At 10:30am today, the Solemnity of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle, the Holy Father, Pope Francis celebrated a Mass for the Jubilee of the Roman Curia, the Governatorato and other Institutions connected with the Holy See. The Eucharistic celebration took place in Saint Peter's Basilica.
The liturgical feast of the Chair of Peter sees us gathered to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy as a community of service: the Roman Curia, the Governatorato and other institutions associated with the Holy See. We have entered the Holy Door and together we have arrived at the tomb of the Apostle Peter to make our profession of faith, and today the Word of God illuminates our gestures in a special way.
In this moment, to each one of us, the Lord Jesus repeats his question: And you, who do you say I am? (Mt 16:15). It is a clear and direct question, before which we cannot hide or remain neutral, nor can we delay the response or delegate it to someone else. But there is nothing about it that is accusing; rather it is full of love! The love of our one and only Master, who calls us today to renew our faith in Him, recognizing him as the Son of God and the Lord of our lives ... and the first to renew his profession of faith is the Successor of Peter, who carries with him the responsibility to confirm his brothers (cf Lk 22:32).
Let us allow grace to invade our hearts, so that they might believe, and to open our hearts to make our profession of faith and to obtain salvation (cf Rom 10:10). Let us therefore make our own, the words of Peter: You are the Christ, the son of the living God (Mt 16:16). Our thoughts and our gazes are fixed on Jesus Christ, the beginning and end of every action of the Church. He is the foundation and no one can pour a different one (1 Cor 3:11). He is the rock on which we should build. She (the Church) remembers this with the expressive words of Saint Augustine when he wrote that the Church, while moved and shaken by the events of history, does not crumble because she is founded on the rock from which Peter derives his name. It is not the rock that draws its name from Peter, but Peter who derives his name from the rock; just as the name of Christ is not derived from the word Christian, but the name Christian that is drawn from Christ ... The rock is Christ, the foundation upon which Peter too was built (In Joh 124, 5; PL 35, 1972).
In this profession of faith, each of us finds the task that corresponds to the call from God. First of all to Shepherds, who are asked to have God himself, who cares for his flock as our model. The prophet Ezekiel described the way in which God acts: He goes in search of the lost sheep, leads the stray back to the right path, bandages the wounded and cares for the sick (Ez 34:16). These are gestures that are signs of love that know no bounds. This is faithful, constant, unconditional dedication, so that his mercy might reach all those who are the weakest. And yet we must not forget that the prophecy of Ezekiel begins with the observations of the weaknesses of the shepherds of Israel. Therefore it is also good that we, called to be Pastors of the Church, allow the face of God, the Good Shepherd to illuminate us, to purify us, to transform us and fully renewed, to return us to our mission ... that even in our places of work, we may feel, cultivate and practice a strong sense of pastoral presence, above all toward those we meet each day ... so that no one might feel neglected or mistreated, but rather that everyone experience, here first of all, the loving care of the Good Shepherd.
We are called to be God's collaborators in the fundamental and unique task of witnessing with our strengths to the grace that transforms and to the power of the Spirit to renew all things. Let us ask the Lord to free us from the temptations that distance us from the roots of our mission, so that we can rediscover the beauty of professing our faith in the Lord Jesus. Faithfulness to our ministry combines well with the mercy that we also want others to experience here. Indeed, in Sacred Scripture, faithfulness and mercy are inseparable. Where one exists, we find the other, and it is in the reciprocity and complementarity between them that we see the very presence of the Good Shepherd. The loyalty that is required is to act according to the heart of Christ. As we heard in the words of the apostle Peter, we must pasture the flock with generous hearts, and become models for all people. In this way, when the supreme Pastor appears, we will be able to receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Peter 5:14).
The Jubilee of the Roman Curia, the Governatorato and other Institutions connected with the Holy See began at 8:30am in the Paul VI Hall with the celebration of Mid-morning Prayer and a meditation by Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, SJ on 'Mercy in our daily lives'. The Holy Father was in attendance for this meditation and then immediately following its completion, he participated with other members of the faithful and religious men and women in a procession which - passing through Saint Peter's Square - made its way to the Vatican Basilica through the Holy Door.
Homily of His Holiness, Pope Francis
for the Jubilee of the Roman Curia
The liturgical feast of the Chair of Peter sees us gathered to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy as a community of service: the Roman Curia, the Governatorato and other institutions associated with the Holy See. We have entered the Holy Door and together we have arrived at the tomb of the Apostle Peter to make our profession of faith, and today the Word of God illuminates our gestures in a special way.
In this moment, to each one of us, the Lord Jesus repeats his question: And you, who do you say I am? (Mt 16:15). It is a clear and direct question, before which we cannot hide or remain neutral, nor can we delay the response or delegate it to someone else. But there is nothing about it that is accusing; rather it is full of love! The love of our one and only Master, who calls us today to renew our faith in Him, recognizing him as the Son of God and the Lord of our lives ... and the first to renew his profession of faith is the Successor of Peter, who carries with him the responsibility to confirm his brothers (cf Lk 22:32).
Let us allow grace to invade our hearts, so that they might believe, and to open our hearts to make our profession of faith and to obtain salvation (cf Rom 10:10). Let us therefore make our own, the words of Peter: You are the Christ, the son of the living God (Mt 16:16). Our thoughts and our gazes are fixed on Jesus Christ, the beginning and end of every action of the Church. He is the foundation and no one can pour a different one (1 Cor 3:11). He is the rock on which we should build. She (the Church) remembers this with the expressive words of Saint Augustine when he wrote that the Church, while moved and shaken by the events of history, does not crumble because she is founded on the rock from which Peter derives his name. It is not the rock that draws its name from Peter, but Peter who derives his name from the rock; just as the name of Christ is not derived from the word Christian, but the name Christian that is drawn from Christ ... The rock is Christ, the foundation upon which Peter too was built (In Joh 124, 5; PL 35, 1972).
In this profession of faith, each of us finds the task that corresponds to the call from God. First of all to Shepherds, who are asked to have God himself, who cares for his flock as our model. The prophet Ezekiel described the way in which God acts: He goes in search of the lost sheep, leads the stray back to the right path, bandages the wounded and cares for the sick (Ez 34:16). These are gestures that are signs of love that know no bounds. This is faithful, constant, unconditional dedication, so that his mercy might reach all those who are the weakest. And yet we must not forget that the prophecy of Ezekiel begins with the observations of the weaknesses of the shepherds of Israel. Therefore it is also good that we, called to be Pastors of the Church, allow the face of God, the Good Shepherd to illuminate us, to purify us, to transform us and fully renewed, to return us to our mission ... that even in our places of work, we may feel, cultivate and practice a strong sense of pastoral presence, above all toward those we meet each day ... so that no one might feel neglected or mistreated, but rather that everyone experience, here first of all, the loving care of the Good Shepherd.
We are called to be God's collaborators in the fundamental and unique task of witnessing with our strengths to the grace that transforms and to the power of the Spirit to renew all things. Let us ask the Lord to free us from the temptations that distance us from the roots of our mission, so that we can rediscover the beauty of professing our faith in the Lord Jesus. Faithfulness to our ministry combines well with the mercy that we also want others to experience here. Indeed, in Sacred Scripture, faithfulness and mercy are inseparable. Where one exists, we find the other, and it is in the reciprocity and complementarity between them that we see the very presence of the Good Shepherd. The loyalty that is required is to act according to the heart of Christ. As we heard in the words of the apostle Peter, we must pasture the flock with generous hearts, and become models for all people. In this way, when the supreme Pastor appears, we will be able to receive the crown of glory that does not fade away (1 Peter 5:14).
The Jubilee of the Roman Curia, the Governatorato and other Institutions connected with the Holy See began at 8:30am in the Paul VI Hall with the celebration of Mid-morning Prayer and a meditation by Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, SJ on 'Mercy in our daily lives'. The Holy Father was in attendance for this meditation and then immediately following its completion, he participated with other members of the faithful and religious men and women in a procession which - passing through Saint Peter's Square - made its way to the Vatican Basilica through the Holy Door.
No comments:
Post a Comment