• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis greets prelates during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sept. 28, 2022. (CNS photo/Yara Nardi, Reuters)

Jesus is the best, most faithful friend a person can have, pope says

September 28, 2022
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Jesus never abandons, coerces or blackmails anyone when they stray, rather, he patiently waits and is “our greatest and most faithful friend,” Pope Francis said.

“He remains at the door of the heart. We say, ‘No, I do not want to know anything about you.’ And he remains silent, he remains there within reach, within heart’s reach because he is always faithful,” the pope said.

“It is a grace we must ask for one another: to see Jesus as our greatest and most faithful friend, who does not blackmail, above all who never abandons us, even when we turn away from him,” the pope said Sept. 28 at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

Continuing his series of talks about discernment, the pope said it is an important process for trying to understand “what is happening inside of us, our feelings and ideas, and we have to discern where (these things) come from, where they are taking me and what decision” needs to be made, he said.

Pope Francis gestures as he greets people during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sept. 28, 2022. (CNS photo/Yara Nardi, Reuters)

An indispensable part of this process is prayer, which requires being somewhere that fosters a prayerful, reflective moment and developing a close, simple and loving familiarity with Jesus, he said.

Prayer allows people to speak to God “as one would speak to a friend,” going beyond the words and entering into “intimacy with the Lord, with an affectionate spontaneity,” the pope said.

An ever-growing “familiarity and confidence with God” makes it easier, he said, to recognize what is pleasing to God and helps people overcome any “fear or doubt that his will is not for our good, a temptation that sometimes runs through our thoughts and makes the heart restless and uncertain and even bitter.”

Since the beginning of time, he said, Satan has been suggesting that God does not want people to be happy.

“Many people, even Christians, think the same thing, that Jesus may well be the Son of God, but they doubt that he wants our happiness; indeed, some fear that taking his proposal seriously means ruining our lives, mortifying our desires, our strongest aspirations,” Pope Francis said.

“These thoughts sometimes creep up inside us: that God asks too much of us — we are afraid — or he wants to take away what we hold most dear. In short, that he doesn’t really love us,” he said.

However, the pope said, the sign of encountering Jesus is joy. “Sadness, or fear, on the other hand, are signs of distance from him,” even though these people may have “an abundance of possessions and possibilities at their disposal.”

Jesus never forces anyone to follow him, the pope said. He lets people know his will and lets them be free to decide.

“Discerning is not easy, for appearances are deceptive, but familiarity with God can melt doubts and fears in a gentle way, making our lives increasingly receptive to his ‘gentle light,'” the pope said.

Something similar happens when prayer is marked by love and familiarity, “it makes us more and more able to recognize what counts,” he said.

Prayer is not “parroting” words, but is opening one’s heart to Jesus, moving closer to him and letting him “enter my heart and feeling his presence.” This is how people can then discern “when it is Jesus and when it is just us with our thoughts, so often far from what Jesus wants.”

Pope Francis said he hoped people would develop a life of prayer that greets the Lord with the heart, that is simple, friendly and affectionate, and that has “few words” but is accompanied by good deeds and works.

At the end of his talk, the pope offered his greetings to all student groups present, “in particular, the diaconate class of the Pontifical North American College and their families. Upon all of you I invoke the joy and peace of Christ our Lord,” he said.

Twenty-three seminarians, representing 18 dioceses in the United States and Australia, were set to be ordained deacons Sept. 29.

Read More Vatican News

JUBILEE

Finance experts launch report at Vatican on foreign debt relief

Latin Mass

Traditionalist Catholics see evangelization potential of Latin Mass

POPE LEO XIV

Liturgical music can teach value of unity in diversity, pope says

Pope: Resist the ‘temptation’ of embracing weapons

Jesus invites Christians to overcome despair, pope says

A month after his election, most U.S. Catholics view Pope Leo XIV favorably

Copyright © 2022 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Carol Glatz

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prodigal son to priest

  • Deacon Alex Mwebaze is happy to call Maryland home

  • Future priest from Congo has a heart of service

  • Thank you to a one-of-a-kind teacher

  • For Deacon Shiadrik Mokum, the priesthood is all about community

| Latest Local News |

Juneteenth

Juneteenth seen as day to reflect on freedom, ending racism and Black Catholics’ contributions

Deacon O’Donnell’s ‘normal’ faith life led to priestly vocation

St. Joseph Church in Fullerton

Fullerton church begins renovations

Deacon Alex Mwebaze is happy to call Maryland home

Knights of Columbus announces June 19 novena for intention of Pope Leo

| Latest World News |

JUBILEE

Finance experts launch report at Vatican on foreign debt relief

Hundreds of thousands march in Poland’s Corpus Christi processions

Latin Mass

Traditionalist Catholics see evangelization potential of Latin Mass

Need for more Catholic Army chaplains to serve military flock as great as ever, say two priests

How love of travel became a spiritual mission for Peter Bahou of Peter’s Way Tours

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Finance experts launch report at Vatican on foreign debt relief
  • Hundreds of thousands march in Poland’s Corpus Christi processions
  • Traditionalist Catholics see evangelization potential of Latin Mass
  • Juneteenth seen as day to reflect on freedom, ending racism and Black Catholics’ contributions
  • Need for more Catholic Army chaplains to serve military flock as great as ever, say two priests
  • How love of travel became a spiritual mission for Peter Bahou of Peter’s Way Tours
  • Deacon O’Donnell’s ‘normal’ faith life led to priestly vocation
  • Faith-based refugee centers in Rome provide a lifeline to newcomers
  • Liturgical music can teach value of unity in diversity, pope says

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED