Pope Francis at general audience: Jesus gives us the ‘grace of not fearing’

Vatican City, Jan 22, 2025 / 09:50 am

Pope Francis on Wednesday continued his yearlong jubilee catechesis series on “Jesus Christ Our Hope,” emphasizing that those who trust in God have no reason to fear.

“The presence of the Lord always gives us this grace of not fearing,” the Holy Father said at his Jan. 22 general audience. “He says to Mary: ‘Do not be afraid! … And he says to us too: ‘Do not be afraid, keep going; do not be afraid!’”

Reflecting on St. Luke’s Gospel account of the annunciation and incarnation of Jesus Christ, the pope encouraged Catholics to constantly live in “the presence of the Lord” by welcoming the “Word of God” — just like the Blessed Virgin Mary — into their lives.

“Mary welcomes the Word in her own flesh and thus launches the greatest mission ever entrusted to a woman, to a human creature,” he told his listeners. “She places herself in service: She is full of everything, not like a slave but as a collaborator of God the Father.”

“Let ourselves open our ears to the divine Word and to welcome it and cherish it, so that it may transform our hearts into tabernacles of his presence, in hospitable homes where hope grows,” he added.

After greeting the groups of international pilgrims in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall, the pope asked people to pray for the people of Los Angeles, who are still suffering from the ongoing wildfires. 

The Holy Father also asked people to pray for peace in Ukraine, Myanmar, Israel, and Palestine. 

At the end of the general audience, the Pope also shared news he heard from Gaza: “Yesterday I called — I do it every day — the parish in Gaza: They were happy! There are 600 people there, between the parish and school.” 

“And they told me, ‘Today we had lentils with chicken.’ Something they were not used to doing in these times: just some vegetables, something … They were happy!”