At noon today, the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Regina Coeli with the faithful and with pilgrims who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel narrates the third apparition of the risen Jesus to his disciples, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, with the description of the miraculous catch of fish (cf Jn 21:1-19). The story takes place in the context of the daily life of the disciples, who have returned to their homes and to their work as fishermen, after having experienced the mind-blowing reality of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. It was difficult for them to understand everything that had taken place, but while it seemed that everything was finished, Jesus came once again in search of his disciples. He went in search of them. This time, he met them near the lake, where they had spent the night in boats without having caught any fish. Their empty nets appear, in a sense, to represent a statement of their experience with Jesus: they had gotten to know him, they had left everything behind in order to follow him, they were filled with hope ... and now? Yes, they had seen him after his resurrection, but then they had begun to think: He's gone, he's left us ... all that was like a dream ...
But then at the first light of dawn, Jesus appeared on the banks of the lake; even though they did not recognize him (cf Jn 21:4). To those fishermen, tired and disillusioned, the Lord said: Throw the nets on the left side of the boat and you will find some (Jn 21:6). The disciples trusted Jesus and the result was an incredibly abundant catch of fish. At this point, John turns to Peter and says: It is the Lord! (Jn 21:7) and immediately, Peter throws himself into the water and swims toward the shore, toward Jesus. That exclamation: It is the Lord! contains all the excitement of Easter faith; it is full of joy and wonder, in sharp contrast to the bewilderment and fear that had built up in the hearts of the disciples. The presence of the risen Jesus changes everything: darkness is overcome by light, useless work becomes once again fruitful and promising, a sense of tiredness and abandonment gives way to a new momentum and a certainty that He is with us.
From that moment on, these same sentiments have enlivened the Church, the Community of the Risen One. All of us are part of the community of the Risen One! If at first glance it might seem sometimes that the darkness of evil and the trials of daily life have the upper hand, the Church knows with certainty that the light of Easter, which transcends all time, shines on all people. The great proclamation of the Resurrection fills the hearts of believers with profound joy and invincible hope. Christ is truly risen! Even today, the Church continues to echo this joyful proclamation: joy and hope continue to fill our hearts, our faces, our gestures and our words. All Christians are called to communicate this message of the resurrection to those we meet, especially those who suffer, to those who are lonely, to those who find themselves in precarious situations, to the sick, to refugees and to those who are marginalized. To all people, we communicate a ray of the light of the risen Christ, a sign of his merciful power.
The Lord also renews Easter faith within us. He makes us ever-more aware of our mission to serve the Gospel and to serve our brothers and sisters; he fills us with his Holy Spirit so that, supported by the intercession of Mary, with all the Church, we can proclaim the greatness of his love and the richness of his mercy.
Following the recitation of the Regina Coeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the hope we have received from the risen Christ, I renew my call for the liberation of all persons who are confined in conflict zones; I especially want to remember the Salesian priest, Father Tom Uzhunnalil, captured in Aden (Yemen) on March 4th of this year.
Today in Italy, we celebrate the National Day for the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, under the theme: I will be present in the Italy of tomorrow. I hope that this great University, which continues to provide important service to Italian students, will continue her mission of formation with renewed commitment, ever more in tune with the needs of our times.
I greet you all, Romans and pilgrims from various parts of Italy and from other parts of the world. I also greet all those who have run the Marathon. A special greeting to all the faithful from Gandosso, Golfo Aranci, Mede Lomellina, Cernobil, Macerata Campania, Porto Azzuro, Maleo and Sasso Marconi, and a special greeting to all those who have recently been Confirmed from Campobasso, Marzocca and Montignano.
I thank all the parish choirs for their presence here; some of them have sung here in the Basilica of Saint Peter. Thank you very much!
And to all of you, I wish a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Regina Coeli
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel narrates the third apparition of the risen Jesus to his disciples, on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, with the description of the miraculous catch of fish (cf Jn 21:1-19). The story takes place in the context of the daily life of the disciples, who have returned to their homes and to their work as fishermen, after having experienced the mind-blowing reality of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. It was difficult for them to understand everything that had taken place, but while it seemed that everything was finished, Jesus came once again in search of his disciples. He went in search of them. This time, he met them near the lake, where they had spent the night in boats without having caught any fish. Their empty nets appear, in a sense, to represent a statement of their experience with Jesus: they had gotten to know him, they had left everything behind in order to follow him, they were filled with hope ... and now? Yes, they had seen him after his resurrection, but then they had begun to think: He's gone, he's left us ... all that was like a dream ...
But then at the first light of dawn, Jesus appeared on the banks of the lake; even though they did not recognize him (cf Jn 21:4). To those fishermen, tired and disillusioned, the Lord said: Throw the nets on the left side of the boat and you will find some (Jn 21:6). The disciples trusted Jesus and the result was an incredibly abundant catch of fish. At this point, John turns to Peter and says: It is the Lord! (Jn 21:7) and immediately, Peter throws himself into the water and swims toward the shore, toward Jesus. That exclamation: It is the Lord! contains all the excitement of Easter faith; it is full of joy and wonder, in sharp contrast to the bewilderment and fear that had built up in the hearts of the disciples. The presence of the risen Jesus changes everything: darkness is overcome by light, useless work becomes once again fruitful and promising, a sense of tiredness and abandonment gives way to a new momentum and a certainty that He is with us.
From that moment on, these same sentiments have enlivened the Church, the Community of the Risen One. All of us are part of the community of the Risen One! If at first glance it might seem sometimes that the darkness of evil and the trials of daily life have the upper hand, the Church knows with certainty that the light of Easter, which transcends all time, shines on all people. The great proclamation of the Resurrection fills the hearts of believers with profound joy and invincible hope. Christ is truly risen! Even today, the Church continues to echo this joyful proclamation: joy and hope continue to fill our hearts, our faces, our gestures and our words. All Christians are called to communicate this message of the resurrection to those we meet, especially those who suffer, to those who are lonely, to those who find themselves in precarious situations, to the sick, to refugees and to those who are marginalized. To all people, we communicate a ray of the light of the risen Christ, a sign of his merciful power.
The Lord also renews Easter faith within us. He makes us ever-more aware of our mission to serve the Gospel and to serve our brothers and sisters; he fills us with his Holy Spirit so that, supported by the intercession of Mary, with all the Church, we can proclaim the greatness of his love and the richness of his mercy.
Following the recitation of the Regina Coeli, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the hope we have received from the risen Christ, I renew my call for the liberation of all persons who are confined in conflict zones; I especially want to remember the Salesian priest, Father Tom Uzhunnalil, captured in Aden (Yemen) on March 4th of this year.
Today in Italy, we celebrate the National Day for the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, under the theme: I will be present in the Italy of tomorrow. I hope that this great University, which continues to provide important service to Italian students, will continue her mission of formation with renewed commitment, ever more in tune with the needs of our times.
I greet you all, Romans and pilgrims from various parts of Italy and from other parts of the world. I also greet all those who have run the Marathon. A special greeting to all the faithful from Gandosso, Golfo Aranci, Mede Lomellina, Cernobil, Macerata Campania, Porto Azzuro, Maleo and Sasso Marconi, and a special greeting to all those who have recently been Confirmed from Campobasso, Marzocca and Montignano.
I thank all the parish choirs for their presence here; some of them have sung here in the Basilica of Saint Peter. Thank you very much!
And to all of you, I wish a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
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