At 10.00 this morning, in Saint Peter’s Square, the Jubilee Audience took place, during which the Holy Father Leo XIV met with groups of pilgrims and faithful.
In his catechesis, the Pope focused on the theme To hope is to participate – Alberto Marvelli.
The Jubilee Audience concluded with the recitation of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis. 10. To hope is to participate – Alberto Marvelli
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!
We recently entered the liturgical period of Advent, which teaches us attention to the signs of the times. Indeed, we remember the first coming of Jesus, God with us, to learn how to recognize him every time he comes and to prepare ourselves for when he will return. Then we will be together forever. Together with him, with all our brothers and sisters, with every other creature, in this world redeemed at last: the new creation.
This waiting is not passive. Indeed, the Nativity of Jesus reveals a God who gets people involved: Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and later John the Baptist, the disciples and all those who encounter the Lord are engaged, they are called upon to participate. It is a great honour, and how thrilling! God involves us in his history, in his dreams. To dream, then, is to participate. The motto of the Jubilee, “Pilgrims of hope”, is not a slogan that will fade in a month! It is a plan of life: “pilgrims of hope” means people who walk and who wait, not with their hands in their pockets, but participating.
Vatican Council II taught us to read the signs of the times: it tells us that no-one can do so alone, but together, in the Church with so many brothers and sisters, we can read the signs of the times. They are signs of God, of God who comes with his Kingdom, through historical circumstances. God is not outside the world, outside this life: we have learned in the first coming of Jesus, God-with-us, to seek him among the realities of life. To seek him with intelligence, heart, and our sleeves rolled up! The Council said that this mission pertains in a particular way to the lay faithful, men and women, because the God who became incarnate comes to meet us in everyday situations. In the problems and the beauty of the world, Jesus awaits us and involves us; he asks us to work with him. This is why to hope is to participate!
Today I would like to recall a name: that of Alberto Marvelli, a young Italian who lived in the first half of the last century. Educated in the Gospel by his family and formed in Catholic Action, he graduated in engineering and entered social life at the time of the Second World War, which he strongly condemned. In Rimini and the surrounding area he devoted all his energies to helping the wounded, the sick and the displaced. Many admired him for his selfless dedication and, after the war, he was elected councillor and placed in charge of the housing and reconstruction commission. In this way he entered active political life, but while riding his bicycle to a rally, he was hit by a military truck. He was twenty-eight years old. Alberto shows us that to hope is to participate, that to serve the Kingdom of God brings joy even in the midst of great risks. The world becomes better if we lose a little of our security and tranquility in order to choose the good. This is participation.
Let us ask ourselves: am I particpating in any good initiatives that engage my talents? Do I have the horizon and breadth of the Kingdom of God when I perform some service? Or do I do it grumbling, complaining that everything is going wrong? A smile on our lips is a sign of grace within us.
To hope is to participate: this is a gift that God gives us. No-one saves the world single-handedly. Not even God wants to save it by himself: he could, but he does not want to, because together it is better. Participation allows us to express ourselves and makes more our own what we will ultimately contemplate forever when Jesus finally returns.
Summary of Catechesis
Dear brothers and sisters, as we continue our Jubilee catecheses we reflect on our call to participate in the life of God. In particular, God desires us to assist in his saving work here on earth. For example, today we spoke about Alberto Marvelli, a young Italian who during the Second World War dedicated himself to helping the wounded, the sick, and the homeless. Let us reflect on his selfless example, and ask ourselves if we too are willing to offer our lives for the Kingdom of God. As we begin this Advent season, let us prepare our hearts not only to recognize the ways that God comes to meet us, but also in the ways in which he asks us to participate in his life.
Greeting in English
I extend a warm welcome this morning to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, especially those coming from Australia, the Philippines and the United States of America. In praying that you may experience an increase in the virtue of hope during this Jubilee Year, I invoke upon all of you, and upon all your families, the joy and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!
