Pope: Step out of your comfort zones

As the New Year comes, Pope Francis is asking the faithful to step outside their comfort zones and get involved especially in their communities.

During his message last December 31, on the eve of the celebration of the Solemnity of the Motherhood of Mary, Pope Francis said people can help solve the local problems with generosity and love.

Pondering on the time given last year and how it is used to contribute to communities, the pope said: “Have we used it mostly for ourselves, for our own interests or did we know to spend it for others, too? How much time did we set aside for being with God, in prayer, in silence, in adoration?”

“Have we contributed, in our small way, to making (our communities) livable, orderly, and welcoming? What will we do, how will we act in the new year to make our city a little bit better?” the pope said as reported by cbcpnews and CNS.

The pope also likened communities to the city of Rome which is a city of opposites wherein there are refugees and those who cannot find a job and have jobs detrimental to their dignity as human beings.
“Everyone has the right to be treated with the same attitude of welcome and fairness because everyone possesses human dignity,” the pope said in the report.