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Wednesday, September 07, 2016
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 31 August 2016

PHOTO: www.pinterest.com

27. Mercy gives dignity (cf Mt 9:20-22)

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
The Gospel passage we have heard presents us with a figure who stands out because of her faith and courage. This is the woman whom Jesus healed of a hemorrhage (cf. Mt 9:20-22). Passing through the crowd, she approaches Jesus from behind in order to touch the hem of his garment. “For she said to herself: ‘If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well’” (v. 21). What great faith! What great faith this woman had! She reasons in such a way because she is enlivened by a great deal of faith and a great deal of hope and, with a bit of cleverness, she attains what is in her heart. The desire to be saved by Jesus is so great that it moves her to go beyond the rules laid down by the law of Moses. Indeed, this poor woman for many years is not simply ill, but is considered impure because she suffers from a hemorrhage (cf. Lev 15:19-30). For this reason she is excluded from the liturgy, from married life, and from normal relationships with others. The evangelist Mark adds that she has consulted many doctors, exhausted her financial means in paying them and endured painful treatments, but she only worsened. She was a woman rejected by society. It is important to consider this condition — of being rejected — in order to understand the state of her soul: she feels that Jesus can free her from disease and from the state of marginalization and indignity in which, for years, she has had to live. In one word: she knows, she feels that Jesus can save her.

This example causes one to reflect on how the woman is often perceived and represented. We, even Christian communities, are all alert to views of femininity invalidated by prejudice and harmful suspicions about her intangible dignity. The Gospels themselves restore the truth and bring a liberating perspective in this regard. Jesus admired the faith of this woman whom everyone shunned, and he transformed her hope into salvation. We do not know her name, but the few lines in the Gospels describing her encounter with Jesus outline a journey of faith that is capable of restoring the truth and greatness of the dignity of every person. In the encounter with Christ, the path of liberation and salvation is opened for all men and women in every place and of every time.

The Gospel of Matthew says that when the woman touched Jesus’ cloak, he “turned” and, “seeing her” (v. 22), he spoke to her. As we said, because of her state of exclusion, the woman acted secretly, behind Jesus’ back — she was a bit fearful — so as not to be seen, because she was an outcast. Jesus, however, sees her and his gaze is not one of reproach, he does not say: “Go away, you are an outcast!”, as if to say: “You are a leper, go away!”. No, he does not reproach her, but Jesus’ gaze is one of mercy and tenderness. He knows what has happened and he seeks a personal encounter with her, which is essentially what the woman desired. This means that Jesus not only welcomes, but considers her worthy of this encounter, to the point of giving her his word and his attention.

In the central part of the story the word salvation is repeated three times. “If I but touch his cloak, I shall be saved. Jesus turned, saw her and said, ‘Have courage, daughter, your faith has saved you’. And from that moment on the woman was saved” (cf. 21-22). This “courage, daughter” expresses all of God’s mercy for that person. And for every rejected person. How often do we feel inwardly rejected because of our sins, we have committed many, we have committed many.... And the Lord tells us: “Have Courage! Come! To me you are not an outcast. Have courage, daughter. You are a son, a daughter”. And this is the moment of grace, it is the moment of forgiveness, it is the moment of inclusion in the life of Jesus, in the life of the Church. It is the moment of mercy. Today, all of us, sinners, perhaps great sinners or small sinners, but we are all sinners, the Lord says to all of us: “Have courage, come! You are no longer rejected, you are no longer rejected: I forgive you, I embrace you”. God’s mercy is like this.

We must have courage and go to Him, to ask forgiveness for our sins and move forward, with courage, as this woman did. Then, “salvation” assumes multiple connotations: firstly it restores health to the woman; then it frees her from social and religious discrimination; moreover, it implements the hope that she carried in her heart, eliminating her fears and her despair; finally, it allows her to return to the community, freeing her from the necessity of acting secretly. And this last point is important: a person who is rejected always acts in secret, either sometimes or all through life: our thoughts turn to the lepers of that time, to the homeless of today...; we think of sinners, of ourselves, sinners: we always do something secretly, we need to do something in secret, because we are ashamed of what we are.... And he frees us from this, Jesus frees us and enables us to get up: “Get up, come, arise!”. The way God created us: God created us standing, not humiliated. Standing. What Jesus gives is total salvation, which reintegrates the woman’s life in the sphere of God’s love and, at the same time, restores her to her full dignity.

In short, it is not the cloak that the woman touched which gave her salvation, but the word of Jesus, received in faith, able to comfort her, heal her and restore her in a relationship with God and with his people. Jesus is the only source of blessing from which salvation for all men flows, and faith is the fundamental disposition for receiving it. Jesus, once again, with his action that is full of mercy, indicates to the Church the path she must take in order to meet each person, so that everyone can be healed in body and spirit and recover the dignity of children of God. Thank you.
Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from Ireland, Malta, the Philippines, Vietnam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United States of America. May your stay in the Eternal City confirm you in love for our Lord, and may he make you his missionaries of mercy, especially for all those who feel distant from God. May God bless you all!

In particular I extend my greeting to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. The heroic martyr St John the Baptist, whom we remembered on Monday, urges you, dear young people, to plan your future without comprising the Gospel; may he help you, dearsick people, to be courageous, finding serenity and comfort in Christ crucified; may he lead you, dear newlyweds, to a deep love for God and each other, in order to experience each day the consoling joy that comes from giving of yourself.

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Sunday, September 04, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 28 August 2016
 
PHOTO:raptureandendtimes.com
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
In the scene from today’s Gospel passage, Jesus, in the home of one of the chief Pharisees, observes that the guests at lunch rush to choose the first place. It is a scene that we have seen so often: seeking the best place even “with our elbows”. Observing this scene, Jesus shares two short parables, and with them two instructions: one concerning the place, and the other concerning the reward.

The first analogy is set at a wedding banquet. Jesus says: “When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man’, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place” (Lk 14:8-9). With this recommendation, Jesus does not intend to give rules of social behaviour, but rather a lesson on the value of humility. History teaches that pride, careerism, vanity and ostentation are the causes of many evils. And Jesus helps us to understand the necessity of choosing the last place, that is, of seeking to be small and hidden: humility. When we place ourselves before God in this dimension of humility, God exalts us, he stoops down to us so as to lift us up to himself; “For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exhalted” (v. 11).

Jesus’ words emphasize completely different and opposing attitudes: the attitude of those who choose their own place and the attitude of those who allow God to assign it and await a reward from Him. Let us not forget this: God pays much more than men do! He gives us a much greater place than that which men give us! The place that God gives us is close to his heart and his reward is eternal life. “You will be blessed”, Jesus says, “you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (v. 14).

This is what is described in the second parable, in which Jesus points out the attitude of selflessness that ought to characterize hospitality, and he says: “But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you” (vv. 13-14). This means choosing gratuitousness rather than self-seeking and calculating to obtain a reward, seeking interest and trying to increase your wealth.

Indeed, the poor, the simple, those who ‘don’t count’, can never reciprocate an invitation to a meal. In this way Jesus shows his preference for the poor and the excluded, who are the privileged in the Kingdom of God, and he launches the fundamental message of the Gospel which is to serve others out of love for God. Today, Jesus gives voice to those who are voiceless, and to each one of us he addresses an urgent appeal to open our hearts and to make our own the sufferings and anxieties of the poor, the hungry, the marginalized, the refugees, those who are defeated by life, those who are rejected by society and by the arrogance of the strong. And those who are discarded make up the vast majority of the population.

At this time, I think with gratitude of the soup kitchens where many volunteers offer their services, giving food to people who are alone, in need, unemployed or homeless. These soup kitchens and other works of mercy — such as visiting the sick and the imprisoned — are a training ground for charity that spreads the culture of gratuity, as those who work in these places are motivated by God’s love and enlightened by the wisdom of the Gospel. In this way serving others becomes a testimony of love, which makes the love of Christ visible and credible.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary, who was humble throughout her whole life, to lead us every day along the way of humility, and to render us capable of free gestures of welcome and solidarity with those who are marginalized, so as to become worthy of the divine reward. 

After the Angelus:
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I wish to renew my spiritual closeness to the citizens of Lazio, the Marches and Umbria, who were gravely hit by the earthquake in recent days. I think in particular of the people of Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata and Pescara del Tronto, and Norcia. I would like to say again to those dear people that the Church shares in their suffering and their concerns. Let us pray for those who have died and for those who have survived. The attentiveness of the authorities, police, civil protection and volunteers who are serving, shows how important solidarity is in overcoming such painful trials. Dear brothers and sisters, as soon as possible I too hope to come to see you, so as to personally bring you the comfort of faith, the embrace of a father and brother, and the support of Christian hope. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters all together:
Hail Mary...

Yesterday, in Santiago del Estero, in Argentina, Sr María Antonia de San José was beatified; the people call her Mama Antula. May her exemplary Christian witness, especially her apostolate in promoting the Spiritual Exercises, inspire the desire to adhere ever more to Christ and the Gospel.

On Thursday, 1 September, we will celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, together with our Orthodox brothers and other Churches. It will be an opportunity to strengthen the common commitment to safeguarding life and respecting the environment and nature.

I wish you all a happy Sunday, and please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch. Arrivederci!


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Wednesday, August 31, 2016
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Wednesday, 24 August 2016

PHOTO: www.meteoweb.eu

I had prepared the Catechesis for today, as for all Wednesdays during this Year of Mercy, focusing on the closeness of Jesus. However, on hearing the news of the earthquake that struck central Italy, which has devastated entire areas and left many wounded, I cannot fail to express my heartfelt sorrow and spiritual closeness to all those present in the zones affected. I also express my condolences to those who have lost loved ones and my spiritual support to those who are anxious and afraid. Hearing the Mayor of Amatrice say that “the town no longer exists”, and learning that there are children among the dead, I am deeply saddened.

For this reason I want to assure all the people of Accumoli, Amatrice, and beyond, in the Dioceses of Rieti, Ascoli Piceno, and all the people of Lazio, Umbria and le Marche, of the prayer and close solidarity of the entire Church who in these moments extends her maternal love. We too present in this square offer you our embrace.

In thanking all the volunteer and rescue personnel who are assisting these people, I ask you to join me in praying to the Lord Jesus, who is always moved by compassion before the reality of human suffering, that he may console the broken hearted and, by the intercession of the Virgin Mary, bring them peace.

With Jesus let our hearts be moved with compassion.
And so we will postpone this week’s Catechesis to next Wednesday. I invite you to pray with me a part of the Holy Rosary, the Sorrowful Mysteries:
1. Jesus’ Agony in the Garden;
2. The Scourging at the Pillar;
3. The Crowning of Thorns;
4. Jesus carries his Cross to Calvary;
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.
Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from Ireland, Iraq, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the United States of America. My special greeting goes to the members of the International Paralympic Committee and the athletes preparing for the forthcoming Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. I also greet the participants in the General Assembly promoted by the World Conference of Secular Institutes. 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.
APPEAL FOR UKRAINE
In recent weeks international observers have expressed concern for the exacerbation of the situation in eastern Ukraine. Today, while that dear nation celebrates its national holiday, which coincides this year with the 25th anniversary of independence, I assure my prayers for peace and I renew my appeal to all parties involved and to the international bodies to strengthen initiatives to resolve the conflict, to release hostages and respond to the humanitarian emergency.
* * *
Lastly I address a thought to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Today is the Feast Day of the Apostle St Bartholomew. Dear young people, learn from him that true strength is humility; dear sick people, do not tire of asking in prayer for the Lord’s help; and you, dear newlyweds, vie to esteem and help one another.

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Tuesday, August 30, 2016
La notizia urgente

FOTO: piabay.com

Non ho parole ascoltando la notizia arrivata questa mattina. Mentre leggevo un testo nella mia stanza, Padre rettore mi ha chiamato.

Mi ha detto, che è arrivata la notizia per quanto riguarda la domanda per l’ordinazione. In breve, la lettera ci comunica che devo fare la domanda subito. Sta sera devo consegnare ai padri consigliari.

Fra qualche giorno faranno il consiglio. Una delle agende preparate è questa domanda.

Subito gli ho chiesto al rettore di correggere il testo quando sarà pronto. Mi ha detto di si.

L’ho scritto fra qualche minuto. Poi, sono venuto dal suo ufficio. Ehhh sono sfortunato. Non c’è lui. Sono andato alla portineria per chiedere l’informazione. Lui è uscito per un altro impegno urgente.

Lo cercherò dopo. L’ho preparato comunque.

L’urgenza mi dà la possibilità di mettere fuori la mia forza. Come quello che è successo oggi. Non l’ho preparato prima purché ci ha avvisato il padre rettore. [Gordi]



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Monday, August 29, 2016
La bomba a Medan in Indonesia
 
la chiesa san Giuseppe, Medan, FOTO: Venusgazer kompasiana.com 
La notizia dell’Indonesia di oggi. Diceva che c’è stato l’esplosione della bomba in Indonesia a Medan in Nord Sumatra. Secondo la notizia italiana, questa vicenda è dentro la chiesa di san Giuseppe in città di Medan.

Io l’ho letto la notizia sul blogger indonesiano, kompasiana.com. Un blogger da Medan ha pubblicato la notizia su questa vicenda. È vero che c’è stato la bomba. Dentro la chiesa, prima dell’omelia. Praticamente, un giovane è andato verso il prete davanti all’altare.

Praticamente, la bomba ha cominciato ad esplodere come un fuoco. La gente gli hanno arrestato il giovane. L’hanno portato fuori.

C’erano le persone ferite a causa di questa vicenda. Anche il prete che celebrate la messa è in ferito.

Dopo questa vicenda, fuori la chiesa, c’è stato l’incontro tra il governo, la polizia, e i fedeli della chiesa san Giuseppe.

Speriamo che non è la grande bomba. Comunque, bisogna stare sempre attento a queste vicende. L’Indonesia con la ricchezza della sorge naturale e anche dal punto di vista religione, rischio di diventa bersaglio di queste persone che vogliono rovinare questa bellezza della natura e della gente indonesiana. [Gordi]



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Sunday, August 28, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 21 August 2016
PHOTO: baresouldaily.blogspot.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
Today’s Gospel passage urges us to meditate on the topic of salvation. St Luke the Evangelist tells us that while Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem, he was approached by a man who asked him this question: “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” (Lk 13:23). Rather than giving a direct answer, Jesus shifts the issue to another level in an evocative way, which the disciples don’t understand at first: “strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (v. 24). Using the image of a door, he wants his listeners to understand that it is not a question of numbers — how many will be saved —, how many is not relevant, but rather, it is important for everyone to know the way that leads to salvation.

This way means entering through a door. But where is the door? Who is the door? Jesus himself is that door. He says so in the Gospel of John: “I am the door” (10:9). He leads us to communion with the Father, where we find love, understanding and protection. But why is this door narrow, one might ask? Why does he say it is narrow? It is a narrow door not because it is oppressive, but because it demands that we restrain and limit our pride and our fear, in order to open ourselves to Him with humble and trusting hearts, acknowledging that we are sinners and in need of his forgiveness. This is why it is narrow, to limit our pride, which swells us. The door of God’s mercy is narrow but is always open to everyone! God does not have preferences, but always welcomes everyone, without distinction. A narrow door to restrain our pride and our fear; a door open wide because God welcomes us without distinction. And the salvation that He gives us is an unending flow of mercy that overcomes every barrier and opens surprising perspectives of light and peace. The door is narrow but always open wide: do not forget this.

Once more, Jesus extends a pressing invitation to us today to go to Him, to pass through the door of a full, reconciled and happy life. He awaits each one of us, no matter what sins we have committed, to embrace us, to offer us his forgiveness. He alone can transform our hearts, He alone can give full meaning to our existence, giving us true joy. By entering Jesus’ door, the door of faith and of the Gospel, we can leave behind worldly attitudes, bad habits, selfishness and narrow-mindedness. When we encounter the love and mercy of God, there is authentic change. Our lives are enlightened by the light of the Holy Spirit: an inextinguishable light!

I would like to propose something to you. Let us think now for a moment, in silence, of the things that we have inside us which prevent us from entering the door: my pride, my arrogance, my sins. Then, let us think of the other door, the one opened wide by the mercy of God who awaits us on the other side to grant us forgiveness.

The Lord offers us many opportunities to be saved and to enter through the door of salvation. This door is an occasion that can never be wasted: we don’t have to give long, erudite speeches about salvation, like the man who approached Jesus in the Gospel. Rather, we have to accept the opportunity for salvation. Because at a certain moment, the master of the house will rise and shut the door (cf. Lk 13:25), as the Gospel reminded us. But if God is good and loves us, why would he close the door at a certain point? Because our life is not a video game nor a television soap opera. Our life is serious and our goal is important: eternal salvation.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary, the Gate of Heaven, to help us seize the opportunities the Lord gives us in order to cross the threshold of faith and thus to enter a broad path: it is the path of salvation that can embrace all those who allow themselves to be enraptured by love. It is love that saves, the love that already on this earth is a source of happiness for all those who, in meekness, patience and justice, forget about themselves and give themselves to others, especially to those who are most weak.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I received the painful news of a brutal attack that struck our dear Turkey yesterday. Let us pray for the victims, for the dead and the injured, and let us ask for the gift of peace for all.

Hail Mary....
I cordially greet all the pilgrims from Rome and those arriving from other countries, in particular the faithful from Kalisz, Poland, and Gondomar, Portugal. I should also like to greet in a special way the new seminarians of the Pontifical North American College. Welcome to Rome!

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


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Wednesday, August 24, 2016
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 17 August 2016

PHOTO: www.warrencampdesign.com 

26. Mercy as the instrument of Communion (cf Mt 14:13-21)

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
Today we wish to reflect upon the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. At the beginning of the narrative given by Matthew (cf. 14:13-21), Jesus has just received word of the death of John the Baptist, and he crosses the lake by boat in search of a “lonely place apart” (v. 13). The people understand, however, and precede him on foot and thus, “as he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick” (v. 14). That’s how Jesus is: always compassionate, always thinking of others. The determination of the people — who fear being left alone, as if abandoned — is striking. John the Baptist, the charismatic prophet, is dead; [the crowd] trusts in Jesus, about whom John had said: “he who is coming after me is mightier than I” (Mt 3:11). Thus the crowd follows him everywhere, to listen to him and to bring him the sick. And seeing this, Jesus is moved. Jesus is not cold, he does not have a cold heart. Jesus is capable of being moved. On the one hand, he feels a bond with this crowd and does not want them to leave; on the other, he needs a moment of solitude, of prayer, with the Father. Often he spends the night praying to his Father.

Thus, that day too, the Master attends to the people. His compassion is not a vague sentiment; instead he shows all the strength of his will to be close to us and to save us. Jesus loves us so much and wants to be close to us.

As evening falls, Jesus is concerned about feeding all those tired and hungry people, and looks after those who follow him. He wants his disciples to be involved in this. Indeed he says to them: “you give them something to eat” (Mt 14:16). He shows them that the few loaves and fish that they have, by the power of faith and of prayer, can be shared with all of those people. Jesus works a miracle, but it is the miracle of faith, of prayer, created by compassion and love. Thus, Jesus “broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (v. 19). The Lord meets the needs of mankind, but wants to render each one of us a concrete participant in his compassion.

Now let us pause on this, Jesus’ gesture of blessing: “taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves” (v. 19). As you see, they are the same signs that Jesus performed at the Last Supper; and they are also the same gestures that each priest performs when he celebrates the Holy Eucharist. The Christian community is born and reborn continually from this Eucharistic communion. Living communion with Christ is therefore anything but being passive and detached from daily life; on the contrary, it includes us more and more in the relationship with the men and women of our time, in order to offer them the concrete sign of mercy and of the attention of Christ. While we are nourished by Christ, the Eucharist which we celebrate transforms us too, step by step, into the Body of Christ and spiritual food for our brothers and sisters. Jesus wants to reach everyone, in order to bring God’s love to all. For this reason he makes every believer a servant of mercy. Jesus sees the crowd, feels compassion for them and multiplies the loaves; thus he does the same with the Eucharist. We believers who receive this Eucharistic bread are spurred by Jesus to take this service to others, with his same compassion. This is the way.

The narrative of the multiplication of the loaves and fish ends with the verification that everyone is satisfied and with the collection of the leftover pieces (cf. v. 20).

When Jesus, with his compassion and his love, gives us a grace, forgives us our sins, embraces us, loves us; he does nothing halfway but completely. As it happens here: all are satisfied. Jesus fills our heart and our life with his love, with his forgiveness, with his compassion. Thus, Jesus allows his disciples to carry out his command. In this way they know the path to follow: to feed the people and keep them united; that is, to be at the service of life and of communion. Therefore, let us invoke the Lord, that he always make his Church capable of this holy service, and that each one of us may be an instrument of communion in our own family, at work, in the parish and the groups we belong to, a visible sign of the mercy of God who does not want to leave anyone in loneliness and in need, so that communion and peace may descend among mankind and the communion of mankind with God, because this communion is life for all.

Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from Ireland, Sweden, Ghana, Nigeria, China and the United States of America. 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.

Lastly, I address the young people, the sick and newlyweds. The Solemnity of the Assumption which we celebrated some days ago, called us to live with commitment the journey of this world constantly focused on eternal goods.

Dear young people, in building your future always place Christ’s call at the first place. May you, dear sick people, have in your suffering the comfort of the maternal presence of Mary, sign of hope. To you, dear newlyweds, I wish that your love may reflect the infinite and eternal love of God.


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Tuesday, August 23, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Saint Peter's Square
Monday, 15 August 2016

PHOTO: www.stjamespa.org  

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning! Happy Feast of the Assumption!
The Gospel passage (Lk 1:39-56) of today’s Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven describes the encounter between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, emphasizing that “Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah” (v. 39). In those days, Mary hastened to a small city in the vicinity of Jerusalem in order to meet Elizabeth. Today, however, we contemplate her on her journey toward the Heavenly Jerusalem, to encounter at last the face of the Father and to see once again the face of her Son Jesus. So often in her earthly life she had travelled mountainous areas, until the painful final phase of Calvary, associated with the Mystery of the Passion of Christ. Today, we see her arrive at God’s mountain, “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev 12:1) — as the Book of Revelation reads — and we see her cross the threshold of the heavenly homeland.

She was the first to believe in the Son of God, and is the first to be assumed into heaven in body and soul. She was the first to gather Jesus in her arms when he was still a boy, and is the first to be gathered in his arms to be introduced into the eternal Kingdom of the Father. Mary, a humble and simple maiden from an isolated village on the edge of the Roman Empire, precisely because she received and lived the Gospel, is allowed by God to be beside the Son’s throne for eternity. This is how the Lord puts down the mighty from their thrones and exalts those of low degree (cf. Lk 1:52).

The Assumption of Mary is a great mystery which regards each one of us, it regards our future. Mary, in fact, precedes us on the path walked upon by those who, through their Baptism, have bound their life to Jesus, as Mary bound her own life to Him. Today’s feast makes us look to heaven, foretells the “new heaven and new earth”, with the Risen Christ’s victory over death and the definitive defeat of evil. Therefore, the exultation of the humble maiden of Galilee, expressed in the Canticle of the Magnificat, becomes the song of all humanity, which sees with satisfaction the Lord stoop over all men and all women, humble creatures, and assume them with him into heaven.

The Lord stoops over the humble, to raise them up, as the Canticle of the Magnificat proclaims. This hymn of Mary also leads us to think of the many current painful situations, in particular of women overwhelmed by the burden of life and by the tragedy of violence, of women enslaved by the oppression of the powerful, of children forced into inhuman labour, of women obliged to surrender in body and in spirit to the greed of men. May they begin as soon as possible a life of peace, of justice, of love, awaiting the day in which they will finally feel they are held by hands which do not humiliate them, but which lift them tenderly and lead them on the path of life, to heaven. May Mary, a maiden, a woman who suffered a great deal in her life, make us think of these women who suffer so much. Let us ask the Lord that He himself may take them by the hand and lead them on the path of life, freeing them from these forms of slavery.

Now let us turn trustingly to Mary, gentle sweet Queen of Heaven, and ask her: “Give us days of peace, watch over our journey, let us see your Son, filled with the joy of Heaven” (Hymn of Second Vespers).

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, to the Queen of Peace, whom we contemplate today in heavenly glory, I would like once again to entrust the anxiety and the sorrow of people who in many parts of the world are innocent victims of persistent conflicts. My thoughts turn to the residents of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, recently struck by new massacres which for some time have been perpetrated in shameful silence, without even attracting our attention. Sadly these victims are part of the many innocent who have no bearing on world opinion. May Mary obtain for everyone feelings of compassion, of understanding and of a desire for harmony!

I greet all of you, people of Rome and pilgrims from various countries!

I wish a happy Feast of the Assumption to all of you present here and to those in various vacation sites, as well as those who have not be been able to go on vacation, especially the sick, lonely people and those who ensure indispensable services for communities during these holidays.

I thank you for coming and please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

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Monday, August 22, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 14 August 2016

PHOTO: beads-of-joy-blog.blogspot.com 

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
The Gospel for this Sunday (Lk 12:49-53) is part of Jesus’ teachings to the disciples during his journey to Jerusalem, where death on the cross awaits him. To explain the purpose of his mission, he takes three images: fire, baptism and division. Today I wish to talk about the first image: fire.

Jesus expresses it with these words: “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!” (v. 49). The fire that Jesus speaks of is the fire of the Holy Spirit, the presence living and working in us from the day of our Baptism. It — the fire — is a creative force that purifies and renews, that burns all human misery, all selfishness, all sin, which transforms us from within, regenerates us and makes us able to love. Jesus wants the Holy Spirit to blaze like fire in our heart, for it is only from the heart that the fire of divine love can spread and advance the Kingdom of God. It does not come from the head, it comes from the heart. This is why Jesus wants fire to enter our heart. If we open ourselves completely to the action of this fire which is the Holy Spirit, He will give us the boldness and the fervor to proclaim to everyone Jesus and his consoling message of mercy and salvation, navigating on the open sea, without fear.

In fulfilling her mission in the world, the Church — namely all of us who make up the Church — needs the Holy Spirit’s help so as not to let herself be held back by fear and by calculation, so as not to become accustomed to walking inside of safe borders. These two attitudes lead the Church to be a functional Church, which never takes risks. Instead, the apostolic courage that the Holy Spirit kindles in us like a fire helps us to overcome walls and barriers, makes us creative and spurs us to get moving in order to walk even on uncharted or arduous paths, offering hope to those we meet. With this fire of the Holy Spirit we are called to become, more and more, communities of people who are guided and transformed, full of understanding; people with expanded hearts and joyful faces. Now more than ever there is need for priests, consecrated people and lay faithful, with the attentive gaze of an apostle, to be moved by and to pause before hardship and material and spiritual poverty, thus characterizing the journey of evangelization and of the mission with the healing cadence of closeness. It is precisely the fire of the Holy Spirit that leads us to be neighbours to others, to the needy, to so much human misery, to so many problems, to refugees, to displaced people, to those who are suffering.

At this moment I am thinking with admiration especially of the many priests, men and women religious and lay faithful who, throughout the world, are dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel with great love and faithfulness, often even at the cost of their lives. Their exemplary testimony reminds us that the Church does not need bureaucrats and diligent officials, but passionate missionaries, consumed by ardour to bring to everyone the consoling word of Jesus and his grace. This is the fire of the Holy Spirit. If the Church does not receive this fire, or does not let it inflame her, she becomes a cold or merely lukewarm Church, incapable of giving life, because she is made up of cold and lukewarm Christians. It will do us good today to take five minutes to ask ourselves: “How is my heart? Is it cold? Is it lukewarm? Is it capable of receiving this fire?”. Let us take five minutes for this. It will do everyone good.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary to pray with us and for us to the Heavenly Father, that he dispense upon all believers the Holy Spirit, the divine flame which warms hearts and helps us to be in solidarity with the joys and the sufferings of our brothers and sisters. May we be sustained on our journey by the example of St Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of charity, whose feast day is today: may he teach us to live the fire of love for God and for our neighbour.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I warmly greet you all, people of Rome and pilgrims who are present!

Today I also had the joy of greeting several groups of young people: first of all the Scouts from Paris; then the young people who came to Rome on pilgrimage on foot or on bicycle from Bisuschio, Treviso, Solarolo, Macherio, Sovico, Vall’Alta di Bergamo and the Seminarians from the Minor Seminary of Bergamo. To you too I repeat the words that were the theme of the great meeting in Krakow: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”; always strive to forgive and have a compassionate heart.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday and a good lunch. Please do not forget to pray for me. Arrivederci!


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Thursday, August 18, 2016
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Paul VI Audience Hall
Wednesday, 10 August 2016
PHOTO: picssr.com
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
The passage from the Gospel of Luke that we have listened to (7:11-17) presents us with a truly great miracle of Jesus: the resurrection of a young man. However, the heart of this narrative is not the miracle, but Jesus’ tenderness toward the mother of this young man. Here, mercy takes the form of great compassion for a woman who had lost her husband and now is accompanying her only son to the cemetery. This deep sorrow of a mother moves Jesus and causes him to perform the miracle of resurrection.

In introducing this episode the Evangelist dwells on many details. At the gate of the small town of Nain — a village — two large groups meet. They come from opposite directions and have nothing in common. Jesus, followed by the disciples and by a large crowd, is about to enter the residential area, while coming out of it is a procession accompanying a dead man, with his widowed mother and many people. At the gate the two groups brush by each other, each going its own way, but it is then that St Luke notes Jesus’ feelings: “when the Lord saw her [the woman], he had compassion on her and said to her: ‘Do not weep’. And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still” (vv. 13-14). Great compassion guides Jesus’ actions: he stops the procession, touches the bier and, moved by profound mercy for this mother, decides to confront the reality of death, so to speak, face to face. And he will confront it definitively, face to face, on the Cross.

During this Jubilee, it would be a good thing if, in passing through the Holy Door, the Door of Mercy, pilgrims were to remember this episode of the Gospel, which occurred at the gate of Nain. When Jesus sees this mother in tears, she enters his heart! Every one arrives at the Holy Door carrying their own life, with its joys and suffering, plans and failures, doubts and fears, in order to present it to the Lord’s mercy. We are certain that, at the Holy Door, the Lord comes near to meet each one of us, to bring and offer his powerful consoling words: “Do not weep!” (v. 13). This is the Door of the encounter between the pain of humanity and the compassion of God. Crossing the threshold we fulfil our pilgrimage into the mercy of God who, as to the deceased young man, repeats to all: “I say to you, arise”! (v. 14). To each of us he says: “Arise!”. God wants us to stand upright. He created us to be on our feet: for this reason, Jesus’ compassion leads to that gesture of healing, to heal us, of which the key phrase is: “Arise! Stand up, as God created you!”. Standing up. “But Father, we fall so often” — “Onward, arise!”. This is Jesus’ word, always. In passing through the Holy Door, let us try to feel this word in our heart: “Arise!”.

The powerful word of Jesus can make us rise again and can bring about in us too the passage from death to life. His word revives us, gives us hope, refreshes weary hearts, opens us to a vision of the world and of life which transcends suffering and death. The inexhaustible treasure of God’s mercy is inscribed for each one on the Holy Door!

Touched by the word of Jesus, “the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother” (v. 15). This phrase is so beautiful: it shows Jesus’ tenderness: “he gave him to his mother”. The mother recovers her son. Receiving him from Jesus’ hands she becomes a mother for the second time, but the son who is now restored to her is not the one who received life from her. Mother and son thus receive their respective identities thanks to the powerful word of Jesus and to his loving gesture. Therefore, especially in the Jubilee, Mother Church receives her children, recognizing in them the life given by the grace of God. It is due to this grace, the grace of Baptism, that the Church becomes mother and that each one of us becomes her child.

Before the young man, revived and restored to his mother, “fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’” (v. 16). What Jesus does is thus not only a saving action intended for the widow and her son, or a gesture of goodness limited to that town. In Jesus’ merciful care, God meets his people, in Him all of God’s grace appears and will continue to appear to mankind.
Celebrating this Jubilee, which I wished to be lived in all the particular Churches, that is in all the churches of the world, and not only in Rome, it is as if all the Church spread throughout the world were joined in one hymn of praise to the Lord. Today too the Church recognizes that she is visited by God. For this reason, by setting out for the Door of Mercy, each one is able to set out for the door of the merciful heart of Jesus: He indeed is the true Door that leads to salvation and restores us to new life. Mercy, both in Jesus and in ourselves, is a journey which starts in the heart in order to reach the hands. What does this mean? Jesus looks at you, he heals you with his mercy, he says to you: “Arise!”, and your heart is new. What does it mean to make a journey from the heart to the hands? It means that with a new heart, with the heart healed by Jesus I can perform works of mercy through the hands, seeking to help, to heal the many who are in need. Mercy is a journey that starts in the heart and ends in the hands, namely in the works of mercy.

I have said that mercy is a journey that goes from the heart to the hands. In the heart, we receive the mercy of Jesus who forgives us everything, because God forgives everything and lifts us up, gives us new life and infects us with his compassion. From that forgiven heart and with the compassion of Jesus, the journey to the hands begins, namely through the works of mercy. A bishop, the other day, told me that in his cathedral and in other churches he had made entry and exit doors of mercy. “Why did you do this?” — “Because one door is to enter by, to ask forgiveness, and to receive Jesus’ mercy; the other is the door of mercy to exit by, in order to take mercy to others, with our works of mercy”. This bishop is intelligent! Let us also do the same with the journey that goes from the heart to the hands: let us enter the church through the door of mercy, to receive the forgiveness of Jesus, who tells us: “Arise! Go, go!”; and with this “Go!” — on foot — let us leave through the exit door. It is the Church going forth: the journey of mercy which goes from the heart to the hands. Make this journey!

Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Malta, Indonesia and the United States of America. 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.

I hope that every one may live this Extraordinary Holy Year by fostering the culture of encounter, recognizing the presence of the Lord’s flesh particularly in the poor and in the needy.

Lastly I address a greeting to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Last Monday we recalled the figure of St Dominic de Guzmán, whose Order of Preachers is celebrating the eighth centenary of its foundation. May the enlightened word of this Great Saint inspire you, dear young people, to listen to and to live Jesus’ teachings; may his inner strength sustain you, dear sick people, in times of discomfort; and may his apostolic devotion remind you, dear newlyweds, of the importance of Christian education in your family.

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Monday, August 15, 2016
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 7 August 2016

PHOTO: obitelj-malih-marija.com

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
In the text of today’s Gospel (Lk 12:32-48), Jesus speaks to his disciples about the attitude to assume in view of the final encounter with him, and explains that the expectation of this encounter should impel us to live a life full of good works. Among other things he says: “Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys” (v. 33). It is a call to give importance to almsgiving as a work of mercy, not to place trust in ephemeral goods, to use things without attachment and selfishness, but according to God’s logic, the logic of attention to others, the logic of love. We can be so attached to money, and have many things, but in the end we cannot take them with us. Remember that “the shroud has no pockets”.

Jesus’ lesson continues with three short parables on the theme of vigilance. This is important: vigilance, being alert, being vigilant in life. The first is the parable of the servants waiting for their master to return at night. “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes” (v. 37): it is the beatitude of faithfully awaiting the Lord, of being ready, with an attitude of service. He presents himself each day, knocks at the door of our heart. Those who open it will be blessed, because they will have a great reward: indeed, the Lord will make himself a servant to his servants — it is a beautiful reward — in the great banquet of his Kingdom He himself will serve them. With this parable, set at night, Jesus proposes life as a vigil of diligent expectation, which heralds the bright day of eternity. To be able to enter one must be ready, awake and committed to serving others, from the comforting perspective that, “beyond”, it will no longer be we who serve God, but He himself who will welcome us to his table. If you think about it, this already happens today each time we meet the Lord in prayer, or in serving the poor, and above all in the Eucharist, where he prepares a banquet to nourish us of his Word and of his Body.

The second parable describes the unexpected arrival of the thief. This fact requires vigilance; indeed, Jesus exhorts: “You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (v. 40).

The disciple is one who awaits the Lord and his Kingdom. The Gospel clarifies this perspective with the third parable: the steward of a house after the master’s departure. In the first scene, the steward faithfully carries out his tasks and receives compensation. In the second scene, the steward abuses his authority, and beats the servants, for which, upon the master’s unexpected return, he will be punished. This scene describes a situation that is also frequent in our time: so much daily injustice, violence and cruelty are born from the idea of behaving as masters of the lives of others. We have only one master who likes to be called not “master” but “Father”. We are all servants, sinners and children: He is the one Father.

Jesus reminds us today that the expectation of the eternal beatitude does not relieve us of the duty to render the world more just and more liveable. On the contrary, this very hope of ours of possessing the eternal Kingdom impels us to work to improve the conditions of earthly life, especially of our weakest brothers and sisters. May the Virgin Mary help us not to be people and communities dulled by the present, or worse, nostalgic for the past, but striving toward the future of God, toward the encounter with him, our life and our hope.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, unfortunately news of civilian victims of war continues to arrive from Syria, from Aleppo in particular. It is unacceptable that so many defenceless people — even many children — must pay the price of the conflict, the price of closing the heart and of the lack of will of the powerful for peace. Let us be close in prayer and solidarity with our Syrian brothers and sisters, and let us entrust them to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary. Let us all pray a bit in silence and then recite a Hail Mary.

I greet all of you, people of Rome and pilgrims from various countries! Quite a lot of flags are visible!

Today various groups of young men and women are present. I greet you with great affection!
I wish everyone a happy Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch. Arrivederci!

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