Catechism is not enough, we must pray to know Jesus.
According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis urged faithful to do this during his daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, drawing from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians today where the Apostle prayed that they may be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit and that Christ may dwell in their hearts.
In the reading, Paul speaks of the richness that is found in really knowing the person of Christ, and in today’s homily, Pope Francis expressed the three requirements we must meet to really know Him, too.
Requirement 1: Prayer
“How can we know Christ,»Pope Francis asked. «How can we understand His love that is beyond all knowledge?”
Francis affirmed that Christ is present in the Gospel and we know Him, by reading the Gospel, or when we hear it at Mass. «And studying the catechism teaches us who Christ is,» he said.
«But this is not enough,» Francis said, noting, «In order to understand the breadth and length and height and depth of Jesus Christ we need to enter into the habit, firstly of praying, as Paul did on his knees: “Father send me the Holy Spirit to know Jesus.”
Requirement 2: Worship, Adoration
In order to truly know Christ, the Pope stressed that prayer on its own is not enough.
As Paul said, Francis recalled, in addition to praying, Paul “worshipped the mystery” that is beyond our knowledge and in this spirit of worship or adoration he asks for this grace from the Lord.
“We cannot know the Lord without this habit of worship, to worship in silence, adoration. If I am not mistaken, I believe that this prayer of adoration is the least known by us, it’s the one that we do least. Allow me to say this, waste time in front of the Lord, in front of the mystery of Jesus Christ. Worship him. There in silence, the silence of adoration. He is the Saviour and I worship Him.”
Requirement 3: Accuse Ourselves
Pope Francis said the third requirement for truly knowing Christ was to know ourselves and as a result be accustomed to describing ourselves as sinners.
“We cannot worship without accusing ourselves,» he said. «In order to enter into this bottomless and boundless sea that is the mystery of Jesus Christ, this thing is necessary. (Firstly), prayer: ‘Father, send me the Holy Spirit so that he leads me to know Jesus.’ Secondly, worship the mystery, enter into the mystery and worship Him. And thirdly, accuse ourselves. ‘I am a man of unclean lips.’
Pope Francis concluded, praying «the Lord give us too this grace that Paul implored for the Ephesians, this grace to know and earn Christ.»
