JUBILEE AUDIENCE 12 MARCH 2016
EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF
MERCY
JUBILEE AUDIENCE POPE
FRANCIS
Saturday,
12 March 2016
Mercy and service
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning!
We are approaching the
celebration of Easter, the central mystery of our faith. The Gospel of John —
which we just heard — recounts that, before dying and rising for us, Jesus made
a gesture that was carved into the memory of his disciples: the washing of feet.
That gesture was so unexpected and unsettling that Peter didn’t want to accept
it. I would like to reflect on Christ’s concluding words: “Do you know what I
have done to you? [...] If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your
feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (Jn 13:12, 14). In this way
Jesus indicates to his disciples that service is the way to
live out their faith in him and to bear witness to his love. Jesus applied to
himself the “Servant of God” image used by the Prophet Isaiah. He, who is Lord,
makes himself servant!
By washing the feet of the
Apostles, Jesus wished to reveal God’s mode of action in regard to us, and to
give an example of his “new commandment” (Jn 13:34) to love one another as He
has loved us, that is, laying down his life for us. John repeats this in his
First Letter: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [...] Little children, let us not
love in word or speech but in deed and in truth” (3:16, 18).
Love, therefore, is the practical
service that we offer to others. Love is not a word, it is a deed, a
service; humble service, hiddenand silent,
like Jesus said himself: “do not let your left hand know what your right hand
is doing” (Mt 6:3). It entails putting at others’ disposal the gifts that the
Holy Spirit has given us, so that the community might thrive (cf. 1 Cor
12:4-11). Furthermore, it is expressed in the sharing of
material goods, so that no one be left in need. This sharing with and
dedication to those in need is the lifestyle that God suggests, even to
non-Christians, as the authentic path of humanity.
Finally, let us not forget
that by washing the feet of his disciples and asking them to do the same, Jesus
invites that we too confess our failings and pray for one another in order to
learn how to forgive with the heart. In this sense, let us remember the words
of Bishop St Augustine, when he wrote: “Nor should the Christian think it
beneath him to do what was done by Christ. For when the body is bent at a
brother’s feet, the feeling of such humility is either awakened in the heart
itself, or is strengthened if already present. [...] Let us therefore forgive
one another his faults, and pray for one another’s faults, and thus in a manner
wash one another’s feet (In Joh 58:4-5). Love, charity is service,
helping others, serving others. There are many people who go through life like
this, in service to others. Last week I received a letter from a person who
thanked me for the Year of Mercy; she asked me to pray for her, that she might
be able to grow closer to the Lord. The life of this person is caring for her
mother and her brother: her mother is bedridden, elderly, lucid but unable to
move; and her brother is disabled, in a wheelchair. This person, her life, is
serving, supporting. And this is love! When you can forget yourself and think
of others, this is love! And with the washing of feet the Lord teaches us to be
servants, and more: to serve as he has served us, each and every one of us.
Therefore, dear brothers
and sisters, being merciful like the Father means following Jesus on
the path of service. Thank you.
Special greetings:
I greet the
English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience,
including those from Ireland, the Philippines, Canada and the United States. I
thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. 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 joy and peace in
our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!
I greet young
people, the sick and newlyweds. Today we
celebrate the liturgical memory of St Maximilian of Tebessa, martyr for
conscientious objection during the time of the Roman Empire. Dear young
people, learn from him how to defend the values in which you believe; dear sick
people, offer up your sufferings for those who still today suffer
persecution for their faith; and you, dear newlyweds, may you be
God’s collaborators in the task of raising your children.
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