Pope: Eternal Life is "the immeasurable and gratuitous love of the Father, gifted by Christ on the Cross"

"The Christian community, even with all human limits, can become a reflection of the communion of the Trinity, of its goodness and beauty. But this necessarily goes through the experience of God's mercy, of His forgiveness. " Itala Mela proclaimed Blessed yesterday, in La Spezia.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Eternal life is " the immeasurable and gratuitous love of the Father, gifted by Christ on the Cross, offering his life for our salvation. This love with the action of the Holy Spirit radiates a new light on earth and in every human heart that welcomes it; A light that reveals the dark corners, the hardships that prevent us from bearing the good fruits of charity and mercy"; Pope Francis  told the 10,000 people present today in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus.

Like every Sunday, Francis also recalled the readings of the day. "The biblical readings of this Sunday, the feast of the Most Holy Trinity," he said, "help us to enter into the mystery of God's identity." The Second Reading presents the good words that Saint Paul addresses to the community of Corinth: "The Lord's Grace Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all"(2 Cor 13:13). This "blessing" of the Apostle is the result of his personal experience of God's love, the love that Risen Christ revealed to him, who transformed his life and pushed him to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. From this experience of grace, Paul can exhort Christians with these words: "Be joyful, tend to perfection, bend to each other, [...] live in peace" (v. 11). The Christian community, even with all human limits, can become a reflection of the communion of the Trinity, its goodness and beauty. But this - as Paul himself testifies - necessarily passes through the experience of God's mercy, His forgiveness. "

"This is what happens to Jews on the journey of exodus. When the people broke the covenant, God appeared to Moses in the cloud to renew that covenant, proclaiming His name and meaning: "The Lord, Almighty and Merciful God, slow to anger and full of love and fidelity" (Ex 34: 6). This name expresses that God is not far off and closed in himself, but is Life that wants to be communicated, is open, is Love that redeems man from infidelity. God is 'merciful', 'pitiful' and 'gracious' because he offers us to fill our limits and our shortcomings, to forgive our mistakes, to bring us back to the path of justice and truth. This revelation of God has come to his end in the New Testament thanks to the word of Christ and his mission of salvation. Jesus showed us the face of God, One in substance and Trinity in people; God is all and only Love, in a relationship that exists all that creates, redeems, and sanctifies: Father and Son and Holy Spirit. "

"And the Gospel of today 'staged' by Nicodemus, who, despite occupying an important place in the religious and civil community of the time, never stopped looking for God; He did not think 'I have arrived', he did not stop looking for God and now he perceived the echo of his voice in Jesus. In the nigh time dialogue with the Nazarene, Nicodemus finally understands that he is already sought for and expected by God to be personally loved by Him. It is like the almond blossom, says the prophet, 'that flowers first'. In fact, Jesus speaks to him: "God so loved the world to give the only Son, so that everyone who believes in him is nor lost, but has eternal life" (Jn 3:16). What is this eternal life? It is the immeasurable and gratuitous love of the Father, gifted by Christ on the Cross, offering his life for our salvation. This love with the action of the Holy Spirit radiates a new light on earth and in every human heart that welcomes it; A light that reveals the dark corners, the hardships that prevent us from bearing the good fruits of charity and mercy. "

After the recitation of the Angelus, Francis recalled that yesterday, in La Spezia, Itala Mela (1904 - 1957) was proclaimed Blessed. "She grew up in a family distant from faith," he said, "in her youth she professed to be an atheist, but converted after an intense spiritual experience. She engaged in Catholic academics; Then became a Benedictine Oblate and made a mystical journey centered on the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, which we celebrate specially today. May the witness of the new Blessed One encourages us, during our days, to turn our thoughts to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit who lives in the fibre of our heart. "

• Vatican
• Pope Francis
• eternal life
• Trinity