Pope: Protect water, a common good, also by enhancing the cultural and religious significance

The Word of God "feeds a hope that concrete results in sharing in mutual service." "Our hope is not based on our own strength or means, but on the support of God and the faithfulness of His love, that is, on God's strength and consolation of God." "That of migrants is the biggest tragedy since the Second World War".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Protect water as a common good, by evaluating its cultural and religious significance", urged Pope Francis today during the general audience, marking  World Water Day, established 25 years ago by the United Nations. The Pope greeted participants at the conference on "Watershed: Replenishing Water Values ​​ for a Thirsty World", promoted by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Argentine Chapter of the Club of Rome, encouraged, he added, the "effort in education, with proposals aimed at children and young people ".

In his greetings Italians Francis, addressing the participants at the meeting for Migrantes encouraged them "to continue efforts in welcoming and offering hospitality to displaced persons and refugees, facilitating their integration, taking into account the rights and reciprocal duties for those who welcome and who is welcomed". "The current migrant crisis – he reiterated  - is the biggest tragedy since the Second World War".

Earlier, in his address to 20 thousand people in St. Peter's Square for the general audience, continuing the cycle of catechesis on Christian hope he focused attention on the Word of God. “ transmit to us perseverance and consolation (v. 4). In fact, in the first place, the Word of God leads us to turn our gaze to Jesus, to know Him better and to be conformed to Him, to be ever more like Him. In the second place, the Word reveals to us that the Lord is truly “the God of perseverance and of consolation” (v. 5), who is always faithful to His love for us, namely, that He is perseverant in His love for us, He does not tire of loving us! He is perseverant: He always loves us! And He who takes care of us, covering our wounds with the caress of His goodness and His mercy, that is, He consoles us. He does not tire of consoling us, either.

Understood in this perspective also is the Apostle’s initial affirmation: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (v.1). This expression “we who are strong” might seem presumptuous, but, in the logic of the Gospel, we know that it is not so, rather, it is in fact the contrary, because our strength does not come from ourselves, but from the Lord. One who experiences in his life the faithful love of God and His consolation is able, more than that, has the duty to be close to weaker brothers and take on their frailty. If we are close to the Lord we will have that strength to be close to the weakest, to the neediest and to console them and give them strength. This is what it means. We can do this without being pleased with ourselves but feeling ourselves simply as a “channel” that transmits the Lord’s gifts; and thus become concretely a “sowers“ of hope. This is what the Lord asks us, with that strength and capacity to console and to be sowers of hope. And today it is necessary to sow hope, but it is not easy . . . 

The fruit of this lifestyle is not a community in which some are “series A,” namely, the strong, and others “series B”, namely, the weak. Instead, as Saint Paul says, the fruit is “to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus” (v. 5). The Word of God nourishes a hope that is translated concretely in sharing, in mutual service. Because even one who is “strong” finds himself sooner or later experiencing frailty and the need of others’ comfort and, vice versa, in weakness one can always offer a smile or a hand to a brother in difficulty. And it is such a community that “with one spirit and one voice renders glory to God” (cf. v. 6). However, all this is possible if Christ and his Word are put at the center, because He is “strong. He is the one who gives us strength, who gives us patience, who gives us hope, who gives us consolation. He is the “strong brother,” who takes care of each one of us: all of us, in fact, are in need of being carried on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd and of feeling enveloped by His tender and solicitous gaze.

“Dear friends, - he concluded - we can never thank God enough for the gift of His Word, which is rendered present in the Scriptures. It is there that the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed as “God of perseverance and of consolation.” And it is there that we realize that our hope is not founded on our capacities and our strength, but on God’s support and on the faithfulness of His love, that is, on God’s strength and consolation”.