Jesus seeks out people in their woundedness and isolation to offer healing and hope, even when they feel furthest from God, Pope Francis said in a prepared catechesis.
“Jesus awaits us and lets himself be found precisely when we think there is no longer hope for us,” the pope wrote in the text prepared for his general audience 26 March.
Although Pope Francis returned to his residence at the Vatican 23 March after more than five weeks in the hospital, his general audience and other appointments were suspended to allow time for his recovery.
Jubilee pilgrims, even knowing Pope Francis was not holding an audience, continued to make their way to the Vatican and to the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica.
As part of his catechetical series for the Holy Year 2025, themed “Jesus Christ, our hope,” the pope reflected on Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well as recounted in St John’s Gospel.