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Sunday, December 06, 2015
ADMINISTRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION AND BEGINNING OF THE VIGIL OF PRAYER WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
Cathedral Square, Bangui (Central African Republic)
Sunday, 29 November 2015

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO KENYA, UGANDA AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
(25-30 NOVEMBER 2015)

Dear Young Friends,
I greet all of you with affection. Your friend who spoke in your name said that your symbol is the banana tree, because it is a symbol of life: banana trees keep growing, they spread, they bear fruit which always gives nourishment and strength. Banana trees are also resilient. I think that this tells us clearly the road before you at this difficult time of war, hatred and division: it is the road of resilience.

Your friend said that some of you want to leave home. Fleeing from life’s challenges is never a solution! It is necessary to be resilient, to have the courage to resist, to fight for what is right! Those who flee do not have the courage to give life. Banana trees give life, they spread and keep giving new life because they are resilient, they remain, they stay put. Some of you will say: “But Father, what can we do? How can we be resilient?” Let me tell you two or three things that may be helpful for you, in order to be resilient.
First of all, prayer. Prayer is powerful! Prayer conquers evil! Prayer makes you draw near to God who is all-powerful. Let me ask you a question: Do you pray? I can’t hear you! [the young people respond: Yes!]. Don’t forget this!

Second, work for peace. Peace is not a document which gets signed and then filed away. Peace is built day by day! And peace is crafted; it is the work of our hands; it is built up by the way we live our lives. But someone may say: “Tell me, Father, how can I build peace? How can I be a peacemaker?” First: never hate anyone. If someone wrongs you, seek to forgive. No hatred! Much forgiveness! Let us all say this together: “No hatred! Much forgiveness!” [all repeat in Sango]. And if hatred does not dwell in your heart, if you forgive, then you will be a winner. Because you will win the hardest battle in life; you will win in love. And from love comes peace.

Do you want to be winners or losers in life? What do you want? [We want to be winners!] But we only win if we take the road of love. The road of love. Can we love our enemies? Yes! Can we forgive those who do us wrong? Yes! So, through love and forgiveness, you will be winners. With love you will win in life and you will always give life. Love will never make you losers.

Now I wish you all the best. Think of the banana tree. Think of resilience in the face of problems. Fleeing, going away is not a solution. You must be courageous. Have you understood what it means to be courageous? Courageous in forgiving, courageous in loving, courageous in building peace. Is that right? [Yes!] Let’s say it together! “Courageous in love, in forgiveness, in building peace”.

Dear young people of Central Africa, I’m very happy that I met you. Today we opened this Door. It is a sign of the Door of God's Mercy. Trust in God! Because he is merciful; he is love; he is capable of giving you peace. That is why I told you at the beginning to pray: we need to pray in order to be resilient, to love and not to hate, to be peacemakers.

Thank you for coming. Now I’m going to go in and hear some of your confessions.
Are your hearts ready to be resilient? Yes or no? [Yes!] Are your hearts ready to work for peace? [Yes!] Are your hearts ready to forgive? [Yes!] Are your hearts open to reconciliation? [Yes!] Are your hearts ready to love this beautiful country of yours? [Yes!] And now let me go back to the very first thing. Are your hearts ready to pray? [Yes!]
I ask you also to pray for me, so that I can be a good bishop, a good Pope. Will you promise to pray for me? [Yes!]

And now I will give my blessing to you and your families. A blessing and a prayer, that the Lord will give you his love and his peace.
Have a good evening and pray for me!


Prepared address by the Holy Father:
Dear Young Friends,
Good evening! It is a great joy for me to be here with you this evening, as we enter upon a new liturgical year with the beginning of Advent. Is this not, for each one of us, an occasion to begin anew, a chance to “go across to the other side?” (cf. Lk 8:22).
During this, our meeting I will be able to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with some of you. I encourage each of you to reflect on the grandeur of this sacrament, in which God comes to meet us personally. Whenever we ask, he comes to us and helps us to “go across to the other side”, to that side of our life where God forgives us and bathes us in his love which heals, soothes and raises up! The Jubilee of Mercy, which I just opened particularly for you, dear Central African and African friends, rightly reminds us that God is waiting for us, with arms wide open, as we see in the beautiful image of the Father who welcomes the prodigal son.

The forgiveness which we receive comforts us and enables us to make a new start, with trusting and serene hearts, better able to live in harmony with ourselves, with God and with others. The forgiveness which we receive enables us in turn to forgive others. There is always a need for this, especially in times of conflict and violence, as you know all too well. I renew my closeness to all those among you who are have experienced sorrow, separation and the wounds inflicted by hatred and war. In such situations, forgiving those who have done us harm is, humanly speaking, extremely difficult. But God offers us the strength and the courage to become those artisans of reconciliation and peace which your country greatly needs. The Christian, as a disciple of Christ, walks in the footsteps of his Master, who on the Cross asked his Father to forgive those who were crucifying him (cf. Lk 23:34). How far is this sentiment from those which too often reign in our hearts! Meditating on the attitude and the words of Jesus, “Father, forgive them”, can help to turn our gaze and convert our heart.

For many people, it is a scandal that God came to be one of us. It is a scandal that he died on a cross. Yes, it is scandalous: the scandal of the cross. The cross continues to scandalize. Yet it remains the one sure way: the way of the cross, the way of Jesus who came to share our life and to save us from sin (cf. Meeting with Young Argentineans, 25 July 2013). Dear friends, this cross speaks to us of the closeness of God: he is with us, he is with each one of you, in your joys and in your trials.
Dear young people, the most precious good which we can have in this life is our relationship with God. Are you convinced of this? Are you aware of the inestimable value that you have in God’s eyes? Do you know that you are loved and accepted by him, unconditionally, as you are? (cf. Message for the World Youth Day 2015, 2). Devoting time to prayer and the reading of Scripture, especially the Gospels, you will come to know him, and yourselves, ever better. Today too, Jesus’ counsels can illumine your feelings and your decisions. You are enthusiastic and generous, pursuing high ideals, searching for truth and beauty. I encourage you to maintain an alert and critical spirit in the face of every compromise which runs contrary to the Gospel message.

Thank you for your creative dynamism, which the Church greatly needs. Cultivate this! Be witnesses to the joy of meeting Jesus. May he transform you, strengthen your faith and help you to overcome every fear, so that you may embrace ever more fully God’s loving plan for you! God wills the happiness of every one of his children. Those who open themselves to his gaze are freed from sin, from sorrow, from inner emptiness and from isolation (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 1). Instead, they can see others as brothers or sisters, accepting their differences and recognizing that they are a gift for all of us.
It is in this way that peace is built, day by day. It calls for setting out on the path of service and humility, and being attentive to the needs of others. To embrace this mindset, we need to have a heart capable of bending low and sharing life with those most in need. That is where true charity is found. In this way solidarity grows, beginning with small gestures, and the seeds of division disappear. In this way dialogue among believers bears fruit, fraternity is lived day by day and it enlarges the heart by opening up a future. In this way, you will be able to do so much good for your country. I encourage you do so.

Dear young friends, the Lord is alive and he is walking at your side. When difficulties seem to abound, when pain and sadness seem to prevail all around you, he does not abandon you. He has left us the memorial of his love: the Eucharist and the sacraments, to aid our progress along the way and furnish the strength we need to daily move forward. This must be the source of your hope and your courage as you “go across to the other side” (cf. Lk 8:22), with Jesus, opening new paths for yourselves and your generation, for your families, for your country. I pray that you will be filled with this hope. May you be ever anchored in it, so that you can give it to others, to this world of ours so wounded by war and conflicts, by evil and sin. Never forget: the Lord is with you. He trusts you. He wants you to be missionary disciples, sustained in times of difficulty and trial by the prayers of the Virgin Mary and those of the entire Church. Dear young people of Central Africa, go forth! I am sending you out!
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Friday, November 27, 2015
Paus Fransiskus, Pembawa Harapan ke Benua Afrika
 
Foto Paus Fransiskus di Nairobi bersama
Presiden Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta dan Margarte, Ibu negara.
FOTO: republica dan AFP


Benua Afrika kali ini mendapat perhatian khusus dari Paus Fransiskus. Hari ini, Rabu 25 November, Paus memulai kunjungannya ke tiga negara yakni Kenya, Uganda, dan Republik Afrika Tengah. Perjalanan internasional ke-11 ini menjadi bersejarah bukan saja karena pertama kali ke Afrika tetapi melihat situasi dunia saat ini. Di Eropa, situasi belum aman setelah beberapa peristiwa mengenaskan di Paris dan juga peristiwa lain di berbagai kota di jantung Eropa. Di Timur Tengah masih terjadi persaingan hangat antara Turki dan Rusia. Tak heran jika kunjungan Paus ini mendapat banyak komentar.

Dalam wawancara dan berita di media Italia, ada yang mengusulkan kepada Paus supaya batalkan saja kunjungan ini, jangan tinggalkan Eropa sebelum situasi benar-benar aman. Yang lain mengatakan, mengapa Paus meninggalkan Vatikan pada pembukaan tahun Yubilium Kerahiman Ilahi ini (L’apertura dell’anno della misericordia)? Bukankah lebih baik jika Paus membuka Pintu Suci (La Porta Santa) di Vatikan dan Roma?

Komentar seperti ini wajar. Bukti bahwa masyarakat Italia dan Eropa menaruh perhatian besar pada Paus Fransiskus. Mereka tidak ingin agar kunjungan ini membawa risiko besar pada keamanan Paus Fransiskus. Paus Fransiskus—seperti pendahulunya Paus Benediktus dan Paus Yohanes Paulus II—tentu tidak langsung mengiyakan komentar seperti ini. Dia tahu, mana yang penting dan mendesak saat ini. Paus kiranya meniru sikap Yesus, mencari domba yang hilang yang belum dijamah oleh sang gembala. Maka, kunjungan Paus ini bertujuan untuk berada lebih dekat dengan rakyat Afrika.

Pelayan Injil
Kunjungan selama 6 hari ini memang bertujuan untuk membawa Injil kepada masyarakat Afrika. Paus Fransiskus mengatakan saya datang sebagai pelayan Injil. Injil mesti diwartakan kepada mereka yang belum menerimanya, belum mengenalnya, bahkan pada mereka yang belum mendengarnya.

Kiranya tepat sekali kunjungan Paus kali ini mengingat situasi Afrika saat ini. Peperangan, kemiskinan, penyakit AIDS, perdagangan manusia, perbudakan, dan berbagai masalah sosial lainnya. Masyarakat Afrika membutuhkan seseorang yang bisa membuat mereka nyaman tinggal di negeri mereka. Kalau tidak, mereka akan mencari tempat aman. Jangan heran jika Eropa menjadi tujuan akhir petualangan mereka dari Afrika. Untuk mereka yang bersikukuh menetap di negerinya, situasi seperti ini kadang menyulitkan. Dan, dalam keadaan sulit ini hanya satu yang mereka butuhkan yakni harapan. Dan Paus Fransiskus adalah pembawa harapan itu sendiri. Beberapa kali dia menyebut frase Pembawa Harapan dalam beberapa hari terakhir dalam homili atau audiensi di Roma dan Vatikan.

Saksi perdamaian
Selain tema harapan, Paus Fransiskus juga ingin mengajak rakyat Afrika untuk menjadi saksi perdamaian. Banyak martir di Afrika terutama para misionaris asing dan juga dari warga lokal. Akhir-akhir ini misalnya di Burundi, Kongo, dan beberapa negara lainnya. Rencananya, Paus akan berbicara tentang tema perdamaian ini saat membuka Pintu Suci di Gereja Katedral Bangui, Republik Afrika Tengah pada Minggu 29 November mendatang.

Tema ini kiranya penting di tengah situasi perang di Afrika. Perdamaian tercapai jika ada damai di antara mereka warga senegara, sedaerah, dan juga warga dari berbagai agama. Itulah sebabnya pada hari terakhir, Senin 30 November, Paus akan masuk Masjid utama di kota Bangui. Di sini, Paus menegaskan dirinya sebagai peziarah damai (pellegrino di pace).

Jadwal Kunjungan
Kunjungan ke 3 negara selama 6 hari. Rencananya Paus akan menetap di setiap negara selama lebih kurang 2 hari.

Kenya: Kamis dan Jumat
Tiba sore hari (Rabu) di Kenya. Menetap di sana dari Kamis sampai Jumat. Hari Kamis Paus akan berbicara di kantor perwakilan PBB di Nairobi tentang tema pemeliharaan ciptaan. Hari Jumat Paus mengunjungi kaum miskin di barak pengunsi di kota Bangui.

Uganda: Sabtu
Di Uganda Paus menetap hanya 1 hari dengan jadwal kunjungan yang padat. Pertama, Paus mempersembahkan misa di Basilika (Santuario) di wilayah Namugongo. Basilika ini didedikasikan untuk para martir Uganda.
Kedua, Paus akan mengunjungi penghuni di Rumah Caritas di Nalukongo.

Republik Afrika Tengah: Minggu dan Senin
Di sini, Paus akan membuka Pintu Suci secara simbolis di Gereja Katedral di kota Bangui pada hari Minggu.
Hari berikutnya, Senin, Paus akan bertemu para pemimpin agama Islam dan akan masuk di Masjid utama di kota Bangui.

Demikianlah jadwal kunjungan Paus ini. Informasi jadwal kunjungan disunting dari harian Avvenire, Italia.

**File tulisan ini pernah dikirim ke situs sesawi Jakarta tetapi tidak ditindaklanjuti. Penulis berhak memublikasikannya di blog ini.






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Wednesday, November 25, 2015
ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 22 November 2015



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King. And today’s Gospel leads us to contemplate Jesus as he introduces himself to Pilate as king of a kingdom that “is not of this world” (Jn 18:36). This doesn’t mean that Christ is the king of another world, but that he is king in another manner, but he is king in this world. It is a contrast between two types of logic. Worldly logic is based on ambition, competition, it fights using the weapons of fear, extortion, and the manipulation of consciences. On the other hand, the logic of the Gospel, that is, the logic of Jesus, is expressed in humility and gratuitousness. It is silently but effectively affirmed with the strength of truth. The kingdoms of this world at times are sustained by arrogance, rivalries and oppression; the reign of Christ is a “kingdom of justice, love and peace” (Preface).

When did Jesus reveal himself as king? In the event of the Cross! Those who look at the Cross cannot but see the astonishing gratuitousness of love. One of you could say, “Father, that was a failure!”. It is precisely in the failure of sin — sin is a failure — in the failure of human ambitions: the triumph of the Cross is there, the gratuitousness of love is there. In the failure of the Cross, love is seen, a love that is gratuitous, which Jesus gives us. For a Christian, speaking of power and strength means referring to the power of the Cross, and the strength of Jesus’ love: a love which remains steadfast and complete, even when faced with rejection, and it is shown as the fulfillment of a life expended in the total surrender of oneself for the benefit of humanity. On Calvary, the passers-by and the leaders derided Jesus, nailed to the Cross, and they challenged him: “Save yourself, and come down from the cross!” (Mk 15:30). “Save yourself!”. But paradoxically the truth of Jesus is precisely what is hurled at him in a mocking tone by his adversaries: “he cannot save himself!” (v. 31). Had Jesus come down from the Cross, he would have given in to the temptations of the prince of this world. Instead, he cannot save himself precisely so as to be able to save others, precisely because he has given his life for us, for each one of us. To say: “Jesus gave his life for the world” is true. But it is more beautiful to say: “Jesus gave his life for me”. And today, in this Square, let each one of us say in his or her heart: “He gave his life for me, in order to save each one of us from our sins”.

Who understood this? One of the criminals who was crucified with him understood it well, the so-called “good thief”, who implored him, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingly power” (Lk 23:42). But this was a criminal, a corrupt person, and he was there in fact because he had been condemned to death for all of the brutalities that he had committed in his life. But he saw love in Jesus’ manner, in Jesus’ meekness. The kingship of Jesus doesn’t oppress us, but rather frees us from our weaknesses and miseries, encouraging us to walk the path of the good, of reconciliation and of forgiveness. Let us look at the Cross of Jesus, let us look at the “good thief”, and let us all say together what the good thief said: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”. All together: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Ask Jesus, when we feel that we are weak, that we are sinners, defeated, to look at us, and say to him: “You are there. Don’t forget me”.

Faced with so many lacerations in the world and too many wounds in the flesh of mankind, let us ask the Virgin Mary to sustain us in our commitment to emulate Jesus, our king, by making his kingdom present with gestures of tenderness, understanding and mercy.

After the Angelus:
Yesterday, in Barcelona, Federico de Berga and 25 companion martyrs were beatified. They were killed in Spain during the violent persecution against the Church in the last century. They were priests, professed youth awaiting ordination and lay brothers of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Let us entrust to their intercession our many brothers and sisters who sadly, still today, in various parts of the world, are persecuted because of their faith in Christ.

I greet all of you pilgrims, from Italy and from various countries: families, parish groups, associations. In particular, I greet those from Mexico, Australia and Paderborn, Germany. I greet the faithful of Avola, Mestre, Foggia, Pozzallo, Campagna and Val di Non, Italy, as well as the musical groups, whom I heard! — and who celebrate St Cecilia, patroness of song and music. After the Angelus, let yourselves be heard, because you play very well.

On Wednesday, I begin my trip to Africa, to visit Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic. I ask all of you to pray for this journey, that it may be for all of these beloved brothers and sisters, and also for me, a sign of closeness and love. Together let us ask the Virgin to bless these beloved lands, so that there may be peace and prosperity in them.
[Hail Mary…]

I wish you all a good Sunday. Please don’t forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch. Arrivederci!
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Monday, November 23, 2015
Jika Anda Kantuk, Segeralah Tidur


Tidur adalah salah satu kewajiban alami yang mesti dipenuhi. Seperti makan, tidur tidak bisa ditunda. Kalau pun Anda menundanya, Anda sendiri yang rugi. Dan, bahkan lebih dari rugi, Anda akan sakit jika menundanya.

Tubuh butuh makan agar muncul energi baru. Seperti makanan, tidur juga memberi energi baru pada tubuh. Energi baru muncul setelah Anda melepaskan kepenatan, menanggalkan kelelahan, dan tidur sebentar. Seperti tidak ada manusia yang tidak butuh makan, setiap manusia juga butuh waktu untuk tidur.

Saya ingat kejadian mengerikan itu. Beberapa teman kelas kami tiba terlambat di kelas. Kami kira mereka telat seperti biasanya sebab sering kali mereka tiba telat. Entah karena hujan, tol macet, atau ada kecelakaan. Kali ini rupanya lain. Ada sesuatu yang membuat mereka kurang nyaman. Penyebabnya memang bukan mereka. Tetapi apa boleh buat, seperti dalam masyarakat, seorang bertindak salah yang lain kena getah dari kesalahannya. Demikianlah teman-teman kami ini. Mereka bukan pelaku tetapi korban. Untung saja mereka tetap bisa datang dan mengikuti kuliah pagi itu.

Sang profesor bergegas menghampiri satu dari mereka begitu lonceng berbunyi. Jam istirahat sudah tiba. “Kalian baik-baik saja, state bene?”
Pertanyaan seperti ini sudah biasa bagi orang Italia. Ada dua fungsi di sini. Satunya hanya sebatas sapaan. Seperti saya menayakan sahabat saya, bagaimana kabar Anda sementara saya tahu dia baik-baik saja. Tetapi, pertanyaan yang sama bisa juga berarti pertanyaan serius. Menayakan keadaan yang sebenarnya.

Kata teman saya, “Kami mengalami kecelakaan sedikit. Hampir saja ditabrak mobil besar (truk pengangkut kontainer).”

Kami yang turut mendengarnya ikut kaget. Lalu, kami beramai-ramai mendengar penjelasannya. Rupanya memang mereka hampir ditabrak mobil besar ini yang berlawanan arah dengan mereka. Mobil besar ini sudah melampaui jalurnya dan masuk ke jalur sebelah yang nota bene dari arah berlawanan. Teman kami yang jadi sopir tidak bisa berbuat apa-apa. Dia tidak tahu atau tidak sadar bagaimana menghindari mobil dari arah berlawanan arah ini. Untung saja, satu teman lagi yang duduk di belakang berdiri dari kursinya dan menekan tombol klakson. Bunyi klakson inilah yang membangunkan sopir mobil besar tadi. Lalu, dengan sigap dan tangkas, mobil besar itu berputar haluan. Dia menabrak pagar jalan tol. Dengan itu, dia tidak jadi menabrak mobil teman kami.

Kejadian ini mungkin sepele karena sering terjadi apalagi di Indonesia khususnya di Pulau Jawa. Di jalan tol, jalur puncak, atau jalur pantura misalnya banyak sekali sopir truk yang ngantuk karena kecapaian. Tetapi, kejadian ini betul-betul merugikan. Tak jarang bagi beberapa sopir, mereka bukan saja rugi tetapi malah merugikan orang lain. Menabrak rumah orang, menabrak motor, menabrak mobil dari arah berlawanan dan sebagainya.

Masalah mendasarnya adalah kurang tidur yang menyebabkan sopir jadi ngantuk. Ngantuk tetapi masih mau bekerja, masih mau nyetir. Bukannya tidur. Maklum, tidak tidur, tidak dapat gaji. Tidak dapat gaji, tidak dapat makan, tidak bisa menyekolahkan anak, dan tidak bisa bertahan hidup. Singkatnya, gara-gara ngantuk, akibat-akibat lainnya muncul berentetan. Tentu kita tidak ingin seperti ini. Tidak ingin kejadian serupa berulang kali terjadi. Untuk menghindarinya, lebih baik mulai dari diri sendiri. Mulailah tidur jika Anda merasa ngantuk. Jika tidak mau ngantuk pada saat bekerja, Anda mesti mengatur jadwal tidur Anda dengan baik.

Kecelakaan bisa datang kapan saja tetapi usahakan agar bukan kita yang menciptakannya. Kalau orang lain yang menyebabkannya itu urusannya lain. Saya kira jika kita masing-masing menjaga agar tidak menjadi penyebab kecelakaan, kecelakaan itu semestinya tidak ada.

Rasa kantuk bukan saja untuk sopir truk. Kita yang biasa menyetir sendiri mengalami hal yang sama. Tetapi, kita bisa mengatasinya. Biarlah kita turut menjaga keteraturan lau lintas bersama. Kita akan menikmatinya jika lalu lintas lancar. Sebab, jika macet atau kecelakaan, bukan saja kita tetapi banyak orang akan rugi.

Selamat berkendara dengan aman, nyaman, lancar, dan selamat sampai tujuan.

PRM, 23/11/15
Gordi

Foto di sini

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Monday, November 23, 2015
GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Family - 33. The welcoming door  



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
With this reflection we arrive at the threshold of the Jubilee, it’s close. The door is before us, not just the Holy Door, but another: the great door of the Mercy of God — and that is a beautiful door! — which embraces our penance, offering the grace of his forgiveness. The door is generously open, it takes a little courage on our part to cross the threshold. Each of us has burdensome things within ourselves. We are all sinners! Let us take advantage of this coming moment and cross the threshold of this mercy of God who never tires of forgiving, never tires of waiting for us! He watches us, he is always beside us. Take heart! Let us enter through this door!

From the Synod of Bishops, which we celebrated in the month of October, all families and the entire Church received great encouragement to meet at the threshold of this open door. The Church was encouraged to open her doors, to go out with the Lord to meet her sons and daughters on the path, at times uncertain, at times dismayed, in these difficult times. Christian families in particular were encouraged to open the door to the Lord who is waiting to enter, bringing his blessing and his friendship. And as the door of God’s mercy is always open, so too must the doors of our churches, our communities, our parishes, our institutions, our dioceses, be open, because this is how we can all go out to bring this mercy of God. The Jubilee signifies the great door of the mercy of God but also the small doors of our churches, open to allow the entrance of the Lord — or often the exit of the Lord — who is a prisoner of our structures, of our selfishness and of so many things.

The Lord never forces the door open; he too asks permission to enter. The Book of Revelation says: “I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (3:20). Let us imagine the Lord knocking at the door of our heart! In the last great vision of the Book of Revelation, the City of God is prophesied like this: “its gates shall never be shut by day”, which means for ever, because “there shall be no night there” (21:25). There are places in the world in which doors are not locked, there still are. But there are so many where armoured doors have become the norm. We must not give in to the idea that we must apply this system to our whole life, to the life of the family, of this city, of society, much less to the life of the Church. That would be terrible! An inhospitable Church, like a family closed off within itself, mortifies the Gospel and withers the world. No armoured doors in the Church, none! Completely open!

The symbolic management of “doors” — of thresholds, of passages, of borders — has become crucial. The door must protect, of course, but not reject. The door must not be forced but on the contrary, one asks permission, because hospitality shines in the freedom of welcoming, and dims in the arrogance of invasion. The door is frequently opened, in order to see if there is someone waiting outside, perhaps without the courage nor, perhaps, the strength to knock. How many people have lost faith, do not have the courage to knock at the door of our Christian heart, at the doors of our churches.... And they are there, they don’t have the courage, we have taken away trust: please, may this never happen. A door says many things about the house, and also about the Church. Tending the door requires careful discernment and, at the same time, must inspire great faith. I would like to pay a word of gratitude to all porters: of our condominiums, of civil institutions, of the Churches themselves. Often a porter’s acumen and courtesy can offer an image of humanity and of welcome to the entire house, right from the entrance. There is something to be learned from these men and women, who are watchmen at the places of encounter and welcome in the city of man! To all of you watchmen of so many doors, be they residential doors or church doors, many thanks! Always with a smile, always demonstrating the acceptance of that house, of that Church, so people feel happy and welcomed in that place.

In truth, we are well aware that we too are watchmen and servants of the Door of God, and what is the name of the door of God? Jesus! He lights up all of life’s doors for us, including those of our birth and of our death. He himself affirmed it: “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9). Jesus is the door that lets us go in and out. Because God’s sheepfold is a refuge, it isn’t a prison! The house of God is a refuge, it isn’t a prison, and the door is called Jesus! If the door is closed, we say: “Lord, open the door!”. Jesus is the door and lets us go in and out. Those who try to avoid the door are thieves: it’s curious, thieves always try to enter by another way, by the window, by the roof, but they avoid the door, because they have evil intentions, and they sneak into the sheepfold in order to deceive the sheep and take advantage of them. We must enter through the door and listen to Jesus’ voice: if we hear the tone of his voice, we are certain, we are saved. We can go in without fear and go out without danger. In this beautiful discourse Jesus also speaks of the gatekeeper, whose task is opening to the Good Shepherd (cf. Jn 10:2). If the gatekeeper hears the Shepherd’s voice, he opens and lets in all of the sheep that the Shepherd brings, all of them, including those lost in the wood, whom the Good Shepherd went to get back. The sheep are not chosen by the gatekeeper, they are not chosen by the parish secretary or parish administrator; the sheep are all called, they are chosen by the Good Shepherd. The gatekeeper — he too — obeys the Shepherd’s voice. Thus, we can well say that we must be like that gatekeeper. The Church is the gatekeeper of the house of the Lord, she is not the proprietor of the Lord’s house.

The Holy Family of Nazareth knows just what an open or closed door means, for those expecting a child, for those who have no shelter, for those who need to escape danger. Christian families make the threshold of their homes a great sign of the Door of the mercy and welcome of God. It is precisely how the Church will have to be recognized, in every corner of the earth: as the watchman of a God who knocks, as the welcome of a God who does not close the door in your face with the excuse that you are not part of the household. With this spirit let us approach the Jubilee: there will be the Holy Door, but there is the door of the great mercy of God. May there also be the door of our heart for all to receive God’s forgiveness and to give, in our turn, our forgiveness, welcoming all those who knock at our door.
Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from England and the United States of America. My special greeting goes to the El Shaddai prayer fellowship and the orthopaedic surgeons of the Ivins Society. Upon you and your families I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you all!

On this day, on which we are celebrating the Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul, I hope for everyone that the visit to the Tombs of the Apostles may strengthen the joy of the faith.

I address a special thought to young people, to the sick and to newlyweds. Dear young people and students, especially from Afragola and Rome, may the witness of the Apostles, who left everything to follow Jesus, spark within you the desire to love him with all your might and to follow him; dear sick people, may the glorious suffering of Sts Peter and Paul give comfort and hope to your offering; dear newlyweds, may your houses be temples of that Love from which no one can ever be separated.
APPEALS
The day after tomorrow is International Children’s Rights Day. It is everyone’s duty to protect children and to place their good before all other criteria, so they may never be subjected to forms of slavery and mistreatment nor to forms of exploitation. I hope that the International Community may carefully watch over the living conditions of children, especially where they are exposed to recruitment by armed groups; likewise may it help families to guarantee to every boy and girl the right to school and to education.

* * *
Then on 21 November, the Church remembers the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple. On this occasion let us thank the Lord for the gift of the vocation of men and women who, in monasteries and hermitages, have dedicated their life to God. So that cloistered communities may fulfil their important mission, in prayer and laborious silence, may our spiritual and material closeness never be lacking.
   
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Friday, November 20, 2015
UDIENZA GENERALE PAPA FRANCESCO
Mercoledì, 18 novembre 2015



La Famiglia - 33. La porta dell’accoglienza

Cari fratelli e sorelle, buongiorno!
Con questa riflessione siamo arrivati alle soglie del Giubileo, è vicino. Davanti a noi sta la  porta, ma non solo la porta santa, l’altra: la grande porta della Misericordia di Dio - e quella è una porta bella! -, che accoglie il nostro pentimento offrendo la grazia del suo perdono. La porta è generosamente aperta, ci vuole un po’ di coraggio da parte nostra per varcare la soglia. Ognuno di noi ha dentro di sé cose che pesano. Tutti siamo peccatori! Approfittiamo di questo momento che viene e varchiamo la soglia di questa misericordia di Dio che mai si stanca di perdonare, mai si stanca di aspettarci! Ci guarda, è sempre accanto a noi. Coraggio! Entriamo per questa porta!

Dal Sinodo dei Vescovi, che abbiamo celebrato nello scorso mese di ottobre, tutte le famiglie, e la Chiesa intera, hanno ricevuto un grande incoraggiamento a incontrarsi sulla soglia di questa porta aperta. La Chiesa è stata incoraggiata ad aprire le sue porte, per uscire con il Signore incontro ai figli e alle figlie in cammino, a volte incerti, a volte smarriti, in questi tempi difficili. Le famiglie cristiane, in particolare, sono state incoraggiate ad aprire la porta al Signore che attende di entrare, portando la sua benedizione e la sua amicizia. E se la porta della misericordia di Dio è sempre aperta, anche le porte delle nostre chiese, delle nostre comunità, delle nostre parrocchie, delle nostre istituzioni, delle nostre diocesi, devono essere aperte, perché così tutti possiamo uscire a portare questa misericordia di Dio. Il Giubileo significa la grande porta della misericordia di Dio ma anche le piccole porte delle nostre chiese aperte per lasciare entrare il Signore - o tante volte uscire il Signore - prigioniero delle nostre strutture, del nostro egoismo e di tante cose.

Il Signore non forza mai la porta: anche Lui chiede il permesso di entrare. Il Libro dell’Apocalisse dice: «Io sto alla porta e busso. Se qualcuno ascolta la mia voce e mi apre la porta, io verrò da lui, cenerò con lui ed egli con me» (3,20). Ma immaginiamoci il Signore che bussa alla porta del nostro cuore! E nell’ultima grande visione di questo Libro dell’Apocalisse, così si profetizza della Città di Dio: «Le sue porte non si chiuderanno mai durante il giorno», il che significa per sempre, perché «non vi sarà più notte» (21,25). Ci sono posti nel mondo in cui non si chiudono le porte a chiave, ancora ci sono. Ma ce ne sono tanti dove le porte blindate sono diventate normali. Non dobbiamo arrenderci all’idea di dover applicare questo sistema a tutta la nostra vita, alla vita della famiglia, della città, della società. E tanto meno alla vita della Chiesa. Sarebbe terribile! Una Chiesa inospitale, così come una famiglia rinchiusa su sé stessa, mortifica il Vangelo e inaridisce il mondo. Niente porte blindate nella Chiesa, niente! Tutto aperto!

La gestione simbolica delle “porte” – delle soglie, dei passaggi, delle frontiere – è diventata cruciale. La porta deve custodire, certo, ma non respingere. La porta non dev’essere forzata, al contrario, si chiede permesso, perché l’ospitalità risplende nella libertà dell’accoglienza, e si oscura nella prepotenza dell’invasione. La porta si apre frequentemente, per vedere se fuori c’è qualcuno che aspetta, e magari non ha il coraggio, forse neppure la forza di bussare. Quanta gente ha perso la fiducia, non ha il coraggio di bussare alla porta del nostro cuore cristiano, alle porte delle nostre chiese… E sono lì, non hanno il coraggio, gli abbiamo tolto la fiducia: per favore, che questo non accada mai. La porta dice molte cose della casa, e anche della Chiesa. La gestione della porta richiede attento discernimento e, al tempo stesso, deve ispirare grande fiducia. Vorrei spendere una parola di gratitudine per tutti i custodi delle porte: dei nostri condomini, delle istituzioni civiche, delle stesse chiese. Spesso l’accortezza e la gentilezza della portineria sono capaci di offrire un’immagine di umanità e di accoglienza all’intera casa, già dall’ingresso. C’è da imparare da questi uomini e donne, che sono custodi dei luoghi di incontro e di accoglienza della città dell’uomo! A tutti voi custodi di tante porte, siano porte di abitazioni, siano porte delle chiese, grazie tante! Ma sempre con un sorriso, sempre mostrando l’accoglienza di quella casa, di quella chiesa, così la gente si sente felice e accolta in quel posto.

In verità, sappiamo bene che noi stessi siamo i custodi e i servi della Porta di Dio, e la porta di Dio come si chiama? Gesù! Egli ci illumina su tutte le porte della vita, comprese quelle della nostra nascita e della nostra morte. Egli stesso l’ha affermato: «Io sono la porta: se uno entra attraverso di me, sarà salvo; entrerà e uscirà e troverà pascolo» (Gv 10,9). Gesù è la porta che ci fa entrare e uscire. Perché l’ovile di Dio è un riparo, non è una prigione! La casa di Dio è un riparo, non è una prigione, e la porta si chiama Gesù! E se la porta è chiusa, diciamo: “Signore, apri la porta!”. Gesù è la porta e ci fa entrare e uscire. Sono i ladri, quelli che cercano di evitare la porta: è curioso, i ladri cercano sempre di entrare da un’altra parte, dalla finestra, dal tetto ma evitano la porta, perché hanno intenzioni cattive, e si intrufolano nell’ovile per ingannare le pecore e approfittare di loro. Noi dobbiamo passare per la porta e ascoltare la voce di Gesù: se sentiamo il suo tono di voce, siamo sicuri, siamo salvi. Possiamo entrare senza timore e uscire senza pericolo. In questo bellissimo discorso di Gesù, si parla anche del guardiano, che ha il compito di aprire al buon Pastore (cfr Gv 10,2). Se il guardiano ascolta la voce del Pastore, allora apre, e fa entrare tutte le pecore che il Pastore porta, tutte, comprese quelle sperdute nei boschi, che il buon Pastore si è andato a riprendere. Le pecore non le sceglie il guardiano, non le sceglie il segretario parrocchiale o la segretaria della parrocchia; le pecore sono tutte invitate, sono scelte dal buon Pastore. Il guardiano – anche lui – obbedisce alla voce del Pastore. Ecco, potremmo ben dire che noi dobbiamo essere come quel guardiano. La Chiesa è la portinaia della casa del Signore, non è la padrona della casa del Signore.
La Santa Famiglia di Nazareth sa bene che cosa significa una porta aperta o chiusa, per chi aspetta un figlio, per chi non ha riparo, per chi deve scampare al pericolo. Le famiglie cristiane facciano della loro soglia di casa un piccolo grande segno della Porta della misericordia e dell'accoglienza di Dio. E’ proprio così che la Chiesa dovrà essere riconosciuta, in ogni angolo della terra: come la custode di un Dio che bussa, come l’accoglienza di un Dio che non ti chiude la porta in faccia, con la scusa che non sei di casa. Con questo spirito ci avviciniamo al Giubileo: ci sarà la porta santa, ma c’è la porta della grande misericordia di Dio! Ci sia anche la porta del nostro cuore per ricevere tutti il perdono di Dio e dare a nostra volta il nostro perdono, accogliendo tutti quelli che bussano alla nostra porta.

Saluti:
[Sono lieto di accogliere i pellegrini di lingua francese. Vi auguro che le vostre famiglie facciano sempre delle loro soglie di casa un segno di quella Porta della Misericordia che Gesù apre a tutti. Dio vi benedica!]

I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from England and the United States of America. My special greeting goes to the El Shaddai prayer fellowship and the orthopaedic surgeons of the Ivins Society. Upon you and your families I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you all!
[Saluto i pellegrini di lingua inglese presenti all’odierna Udienza, specialmente quelli provenienti dall’Inghilterra e dagli Stati Uniti d’America. Rivolgo un saluto particolare al gruppo di preghiera El Shaddai ed ai chirurghi della “Ivins Society”. Su tutti voi e sulle vostre famiglie invoco la gioia e la pace del Signore. Dio vi benedica!]

Rivolgo un cordiale saluto a tutti i pellegrini di lingua tedesca. Carissimi, una Chiesa inospitale e una famiglia rinchiusa su sé stessa mortificano il Vangelo e rendono arido il mondo. Lo Spirito Santo accompagni il vostro cammino con la sua luce.

[Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini di lingua spagnola, in particolare i gruppi provenienti dalla Spagna e dall'America Latina. Chiediamo alla Sacra Famiglia, che conobbe quello che significa trovare una porta chiusa, che aiuti le famiglie cristiane a essere un segno eloquente della Porta della misericordia, che si apre al Signore che chiama e al fratello che viene. Che Dio vi benedica.]

[Carissimi pellegrini di lingua portoghese, in particolare brasiliani di Belém, João Pessoa, Olinda e Recife, di cuore vi saluto e vi auguro che la vostra visita a Roma si compia con lo spirito del vero pellegrino, che, sapendo di non possedere ancora il Bene più grande, si mette in viaggio deciso a cercarLo. Sappiate che Dio si lascia trovare da quanti Lo desiderano in questo modo. Su di voi e sulle vostre famiglie scendano abbondanti benedizioni del Signore!]

[Rivolgo un cordiale benvenuto ai pellegrini di lingua araba, in particolare a ‎quelli provenienti dal Libano e dalla Siria! Nel Giubileo della Misericordia, le ‎famiglie cristiane facciano della loro soglia di casa un segno della misericordia ‎e dell’accoglienza di Dio; e ogni Chiesa sia testimone della Misericordia del ‎ Padre celeste, che non chiude mai la porta del Suo perdono di fronte ai pentiti e ‎non ci tratta mai secondo i nostri meriti, ma secondo l’immensità della Sua ‎misericordia e del Suo amore. Il Signore vi benedica e vi protegga tutti dal ‎male!‎]

[Do un cordiale benvenuto ai pellegrini polacchi. Saluto in particolare i rappresentanti del Sindacato Autonomo dei Lavoratori “Solidarnosc”. Da trentacinque anni il vostro Sindacato si impegna a favore del mondo del lavoro, sia fisico, che intellettuale, nonché per la tutela dei diritti fondamentali della persona e delle società. Siate fedeli a questo impegno, affinché gli interessi politici o economici non prevalgano sui valori che costituiscono l’essenza della solidarietà umana. Affido voi e tutti i membri del Sindacato alla protezione del vostro patrono, il beato don Jerzy Popieluszko, e vi benedico di cuore. Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!]

APPELLI
Dopodomani ricorrerà la Giornata mondiale dei diritti dell’infanzia. È un dovere di tutti proteggere i bambini e anteporre ad ogni altro criterio il loro bene, affinché non siano mai sottoposti a forme di servitù e maltrattamenti e anche a forme di sfruttamento. Auspico che la Comunità internazionale possa vigilare attentamente sulle condizioni di vita dei fanciulli, specialmente là dove sono esposti al reclutamento da parte di gruppi armati; come pure possa aiutare le famiglie a garantire ad ogni bambino e bambina il diritto alla scuola e all’educazione.

* * *
Il 21 novembre, poi, la Chiesa ricorda la Presentazione di Maria Santissima al Tempio. In tale circostanza ringraziamo il Signore per il dono della vocazione degli uomini e delle donne che, nei monasteri e negli eremi, hanno dedicato la loro vita a Dio. Affinché le comunità di clausura possano compiere la loro importante missione, nella preghiera e nel silenzio operoso, non facciamo mancare la nostra vicinanza spirituale e materiale.


Rivolgo un cordiale benvenuto ai pellegrini di lingua italiana.
Sono lieto di accogliere i sacerdoti di Gubbio, accompagnati dal loro Vescovo, Mons. Ceccobelli.

Saluto l’Associazione Thalidomidici Italiani, i partecipanti al Convegno Nazionale promosso dall’Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, l’Associazione Love Bridges di Iglesias e l’Associazione Santa Maria della Strada di Messina.

In questo giorno, in cui celebriamo la Dedicazione delle Basiliche dei Santi Pietro e Paolo, auguro a tutti che la visita alle tombe degli Apostoli rafforzi la gioia della fede.
Porgo un pensiero speciale ai giovani, agli ammalati e agli sposi novelli. Cari giovani e studenti, in particolare di Afragola e di Roma, la testimonianza degli Apostoli, che hanno lasciato tutto per seguire Gesù, accenda anche in voi il desiderio di amarlo con tutte le forze e di seguirlo; cari ammalati, le gloriose sofferenze dei Santi Pietro e Paolo diano conforto e speranza alla vostra offerta; cari sposi novelli, le vostre case possano essere templi di quell’Amore da cui nessuno potrà mai separarci.


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