Pope Francis is leading his general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on March 31, 2021. The Pope reflected on the Paschal Triduum and the hope that Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection bring in uncertain times. (CNS photo by Vatican Media)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ during the Paschal Triduum brings much-needed hope to a world of uncertainty, Pope Francis said.
During his weekly general audience on March 31, the Pope said that as Christians prepare to celebrate another Easter in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hope brought by the cross of Christ “is like a lighthouse which indicates the port to the ships which still float. over rough seas.
“It’s a sign of hope that doesn’t let us down, and it tells us that not even a tear, not a cry is lost in God’s plan,” he said.
Pope Francis took advantage of his weekly general audience to reflect on each day of the triduum, starting with Maundy Thursday, when Christians “relive what happened at the Last Supper”.
The Eucharist, he said, is a witness to Jesus’ love for humanity; the Lord left it to Christians “not as a remembrance, but as a memorial, as his eternal presence”.
“In this sacrament, Jesus replaced the sacrificial victim with himself,” said the Pope. “His body and blood save us from the bondage of sin and death. “
Good Friday, he continued, is a “day of penance, fasting and prayer” which helps Christians feel as if they “have gathered on Calvary to commemorate the passion and redemptive death of Jesus Christ”.
Through the worship of the cross, he said, Christians not only “relive the journey of the innocent lamb sacrificed for our salvation” but also remember the suffering of the “sacrificed lambs” of today. hui, the innocent victims of wars, dictatorships, daily violence, (and) abortion.
“Before the image of the crucified God, we will bring in prayer the many, the too many, who are crucified in our time, who can only receive from him the comfort and the meaning of their sufferings”, he said. declared.
Based on his prepared remarks, Pope Francis declared that the light of God’s love is needed because “the world is in darkness”.
“Let’s list all the wars that are going on right now, all the children who are starving, children who have no education, whole peoples destroyed by wars, by terrorism, many, many of the people who need drugs in order to feel a little better, the drug industry that kills. It’s a calamity, it’s a desert, ”he said.
Continuing his reflection, the Pope declared that Holy Saturday is a day of silence in which those who had hoped in Christ “are put to the test” and “feel orphaned.”
Nevertheless, he said, Christians should turn to Mary who, after following her son “on the painful path”, maintained hope “in the promise of God who raises the dead”.
“So, in the darkest hour of the world, she became the mother of believers, the mother of the church and a sign of hope,” the Pope said. “His testimony and intercession sustains us when the weight of the cross becomes too heavy for us. “
Pope Francis has declared that the darkness of Holy Saturday is broken by the light and joy of Easter when “all questions and uncertainties, hesitations and fears are dispelled” by the resurrection of Christ.
“The Risen One gives us the certainty that good always triumphs over evil, that life always triumphs over death and that our end is not to descend lower and lower, from sadness to sadness, but to ascend to the heights. “said the Pope.
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