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Pope tells Christians to be hopeful, not whiny and angry Proclaiming Jesus' death should be done not only with words, but also with deeds, he saysPope Francis gestures during a weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Oct. 4, 2017 at the Vatican. (Photo by Filippo Monteforte/AFP) October 5, 2017Real hope lies in the proclamation of Jesus' death and resurrection, not just with one's words but also in deeds, Pope Francis said. Christians are called to be witnesses of the resurrection through "their way of welcoming, smiling and loving" instead of just "repeating memorized lines," the pope said Oct. 4 during his weekly general audience. "That's what a real Christian is like, not whiny and angry, but convinced by the power of the Resurrection that no evil is infinite, no night is without end, no person is permanently in error, no hatred is stronger than love." The pope continued his series of audience talks on Christian hope, reflecting on a reading from the Gospel of St. Luke, which describes the astonishment and disbelief of the disciples upon being visited by the risen Christ. Christians are not "prophets of doom" but rather missionaries of hope who are tasked with proclaiming Jesus' death and resurrection, which is "the nucleus of Christian faith," Pope Francis said. "If the Gospels ended at Jesus' burial, the history of this prophet would be added to the many biographies of heroic people who have given their lives for an ideal," the pope said. "The Gospel would then be an edifying and consoling book, but it would not be a proclamation of hope." Instead, he continued, Jesus' resurrection is not only "beautiful news that is brought to everyone," but rather a powerful event that "transforms us by the power of the Holy Spirit." Full Story: Pope: True Christians must remain hopeful, not ‘whiny and angry’ Source: Catholic News Service UCAN needs your support to continue our independent journalism Access to UCAN stories is completely free of charge - however it costs a significant amount of money to provide our unique content. UCAN relies almost entirely on donations from our readers and donor organizations that support our mission. If you are a regular reader and are able to support us financially, please consider making a donation. Click here to donate now. Related Reports |