“It is when desolation and dark moments make one lose the meaning of things that Christians must persevere in order to reach the promise of the Lord without falling down or retreating.” This was the reflection of His Holiness Pope Francis in his homily at Mass, in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. The Pontiff was referring to the Letter to the Hebrews, whose author addressed Christians passing through a dark moment of persecution, just as every individual goes through, including Jesus who experienced moments of desolation.
As reported by Vatican news, The Pontiff said Christian life is not a carnival or a continuous feast and joy. It has good times as well as ugly ones, moments of warmth and of detachment, where not everything has meaning, moments of desolation.” The Pope said, “It is during a moment of internal persecution and inner state of the soul that the author of the Letter to the Hebrews urges Christians to perseverance”. “You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.” One needs perseverance to reach the promise.
His Holiness Pope Francis then focused on two things, or a recipe, that help us fight desolation: memory and hope. Like the apostle, he pointed out that one must first of all recall the beautiful moments, the happy days of our encounter with the Lord, the time of love. And, secondly, we must have hope for what has been promised us. With life consisting of good and bad times, the Pontiff said it is important not to “allow oneself to fall” and “go back” in moments of difficulty. The Pontiff urged Christians to always look to the Lord when the devil attacks us with temptations. With our miseries, he said, we must always look to the Lord, have “the perseverance of the Cross recalling the first beautiful moments of love, of our encounter with the Lord and the hope that awaits us.
