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Thursday, July 14, 2016
JUBILEE AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS

EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY

St Peter's Square
Thursday, 30 June 2016



Works of Mercy (cfr Mt 25:31-46)

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
How many times, during these first months of the Jubilee, have we heard about the works of mercy! Today the Lord invites us to make a serious examination of conscience. Indeed, it is good to never forget that mercy is not an abstract word, but it is a way of life: a person can either be merciful or unmerciful; it is a lifestyle. I choose to live in a way that is merciful or I choose to live in a way that is unmerciful. It is one thing to speak of mercy, and it is another to live mercy. Paraphrasing the words of St James the Apostle (cf. 2:14-17), we could say: mercy without works is dead within itself. That’s it! What makes mercy come alive is its constant dynamism in order to go and meet those in need and the necessities of those in spiritual and material hardship. Mercy has eyes to see, ears to hear, hands to lift up again....


Daily life allows us to touch, with our hands, many demands that concern the poorest and most tested of people. We are asked for that particular attention that leads us to notice the state of suffering and need in which so many brothers and sisters find themselves. Sometimes we pass by situations of dramatic poverty and it seems that they do not touch us; everything continues as if it were nothing, into an indifference that eventually creates hypocrites and, without our realizing it, leads to a form of spiritual lethargy that numbs the soul and renders life barren. People who pass by, who move on in life without noticing the needs of others, without seeing many spiritual and material needs, are people who pass by without living, they are people who do not need others. Remember well: those who do not live to serve, do not serve to live.

There are so many aspects of God’s mercy toward us! In the same way, there are so many faces turned to us in order to obtain mercy. Those who have experienced in their own lives the Father’s mercy cannot remain indifferent before the needs of their brothers. The lesson of Jesus that we have heard does not allow escape routes: I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was naked, displaced, sick, in prison and you assisted me (Mt 25:35-36). You cannot stonewall a person who is hungry: he must be fed. Jesus tells us this! The works of mercy are not theoretical ideas, but concrete testimonies. They oblige us to roll up our sleeves to alleviate suffering.

Due to changes in our globalized world, certain material and spiritual forms of poverty have multiplied: let us give space, therefore, to the imaginings of charity so as to find new ways of working. In this way, the way of mercy will become more and more concrete. It is necessary therefore, that we remain as vigilant as watchmen, so that, when facing the poverty produced by the culture of wellbeing, the Christian gaze does not weaken and become incapable of focusing on what is essential. Focus on the essentials. What does this mean? To focus on Jesus, to see Jesus in the hungry, in prisoners, in the sick, the naked, in those who don’t have work and need to lead their family forward. To see Jesus in these people, our brothers and sisters; to see Jesus in those who are lonely, sad, in those who have made mistakes and need counsel, in those who need to walk with Him in silence so that they feel accompanied. These are the works that Jesus asks of us! To see Jesus in them, in these people. Why? Because this is the way Jesus sees me, sees all of us.

Now let us move on to another thing.
In recent days the Lord allowed me to visit Armenia, the first nation to embrace Christianity at the beginning of the fourth century. It is a nation that, over the course of its long history, has witnessed the Christian faith with martyrdom. I thank God for this journey, and I am deeply grateful to the President of the Republic of Armenia, to Catholicos Karekin ii, to the Patriarch, the Catholic bishops, and the entire Armenian people for welcoming me as a pilgrim of brotherhood and peace.

In three months, God willing, I will make another journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan, two more countries of the Caucasus region. I accepted the invitation to visit these countries for two reasons: on the one hand to highlight the ancient Christian roots present in those lands — again in a spirit of dialogue with other religions and cultures — and on the other to encourage hope and paths of peace. History teaches us that the path of peace requires great tenacity and continuous steps, starting with small steps and gradually increasing them, going to meet one another. Precisely for this reason my hope is that each and every person may give his or her own contribution to peace and reconciliation.

As Christians we are called to strengthen the fraternal communion among us, so as to bear witness to the Gospel of Christ and to be a leaven of a more just and united society. For this reason, the entire visit was shared with the Supreme Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who fraternally hosted me for three days in his home.

I renew my embrace to the Bishops, priests, men and women religious, and to all the faithful of Armenia. May the Virgin Mary, our Mother, help them to remain steadfast in faith, open to encounter and generous in works of mercy. Thank you.

Special greetings:
Let us not allow the culture of wellbeing to weaken our sensitivity to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. Let us be ever vigilant so as to discover their needs, and generous so as to come to their aid.
May God bless you!

I greet the English-speaking pilgrims present at today’s Audience, particularly those from Sweden, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Canada and the United States of America. With heartfelt wishes that the current Jubilee of Mercy may be a time of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in the Lord Jesus!

I cordially greet the Polish pilgrims. Dear brothers and sisters, I thank you for accompanying me with your prayers during my visit to Armenia. I ask you to continue praying for me and for the young people in Poland and throughout the world who are preparing for our now imminent meeting in Krakow. May the remembrance of “blessed are the merciful” be ever alive in our hearts and in our deeds. I bless you wholeheartedly. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Lastly, I address my greeting to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Today we celebrate the first martyrs of the Church of Rome and we pray for those who to this day pay dearly for belonging to the Church of Christ. Dear young people, may faith have a place and may it give meaning to your life; dear sick people, may you offer your suffering in order that those far away may encounter the love of Christ; dear newlyweds, may you be educators of life and models of faith for your children.

© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Dewi Fortuna Membalas Tangisan Ronaldo

gambar dari Frank Fife/AFP


Dewi fortuna datang tiba-tiba. Tidak ada yang bisa memprediksinya. Itulah sebabnya, jika ia datang, banyak yang kaget.

Rasa kaget itu juga yang menghinggapi seantero dunia malam ini di Prancis-Eropa atau pagi-pagi buta waktu Indonesia-Asia. Sungguh, para fans dari Ronaldo dkk merasa kaget. Rasa kaget itu muncul tak lain karena dewi fortuna mengantarnya pada Ronaldo dkk.

Dewi fortuna itulah kekuatan dari klub Portugal pada piala Eropa tahun 2016 ini. Dewi fortuna itu sempat kami perbincangan usai makan malam Minggu kemarin. Teman saya yang Italia menjagokan Prancis. Tetapi, ia tidak yakin.

Katanya, “Saya menjagokan Prancis karena Italia sudah kalah.”
Saya menjawabnya, “Io tifoso per il portogallo, saya menjagokan Portugal.”

Dia lalu menatap sinis, “Prancis lebih kuat dari Portugal.”
“Memang Prancis lebih kuat tetapi dewi fortuna selalu datang membantu Portugal,” balas saya.

Dialog tentang dewi fortuna ini rupanya benar-benar terjadi. Jika benar Prancis menang malam ini, teman saya benar-benar bangga. Meski dia tidak 100% mendukung Prancis, bagaimana pun prediksinya tepat. Sebaliknya, jika Portugal menang, apa yang saya ramalkan, benar-benar terjadi. Jadi, dewi fortuna itu memang lagi-lagi datang pada saya.

gambar dari www.telegraph.co.uk

Saya benar-benar senang dengan kemenangan Ronaldo dan kawan-kawan. Kemenangan yang tak terbayangkan. Memang, itulah ciri-ciri dewi fortuna. Tidak ada yang membayangkannya. Kalau pun ada, bisa jadi benar dan bisa jadi kalah. Sulit memberi prediksi yang lebih dari 50%.

Portugal memang tidak dijagokan. Publik cenderung menjagokan Prancis. Di status media sosial seperti facebook, dukungan untuk Prancis datang bertubi-tubi. Sebelum pertandingan dan saat pertandingan berlangsung.

Dukungan itu semakin kuat, kala Ronaldo harus keluar di menit ke 24. Kepergian Ronaldo seolah-olah menjadi penentu kemengan untuk Prancis. Maka, Portugal pun hampir pasti akan kalah di mata publik. Pandangan publik ini kiranya makin dikuatkan dengan tetesan air mata Ronaldo.

Sejak cedera lutut kiri untuk pertama kalinya, Ronaldo memang sudah meneteskan air mata. Seolah-olah, dia tidak punya harapan lagi. Kehadiran teman-temannya di lapangan untuk membangkitkan semangatnya tak mampu membuatnya bangkit. Dia duduk lemas sambil meminta bantuan.

Dia pun keluar untuk sementara. Di luar, regu kesehatan memberinya semangat. Lantas, dia masuk lagi meski tidak bangkit 100%. Ronaldo memang tak beruntung. Banyak yang berkomentar, dia masuk dengan kekuatan hanya lutut kanan saja. Mengandalkan satu kaki saja memang akan sulit.

perayaan kemenangan 


Kesulitan ini bertambah saat pemain Prancis, Payet, memberinya sekali lagi teken tepat pada lutut kiri. Ronaldo betul-betul hilang harapan. Dia mengekspresikan suasana hatinya bukan saja dengan tetesan air mata lagi. Tetapi, dia mencabut ban kapten dari lengan kirinya. Membuangnya ke lapangan, lalu menjatuhkan diri. Saat itulah dia merasa kalah. Menatap regu kesehatan dengan tatapan kekecewaan. Ronaldo pun dibawa keluar.

Portugal sampai titik ini betul-betul dinilai tak berdaya lagi. Publik pun setuju dengan penilaian ini. Harapan untuk menang telak ada pada pihak Prancis. Puyet dan kawan-kawan merasa akan dengan mudah meraih kemenagan itu. Ini yang terbaca oleh publik.

Kalau pun Prancis akan menang, hati Puyet kiranya tidak tenang. Dialah ujung tombak yang membuat permainan malam ini kurang indah. Payet menguburkan impian publik Portugal untuk melihat langsung aksi idola mereka, Ronaldo. Payet memang merasa tidak tenang. Tekelannya membuatnya tidak bisa bermain indah. Dia pun akhirnya keluar pada menit ke-56. Publik Portugal pun risau.

Kerisauan publik Portugal ini berubah menjadi kekuatan baru bagi pemain Portugal. Setelah menerima ban kapten dari Ronaldo, Nani menjadi pemimpin Portugal di lapangan hijau. Di hadapan penonton Prancis dan Portugal, dia mengarahkan teman-temannya untuk bermain dengan semangat baru. Semangat inilah yang membuat mereka bermain dengan tenang.

Pelatih Portugal Fernando Santos pun dengan tenang membimbing anak asuhnya. Nani, Pepe, Fonte, dan Sanches berusaha untuk mengimbangi permainan Prancis. Nani dan Sanches berjuang dengan sekuat tenaga. Mereka lah yang dengan tenang mengejar bola di segala lini. Depan dan belakang. Sanches dengan kemampuannya berlari kencang dan kelincahan mengocek bola, mampu merebut bola dari para pemain Prancis.

Pepe dan Fonte juga demikian. Mereka berdua berusaha bukan saja menghadang ujung tombak Prancis seperti Griezmann dan Evra, tetapi juga berusaha membuang bola ke depan. Uniknya mereka bermain tenang. Sesekali mereka mengamankan bola di wilayah bek, maju sedikit ke wilayah tenang, atau juga mengembalikan ke penjaga gawang. Inilah cara mereka bertahan.

Usaha Nani dkk pun berbuah. Mereka bisa bertahan imbang sampai babak kedua. Mereka laju ke babak berikutnya yakni 2 kali 15 menit. Di sini, ritme permainannya agak riskan. Siapa yang pertama mencetak gol, dialah yang menang. Tidak ada lobi-lobi lagi.



Dengan tenang juga, Nani dkk mampu menahan imbang laju permainan Prancis yang menguasai 55% pertandingan itu. Boleh dibilang, babak pertama dari pertambahan waktu itu berjalan mulus untuk kedua kesebelasan. Kemenangan itu kiranya muncul di babak kedua dari perpanjangan waktu ini. Hanya berharap pada keuntungan.

Dan benar yang diprediksikan. Keberuntungan, dewi fortuna, itu berpihak pada Nani dkk. Eder yang menggantikan Sanches pada menit ke-79 mampu menjebol gawang tuan rumah Prancis pada menit ke-109. Melewati dua bek Prancis, Eder maju dengan percaya diri yang tinggi. Tendangannya tak mampu dihadang oleh kiper Prancis Hugo Lloris. Bola pun masuk jala pertahan mereka. Portugal menang.
Eder berlari, menjauh dari gawang Prancis. Teman-temannya berlari ikut mengejarnya. Di luar lapangan pelatih dan Ronaldo serta para pemain cadangan berjingkrak-jingkrak merayakan kemenangan ini. Ya, betul-betul kemenangan yang tak terduga.

Dewi fortuna memang datang tak terduga. Ronaldo beruntung lagi. Dewi fortuna betul-betul menjawab keinginannya. Boleh jadi sang dewi, melihat tetesan air mata Ronaldo. Ronaldo ingin mengukir sejarah untuk bangsanya tahun ini. Dan, sejarah itu pun benar-benar terjadi malam ini.

Sejarah itu mengizinkan Ronaldo, Nani, Pepe dkk mengangkat piala kemenangan itu. Di hadapan para petinggi publik sepak bola Eropa, pelatih Portugal, Fernando Santos, mengambil piala. Ronaldo mengangkatnya untuk pertama kali. Lalu, Pepe dan Nani.

Nani dkk menampilkan wajah kerendahan hati yang mendalam. Nani menerima ban kapten dari Ronaldo lalu menyerahkannya pada Ronaldo saat mereka menang. Dengan sikap rendah hatinya ini, Nani menunjukkan pada publik bahwa kemenangan itu adalah keberuntungan. Maka, dia pun tidak ingin tampil sebagai kapten saat mengangkat piala itu. Dia hanya beruntung menjadi kapten dalam pertandingan yang menegangkan ini. Ronaldo tetaplah kapten mereka.

Selamat untuk Ronaldo, Nani, Pepe dkk yang memenangkan pertandingan final Piala Eropa 2016 ini. Parabens.

PRM, 11/7/2016
Gordi

Dipublikasikan pertama kali di kompasiana



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Monday, July 11, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 3 July 2016




Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
Today’s Gospel passage, taken from the tenth Chapter of the Gospel of Luke (vv. 1-12, 17-20), makes us consider how necessary it is to invoke God, “the Lord of harvest to send out laborers” (v. 2). The “laborers” whom Jesus speaks of are the missionaries of the Kingdom of God, whom he himself calls and sends on “ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come” (v. 1). Their task is to proclaim a message of salvation addressed to everyone. Missionaries always proclaim a message of salvation to everyone; not only those missionaries who go afar, but we too, [are] Christian missionaries who express a good word of salvation. This is the gift that Jesus gives us with the Holy Spirit. This message is to say: “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (v. 9), because God has “come near” to us through Jesus; God became one of us; in Jesus, God reigns in our midst, his merciful love overcomes sin and human misery.

This is the Good News that the “laborers” must bring to everyone: a message of hope and comfort, of peace and charity. When Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him into the villages, he tells them: “first, say ‘Peace be to this house!’ [...]; heal the sick in it” (vv. 5, 9). All of this signifies that the Kingdom of God is built day by day and already offers on this earth its fruits of conversion, of purification, of love and of comfort among men. It is a beautiful thing! Building day by day this Kingdom of God that is to be made. Do not destroy, build!

With what spirit must disciples of Jesus carry out this mission? First of all they must be aware of the difficult and sometimes hostile reality that awaits them. Jesus minces no words about this! Jesus says: “I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (v. 3). This is very clear. Hostility is always at the beginning of persecutions of Christians; because Jesus knows that the mission is blocked by the work of evil. For this reason, the laborer of the Gospel will strive to be free from every kind of human conditioning, carrying neither purse nor bag nor sandals (cf. v. 4), as Jesus counseled, so as to place reliance solely in the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. This means abandoning every motive of personal advantage, careerism or hunger for power, and humbly making ourselves instruments of the salvation carried out by Jesus’ sacrifice.

A Christian’s mission in the world is splendid, it is a mission intended for everyone, it is a mission of service, excluding no one; it requires a great deal of generosity and above all setting one’s gaze and heart facing on High, to invoke the Lord’s help. There is a great need for Christians who joyfully witness to the Gospel in everyday life. The disciples, sent out by Jesus, “returned with joy” (v. 17). When we do this, our heart fills with joy. This expression makes me think of how much the Church rejoices, she revels when her children receive the Good News thanks to the dedication of so many men and women who daily proclaim the Gospel: priests — those brave parish priests whom we all know —, nuns, consecrated women, missionary men and women.... I ask myself — listen to the question —: how many of you young people who are now present today in the Square, hear the Lord’s call to follow him? Fear not! Be courageous and bring to others this guiding light of apostolic zeal that these exemplary disciples have given to us.

Let us pray to the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that the Church may never lack generous hearts that work to bring everyone the love and kindness of our heavenly Father.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I express my closeness to the families of the victims and those injured in the attack that happened yesterday in Dhaka, and also in that which happened in Baghdad. Let us pray together. Let us pray together for them, for the deceased and let us ask the Lord to convert the hearts of the violent blinded by hate. Hail Mary....

I greet all of you, faithful of Rome and pilgrims coming from all over Italy and from other countries.

In the Holy Year of Mercy I dearly recall that next Wednesday we will celebrate the memory of St Maria Goretti, the young martyr who forgave her murderer before she died. This courageous young lady deserves a round of applause from the entire Square!

And I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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Thursday, July 07, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS

SOLEMNITY OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL, APOSTLES

Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 29 June 2016



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
Today we celebrate the Feast of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, praising God for their preaching and their witness. On the faith of these two Apostles was founded the Church of Rome, which has always venerated them as Patrons. However, the entire universal Church, which looks to them with admiration, considers them as two pillars and two great lights that shine not only in the sky of Rome, but in the heart of believers of the East and of the West.

In the narrative of the Apostles’ mission, the Gospel tells us that Jesus sent them out two by two (cf. Mt 10:5; Lk 10:1). In a certain sense Peter and Paul too, from the Holy Land, were sent as far as Rome to preach the Gospel. The two men were very different from one another: Peter a “humble fisherman”, Paul a “teacher and doctor”, as recited in today’s liturgy. But if we know Jesus here in Rome, and if the Christian faith is a living and fundamental part of the spiritual patrimony and of the culture of this territory, it is due to the apostolic courage of these two sons of the Near East. Out of love for Christ they left their homeland and, undaunted by the difficulty of the long journey or by the risks and diffidence they were sure to encounter, they arrived in Rome. Here they proclaimed and witnessed to the Gospel among the people, and with their martyrdom they sealed their mission of faith and charity.

Today Peter and Paul return ideally among us, retracing the streets of this City, knocking at the doors of our houses, but above all of our hearts. They want yet again to bring Jesus, his merciful love, his consolation, his peace. We have great need of this! Let us receive their message! Let us treasure their testimony! The sincere and steadfast faith of Peter, the great and universal heart of Paul will help us to be joyful Christians, faithful to the Gospel and open to the encounter with everyone.

During the Holy Mass in St Peter’s Basilica this morning, I blessed the Pallia of the Metropolitan Archbishops appointed this past year, who have come from various countries. I renew my greeting and my prayerful good wishes to them, to their relatives and to those who have accompanied them on this pilgrimage; and I encourage them to continue with joy their mission in service to the Gospel, in communion with the whole Church and especially with the See of Peter, as expressed by the very symbol of the Pallium. In the same celebration, with joy and affection I welcomed the Members of the Delegation who have come to Rome on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarch, my dearest Brother Bartholomew. This presence, too, is a sign of the fraternal bonds existing between our Churches. Let us pray that the bonds of communion and common witness may be strengthened ever more.

To the Virgin Mary, Salus Populi Romani, let us entrust today the entire world, and in particular the City of Rome, that it might always find in its spiritual and moral wealth and values the foundation of its civil life and of its mission in Italy, in Europe, and in the world.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, last evening, in Istanbul, a brutal terrorist attack was carried out, killing and injuring many people. Let us pray for the victims, for the families and for the dear people of Turkey. May the Lord convert the hearts of violent people and support our steps on the path of peace. Let us all pray in silence.

[A moment of silence]
Hail Mary....

Recently concluded in Rome was the International Conference on impact investing, entitled: “Making the Year of Mercy a Year of Impact for the Poor”. May both private and public investments enable many marginalized people to overcome poverty.

I address a cordial greeting to all of you, families, parish groups, associations and individual faithful from Italy and from many parts of the world, particularly from Spain, Ukraine and China. I greet Catholic-school students from London and from the United States of America, as well as Sisters of the USMI from Lombardy.

Today my greeting goes above all to the faithful of Rome, on the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul, Patrons of the City! For this occasion the Pro Loco of Rome has sponsored the traditional Infiorata, created by various artists and Civil Service volunteers. Thank you for this initiative and for the beautiful floral decorations! I also wish to acknowledge the fireworks display that took place last evening in Piazza del Popolo, the proceeds of which will go to support works of charity in the Holy Land and in countries of the Middle East.

I wish you all a happy feast day, the Feast of the Patron Saints of Rome. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch!Arrivederci!


© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana


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Sunday, July 03, 2016


Lo sguardo lungo, ricordando questa parola del Signore: ^La messe è molta, ma gli operai sono pochi. Pregate dunque il padrone della messe perché mandi operai per la sua messe. Andate: ecco io vi mando come agnelli in mezzo a lupi; non portate borsa, né bisaccia, né sandali e non salutate nessuno lungo la strada. In qualunque casa entriate, prima dite: Pace a questa casa^. — presso Casatico City-Parma



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Saturday, July 02, 2016
PRIMO LUGLIO 


bel terrazzo  
è passato un anno ma questa esperienza di un mese a Bologna rimane sempre viva. Grazie a coloro che ci hanno aiutato ad entrare in questo mondo di silenzio per conoscersi meglio, chi sono io e chi è Dio e come è la nostra relazione. — presso Bologna, villa san giuseppe
la strada verso il santuario
imparare da questo gruppo, Gesu' e i suoi 

sala d'incontro

la chiesa

sala d'incontro vista da fronte

il colloquio con la guida

sala d'incontro

il reffettorio 

il giardino, luogo adatto per meditazione

vista dal giardino al santuario di san luca


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Wednesday, June 29, 2016
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
St Peter's Square
Wednesday, 22 June 2016

24. Mercy purifies the heart (cf Lk 5:12-16)


Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean” (Lk 5:12) is the request that we heard addressed to Jesus by a leper. This man did not ask only to be healed, but to be “made clean”, that is, wholly restored, in body and in heart. Indeed, leprosy was considered a form of a curse of God, of profound uncleanliness. A leper had to stay away from everyone; he could not access the temple nor any divine service. Far from God and far from men. These people lived a sad life!

Despite this fact, that leper did not resign himself to the disease nor to the dispositions that made him an excluded man. In order to reach Jesus, he was not afraid to break the law and enter the city — something he should not have done, it was prohibited — and when he found Jesus, the man “fell on his face and besought him, ‘Lord, if you will, you can make me clean’” (v. 12). All that is done and said by this man, who was considered unclean, is an expression of his faith! He recognizes Jesus’ power: he is certain that Jesus has the power to heal him and that all depends on His will. This faith is the force that allows him to break every convention and seek the encounter with Jesus and, kneeling before Him, he calls Him “Lord”. The supplication of the leper demonstrates that when we present ourselves to Jesus it is not necessary to make long speeches. A few words are enough, provided that they are accompanied by complete trust in his omnipotence and in his goodness. Entrusting ourselves to God’s will in fact means remitting ourselves to his infinite mercy. I will even share with you a personal confidence. In the evening, before going to bed, I say this short prayer: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”. And I pray five “Our Fathers”, one for each of Jesus’ wounds, because Jesus has cleansed us with his wounds. If I do this, you can do it too, in your home, and say: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”, and think about Jesus’ wounds and say an “Our Father” for each of them. Jesus always hears us.

Jesus is deeply struck by this man. The Gospel of Mark emphasizes that “moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I will; be clean’” (1:41). Jesus’ gesture accompanies his words and renders the teaching more explicit. Contrary to the dispositions of the Law of Moses, which prohibited a leper from drawing near (cf. Lev 13:45-46), Jesus extends his hand and even touches him. How often do we encounter a poor person who comes to meet us! We can also be generous, we can have compassion, but usually we do not touch him. We offer him coins, we toss them there, but we avoid touching his hand. And we forget that that person is the Body of Christ! Jesus teaches us not to be afraid to touch the poor and the excluded, because He is in them. Touching the poor can cleanse us from hypocrisy and make us distressed over their condition. Touching the excluded. Today these young people accompany me. So many people think that it would be better if they stayed in their land, but they suffer so much there. They are our refugees, but so many consider them excluded. Please, they are our brothers! A Christian excludes no one, gives a place to everyone, allows everyone to come.

After healing the leper, Jesus commands him not to speak of this to anyone, but tells him: “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to the people” (Lk 5:14). This disposition of Jesus demonstrates at least three things. First: the grace that acts in us does not seek sensationalism. Usually it is moved with discretion and without clamour. To treat our wounds and guide us on the path of holiness it works by patiently modelling our heart on the Heart of the Lord, so as to increasingly assume his thoughts and feelings. Second: by making the priest officially verify the healing and by celebrating an expiatory sacrifice, the leper is readmitted to the community of believers and to social life. His reintegration completes the healing. As he himself had supplicated, now he is completely made clean. Lastly, by presenting himself to the priests, the leper bears witness to them regarding Jesus and his messianic authority. The power of compassion with which Jesus healed the leper led this man’s faith to open itself to the mission. He was excluded, now he is one of us.

Let us consider ourselves, our miseries.... Each has his own. Let us think sincerely. How often we cover them with the hypocrisy of “good manners”. And precisely then it is necessary to be alone, to kneel before God and pray: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”. Do it, do it before going to bed, every evening. Now together let us say this beautiful prayer: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean!”.

Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Scotland, Sweden, China and the United States of America. In a special way I greet the many student groups present. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lastly, I address a special greeting to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Dear young people, Jesus calls you to be “ardent hearts”: correspond with generosity to his invitation each according to your own talent; dear sick people, offer your suffering to Christ crucified so as to cooperate in the redemption of the world; and you, dear newlyweds, be cognizant of the irreplaceable mission to which the sacrament of marriage commits you.


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