IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring
By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The gift
of mercy is a light that helps Christians reflect on the past year and radiates
hope at the start of the new year, Pope Francis said.
While retracing the events of
2015 may recall moments of both joy and sorrow, it also offers a moment to
understand the presence of God who “renews and sustains with his help,” Pope
Francis said during an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on New
Year’s Eve.
The prayer service included eucharistic adoration and Benediction, as well as the singing of the “Te Deum,” a
hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God, for the closing year.
The “Te Deum,” he said, is the church’s way of giving thanks and recognizing the loving presence of God
throughout history.
“With this hymn, we look back
at the history of salvation where, through God’s mysterious plan, the various
events of our life in this past year find” their place and meaning, the pope
said.
Although the past year may
bring both happy and painful memories, he said, it also challenges Christians
to ponder on whether world events occurred according to God’s will or through
people’s plans, which are “often loaded with private interests, an
unquenchable thirst for power and gratuitous violence.”
The pope said
Christians must interpret the signs given by God to truly see his
merciful love. Even though the year was marred by violence and the suffering of people fleeing for better living conditions, there were also gestures
of goodness, love and solidarity, even if they are not covered by the news.
“Good things,” he said,
“never make the news.”
“These signs of love cannot
and should not be obscured by the strength of evil,” the pope said. “Good
always triumphs, even if in some moments it may seem weaker and hidden.”
Addressing those present as the
bishop of Rome, the pope called on Romans to move beyond the present
difficulties. The city has faced challenging moments as public services such as
transportation and maintenance have deteriorated. In October, Ignazio Marino
resigned as mayor following accusations that personal expenses were covered
through city funds.
Pope Francis encouraged the
people of Rome, saying that the commitment of recuperating the fundamental
values of service, honesty and solidarity, can “overcome the serious
uncertainties that have dominated this year … symptoms of a poor sense
of dedication to the common good.”
Recalling the Marian icon
known as “Salus Populi Romani” (health of the Roman people), the pope invoked
Mary’s intercession so that the people of Rome may become “privileged interpreters
of faith, hospitality, brotherhood and peace.”
Despite the 40-degree temperature — cold for Rome — Pope Francis visited and prayed before the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s
Square. He also spent time greeting the crowds gathered, wishing them all a
“Happy New Year.”
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