Pope Francis’ General Audience:
English summary
At the General Audience of Wednesday, Pope Francis continues
his catechesis on the Acts of the Apostles, focusing, this week, on the episode
of the deacon Philip converting the Ethiopian. The official English-language
summary is below:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis on
the Acts of the Apostles, we now consider how a new stage in the spread of the
Gospel occurs. The deacon Philip, prompted by the Holy Spirit, encounters a man
whose heart is open to God. This foreigner, a high official of the Queen
of Ethiopia, is reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah. Yet, without a
guide, he is unable to understand its full meaning. Philip explains to
him how the Old Testament prophecies reach their fulfilment in Christ. As
a result, the Ethiopian professes his faith in Jesus, and asks to be
baptized. From the baptismal waters he emerges no longer a stranger, but
a member of the Body of Christ. The dialogue in this encounter reveals to
us the key to reading the Scriptures: namely, Christ. Let us pray that
the Holy Spirit will strengthen all the baptized to follow the example of
Philip in bearing witness to the saving power of the Gospel and bringing others
to Jesus.
The Pope also greeted the various English-speaking
groups present at the Audience:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking
part in today’s Audience, especially the groups from England, Scotland,
Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Botswana, Australia, China,
Indonesia, the Philippines, Canada, and the United States of America. In
a particular way my greeting goes to the seminarians of the Pontifical North
American College and their families gathered for the ordination to the
Diaconate to be celebrated tomorrow. Upon all of you, and your families, I
invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May God bless you!
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