Pope: The truth is the truth, there is no room for compromise
Castel Gandolfo
(AsiaNews) - You can not compromise with the truth: "The truth is the truth,
there is no compromise", this is the warning that Benedict XVI draws from the
martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist, "who for the sake of truth did stoop
to a compromise with the powerful and was not afraid to speak strong words to
those who had strayed from the path of God." Once
again the saint of the day was the focus of the Pope's general audience, held
earlier today in the square outside the apostolic palace, the inner courtyard being
too small for the more than four thousand people present, and leaving the space
inside for the cheering crowd of about 2,500 boys
and girls participating in the French national pilgrimage of altar servers.
The
Martyrdom of John the Baptist, thus shows that "you can not compromise
with the love of Christ" and even today, Christian life " requires the
daily martyrdom of fidelity to the Gospel, that is the courage to let Christ
grow in us and focus our thoughts and our
actions. " But
this "can only happen if we have a solid relationship with God," as
shown by the life and martyrdom of John the Baptist.
For
this reason, " Prayer is not a waste of time, it does not rob much space
from our activities, not even apostolic activities, it does the exact opposite:
only if we are able to have a life of faithful, constant, confident prayer will
God Himself give us the strength and capacity to live in a happy and peaceful
way, to overcome difficulties and to bear witness with courage. " The
Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, reiterated in his addressing the faithful in
Poland,
"makes us aware that the faith based on the relationship with God enables
man to be faithful to goodness and truth even at the cost of self-denial and
sacrifice" . Like
John, he added, "we persevere with God in prayer, so that no compromise
with evil and falsehood of this world falsifies our lives."
In
the festive meeting with the French altar servers, finally, the Pope pointed
out that "the service" they fulfill "faithfully allows you to be
particularly close to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. You have the enormous
privilege of being close to the altar, close
to the Lord. " "Be
aware of the importance of this service for the Church and for yourself. May it
be for you all an opportunity to nurture a friendship, a personal relationship
with Jesus. Do not be afraid to transmit enthusiasm with you the joy that you receive
from his presence: May your whole life glow with happiness "from this closeness"
to the Lord Jesus. "
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