Pope: With baptism, the Christian becomes "Christopher", “Bearer of Christ” in the world
As the General Audience resumes after the summer break, Pope Francis recalls the symbolism of ancient churches structured from west to east: the west is "where the light dies”; The East is "the place where darkness is defeated by the first light of the dawn and calls upon us the Christ, the Sun raised from above on the horizon of the world". Christians "are oriented men and women”: they do not believe in the darkness, but in the light of day." "The Church's Life is a Contamination of Light". Pilgrims from Iraq, Syria and Japan present.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - With the grace of baptism, "a Christian truly becomes a “Bearer of Christ” in the world," bringing hope and light to the "situations of mourning, despair, of darkness and of hate. " On the resumption of Wednesday audiences, Pope Francis broached the theme of "Baptism: A Gateway to Hope", dwelling on the symbol of light and darkness: "What does it mean to be Christian? It means to look to the light, to continue to practice the profession of faith in light, even when the world is wrapped in night and darkness. "
There were delegations from Japan, Syria and the Chaldean Church of Baghdad under the leadership of Bishop Shlemon Warduni among the thousands of pilgrims at the audience, held in the Paul VI hall.
Francis recalled the ancient rites of baptism in which the faithful, turning to the West, renounced Satan; Then turning to the east, they were questioned on the faith, to which they answered "I believe!". In ancient times, the churches were oriented in the west-east line. "The West - explained the Pope - is the cardinal point of the sunset, where the light is dying. The East, on the other hand, is the place where darkness is dispelled by the first light of the dawn and calls us to Christ, the Sun raised from above to the horizon of the world. "
"In modern times we have partially lost the charm of this ritual: we lost the sensitivity to the language of the cosmos. There has naturally remained the profession of faith, according to the baptismal question, which is proper to the celebration of some sacraments. However, it remains intact in its meaning. What does it mean to be Christian? It means to look to the light, to continue to practice the profession of faith in light, even when the world is wrapped in night and darkness.
Christians are not exempt from darkness, externally and even internally. They do not live out of the world, however, because of the grace of Christ received in Baptism, they are "oriented" men and women : they do not believe in the darkness, but in the light of day; They do not succumb to the night, but hope in the dawn; They are not defeated by death, but they desire resurrection; They are not bent over by evil, because they always confide in the infinite possibilities of good."
"We are those who believe that God is the Father: this is the light! We believe that Jesus has fallen in the midst of us, has walked in our own lives, becoming a companion especially of the poorest and most fragile: this is the light! We believe that the Holy Spirit works without rest for the sake of humanity and the world, and even the greatest pains of history will be overcome: this is the hope that resounds in us every morning! We believe that every affection, every friendship, every good wish, every love, even the most minute and neglected ones, will one day find their fulfillment in God: this is the force that drives us to embrace our everyday life with enthusiasm! ".
Pope Francis then recalled another sign of the light of the baptismal liturgy: the lighting of the candle from the Paschal candle. "This is - he explained – the great candle that on Easter night enters the completely dark church to reveal the mystery of the Resurrection of Jesus; All candles are lit from that candle , the passing of the flame from neighbor to neighbor. In this sign we see the slow propagation of the Resurrection of Jesus in the lives of all Christians. The life of the Church is a contamination of light."
"The most beautiful exhortation we can give to each other - he concluded - is to always remember our Baptism. We were born twice: the first to natural life, the second, thanks to the encounter with Christ, in the baptismal source. There we are dead to death, to live as children of God in this world. There we became human as we would have imagined. That is why all of us must spread the scent of the Chrism, with which we were marked on the day of our Baptism. The Spirit of Jesus lives and works in us, the eldest of many brothers, of all those who oppose the inelucability of darkness and death.
What a grace when a Christian really becomes a "Bearer of Christ” in the world! Especially for those who are going through mourning, despair, darkness, and situations of hate. And this is understood by so many small details: from the light that a Christian holds in their eyes, from the background of serenity that is not affected even in the most complicated days, by the desire to begin again despite many disappointments. In the future, when they are writing today's history, what will they say about us? That we have been able to hope, or have we hid our light under a bushel? If we are faithful to our Baptism, we will spread the light of God's hope and we will be able to convey reasons for living to future generations."
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05/04/2021 12:39
