Share the love of Christ

Pope Francis concludes his encyclical He Loves Us with an impassioned plea for the disciples of Christ to share the Good News with others: “Christ asks you never to be ashamed to tell others, with all due discretion and respect, about your friendship with him. He asks that you dare to tell others how good and beautiful it is that you found him. ‘Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven’ (Mt 10:32). For a heart that loves, this is not a duty but an irrepressible need: ‘Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel!’ (1 Cor 9:16). “Within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot” (Jer 20:9).

“If you stay trapped in your own comfort zone, you will never really find security; doubts and fears, sorrow and anxiety will always loom on the horizon. Those who do not carry out their mission on this earth will find not happiness, but disappointment. Never forget that Jesus is at your side at every step of the way. He will not cast you into the abyss, or leave you to your own devices. He will always be there to encourage and accompany you. He has promised, and he will do it: ‘For I am with you always, to the end of the age’ (Mt 28:20).

“In your own way, you too must be a missionary, like the apostles and the first disciples of Jesus, who went forth to proclaim the love of God, to tell others that Christ is alive and worth knowing. Saint Therese experienced this as an essential part of her oblation to merciful Love: ‘I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls’. That is your mission as well. Each of us must carry it out in his or her own way; you will come to see how you can be a missionary. Jesus deserves no less. If you accept the challenge, he will enlighten you, accompany you and strengthen you, and you will have an enriching experience that will bring you much happiness. It is not important whether you see immediate results; leave that to the Lord who works in the secret of our hearts. Keep experiencing the joy born of our efforts to share the love of Christ with others.”

Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day for the salvation of souls.

Have a blessed Holy Week and a happy Easter!