At 4:00pm today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis celebrated mass at the entrance to the Verano Cemetery, followed by a prayer for all the deceased and the blessing of the tombs.
Present to concelebrate the Mass with the Holy Father were the Cardinal Vicar, Agostino Vallini and Archbishop Filippo Iannone, Assistant Directors for the Diocese of Rome; as well as the Pastor of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Father Armando Ambrosi.
In the gospel we heard, Jesus instructs his disciples and the crowd gathered on the hill by the lake of Galilee (cf Mt 5:1-12). The world of the risen and living Lord indicates for us also, today, the path that leads to true blessedness, the way that leads to heaven. It is a journey that is difficult to understand because it goes against the tide, but the Lord tells us that whoever travels this path will be happy; sooner or later we will be happy.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We can ask ourselves how someone who is poor in spirit, whose only treasure is the kingdom of heaven, can be happy. But the reasoning is this: having stripped the heart free of many worldly things, this person is waiting for the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be consoled. How is it possible for someone who is crying to be happy? Yet, someone who has never experienced sadness in this life, or anguish, or suffering will never be able to know the strength of consolation. Happy instead may be the ones who have the capacity to be moved, the capacity to feel in their hearts the suffering that exists in their lives and in the lives of others. These will be happy, for the tender hand of God the Father will console and caress them.
Blessed are the meek. On the contrary, how often are we impatient, nervous, always ready to complain! Toward others, we have so many pretences, but when they touch us, we react, raising our voices as though we were masters of this world, while in reality, we are all sons of God. Let us think rather of mothers and fathers who are so patient with their children, who drive them crazy. This is the Lord's way: the path of meekness and patience. Jesus has travelled this way: as a child he endured persecution and exile; and then, as an adult, slander, pitfalls and false accusations before the tribunal; and he overcame it all with meekness. For our sake, he even endured the cross.
Blessed are those who hunger for justice, they will be filled. Yes, those who have a strong sense of justice, not only toward others, but first and foremost toward themselves: these will be filled, because they are ready to welcome the greatest justice, the justice that only God can give.
And then blessed are the merciful, for they will find mercy. Happy are those who know how to forgive, who show mercy toward others, who do not judge everything and everyone, but try to put themselves in others' shoes. Forgiveness is the thing that all people need, no one is excluded. For this reason, at the beginning of the Mass, we recognize ourselves for who we are, that we are sinners. This is not a figure of speech, a formality: it is an act of truth. Lord, here I am, have mercy on me. And if we give to others the forgiveness we seek for ourselves, we are blessed. As we say in the Our Father: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called sons of God. Let us look at the faces of those who spend their time making mischief: are they happy? Those who constantly seek opportunities to cheat, to take advantage of others; are they happy? No, they can't be happy. Instead, those who, everyday, with patience, seek to sow peace, are artisans of peace, of reconciliation; these ones are blessed, because they are truly sons of our Father in heaven, who always sow peace, to the point that he sent his only son into the world as a seed of peace for all humanity.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the life of a saint, and this is the way to happiness. It is the path that Jesus followed, indeed he himself is the Way: those who walk with him and through him, enter into life, eternal life. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to be people who are simple and humble, the grace to be able to cry, the grace to be meek, the grace to work for justice and peace, and above all the grace to allow ourselves to be forgiven by God in order to become instruments of his mercy.
This is what the Saints have done, the ones who have preceded us to our heavenly homeland. They accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage, encourage us to continue along the way. May their intercession help us to walk the path of Jesus, and to obtain eternal happiness for our deceased brothers and sisters for whom we offer this Mass.
Present to concelebrate the Mass with the Holy Father were the Cardinal Vicar, Agostino Vallini and Archbishop Filippo Iannone, Assistant Directors for the Diocese of Rome; as well as the Pastor of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, Father Armando Ambrosi.
Homily of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the Mass celebrated at the Verano Cemetery
In the gospel we heard, Jesus instructs his disciples and the crowd gathered on the hill by the lake of Galilee (cf Mt 5:1-12). The world of the risen and living Lord indicates for us also, today, the path that leads to true blessedness, the way that leads to heaven. It is a journey that is difficult to understand because it goes against the tide, but the Lord tells us that whoever travels this path will be happy; sooner or later we will be happy.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We can ask ourselves how someone who is poor in spirit, whose only treasure is the kingdom of heaven, can be happy. But the reasoning is this: having stripped the heart free of many worldly things, this person is waiting for the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be consoled. How is it possible for someone who is crying to be happy? Yet, someone who has never experienced sadness in this life, or anguish, or suffering will never be able to know the strength of consolation. Happy instead may be the ones who have the capacity to be moved, the capacity to feel in their hearts the suffering that exists in their lives and in the lives of others. These will be happy, for the tender hand of God the Father will console and caress them.
Blessed are the meek. On the contrary, how often are we impatient, nervous, always ready to complain! Toward others, we have so many pretences, but when they touch us, we react, raising our voices as though we were masters of this world, while in reality, we are all sons of God. Let us think rather of mothers and fathers who are so patient with their children, who drive them crazy. This is the Lord's way: the path of meekness and patience. Jesus has travelled this way: as a child he endured persecution and exile; and then, as an adult, slander, pitfalls and false accusations before the tribunal; and he overcame it all with meekness. For our sake, he even endured the cross.
Blessed are those who hunger for justice, they will be filled. Yes, those who have a strong sense of justice, not only toward others, but first and foremost toward themselves: these will be filled, because they are ready to welcome the greatest justice, the justice that only God can give.
And then blessed are the merciful, for they will find mercy. Happy are those who know how to forgive, who show mercy toward others, who do not judge everything and everyone, but try to put themselves in others' shoes. Forgiveness is the thing that all people need, no one is excluded. For this reason, at the beginning of the Mass, we recognize ourselves for who we are, that we are sinners. This is not a figure of speech, a formality: it is an act of truth. Lord, here I am, have mercy on me. And if we give to others the forgiveness we seek for ourselves, we are blessed. As we say in the Our Father: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called sons of God. Let us look at the faces of those who spend their time making mischief: are they happy? Those who constantly seek opportunities to cheat, to take advantage of others; are they happy? No, they can't be happy. Instead, those who, everyday, with patience, seek to sow peace, are artisans of peace, of reconciliation; these ones are blessed, because they are truly sons of our Father in heaven, who always sow peace, to the point that he sent his only son into the world as a seed of peace for all humanity.
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the life of a saint, and this is the way to happiness. It is the path that Jesus followed, indeed he himself is the Way: those who walk with him and through him, enter into life, eternal life. Let us ask the Lord for the grace to be people who are simple and humble, the grace to be able to cry, the grace to be meek, the grace to work for justice and peace, and above all the grace to allow ourselves to be forgiven by God in order to become instruments of his mercy.
This is what the Saints have done, the ones who have preceded us to our heavenly homeland. They accompany us on our earthly pilgrimage, encourage us to continue along the way. May their intercession help us to walk the path of Jesus, and to obtain eternal happiness for our deceased brothers and sisters for whom we offer this Mass.
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