In moments of desolation, persevere … In moments of temptation, look toward the Lord.
According to Vatican News, Pope Francis stressed this during his daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta as he reflected that the Christian life has very beautiful moments, but also very bad moments, “moments where nothing makes sense … moments of desolation. ”
“The Christian life,” he said, “is not a carnival, it is not always a celebration and continual joy.”
At these times, “for the inner state of the soul,” the Pope stressed, recalling what the author of the Letter to the Hebrews in today’s First Reading (Heb 10:32-39) encouraged, he stressed: “Endurance is necessary … to fulfill the will of God and thus obtain the fulfillment of the promises.”
Recipe Against Desolation
The Pope gave a “recipe” against desolation.
Remember the “happy days of meeting the Lord … the time of love.” Hope, Francis urged, in the promise, without “going back.” This calls for, he said, “resisting in bad times,”a resistance made possible through memory and hope, a resistance with heart.
The Many who ‘Persevered in Faith’
Referring to his trip to Lithuania in September 2018, when he visited the Baltic Countries, Francis confided his emotion to the many martyrs who “persevered in faith”.
“Even today, so many men and women who suffer for their faith but remember their first encounter with Jesus, they have hope and they continue.”
Pope Francis concluded, giving some advice: “When the devil attacks us with temptations,” “with our miseries,” we must “always look at the Lord,” and have “the perseverance of the Cross remembering the first moments of love, the encounter with the Lord and the hope that awaits us.”
The Pope gave a “recipe” against desolation.
Remember the “happy days of meeting the Lord … the time of love.” Hope, Francis urged, in the promise, without “going back.” This calls for, he said, “resisting in bad times,”a resistance made possible through memory and hope, a resistance with heart.
The Many who ‘Persevered in Faith’
Referring to his trip to Lithuania in September 2018, when he visited the Baltic Countries, Francis confided his emotion to the many martyrs who “persevered in faith”.
“Even today, so many men and women who suffer for their faith but remember their first encounter with Jesus, they have hope and they continue.”
Pope Francis concluded, giving some advice: “When the devil attacks us with temptations,” “with our miseries,” we must “always look at the Lord,” and have “the perseverance of the Cross remembering the first moments of love, the encounter with the Lord and the hope that awaits us.”
