REGINA CÆLI POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's
Square
Sixth Sunday of Easter, 10 May 2015
Sixth Sunday of Easter, 10 May 2015
Dear Brothers and
Sisters, Good morning!
Today’s Gospel — John Chapter 15 — brings us
back to the Last Supper, when we hear Jesus’ new commandment. He says: “This is
my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (v. 12).
Thinking of his imminent sacrifice on the cross, He adds: “Greater love has no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my
friends, if you do what I command you” (v. 13-14). These words, said at the
Last Supper, summarize Jesus’ full message. Actually they summarize all that He
did: Jesus gave His life for His friends. Friends who did not understand Him,
in fact they abandoned, betrayed and denied Him at the crucial moment. This
tells us that He loves us, even though we don’t deserve His love. Jesus loves
us in this way!
Thus Jesus shows
us the path to follow Him:
the path of love. His commandment is not a simple teaching which is always
abstract or foreign to life. Christ’s commandment is new because He realized it first, He
gave His flesh and thus the law of love is written upon the heart of man (cf.
Jer 31:33). And how is it written? It is written with the fire of the Holy
Spirit. With this Spirit that Jesus gives us, we too can take this path!
It is a real path, a path that leads us to
come out of ourselves and go towards others. Jesus showed us that the love of
Godis realized in love for our neighbour. Both go hand-in-hand. The
pages of the Gospel are full of this love: adults and children, educated and
uneducated, rich and poor, just and sinners all were welcomed into the heart of
Christ.
Therefore, this Word of God calls us to love
one another, even if we do not always understand each other, and do not always
get along... it is then that Christian love is seen. A love which manifests
even if there are differences of opinion or character. Love is greater than
these differences! This is the love that Jesus taught us. It is a new love
because Jesus and his Spirit renewed it. It is a redeeming love, free from
selfishness. A love which gives
our hearts joy, as Jesus
himself said: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you,
and that your joy may be full” (Jn 15:11).
It is precisely Christ’s love that the Holy
Spirit pours into our hearts to make everyday wonders in the Church and in the
world. There are many small
and great actions which obey
the Lord’s commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you” (cf. Jn 15:12).
Small everyday actions, actions of closeness to an elderly person,
to a child, to a sick person, to a lonely person, those in difficulty, without
a home, without work, an immigrant, a refugee.... Thanks to the strength of the
Word of Christ, each one of us can make ourselves the brother or sister of
those whom we encounter. Actions of closeness, actions which manifest the love
that Christ taught us.
May our Most Holy Mother help us in this, so
that in each of our daily lives love of God and love of neighbour may be ever
united.
After the Regina Caeli:
Dear brothers and sisters, I greet all of
you, families, parish groups, associations and pilgrims from Italy and many
parts of the world, especially Madrid, Puerto Rico and Croatia.
Today Mother’s Day is celebrated in many
countries. Let us recall with gratitude and affection all of our moms. Now I
will address the moms that are here in the square: are there any? Yes? Are
there any mothers? A round of applause for them, for the mothers in the square
... May this applause embrace all mothers, all of our dear mothers, those who
live with us and those who are with us in spirit. May the Lord bless them all,
and may Our Lady, to whom this month is dedicated, protect them.
I wish everyone a happy Sunday — it’s a bit
warm.... And please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch andarrivederci!
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