The Promises of Baptism Have Two Aspects: The Giving up of Evil and Adherence to the Good
August 12, 2018 14:16 Virginia Forrester Angelus/Regina Caeli
Here is ZENIT translation of the address Pope Francis gave August 12, 2018, before and after praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
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Before the Angelus:
Dear Brothers and Sisters and dear Italian young people, good morning!
In today’s second Reading, Saint Paul addresses an urgent invitation to us: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
But I wonder, how is the Holy Spirit grieved? We all received Him in Baptism and in Confirmation, therefore, to not grieve the Holy Spirit it’s necessary to live in a consistent manner with the promises of Baptism, renewed in Confirmation. In a consistent manner, not with hypocrisy: don’t forget this. A Christian can’t be a hypocrite; he must live in a consistent way. The promises of Baptism have two aspects: the giving up of evil and adherence to the good.
To give up evil means to say “no” to temptations, to sin, and to Satan. More concretely, it means saying “no” to a culture of death, which is manifested in fleeing from the real to a false happiness that is expressed in lies, in fraud, in injustice, in contempt for the other. To all this, one must say “no.” The new life that was given to us in Baptism, and which has the Spirit as source, rejects a conduct dominated by feelings of division and discord. Therefore, the Apostle Paul exhorts to remove from one’s heart all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander, with all malice” (v. 31). So says Paul. These six elements or vices, which disturb the joy of the Holy Spirit, poison the heart and lead to imprecations against God and against one’s neighbor.
However, it’s not enough not to do evil to be a good Christian; it’s necessary to adhere to the good. Here then Saint Paul continues: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (v. 32). One often hears it said: “I don’t harm anyone.” And he/she believes him/herself to be a saint. OK, but do you do good? How many people don’t do evil but don’t do good either, and their life unfolds in indifference, in apathy, and in tepidness. Such an attitude is contrary to the Gospel, and it’s also contrary to your nature, young people, who by nature are dynamic, passionate and courageous. Remember this — if you remember it, we can repeat it together: it’s good not to do evil, but it’s evil not to do good.” Saint Albert Hurtado said this.
Today I exhort you to be protagonists of the good. Don’t think you are OK when you don’t do evil. Each one is culpable for the good he could have done and didn’t do. It’s not enough not to hate; one must forgive. It’s not enough not to be resentful; it’s necessary to pray for one’s enemies. It’s not enough not to be the cause of divisions; it’s necessary to bring peace where there isn’t peace? It’s not enough not to speak badly of others; it’s necessary to interrupt when we hear someone being spoken of badly: to stop the gossip is to do good. If we don’t oppose evil, we fuel it in a tacit way. It’s necessary to intervene where evil is being spread because evil spreads where daring Christians are lacking, who oppose it with the good, “walking in love” (Cf. 5:2), in keeping with Saint Paul’s admonition.
Dear young people, in these days you have walked a lot! Therefore, you are trained and I can say to you: walk in charity, walk in love! And we walk together towards the forthcoming Synod of Bishops. May the Virgin Mary support us with her maternal intercession so that each one of us can say every day, with facts “no” to evil and “yes” to the good.
[Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]
© Libreria Editrice Vatican
After the Angelus:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I greet you all, Romans and pilgrims from so many parts of the world.
In particular, I greet the young people of Italian dioceses, accompanied by their respective Bishops, their priests, and educators. Over these days you have shed your enthusiasm and your faith through the streets of Rome. I thank you for your presence and for your Christian witness! And in thanking you yesterday, I forgot to say a word to the priests, who are those closest to you: I thank the priests very much, I thank them for the work they do day after day, I thank them for their patience — because one needs patience to work with you all! The patience of priests . . . I thank them so much, so much, so much. And I’ve also seen many Sisters who work with you: I also thank the Sisters very much.
And my gratitude extends to the Italian Episcopal Conference, represented here by the President, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, who organized this meeting of young people in view of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops.
Dear young people, as you return to your communities, witness to your contemporaries and to all those you meet, the joy of the fraternity and the communion you experienced in these days of pilgrimage and prayer.
I wish you all a happy Sunday, a good return home. And please, don’t forget to pray for me! Enjoy your lunch and goodbye!
[Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]
© Libreria Editrice Vatican
August 12, 2018 14:16 Angelus/Regina Caeli
