Francisco said the Church is a house of joy

Before the Angelus, Pope Francis addressed to its thousands of faithful from the window of the Apostolic Palace, and said that the Church was not a refuge of sad people, but the House of Joy.

The pontiff, who thanked his pilgrims for bearing the pouring rain at St. Peter’s Square, said that when a Christian gets sad it means he is away from Jesus.

“As a mother, the Church gives us courage to continue to trust the spiritual path with renewed joy to celebrate the feast of the Nativity, the birth of Jesus,” said the Argentine pope on the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete (Joy.)

Francisco said that the joy of the gospel is not just any joy, but the one to has the purpose to  make the faithful to feel embraced and welcomed by Christ.

“As Christians we are not allowed to falter and waver against difficulties and weaknesses. Instead, we are invited to shake hands, to strengthen the knees and not be afraid , because our God always gives us the strength to continue,” he said.