Continuing his catechesis on prayer at Wednesday’s General Audience, Pope Francis reflects on the “prayer of praise,” which is possible in any circumstance, because God is always faithful.
By Christopher Wells
Pope Francis reflected on the dimension of praise in prayer at Wednesday’s General Audience, taking as a starting point “a critical moment in the life of Jesus.”
At the beginning of His ministry, when He had already begun to preach the Kingdom of God and perform miracles, “the mission of the Messiah is going through a crisis,” the Pope said: John the Baptist expresses his doubts, while the people to whom he gave he showed hostility to Jesus and His message.
But “at this very disappointing moment,” said Pope Francis, “Jesus does not raise a complaint to the Father, but rather a hymn of jubilation … in the midst of a crisis, Jesus blesses the Father, He praises Him.”
God is praised for who he is
Jesus praises God for who He is, calling Him “Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Jesus recognizes His Father as Lord of the universe and conversely recognizes “the Lord of all things,” as His Father. “Praise springs from His experience of feeling that He is the ‘Son of the Most High,'” the pope said.
God favors the little ones
In His prayer, Jesus continues to praise God “for favoring the little ones.” Pope Francis explained that in His ministry, Jesus saw those who were considered “wise” and “learned” reacting to His preaching with suspicion, while the “little ones” were open to His message. “This can only be the will of the Father,” said the Pope, “and Jesus rejoices in this. And we must rejoice and praise God because humble and simple people receive the gospel. ”
Jesus’ prayer of praise “in that moment of apparent failure” leads us to see our own failures in a different light, Pope Francis continued. He explained that praising God, especially “when evil prevails and there is no way to stop it,” is necessary, not for God, but for ours.
Praising God in times of trial
The pope quoted the catechism, which says that the prayer of praise “participates in the blessed happiness of pure hearts that love God in faith before they see Him in glory.”
Paradoxically, he said, not only in moments of happiness, when we feel blessed, but especially “in difficult times” we must praise God – just so, rising to God, we can “see a new panorama , a wider horizon. ”
The example of the Saints
Saint Francis, in the Song of Creatures – Praised by – provides an excellent example of praising God in times of difficulty.
The prayer was composed at the end of Francis’ life, when he was in difficulties. However, at that moment, Pope Francis said, the saint “praises God for all, for all the gifts of creation and even for death, which he boldly manages to call” sister. “
The example of the saints, said Pope Francis in conclusion, shows us “that we can always give praise, in good and bad times, because God is the faithful Friend. This is the foundation of praise: God is the faithful Friend, and His love never fails. ”