“There is nothing more human, nothing more divine, knowing: I need. We don’t fear asking, especially when we seem not to deserve it. Let’s not be ashamed to tend to hand. It is right there, in that humble gesture, that salvation is hidden because none of us can be enough for ourselves. Nobody can save himself. “
It is the reflection of Pope Leone XIV At the general hearing in St. Peter’s Square where, taking up the cycle of catechesis of the jubilee year “Jesus Christ our Hope”, he reflects on the thirst of Jesus on the cross before he died: “This request”, he says, “manifests his humanity and ours too. Life is accomplished not when we are strong, but when we learn to receive. And just at that moment, after receiving a sponge soaked in vinegar from foreign hands, Jesus proclaims: “It is accomplished”. Love has become in need, and for this reason he has completed his work. This is the Christian paradox: God save not doing, but letting himself be done. Not winning evil by force, but fully accepting the weakness of love».
The Pope arrived in St. Peter’s Square shortly before 10, aboard the Papamobile discovery, and traveled all the sectors of the square delimited by the Colonnade of Bernini greeted by the applause of the crowd. After the recent “pause” in the classroom Paul VI, due to the high summer temperatures, the traditional Wednesday appointment – the first of September – returned to take place in the square. Along the barriers, as usual, were the children that Leo XIV kissed and caressed, receiving in the gift also curious objects, cOme a small patch dressed as a pope. A lot of flags and banners with colorful writings, exhibited by the faithful between a cheerful background of popular music starring the accordion.
Prevost, in the catechesis, focused on the thirst of Jesus before dying on the cross. It is also “thirst for love, meaning, of justice”. For this, “the thirst for Jesus on the cross is then ours too. It is the cry of wounded humanity that still looks for living water. The man does not take place in power but in the confident opening to the other, even when we are hostile and enemy. We live in a time that rewards self -sufficiency, efficiency, performance. Yet, the Gospel shows us that the measure of our humanity is not given by what we can conquer, but by the ability to let us love and, when needed, also help ».
Leone has repeatedly stressed that the thirst of Jesus on the cross is also ours because it represents «The cry of wounded humanity that still looks for living water. And this thirst does not move us away from God, rather it unites us to him. If we have the courage to recognize it, we can discover that our fragility is also a bridge towards the sky “, assures,” just in asking – not in possessing – a way of freedom opens because we stop claiming to be enough for ourselves. In the fraternity, in simple life, in the art of asking without shame and offering without calculation, a joy that the world does not know is hidden», Remember the Pope,” a joy that returns us to the original truth of our being: we are creatures made to give and receive love. In the thirst of Christ we can recognize all our thirst ».
Pope Leo XIV blesses a child during the tour among the faithful present in St. Peter’s Square before the general hearing (ANSA)
The pontiff recalls that the great teaching that comes from the cross: “Salvation is not in autonomy, but in recognizing humility one’s need and in knowing it freely expressing it”, he explains, “The fulfillment of our humanity in the design of God is not an act of strength, but a gesture of trust. Jesus does not save with a twist, but asking for something that alone cannot. And here opens a door on true hope: if even the Son of God has chosen not to be enough for himself, then even our thirst – of love, of meaning, of justice – is not a sign of failure, but of truth ».
But the thirst of Christ is the Pope’s reflection in the catechesis, it is the most evident sign that “On the cross, Jesus does not appear as a victorious hero, but like a beggar of love. It does not proclaim, it does not condemn, it does not defend itself. It humbly asks for what he alone cannot give himself in any way. The thirst for the crucifix is not only the physiological need of a torn body “, he underlines,”It is also, and above all, an expression of a profound desire: that of love, of relationship, of communion. It is the silent cry of a God who, having wanted to share everything of our human condition, also lets himself be crossed by this thirst. A God who is not ashamed to begging a sip, because in that gesture he tells us that love, to be true, must also learn to ask and not only to give ».
At the end of the catechesis, the Pope greeted the faithful in various languages. In the greeting to the Poles, he mentioned Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, Which will proclaim saints next Sunday: «September is a month of prayer for children and young people who return to school and for those who take care of their education. Ask for them, by intercession of the Blesseds, and soon Santi, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, The gift of a profound faith in their path of maturation ».
Before greetings to the Italian language faithful, the Pope launched an appeal for Sudan: «It is time to start a serious, sincere and inclusive dialogue between the parties to end the conflict and return to the people of Sudan hope, dignity and peace. From that country, and in particular from Darfur, Dramatic news arrives », the words of Leone XIV,” in El Fasher numerous civilians are trapped in the city, victims of famines and violence. In Tarasin, a devastating landslide caused many deaths, leaving behind pain and despair. And to make matters worse, the spread of the cholera threatens hundreds of thousands of people already exhausted. They are more than ever close to the Sudanese population, in particular to families, children and displaced people. I pray for all victims. I address a heartfelt appeal to the managers and the international community, so that humanitarian corridors are guaranteed and A coordinated response to stop this humanitarian catastrophe is caught ».
