Skip to content

Pope Francis offers 5 commitments on the road to Christmas

Pope Francis proposed to the faithful 5 concrete commitments to live with intensity the remaining days of Advent 2022, and to prepare the heart for the birth of the Child Jesus through simple actions.

At the Angelus on December 12, 2021, and before the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Pontiff asked the question: “What can I do concretely?

In the same vein, he called to ask himself: “These days, as we approach Christmas, how can I do my part?

In response, he encouraged us to make “a concrete commitment, even a small one, that fits our life situation” and carry it forward to prepare ourselves for this Christmas.

Along these lines, he listed 5 commitments that the faithful can make to live with faith and hope this time of joy for the arrival of the Child Jesus:

1. Calling a lonely person on the phone.

2. Visiting an elderly or sick person.

3. Do something to serve a poor person, a person in need.

4. To ask for forgiveness, to forgive, to clear up any conflict or to settle a debt.

5. To take up prayer again and approach the Lord’s forgiveness.

“Brothers and sisters, let us look for something concrete and do it! May the Virgin, in whose womb God became flesh, help us”, he prayed.

Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today

Share

Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican

Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter.

More news related to this article

Pope Francis opens Synod on Synodality assembly with warning against personal ‘agendas’

Pope Francis opened the Synod on Synodality on Wednesday with a Mass, urging over 400 priests, bishops, and cardinals to avoid imposing personal “agendas” during the monthlong discussions.

How Pope Francis shaped the College of Cardinals

Of the 133 cardinals with the right to vote in this conclave, 108 were created by Pope Francis and therefore will be participating in the election of a pontiff for the first time.

Pope Leo XIV approves measures benefiting families of Vatican employees

Pope Leo XIV has approved a series of measures that benefit Vatican employees, expanding paternity leave, the rights of parents with disabled children, and granting family subsidies.

Ahead of synod, prominent prelates publish on ‘LGBTQ issues’

Just days after organizers of the second session of the Synod on Synodality in October said topics were not the focus of discussions, two prominent participants have publicly weighed in on the question of Catholics identifying as LGBTQ.

Pope Francis: Share the Gospel with zeal like St. Francis Xavier

Pope Francis at his general audience on May 17, 2023 (left) and a painting of St. Francis Xavier in the Church of the Gesù in Rome (right).

Caravaggio 2025: Rediscovering the Master of Light and Shadow in Rome’s Jubilee Year Exhibition

The master of light, shadow and controversy, Caravaggio, returns to the spotlight this Jubilee Year in a major exhibition of his paintings at the Barberini Palace in Rome.

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNVatican.com