Pope Francis: 'Bearers of gratitude' make the world a better place

Catholics can change the world by being "bearers of gratitude," Pope Francis said at a general audience on Wednesday.

In his December 30 speech, the pope said that thanksgiving is a hallmark of an authentic Christian life.

He said: "Above all, let us not forget to thank: if we are bearers of gratitude, the world itself will improve, even if only a little, but this is enough to convey a little hope".

“The world needs hope. And with gratitude, with this habit of saying thank you, we transmit a little hope. Everything is united and everything is connected and everyone must do their part wherever we are. "

The pope delivered his 2020 final general audience speech in the library of the apostolic palace, where the weekly event has been held since October due to the increase in coronavirus cases in Italy.

Pope Francis continued his cycle of catechesis on prayer, which began in May and resumed in October after nine speeches on healing the world in the midst of the pandemic.

He dedicated Wednesday's audience to prayer of thanksgiving, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church recognizes as one of the main forms of prayer, alongside blessing and adoration, petition, intercession and praise.

The pope reflected on the healing of 10 lepers by Jesus, as described in the Gospel of St. Luke (17: 11-19).

He said: “From afar, Jesus invited them to present themselves to the priests, who were designated by law to certify the healings that had taken place. Jesus said nothing else. He listened to their prayers, their cry of mercy and immediately sent them to the priests “.

“Those 10 lepers trusted, they didn't stay there until they were healed, no: they trusted and went immediately, and while they were traveling they were healed, all 10 were healed. The priests could then verify their recovery and readmitted them to normal life. "

The pope noted that only one of the lepers - "a Samaritan, a sort of 'heretic' for the Jews of that time" - returned to thank Jesus for having healed him.

“This narrative, so to speak, divides the world in two: those who do not thank and those who do; those who take everything as if it were their due and those who welcome everything as a gift, as a grace ”, he commented.

“The Catechism says: 'Every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving'. The prayer of thanks always begins here: recognizing that grace precedes us. We were thought before we learned to think; we were loved before we learned to love; we were wanted before our hearts conceived a desire “.

"If we see life in this way, 'thank you' becomes the driving force of our day."

The pope noted that the word "eucharist" derives from the Greek "thanksgiving".

“Christians, like all believers, bless God for the gift of life. To live is above all to have received. We were all born because someone wanted us to have life. And this is only the first of a long series of debts we are living through. Debts of gratitude, ”he said.

“In our life, more than one person has looked at us with pure eyes, for free. Often these people are educators, catechists, people who have played their role beyond what is required. And they provoked us to be grateful. Friendship is also a gift for which we should always be grateful ”.

The pope said that Christian gratitude comes from the encounter with Jesus. He observed that in the Gospels those who encountered Christ often responded with joy and praise.

“The gospel stories are filled with godly people who are very touched by the coming of the Savior. And we too are called to participate in this immense jubilation, ”he said.

“The episode of the 10 healed lepers also suggests it. Of course, all of them were happy to have recovered their health, allowing them to end that endless forced quarantine that excluded them from the community.

“But among them, there was one who felt an extra joy: in addition to being healed, he rejoices in the encounter with Jesus. Not only is he freed from evil, but now he has the certainty of being loved. This is the crux: when you thank someone, you thank someone, you express the certainty of being loved. And this is a huge step: having the certainty of being loved. It is the discovery of love as a force that governs the world “.

The Pope continued: “Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us always try to remain in the joy of the encounter with Jesus. Let us cultivate joy. The devil, on the other hand, after deceiving us - with any temptation - always leaves us sad and alone. If we are in Christ, there is no sin and no threat that can ever prevent us from continuing our journey with joy, together with many other fellow travelers "

The pope exhorted Catholics to follow the "way to happiness" that St Paul outlined at the end of his first letter to the Thessalonians, saying: "Pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit ”(1 Thess. 5: 17-19).

In his greeting to Polish-speaking Catholics, the pope emphasized the Year of St Joseph, which began on December 8.

He said, “Dear brothers and sisters, as we approach the end of this year, we are not only evaluating it through the suffering, hardship and limitations caused by the pandemic. We glimpse the good received every day, as well as the closeness and kindness of people, the love of our loved ones and the goodness of all those around us “.

“We thank the Lord for every grace received and look to the future with trust and hope, entrusting ourselves to the intercession of Saint Joseph, patron saint of the new year. May it be a happy year full of divine graces for each of you and your families ”.

At the end of the audience, Pope Francis prayed for the victims of the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Croatia on December 29.

He said: “Yesterday an earthquake caused fatalities and massive damage in Croatia. I express my closeness to the wounded and to those affected by the earthquake, and I pray in particular for those who have lost their lives and for their families “.

"I hope that the authorities of the country, with the help of the international community, will soon be able to alleviate the suffering of the dear Croatian people".