At 12:00 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 gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the weekly meeting.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The brief comparisons put forward in today's liturgy conclude the chapter of Matthew’s Gospel dedicated to the parables of the Kingdom of God (13:44-52). Among these are two small masterpieces: the parables of the treasure hidden in the field, and of the pearl of great price. They tell us that the discovery of the Kingdom of God can come suddenly, as when the peasant farmer is ploughing, finding the treasure unexpectedly; or after a long search, such as was the case with the pearl for the merchant, who finally found the pearl of great price he had long dreamed of. But in both cases, the primary fact remains that the treasure and the pearl are worth more than all other goods. Therefore, the farmer and the merchant, when they find them, give up everything else in order to buy them. They do not need to reason, to think, to reflect: they realize immediately the incomparable value of what they have found, and are willing to lose everything in order to have it.
So it is with the Kingdom of God: whoever finds it has no doubts, he feels that it is what he has been looking and waiting for, and that it responds to his most authentic aspirations. And it is really so: those who know Jesus, who meet him personally, remain fascinated, attracted by so much goodness, so much truth, so much beauty, and all in great humility and simplicity. Look for Jesus, encounter Jesus. This is the great treasure!
How many people, how many saints, reading the Gospel with an open heart, have been so struck by Jesus, converted to Him. Consider Saint Francis of Assisi. He was already a Christian, but a watered-down Christian. When he was reading the Gospel, at a decisive moment in his youth, he met Jesus, and found the Kingdom of God, and then all his dreams of earthly glory vanished. The Gospel makes us know the real, living Jesus. He addresses our hearts and changes our lives. So yes, leave everything behind. You can actually change your way of life, or continue to do what you did before, but you are different, you are born again. You find that you discover meaning, flavour, light in everything, even in hardships, even in suffering, even in death. Read the Gospel, read the Gospel. We’ve said this before, remember? Read a passage of the Gospel every day. Also carry a small copy of the Gospel with you, in your pocket, in your handbag – have one at hand, always. And there, reading a passage, you will find Jesus.
Everything makes sense when you find this treasure, which Jesus called the Kingdom of God, that is, God reigning in your life, in our lives. He is love, peace and joy in every man and in all men. This is what God wants, it is that for which Jesus gave himself up to death on a Cross, to free us from the power of darkness and draw us into the realm of life, beauty, goodness, joy! Read the Gospel and find Jesus, and you will have this Christian joy and the gift of the Holy Spirit within you.
Dear brothers and sisters, you see, the joy of having found the treasure of the Kingdom of God shines through. A Christian cannot conceal his faith, because it shines through in every word, every gesture, even in the most simple, everyday ones: the love of God shines through; it is given to us through Jesus. Let us pray, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that his kingdom of love, justice and peace comes to us and to the whole world.
At the conclusion of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Tomorrow marks the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, which caused millions of deaths and immense destruction. This conflict, which Pope Benedict XV called a senseless slaughter, resulted, after four long years, in a most fragile peace. Tomorrow, as we remember this tragic event, I hope that the mistakes of the past won’t be repeated, but that the lessons of history will always be taken into account, so that the demands of peace through patient and courageous dialogue are always made to prevail.
In particular, my thoughts go out to three areas of crisis: the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine. I ask that you continue to join me in prayer that the Lord may grant to the people and authorities of those areas the wisdom and strength needed to push ahead with the path of peace by addressing each dispute with the tenacity of dialogue and negotiation and with the force of reconciliation. That at the centre of every decision. Pray that special interests aren’t put forward, but rather that the common good and respect for every person be the object of our focus. Let’s remember that all is lost with war, and nothing is lost with peace (applause).
Brothers and sisters, no more war! No more war! Above all, I think of the children, those who have been denied hope of a decent life, of a future: dead children, wounded children, maimed children, orphaned children, children who have remnants of war for toys, children who don’t know how to smile. Please stop! I ask you with all my heart, it's time to stop! Please stop! (applause).
I extend a cordial greeting to all of you, pilgrims from Italy and other countries.
I greet the group of Brazilians, the parishes of the Diocese of Cartagena (Spain), the scouts from Gavião (Portugal), young people from Madrid, Asidonia-Jerez (Spain), and those from Monteolimpino (Como), those from Conselve and Ronchi Casalserugo, the cubs from Catania and the faithful from Acerra.
I wish everyone a good Sunday. Don’t forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch. Goodbye!
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The brief comparisons put forward in today's liturgy conclude the chapter of Matthew’s Gospel dedicated to the parables of the Kingdom of God (13:44-52). Among these are two small masterpieces: the parables of the treasure hidden in the field, and of the pearl of great price. They tell us that the discovery of the Kingdom of God can come suddenly, as when the peasant farmer is ploughing, finding the treasure unexpectedly; or after a long search, such as was the case with the pearl for the merchant, who finally found the pearl of great price he had long dreamed of. But in both cases, the primary fact remains that the treasure and the pearl are worth more than all other goods. Therefore, the farmer and the merchant, when they find them, give up everything else in order to buy them. They do not need to reason, to think, to reflect: they realize immediately the incomparable value of what they have found, and are willing to lose everything in order to have it.
So it is with the Kingdom of God: whoever finds it has no doubts, he feels that it is what he has been looking and waiting for, and that it responds to his most authentic aspirations. And it is really so: those who know Jesus, who meet him personally, remain fascinated, attracted by so much goodness, so much truth, so much beauty, and all in great humility and simplicity. Look for Jesus, encounter Jesus. This is the great treasure!
How many people, how many saints, reading the Gospel with an open heart, have been so struck by Jesus, converted to Him. Consider Saint Francis of Assisi. He was already a Christian, but a watered-down Christian. When he was reading the Gospel, at a decisive moment in his youth, he met Jesus, and found the Kingdom of God, and then all his dreams of earthly glory vanished. The Gospel makes us know the real, living Jesus. He addresses our hearts and changes our lives. So yes, leave everything behind. You can actually change your way of life, or continue to do what you did before, but you are different, you are born again. You find that you discover meaning, flavour, light in everything, even in hardships, even in suffering, even in death. Read the Gospel, read the Gospel. We’ve said this before, remember? Read a passage of the Gospel every day. Also carry a small copy of the Gospel with you, in your pocket, in your handbag – have one at hand, always. And there, reading a passage, you will find Jesus.
Everything makes sense when you find this treasure, which Jesus called the Kingdom of God, that is, God reigning in your life, in our lives. He is love, peace and joy in every man and in all men. This is what God wants, it is that for which Jesus gave himself up to death on a Cross, to free us from the power of darkness and draw us into the realm of life, beauty, goodness, joy! Read the Gospel and find Jesus, and you will have this Christian joy and the gift of the Holy Spirit within you.
Dear brothers and sisters, you see, the joy of having found the treasure of the Kingdom of God shines through. A Christian cannot conceal his faith, because it shines through in every word, every gesture, even in the most simple, everyday ones: the love of God shines through; it is given to us through Jesus. Let us pray, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that his kingdom of love, justice and peace comes to us and to the whole world.
At the conclusion of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Tomorrow marks the one hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, which caused millions of deaths and immense destruction. This conflict, which Pope Benedict XV called a senseless slaughter, resulted, after four long years, in a most fragile peace. Tomorrow, as we remember this tragic event, I hope that the mistakes of the past won’t be repeated, but that the lessons of history will always be taken into account, so that the demands of peace through patient and courageous dialogue are always made to prevail.
In particular, my thoughts go out to three areas of crisis: the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine. I ask that you continue to join me in prayer that the Lord may grant to the people and authorities of those areas the wisdom and strength needed to push ahead with the path of peace by addressing each dispute with the tenacity of dialogue and negotiation and with the force of reconciliation. That at the centre of every decision. Pray that special interests aren’t put forward, but rather that the common good and respect for every person be the object of our focus. Let’s remember that all is lost with war, and nothing is lost with peace (applause).
Brothers and sisters, no more war! No more war! Above all, I think of the children, those who have been denied hope of a decent life, of a future: dead children, wounded children, maimed children, orphaned children, children who have remnants of war for toys, children who don’t know how to smile. Please stop! I ask you with all my heart, it's time to stop! Please stop! (applause).
I extend a cordial greeting to all of you, pilgrims from Italy and other countries.
I greet the group of Brazilians, the parishes of the Diocese of Cartagena (Spain), the scouts from Gavião (Portugal), young people from Madrid, Asidonia-Jerez (Spain), and those from Monteolimpino (Como), those from Conselve and Ronchi Casalserugo, the cubs from Catania and the faithful from Acerra.
I wish everyone a good Sunday. Don’t forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch. Goodbye!
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