At noon today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to rrecite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims who had gathered by the thousands in Saint Peter's Square.
But the mercy of Jesus is not just sentiment: indeed it is a force that gives life, that raises man up! This Sunday’s Gospel tells us this as well, in the episode of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17). Jesus, with his disciples, has just arrived in Nain, a village in Galilee, at the very moment at which a funeral is taking place. A boy is going to be buried, the only son of a widow. Jesus’ gaze immediately fixes itself on the weeping mother. The evangelist Luke says: Seeing her, the Lord was moved with great compassion for her (v. 13). This compassion is the love of God for man, it is mercy, the attitude of God in contact with human misery, with our poverty, our suffering, our anguish. The biblical term compassion recalls the maternal viscera: a mother, in fact, experiences a reaction all her own, to the pain of her children. In this way does God love us, the Scripture says.
Let us turn to the Virgin Mary: her immaculate heart – a mother’s heart – has shared the compassion of God to the full, especially at the hour of the passion and death of Jesus. May Mary help us to be meek, humble and compassionate with our brethren.
Have a good Sunday, and a good lunch.
Greetings offered by His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters!
The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, the highest human expression of divine love. Just this past
Friday, in fact, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: the
feast that sets the tone for the whole month. Popular piety highly prizes
symbols, and the Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God's mercy – but it
is not an imaginary symbol, it is a real symbol, which represents the centre,
the source from which salvation for all humanity gushed forth.
In the Gospels we find several references to the Heart of
Jesus, for example, in the passage where Christ says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of
heart. (Mt 11:28-29) Then there is the key story of the death of Christ
according to John. This evangelist in fact testifies to what he saw on Calvary:
that a soldier, when Jesus was already dead, pierced his side with a spear, and
from the wound flowed blood and water (cf. Jn 19.33-34). John recognized in
that apparently random sign, the fulfillment of prophecies: from the heart of
Jesus, the Lamb slain on the cross, flow forgiveness and life for all men.
But the mercy of Jesus is not just sentiment: indeed it is a force that gives life, that raises man up! This Sunday’s Gospel tells us this as well, in the episode of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17). Jesus, with his disciples, has just arrived in Nain, a village in Galilee, at the very moment at which a funeral is taking place. A boy is going to be buried, the only son of a widow. Jesus’ gaze immediately fixes itself on the weeping mother. The evangelist Luke says: Seeing her, the Lord was moved with great compassion for her (v. 13). This compassion is the love of God for man, it is mercy, the attitude of God in contact with human misery, with our poverty, our suffering, our anguish. The biblical term compassion recalls the maternal viscera: a mother, in fact, experiences a reaction all her own, to the pain of her children. In this way does God love us, the Scripture says.
And what is the fruit of this love? It is life! Jesus said
to the widow of Nain, Do not weep,
and then called the dead boy and awoke him as from a sleep (cf. vv. 13-15). The
mercy of God gives life to man, it raises him from the dead. The Lord is always
watching us with mercy, he always awaits us with mercy. Let us be not afraid to
approach him! He has a merciful heart! If we show our inner wounds, our sins,
He always forgives us. He is pure mercy! Let us never forget this: He is pure
mercy! Let us go to Jesus!
Let us turn to the Virgin Mary: her immaculate heart – a mother’s heart – has shared the compassion of God to the full, especially at the hour of the passion and death of Jesus. May Mary help us to be meek, humble and compassionate with our brethren.
After the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today in Krakow, two Polish religious are being declared Blessed: Sofia Czeska Maciejowska who in the first half of the 17th century founded the Congregation of the Virgins of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and Margherita Lucia Szewczyk, who in the 19th century founded the Congregregation of the Daughters of the Suffering Blessed Virgin Mary. With the Church in Krakow we give thanks to the Lord!
I affectionately greet all the pilgrims who have come today: parish groups, families, scholars, associations and movements. Greetings to you all!
I greet the faithful who have come from Mumbay in India.
I greet the Family Love movement of Rome, the confraternities and the volunteers from the Sanctuary of Mongiovino, near Perugia; the Young Francisicans from Umbria, the Casa della Carità from Lecce, the faithful from the province of Modena, who I wish to encourage in their reconstruction, and I greet those who have come from Ceprano. I also wish to greet the pilgrims from Ortona, where the relics of the Apostle Thomas are venerated, who have just completed a journey from Thomas to Peter. Thank you!
Today, let us not forget the love of God, the love of Jesus: He who watches over us, who loves and who waits for us. He is totally loving and merciful. Let us go faithfully to Jesus, He who always forgives.
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