“Each of us — let’s not forget this — has a mission to accomplish. So, let’s not be afraid to ask the Lord: what should I do? Let us ask him this question repeatedly.”
Pope Francis said that in Advent, Christians should also ask themselves what they can do to help others.
“The Advent season is meant for this: to stop and ask ourselves how to prepare for Christmas. We are so busy with all the preparations, with gifts and things that pass. But let us ask ourselves what we should do for Jesus and for others,” he said.
The pope recalled that John the Baptist gave advice to different groups of people. He asked those with two cloaks to share with those who have none, urged tax collectors to be just, and enjoined soldiers not to extort others.
“He directs a specific word to each person that responds to their actual situation in life. This offers us a precious teaching: faith is incarnated in concrete life,” he said.
“It is not an abstract theory. Faith is not an abstract theory, a generalized theory — no! Faith touches us personally and transforms each of our lives.”
The pope challenged pilgrims to commit themselves to a specific action to help others.
“Let’s choose something concrete, even if it is small, that is adapted to our situation in life, and let’s continue doing it to prepare us for this Christmas,” he advised.
“For example: I can call a person who is alone, visit that elderly person or that person who is ill, do something to serve a poor person, someone in need. Even still: maybe I need to ask forgiveness, grant forgiveness, clarify a situation, pay a debt.”
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“Perhaps I have neglected prayer and after so much time has elapsed, it’s time to ask the Lord for forgiveness. Brothers and sisters, let’s find something concrete and do it! May the Madonna help us, in whose womb God took on flesh.”
After praying the Angelus, Pope Francis expressed concern at the threat of an intensification of the war in Ukraine.
“I want to assure you of my prayers for dear Ukraine, for all its Churches and religious communities, and for all its people so that the tensions it is experiencing might be resolved through a serious international dialogue and not with weapons.” he said.
“A statistic I read recently saddens me greatly: more weapons were produced this year than last year. Weapons are not the right path. May the Lord’s Birth bring peace to Ukraine.”
The pope also conveyed his closeness to the victims of tornadoes that struck at least six U.S. states, killing scores of people.
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