Pope Francis calls for a commitment to 'take care of each other' in 2021

Pope Francis warned Sunday against the temptation to ignore the suffering of others during the coronavirus pandemic and said things will get better in the new year as we prioritize the needs of the weakest and most disadvantaged. .

"We don't know what 2021 has in store for us, but what each of us and all of us together can do is to commit ourselves a little more to take care of each other and of creation, our common home," the pope said in his Angelus speech on January 3.

In the live video broadcast from the Apostolic Palace, the pope said that "things will get better to the extent that, with God's help, we will work together for the common good, focusing on the weakest and most disadvantaged".

The pope said there is a temptation to look after only one's own interests during the pandemic and to "live hedonistically, that is, trying only to satisfy one's pleasure".

He added: "I read something in the newspapers that saddened me a lot: in a country, I forget which one, there are more than 40 planes left, to allow people to escape the blockade and enjoy the holidays."

“But didn't those people, good people, think about those who stayed at home, about the economic problems faced by so many people brought to the ground by the lockout, about the sick? They only thought about taking a vacation for their own pleasure. This pained me a lot. "

Pope Francis addressed a special greeting to "those who are starting the new year with greater difficulty", citing the sick and the unemployed.

“I like to think that when the Lord prays to the Father for us, he does not just speak: he shows him the wounds of the flesh, he shows him the wounds he suffered for us,” he said.

“This is Jesus: with his flesh he is the intercessor, he also wanted to bear the signs of suffering”.

In a reflection on the first chapter of John's Gospel, Pope Francis said that God became man to love us in our human frailty.

“Dear brother, dear sister, God became flesh to tell us, to tell you that he loves us… in our fragility, in your fragility; right there, where we are most ashamed, where you are most ashamed. This is bold, ”he said.

“Indeed, the Gospel says that he came to dwell among us. He didn't come to see us and then he left; He came to live with us, to stay with us. So what do you want from us? Desires great intimacy. He wants us to share with him our joys and sufferings, desires and fears, hopes and pains, people and situations. Let's do it with confidence: let's open our hearts to him, let's tell him everything ”.

Pope Francis encouraged everyone to pause in silence in front of the nativity to “savor the tenderness of God who came close, who became flesh”.

The pope also expressed his closeness to families with small children and to those who are expecting, adding that "a birth is always a promise of hope".

"May the Holy Mother of God, in whom the Word became flesh, help us to welcome Jesus, who knocks on the door of our heart to dwell with us," said Pope Francis.

“Without fear, let us invite him among us, in our homes, in our families. And also… let's invite him into our frailties. Let us invite him to see our wounds. It will come and life will change "