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 had come to Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In today's gospel, Jesus insists on the conditions necessary to be his disciples: we must prefer nothing over loving Him, to carrying our own cross and to following him. Many people were coming close to Jesus, wanting to be counted among his followers, and this happened especially after some miraculous sign caused them to believe that he was the Messiah, the King of Israel. But Jesus didn't want to mislead anyone. He knew very well what was awaiting him in Jerusalem, and this was the path that the Father was asking him to take - the way of the cross, of self sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Following Jesus does not lead to participation in a triumphant procession! It calls us to share in his merciful love, to enter into his great work of mercy for every human being and for all men. Jesus' work is truly a work of mercy, of forgiveness, of love! Jesus is so merciful! This universal forgiveness, this mercy, is dispensed from the cross. Jesus doesn't want to accomplish this work on his own: he wants to involve us too in the mission which the Father confided to him. After his resurrection, he said to the disciples: As the Father has sent me, so I send you ... Those whose sins you forgive will be forgiven (Jn 20:21-22). Jesus' disciples are willing to leave everything behind because they have found in Him the greatest good, from which all other good things receive their own value and significance: family ties, other relationships, work, cultural and economic treasures and so on ... Christians are therefore able to detach themselves from things and to find all that they need in the logic of the gospel - the logic of love and of service.
In order to explain this need, Jesus uses two parables: the one about the tower that needed to be built and the one about the king who was preparing to go to war. This second parable says: What king, marching to war against another king, does not first sit down and consider whether he is is able with ten thousand men to successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand? If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a messenger to ask for peace (Lk 14:31-32). Jesus is not intending to speak about the subject of war; this is only a parable. However, in this particular moment when we are praying intensely for peace, the Word of the Lord is particularly relevant, and essentially tells us that there is a more profound war that we all must fight ... all of us! He is speaking about the strong and courageous decision to renounce all evil and all its seductions and to choose good, ready to personally pay the price: this is what it means to follow Christ, this is what it means to take up your cross! The interior war against evil! What's the purpose of war, so much war, if we are not able to fight the interior war against evil? It's useless! It should not be so. This war against evil involves saying no to fratricidal hatred and to the lies that can ensnare us, saying no to violence in all its forms, saying no to the proliferation of and illegal trade of weapons. There are so many complications ... and still the question remains: this war here, that one there - why is there always war - is it really a fight that will solve problems, or is it a war of commerce to sell arms in illegal trade? These are the true enemies revealed by fighting; it is always thus - and such interests are not concerned with peace or the common good.
Dear brothers and sisters, today we also remember the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a feast which is particularly cherished by the Eastern Church. All of us can now wish our brothers, sisters, bishops, monks and faithful of the Eastern Churches, the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches well! Jesus is the sun, and Mary is the dawn that heralds his rising. Last night we held a vigil, and entrusted to her intercession our prayer for peace in the world, especially in Syria and in the Middle East. We call upon her now, as Queen of Peace. Queen of Peace, pray for us! Queen of Peace, prayer for us!
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
I want to thank all those who in various ways participated in the vigil of prayer and fasting last evening. I thank all those who were united with us in offering their sufferings. I thank the civil authorities, as well as the members of other Christian communities and of other religions, and men and women of good will who lived in this circumstance, a moment of prayer, of fasting and reflection.
Our commitment continues: let us continue with our prayer and with works of peace! I invite you to continue your prayers for an immediate halt to the violence and devastation in Syria and for efforts to continue with renewed vigor toward an equitable solution to the fratricidal conflict. Let us pray also for the other countries of the Middle East, particularly for Lebanon, that they may find the stability they seek and continue to be a model of peaceful living; for Iraq, that sectarian violence may give way to reconciliation; and for the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, that they may advance with decisiveness and courage. And let us pray for Egypt, that all Egyptians, Muslims and Christians may be committed to building together a society focused on the good of the entire population. The quest for peace is long, and requires patience and perseverance! And we must continue to pray!
With joy, I remember that yesterday in Rovigo, Maria Bolognesi, a lay woman from that land was beatified. She was born in 1924 and died in 1980. She spent her entire life in service to others, especially the poor and the sick, enduring great suffering in profound union with the passion of Christ. We give thanks to God for her gospel witness.
I affectionately greet all the pilgrims who are present, all of you! In particular, I greet the faithful from the Patriarcate of Venice, led by their Patriarch; the alumni and former students of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians; and the participants in the Pilgrim Madonna campaign from Schoenstatt.
Greetings to the faithful from Carcare, Bitonto, Sciacca, Nocera Superiore and from the dioceses of Acerra; the Sisters of the Holy Rosary from Villa Pitignano; the youth from Torano Nuovo, Martignano, Tencarola and Carmignano, and those who have come here along with the Sisters of Mercy from Verona.
I greet the choir from San Giovanni Ilarione, the Peace and Joy Association from Santa Vittoria d'Alba and 'Calima' from Orzinuovi and the blood donors from Cimolais.
I wish you all a good day today. Enjoy your lunch. Good bye!
Greeting of His Holiness, Pope Francis
before the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In today's gospel, Jesus insists on the conditions necessary to be his disciples: we must prefer nothing over loving Him, to carrying our own cross and to following him. Many people were coming close to Jesus, wanting to be counted among his followers, and this happened especially after some miraculous sign caused them to believe that he was the Messiah, the King of Israel. But Jesus didn't want to mislead anyone. He knew very well what was awaiting him in Jerusalem, and this was the path that the Father was asking him to take - the way of the cross, of self sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Following Jesus does not lead to participation in a triumphant procession! It calls us to share in his merciful love, to enter into his great work of mercy for every human being and for all men. Jesus' work is truly a work of mercy, of forgiveness, of love! Jesus is so merciful! This universal forgiveness, this mercy, is dispensed from the cross. Jesus doesn't want to accomplish this work on his own: he wants to involve us too in the mission which the Father confided to him. After his resurrection, he said to the disciples: As the Father has sent me, so I send you ... Those whose sins you forgive will be forgiven (Jn 20:21-22). Jesus' disciples are willing to leave everything behind because they have found in Him the greatest good, from which all other good things receive their own value and significance: family ties, other relationships, work, cultural and economic treasures and so on ... Christians are therefore able to detach themselves from things and to find all that they need in the logic of the gospel - the logic of love and of service.
In order to explain this need, Jesus uses two parables: the one about the tower that needed to be built and the one about the king who was preparing to go to war. This second parable says: What king, marching to war against another king, does not first sit down and consider whether he is is able with ten thousand men to successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand? If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a messenger to ask for peace (Lk 14:31-32). Jesus is not intending to speak about the subject of war; this is only a parable. However, in this particular moment when we are praying intensely for peace, the Word of the Lord is particularly relevant, and essentially tells us that there is a more profound war that we all must fight ... all of us! He is speaking about the strong and courageous decision to renounce all evil and all its seductions and to choose good, ready to personally pay the price: this is what it means to follow Christ, this is what it means to take up your cross! The interior war against evil! What's the purpose of war, so much war, if we are not able to fight the interior war against evil? It's useless! It should not be so. This war against evil involves saying no to fratricidal hatred and to the lies that can ensnare us, saying no to violence in all its forms, saying no to the proliferation of and illegal trade of weapons. There are so many complications ... and still the question remains: this war here, that one there - why is there always war - is it really a fight that will solve problems, or is it a war of commerce to sell arms in illegal trade? These are the true enemies revealed by fighting; it is always thus - and such interests are not concerned with peace or the common good.
Dear brothers and sisters, today we also remember the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, a feast which is particularly cherished by the Eastern Church. All of us can now wish our brothers, sisters, bishops, monks and faithful of the Eastern Churches, the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches well! Jesus is the sun, and Mary is the dawn that heralds his rising. Last night we held a vigil, and entrusted to her intercession our prayer for peace in the world, especially in Syria and in the Middle East. We call upon her now, as Queen of Peace. Queen of Peace, pray for us! Queen of Peace, prayer for us!
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
I want to thank all those who in various ways participated in the vigil of prayer and fasting last evening. I thank all those who were united with us in offering their sufferings. I thank the civil authorities, as well as the members of other Christian communities and of other religions, and men and women of good will who lived in this circumstance, a moment of prayer, of fasting and reflection.
Our commitment continues: let us continue with our prayer and with works of peace! I invite you to continue your prayers for an immediate halt to the violence and devastation in Syria and for efforts to continue with renewed vigor toward an equitable solution to the fratricidal conflict. Let us pray also for the other countries of the Middle East, particularly for Lebanon, that they may find the stability they seek and continue to be a model of peaceful living; for Iraq, that sectarian violence may give way to reconciliation; and for the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, that they may advance with decisiveness and courage. And let us pray for Egypt, that all Egyptians, Muslims and Christians may be committed to building together a society focused on the good of the entire population. The quest for peace is long, and requires patience and perseverance! And we must continue to pray!
With joy, I remember that yesterday in Rovigo, Maria Bolognesi, a lay woman from that land was beatified. She was born in 1924 and died in 1980. She spent her entire life in service to others, especially the poor and the sick, enduring great suffering in profound union with the passion of Christ. We give thanks to God for her gospel witness.
I affectionately greet all the pilgrims who are present, all of you! In particular, I greet the faithful from the Patriarcate of Venice, led by their Patriarch; the alumni and former students of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians; and the participants in the Pilgrim Madonna campaign from Schoenstatt.
Greetings to the faithful from Carcare, Bitonto, Sciacca, Nocera Superiore and from the dioceses of Acerra; the Sisters of the Holy Rosary from Villa Pitignano; the youth from Torano Nuovo, Martignano, Tencarola and Carmignano, and those who have come here along with the Sisters of Mercy from Verona.
I greet the choir from San Giovanni Ilarione, the Peace and Joy Association from Santa Vittoria d'Alba and 'Calima' from Orzinuovi and the blood donors from Cimolais.
I wish you all a good day today. Enjoy your lunch. Good bye!
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