Pope Francis received members of the church community at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg on the afternoon of September 26. In his speech, the Pope emphasized the importance of service, mission and joy, and called on the church to be hospitable, actively go out to evangelize, and live out the value of the gospel with a joyful heart.
(Vatican News)On the afternoon of September 26, Pope Francis met with believers from local church groups at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg and delivered a speech to them. The Pope’s speech focused on three themes: service, mission and joy.
The church is called to serve
When talking about the first theme “Service”, the Pope reiterated the theme of his visit to Luxembourg: “Serving people.” (See: Jn 13:13-17) He pointed out that service is an action , “is the heart of the gospel.” The Pope emphasized that Luxembourg has always had a tradition of accepting outsiders, and accepting others is not only a matter of charity, “but also a matter of justice.” The Pope praised Luxembourg’s openness and urged the faithful to continue practicing this tradition, saying: “The spirit of the Gospel is one of acceptance, of openness to all. This spirit rejects any form of exclusion.”
The Church in a Secular Society
Regarding the second theme, “Mission,” the Pope emphasized the missionary mission of the Church in an increasingly secular society and emphasized the need for the Church to advance with the times without giving up its core values. The Pope said, “We cannot close ourselves off in sorrow, resignation or complaining and resentment”; the church community must be “full of vitality” and always respond to the challenges of the times. To achieve this goal, we must become an “evangelical church.”
the joy of the gospel
Later, the Pope touched on the theme of joy, calling it “an integral part of the Christian faith.” The Pope mentioned the testimony given by the young man Diogo Costa before his speech. The young man shared his joyful experience of participating in World Youth Day last year. The Pope said Diogo’s joy represents the message of the Gospel. “Our faith is full of joy, it is a ‘dance’ because we know that we are children of God and God is our friend,” the pope said.
This gathering was held in the context of the 400th anniversary of the Luxembourg Church’s zealous devotion to Mary, the Consolation of the Worried. To this end, the pope urged the country’s church community in his farewell remarks: “Let us follow the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary in comforting and serving people.”
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