At noon today in Rome, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Caeli with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the usual Sunday appointment.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel presents Jesus during the Last Supper, at the moment when he knows that his death is drawing near. His hour is near. For the last time, He is gathered with his disciples and so he wants to impress a fundamental truth upon their minds: even when He is no longer physically among them, they will be able to remain united to Him in a new way, and therefore bear much fruit. Everyone can be united to Jesus in a new way. If however someone should lose this unity with Him, communion with Him, that person will become sterile, even damaging to the rest of the community. To express this reality, this new way of being united to Him, Jesus uses the image of vines and branches, and says: Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own, if it does not remain connected to the vine, so none of you cannot bear fruit if you do not remain in me. I am the fine, you are the branches (Jn 15:4-5). With this image, he teaches us how to remain in Him, to be united to Him, even if He is not physically present.
Jesus is the vine, and through Him - like the sap in a tree - the love of God (the gift of the Holy Spirit) is transmitted to the branches. So, we are the branches, and through this parable, Jesus wants to help us understand the importance of remaining united to Him. The branches are not self-sufficient, but totally dependant on the vine, in which they find the source of their life. So it is for us Christians. Beginning with Baptism in Christ, we have received from Him the free gift of new life; and we can remain connected to the life-giving communion with Christ, but we must remain faithful to our Baptism and grow in friendship with the Lord through prayer, daily prayer, listening and remaining open to his Word - reading the Gospel - and participating in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
If we are intimately united to Jesus, enjoying the gifts of the Holy Spirit - as Saint Paul says - which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22); and therefore do much good for others and for society ... in other words, be a Christian. In fact, through these attitudes, we can recognize if someone is a true Christian, just as we can recognize a tree by the fruit it bears. The fruits of profound union with Jesus are marvellous: our entire person is transformed by the grace of the Spirit: soul, intelligence, will, affections and even the body, because we are united in spirit and body. We receive a new way of being, Christ's life becomes our life: we can think like Him, act like Him, see the world and things around us with Jesus' eyes. As a result, we can love our brothers and sisters, beginning with the poor and those who are suffering, like He did, and we can love them with his heart and therefore bear the fruit of goodness, charity and peace in the world.
Each of us is a branch of the vine: and together, we are called to bear the fruit of our common belonging to Christ and to the Church. Let us entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, so that we can be living branches in the Church and witnesses to our faith in a consistent manner - faithful in life and in faith - knowing that everyone, according to our proper vocations, participates in Christ's saving mission.
Following the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
from Italy and from all other corners of the world, to each and every one of you, I wish a cordial greeting!
Yesterday in Turin, Luigi Bordino was proclaimed Blessed, a consecrated lay person belonging to the Congregation of Brothers of Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo. He dedicated his life to the sick and suffering, and relentlessly dedicated his efforts to serving the poor and beggars, even cleaning their wounds. Let us thank the Lord for this humble and generous disciple.
A special greeting is offered today to the Méter Association, on the Day of child victims of violence. Thank you for your commitment to trying to prevent such crimes. We should all work toward ensuring that every person and especially children are always defended and protected.
I affectionately greet all the pilgrims who are present, there really are too many of you to name every group! But at least I hope that the San Biagio choir will sing a little bit. I greet those who have come from Amsterdam, Zagreb, Litija (Slovenia), Madrid and Lugo, which is also in Spain.
I joyfully greet all the Italians: the parishes, the associations and the schools. A special thought for boys and girls who have received and who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Regina Caeli
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel presents Jesus during the Last Supper, at the moment when he knows that his death is drawing near. His hour is near. For the last time, He is gathered with his disciples and so he wants to impress a fundamental truth upon their minds: even when He is no longer physically among them, they will be able to remain united to Him in a new way, and therefore bear much fruit. Everyone can be united to Jesus in a new way. If however someone should lose this unity with Him, communion with Him, that person will become sterile, even damaging to the rest of the community. To express this reality, this new way of being united to Him, Jesus uses the image of vines and branches, and says: Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own, if it does not remain connected to the vine, so none of you cannot bear fruit if you do not remain in me. I am the fine, you are the branches (Jn 15:4-5). With this image, he teaches us how to remain in Him, to be united to Him, even if He is not physically present.
Jesus is the vine, and through Him - like the sap in a tree - the love of God (the gift of the Holy Spirit) is transmitted to the branches. So, we are the branches, and through this parable, Jesus wants to help us understand the importance of remaining united to Him. The branches are not self-sufficient, but totally dependant on the vine, in which they find the source of their life. So it is for us Christians. Beginning with Baptism in Christ, we have received from Him the free gift of new life; and we can remain connected to the life-giving communion with Christ, but we must remain faithful to our Baptism and grow in friendship with the Lord through prayer, daily prayer, listening and remaining open to his Word - reading the Gospel - and participating in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.
If we are intimately united to Jesus, enjoying the gifts of the Holy Spirit - as Saint Paul says - which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22); and therefore do much good for others and for society ... in other words, be a Christian. In fact, through these attitudes, we can recognize if someone is a true Christian, just as we can recognize a tree by the fruit it bears. The fruits of profound union with Jesus are marvellous: our entire person is transformed by the grace of the Spirit: soul, intelligence, will, affections and even the body, because we are united in spirit and body. We receive a new way of being, Christ's life becomes our life: we can think like Him, act like Him, see the world and things around us with Jesus' eyes. As a result, we can love our brothers and sisters, beginning with the poor and those who are suffering, like He did, and we can love them with his heart and therefore bear the fruit of goodness, charity and peace in the world.
Each of us is a branch of the vine: and together, we are called to bear the fruit of our common belonging to Christ and to the Church. Let us entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, so that we can be living branches in the Church and witnesses to our faith in a consistent manner - faithful in life and in faith - knowing that everyone, according to our proper vocations, participates in Christ's saving mission.
Following the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
from Italy and from all other corners of the world, to each and every one of you, I wish a cordial greeting!
Yesterday in Turin, Luigi Bordino was proclaimed Blessed, a consecrated lay person belonging to the Congregation of Brothers of Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo. He dedicated his life to the sick and suffering, and relentlessly dedicated his efforts to serving the poor and beggars, even cleaning their wounds. Let us thank the Lord for this humble and generous disciple.
A special greeting is offered today to the Méter Association, on the Day of child victims of violence. Thank you for your commitment to trying to prevent such crimes. We should all work toward ensuring that every person and especially children are always defended and protected.
I affectionately greet all the pilgrims who are present, there really are too many of you to name every group! But at least I hope that the San Biagio choir will sing a little bit. I greet those who have come from Amsterdam, Zagreb, Litija (Slovenia), Madrid and Lugo, which is also in Spain.
I joyfully greet all the Italians: the parishes, the associations and the schools. A special thought for boys and girls who have received and who will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation.
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
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