Castel Gandolfo (AsiaNews) - You can not compromise with the truth: "The truth is the truth, there is no compromise", this is the warning that Benedict XVI draws from the martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist, "who for the sake of truth did stoop to a compromise with the powerful and was not afraid to speak strong words to those who had strayed from the path of God." Once again the saint of the day was the focus of the Pope's general audience, held earlier today in the square outside the apostolic palace, the inner courtyard being too small for the more than four thousand people present, and leaving the space inside for the cheering crowd of about 2,500 boys and girls participating in the French national pilgrimage of altar servers.

The Martyrdom of John the Baptist, thus shows that "you can not compromise with the love of Christ" and even today, Christian life " requires the daily martyrdom of fidelity to the Gospel, that is the courage to let Christ grow in us and focus our thoughts and our actions. " But this "can only happen if we have a solid relationship with God," as shown by the life and martyrdom of John the Baptist.

For this reason, " Prayer is not a waste of time, it does not rob much space from our activities, not even apostolic activities, it does the exact opposite: only if we are able to have a life of faithful, constant, confident prayer will God Himself give us the strength and capacity to live in a happy and peaceful way, to overcome difficulties and to bear witness with courage. " The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, reiterated in his addressing the faithful in Poland, "makes us aware that the faith based on the relationship with God enables man to be faithful to goodness and truth even at the cost of self-denial and sacrifice" . Like John, he added, "we persevere with God in prayer, so that no compromise with evil and falsehood of this world falsifies our lives."

In the festive meeting with the French altar servers, finally, the Pope pointed out that "the service" they fulfill "faithfully allows you to be particularly close to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. You have the enormous privilege of being close to the altar, close to the Lord. " "Be aware of the importance of this service for the Church and for yourself. May it be for you all an opportunity to nurture a friendship, a personal relationship with Jesus. Do not be afraid to transmit enthusiasm with you the joy that you receive from his presence: May your whole life glow with happiness "from this closeness" to the Lord Jesus. "