JOSEPH, DREAMS AND DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD

Pope Francis focused the Wednesday general audience catechesis on the dreams of St Joseph, showing how the example of Jesus' foster father can help us to discern the voice of God.

Christopher Wells (vaticannews)

The Holy Father noted that in the Bible, "dreams were considered a means by which God revealed Himself."

Dreams, he said, symbolize "the spiritual life of each of us, that inner space that each of us is called to cultivate and guard, where God manifests Himself and often speaks to us."

The Pope also warned of other voices within us, the voices of our own fears, experiences, hopes, as well as the voice of the Evil one, who wants to deceive and confuse. Therefore, he said, it is necessary to cultivate discernment, which allows us to recognize the voice of God among many others.

God shows us the right thing to do
Pope Francis reflected on each of the four dreams of Joseph recounted in the Gospels, beginning with the appearance of the angel in his sleep who helped Joseph resolve the conflict that arose when he learned of Mary's pregnancy.

Joseph immediately heeded the angel's words and took Mary as his wife.

"Life often puts us in situations that we do not understand and that seem to have no solution. Praying in those moments means letting the Lord show us the right thing to do."

In the second dream, Joseph is warned that the life of the child Jesus is in danger; and once again, Joseph promptly obeys God's voice, fleeing with Jesus and Mary into Egypt.

Pope Francis said that when we experience dangers that threaten ourselves or our loved ones, "praying means listening to the voice that can give us the same courage as Joseph."

Prayer brings light to darkness

While in exile, Joseph waited patiently for a sign from God that it was safe to return to his homeland. In the third dream, he learned that those who sought the life of Jesus had died, while the fourth directed him to settle in Nazareth, for fear of Archelaus, the successor of Herod.

The Holy Father then spoke off-the-cuff and prayed for the many people today "who are crushed by the weight of life and can no longer hope or pray," asking that St Joseph might "help them to open themselves to dialogue with God in order to find light, strength, and help."

His thoughts also turned to parents whose children are facing difficulties, including children with illnesses, or who "see different sexual orientations in their children", or who are injured in accidents, or who have difficulties learning. He told parents facing these situations not to be frightened or to condemn, but to think about how Joseph solved the problems he faced, and ask for his help.

Combining prayer with charity

Finally, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that, "prayer is never an abstract or purely internal gesture, but is always inextricably linked to charity."

JANUARY 26: DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

At the conclusion of his weekly general audience, Pope Francis asked the faithful "to pray for peace in Ukraine, now and throughout this day." He had called for an international Day of Prayer for Peace to be held on January 26, as Russia amasses troops on along its border with Ukraine.

The Pope asked the Lord to "grant that the country may grow in the spirit of brotherhood and that all hurts, fears and divisions will be overcome."

Believers attend a liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, Ukraine – Vatican media:

He said he hoped that today's prayers and supplications rise up to heaven and "touch the minds and hearts of world leaders, so that dialogue may prevail and the common good be placed ahead of partisan interests."

In conclusion, the Holy Father asked that our prayer for peace be made with the words of the Our Father, explaining that "it is the prayer of sons and daughters to the one Father, the prayer that makes us brothers and sisters, the prayer of children who plead for reconciliation and concord."

Prayers for Ukraine come as the U.S. and other world leaders continue to accuse Russia of preparing a military invasion in Ukraine, an accusation that Russian President Vladimir Putin denies. (vaticannews)

"NEVER REPEAT THE UNSPEAKABLE CRUELTY OF THE HOLOCAUST"

As the world prepares to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday, Pope Francis urges families to remind younger generations about the millions of people, especially Jews, killed at the hands of the Nazi regime.

By Devin Watkins (vaticannews)

"This unspeakable cruelty must never be repeated."

Pope Francis made that appeal at the end of the Wednesday general audience a day before the world dedicates a day to recalling the horrors of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is held on the date of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp on January 27, 1945. (photo Auschwitz-Birkenau camp)

The Pope said the world must remember the "extermination of millions of Jews, people of various nationalities and religious faiths."

He lamented the genocide of around 6 million of Europe's Jews, or two-thirds of the continent's Jewish population, at the hands of the Nazi regime: "This is a suffering people. They have suffered hunger and great cruelty, and they deserve peace."