This morning's General Audience began at 10:00am in Saint Peter's Square where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful from Italy and from every corner of the world.
In his speech, the Pope continued his meditations on mercy from the biblical perspective, focusing on the miracle of the blind man of Jericho (cf Lk 18:35, 37-38, 40-42).
Following the customary summaries of his catechesis, presented in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
One day Jesus, approaching the city of Jericho, performed the miracle of restoring sight to a blind man who was begging along the street (cf Lk 18:35-43). Today, we want to understand the meaning of this sign because it pertains to us directly as well. Luke, the evangelist, says that the blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging (cf Lk 18:35). In those days, a blind man - even until recent times - had to live on charity. The figure of this blind man represents many people who, even today, find themselves marginalized because of a physical disadvantage or some other kind of handicap. He is separated from the crowd, sitting there while the people pass by indifferent to his plight, absorbed in their own thoughts and other concerns ... And the road, which could be a place for meeting others, is for him instead a place of solitude. So many people pass by ... and he is alone.
The image of such a marginalized person is very sad, especially against the backdrop of the city of Jericho, such a splendid and beautiful oasis in the midst of the desert. We know that the people of Israel came to Jericho at the end of the long exodus in Egypt: that city was the gateway to the promised land. Let us remember the words Moses spoke on that occasion: If there is among you one who is your brother in need in one of your cities on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving to you, do not harden your heart and do not close your hand against your brother in need. For there will always be those in the land who are poor, so I give you this commandment and say to you: Open your hand generously to your poor brother and to the needy in the land (Deut 15:7, 11). There is a stark contrast between this recommendation pertaining to the Law of God and the situation described in the gospel: the blind man crying and calling on Jesus, the people telling him to be quiet, as though he has no right to speak. They have no compassion for him, in fact, he is a nuisance to them because of his cries. How many times do we, when we see so many people in our streets - people in need, those who are sick, who have nothing to eat - do we feel that they are a nuisance? How many times do we find ourselves faced with refugees and displaced persons, and we feel that they are being a nuisance? This is a temptation that we all face. All of us, even me! This is why the Word of God warns us by reminding us that indifference and hostility make us all blind and deaf, unable to see our brothers and sisters and not able to recognize the Lord in them. Indifference and hostility. Sometimes, indifference and hostility even become aggression and insult: Make them go away! ... Put them somewhere else! This kind of aggression is how the people reacted when the blind man cried out: Go away, be quiet, don't speak, don't cry out.
Let us take note of a particularly interesting fact. The Evangelist says that someone in the crowd explained to the blind man what was stirring up all the people; the person said: Jesus of Nazareth is passing by! (Lk 18:37). Jesus' passage is indicated using the same verb with which the book of Exodus speaks of the passage of the angel who saved the Israelites in Egypt (cf Ex 12:23). It was the passing by of the Passover, the beginning of their freedom: when Jesus passes by, there is always freedom, there is always salvation! In the case of the blind man then, it is as though his Passover was to be announced. Without being intimidated, the blind man cries out even louder toward Jesus, recognizing him as the Son of David, the long-awaited Messiah who, according to the prophet Isaiah, would open the eyes of the blind (cf Is 35:5). Unlike the crowd, this blind man sees with the eyes of faith. Because of this, his supplication has a powerful effect. In fact, he was heard: Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him (Lk 18:40). By doing this, Jesus cut the blind man from the margins of the street and placed him at the centre of his disciples' and the crowd's attention. Let us also think about ourselves, when we are in terrible situations, even sinful situations, it is Jesus who takes us by the hand and takes us away from the curbs of the street; it is he who saves us. Thus he provides a double passage. First: the people had announced good news to the blind man, but they did not want anything to do with him; now, Jesus obliges us all to be conscious that the good news implies also that they need to place those who are excluded at the centre of their own lives. Second: the blind man himself could not see, but his faith opened him to the way to salvation, and he found himself in the midst of all those who had taken to the streets in order to see Jesus. Brothers and Sisters, when the Lord passes by, there is an encounter with mercy that unites all those who are gathered around him and allows them to recognize that they need help and consolation. Even in our lives, Jesus passes by: and when Jesus passes by, and I recognize him, it is an invitation to come closer to Him, to be better, to be a better Christian, to follow Jesus.
Jesus speaks to the blind man, asking him: What do you want me to do for you? (Lk 18:41). Jesus' words make an impression: the Son of God now stands before the blind man as a humble servant. He, Jesus, God, says: What do you want me to do for you? How do you want me to serve you? God makes himself a servant of sinful man. And the blind man replies to Jesus, no longer calling him Son of David, but Lord, the title that the Church has always used for the Risen Jesus. The blind man asks for the ability to see again and his request is granted: I want to see again! Your faith has saved you (Lk 18:42). He demonstrated his faith by calling on Jesus and wanting to meet him at any price, and this won him the prize of salvation. Through faith, he can now see and, above all, he feels loved by Jesus. This is the reason why the story ends by referring to the blind man who began to follow him, praising God (Lk 18:43): he became a disciple. The beggar becomes a disciple, this is our path too: we are all beggars, all of us. We are always in need of salvation. And all of us, every day, need to walk this path: from beggar to disciple. In this way, the blind man follows after the Lord and enters into and is part of the community. The one who once preferred to be quiet, now bears witness with a loud voice to his encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, and all the people, seeing him, sang praises to God (Lk 18:43). There was also a second miracle: what happened to the blind man made it possible for even the other people to finally see. The same light illuminates all those who gather to offer prayer and praise. Jesus pours out his mercy on all those he meets: he calls them, he makes them come to him, he gathers them, he heals them and enlightens them, he creates a new people who celebrate the marvels of his merciful love. Let us allow ourselves also to call on Jesus, and let us allow ourselves to be healed by Jesus, forgiven by Jesus, and let us follow after Jesus, singing praises to God. Amen!
The Holy Father's catechesis was then translated into various languages, and he offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Malta, Sweden, Syria, Israel, Zambia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In his speech, the Pope continued his meditations on mercy from the biblical perspective, focusing on the miracle of the blind man of Jericho (cf Lk 18:35, 37-38, 40-42).
Following the customary summaries of his catechesis, presented in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each group of the faithful in attendance.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
One day Jesus, approaching the city of Jericho, performed the miracle of restoring sight to a blind man who was begging along the street (cf Lk 18:35-43). Today, we want to understand the meaning of this sign because it pertains to us directly as well. Luke, the evangelist, says that the blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging (cf Lk 18:35). In those days, a blind man - even until recent times - had to live on charity. The figure of this blind man represents many people who, even today, find themselves marginalized because of a physical disadvantage or some other kind of handicap. He is separated from the crowd, sitting there while the people pass by indifferent to his plight, absorbed in their own thoughts and other concerns ... And the road, which could be a place for meeting others, is for him instead a place of solitude. So many people pass by ... and he is alone.
The image of such a marginalized person is very sad, especially against the backdrop of the city of Jericho, such a splendid and beautiful oasis in the midst of the desert. We know that the people of Israel came to Jericho at the end of the long exodus in Egypt: that city was the gateway to the promised land. Let us remember the words Moses spoke on that occasion: If there is among you one who is your brother in need in one of your cities on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving to you, do not harden your heart and do not close your hand against your brother in need. For there will always be those in the land who are poor, so I give you this commandment and say to you: Open your hand generously to your poor brother and to the needy in the land (Deut 15:7, 11). There is a stark contrast between this recommendation pertaining to the Law of God and the situation described in the gospel: the blind man crying and calling on Jesus, the people telling him to be quiet, as though he has no right to speak. They have no compassion for him, in fact, he is a nuisance to them because of his cries. How many times do we, when we see so many people in our streets - people in need, those who are sick, who have nothing to eat - do we feel that they are a nuisance? How many times do we find ourselves faced with refugees and displaced persons, and we feel that they are being a nuisance? This is a temptation that we all face. All of us, even me! This is why the Word of God warns us by reminding us that indifference and hostility make us all blind and deaf, unable to see our brothers and sisters and not able to recognize the Lord in them. Indifference and hostility. Sometimes, indifference and hostility even become aggression and insult: Make them go away! ... Put them somewhere else! This kind of aggression is how the people reacted when the blind man cried out: Go away, be quiet, don't speak, don't cry out.
Let us take note of a particularly interesting fact. The Evangelist says that someone in the crowd explained to the blind man what was stirring up all the people; the person said: Jesus of Nazareth is passing by! (Lk 18:37). Jesus' passage is indicated using the same verb with which the book of Exodus speaks of the passage of the angel who saved the Israelites in Egypt (cf Ex 12:23). It was the passing by of the Passover, the beginning of their freedom: when Jesus passes by, there is always freedom, there is always salvation! In the case of the blind man then, it is as though his Passover was to be announced. Without being intimidated, the blind man cries out even louder toward Jesus, recognizing him as the Son of David, the long-awaited Messiah who, according to the prophet Isaiah, would open the eyes of the blind (cf Is 35:5). Unlike the crowd, this blind man sees with the eyes of faith. Because of this, his supplication has a powerful effect. In fact, he was heard: Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him (Lk 18:40). By doing this, Jesus cut the blind man from the margins of the street and placed him at the centre of his disciples' and the crowd's attention. Let us also think about ourselves, when we are in terrible situations, even sinful situations, it is Jesus who takes us by the hand and takes us away from the curbs of the street; it is he who saves us. Thus he provides a double passage. First: the people had announced good news to the blind man, but they did not want anything to do with him; now, Jesus obliges us all to be conscious that the good news implies also that they need to place those who are excluded at the centre of their own lives. Second: the blind man himself could not see, but his faith opened him to the way to salvation, and he found himself in the midst of all those who had taken to the streets in order to see Jesus. Brothers and Sisters, when the Lord passes by, there is an encounter with mercy that unites all those who are gathered around him and allows them to recognize that they need help and consolation. Even in our lives, Jesus passes by: and when Jesus passes by, and I recognize him, it is an invitation to come closer to Him, to be better, to be a better Christian, to follow Jesus.
Jesus speaks to the blind man, asking him: What do you want me to do for you? (Lk 18:41). Jesus' words make an impression: the Son of God now stands before the blind man as a humble servant. He, Jesus, God, says: What do you want me to do for you? How do you want me to serve you? God makes himself a servant of sinful man. And the blind man replies to Jesus, no longer calling him Son of David, but Lord, the title that the Church has always used for the Risen Jesus. The blind man asks for the ability to see again and his request is granted: I want to see again! Your faith has saved you (Lk 18:42). He demonstrated his faith by calling on Jesus and wanting to meet him at any price, and this won him the prize of salvation. Through faith, he can now see and, above all, he feels loved by Jesus. This is the reason why the story ends by referring to the blind man who began to follow him, praising God (Lk 18:43): he became a disciple. The beggar becomes a disciple, this is our path too: we are all beggars, all of us. We are always in need of salvation. And all of us, every day, need to walk this path: from beggar to disciple. In this way, the blind man follows after the Lord and enters into and is part of the community. The one who once preferred to be quiet, now bears witness with a loud voice to his encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, and all the people, seeing him, sang praises to God (Lk 18:43). There was also a second miracle: what happened to the blind man made it possible for even the other people to finally see. The same light illuminates all those who gather to offer prayer and praise. Jesus pours out his mercy on all those he meets: he calls them, he makes them come to him, he gathers them, he heals them and enlightens them, he creates a new people who celebrate the marvels of his merciful love. Let us allow ourselves also to call on Jesus, and let us allow ourselves to be healed by Jesus, forgiven by Jesus, and let us follow after Jesus, singing praises to God. Amen!
The Holy Father's catechesis was then translated into various languages, and he offered greetings to each group of pilgrims in attendance. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Scotland, Ireland, Malta, Sweden, Syria, Israel, Zambia, China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment