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 were gathered in Saint Peter's Square for the usual Sunday appointment.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today we conclude our reading of the sixth chapter of the gospel of John, and the bread of life discourse, spoken by Jesus the day after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. At the conclusion of that speech, the great enthusiasm that was present the day before had died away because Jesus had told them that he was the bread that came down from heaven, and that he would give his flesh as food and his blood as drink, alluding clearly to the sacrifice of his own life. Those words caused disappointment among the people, who judged him to be unworthy of being the Messiah, not believing him to be the winner. Instead, some of them were expecting Jesus to be a Messiah who should speak and act in such a way that his mission would succeed, right away, but this is an incorrect understanding of the mission of the Messiah! Even the disciples could not accept the unsettling words spoken by their Master. Today's gospel passage refers to their discomfort: This word is difficult! - they said - who can accept it? (Jn 6:60).
In truth, they had understood Jesus' words well. So well that they did not want to listen to them, because this was a speech that put their mentality into crisis. The words of Jesus always put us into crisis, for example when we are faced with the spirit of the world, with worldliness. But Jesus offers us the key to overcoming every difficulty; a key made up of three elements. First, his divine origin: He is descended from heaven and will return to the place where he was before (Jn 6:62). Second, his words can be understood only through the action of the Holy Spirit, He who gives life (Jn 6:63); it is truly the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand Jesus well. Third: the real cause of misunderstandings of his words and the lack of faith: Among you there are some who do not believe (Jn 6:64), says Jesus. In fact, at that time, the Gospel says, many of his disciples turned back (Jn 6:66). In response to such defection, Jesus did not diminish or change his words; actually he compels us to make up our minds: either to stay with Him or to separate ourselves from Him. He told the disciples: Do you also wish to go away? (Jn 6:67).
At this point, Peter makes his confession of faith in the name of the other Apostles: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (Jn 6:68). He doesn't say, where are we going? but to who shall we go? The underlying problem is not a matter of going and abandoning the work that was begun, but of who to follow. Based on Peter's question, we understand that faithfulness to God is a question of faithfulness to a person to whom we are bound in order to walk together along the road. And this person is Jesus. All that we have in the world is not enough to satisfy our infinite hunger. We need Jesus, we need to be with Him, to nourish ourselves at his table, to feed on his eternal word! To believe in Jesus means to place him at the centre, the meaning of our lives. Christ is not an optional accessory: he is the living bread, necessary nourishment. To be bound to him, in a true relationship of faith and of love does not mean that we are enslaved, but profoundly free, always on the journey. Every one of us can ask ourselves: who is Jesus for me? Is he a name, an idea, simply a historical person? Or is he truly the person who loves me and gave his life for me, the one who journeys with me? For you, who is Jesus? Do you spend time with Jesus? Do you seek to know him through his word? Do you read the gospel, every day, just a little bit of the gospel in order to know Jesus? Do you carry a small copy of the gospel with you in your pocket, in your purse, in order to read it, everywhere you go? The more we spend time with him, the more the desire will grow in us to stay with him. Now, I ask you politely, let's take a moment of silence and every one of us, in silence, in our hearts, let's ask ourselves a question: Who is Jesus for me? In silence, each one of us, let's answer this question in our hearts.
May the Virgin Mary help us to go always toward Jesus, so that we can experience the freedom that He offers us, and may she help us to clean up our choices for worldly things so that we can be free from all our fears.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
With preoccupation, I am following the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which has been accelerated again in these past weeks. I renew my call for respect of the commitments agreed to in order to bring about peace with the help of organizations and people of good will who are responding to the humanitarian emergency in that country. May the Lord grant peace to Ukraine, which is preparing to celebrate her national day tomorrow. May the Virgin Mary intercede for us!
I cordially greet all the pilgrims, from Rome and from other countries, especially the new seminarians from the Pontifical North American College who have come to Rome to undertake their theological studies.
I greet the sports groups from San Giorgio su Legnano, the faithful from Luzzana and from Chioggia; and the boys and the young people from the diocese of Verona.
And don't forget, this week, to stop every day for just a moment to ask yourselves: Who is Jesus for me? Every one of you, answer this question in your heart.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And please, don't forget to pray for me! Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today we conclude our reading of the sixth chapter of the gospel of John, and the bread of life discourse, spoken by Jesus the day after the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. At the conclusion of that speech, the great enthusiasm that was present the day before had died away because Jesus had told them that he was the bread that came down from heaven, and that he would give his flesh as food and his blood as drink, alluding clearly to the sacrifice of his own life. Those words caused disappointment among the people, who judged him to be unworthy of being the Messiah, not believing him to be the winner. Instead, some of them were expecting Jesus to be a Messiah who should speak and act in such a way that his mission would succeed, right away, but this is an incorrect understanding of the mission of the Messiah! Even the disciples could not accept the unsettling words spoken by their Master. Today's gospel passage refers to their discomfort: This word is difficult! - they said - who can accept it? (Jn 6:60).
In truth, they had understood Jesus' words well. So well that they did not want to listen to them, because this was a speech that put their mentality into crisis. The words of Jesus always put us into crisis, for example when we are faced with the spirit of the world, with worldliness. But Jesus offers us the key to overcoming every difficulty; a key made up of three elements. First, his divine origin: He is descended from heaven and will return to the place where he was before (Jn 6:62). Second, his words can be understood only through the action of the Holy Spirit, He who gives life (Jn 6:63); it is truly the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand Jesus well. Third: the real cause of misunderstandings of his words and the lack of faith: Among you there are some who do not believe (Jn 6:64), says Jesus. In fact, at that time, the Gospel says, many of his disciples turned back (Jn 6:66). In response to such defection, Jesus did not diminish or change his words; actually he compels us to make up our minds: either to stay with Him or to separate ourselves from Him. He told the disciples: Do you also wish to go away? (Jn 6:67).
At this point, Peter makes his confession of faith in the name of the other Apostles: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (Jn 6:68). He doesn't say, where are we going? but to who shall we go? The underlying problem is not a matter of going and abandoning the work that was begun, but of who to follow. Based on Peter's question, we understand that faithfulness to God is a question of faithfulness to a person to whom we are bound in order to walk together along the road. And this person is Jesus. All that we have in the world is not enough to satisfy our infinite hunger. We need Jesus, we need to be with Him, to nourish ourselves at his table, to feed on his eternal word! To believe in Jesus means to place him at the centre, the meaning of our lives. Christ is not an optional accessory: he is the living bread, necessary nourishment. To be bound to him, in a true relationship of faith and of love does not mean that we are enslaved, but profoundly free, always on the journey. Every one of us can ask ourselves: who is Jesus for me? Is he a name, an idea, simply a historical person? Or is he truly the person who loves me and gave his life for me, the one who journeys with me? For you, who is Jesus? Do you spend time with Jesus? Do you seek to know him through his word? Do you read the gospel, every day, just a little bit of the gospel in order to know Jesus? Do you carry a small copy of the gospel with you in your pocket, in your purse, in order to read it, everywhere you go? The more we spend time with him, the more the desire will grow in us to stay with him. Now, I ask you politely, let's take a moment of silence and every one of us, in silence, in our hearts, let's ask ourselves a question: Who is Jesus for me? In silence, each one of us, let's answer this question in our hearts.
May the Virgin Mary help us to go always toward Jesus, so that we can experience the freedom that He offers us, and may she help us to clean up our choices for worldly things so that we can be free from all our fears.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
With preoccupation, I am following the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which has been accelerated again in these past weeks. I renew my call for respect of the commitments agreed to in order to bring about peace with the help of organizations and people of good will who are responding to the humanitarian emergency in that country. May the Lord grant peace to Ukraine, which is preparing to celebrate her national day tomorrow. May the Virgin Mary intercede for us!
I cordially greet all the pilgrims, from Rome and from other countries, especially the new seminarians from the Pontifical North American College who have come to Rome to undertake their theological studies.
I greet the sports groups from San Giorgio su Legnano, the faithful from Luzzana and from Chioggia; and the boys and the young people from the diocese of Verona.
And don't forget, this week, to stop every day for just a moment to ask yourselves: Who is Jesus for me? Every one of you, answer this question in your heart.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And please, don't forget to pray for me! Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
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