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.

I agree that EWTN will keep me informed about news, faith stories and how to best support their work. You will never receive e-mails from us that you do not want to receive. You can unsubscribe any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy.

More news related to this article

The Vatican’s statements on the German Synodal Way: a timeline

In a striking personal intervention, Pope Francis has written a letter to four German Catholic laywomen who quit

Pope Francis as diplomat: the principles that have guided his 10-year-old pontificate

In his public diplomatic efforts in the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis has repeatedly said that he is
Cardinals, bishops, and laypeople attend Mass for the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on April 21, 2026. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

Cardinals in Rome remember Pope Francis as missionary to all 1 year after death

Pope Leo XIV, who is traveling in Africa, sent a message to be read at the Mass commemorating

Pope Francis prays for homeless man who died in St. Peter’s Square

Pope Francis is praying for a homeless man who was found dead near the colonnade of St. Peter’s
Pope Leo XIV’s image on a 5-euro commemorative Vatican coin, part of a collector coin set honoring the new pontificate. | Credit: Governatorato SCV

Pope Leo XIV’s face featured on new set of Vatican coins

This marks the first time since 2014 that the papal image has been printed on the coins. Pope

Vatican secretary of state warns of Europe’s low birth rates, ‘demographic winter’

Cardinal Parolin calls on Europe to rediscover its Christian roots and address its demographic challenges with solidarity and hope.

LIVE
FROM THE VATICAN

Be present live on EWTNVatican.com