The pope encourages people to rediscover the need for prayer

The coronavirus pandemic is a "favorable moment to rediscover the need for prayer in our life; we open the doors of our hearts to the love of God our father, who will listen to us, "said Pope Francis.

To his weekly general public on May 6, the pope began a new series of debates on prayer, which is "the breath of faith, its most appropriate expression, like a cry that comes from the heart".

At the end of the audience, which was streamed from the papal library in the Apostolic Palace, the pope offered a special prayer and appeal for justice for the "exploited workers", in particular the peasants.

Pope Francis said that on May 1, International Workers' Day, he received many messages on problems in the world of work. “I was particularly impressed by that of the peasants, including many migrants, who work in the Italian countryside. Unfortunately, many are exploited very hard. "

A proposal from the Italian government to grant work permits to immigrant workers in the country without adequate documents has focused the spotlight, in particular on agricultural workers and their long hours, poor pay and poor living conditions, also underlining their essential role in ensuring an adequate supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for the country.

"It is true that it represents the crisis that affects everyone, but the dignity of people must always be respected," said the pope. “That's why I add my voice to the appeal of these workers and all the exploited workers. May the crisis give us the attention to make the dignity of the person and the dignity of work at the center of our concerns. "

The pope's audience began by reading the story of Mark's Gospel about Bartimeo, the blind man, who repeatedly listened to Jesus for healing. The pope said that among all the evangelical characters who ask Jesus for help, he finds Bartimaeus "the cutest of all".

"At most of his voice," shouts Bartimaeus, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me." And he does it again and again, annoying the people around him, the Pope observed.

"Jesus is talking and asking to express what he wants - this is important - and therefore his cry becomes a request," I want to see "," said the pope.

Faith, he said, "is raising two hands (and) a voice that cries out to implore the gift of salvation."

Humility, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms, is essential for authentic prayer, the Pope added, because prayer arises from knowing "our state of precariousness, our continuous thirst for God".

"Faith is a cry," he said, while "non-faith is stifling that cry, a kind of 'omerta'," he said, using the word for the mafia code of silence.

"Faith is protesting against a painful situation that we don't understand," he said, while "non-faith is simply enduring a situation we have become used to. Faith is the hope of being saved; the non-faithful are getting used to the evil that oppresses us ”.

Obviously, the pope said, Christians are not the only ones to pray because every man and woman has within himself the desire for mercy and help.

“As we continue our pilgrimage of faith, like Bartimaeus, we can always persevere in prayer, especially in the darkest moments, and ask the Lord with confidence: 'Jesus have mercy on me. Jesus, have mercy