Halloween party ideas 2015

OMELIA DEL SANTO PADRE FRANCESCO
PRIMI VESPRI DELLA SOLENNITÀ DI MARIA SS.MA MADRE DI DIO
E TE DEUM DI RINGRAZIAMENTO PER L'ANNO TRASCORSO
Basilica Vaticana
Giovedì, 31 dicembre 2015



Quanto è colmo di significato il nostro essere radunati insieme per dare lode al Signore al termine di questo anno!

La Chiesa in tante occasioni sente la gioia e il dovere di innalzare il suo canto a Dio con queste parole di lode, che fin dal quarto secolo accompagnano la preghiera nei momenti importanti del suo pellegrinaggio terreno. E’ la gioia del ringraziamento che quasi spontaneamente promana dalla nostra preghiera, per riconoscere la presenza amorevole di Dio negli avvenimenti della nostra storia. Come spesso succede, però, sentiamo che nella preghiera non basta solo la nostra voce. Essa ha bisogno di rinforzarsi con la compagnia di tutto il popolo di Dio, che all’unisono fa sentire il suo canto di ringraziamento. Per questo, nel Te Deum chiediamo l’aiuto agli Angeli, ai Profeti e a tutta la creazione per dare lode al Signore. Con questo inno ripercorriamo la storia della salvezza dove, per un misterioso disegno di Dio, trovano posto e sintesi anche le varie vicende della nostra vita di quest’anno trascorso.

In questo Anno giubilare assumono una speciale risonanza le parole finali dell’inno della Chiesa: «Sia sempre con noi, o Signore, la tua misericordia: in te abbiamo sperato». La compagnia della misericordia è luce per comprendere meglio quanto abbiamo vissuto, e speranza che ci accompagna all’inizio di un nuovo anno.

Ripercorrere i giorni dell’anno trascorso può avvenire o come un ricordo di fatti e avvenimenti che riportano a momenti di gioia e di dolore, oppure cercando di comprendere se abbiamo percepito la presenza di Dio che tutto rinnova e sostiene con il suo aiuto. Siamo interpellati a verificare se le vicende del mondo si sono realizzate secondo la volontà di Dio, oppure se abbiamo dato ascolto prevalentemente ai progetti degli uomini, spesso carichi di interessi privati, di insaziabile sete di potere e di violenza gratuita.

E, tuttavia, oggi i nostri occhi hanno bisogno di focalizzare in modo particolare i segni che Dio ci ha concesso, per toccare con mano la forza del suo amore misericordioso. Non possiamo dimenticare che tante giornate sono state segnate da violenza, da morte, da sofferenze indicibili di tanti innocenti, di profughi costretti a lasciare la loro patria, di uomini, donne e bambini senza dimora stabile, cibo e sostentamento. Eppure, quanti grandi gesti di bontà, di amore e di solidarietà hanno riempito le giornate di quest’anno, anche se non sono diventate notizie dei telegiornali. Le cose buone non fanno notizia. Questi segni di amore non possono e non devono essere oscurati dalla prepotenza del male. Il bene vince sempre, anche se in qualche momento può apparire più debole e nascosto.

La nostra città di Roma non è estranea a questa condizione del mondo intero. Vorrei che giungesse a tutti i suoi abitanti l’invito sincero per andare oltre le difficoltà del momento presente. L’impegno per recuperare i valori fondamentali di servizio, onestà e solidarietà permetta di superare le gravi incertezze che hanno dominato la scena di quest’anno, e che sono sintomi di scarso senso di dedizione al bene comune. Non manchi mai l’apporto positivo della testimonianza cristiana per consentire a Roma, secondo la sua storia, e con la materna intercessione di Maria Salus Populi Romani, di essere interprete privilegiata di fede, di accoglienza, di fraternità e di pace.

«Noi ti lodiamo, o Dio. […] Tu sei la nostra speranza. Non saremo confusi in eterno».


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HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
HOLY MASS FOR FAMILIES
Vatican Basilica
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph
 
PHOTO

The biblical readings which we just heard presented us with the image of two families on pilgrimage to the house of God. Elkanah and Hannah bring their son Samuel to the Temple of Shiloh and consecrate him to the Lord (cf. 1 Sam 1:20-22, 24-28). In the same way, Joseph and Mary, in the company of Jesus, go as pilgrims to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover (cf. Lk2:41-52).

We often see pilgrims journeying to shrines and places dear to popular piety.  These days, many of them are making their way to the Holy Door opened in all the cathedrals of the world and in many shrines. But the most beautiful thing which emerges from the word of God today is that the whole family goes on pilgrimage. Fathers, mothers and children together go to the house of the Lord, in order to sanctify the holy day with prayer. It is an important teaching, which is meant for our own families as well. Indeed, we could say that family life is a series of pilgrimages, both small and big.

For example, how comforting it is for us to reflect on Mary and Joseph teaching Jesus how to pray! This is a sort of pilgrimage, the pilgrimage of education in prayer. And it is comforting also to know that throughout the day they would pray together, and then go each Sabbath to the synagogue to listen to readings from the Law and the Prophets, and to praise the Lord with the assembly. Certainly, during their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, they prayed by singing the Psalm: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’ Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem (122:1-2).

How important it is for our families to journey together towards a single goal! We know that we have a road to travel together; a road along which we encounter difficulties but also enjoy moments of joy and consolation. And on this pilgrimage of life we also share in moments of prayer. What can be more beautiful than for a father and mother to bless their children at the beginning and end of each day, to trace on their forehead the sign of the cross, as they did on the day of their baptism? Is this not the simplest prayer which parents can offer for their children? To bless them, that is, to entrust them to the Lord, just like Elkanah and Anna, Joseph and Mary, so that he can be their protection and support throughout the day. In the same way, it is important for families to join in a brief prayer before meals, in order to thank the Lord for these gifts and to learn how to share what we have received with those in greater need. These are all little gestures, yet they point to the great formative role played by the family in the pilgrimage of every day life.

At the end of that pilgrimage, Jesus returned to Nazareth and was obedient to his parents (cf. Lk 2:51). This image also contains a beautiful teaching about our families. A pilgrimage does not end when we arrive at our destination, but when we return home and resume our everyday lives, putting into practice the spiritual fruits of our experience. We know what Jesus did on that occasion. Instead of returning home with his family, he stayed in Jerusalem, in the Temple, causing great distress to Mary and Joseph who were unable to find him. For this little “escapade”, Jesus probably had to beg forgiveness of his parents. The Gospel doesn’t say this, but I believe that we can presume it. Mary’s question, moreover, contains a certain reproach, revealing the concern and anguish which she and Joseph felt. Returning home, Jesus surely remained close to them, as a sign of his complete affection and obedience. Moments like these become part of the pilgrimage of each family; the Lord transforms the moments into opportunities to grow, to ask for and to receive forgiveness, to show love and obedience.

In the Year of Mercy, every Christian family can become a privileged place on this pilgrimage for experiencing the joy of forgiveness. Forgiveness is the essence of the love which can understand mistakes and mend them. How miserable we would be if God did not forgive us! Within the family we learn how to forgive, because we are certain that we are understood and supported, whatever the mistakes we make.

Let us not lose confidence in the family! It is beautiful when we can always open our hearts to one another, and hide nothing. Where there is love, there is also understanding and forgiveness. To all of you, dear families, I entrust this most important mission - the domestic pilgrimage of daily family life - which the world and the Church need, now more than ever.


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OMELIA DEL SANTO PADRE FRANCESCO
SANTA MESSA PER LE FAMIGLIE
Basilica Vaticana
Domenica, 27 dicembre 2015
Santa Famiglia di Gesù, Maria e Giuseppe

Le Letture bibliche che abbiamo ascoltato ci hanno presentato l’immagine di due famiglie che compiono il loro pellegrinaggio verso la casa di Dio. Elkana e Anna portano il figlio Samuele al tempio di Silo e lo consacrano al Signore (cfr 1 Sam 1,20-22.24-28). Alla stessa stregua, Giuseppe e Maria, per la festa di pasqua, si fanno pellegrini a Gerusalemme insieme con Gesù (cfr Lc2,41-52).

Spesso abbiamo sotto gli occhi i pellegrini che si recano ai santuari e ai luoghi cari della pietà popolare. In questi giorni, tanti si sono messi in cammino per raggiungere la Porta Santa aperta in tutte le cattedrali del mondo e anche in tanti santuari. Ma la cosa più bella posta oggi in risalto dalla Parola di Dio è che tutta la famiglia compie il pellegrinaggio. Papà, mamma e figli, insieme, si recano alla casa del Signore per santificare la festa con la preghiera. E’ un insegnamento importante che viene offerto anche alle nostre famiglie. Anzi, possiamo dire che la vita della famiglia è un insieme di piccoli e grandi pellegrinaggi.

Ad esempio, quanto ci fa bene pensare che Maria e Giuseppe hanno insegnato a Gesù a recitare le preghiere! E questo è un pellegrinaggio, il pellegrinaggio dell’educazione alla preghiera. E anche ci fa bene sapere che durante la giornata pregavano insieme; e che poi il sabato andavano insieme alla sinagoga per ascoltare le Scritture della Legge e dei Profeti e lodare il Signore con tutto il popolo. E certamente durante il pellegrinaggio verso Gerusalemme hanno pregato cantando con le parole del Salmo: «Quale gioia, quando mi dissero: “Andremo alla casa del Signore!”. Già sono fermi i nostri piedi alle tue porte, Gerusalemme!» (122,1-2).

Come è importante per le nostre famiglie camminare insieme e avere una stessa meta da raggiungere! Sappiamo che abbiamo un percorso comune da compiere; una strada dove incontriamo difficoltà ma anche momenti di gioia e di consolazione. In questo pellegrinaggio della vita condividiamo anche il momento della preghiera. Cosa può esserci di più bello per un papà e una mamma di benedire i propri figli all’inizio della giornata e alla sua conclusione. Tracciare sulla loro fronte il segno della croce come nel giorno del Battesimo. Non è forse questa la preghiera più semplice dei genitori nei confronti dei loro figli? Benedirli, cioè affidarli al Signore, come hanno fatto Elkana e Anna, Giuseppe e Maria, perché sia Lui la loro protezione e il sostegno nei vari momenti della giornata. Come è importante per la famiglia ritrovarsi anche in un breve momento di preghiera prima di prendere insieme i pasti, per ringraziare il Signore di questi doni, e per imparare a condividere quanto si è ricevuto con chi è maggiormente nel bisogno. Sono tutti piccoli gesti, che tuttavia esprimono il grande ruolo formativo che la famiglia possiede nel pellegrinaggio di tutti i giorni.

Al termine di quel pellegrinaggio, Gesù tornò a Nazareth ed era sottomesso ai suoi genitori (cfr Lc 2,51). Anche questa immagine contiene un bell’insegnamento per le nostre famiglie. Il pellegrinaggio, infatti, non finisce quando si è raggiunta la meta del santuario, ma quando si torna a casa e si riprende la vita di tutti i giorni, mettendo in atto i frutti spirituali dell’esperienza vissuta. Conosciamo che cosa Gesù aveva fatto quella volta. Invece di tornare a casa con i suoi, si era fermato a Gerusalemme nel Tempio, provocando una grande pena a Maria e Giuseppe che non lo trovavano più. Per questa sua “scappatella”, probabilmente anche Gesù dovette chiedere scusa ai suoi genitori. Il Vangelo non lo dice, ma credo che possiamo supporlo. La domanda di Maria, d’altronde, manifesta un certo rimprovero, rendendo evidente la preoccupazione e l’angoscia sua e di Giuseppe. Tornando a casa, Gesù si è stretto certamente a loro, per dimostrare tutto il suo affetto e la sua obbedienza. Fanno parte del pellegrinaggio della famiglia anche questi momenti che con il Signore si trasformano in opportunità di crescita, in occasione di chiedere perdono e di riceverlo, di dimostrare l’amore e l’obbedienza.

Nell’Anno della Misericordia, ogni famiglia cristiana possa diventare luogo privilegiato di questo pellegrinaggio in cui si sperimenta la gioia del perdono. Il perdono è l’essenza dell’amore che sa comprendere lo sbaglio e porvi rimedio. Poveri noi se Dio non ci perdonasse! E’ all’interno della famiglia che ci si educa al perdono, perché si ha la certezza di essere capiti e sostenuti nonostante gli sbagli che si possono compiere.
Non perdiamo la fiducia nella famiglia! E’ bello aprire sempre il cuore gli uni agli altri, senza nascondere nulla. Dove c’è amore, lì c’è anche comprensione e perdono. Affido a tutte voi, care famiglie, questo pellegrinaggio domestico di tutti i giorni, questa missione così importante, di cui il mondo e la Chiesa hanno più che mai bisogno.



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OMELIA DEL SANTO PADRE FRANCESCO
SANTA MESSA DELLA NOTTE
NATALE DEL SIGNORE
Basilica Vaticana
Giovedì, 24 dicembre 2015



In questa notte risplende una «grande luce» (Is 9,1); su tutti noi rifulge la luce della nascita di Gesù. Quanto sono vere e attuali le parole del profeta Isaia che abbiamo ascoltato: «Hai moltiplicato la gioia, hai aumentato la letizia» (9,2)! Il nostro cuore era già colmo di gioia per l’attesa di questo momento; ora, però, quel sentimento viene moltiplicato e sovrabbonda, perché la promessa si è compiuta, finalmente si è realizzata. Gioia e letizia ci assicurano che il messaggio contenuto nel mistero di questa notte viene veramente da Dio. Non c’è posto per il dubbio; lasciamolo agli scettici che per interrogare solo la ragione non trovano mai la verità. Non c’è spazio per l’indifferenza, che domina nel cuore di chi non riesce a voler bene, perché ha paura di perdere qualcosa. Viene scacciata ogni tristezza, perché il bambino Gesù è il vero consolatore del cuore.

Oggi il Figlio di Dio è nato: tutto cambia. Il Salvatore del mondo viene a farsi partecipe della nostra natura umana, non siamo più soli e abbandonati. La Vergine ci offre il suo Figlio come principio di vita nuova. La luce vera viene a rischiarare la nostra esistenza, spesso rinchiusa nell’ombra del peccato. Oggi scopriamo nuovamente chi siamo! In questa notte ci viene reso manifesto il cammino da percorrere per raggiungere la meta. Ora, deve cessare ogni paura e spavento, perché la luce ci indica la strada verso Betlemme. Non possiamo rimanere inerti. Non ci è lecito restare fermi. Dobbiamo andare a vedere il nostro Salvatore deposto in una mangiatoia. Ecco il motivo della gioia e della letizia: questo Bambino è «nato per noi», è «dato a noi», come annuncia Isaia (cfr 9,5). A un popolo che da duemila anni percorre tutte le strade del mondo per rendere partecipe ogni uomo di questa gioia, viene affidata la missione di far conoscere il “Principe della pace” e diventare suo efficace strumento in mezzo alle nazioni.

Quando, dunque, sentiamo parlare della nascita di Cristo, restiamo in silenzio e lasciamo che sia quel Bambino a parlare; imprimiamo nel nostro cuore le sue parole senza distogliere lo sguardo dal suo volto. Se lo prendiamo tra le nostre braccia e ci lasciamo abbracciare da Lui, ci porterà la pace del cuore che non avrà mai fine. Questo Bambino ci insegna che cosa è veramente essenziale nella nostra vita. Nasce nella povertà del mondo, perché per Lui e la sua famiglia non c’è posto in albergo. Trova riparo e sostegno in una stalla ed è deposto in una mangiatoia per animali. Eppure, da questo nulla, emerge la luce della gloria di Dio. A partire da qui, per gli uomini dal cuore semplice inizia la via della vera liberazione e del riscatto perenne. Da questo Bambino, che porta impressi nel suo volto i tratti della bontà, della misericordia e dell’amore di Dio Padre, scaturisce per tutti noi suoi discepoli, come insegna l’apostolo Paolo, l’impegno a «rinnegare l’empietà» e la ricchezza del mondo, per vivere «con sobrietà, con giustizia e con pietà» (Tt 2,12).

In una società spesso ebbra di consumo e di piacere, di abbondanza e lusso, di apparenza e narcisismo, Lui ci chiama a un comportamento sobrio, cioè semplice, equilibrato, lineare, capace di cogliere e vivere l’essenziale. In un mondo che troppe volte è duro con il peccatore e molle con il peccato, c’è bisogno di coltivare un forte senso della giustizia, del ricercare e mettere in pratica la volontà di Dio. Dentro una cultura dell’indifferenza, che finisce non di rado per essere spietata, il nostro stile di vita sia invece colmo di pietà, di empatia, di compassione, di misericordia, attinte ogni giorno dal pozzo della preghiera.

Come per i pastori di Betlemme, possano anche i nostri occhi riempirsi di stupore e meraviglia, contemplando nel Bambino Gesù il Figlio di Dio. E, davanti a Lui, sgorghi dai nostri cuori l’invocazione: «Mostraci, Signore, la tua misericordia e donaci la tua salvezza» (Sal 85,8).



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ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 20 December 2015



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
The Gospel for this Sunday of Advent highlights the figure of Mary. We see her when, just after having conceived in faith the Son of God, she makes the long trip from Nazareth, in Galilee, to the hill country of Judah, to visit and help her cousin Elizabeth. The Angel Gabriel had revealed to her that her elderly relative, who did not have children, was in her sixth month of pregnancy (cf. Lk 1:26-36). That’s why Our Lady, who carried within her a gift and an even greater mystery, goes to see Elizabeth and stays with her for three months. In the meeting between these two women — one old and the other young — it is the young one, Mary, who offers the first greeting. The Gospel says: “she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Lk 1:40). After this greeting, Elizabeth feels enveloped in great astonishment — don’t forget this word, astonishmentAstonishment. Elizabeth feels enveloped in greatastonishment which is echoed in these words: “And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (v. 43). And they embrace and kiss each other, joyfully, these two women. The elderly woman and the young one, both pregnant.

To celebrate Christmas in a fruitful manner, we are called to pause in “places” of astonishment. And what are these places of astonishment in everyday life? There are three. The first place is the other, in whom we recognize a brother or sister, because since the birth of Jesus occurred, every face is marked with a semblance to the Son of God. Above all when it is the face of the poor, because God entered the world poor, and it was to the poor, in the first place, that he allowed himself to draw near.

Another place of astonishment — the second place in which, if we look with faith, we actually feel astonishment, is history. So many times we think we see it the right way, and instead we risk reading it backwards. It happens, for example, when history seems to us to be determined by the market economy, regulated by finance and business, dominated by the powers that be. The God of Christmas is instead a God who “shuffles the cards” — he likes doing so! As Mary sings in the Magnificat, it is the Lord who puts down the mighty from their thrones and exalts those of low degree, who fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty (cf. Lk 1:52-53). This is the second type of astonishment, astonishment in history.

The third place of astonishment is the Church. To look on her with the astonishment of faith means not limiting oneself to consider her only as a religious institution, which she is, but to feel her as a mother who, despite her blemishes and wrinkles — we have so many of them! — allows the features of the beloved bride purified by Christ the Lord to shine through. A Church that is able to recognize the many signs of faithful love that God continuously sends her. A Church for which the Lord Jesus will never be a possession to be jealously protected; those who do this err. The Lord Jesus will always be the One who comes to meet her and whom she knows how to await with trust and joy, giving voice to the hope of the world. The Church that calls to the Lord, “Come Lord Jesus”. The Mother Church that always has her doors open wide, and her arms open to welcome everyone. Moreover, Mother Church goes out from her own doors to seek with a mother’s smile all those who are far and bring them to the mercy of God. This is the astonishment of Christmas.

At Christmas, God gives us all of himself by giving his Only Son, who is all his joy. It is only with the heart of Mary, the humble and poor daughter of Zion, who became the Mother of the Son of the Most High, that it is possible to rejoice and be glad for the great gift of God and for his unpredictable surprise. May she help us to perceive the astonishment — these three wonders: the other, history and the Church — through the birth of Jesus, the gift of gifts, the undeserved gift who brings us salvation. The encounter with Jesus will enable us too to feel this great astonishment. We cannot have this astonishment, however, we cannot encounter Jesus, if we do not encounter him in others, in history and in the Church.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, today I am pleased to address a thought to beloved Syria, to express deep appreciation for the agreement just reached by the international community. I encourage everyone to continue the journey, with generous impetus, toward the cessation of violence and a negotiated settlement that leads to peace. I likewise think of nearby Libya, where the recent commitment undertaken by the parties for a government of national unity invites hope for the future.

I would also like to support the commitment to cooperate being asked of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I hope that a renewed spirit of fraternity will further strengthen their dialogue and mutual cooperation, as well as among all the countries of the region.

My thoughts turn at this moment to the dear peoples of India, recently struck by a serious flood. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters, who are suffering as a result of this natural disaster, and let us entrust the souls of the deceased to the mercy of God. Let us pray a Hail Mary for all these brothers and sisters of India. A Hail Mary to the Virgin….

I greet all of you with affection, dear pilgrims from various countries who have come to join in this gathering of prayer. Today, the first greeting is reserved for the children of Rome. These kids know how to make noise! They have come for the traditional blessing of the “bambinelli” [figurines of the Baby Jesus for nativity scenes], organized by the Centro Oratori Romani. Dear children, listen closely: when you pray before your nativity scenes, also remember me, as I remember you. I thank you. Merry Christmas!

I wish you all a happy Sunday and a Christmas of hope, and filled with astonishment, the astonishment that Jesus gives us, filled with love and peace. Don’t forget to pray for me! Have a good lunch. Arrivederci!



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ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 13 December 2015



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
In today’s Gospel, there is a question posed three times: “What shall we do?” (Lk 3:10, 12, 14). It is raised to John the Baptist by three categories of people: First, the crowd in general; second, the publicans or tax collectors; and, third, some soldiers. Each of these groups questions the prophet on what must be done to implement the conversion that he is preaching. John’s reply to the question of the crowd is sharing essential goods. He told the first group, the crowd, to share basic necessities, and therefore says: “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise” (v. 11). Then, he tells the second group, the tax collectors, to collect no more than the amount owed. What does this mean? No taking ‘bribes’, John the Baptist is clear. And he tells the third group, the soldiers, not to extort anything from anyone and to be content with their wages (cf. v. 14). There are three answers to the three questions of these groups. Three answers for an identical path of repentance, which is manifested in concrete commitments to justice and solidarity. It is the path that Jesus points to in all his preaching: the path of diligent love for neighbour.

From John the Baptist’s admonitions, we understand the general tendencies of those who at that time held power, in various forms. Things have not changed very much. However, no category of people is excluded from following the path of repentance to obtain salvation, not even the tax collectors, considered sinners by definition: not even they are excluded from salvation. God does not preclude anyone from the opportunity to be saved. He is — so to speak — anxious to show mercy, to show it towards everyone, and to welcome each one into the tender embrace of reconciliation and forgiveness.

We feel that this question — “What shall we do?” — is ours also. Today’s liturgy tells us, in the words of John, that it is necessary to repent, to change direction and take the path of justice, solidarity, sobriety: these are the essential values of a fully human and genuinely Christian life. Repent! It sums up the message of the Baptist. And the Liturgy of this Third Sunday of Advent helps us to rediscover a special dimension of repentance: joy. Whoever repents and approaches the Lord, feels joy. The prophet Zephaniah says to us today: “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion!”, addressing Jerusalem (Zeph 3:14); and the apostle Paul exhorts the Christians of Philippi: “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4). Today, it takes courage to speak of joy, which, above all, requires faith! The world is beset by many problems, the future is burdened by uncertainties and fears. Yet, Christians are a joyful people, and their joy is not something superficial and ephemeral, but deep and stable, because it is a gift from the Lord that fills life. Our joy comes from the certainty that “the Lord is at hand” (Phil 4:5): he is close with his tenderness, his mercy, his forgiveness and his love.

May the Virgin Mary help us to strengthen our faith, so that we are able to welcome the God of joy, the God of mercy, who always wants to live in the midst of his children. May our Mother teach us to share tears with those who weep, in order to be able to also share a smile.

After the Angelus:
The climate conference has just ended in Paris with the adoption of an agreement, which many are defining as historic. Its implementation will require concerted commitment and generous dedication by each one. With the hope that it may guarantee special attention to the most vulnerable populations, I urge the entire international community to continue with solicitude the path taken, in a sign of solidarity that will become more and more active.
Next Tuesday, 15 December, the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization will begin in Nairobi. I address the countries that will participate, so that the decisions that will be taken will consider the needs of the poor and the most vulnerable, as well as the legitimate aspirations of developing countries and the common good of the entire human family.

In all the cathedrals of the world, the Holy Doors are opening, so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be fully experienced in the particular Churches. I hope that this important time may inspire many to become instruments of God’s tenderness. As an expression of the works of mercy, “Doors of Mercy” are being opened in places of hardship and marginalization. In this regard, I greet the inmates of prisons around the world, especially those of the Padua prison, who today are spiritually united with us at this time to pray, and I thank them for the gift.

I greet all of you, pilgrims from Rome, from Italy, and from many parts of the world. In particular, I greet those from Warsaw and Madrid. A special thought goes to the Santa Marta Dispensary Foundation in the Vatican: to parents and their children, to the volunteers and to the Daughters of Charity; thank you for your witness of solidarity and welcome! I also greet the members of the Focolare Movement together with friends from some Islamic communities. Go forward! Go forward with courage on your path of dialogue and fraternity, because we are all children of God!

To all, I offer cordial wishes for a happy Sunday and a good lunch. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Arrivederci!
     

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FOTO, qui
Voglio tornare al mio posto. Posto di scrivere cioè nel mio blog. Il blog è posto più bello per scrivere. Il retore qualche tempo fa ha detto, dovete scrivere qualcosa sul blog. Ho risposto che per me è difficile scrivere qualcosa. Però, continua lui, il blog ti da il dovere di scrivere qualcosa. Penso che sia una sfida che mi porta avanti. Non devo rifiutare questo ostacolo. Anche se è difficile per me. Però, credo che sia una bella occasione per imparare a scrivere qualcosa.

Non è facile soprattutto per noi stranieri. Comunque, un lavoro grande sempre comincia con un lavoro piccolo. Pian piano da piccolo diventa grande. Non c’è terzo piano senza secondo piano, e non c’è secondo piano senza primo piano, e non c’è primo piano senza piano terra. Magari anche non esiste piano terra senza seminterrato. Quindi, c’è questa tappa. Da basso al alto. Da piccola al grande. da ostacolo diventa un godere.

GENERAL AUDIENCE POPE FRANCIS
Wednesday, 9 December 2015

Why have a Jubilee of Mercy?



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning,
Yesterday I opened here, in St Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Door of the Jubilee of Mercy, after having previously opened it in the Cathedral of Bangui, Central Africa. Today I would like to reflect together with you on the meaning of this Holy Year, responding to the question: Why have a Jubilee of Mercy? What does this mean?

The Church is in need of this extraordinary occasion. I am not saying: this extraordinary occasion is good for the Church. I am saying: the Church needs this extraordinary occasion. In this era of profound changes, the Church is called to offer her particular contribution, rendering visible the signs of the presence and closeness of God. The Jubilee is a favourable time for all of us, because by contemplating Divine Mercy, which overcomes all human limitations and shines in the darkness of sin, we are able to become more certain and effective witnesses.

Turning our gaze to God, merciful Father, and to our brothers and sisters in need of mercy, means focusing our attention on theessential contents of the Gospel: Jesus, Mercy made flesh, who renders the great mystery of the Trinitary Love of God visible to our eyes. Celebrating a Jubilee of Mercy is equivalent to placing once again the specific nature of the Christian faith, namely Jesus Christ, the merciful God, at the centre of our personal life and that of our communities.

It is a Holy Year, therefore, so as to live mercy. Yes, dear brothers and sisters, this Holy Year is offered to us so that we may experience in our lives the sweet and gratifying touch of God’s forgiveness, his presence beside us and his closeness especially in the moments of greatest need.

This Jubilee, in other words, is a privileged moment for the Church to learn to choose only “what pleases God most”. What is it that “pleases God most”? Forgiving his children, having mercy on them, so that they may in turn forgive their brothers and sisters, shining as a flame of God’s mercy in the the world. This is what pleases God most. St Ambrose, in a theological book that he wrote about Adam, takes up the story of the creation of the world and says that each day after God made something — the moon, the sun or the animals — [the Bible] says: “God saw that it was good”. But when he made man and woman, the Bible says: “He saw that it was very good”. St Ambrose asks himself: “Why does He say ‘very good’? Why is God so content after the creation of man and woman?”. Because finally he had someone to forgive. This is beautiful: God’s joy is forgiving, God’s being is mercy. This is why we must open our hearts this year so that this love, this joy of God may fill us all with this mercy. The Jubilee will be a “favourable time” for the Church if we learn to choose “what pleases God most”, without giving in to the temptation of thinking that something else is more important or primary. Nothing is more important than choosing “what pleases God most”, in other words, his mercy, his love, his tenderness, his embrace and his caresses!

The necessary work of renewing the institutions and structures of the Church is also a way that should lead us to make a living and vivifying experience of God’s mercy, which alone can guarantee that the Church is that city set on a hill that cannot be hid (cf. Mt 5:14). Only a merciful Church shines! Should we forget, for even just a moment, that mercy is “what pleases God most”, our every effort would be in vain, for we would become slaves to our institutions and our structures, inasmuch as they may be renewed. But we would always be slaves.

“To experience strongly within ourselves the joy of having been found by Jesus, the Good Shepherd who has come in search of us because we were lost” (Homily of First Vespers of Divine Mercy Sunday, 11 April 2015): this is the objective that the Church establishes for herself in this Holy Year. In this way we will strengthen in ourselves the certainty that mercy can truly help in the edification of a more human world. Especially in our time, in which forgiveness is a rare guest in the spheres of human life, the call to mercy is made more urgent, and this is so in every place: in society, in institutions, at work and even in the family.

Of course, someone could object: “Father, shouldn’t the Church do something more this Year? It is right to contemplate the mercy of God, but there are so many urgent needs!”. It is true, there is much to do, and I for one never tire of remembering this. However, we must bear in mind that whenever mercy is obliviated self-love is at the root. In the world, this takes the form of exclusively seeking one’s own interests, pleasures and honours joined with the desire to accumulate wealth, whereas in the life of a Christian it is often disguised in hypocrisy and worldliness. All of these things are contrary to mercy. Surges of self-love, which make mercy a stranger in the world, are so abundant and numerous that we are often unable to recognize them as limitations and as sin. This is why it is necessary to recognize ourselves as sinners, so as to strengthen within us the certainty of divine mercy. “Lord, I am a sinful man; Lord, I am a sinful woman: come with your mercy”. This is a beautiful prayer. It is an easy prayer to say every day: “Lord, I am a sinner: come with your mercy”.

Dear brothers and sisters, I hope that, in this Holy Year, each one of us may experience God’s mercy, in order to be witnesses to “what pleases God most”. Is it naïve to believe that this can change the world? Yes, humanly speaking, it is foolish, but “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor 1:25).



Special greetings:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from Scotland, Denmark, Indonesia, Japan, Canada and the United States of America. My special greeting goes to the international team of the Galileo space programme. Upon you and your families I invoke the Lord’s blessings of joy and peace. God bless you all!


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HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER
Cathedral of Bangui (Central African Republic)
First Sunday of Advent, 29 November 2015

OPENING OF THE HOLY DOOR AT THE CATHEDRAL OF BANGUI AND HOLY MASS WITH PRIESTS, MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS, CATECHISTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE



WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER BEFORE OPENING THE HOLY DOOR
Today Bangui becomes the spiritual capital of the world. The Holy Year of Mercy starts early in this land of Africa. A land which has suffered for years from war and hatred, lack of understanding, lack of peace; in this land of sufferings there are many countries bearing the cross of war. Bangui now becomes the spiritual capital of prayer for the Father’s mercy. Let us all implore peace, mercy, reconciliation, forgiveness and love. For Bangui, for the entire Central African Republic, for the whole world, for those countries experiencing war, let us ask for peace! Now, all together, let us ask for love and peace. All together: Doyé Siriri!
And with this prayer we now inaugurate the Holy Year, here, today, in this spiritual capital of the world!

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER
On this first Sunday of Advent, the liturgical season of joyful expectation of the Saviour and a symbol of Christian hope, God has brought me here among you, in this land, while the universal Church is preparing for the opening of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which we inaugurated here today. I am especially pleased that my pastoral visit coincides with the opening of this Jubilee Year in your country. From this cathedral I reach out, in mind and heart, and with great affection, to all the priests, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers of the nation, who are spiritually united with us at this moment. Through you, I would greet all the people of the Central African Republic: the sick, the elderly, those who have experienced life’s hurts. Some of them are perhaps despairing and listless, asking only for alms, the alms of bread, the alms of justice, the alms of attention and goodness. All of us are looking for God’s grace, for the alms of peace.

But like the Apostles Peter and John on their way to the Temple, who had neither gold nor silver to give to the paralytic in need, I have come to offer God’s strength and power; for these bring us healing, set us on our feet and enable us to embark on a new life, to “go across to the other side” (cf. Lk 8:22).

Jesus does not make us cross to the other side alone; instead, he asks us to make the crossing with him, as each of us responds to his or her own specific vocation. We need to realize that making this crossing can only be done with him, by freeing ourselves of divisive notions of family and blood in order to build a Church which is God’s family, open to everyone, concerned for those most in need. This presupposes closeness to our brothers and sisters; it implies a spirit of communion. It is not primarily a question of financial means; it is enough just to share in the life of God’s people, in accounting for the hope which is in us (cf. 1 Pet 3:15), in testifying to the infinite mercy of God who, as the Responsorial Psalm of this Sunday’s liturgy makes clear, is “good [and] instructs sinners in the way” (Ps 24:8). Jesus teaches us that our heavenly Father “makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt5:45). Having experienced forgiveness ourselves, we must forgive others in turn. This is our fundamental vocation: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

One of the essential characteristics of this vocation to perfection is the love of our enemies, which protects us from the temptation to seek revenge and from the spiral of endless retaliation. Jesus placed special emphasis on this aspect of the Christian testimony (cf. Mt 5:46-47). Those who evangelize must therefore be first and foremost practitioners of forgiveness, specialists in reconciliation, experts in mercy. This is how we can help our brothers and sisters to “cross to the other side” – by showing them the secret of our strength, our hope, and our joy, all of which have their source in God, for they are grounded in the certainty that he is in the boat with us. As he did with the apostles at the multiplication of the loaves, so too the Lord entrusts his gifts to us, so that we can go out and distribute them everywhere, proclaiming his reassuring words: “Behold, the days are coming when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jer 33:14).

In the readings of this Sunday’s liturgy, we can see different aspects of this salvation proclaimed by God; they appear as signposts to guide us on our mission. First of all, the happiness promised by God is presented as justice. Advent is a time when we strive to open our hearts to receive the Saviour, who alone is just and the sole Judge able to give to each his or her due. Here as elsewhere, countless men and women thirst for respect, for justice, for equality, yet see no positive signs on the horizon. These are the ones to whom he comes to bring the gift of his justice (cf. Jer 33:15). He comes to enrich our personal and collective histories, our dashed hopes and our sterile yearnings. And he sends us to proclaim, especially to those oppressed by the powerful of this world or weighed down by the burden of their sins, that “Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it shall be called, ‘The Lord is our righteousness’” (Jer 33:16). Yes, God is righteousness; God is justice. This, then, is why we Christians are called in the world to work for a peace founded on justice.

The salvation of God which we await is also flavoured with love. In preparing for the mystery of Christmas, we relive the pilgrimage which prepared God’s people to receive the Son, who came to reveal that God is not only righteousness, but also and above all love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8). In every place, even and especially in those places where violence, hatred, injustice and persecution hold sway, Christians are called to give witness to this God who is love. In encouraging the priests, consecrated men and woman, and committed laity who, in this country live, at times heroically, the Christian virtues, I realize that the distance between this demanding ideal and our Christian witness is at times great. For this reason I echo the prayer of Saint Paul: “Brothers and sisters, may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all men and women” (1 Th 3:12). Thus what the pagans said of the early Christians will always remain before us like a beacon: “See how they love one another, how they truly love one another” (Tertullian, Apology, 39, 7).

Finally, the salvation proclaimed by God has an invincible power which will make it ultimately prevail. After announcing to his disciples the terrible signs that will precede his coming, Jesus concludes: “When these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Lk 21:28). If Saint Paul can speak of a love which “grows and overflows”, it is because Christian witness reflects that irresistible power spoken of in the Gospel. It is amid unprecedented devastation that Jesus wishes to show his great power, his incomparable glory (cf. Lk 21:27) and the power of that love which stops at nothing, even before the falling of the heavens, the conflagration of the world or the tumult of the seas. God is stronger, more powerful, than all else. This conviction gives to the believer serenity, courage and the strength to persevere in good amid the greatest hardships. Even when the powers of Hell are unleashed, Christians must rise to the summons, their heads held high, and be ready to brave blows in this battle over which God will have the last word. And that word will be one of love and peace!

To all those who make unjust use of the weapons of this world, I make this appeal: lay down these instruments of death! Arm yourselves instead with righteousness, with love and mercy, the authentic guarantors of peace. As followers of Christ, dear priests, religious and lay pastoral workers, here in this country, with its suggestive name, situated in the heart of Africa and called to discover the Lord as the true centre of all that is good, your vocation is to incarnate the very heart of God in the midst of your fellow citizens. May the Lord deign to “strengthen your hearts in holiness, that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints” (1 Th 3:13). Reconciliation, forgiveness, love and peace! Amen.


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 ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square
Tuesday, 8 December 2015

SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY


Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning and happy feast day!
Today the Feast of the Immaculate Conception leads us to contemplate Our Lady who, by unique privilege, was preserved from original sin from the very moment of her conception. Even living in a world marked by sin, she was not touched by it: Mary is our sister in suffering, but not in evil or in sin. Instead, evil was conquered in her even before deflowering her, because God had filled her with grace (cf. Lk 1:28). The Immaculate Conception signifies that Mary is the first one to be saved by the infinite mercy of the Father, which is the first fruit of salvation which God wills to give to every man and woman, in Christ. For this reason the Immaculate One has become the sublime icon of the divine mercy which conquered sin. Today, at the beginning of the Jubilee of Mercy, we want to look to this icon with trusting love and to contemplate her in all her splendour, emulating her faith.

In the Immaculate Conception of Mary we are invited to recognize the dawn of the new world, transformed by the salvific work of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The dawn of the new creation brought about by divine mercy. For this reason the Virgin Mary, never infected by sin and always full of God, is the mother of a new humanity. She is the mother of the recreated world.

Celebrating this feast entails two things. First: fully welcoming God and his merciful grace into our life. Second: becoming in our turn artisans of mercy by means of an evangelical journey. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception then becomes the feast of all of us if, with our daily “yes”, we manage to overcome our selfishness and make the life of our brothers ever more glad, to give them hope, by drying a few tears and giving a bit of joy. In imitation of Mary, we are called to become bearers of Christ and witnesses to his love, looking first of all to those who are privileged in the eyes of Jesus. It is they who he himself indicated: “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Mt 25:35-36).


Today’s Feast of the Immaculate Conception has a specific message for us: it reminds us that in our life everything is a gift, it is all mercy. May the Blessed Virgin, first fruit of the saved, model of the Church, Holy and Immaculate Spouse, loved by the Lord, help us to ever increasingly rediscover divine mercy as the distinguishing mark of Christians. One cannot understand a true Christian who is not merciful, just as one cannot comprehend God without his mercy. This is the epitomizing word of the Gospel: mercy. It is the fundamental feature of the face of Christ: that face that we recognize in the various aspects of his existence: when he goes to meet everyone, when he heals the sick, when he sits at the table with sinners, and above all when, nailed to the cross, he forgives; there we see the face of divine mercy. Let us not be afraid: let us allow ourselves to be embraced by the mercy of God who awaits us and forgives all. Nothing is sweeter than his mercy. Let us allow ourselves to be caressed by God: the Lord is so good, and he forgives all.

Through the intercession of Immaculate Mary, may mercy take possession of our hearts and transform our whole life.

After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, I greet you all with affection, especially families, parish groups and associations.

This afternoon I shall go to Piazza di Spagna, to pray at the feet of the monument to the Immaculate. I will then go to St Mary Major. I ask you to join me spiritually on this pilgrimage, which is an act of filial devotion to Mary, Mother of Mercy. I shall entrust to her the Church and all of humanity, and in a special way the city of Rome.

Today Pope Benedict also passed through the Door of Mercy. Let us greet Pope Benedict from here!

I wish everyone a happy feast day and an abundantly fruitful Holy Year, with the guidance and intercession of our Mother; a Holy Year filled with mercy, for you and, from you, for others. Please, ask this of the Lord for me too, as I have such a need for it! Enjoy your lunch! Arrivederci!


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