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 Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the usual Sunday gathering.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent, characterized by Saint Paul's invitation to Rejoice always in the Lord: I say it again, rejoice, the Lord is near (Phil 4:4-5). The joy which the Apostle refers to is not a superficial or purely emotional joy, nor is it a worldly joy or the happiness that comes from consumerism. No, that's not it; rather, it's a matter of a more authentic joy, and we are invited to taste it once again. The experience of true joy. a joy that touches the innermost regions of our being, while we wait for Jesus who has already come to bring salvation to the world, the promised Messiah, born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary. The Liturgy of the Word offers us the framework within which we can understand and experience this joy. Isaiah speaks of a desert, an arid land, a steppe (cf Is 35:1); the prophet sees before him hands that are weak, knees that are unsure, hearts that are lost, people who are blind, deaf and mute (cf Is 35:3-6). This is the picture of a truly desolate situation, an unliveable situation that awaits those who are devoid of God.
But finally, salvation is proclaimed: Take courage, be not afraid! - says the Prophet - ... Here is your God ... He comes to save you (cf Is 35:4). And suddenly, everything is transformed: the desert blooms, consolation and joy envelop the heart (cf Is 35:5-6). These signs proclaimed by Isaiah as indicators of salvation that is already present, are realized in Jesus. He himself affirms them in response to the messengers who are sent by John the Baptist. What does Jesus say to these messengers? The blind recover their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised (Mt 11:5). These are not words, they are facts that demonstrate how salvation, brought about by Jesus, take hold of our entire being and recreate it. God entered into history in order to free us from slavery to sin; he has pitched his tent among us in order to share our existence, to heal our wounds, bind up the broken hearted and give us new life. Joy is the fruit of this saving action and the work of God's love.
We are called to experience the feeling of exaltation. This exuberance, this joy ... but if a Christian is not joyous, something is missing, or he is not a Christian! Heartfelt joy, joy within that drives us forward and gives us courage. The Lord is coming, coming in our lives to free us, coming to free us from all forms of internal and external slavery. He is the one who shows us the way of trust, patience and perseverance so that, when he comes, our joy will be full. Christmas is close, the signs of it's coming are evident in our streets and in our homes; even here in the Square the manger and the Christmas tree have been put in place. These external signs invite us to welcome the Lord who is constantly coming and knocking at our door, knocking at the door of our hearts, wanting to come close to us; he invites us to recognize his footprints among those of our brothers and sisters who walk with us, especially those who are weak and those who are in need.
Today, we are invited to be joyous because the coming of our Redeemer is close at hand; we are called to share this joy with others, giving comfort and hope to the poor, to the sick, to people who are alone and unhappy. May the Virgin Mary, the servant of the Lord, help us to listen to the voice of God in prayer and to serve him with compassion in our brothers and sisters, so that we will be ready for Christmas, having prepared our hearts to welcome Jesus.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Every day, we are close, especially in prayer, to the people of Aleppo. We must not forget that aleppo is a city, that there are people living there: families, children, the elderly, sick people ... Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to war, to destruction, but we should never forget that Syria is a country full of history, culture and faith. We cannot accept that this is negated by war, that is an accumulation of injustices and falsehoods. I call upon all people to renew their commitment, to make a choice for civility: say no to destruction, say yes to peace, say yes to the people of Aleppo and Syria.
And let us also pray for the victims of some heinous terrorist attacks which have in these recent hours struck in various countries. There are various places, but unfortunately it is only violence that sows death and destruction, and there can only be one response: faith in God and unity in human and civic values. I want to express my particular closeness to my beloved brother Pope Tawadros II (Patriarch of the Orthodox Coptic Church) and to his community, as I pray for those who have died and for those who have been wounded.
Today in Vietnam, in Laos, Mario Borzago, a priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Paolo Thoj Xyooj, a lay catechist and fourteen of their companions who were killed for hatred of the faith were beatified. May their heroic faith in Christ be a source of encouragement and example to missionaries and especially to catechists who, in missionary lands are carrying out valuable and irreplaceable apostolic work, for which the entire Church is grateful. And let us be conscious of our catechists: they do so much work, wonderful work! To be a catechist is a beautiful thing: it means that they proclaim the message of the Lord so that it may grow within us. Let us applaud all our catechists!
I greet you all with great affection, dear pilgrims from various countries. Today, the first greeting goes out to the children and the young people of Rome, who have come for the traditional blessing of the Bambinelli (statuettes of the baby Jesus), organized by the parish oratories and the Catholic schools of Rome. Dear young people, when you pray before your crèche with your parents, ask baby Jesus to help you to love God and your neighbour. And remember to pray also for me, as I too remember you. Thank you.
I greet the lecturers from the Catholic University of Sydney, the choir from Mosteiro de Grijó in Portugal, the faithful from Brbianello and those from Campobasso.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And don't forget to pray for me. And I want to say something to the children and to the young people: we want to hear you sing something! Good bye and enjoy your lunch! Sing!
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, we celebrate the third Sunday of Advent, characterized by Saint Paul's invitation to Rejoice always in the Lord: I say it again, rejoice, the Lord is near (Phil 4:4-5). The joy which the Apostle refers to is not a superficial or purely emotional joy, nor is it a worldly joy or the happiness that comes from consumerism. No, that's not it; rather, it's a matter of a more authentic joy, and we are invited to taste it once again. The experience of true joy. a joy that touches the innermost regions of our being, while we wait for Jesus who has already come to bring salvation to the world, the promised Messiah, born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary. The Liturgy of the Word offers us the framework within which we can understand and experience this joy. Isaiah speaks of a desert, an arid land, a steppe (cf Is 35:1); the prophet sees before him hands that are weak, knees that are unsure, hearts that are lost, people who are blind, deaf and mute (cf Is 35:3-6). This is the picture of a truly desolate situation, an unliveable situation that awaits those who are devoid of God.
But finally, salvation is proclaimed: Take courage, be not afraid! - says the Prophet - ... Here is your God ... He comes to save you (cf Is 35:4). And suddenly, everything is transformed: the desert blooms, consolation and joy envelop the heart (cf Is 35:5-6). These signs proclaimed by Isaiah as indicators of salvation that is already present, are realized in Jesus. He himself affirms them in response to the messengers who are sent by John the Baptist. What does Jesus say to these messengers? The blind recover their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised (Mt 11:5). These are not words, they are facts that demonstrate how salvation, brought about by Jesus, take hold of our entire being and recreate it. God entered into history in order to free us from slavery to sin; he has pitched his tent among us in order to share our existence, to heal our wounds, bind up the broken hearted and give us new life. Joy is the fruit of this saving action and the work of God's love.
We are called to experience the feeling of exaltation. This exuberance, this joy ... but if a Christian is not joyous, something is missing, or he is not a Christian! Heartfelt joy, joy within that drives us forward and gives us courage. The Lord is coming, coming in our lives to free us, coming to free us from all forms of internal and external slavery. He is the one who shows us the way of trust, patience and perseverance so that, when he comes, our joy will be full. Christmas is close, the signs of it's coming are evident in our streets and in our homes; even here in the Square the manger and the Christmas tree have been put in place. These external signs invite us to welcome the Lord who is constantly coming and knocking at our door, knocking at the door of our hearts, wanting to come close to us; he invites us to recognize his footprints among those of our brothers and sisters who walk with us, especially those who are weak and those who are in need.
Today, we are invited to be joyous because the coming of our Redeemer is close at hand; we are called to share this joy with others, giving comfort and hope to the poor, to the sick, to people who are alone and unhappy. May the Virgin Mary, the servant of the Lord, help us to listen to the voice of God in prayer and to serve him with compassion in our brothers and sisters, so that we will be ready for Christmas, having prepared our hearts to welcome Jesus.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Every day, we are close, especially in prayer, to the people of Aleppo. We must not forget that aleppo is a city, that there are people living there: families, children, the elderly, sick people ... Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to war, to destruction, but we should never forget that Syria is a country full of history, culture and faith. We cannot accept that this is negated by war, that is an accumulation of injustices and falsehoods. I call upon all people to renew their commitment, to make a choice for civility: say no to destruction, say yes to peace, say yes to the people of Aleppo and Syria.
And let us also pray for the victims of some heinous terrorist attacks which have in these recent hours struck in various countries. There are various places, but unfortunately it is only violence that sows death and destruction, and there can only be one response: faith in God and unity in human and civic values. I want to express my particular closeness to my beloved brother Pope Tawadros II (Patriarch of the Orthodox Coptic Church) and to his community, as I pray for those who have died and for those who have been wounded.
Today in Vietnam, in Laos, Mario Borzago, a priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Paolo Thoj Xyooj, a lay catechist and fourteen of their companions who were killed for hatred of the faith were beatified. May their heroic faith in Christ be a source of encouragement and example to missionaries and especially to catechists who, in missionary lands are carrying out valuable and irreplaceable apostolic work, for which the entire Church is grateful. And let us be conscious of our catechists: they do so much work, wonderful work! To be a catechist is a beautiful thing: it means that they proclaim the message of the Lord so that it may grow within us. Let us applaud all our catechists!
I greet you all with great affection, dear pilgrims from various countries. Today, the first greeting goes out to the children and the young people of Rome, who have come for the traditional blessing of the Bambinelli (statuettes of the baby Jesus), organized by the parish oratories and the Catholic schools of Rome. Dear young people, when you pray before your crèche with your parents, ask baby Jesus to help you to love God and your neighbour. And remember to pray also for me, as I too remember you. Thank you.
I greet the lecturers from the Catholic University of Sydney, the choir from Mosteiro de Grijó in Portugal, the faithful from Brbianello and those from Campobasso.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And don't forget to pray for me. And I want to say something to the children and to the young people: we want to hear you sing something! Good bye and enjoy your lunch! Sing!
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