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“As the apostle Paul says, the faith that truly unites us to Jesus is ‘faith that works through love'”.
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis said on Sunday that it is important not to forget that at the end of one’s life there will be “a definitive appointment with God”.
“If we want to be ready for the final encounter with the Lord, we must cooperate with him now and do good deeds inspired by his love,” Pope Francis said in his Angelus address on November 8.
“Being wise and prudent means not waiting until the end to correspond to God’s grace, but doing it actively and immediately, starting now,” he told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
The Pope reflected on the Sunday Gospel from chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus tells a parable about 10 virgins invited to a wedding banquet. Pope Francis said that in this parable the wedding feast is a symbol of the kingdom of heaven and that in Jesus’ time it was customary for weddings to be held at night, which is why virgins had to remember to bring oil for their lamps.
“It is clear that, with this parable, Jesus wants to tell us that we must be prepared for his coming,” the Pope said.
“Not only the final coming, but also for the daily encounters, large and small, in view of that encounter, for which the lamp of faith is not enough; we also need the oil of charity and good works. As the apostle Paul says, the faith that truly unites us to Jesus is ‘faith that works through love’ “.
Pope Francis said that people, unfortunately, often forget “the purpose of our life, that is, the definitive appointment with God”, thus losing the sense of expectation and making the present absolute.
“When you make the present absolute, you just look at the present, losing the sense of expectation, which is so good and so necessary,” he said.
“If, on the other hand, we are vigilant and correspond to God’s grace by doing good, we can serenely await the coming of the Bridegroom. The Lord can also come while we sleep. This will not worry us, because we have the oil reserve accumulated through our daily good works, accumulated with that expectation of the Lord, that he come as soon as possible and that he come to take us with him “, Pope Francis said.
After reciting the Angelus, Pope Francis said he thought about the people in Central America affected by the recent hurricane. Hurricane Eta, a Category 4 hurricane, killed at least 100 people and left thousands displaced in Honduras and Nicaragua. Catholic Relief Services worked to provide shelter and food for the displaced.
“May the Lord welcome the dead, comfort their families and support the most needy, as well as all those who are doing everything possible to help them”, prayed the Pope.
Pope Francis has also launched an appeal for peace in Ethiopia and Libya. He asked for prayers for the “Libyan Political Dialogue Forum” to be held in Tunisia.
“Given the importance of the event, I sincerely hope that in this delicate moment a solution to the long suffering of the Libyan people will be found and that the recent agreement for a permanent ceasefire will be respected and implemented. We pray for the forum delegates, for peace and stability in Libya “.
The Pope also asked for a celebratory applause for Blessed Joan Roig Diggle, beatified during a mass at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona on November 7.
Blessed Joan Roig was a 19-year-old Spanish martyr who gave her life protecting the Eucharist during the Spanish Civil War.
“His example – said the Pope – may arouse in everyone, especially young people, the desire to live the Christian vocation to the full. A round of applause to this young Blessed, so brave. “
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