Pope: make a "definite choice" for the Lord , like the persecuted Christians of every age

Making a "definite choice" for the Lord , just like the persecuted Christians of every age, like those who entrust themselves to God, even in "extreme  situations".

The passages of the Old and New Testament that speak of the young Jewish slaves at the court of Nebuchadnezzar and the widow who goes to the temple to worship the Lord, were pointed to by Pope Francis during the mass celebrated at Casa Santa Marta as examples of "trusting in the Lord. "

The widow throws everything she had on the treasure heap of the Temple , the young Jews remain faithful to the Lord risking their lives. As reported by Vatican Radio , the Pope noted that " both - the widow and young people - have risked something. They risk by choosing in favor of the Lord, with an open heart, without personal interests, without meanness. They were not mean. The Lord , the Lord is everything. The Lord is God and they entrust themselves to the Lord. They didn't do this because of a - allow me the word - fanatical power, no: ' We must do this Lord ',! It was something else! They entrusted themselves, because they knew that the Lord is faithful .  They entrusted themselves to the faithfulness that always exists, because the Lord can not mutate , He can not : He is always faithful, He cannot be unfaithful, he can not deny himself. "

This trust in the Lord led them "to make this choice , for the Lord" , because they know that He is "faithful." "Even in the Church, in the history of the Church there are men, women , old people, young people, who make that choice . When we hear the life of the martyrs , when we read about the persecutions against the Christians in the newspapers, today , we think of these brothers and sisters in extreme situations , who make this choice. They live in this time. They are an example to us and encourage us to throw all that we have on treasure heap of the Church".

The Lord , the Pope recalled , helps young Jews in bondage to come out of difficulties and also the widow is helped by the Lord. There is praise from Jesus for her and behind this praise there is also a victory. " 

Let us think, Pope Francis said, about the brothers and sisters who have made courageous, definitive choices throughout history, and continue to do so today. But let us also think about the many mothers and fathers who make small but definitive choices of faith every day, with their families and with their children. Let us ask the Lord, Pope Francis concluded, for the grace of courage, the courage to go on with our Christian lives, in everyday life and in the most extreme situations.