Vatican City, Jan 23, 2013 / 09:58 am
In his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Benedict pointed to the legacy of Abraham as an example of the Christian's longing for the "true homeland" of heaven and as the "first great role model" of having faith in God.
"Abraham, the believer, teaches us faith and, like a stranger on earth, points out our true homeland. Faith makes us pilgrims on earth, situated in the world and in history, but on the path toward our heavenly homeland," the Pope said Jan. 23 at the Vatican's Paul VI Hall.
"Believing in God thus makes us heralds of values that often do not coincide with fashion or the opinion of the moment. The Christian should not be afraid to go 'against the grain' to live their faith, resisting the temptation to 'conform'."
Pope Benedict discussed Abraham in the context of the Year of Faith and the opening line of the Creed, "I believe in God." The Creed, he said, is "deceptively simple," yet "opens us to the infinite world of a relationship with the Lord and with his mystery."