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 for the expected weekly appointment.
Entering into Simon Peter's house, Jesus sees that his mother-in-law is in bed with a fever; right away, he takes her hand, heals her and lifts her up. After sunset on Saturday, when the day is done, people can go out and bring the sick, so Jesus heals a multitude of people afflicted with illnesses of every sort: physical, psychological, spiritual. Having come to the earth in order to proclaim salvation and to bring it about for all men, Jesus shows a particular fondness for those who are wounded in body or in spirit: the poor, sinners, those who are possessed, the sick, those who have been marginalized. In this way He reveals himself as a doctor both of the soul and of the body, a good Samaritan for all people. He is the true Savior: Jesus saves, Jesus cares for us, Jesus heals.
This reality of the healing of the sick by Christ invites us to reflect on the sense and the value of illness. And this reminds us of the World Day of the Sick which we will celebrate next Wednesday, February 11, the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin of Lourdes. I bless the initiatives being prepared for this day, in particular the vigil which will be held in Rome on the night of February 10. Let us also remember the President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers, His Excellency, Zygmunt Zimowski, who is very sick in Poland. Let us offer a prayer for him, for his health, for it was he who did the preparations for this day, and now he accompanies us with his suffering on this day. Let us offer a prayer for Archbishop Zimowski.
The salvific work of Christ does not end with his person during his earthly life; it continues through the Church, the sacrament of love and of the tenderness of God for mankind. Sending his disciples on a mission, Jesus confers upon them a dual mandate: announce the Gospel of salvation and heal the sick (Mt10:7-8). Faithful to this teaching, the Church has always considered the care of the sick as an integral part of its mission.
The poor and the suffering you will always have with you, Jesus warns (cf Mt 26:11), and the Church continuously finds them on the street, considering the sick as a privileged path to encountering Christ, to welcoming and serving Him. To care for a sick person, to welcome him and serve him is to serve Christ. The sick are the flesh of Christ!
This also happens in our time, when, despite the many advances in science, the interior and physical suffering of people raises serious questions on the meaning of sickness, pain and on the reasons for death. These are existential questions, to which the pastoral action of the Church should respond in the light of faith, having before our eyes the Cross, in which the entire salvific mystery of God the Father appears, who out of love for mankind did not spare his only Son (cf Rm 8:32). Therefore, each one of us is called to bring the light of the Gospel and the strength of grace to those who suffer and to those who assist them, family members, doctors, nurses ... so that our service to the sick might be fulfilled ever more with humanity, with generous dedication, and with evangelical love and with tenderness.
The Mother Church, through our hands, caresses those sufferings, heals those wounds and does it with a mother's tenderness.
Let us pray to Mary, Health of the sick, so that every person in sickness might experience, thanks to the care of those closest to them, the power of God's love and the comfort of His paternal tenderness.
Following the Angelus, the Pope continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today is the liturgical feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, the African nun who as a young girl had the tragic experience of being a victim of trafficking. The International Union of Superiors General and the Superiors General of the religious institutes have promoted this day as the Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking. I encourage those who are committed to helping men, women and children who are enslaved, exploited and abused as instruments of work or pleasure and often tortured and mutilated. I hope that those who have governmental responsibilities will continue striving firmly to remove the causes of this shameful scourge. It's true, it is a shameful scourge! A scourge unworthy of a civilized society. Each one of us should commit to being a voice for these our brothers and sisters, humiliated because their dignity is ignored. Let us pray, all together to Our Lady. Let us pray to Our Lady for them and for their families.
Hail Mary…
I greet all the pilgrims present, the families, and the parish groups, and associations. In particular, I greet the faithful of Caravaca de la Cruz (Spain), from Anagni, Marcon, Quartirolo and Corato; the choirs from the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola, and the youth of Buccinasco. Especially those from Letownia. And I also see a beautiful group from Brazil!
To all of you I wish a good Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and goodbye!
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel (cf Mark 1:29-39) presents Jesus who, after having preached on Saturday in the synagogue, heals many of the sick. Preaching and healing: these were Jesus' principal activities during his public life. Through preaching, He announced the Kingdom of God and through healing, he demonstrated that the coming of this Kingdom was close, that the Kingdom of God is among us.
Entering into Simon Peter's house, Jesus sees that his mother-in-law is in bed with a fever; right away, he takes her hand, heals her and lifts her up. After sunset on Saturday, when the day is done, people can go out and bring the sick, so Jesus heals a multitude of people afflicted with illnesses of every sort: physical, psychological, spiritual. Having come to the earth in order to proclaim salvation and to bring it about for all men, Jesus shows a particular fondness for those who are wounded in body or in spirit: the poor, sinners, those who are possessed, the sick, those who have been marginalized. In this way He reveals himself as a doctor both of the soul and of the body, a good Samaritan for all people. He is the true Savior: Jesus saves, Jesus cares for us, Jesus heals.
This reality of the healing of the sick by Christ invites us to reflect on the sense and the value of illness. And this reminds us of the World Day of the Sick which we will celebrate next Wednesday, February 11, the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin of Lourdes. I bless the initiatives being prepared for this day, in particular the vigil which will be held in Rome on the night of February 10. Let us also remember the President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers, His Excellency, Zygmunt Zimowski, who is very sick in Poland. Let us offer a prayer for him, for his health, for it was he who did the preparations for this day, and now he accompanies us with his suffering on this day. Let us offer a prayer for Archbishop Zimowski.
The salvific work of Christ does not end with his person during his earthly life; it continues through the Church, the sacrament of love and of the tenderness of God for mankind. Sending his disciples on a mission, Jesus confers upon them a dual mandate: announce the Gospel of salvation and heal the sick (Mt10:7-8). Faithful to this teaching, the Church has always considered the care of the sick as an integral part of its mission.
The poor and the suffering you will always have with you, Jesus warns (cf Mt 26:11), and the Church continuously finds them on the street, considering the sick as a privileged path to encountering Christ, to welcoming and serving Him. To care for a sick person, to welcome him and serve him is to serve Christ. The sick are the flesh of Christ!
This also happens in our time, when, despite the many advances in science, the interior and physical suffering of people raises serious questions on the meaning of sickness, pain and on the reasons for death. These are existential questions, to which the pastoral action of the Church should respond in the light of faith, having before our eyes the Cross, in which the entire salvific mystery of God the Father appears, who out of love for mankind did not spare his only Son (cf Rm 8:32). Therefore, each one of us is called to bring the light of the Gospel and the strength of grace to those who suffer and to those who assist them, family members, doctors, nurses ... so that our service to the sick might be fulfilled ever more with humanity, with generous dedication, and with evangelical love and with tenderness.
The Mother Church, through our hands, caresses those sufferings, heals those wounds and does it with a mother's tenderness.
Let us pray to Mary, Health of the sick, so that every person in sickness might experience, thanks to the care of those closest to them, the power of God's love and the comfort of His paternal tenderness.
Following the Angelus, the Pope continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today is the liturgical feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita, the African nun who as a young girl had the tragic experience of being a victim of trafficking. The International Union of Superiors General and the Superiors General of the religious institutes have promoted this day as the Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking. I encourage those who are committed to helping men, women and children who are enslaved, exploited and abused as instruments of work or pleasure and often tortured and mutilated. I hope that those who have governmental responsibilities will continue striving firmly to remove the causes of this shameful scourge. It's true, it is a shameful scourge! A scourge unworthy of a civilized society. Each one of us should commit to being a voice for these our brothers and sisters, humiliated because their dignity is ignored. Let us pray, all together to Our Lady. Let us pray to Our Lady for them and for their families.
Hail Mary…
I greet all the pilgrims present, the families, and the parish groups, and associations. In particular, I greet the faithful of Caravaca de la Cruz (Spain), from Anagni, Marcon, Quartirolo and Corato; the choirs from the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola, and the youth of Buccinasco. Especially those from Letownia. And I also see a beautiful group from Brazil!
To all of you I wish a good Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and goodbye!
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