General Audience: English summary
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has invited believers to trust in God’s providential care while doing everything in their power to respond to the challenges that come their way.
The Pope was addressing pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the Wednesday weekly General Audience.
Please find below the English synopsis of the Pope’s catechesis:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on Christian hope, we turn today to the story of Judith. The Old Testament Book of Judith tells how, during the siege of the city of Bethulia by the Assyrian general Holofernes, the people were on the verge of surrendering. In an apparently hopeless situation, the leaders of the city determined to hold off for five days, trusting that the Lord would come to their aid. At that point, Judith appeared to reinforce their wavering hope in the face of fear and to propose a plan that led to victory over the enemy. The example of this woman of great wisdom and courage teaches us to trust in the Lord’s providential care, but also, in prayer and obedience, to discern his will and to do everything in our power to respond to the challenges that come our way. Judith’s faith inspires us to commend ourselves to the Father with the same obedience that led Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, to pray: “Not my will, but yours be done”.