Pope Francis: ask God for the gift of conversion in Advent

We should ask God for the gift of conversion this Advent, Pope Francis said in his address at the Angelus on Sunday.

Speaking from a window overlooking a rain-soaked St. Peter's Square on December 6, the pope described Advent as a "journey of conversion".

But he recognized that true conversion is difficult and we are tempted to believe that it is impossible to leave our sins behind.

He said: “What can we do in these cases, when one would like to go but feel he cannot do it? Let us remember first of all that conversion is a grace: no one can convert with his own strength “.

"It is a grace that the Lord gives you, and therefore we must forcefully ask God for it. Ask God to convert us to the extent that we open ourselves to the beauty, goodness, tenderness of God".

In his speech, the pope meditated on Sunday's Gospel reading, Mark 1: 1-8, which describes John the Baptist's mission in the wilderness.

“He reveals to his contemporaries an itinerary of faith similar to the one that Advent proposes to us: that we prepare to receive the Lord at Christmas. This journey of faith is a journey of conversion ”, he said.

He explained that in biblical terms, conversion means a change of direction.

"In the moral and spiritual life to convert means to turn oneself from evil to good, from sin to God's love. This is what the Baptist taught, who in the Judean desert 'preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins'" he said .

“Receiving baptism was an outward and visible sign of the conversion of those who listened to his preaching and decided to do penance. That baptism took place with immersion in the Jordan, in water, but it proved useless; it was just a sign and it was useless if there was no desire to repent and change one's life “.

The pope explained that true conversion is marked, first of all, by detachment from sin and worldliness. He said that John the Baptist embodied all this through his "austere" life in the desert.

“Conversion implies suffering for the sins committed, the desire to get rid of them, the intention to exclude them from your life forever. To exclude sin it is also necessary to reject everything that is linked to it, the things that are linked to sin, that is, it is necessary to reject the worldly mentality, the excessive esteem of comforts, the excessive esteem of pleasure, well-being, wealth , ”He said.

The second distinctive sign of conversion, the pope said, is the search for God and his Kingdom. The detachment from ease and worldliness is not an end in itself, he explained, "but is aimed at obtaining something greater, that is, the Kingdom of God, communion with God, friendship with God".

He noted that it is difficult to break the bonds of sin. He cited "inconstancy, discouragement, malice, unhealthy environments" and "bad examples" as obstacles to our freedom.

“Sometimes the desire we feel for the Lord is too weak and it almost seems that God is silent; his promises of consolation seem distant and unreal to us “, he observed.

He continued: “And so it is tempting to say that it is impossible to truly convert. How many times have we felt this discouragement! 'No, I can't do that. I barely start and then go back. And this is bad. But it is possible. It's possible."

He concluded: "Mary Most Holy, whom the day after tomorrow we will celebrate as Immaculate, help us to separate ourselves more and more from sin and worldliness, to open ourselves to God, to his Word, to his love that restores and saves".

After reciting the Angelus, the pope praised the pilgrims for joining him in St. Peter's Square despite the pouring rain.

"As you can see, the Christmas tree has been erected in the square and the nativity scene is being set up," he said, referring to a tree donated to the Vatican by the city of Kočevje in southeastern Slovenia. The tree, a nearly 92-foot tall spruce, will be illuminated on December 11.

The Pope said: “In these days these two Christmas signs are also being prepared in many homes, to the delight of children… and also of adults! They are signs of hope, especially in this difficult moment “.

He added: “Let us not stop at the sign, but let us go to the meaning, that is, to Jesus, to the love of God who has revealed to us, to go to the infinite goodness that he made shine in the world. "

“There is no pandemic, there is no crisis, which can extinguish this light. Let it enter our hearts and give a hand to those who need it most. In this way God will be reborn in us and among us ".