Advent is a strong invitation to everyone to let God come increasingly into our lives, our houses, our neighborhoods and our communities in order to have light in the midst of the many shadows, in the numerous daily efforts.

- Homily, 12 December 2010

Lord, help me to come to know you more and more.  Help me to be ever more at one with your will.  Help me to live my life not for myself, but in union with you to live it for others.  Help me to become ever more your friend.

- Homily, 29 June 2011

Faith starts with God, who opens his heart to us and invites us to share in his own divine life.  Faith does not simply provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings, to God's self-revelation.

- Homily, 21 August 2011

On the origins of the Church

...we cannot make the Church, we can only announce what he [Christ] has done.  The Church does not begin with our "making", but with the "making" and "speaking" of God.

- Meditation for the Synod of Bishops, 8 October 2012

On discipleship

The Christian must not be lukewarm.

- Meditation for the Synod of Bishops

8 October 2012

This is the pedagogy of God’s call, which does not consider the quality of those who are chosen so much as their faith, like that of Simon that says: “At your word, I will let down the nets” (Luke 5:5).

- Angelus Address, 10 February 2013

It is the work of God. The human person is not the author of his own vocation but responds to the divine call. Human weakness should not be afraid if God calls. It is necessary to have confidence in his strength, which acts in our poverty; we must rely more and more on the power of his mercy, which transforms and renews

- Angelus Address, 10 February 2013

Advent invites us to retrace the journey of this presence and reminds us over and over again that God did not take himself away from the world, he is not absent, he has not left us to ourselves, but comes to meet our needs in various ways that we must learn to discern.

- General Wednesday Audience, 12 December 2012

Faith is nourished by the discovery and memory of the ever faithful God who guides history and constitutes the sound and permanent foundation on which to build our life.

- General Wednesday Audience, 12 December 2012

I would like — once again — to invite everyone, in this Year of Faith, to open the Bible more often, to hold, read and meditate on it and to pay greater attention to the Readings of Sunday Mass; all this is precious nourishment for our faith.

- General Wednesday Audience, 12 December 2012

What illuminates and gives full meaning to the history of the world and of man begins to shine out in the Bethlehem Grotto; it is the Mystery which, in a little while, we shall be contemplating at Christmas: salvation, brought about in Jesus Christ. In Jesus of Nazareth God shows his face and asks man to choose to recognize and follow him.

- General Audience Address, 12 December 2012

God makes himself a man like us to give us a hope that is sure: if we follow him, if we are consistent in living our Christian life, he will draw us to him, he will lead us to communion with him; and there will be in our hearts true joy and true peace, even in difficulty, even in moments of weakness.

- Homily, 16 December 2012

We must rejoice in his closeness, in his presence, and must seek ever better to understand that he really is close, and thus be penetrated by the reality of God’s goodness, joy at Christ being with us.

- Homily, 16 December 2012

This is a great cause for joy: knowing that it is always possible to pray to the Lord and that the Lord hears us, that God is not distant, but really listens, he knows us; and knowing that he never rejects our prayers even if he does not always answer as we would like, but that he does answer.

- Homily, 16 December 2012

Sin alone can distance us from him, but this is a factor of separation that we ourselves introduce into our relationship with the Lord. Yet, even when we cut ourselves adrift, he does not cease to love us and continues to be close with his mercy, with his readiness to forgive and to embrace us in his love.

- Homily, 16 December 2012

Thus God rejoices in us and we can attain joy: God exists, God is good and God is close.

- Homily, December 16, 2012

In fact Advent is also a time of joy, because in this season expectation of the Lord’s coming is awakened in the hearts of believers; looking forward to a person’s arrival is always a cause of joy.

- Homily, December 16, 2012

 Advent is a season of commitment and conversion in preparation for the Lord’s coming.

- Homily, December 16, 2012

What illuminates and gives full meaning to the history of the world and of man begins to shine out in the Bethlehem Grotto; it is the Mystery which, in a little while, we shall be contemplating at Christmas: salvation, brought about in Jesus Christ. In Jesus of Nazareth God shows his face and asks man to choose to recognize and follow him.

- Wednesday Audience Address

12 December 2012

One thing, one hope is certain: God expects us, waits for us, we do not go out into a void, we are expected. God is expecting us and on going to that other world we find the goodness of the Mother, we find our loved ones, we find eternal Love. God is waiting for us: this is our great joy and the great hope that is born from this Feast. Mary visits us, and she is the joy of our life and joy is hope.

- Homily, 15 August 2012