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“Today”s society thirsts for amusement and
holidays”, and for us Christians, rest is the means to “make peace with life”
and to “reconcile with one”s own own history”.
Pope Francis highlighted this during his General Audience in Saint
Peter”s Square on Wednesday, 5 September, as he continued his series of
catechesis on the Decalogue.
Commenting on the Bible passage from the
Book of Exodus, the Pontiff offered a
very timely reflection which denounced the flourishing industry of distraction
and advertising that “portrays the ideal world as one great amusement park
where everyone has fun”. After all, he said, the “prevalent concept of life
today does not have its centre of gravity in activity and commitment, but in
escapism”. Yet, “this mentality makes one slip toward the dissatisfaction of a
life anaesthetized by fun that is not rest, but alienation and the escape from
reality. Man has never rested as much as today, yet man has never experienced
as much emptiness as today”. Despite all the opportunities for amusement, going
out, cruises and trips, many of these things “do not give you fullness of
heart. Indeed: they do not give you rest”, the Pope explained.
On the contrary, rest must be a moment of
contemplation, praise and not a time for escape. Thus, for us Christians,
“Sunday is not the day to forget the other days but to remember them, bless
them and make peace with life”. There
are so many people, the Pope observed, “who have many opportunities to amuse
themselves, who are not at peace with life. Sunday is the day to make peace
with life, saying: life is precious; it is not easy, sometimes it is painful,
but it is precious”. He then called on the faithful “to reconcile oneself with
one”s own history, with facts that one does not accept, with the difficult
parts of one”s own existence” because true peace “is not about changing one”s
own history but about welcoming it and valuing it, just as it has unfolded”.
Before the Audience in the Paul VI Hall,
the Pontiff had greeted a delegation of riders who will participate in the San
Marino and Rimini Coast”s motorcycle Grand Prix.
