Pope Francis: Advent is a time of hope

"Advent is a time of hope" Pope Francis told pilgrims in St Peter's Square for the Angelus on Sunday. It was a slightly cool but sunny day. The Holy Father said the season of Advent is a wonderful time "that awakens in us the expectation of Christ's return and the memory of his historic coming."

Focusing on the day’s liturgy the Pope said this time of year presents us with a hopeful message. Quoting from the Book of Isaiah "Comfort, give comfort to my people, the Pope explained this reading is about a time of joyful liberation and salvation, and a time of looking ahead with confidence to the future. He went on to say that Isaiah refers to people who went through a dark period, but now the time for comfort has come.

Sadness and fear give way to joy, said Pope Francis because the Lord himself leads his people to the path of liberation and salvation. But, the Pope also stressed - we cannot be messengers of God's comfort if we do not experience the joy of being comforted and loved by Him. This happens especially when we listen to the Gospel, adding that people need to carry a copy in their pocket.

Pope Francis noted that Isaiah's message of comfort, that resounds on this second Sunday of Advent, is a balm on our wounds and an incentive to diligently prepare the way of the Lord.

Many situations, said the Pope, require our comforting witness. “I am thinking about those who are oppressed by suffering, injustice and oppression, about those who are slaves to money, power, success, and worldliness. We are all called to console our brothers, testifying that only God can eliminate the causes of existential and spiritual dramas."

This prophet, he continued, speaks to our hearts today to tell us that God forgets our sins and comforts us if we entrust ourselves to Him a with humble and repentant heart. God, said Pope Francis,"will bring down the walls of evil, will fill the holes of our omissions, will flatten the bumps of pride and vanity, and will pave the way for our meeting with him."

Source: Vatican Radio/VIS