, in doing so, reach the full realization of faith. But on the path towards the fullness of life, the Christian enjoys particular assistance from the Spirit of Jesus Christ” – explained Francesco. Consequently, the three theological virtues together with the cardinal ones are exactly opposed to the 7 capital sins.
But if good is at the center of the Pope’s reflection, the question arises spontaneously: how do you do good? “The Christian is never alone. He does good not by titanic effort of personal commitment, but does good because, as a humble disciple, he walks behind the Master Jesus”. The theological virtues animate and characterize the moral action of the Christian, unlike the cardinal ones which, as Francis says, “[…] while the risk of the cardinal virtues is that of generating men and women who are heroic in doing good, but all in all alone, isolated, the great gift of the theological virtues is the existence lived in the Holy Spirit”.
How to do good?
Faith, hope and charity are the great antidote to self-sufficiency. “How often do certain morally impeccable men and women run the risk of becoming, in the eyes of those who know them, presumptuous and arrogant! […] Pride is a powerful poison: one drop is enough to ruin an entire life based on goodness” – he claims.
Hence his warning: “A person may have accomplished a mountain of charitable works, may have received recognition and praise, but if he did all this only for himself, to exalt himself, can he still be called a virtuous person? No!”.
And here the Pope returns again to the concept of good: “THEgood is not only an end, but also a way. Good needs a lot of discretion, a lot of kindness. Above all, good needs to strip itself of that sometimes too cumbersome presence that is our self […] If we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, the interior master, he revives the theological virtues in us: then, if we have lost trust, God reopens us to faith, with the strength of the Spirit; if we are discouraged, God awakens hope in us; if our heart has hardened, God softens it with his love for him.”
Tags: General audience April Pope Francis indispensable virtues life
