At noon yesterday, 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 gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
This Sunday's gospel (Luke 21:5-19) is taken from the first part of one of Jesus' discourses: focusing on the end times. Jesus spoke these words in Jerusalem, near to the temple and the inspiration for these words comes precisely from the people who were speaking about the temple and its beauty, because it was a beautiful temple. So Jesus says: the days are coming when not one stone will be left upon another (Luke 21:6). Naturally, they asked him: when will this happen? What will be the signs? But Jesus shifts the focus from these secondary aspects: when will this be? and how will it happen? focusing rather on the real questions. There are two. First: don't be fooled by false messiahs and don't let yourself be paralyzed by fear. Second: live the time of waiting as a period of witnessing and perseverance. We are in this time of waiting now; we are waiting for the coming of the Lord.
This discourse of Jesus is always present, even for us who live in the twenty-first century. He reminds us: Be careful not to allow yourselves to be deceived. Many will come in my name (Luke 21:8). This is an invitation to discernment: the Christian virtue of understanding where the Spirit of the Lord is present and where the evil spirit is also present. Even today, there are false saviours who try to substitute for Jesus: world leaders, gurus, even sorcerers - people who want to attract other people's minds and hearts toward themselves, especially the minds and hearts of the youth. Jesus warns us: Do not go after them. Do not follow them.
And the Lord also helps us not to be afraid: faced with wars, revolutions, even natural disasters and epidemics. Jesus frees us from fatalism and from false apocalyptical visions.
A second aspect also challenges us who are Christians, who are part of the Church: Jesus predicts painful trials and persecutions which his disciples will have to endure because of him. However, he also assures them: Not a hair on your head will be lost (Luke 21:18). This reminds us that we are entirely in the hands of God. Any adversities we might face on account of our faith and our commitment to the Gospel are opportunities for us to testify; we should not turn away from the Lord, but instead force ourselves to surrender ourselves even more to his will, to the power of his Spirit and his grace.
Now I need to think, we all need to think about this. Let's take a moment to think about it together: think about our many Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering persecution because of their faith. There are so many of them. Perhaps even more than there were during the first centuries of the Church. Jesus is with them. We too are united with them by means of our prayer and our affection. We also admire their courage and their testimony. They are our brothers and sisters, who are suffering in many parts of the world because of their choice to be faithful to Jesus Christ. We send them our heartfelt and affectionate greetings.
In the end, Jesus makes a promise that is a guarantee of victory: By means of your perseverance, you will save your lives (Luke 21:19). How much hope there is in these words! They are a reminder for us of hope and of patience as we await the fruit of salvation which is to come, confident in the profound sense of life and of salvation history: the trials and difficulties we face are part of a much bigger picture, and God, the Lord of history guides everything to its fulfilment. Despite the turmoil and disasters that affect the world, God's plan for goodness and mercy is being fulfilled, and this is our hope: that it should be like this, according to this plan, according to the plan of God which will come to pass. This is our hope.
This message of Jesus leads us to reflect on our current situation and gives us the strength to face it with courage and hope, in company with Mary who always walks beside us.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
I greet you all, families, associations and groups who have come to Rome, from other parts of Italy, and from so many other parts of the world: Spain, France, Finland, Holland. In particular, I greet the pilgrims who have come from Vercelli, Salerno, Lizzanello; the Lucania Motoclub from Potenza as well as the young people from Montecassino and Casserta.
Today the Eritrean community of Rome is celebrating the feast of Saint Michael. I send heartfelt greetings to them all.
Today, the Day for victims of the streets is being observed. I assure you of my prayer and I encourage you to endure in your efforts to prevent such tragedies, because prudence and respect for the rules are the first forms of protecting ourselves and others.
Now I would like to prescribe a kind of medicine for all of you. Some of you may be thinking: Is the Pope a pharmacist now? This is a special medicine to help us solidify the fruits of the Year of Faith which will soon come to an end. This is a medicine comprised of 59 intermingled grains. It's a spiritual medicine called Misericordina: Mercy syrup - a collection of 59 intermingled grains. In this little pill box, there is some medicine; some of the volunteers will distribute it to you as you leave the Square. Take it! It contains a small rosary, with which you can pray the Chaplet of Mercy, spiritual help for our souls and assistance for the spread of love, forgiveness and fraternity to everyone we meet. Don't forget to take one, because it is good; it is good for the heart, for the soul and for life!
I wish you all a good Sunday. Goodbye! Enjoy your lunch.
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