At noon today (local time in Rome), the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Caeli (the Marian prayer that is recited during the Easter season with the faithful and with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
On this festive Monday, known as Angel Monday, the liturgy echoes the proclamation of the Resurrection proclaimed yesterday: Christ is risen, alleluia. In today's gospel passage we can hear the echo of the words the Angel spoke to the women at the tomb: Quickly, go and tell his disciples: He is risen from the dead (Mt 28:7). We also hear how the invitation is also addressed to us to act quickly and to go out and proclaim the message of joy and hope to men and women of our time. Hope that is certain, because since then, on the third day, the crucified Jesus is risen, the final word is no longer a word of death, but of life! And this is our certainty. The final word does not belong to the tomb, it is not spoken by death, it is life! For this reason, we repeat: Christ is risen. In Him, the tomb has been defeated, life is born.
By virtue of this event, which constitutes a true and proper novelty in history and in the cosmos, we are called to be new men and women, renewed by the Spirit, affirming the value of life. There is life! Life has already begun and rises again! We will be men and women of resurrection, men and women of life, if in the midst of events that take place in the world - and there are many events taking place today - in the midst of worldliness that distances us from God, we are also aware of gestures of solidarity, gestures of welcome, feeding the universal desire for peace and hope for a free from degradation. They are common and human signs, but signs which are inspired and supported by faith in the risen Lord, leading us to acquiring the efficiency that is much superior to any capacity of our own. And this is so because Christ is alive and at work in history through the presence of his Holy Spirit: overcoming our sufferings, reaching human hearts and re-establishing hope in the hearts of all those who are oppressed and suffering.
May the Virgin Mary, silent witness to the death and resurrection of her son Jesus, help us to be clear signs of the risen Christ in the midst of the events of this world, so that those who are facing distress and difficulties may not remain enslaved by pessimism and defeat, by resignation; may they find in us many brothers and sisters who are willing to offer them support and consolation. Our Mother helps us to believe firmly in the resurrection of Jesus: Jesus is risen, and living here among us, and this is a wonderful mystery of salvation that has the ability to transform our hearts and our lives. She intercedes in a special way for the Christian communities that are persecuted and oppressed, in many parts of the world today, called to bear even more difficult and courageous witness.
And now, in the light of the joy of Easter, we turn to her and recite the prayer that, for fifty days, until the solemnity of Pentecost, is recited in place of the Angelus.
Regina Caeli laetare, alleluia!
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia!
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia!
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia!
Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.
Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Queen of heaven rejoice, alleluia!
For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia!
Is risen as he said, alleluia!
Pray for us to God, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
After the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the joy of Easter that characterizes this day, I cordially greet all of you, families, parish groups, associations and individual pilgrims who have come from various parts of Italy and from all corners of the world. To each of you, I wish the grace of spending this day within the octave of Easter in serenity - an extension of the joy of Christ's Resurrection.
Happy and Holy Easter to you all! Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye.
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Regina Caeli
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
On this festive Monday, known as Angel Monday, the liturgy echoes the proclamation of the Resurrection proclaimed yesterday: Christ is risen, alleluia. In today's gospel passage we can hear the echo of the words the Angel spoke to the women at the tomb: Quickly, go and tell his disciples: He is risen from the dead (Mt 28:7). We also hear how the invitation is also addressed to us to act quickly and to go out and proclaim the message of joy and hope to men and women of our time. Hope that is certain, because since then, on the third day, the crucified Jesus is risen, the final word is no longer a word of death, but of life! And this is our certainty. The final word does not belong to the tomb, it is not spoken by death, it is life! For this reason, we repeat: Christ is risen. In Him, the tomb has been defeated, life is born.
By virtue of this event, which constitutes a true and proper novelty in history and in the cosmos, we are called to be new men and women, renewed by the Spirit, affirming the value of life. There is life! Life has already begun and rises again! We will be men and women of resurrection, men and women of life, if in the midst of events that take place in the world - and there are many events taking place today - in the midst of worldliness that distances us from God, we are also aware of gestures of solidarity, gestures of welcome, feeding the universal desire for peace and hope for a free from degradation. They are common and human signs, but signs which are inspired and supported by faith in the risen Lord, leading us to acquiring the efficiency that is much superior to any capacity of our own. And this is so because Christ is alive and at work in history through the presence of his Holy Spirit: overcoming our sufferings, reaching human hearts and re-establishing hope in the hearts of all those who are oppressed and suffering.
May the Virgin Mary, silent witness to the death and resurrection of her son Jesus, help us to be clear signs of the risen Christ in the midst of the events of this world, so that those who are facing distress and difficulties may not remain enslaved by pessimism and defeat, by resignation; may they find in us many brothers and sisters who are willing to offer them support and consolation. Our Mother helps us to believe firmly in the resurrection of Jesus: Jesus is risen, and living here among us, and this is a wonderful mystery of salvation that has the ability to transform our hearts and our lives. She intercedes in a special way for the Christian communities that are persecuted and oppressed, in many parts of the world today, called to bear even more difficult and courageous witness.
And now, in the light of the joy of Easter, we turn to her and recite the prayer that, for fifty days, until the solemnity of Pentecost, is recited in place of the Angelus.
Regina Caeli laetare, alleluia!
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia!
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia!
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia!
Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.
Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Queen of heaven rejoice, alleluia!
For he whom you did merit to bear, alleluia!
Is risen as he said, alleluia!
Pray for us to God, alleluia!
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
After the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the joy of Easter that characterizes this day, I cordially greet all of you, families, parish groups, associations and individual pilgrims who have come from various parts of Italy and from all corners of the world. To each of you, I wish the grace of spending this day within the octave of Easter in serenity - an extension of the joy of Christ's Resurrection.
Happy and Holy Easter to you all! Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye.
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