Pope Francis: God’s Fatherhood is the ‘wellspring of our hope’

June 07, 2017

Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences devoted to Christian hope, Pope Francis devoted his June 7 audience to “God’s paternity, wellspring of our hope.”

Describing the Lord’s Prayer as “the quintessential Christian prayer,” the Pope told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square that “all the mystery of Christian prayer is summarized here, in this word: having the courage to call God with the name of Father.”

“Indeed, calling God with the name of ‘Father’ is not to be taken for granted by any means,” the Pontiff continued. “We are led to use more elevated titles that seem to us more respectful of His transcendence. Instead, invoking Him as ‘Father’ places us in a relation of confidence with Him, like a child who addresses his father, knowing that he is loved and cared for by him.”

The Pope added:

This is the great revolution that Christianity impresses in the religious psychology of man. The mystery of God, which always fascinates us and makes us feel small, no longer makes us afraid, nor does it crush us or cause us anguish. This is a difficult revolution to accept in our human heart.

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Previous general audiences on hope:

1. Isaiah 40: “Comfort, comfort my people…” (December 7)
2. Isaiah 52: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings…” (December 14)
3. Christ’s birth is the source of hope (December 21)
4. Abraham’s hope against all hope (December 28)
5. Rachel “is weeping for her children”, but... “there is hope for your descendants” (Jer. 31) (January 4)
6. The false hopes of idols (January 11)
7. Jonah: hope and prayer (January 18)
8. Judith, the Courage of a Woman Restores Hope to a People (January 25)
9. The helmet of hope (1 Thess. 5:4-11) (February 1)
10. Hope, Source of Mutual Comfort and Peace (1 Thess. 5:12-22) (February 8)
11. Hope Does Not Disappoint (February 15)
12. For in this hope, we were saved (cf. Rom. 8:19-27) (February 22)
13. Lent as a journey of hope (March 1; no audience March 8, during the Curia’s Lenten retreat)
14. Rejoice in hope (cf. Rom. 12:9-13) (March 15)
15. On Hope Founded in the Word (March 22)
16. Hope against All Hope (March 29)
17. On accounting for our hope (April 5)
18. Hopes of the world and hope of the Cross (cf. John 12:24-25) (April 12)
19. The Risen Christ our Hope (April 19)
20. “I Am with You Always” (April 26; May 3 audience devoted to Pope’s apostolic journey to Egypt)
21. The Mother of Hope (May 10)
22. Mary Magdalen, Apostle of Hope (May 17)
23. Emmaus, the Journey of Hope (May 24)
24. The Holy Spirit makes us overflow with hope” (cf. Rm. 15:13-14) (May 31)

 

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Further information:

• General Audience, 07.06.2017 (Holy See Press Office)