God is greater than our sins, and also greater than our resistance, Pope Francis assured in the general audience of November 3.
The Holy Father continued with his reflection on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, taking up the Apostle’s exhortation to “walk according to the Holy Spirit” (cf. 5:16, 25).
The Pope said that believing in Jesus is following him, as the disciples did, and at the same time, avoiding walking in the opposite direction, which is seeking one’s own interests.
Francis described the journey of life as “stupendous” even though “difficult.”
The Spirit is the guide for this journey along the way of Christ, a stupendous but difficult journey that begins in Baptism and lasts our entire lives. We can think of it as a long excursion on mountain heights: it is breathtaking, the destination is attractive, but it requires a lot of effort and tenaciousness.
A mountain walk
“This image can be helpful to understand the merit of the Apostle’s words ‘to walk according to the Spirit’ and ‘allow ourselves to be guided’ by Him,” the Pope said.
Paul’s words indicate action and movement, “a dynamism that prevents us from halting at the first difficulties.”
Trodding along this way, the Christian acquires a positive vision of life. This does not mean that the evil present in the world disappears, or that the negative impulses of our egoism and pride diminish.
Rather, it means that belief in God is always stronger than our resistance and greater than our sins. And this is important: to believe that God is greater, always. Greater than our resistances, greater than our sins.
And today we celebrate...