At noon today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the usual Sunday appointment.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today we celebrate, in many countries including Italy, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or, according to the more well-known Latin form, the Solemnity of Corpus Domini (the Body of the Lord).
The gospel presents the retelling of the institution of the Eucharist, which was accomplished by Jesus during the Last Supper, in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. On the vigil of his redemptive death on the cross, He brought about that which he had predicted: I am the living bread, come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world ... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him (Jn 6:51, 56). Jesus takes the bread in his hands and says: Take, this is my body (Mk 14:22). With this gesture and with these words, He gives to the bread a function that is more than merely physical nutrition, rather, it is that of making his Person present in the midst of the community of believers.
The Last Supper represents the point of arrival of Christ's entire life. It is not only an anticipation of the sacrifice he would accomplish on the cross, but also a synthesis of an existence offered for the salvation of all humanity. Therefore, it is not enough to affirm that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. We must also see in it the presence of a life that is given and in which we take part. When we take and eat the Bread, we become associated to the life of Jesus, entering into communion with Him, we become committed to achieving communion between us, to transforming our lives into gifts offered above all to the poor.
Today's feast evokes this message of solidarity and it motivates us to welcome the intimate invitation to enter into conversation and to render service, to love and to forgive. It encourages us to become, with all our lives, imitators of what we have celebrated in the liturgy. Christ, who nourishes us in the consecrated species of bread and wine, is the same person who comes to meet us in our daily lives: in the poor, he holds our hand; in the suffering, he calls out for help; in the brother who asks us to be available, he awaits our welcome. He is in the child who knows nothing about Jesus, about salvation, who does not possess faith. He is in every human being, even the poor and defenceless.
The Eucharist, a font of love for the life of the Church, is a school of charity and of solidarity. Anyone who knows how to feed on the Bread of Christ cannot remain indifferent in the face of the many who do not have daily bread. And today, we know, this is a growing problem.
The Feast of Corpus Domini, inspires and feeds more and more each day wit us a desire and a commitment toward a welcoming and supportive society. Let us confide these wishes to the heart of the Virgin Mary, Woman of the Eucharist. May she stir within all people the joy of participating in Holy Mass, especially on Sundays, and the joyous courage to bear witness to the infinite charity of Christ.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I can read there: Welcome back! Thank you, yesterday I was in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a pilgrim of peace and of hope. Sarajevo is a symbolic city. For centuries, it has been a place of coexistence among peoples and religions, so much so that it has been called the Jerusalem of the West. In the recent past it has become a symbol of destruction and war. Now it is in the process of a beautiful process of reconciliation, and indeed it was for this reason that I went: to encourage this journey of passive sharing among the various populations; a tiring journey which is difficult but possible ... and they are doing well! I renew my thanks to the Authorities and to all the citizens of that country for their warm welcome. I thank the dear Catholic community, to which I wanted to communicate the affection of the universal Church and I thank in particular also all the faithful: the Orthodox, the Muslims, the Jews and those of other religious minorities. I appreciated the commitment to collaboration and solidarity between these people who belong to various religions, urging all people to continue working toward the spiritual and moral reconstruction of society. They are working together like real brothers. May the Lord bless Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Next Friday, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we will consider the love of Jesus, we will think about how much he loves us, in his heart with so much love. Next Friday we will also celebrate the World Day against child labourers. Many children throughout the world do not have the freedom to play, to go to school ... instead, they end up being manipulated. I hope that the the International community will continue its commitment to constantly reminding people about the promotion of the active recognition of the rights of children.
Now, I greet you all, dear pilgrims who have come from Italy and from various other countries. I see the flags of many countries. In particular, I want to greet the faithful from Madrid, Brazilia and Curitiba, and those from Chiavari, Catania and Gottolengo (Brescia). To all of you, I wish a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch; good bye!
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today we celebrate, in many countries including Italy, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or, according to the more well-known Latin form, the Solemnity of Corpus Domini (the Body of the Lord).
The gospel presents the retelling of the institution of the Eucharist, which was accomplished by Jesus during the Last Supper, in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. On the vigil of his redemptive death on the cross, He brought about that which he had predicted: I am the living bread, come down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world ... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him (Jn 6:51, 56). Jesus takes the bread in his hands and says: Take, this is my body (Mk 14:22). With this gesture and with these words, He gives to the bread a function that is more than merely physical nutrition, rather, it is that of making his Person present in the midst of the community of believers.
The Last Supper represents the point of arrival of Christ's entire life. It is not only an anticipation of the sacrifice he would accomplish on the cross, but also a synthesis of an existence offered for the salvation of all humanity. Therefore, it is not enough to affirm that Jesus is present in the Eucharist. We must also see in it the presence of a life that is given and in which we take part. When we take and eat the Bread, we become associated to the life of Jesus, entering into communion with Him, we become committed to achieving communion between us, to transforming our lives into gifts offered above all to the poor.
Today's feast evokes this message of solidarity and it motivates us to welcome the intimate invitation to enter into conversation and to render service, to love and to forgive. It encourages us to become, with all our lives, imitators of what we have celebrated in the liturgy. Christ, who nourishes us in the consecrated species of bread and wine, is the same person who comes to meet us in our daily lives: in the poor, he holds our hand; in the suffering, he calls out for help; in the brother who asks us to be available, he awaits our welcome. He is in the child who knows nothing about Jesus, about salvation, who does not possess faith. He is in every human being, even the poor and defenceless.
The Eucharist, a font of love for the life of the Church, is a school of charity and of solidarity. Anyone who knows how to feed on the Bread of Christ cannot remain indifferent in the face of the many who do not have daily bread. And today, we know, this is a growing problem.
The Feast of Corpus Domini, inspires and feeds more and more each day wit us a desire and a commitment toward a welcoming and supportive society. Let us confide these wishes to the heart of the Virgin Mary, Woman of the Eucharist. May she stir within all people the joy of participating in Holy Mass, especially on Sundays, and the joyous courage to bear witness to the infinite charity of Christ.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I can read there: Welcome back! Thank you, yesterday I was in Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a pilgrim of peace and of hope. Sarajevo is a symbolic city. For centuries, it has been a place of coexistence among peoples and religions, so much so that it has been called the Jerusalem of the West. In the recent past it has become a symbol of destruction and war. Now it is in the process of a beautiful process of reconciliation, and indeed it was for this reason that I went: to encourage this journey of passive sharing among the various populations; a tiring journey which is difficult but possible ... and they are doing well! I renew my thanks to the Authorities and to all the citizens of that country for their warm welcome. I thank the dear Catholic community, to which I wanted to communicate the affection of the universal Church and I thank in particular also all the faithful: the Orthodox, the Muslims, the Jews and those of other religious minorities. I appreciated the commitment to collaboration and solidarity between these people who belong to various religions, urging all people to continue working toward the spiritual and moral reconstruction of society. They are working together like real brothers. May the Lord bless Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Next Friday, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we will consider the love of Jesus, we will think about how much he loves us, in his heart with so much love. Next Friday we will also celebrate the World Day against child labourers. Many children throughout the world do not have the freedom to play, to go to school ... instead, they end up being manipulated. I hope that the the International community will continue its commitment to constantly reminding people about the promotion of the active recognition of the rights of children.
Now, I greet you all, dear pilgrims who have come from Italy and from various other countries. I see the flags of many countries. In particular, I want to greet the faithful from Madrid, Brazilia and Curitiba, and those from Chiavari, Catania and Gottolengo (Brescia). To all of you, I wish a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch; good bye!
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