REGINA CÆLI POPE
FRANCIS
Saint
Peter's Square
Sunday, 1st May 2016
Sunday, 1st May 2016
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning!
Today’s Gospel takes us
back to the Upper Room. During the Last Supper, before confronting his passion
and death on the cross, Jesus promises the Apostles the gift of the Holy Spirit,
who will have the task of teaching and recalling [Jesus’] words to the
community of disciples. Jesus says: “the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn 14:26). Teach and recall. This is
what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts.
At the moment in which he
is about to return to the Father, Jesus foretells of the coming of the Spirit
who will first teach the disciples to understand the Gospel ever more fully, in
order to welcome it in their existence and to render it living and operative by
their witness. While he is about to entrust to the Apostles — which in fact
means “envoys” — the mission of taking the Gospel to all the world, Jesus promises
that they will not be alone. The Holy Spirit, the Counselor, will be with them,
and will be beside them, moreover, will be within them, to protect and support
them. Jesus returns to the Father but continues to accompany and teach his
disciples through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The second aspect of the
Holy Spirit’s mission consists in helping the Apostles to remember Jesus’
words. The Spirit has the task of reawakening the memory, recalling Jesus’
words. The divine Teacher has already communicated all that he intended to
entrust to the Apostles: with Him, the Word made flesh, the revelation is
complete. The Spirit will recall Jesus’ teachings in the various concrete
circumstances of life, so that they may be put into practice. That is precisely
what still happens today in the Church, guided by the light and the power of
the Holy Spirit, so that he may bring to everyone the gift of salvation, which
is the love and mercy of God. For example, each day when you read — as I have
advised you — a passage, a passage of the Gospel, ask the Holy Spirit: “Let me
understand and remember these words of Jesus”. Then read the passage, every
day.... But first the prayer to the Spirit, who is in our heart: “Let me
remember and understand”.
We are not alone: Jesus is
close to us, among us, within us! His new presence in history happens through
the gift of the Holy Spirit, through whom it is possible to instill a living
relationship with Him, the Crucified and Risen One. The Spirit, flowing within
us through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, acts in our life. He
guides us in the way to think, to act, to distinguish between what is good and
what is bad; he helps us to practice the charity of Jesus, his giving of
himself to others, especially to the most needy. We are not alone! The sign of
the presence of the Holy Spirit is also the peace that Jesus gives to his
disciples: “My peace I give to you” (v. 27). It is different from what mankind
hopes for or tries to achieve. The peace of Jesus flows from victory over sin,
over selfishness which impedes us from loving one another as brothers and
sisters. It is a gift of God and a sign of his presence. Each disciple called
today to follow Jesus carrying the cross, receives within him- or herself the
peace of the Crucified and Risen One in the certainty of his victory and in
expectation of his definitive coming.
May the Virgin Mary help
us to welcome with docility the Holy Spirit as interior Teacher and as the
living Memory of Christ on the daily journey.
After the Regina Caeli:
Dear brothers and sisters,
my warm thought goes to our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Churches who
are celebrating Easter today. May the Risen Lord bring to all the gifts of his
light and his peace. Christos anesti!
With great sorrow I
receive the tragic news coming from Syria, regarding the spiral of violence
that continues to worsen the country’s already desperate humanitarian
situation, particularly in the city of Aleppo, claiming innocent victims, even
among children, the sick and those who with great sacrifice are committed to
helping their neighbours. I exhort all parties involved in the conflict to
respect the cessation of hostilities and to strengthen the ongoing dialogue,
the only path that leads to peace.
Tomorrow an international
meeting will open in Rome on the theme of “Sustainable Development and the Most
Vulnerable Forms of Work”. I hope the event will raise the awareness of the
authorities, political and economic institutions and civil society so as to
foster a model of development that takes human dignity into account, in full
respect of the norms on work and on the environment.
I greet you, pilgrims from
Italy and from other countries. In particular, I greet the faithful from
Madrid, Barcelona and Warsaw, as well as the Abraham Community involved in
projects of evangelization in Europe, the pilgrims from Olgiate Comasco,
Bagnolo Mella, and the confirmands from Castelli Calepio.
I greet the “Meter”
Association, who for many years has been fighting against all forms of abuse of
minors. This is a tragedy! We must not tolerate the abuse of minors! We must
protect minors and we must severely punish their abusers. Thank you for your
commitment and continue with courage in this work!
I wish everyone a happy
Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!
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