Pope Francis meets with members of the Abramo Community, and urges them to be like Abraham, who puts his trust in God, and was able to leave his home for unknown places.
By Francesca Merlo
“You carry a challenging name”, said Pope Francis when addressing members of the Abramo Community – in Rome to celebrate 30 years since their foundation. “Abramo”, Italian for “Abraham”, inspires the path to evangelisation that “you are called to carry out” he said.
Do not be afraid to be inspired by the great Patriarch Abraham, continued the Pope. May his life and actions teach each member “first of all, to obey the call of the Lord”.
The presence of the Lord
Pope Francis went on to explain that it does not matter “how and under what circumstances the Lord is present in your life” because “He alone knows the places and the times in which to meet each individual”.
The silence of listening
The Pope stressed the importance of listening to the Lord. The “silence of listening”, he said, is necessary in order to “perceive” His word.
It is important to find “moments of true silence in your life; this is the secret to being able to listen to God speaking,” said the Pope.
To be evangelisers
Abraham’s faith, said Pope Francis, “leads him to leave his land and his home” and head to a place that, despite it being unknown to him, “is guaranteed by God’s promise”.
“To be evangelisers” said Pope Francis, one must do as Abraham did and “trust in God”. It is important to “go out to meet those whom the Lord places on our way”, he said.
Beyond human expectations
“Abraham’s faith was fruitful beyond all human expectations”, concluded Pope Francis. “And, it saw its fulfillment in Jesus, through a humble daughter of Abraham, the Virgin Mary”, he said.
Finally, the Pope urged all the members of the Abramo community to “go forward, in faith and charity, especially towards those who are most marginalized and poor, always trusting in God’s promise”.
