Pope Francis: 'Advent is the time to remember God's closeness'

On the first Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis recommended a traditional Advent prayer to invite God to draw near during this new liturgical year.

“Advent is the time to remember the closeness of God who came down to dwell among us,” Pope Francis said in St. Peter's Basilica on November 29.

“We make ours the traditional Advent prayer: 'Come, Lord Jesus'. ... We can say it at the beginning of each day and repeat it often, before our meetings, our studies and our work, before making decisions, in every important or difficult moment of our life: 'Come, Lord Jesus' ", the papa said in his homily.

Pope Francis stressed that Advent is both a moment of "closeness to God and of our vigilance".

“It is important to remain vigilant, because a great mistake in life is to let oneself be absorbed by a thousand things and not notice God. Saint Augustine said:“ Timeo Iesum transeuntem ”(I fear that Jesus will pass me by unnoticed). Attracted by our own interests… and distracted by so many vain things, we risk losing sight of the essential. That is why today the Lord repeats: 'To everyone I say: be careful' ”, he said.

“Having to be careful, however, means it's night now. Yes, we are not living in broad daylight, but waiting for the dawn, between darkness and fatigue. The light of day will come when we are with the Lord. Let us not lose heart: the light of day will come, the shadows of the night will be dispelled and the Lord, who died for us on the cross, will rise to be our judge. Being vigilant in anticipation of his coming means not letting oneself be overcome by discouragement. It is living in hope. "

On Sunday morning the pope celebrated mass with 11 of the new cardinals created in the ordinary public consistory this weekend.

In his homily, he warned of the dangers of mediocrity, lukewarmness and indifference in the Christian life.

“Without striving to love God every day and waiting for the newness he constantly brings, we become mediocre, lukewarm, worldly. And this slowly devours our faith, because faith is the exact opposite of mediocrity: it is a burning desire for God, a daring effort to change, the courage to love, constant progress, ”he said.

“Faith is not the water that extinguishes the flames, it is the fire that burns; it's not a tranquilizer for people under stress, it's a love story for lovers. This is why Jesus above all hates lukewarmness “.

Pope Francis said that prayer and charity are antidotes to mediocrity and indifference.

“Prayer awakens us from the lukewarmness of a purely horizontal existence and makes us look up towards the highest things; it makes us in tune with the Lord. Prayer allows God to be close to us; it frees us from our loneliness and gives us hope, ”he said.

"Prayer is vital for life: just as we cannot live without breathing, so we cannot be Christians without praying".

The pope quoted the opening prayer for the first Sunday of Advent: "Grant [to us] ... the decision to run to meet Christ with the right actions at his coming."

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“Jesus is coming, and the way to meet him is clearly marked: it passes through works of charity,” he said.

"Charity is the beating heart of the Christian: just as one cannot live without a heartbeat, so one cannot be a Christian without charity".

After the Mass, Pope Francis recited the Angelus from the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace with the pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.

“Today, the first Sunday of Advent, a new liturgical year begins. In it, the Church marks the passage of time with the celebration of the main events in the life of Jesus and the history of salvation. In doing so, as a Mother, she illuminates the path of our existence, supports us in our daily occupations and guides us towards the final encounter with Christ, 'he said.

The Pope invited everyone to live this time of hope and preparation with "great sobriety" and simple moments of family prayer.

“The situation we are experiencing, marked by the pandemic, generates concern, fear and despair in many; there is the risk of falling into pessimism ... How to react to all this? Today's Psalm recommends us: 'Our soul awaits the Lord: He is our help and our shield. It is in Him that our hearts rejoice, '”he said.

“Advent is an incessant call to hope: it reminds us that God is present in history to lead it to its ultimate end, to lead it to its fullness, which is the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ”, said Pope Francis.

“May Mary Most Holy, the woman of waiting, accompany our steps at the beginning of this new liturgical year and help us fulfill the task of the disciples of Jesus, indicated by the apostle Peter. And what is this task? To account for the hope that is in us "