A lively, strong appeal to never let yourself be overcome and overwhelmed by fear, not even in the darkest and most difficult moments, in which we seem to drown, surrounded by darkness, by suffering, by the adversities of life. Because Christ never abandons us, he is always at our side. And he invites us not to fear, to trust in Him, always, to be strong and courageous.
It is the message of hope and courage that Pope Leo where the Pontiff celebrated his last mass shortly before leaving Cameroon for Angola, the third stage of his pastoral journey on the African continent.
«Peace be with you. The peace of Christ, whose presence illuminates our path, calms the storms of life.” In the homily the Pope begins with the call for peace. And he heartily thanks the Cameroonians for the welcome they received, “for the moments of joy and faith” experienced together.
«Faith does not spare us turmoil and tribulation and in some moments it may seem that fear has the upper hand»continues the Pontiff, commenting on the page of chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, in which the apostle tells of the disciples who, while they are in a boat on the sea to reach the other shore in the direction of Capernaum, in the dark are overwhelmed by the wind and fall prey to fear, until Jesus reaches them and urges them not to be afraid.
«But we know that even in them, as happened to the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus does not abandon us». The Pope explains: «In the version of Saint John the Savior, walking on the water, approaches the disciples and says: “It is I, do not be afraid”. And the evangelist underlines that it was now dark. In the Jewish tradition the waters with their depth and their mystery often recall the world of the underworld, chaos, danger, death. Together with darkness they evoke the forces of evil, which man alone cannot dominate.”
At the same time however, in the book of Exodus, «they are perceived as a place of passage, a ford through which God with his power frees his people from slavery.” Over the centuries the Church has often experienced “storms and headwinds, and we too can identify with the feelings of fear and doubt felt by the disciples.” He continues: «It’s what we feel in moments when we feel like we’re sinking, submerged by adverse forces, when everything seems dark and we feel alone and fragile. But this is not the case, Jesus is with us, always, stronger than any power of evil. In every storm he reaches us and repeats: “I am here with you, don’t be afraid”. This is why we get back up after every fall and don’t let any storm stop us. Let us move forward with courage and confidence, always.”
Cameroonians dancing at the mass presided over by the Pope at Yaoundé-Ville airport.
(REUTERS)
It is an exhortation to solidarity, to brotherhood, to be close and remain united: Jesus, says the Pope, does not immediately calm the storms, that is, he does not make the problematic situations in which we find ourselves disappear, but helps us to face them with faith, courage and a spirit of unity and brotherhood, «he reaches us in the midst of dangers and invites us too, in joys and sorrows, to be together, in solidarity, like the disciples on the same boat, not to look at those who suffer from afar, but to be close to each other, to hold each other close. No one must be left alone to face the adversities of life and each community has the task, to this end, of creating structures of solidarity and mutual help”, in which everyone can receive help, “based on their abilities and according to their needs”.
Leo recalls the social dimension of the Word of God by stating that «in a society founded on respect for the individual, everyone’s contribution is important and has a unique value, regardless of one’s status or position in the eyes of the world.”
And then, the Pope underlines, the evangelical appeal not to be afraid takes on the social and political dimension of commitment not to back down in the face of challenges, in particular those linked to “poverty and justice”.
«Faith does not separate the spiritual from the social», observes the Pope, who calls the faithful to civic commitment, to everyone’s sense of responsibility towards the good of the community. «For the salvation of a community, the individual and isolated efforts of individuals are not enough, a common decision is needed that integrates the spiritual and ethical dimension of the Gospel into the heart of institutions and structures, making them instruments for the common good and not places of conflict or interest or theater of sterile struggles”.
Recalling the First Reading, taken from chapter 6 of the Acts of the Apostles, Leo observes: «Sometimes the life of a family and a society also requires this: the courage to change habits and structures, so that the dignity of the person always remains at the center and inequalities and marginalization are overcome. Moreover, by becoming man, God identified himself with the least, and this makes the preferential care of the poor a fundamental option for our Christian identity.”
Addressing the faithful gathered at mass, the Pope exhorts: «Let us keep alive in our hearts the memory of the beautiful moments we experienced together, even in the midst of difficulties we continue to make room for Jesus.” And an appeal addressed to the Cameroonian Church, “alive, young, rich in gifts and enthusiasm, lively in its variety and wonderful in its harmony”. The Pope urges her to turn contrary winds into “opportunities for growth in the joyful service of God and of our brothers, in sharing, in listening, in prayer and in the desire to grow together”.
At the end of the service the Pope renews his gratitude to the authorities, to all those who contributed to organizing his pastoral visit, and in particular “to the sick, to the elderly people who offered their prayers”. And yet a final appeal to all the people of Cameroon: “Don’t be afraid, stay united.”
