Humility is necessary for fruitfulness, emphasizes Pope

Last updated on: December 19, 2013 at 12:20 pm by CNA Daily News

Humility is necessary for fruitfulness, emphasizes Pope 2013-12-19T12:20:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Vatican City, Dec 19, 2013 / 05:20 am (CNA).- Pope Francis focused his daily homily on the importance of acknowledging the need for God in our lives in order to be fruitful Christians.

“Humility is necessary for faithfulness,” said the Pontiff on Dec. 19. “The humility to say to the Lord, ‘Lord, I am barren, I am a desert’ …come to give us life, come to save us, because only You can. Alone, I cannot!”

In order to stress God’s ability to bring about new life, Pope Francis linked together the stories of the Old Testament in which barren women are given children by God and the image of a desert that becomes a forest.

“But can the desert blossom? Yes. Can the barren woman give life? Yes. This is the promise of the Lord: ‘I can! I can, from the dryness, from your dryness, bring forth life, salvation. From your aridity I can make fruit grow!’” he exclaimed.

The barren women and desert imagery are symbolic of those “who do not have the hope of life.”

But salvation is “the intervention of God who makes us fruitful, who gives us the capacity to give life.”

Too many Christians, noted the Pope, try to think of “saving themselves” when in fact, “all is grace.”

“It is the action of God that brings us salvation. It is the agency of God that helps us on the path to holiness. Only he can.”

“But what can we do on our part?” asked Pope Francis.

“First, to recognize our dryness, our incapacity to give life – know this. Second, to ask: ‘Lord, I want to be fruitful. I want my life to give life. Let my faith be fruitful and go forward and be able to give it to others.’”

Each Christian must say, “Lord, I am barren, I can’t. you can. I am a desert: I can’t, You can.”

In the last days of Advent, the Pontiff encouraged, we should repeat “these beautiful antiphons that the Church gives us to pray,” recognizing in them the different titles of Jesus.

“O Son of David, O Adonai, O Wisdom – today – O root of Jesse, O Emmanuel, come to give us life.”

“And with this humility, the humility of the desert, the humility of a barren soul, (we can) receive grace, the grace of blossoming, of bearing fruit and of giving life,” he concluded.

Vatican

Previous Post

December 19, 2013

Seeking hope, Central Africans pray novena for peace

Next Post

December 19, 2013 Year of Faith vivified parishes in American Samoa, priest reports

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many people did Jesus raise from the dead?

Select your answer to see how you score.

2 3 5 4