Greetings to Brazilian youth

The Holy Father has sent a Message to young Brazilians who are taking part in a national gathering taking place at the Aparecida Shrine at the completion of the Rota 300 programme.

Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

to young people gathered at the

Aparecida Shrine

Dear young people,

I send my affectionate greetings to all of you, youth of Brazil, gathered at Aparecida for the conclusion of the Rota 300 project which has taken part during the Marian Year that has commemorated the 300th anniversary of the discovery of the image of Our Lady in the waters of the Paraíba do Sul river.

For this occasion, I would like to point out one of the aspects of the Message that I addressed to you this year, for the XXXII World Youth Day: the Virgin Mary is a precious example for the youth and a source of help for our journey through life.  In order for you to realize this truth, you must reflect deeply; you can begin by contemplating the image of our Mother of Aparecida during the pilgrimage that you are experiencing at the national Shrine.  I myself did just that when I was there in 2007 on the occasion of the Fifth meeting of the Latin American Episcopal Conference and, later in 2013, during the World Youth Day that was held in Rio de Janeiro.

There, in the tender and maternal gaze of the dark-skinned Virgin, and in the eyes of the simple people who contemplated her, I was able to discover the secret to the hope that motivates the Brazilian people to face the challenges of each day with faith and with courage.  I was also able to contemplate there the renewing strength of a loving mother who moves the hearts of her children to discover within themselves a great missionary impetus, just as you yourselves did during your missionary week which has just concluded in the Paraíba valley.  Congratulations to all of you for your testimony!

Dear friends, amid the uncertainties and insecurities of each day, amid the precariousness that situations of injustice create around you, there is always one certainty: Mary is a sign of hope that will encourage you with great missionary strength.  She knows the challenges with which you live.  With her maternal attention and closeness, you will know that you are not alone.  In this sense, it is important to remember the story of those poor fishermen who, after spending hours on the Paraíba do Sul river without any results, threw their nets once more and were surprised to find that they had caught the image of Our Lady covered in mud.  First they discovered the body, then the head.  As I said to the Brazilian Bishops in 2013, this fact has in itself some very important symbolism: that which was divided returns to unity, just like the hearts of those fishermen, just like Brazil itself, once divided by slavery but now finding its unity in the faith which that black image of the Madonna inspires (cf Speech to the Bishops of Brazil, 27 July 2013).  For this reason, I invite you too to allow your hearts to be transformed by your encounter with Our Mother of Aparecida.  May she transform the social connections of your lives - networks of friendship, social connections, material and virtual friendships - connections that are often divided, into more significant connections, so that you may truly become a community!  Missionary communities that are on the move!  Communities that are both the light and the leaven of a society that is more just and fraternal.

Integrated into your communities in this way, do not be afraid to take risks and to commit yourselves to building a new society, permeating the social, political, economic and university environments with the strength of the gospel!  Do not be afraid to fight against corruption and do not allow yourselves to be seduced by it!  Trust in the Lord, whose presence is a source of life in abundance; that under Mary's mantle, you may rediscover the creativity and the strength you need in order to be protagonists of a culture of alliance and therefore be able to generate new paradigms that will guide the life of Brazil (cf Message to the Assembly of CELAM, 8 May 2017).

May the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin of Aparecida, renew within each one of you the gifts of hope and a missionary spirit.  You are the hope of Brazil and of the world.  And this novelty, of which you are the bearers, is already being built today.  May Our Lady, who in her youth knew how to courageously embrace the call of God in her life and to go out to meet those who were most in need, go always before you to guide you on your journey!  For this reason, I send my Apostolic Blessing to each of you, and I extend to your families and friends while asking you also to pray for me.

From the Vatican
3 July 2017

Francis

Seen through the eyes of children

When we think of heaven, what do we expect to see?  Some thoughts in this week's reflection about the sincerity of prayer and the ultimate goal of a life of faith.

What do we pray for?

Close your eyes and think back – if you can – to the first time you ever prayed.  For many of us, our first experiences of prayer happened while we were little children.  If you pay attention to the words that children use when they pray, you’ll quickly discover that although the language is simple, the intent is most sincere.  The prayer of a child is most often focused on others: God bless mommy, God bless daddy and so on.

There is great wisdom in the prayers of children.  This is the same wisdom that was recognized in the prayer that was offered by Solomon.  We heard this account in the first reading of today’s liturgy.  The Lord himself appeared to Solomon in a dream and invited him to ask for anything he wanted (1 K 3:5).  In response, Solomon could have asked for riches or for prestige, and yet he must still have had the heart of a child because he didn’t ask for things, but he asked for an understanding mind ... for the ability to discern between good and evil (1 K 3:9).  Could it be true that such wisdom is born in the heart of a child, and that the most sincere prayer comes from the depth of a child-like heart even in the case of adults?

It’s not easy to remain child-like when the responsibilities of life keep crowding in, but this is exactly what we must do so that we can prepare our hearts for the great joy that awaits us in heaven.  Have you ever wondered what heaven will be like?  In the gospel passage we heard today, Jesus gives us three images: heaven will be like treasure hidden in a field (Mt 13:44) or a pearl of great value (Mt 13:46) or a net that is thrown into the sea and catches fish of every kind (Mt 13:47).  In each of these cases, the images portray a possession that brings exceeding joy to the heart.

Do you remember what it was like to pray with the simple faith of a child?  Do you remember what it was like to be filled with anticipation?  Are you ever excited about  the future?  God has predestined us for heaven (cf Rom 8:29-30) our ultimate homeland, the place where we will all be welcome, the place where we will all remember what it was like to pray with the simple faith of a child.

Pour quoi devrons prier?

Je vous invite à fermer vos yeux et à retourner à votre première rencontre avec le Seigneur dans la prière.  Pour plusieurs, nos souvenirs de la prière remontent au temps où nous étions enfants.  Les paroles des enfants en prière sont simples mais on peut y découvrir une sincérité profonde.  Les enfants prient souvent pour d’autres personnes: Petit Jésus, bénis mon papa, bénis ma maman ...

Il y a une sagesse qui se trouve dans les prières des enfants.  Cette même sagesse était également évidente dans la prière offerte par Salomon.  Nous avons entendu les détails dans la première lecture.  Le Seigneur est apparu à Salomon en songe et l’a invité à demander ce qu’il voulait (1 Rois 3,5).  S’il voulait, Salomon pouvait demander des richesses, la prestige, mais moi je pense que celui-là avait encore le coeur d’enfant parce qu’il ne demandait rien sauf un coeur intelligent pour juger ... pour discerner le bien et le mal (1 Rois 3,9).  Une telle sagesse se trouve dans le coeur d’un enfant.  C’est dans le coeur des enfants qu’on trouve la prière la plus sincère, que bien des adultes conservent.

Lorsqu’on est adulte, c’est de plus en plus difficile de garder un esprit d’enfant, mais c’est justement cette esprit qui nous permet de bien préparer nos coeurs pour la grande joie qui nous attend au ciel.  Vous êtes-vous jamais demandé ce qui nous attend dans le royaume des cieux?  Jésus nous propose trois images dans l’évangile: la vie au ciel sera semblable à un trésor caché dans un champ (Mt 13,44) ou bien une perle de grand prix (Mt 13:46) ou encore un filet jeté dans la mer qui ramasse des poissons de toute espèce (Mt 13,47).  En utilisant ces images, Jésus cherche à nous faire comprendre que la promesse de la vie céleste nous portera une joie profonde et inestimable.

Avez-vous des souvenirs de la prière des enfants?  Vous souvenez-vous des moments d’attente?  Êtes-vous toujours excité de découvrir les aventures à venir?  Le Seigneur nous a prédestinés pour les cieux (cf Rom 8,29-30), pour notre patrie céleste, là où nous serons tous et toutes accueilli, là où nous nous souviendrons tous comment prier avec la foi d’un enfant.

Angelus about the treasure of heaven

At noon today (in Rome), 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 gathered in Saint Peter's Square.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Jesus' speech in parables, which includes seven parables listed in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew's gospel, concludes with the three comparisons mentioned today: the hidden treasure (Mt 13:44), the pearl of great price (Mt 13:45-46) and the fishing net (Mt 13:47-48).  I will focus on the first two which highlight the decision to sell everything else in order to obtain that which has been discovered.  In the first case, there is a farmer who casually discovers a hidden treasure in the field where he is working.  Since the field is not his own property, he has to purchase it is he wants to possess the treasure: and he decides to risk everything else that he has in order not to lose this truly exceptional opportunity.  In the second case, we find a precious pearl merchant; he who is a recognized expert has discovered a pearl of great price.  He too decides to invest everything he has to purchase that pearl, even if it means selling everything else he owns.

These comparisons demonstrate two characteristics about possessing the Kingdom of God: seeking it and sacrifice.  It is true that the Kingdom of God is offered to everyone - it is a gift, it is a present, it is a grace - but it is not offered on a silver plate, it requires dynamism: it's a matter of seeking, going after it, giving of self in order to find it.  The condition of seeking is an essential condition in order to find it; our hearts must necessarily be burning with a desire to possess this precious thing, the Kingdom of God which is present in the person of Jesus.  He is the hidden treasure, He is the pearl of great price.  He is the fundamental discovery, the point of a decisive discovery in our lives, the one who fills our lives with meaning.

Faced with this unexpected discovery, both the peasant and the merchant realize that they have before them a unique opportunity to not be left behind, so they sell everything that they possess.  Evaluating the inestimable value of the treasure leads them to a decision that also involves sacrifice, detachment and renunciation.  When the treasure and the pearl have been discovered, when we have discovered the Lord, we cannot allow this discovery to become sterile, we must be willing to sacrifice everything else for it.  It is not a matter of despising everything else but rather of subordinating its value to that of Jesus, keeping him in a place of primary importance.  The grace of first place.  Christ's disciples have not deprived themselves of something essential; they have found much more: they have found the full joy that only He can give.  It is the gospel joy of the sick who have been healed; sinners who have been forgiven; a thief to whom the door to paradise has been opened.

Gospel joy fills the hearts and the entire lives of those who have encountered Jesus.  Those who have allowed themselves to be saved by Him have been freed from sin, from sadness, from interior emptiness, from isolation.  With Jesus Christ, joy is constantly born and reborn (cf Evangelii gaudium, 1).  Today, we are encouraged to contemplate the joy of the peasant and a merchant in the gospel.  It is the joy that each one of us experiences when we discover the consoling closeness and presence of Jesus in our lives.  His is a presence that transforms the heart and opens us to the needs of others, the acceptance of our brothers and sisters, especially those who are most in need.

Let us pray, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that each of us may know how to bear witness to the joy of having discovered the treasure of the Kingdom of God - the love that the Father has given us through the person of Jesus - with our everyday words and actions.



Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today is the World Day against human trafficking, organized by the United Nations.  Every year thousands of men, women and children become innocent victims to sexual and organ trafficking, and it seems that we are growing more and more used to seeing this as something normal.  This is terrible, it is cruel, it is criminal!  I would like to call on everyone's sense of commitment to fight against this aberrant plague, this modern form of slavery.  Let us pray together, asking the Virgin Mary to support the victims of human trafficking and to convert the hearts of those who are involved in trafficking the innocent.  Let us pray together:

Hail Mary ...

Now I thank all the pilgrims who have come from Italy and from other countries, especially the Murialdine Sisters of Saint Joseph, the Novices of the Sisters of Mary, Help of Christians, Ministers from other Italian parishes, and the Femenino Italian Hockey Club from Buenos Aires.

I wish you all a good Sunday, and please don't forget to pray for me.  Enjoy your lunch and good bye!

On April 10, 2014, Pope Francis addressed those who were participating in the Second International Conference on Combatting Human Trafficking.  His Holiness then referred to this horrific reality as a crime against humanity.

Looking back to WYD 2002

Pope John Paul II arrived in Toronto on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 to participate in the World Youth Day celebrations.  To the amazement of onlookers, the frail Pontiff walked unassisted down the aircraft stairs to the cheers of all those who were gathered to welcome him.

Pope John Paul II's Remarks

upon arriving at Lester B. Pearson International Airport

Tuesday, July 23, 2002

Young people from all parts of the world are gathering for the World Youth Day. With their gifts of intelligence and heart they represent the future of the world. But they also bear the marks of a humanity that too often does not know peace, or justice.  Too many lives begin and end without joy, without hope. That is one of the principal reasons for the World Youth Day. Young people are coming together to commit themselves, in the strength of their faith in Jesus Christ, to the great cause of peace and human solidarity.

In a world of great social and ethical strains, and confusion about the very purpose of life, Canadians have an incomparable treasure to contribute — on condition that they preserve what is deep, and good and valid in their own heritage. I pray that the World Youth Day will offer all Canadians an opportunity to remember the values that are essential to good living and to human happiness.

Pope John Paul II's prepared address to 350,000 pilgrims 

at World Youth Day in Toronto

Thursday, July 25, 2002

To all of you I say: may your contacts with your pastors help you to discover and appreciate more and more the beauty of the Church, experienced as missionary communion.

… I have imagined you on a journey, walking in the shadow of the jubilee cross, on this great youth pilgrimage which, moving from continent to continent, is eager to hold the whole world in a close embrace of faith and hope.

I invite you then to make the various activities of this World Youth Day which is just beginning a special time when each of you listens attentively to the Lord, with a willing and generous heart, in order to become the salt of the earth and light of the world.

Dear young people, many and enticing are the voices that call out to you from all sides: many of these voices speak to you of a joy that can be had with money, with success, with power. Mostly they propose a joy that comes with the superficial and fleeting pleasure of the senses.

People are made for happiness. Rightly, then, you thirst for happiness. Christ has the answer to this desire of yours. But he asks you to trust him. True joy is a victory, something which cannot be obtained without a long and difficult struggle. Christ holds the secret of this victory.

Gathered around the Lord's cross, we look to Him:  Jesus did not limit himself to proclaiming the beatitudes, he lived them! Looking at his life anew, re-reading the Gospel, we marvel: the poorest of the poor, the most gentle among the meek, the person with the purest and most merciful heart is none other than Jesus. The beatitudes are nothing more than the description of a face, his face!  At the same time, the beatitudes describe what a Christian should be: they are the portrait of Jesus' disciple, the picture of those who have accepted the Kingdom of God and want their life to be in tune with the demands of the Gospel. To these Jesus speaks, calling them blessed.  The joy promised by the beatitudes is the very joy of Jesus himself: a joy sought and found in obedience to the Father and in the gift of self to others.

Young people of Canada, of America and of every part of the world! By looking at Jesus you will learn what it means to be poor in spirit, meek and merciful; what it means to seek justice, to be pure in heart, to be peacemakers.  With your gaze set firmly on him, you will discover the path of forgiveness and reconciliation in a world often laid waste by violence and terror.

Dear friends, the Church today looks to you with confidence and expects you to be the people of the beatitudes.

Today he calls you to be the salt and light of the world, to choose goodness, to live in justice to become instruments of love and peace. His call has always demanded a choice between good and evil, between light and darkness, between life and death. He makes the same invitation today to you who are gathered here on the shores of Lake Ontario.  What call will those on early morning watch choose to follow? To believe in Jesus is to accept what he says, even when it runs contrary to what others are saying. It means rejecting the lure of sin, however attractive it may be, in order to set out on the difficult path of the Gospel virtues.

Young people listening to me, answer the Lord with strong and generous hearts! He is counting on you. Never forget: Christ needs you to carry out his plan of salvation!  Christ needs your youth and your generous enthusiasm to make his proclamation of joy resound in the new millennium. Answer his call by placing your lives at his service in your brothers and sisters! Trust Christ, because he trusts you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, proclaim once more your beatitudes in the presence of these young people, gathered in Toronto for the World Youth Day. Look upon them with love and listen to their young hearts, ready to put their future on the line for you. You have called them to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. Continue to teach them the truth and beauty of the vision that you proclaimed on the mountain. Make them men and women of the beatitudes! Let the light of your wisdom shine upon them, so that in word and deed they may spread in the world the light and salt of the Gospel. Make their whole life a bright reflection of you, who are the true light that came into this world so that whoever believes in you will not die, but will have eternal life.

Pope John Paul II’s address during Vigil Ceremony 

World Youth Day 2002

Downsview Park

July 27, 2002

I invite you to be the voice of the young people of the whole world, to express their joys, their disappointments, their hopes. Look to Jesus, the living one, and repeat what the apostles asked:  Lord, teach us how to pray. Prayer will be the salt that gives flavour to your lives, and leads you to Him, humanity's true light.

… And I imagined the World Youth Days as a powerful moment in which the young people of the world could meet Christ, who is eternally young, and could learn from him how to be bearers of the Gospel to other young people.

This evening, together with you, I praise God and give thanks to him for the gift bestowed on the Church through the World Youth Days. Millions of young people have taken part, and as a result have become better and more committed Christian witnesses. I am especially thankful to you, who have responded to my invitation to come here to Toronto in order to tell the world of the happiness you have found in meeting Jesus Christ, of your desire to know him better, of how you are committed to proclaiming the Gospel of salvation to the ends of the earth.

The question that arises is dramatic: on what foundations must we build the new historical era that is emerging from the great transformations of the 20th century? Is it enough to rely on the technological revolution now taking place, which seems to respond only to criteria of productivity and efficiency, without reference to the individual's spiritual dimension or to any universally shared ethical values? ... The question will not go away: on what foundations, on what certainties should we build our lives and the life of the community to which we belong?

Dear friends, spontaneously in your hearts, in the enthusiasm of your young years you know the answer, and you are saying it through your presence here this evening: Christ alone is the cornerstone on which it is possible solidly to build one's existence. Only Christ — known, contemplated and loved — is the faithful friend who never lets us down, who becomes our traveling companion, and whose words warm our hearts.

… Moved not by fear or violence but by the urgency of genuine love, they must learn to build, brick by brick, the city of God within the city of man.

Allow me, dear young people, to consign this hope of mine to you — you must be those builders. You are the men and women of tomorrow. The future is in your hearts and in your hands. God is entrusting to you the task, at once difficult and uplifting, of working with him in the building of the civilization of love.

Dear young people, let yourselves be taken over by the light of Christ, and spread that light wherever you are. The light of the countenance of Jesus — says the catechism of the Catholic Church — illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassion for all.  If your friendship with Christ, your knowledge of his mystery, your giving of yourselves to him, are genuine and deep, you will be children of the light, and you will become the light of the world.

Do not wait until you are older in order to set out on the path of holiness. Holiness is always youthful, just as eternal is the youthfulness of God.

Communicate to everyone the beauty of the contact with God that gives meaning to your lives. In the quest for justice, in the promotion of peace, in your commitment to brotherhood and solidarity, let no one surpass you.

How beautiful the song that we have been hearing during these days: Light of the world. Salt of the earth.

Pope John Paul II’s homily at concluding Mass

World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto

Sunday, July 28, 2002

Dear young people of the seventeenth World Youth Day, dear brothers and sisters, the world you are inheriting is a world which desperately needs a new sense of brotherhood and human solidarity. It is a world, which needs to be touched and healed by the beauty and richness of God's love. It needs witnesses to that love. It needs you — to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Salt is used to preserve and keep.  As apostles for the Third Millennium, your task is to preserve and keep alive the awareness of the presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ, especially in the celebration of the eucharist, the memorial of his saving death and glorious resurrection.

Salt seasons and improves the flavour of food.  Following Jesus, you have to change and improve the taste of human history.

Even a tiny flame lifts the heavy lid of night. How much more light you will make, all together, if you bond as one in the communion of the church! If you love Jesus, love the church! Do not be discouraged by the sins and fallings of some of her members.

… But think of the vast majority of dedicated and generous priests and religious whose only wish is to serve and do good! There are many priests, seminarians and consecrated persons here today; be close to them and support them! And if, in the depths of your hearts, you feel the same call to the priesthood or consecrated life, do not be afraid to follow Christ on the royal road of the cross! At difficult moments in the church's life, the pursuit of holiness becomes even more urgent.

O Lord Jesus Christ, keep these young people in your love. Let them hear your voice and believe what you say, for you alone have the words of life. Teach them how to profess their faith, bestow their love, and impart their hope to others. Make them convincing witnesses to your Gospel in a world so much in need of your saving grace. Make them the new people of the Beatitudes, that they may be the salt of the earth and the light of the world at the beginning of the Third Christian Millennium! Mary, Mother of the church, protect and guide these young men and women of the 21st century. Keep us all close to your maternal heart. Amen.

Angelus Address

Downsview Park

July 28, 2002

 This World Youth Day must mark a reawakening of pastoral attention to the young in Canada. May the enthusiasm of this moment be the spark that is needed to launch a new era of powerful witness to the gospel!

My wish for all of you who are here is that the commitments you have made during these days of faith and celebration will bring forth abundant fruits of dedication and witness. May you always treasure the memory of Toronto!

As we prepare to return home, I say, in the words of Saint Augustine: We have been happy together in the light we have shared. We have really enjoyed being together. We have really rejoiced, but as we leave one another, let us not leave Him (In lo.ev. tr., 35,9).

Cardinal Parolin to visit Russia

The Holy See has confirmed that the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will travel to Moscow in September. Parolin’s journey to Russia comes in the wake of his visits to Belarus and to Ukraine in the past two years signalling the Vatican’s continuing engagement with eastern Europe and its desire to continue supporting the Christians in the region. In an exclusive interview with the Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 ore, Cardinal Parolin pointed out that the Holy See’s support for Christians in Eastern Europe has never waned, not even in the darkest of years.

Holy See's historical relationship with Russia
He said the Vatican has always given great value to its relationship with Eastern Europe and with Russia and he recalled the Tsar, Nicholas I’s two meetings with Pope Gregorius XVI in 1845, and how the the Pontificate of Pope Pius IX began in 1847 with an agreement by which both the government and the Holy See played a part in filling vacant Latin Church episcopal sees in Russia and in its Polish provinces. Parolin described the continuing relationship between the Vatican and Russia as a patient, constructive and respectful dialogue.

Diplomacy of peace
It is crucially important, he said, especially regarding those issues that are at the root of current conflicts or that risk triggering further tensions. In this sense, the question of peace and the quest for solutions to the various crises should be placed above any national or partial interest. There cannot be winners or losers, Cardinal Parolin stressed, I am convinced that it is the mission of the Holy See to insist on this fact.

In the article the Vatican Secretary of State also touched on the global issue of violence perpetrated in the name of religion and spoke of the need to protect religious freedom and at the same time protect Christians – or any other community –  at risk of persecution.

He also spoke of the need to continue to work to protect and care for creation expressing his hope that the United States – and other international actors – do not ignore their international responsibility to care for our common home, work to reduce poverty and inequality, and open their hearts to forced migrants and refugees.

The Catholic Church’s diplomacy is a diplomacy of peace – Parolin explained – it is not driven by political, ideological or economic interests, and for this reason it is free to pursue the path to common good and to denounce the catastrophic effects a self-referenced vision can have on all people.

She had an influence

Some people have the rare gift to influence the lives of others even in a matter of moments.  Today, we celebrated the funeral of one such woman.  She touched the lives of countless others, perhaps in ways she was never aware of.  For all that she has given, we give thanks to God as we entrust her soul into his loving embrace.

Funeral homily for Lisette Willett

We have all come to this church today to give thanks to God for the great privilege he has granted us to have known and to have benefitted from the deep wisdom of his beloved daughter Lisette.  On countless other occasions, she was the one who often found occasions to gather people together: whether it was to celebrate a joyous occasion or to support others in their time of need, she always knew how to take care of others.  Why should today be any different?  On this day, when we commend her eternal soul into the arms of our God, she has gathered us once again in this place so that we will not be alone, so that we can find comfort and solace in the company of those we love, and so that we can be strengthened in our faith through God’s word that is being spoken in our hearts.

Jesus calls out to us at this very moment with the words we heard in today’s gospel passage: Come to me, all you who labour and are over burdened, and I will give you rest (Mt 11:28).  In a very short time – a matter of less than two years – Lisette is the fourth of her immediate family to have completed her mortal existence.  Grief is hard on people: we are tired out by the questions that it leaves in our souls, and yet it is at the moments when we are most wearied by life’s challenges that God whispers in our ears: remember ... I am gentle and humble in heart; you will find rest for your souls (Mt 11:29) if only you will let me hold you ever so gently in the palm of my hand.

Let us allow ourselves to rest in the Lord’s presence and to reflect for just a moment on all that we have shared with Lisette.  She has been taken from us far too soon and yet each of us can admit that our lives are not the same today as they were before.  The words of Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans are just as true today as they were when he first wrote them: the life and death of each of us has its influence on others. We are not always aware of the impact our words and actions have on others, yet even if we don’t speak any words at all, our actions will speak loudly about our deepest beliefs.

We have come to pray today for Lisette because we believe that this is not the end of the road for her.  Admittedly, her mortal remains have returned to dust, yet her spirit is alive and well.  She knew that this day would come, she knew that one day her immortal soul would be separated from the body that was increasingly weakened by the ravages of disease and we too know that our time will come: We shall all have to stand before the judgment seat of God ... it is to God that we will all have to give an account of ourselves (Rom 14:10-12).

Those of us who knew Lisette in this life know that she was a strong person, that she was a person of faith and conviction.  Would we dare to call her a virtuous person?  She was well respected by all who knew her, not because of her length of days (cf Wis 4:7) but rather because of her understanding, her ability to see goodness in others and to believe in others even when they found it difficult to believe in themselves.  Today, we thank God for having permitted us to grow in wisdom because of the life we have shared with Lisette.  May she rest forever in the presence of God, and continue to watch over us, to guide us and to inspire us until the day when we are reunited with her in our heavenly home.

Vatican honouring Mother Cabrini

The Vatican is honoring Mother Frances Cabrini on the centenary of her death by issuing a special stamp for the first citizen of the United States to be canonized.

The youngest of thirteen children, Frances Cabrini was born on July 15, 1850 in a small village called Sant’Angelo Lodigiano near Milan, Italy. She grew up enthralled by the stories of missionaries and made up her mind to join a religious order. Because of her frail health, she was not permitted to join the Daughters of the Sacred Heart who had been her teachers and under whose guidance she obtained her teaching certificate.

However, in 1880, with seven young women, Frances founded the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She was as resourceful as she was prayerful, finding people who would donate what she needed in money, time, labor and support. She and her sisters wanted to be missionaries in China; she visited Rome to obtain an audience with Pope Leo XIII. The Pope told Frances to go not to the East, but to the West to New York rather than to China as she had expected. She was to help the thousands of Italian immigrants already in the United States.

In 1889, New York was filled with chaos and poverty, and into this new world stepped Mother Frances Cabrini and her sister companions. Cabrini organized catechism and education classes for the Italian immigrants and provided for the needs of the many orphans. She established schools and orphanages against tremendous odds.

Soon, requests for her to open schools came to Frances Cabrini from all over the world. She traveled to Europe, Central and South America and throughout the United States. She made 23 trans-Atlantic crossings and established 67 institutions: schools, hospitals and orphanages. Her activity was relentless until her death. She died on December 22, 1917 in Chicago. In 1946, she was canonized (made a saint) by Pope Pius XII in recognition of her holiness and service to humanity and was named Patroness of Immigrants in 1950.

Today the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, their lay collaborators and volunteers work as teachers, nurses, social workers, administrators and members of institutional boards of trustees. They can be found on six continents and 15 countries throughout the world – wherever there is a need.

Remembering Father Hamel, one year later

The Archdiocese of Rouen in northern France held a special Mass yesterday (Wednesday) to mark the first anniversary of the assassination of an elderly parish priest, Father Jacques Hamel. The 85-year-old was killed while celebrating Mass on July 26 last year after two gunmen stormed his church in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

Catholics in France are remembering the life and legacy of Father Hamel, whose throat was slit by the attackers, later identified as Islamist militants. The assailants, who also took parishioners hostage, were shot dead by police. At the exact time that the attack took place one year ago, the Archbishop of Rouen, His Excellency, Dominique Lebrun celebrated Mass at the church of Saint Etienne-du-Rouvray yesterday. The service was followed by a public commemoration and the unveiling of a memorial stone, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe among those paying tribute to the slain priest.

Indelible spiritual heritage
In an interview with Vatican Radio’s Olivier Bonnel, Archbishop Lebrun said that Father Hamel, whose beatification process is already underway, has left an indelible spiritual heritage for the whole Church and beyond. The Archbishop said that paradoxically, since his death, Father Jacques Hamel has seemed more alive than ever before. He said while there is still a strong sense of grief and mourning, the priest’s death has also brought together people of very different political opinions.

Transformation of hearts
Archbishop Lebrun said the first fruit of the wound left by Father Hamel’s death is peace between people, whose hearts are transformed as they perceive that they are united on the same spiritual journey. On the Sunday following the attack last year, Muslims in many French towns and cities attended Mass to pray and show their support for the grieving family and community of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

Muslims move to root out radicalism
Archbishop Lebrun said Muslim leaders in France and the vast majority of believers declared: this terrorism, this is not Islam. At the same time they can see that the terrorists are using Islam for their own ends and therefore the attack has marked a turning point in the decisions made by the Muslim communities to stand up and work harder to root out radicalism.

Vatican fountains turned off

As a result of the drought that is affecting not only Rome but a great part of Italy, the Vatican authorities decided to close all the fountains scattered throughout the small State, including those in Saint Peter’s Square, The announcement was made yesterday (Tuesday, July 25, 2017).

In its decision not to waste water, the Governorate of Vatican City State was inspired by Pope Francis’ teaching, in particular, by his encyclical Laudato Si’.

In the papal document, dated May 24, 2015, the Pontiff laments, among other things, the unheard of waste of water (LS, 27), which is described as of primary importance, because it is indispensable for human life and to sustain the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (LS, 28).

“This world has a grave social debt to the poor who do not have access to potable water ... the problem of water is in part an educational and cultural question, because there is no awareness of the gravity of such behaviour in a context of great inequity (LS, 30).

While summer fires scourge the South of Italy in particular, the drought concerns a great part of the Bel Paese (Beautiful Country) whose great rivers and lakes are dry. Of concern in the Lazio Region in particular is the level of Lake Bracciano, whose waters have been used since Ancient Times for potable consumption.

Pope Francis praying for Charlie Gard

Yesterday, the Director of the Holy See Press Centre published a statement in which he declared:

Pope Francis is praying for Charlie Gard and his parents and feels especially close to them at this time of immense suffering. The Holy Father asks that we join in prayer that they may find God’s consolation and love.

The parents of terminally-ill British baby Charlie Gard ended their legal battle to take him from London to the United States for experimental treatment yesterday. The decision was announced after scans confirmed the 11-month-old child had suffered from irreversible brain damage.

Following the decision, a spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales expressed deepest sympathy and prayers for the family. In a statement, the bishops said: At this moment it is important to remember that all involved in these agonizing decisions have sought to act with integrity and for Charlie’s good as they see it.

Pope's heart touched by tragedy
Calling for Charlie’s parents to be given support and space to find peace in the days ahead, the bishops said: Their farewell to their tiny and precious baby touches the hearts of all who, like Pope Francis, have followed this sad and complex story. Charlie’s life will be lovingly cherished until its natural end.

Praise for Great Ormond Street Hospital
The bishops added that the professionalism, love and care for severely ill children consistently shown at the Great Ormond Street Hospital is also to be recognized and applauded.

The Gard family’s lawyer said that Charlie’s father and mother would hold talks with doctors at the hospital about how to end the baby’s life-support treatment. Charlie was born with a rare genetic condition called mitochondrial depletion syndrome, which causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage.

Good and bad grow together

Last week, the gospel passages led us to focus on the process of planting seeds.  This week, we take the further step of watching the newly-planted seeds grow, along with the weeds that somehow find their way into the same fertile soil.  The metaphor holds true for a life of faith as well.

Seeds among the weeds

I was still a young child when I was first taught about the special moments in the life of the Church that we call Sacraments.  There are seven of them: Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick.  Anyone who has been present for the celebration of the Sacraments can describe what they saw, heard, witnessed or felt at such moments, but along with each of the Sacraments, there is also an unseen gift that is imparted by God: a gift that we call Grace.

For example, when someone is baptized, we see water being poured over that person’s head but what we don’t see is the seed of faith that is planted in the heart of that person.  Like a wheat seed, it contains everything it needs in order to grow and to flourish, but today’s gospel warns that along with the good seed that is planted in the field (cf Mt 13:24), an enemy plants weeds among the wheat (Mt 13:25).  Everyone of us has been created as a gift of love from our God, everyone of us has been loved by God and will be loved by God for all eternity, but there are also weeds that grow alongside the good seed.

God wants nothing more than for each of us to realize how precious we are in his eyes, how much he loves us, but there is always a temptation for us to be choked by the weeds of worldly desire, or to become overcome with doubt about whether someone we cannot see with human eyes or touch with human hands really exists.

Thankfully, God already knows all that we are capable of; he already sees what we can become.  In the gospel, Jesus compares our potential for good with a field of healthy wheat that will only be harvested at the proper time (cf Mt 13:30) or a mustard bush which sprouts from the smallest of seeds (cf Mt 13:31-32) or yeast that starts out as a tiny grain but grows into beautiful bread (cf Mt 13:33).

Centuries after Jesus walked on the earth, we know the scientific reasons why seeds sprout and why yeast blooms, but we can only watch and marvel as such growth takes place.  Even within our own lives, we may be tempted to believe that we alone are responsible for our own successes, but in reality, these are all gifts that we have received freely from God.  When we realize this truth, we understand how powerless we really are.

The true danger that each of us faces in this life is that we can fall victim to the weeds of self-doubt.  Thankfully, God’s Spirit helps us in our weakness, so that even when we cannot find words for prayer, the Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words (Rom 8:26), picks us up and helps us to continue our journey.

This week, let us pray for one another: that we will recognize the seeds of faith that are scattered and planted in our hearts, and that we will also be aware of the weeds that sprout and threaten to stop us from believing that God has filled all his children with good hope, and that he has given us the gift of repentance for our sins (cf Wis 12:19).

Le bon grain et les mauvaises herbes

J’étais encore petit enfant lorsqu’on m’a fait connaître les moments privilégiés dans la vie écclésiastique qu’on appelle les sacraments.  Il y en a sept, à savoir: le baptême, la réconciliation, l’eucharistie, la confirmation, le mariage, l’ordination et le sacrement des malades.  Ceux et celles qui ont assistées aux sacrements peuvent peut-être décrire ce qu’ils ont vu, ce qu’ils ont entendu, ce qu’ils ont observé ou ce qu’ils ont ressenti mais il y a également un don invisible qui est transmis par le Seigneur en de tel moments: le don de la grâce divine.

Par example, lors d'un baptême, nous voyons de l’eau versée sur la tête mais nous ne voyons pas la semence de foi qui est semé au coeur de cette personne.   Comme un grain de blé, elle contient tout ce dont elle a besoin pour se developer et pour s’épanouir, mais l’évangile d’aujourd’hui nous prévient qu’avec la bonne semence en terre (cf Mt 13,24), il y a aussi un ennemi qui plante des mauvaises herbes parmi le blé (cf Mt 13,25).  Nous avons tous été créé en tant que don de l’amour de notre Dieu, chacun de nous a toujours été aimé et sera toujours aimé par Dieu pour l’éternité, mais il y a aussi des mauvaises herbes qui se développent aux côtés du bon grain.

Dieu notre Père céleste tient à ce que nous sachions que nous sommes tous très précieux à ses yeux et qu’il nous aime tous, mais il y a toujours la possibilité que nous soyons étouffés par les mauvaises herbes du désir mondain ou de nous laisser dépasser par le doute de l’existence d’un être que nous ne pouvons ni voir ni toucher de nos propres mains.

Heureusement, Dieu sait déjà tout ce dont nous sommes capables; il voit déjà qui nous deviendrons.  Dans l’extrait de l’évangile que nous avons entendu aujourd’hui, Jésus compare notre potentiel de bonté à un champ de blé qui ne sera récolté qu’au bon moment (cf Mt 13,30) ou à un buisson de moutarde qui jaillit de la plus petite graine (cf Mt 13,31-32) ou encore à la levure qui n'est qu'un grain minuscule à l'origine mais qui se transforme en un beau pain (cf Mt 13,33). 

Plusieurs siècles après que Jésus ait marché sur terre, nous connaissons les explications scientifiques des graines qui germent et de la levure qui gonfle, mais nous ne pouvons que regarder et nous émerveiller devant cette croissance.  Même dans notre propre vie, nous sommes portés à croire que nous sommes les seuls responsables de nos réussites, mais en réalité, ce ne sont que des dons offerts généreusement de la part de Dieu le Père.  Lorsque nous nous rendrons compte de cette réalité, c'est à ce moment que nous comprendrons que nous sommes en fait impuissants et que c’est lui qui fait croitre toute chose.

Le véritable danger auquel nous devons tous faire face tout au cours de notre vie terrestre est celui que nous pouvons tous être victimes des mauvaises herbes du doute de soi.  Heureusement, l’esprit du Seigneur nous aide dans notre faiblesse, de sorte que, même si nous ne pouvons pas trouver des paroles pour prier, l’Esprit intercède avec des soupirs trop profonds pour les paroles (cf Rom 8,26).  Ce même Esprit nous reprend et nous aide à poursuivre notre cheminement.

Prions cette semaine l’un pour l’autre: que nous puissions reconnaître les semences de la foi qui sont dispersées et plantées dans nos coeurs, pour que nous puissions également être conscients des mauvaises herbes qui poussent et qui menacent de nous empêcher de croire que Dieu a rempli tous ses enfants d'espérance et qu’il nous offre le repentir pour nos péchés (Sagesse 12,19).

Angelus about good grain and weeds

At noon today (Rome time), 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 gathered in Saint Peter's Square.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

prior to the recitation of the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Today's gospel passage proposes three parables with which Jesus speaks to the crowds about the Kingdom of God.  I want to focus on the first one: the story of the good grain and the weeds, which illustrates the problem of evil in the world and demonstrates God's patience (cf Mt 13:24-30, 36-43).  God is so patient!  Any one of us can say the same thing: How patient God is with me!  The gospel account takes place in a field with two opposing figures.  On one hand, there is the owner of the field who represents God and who sows good seed; on the other hand, there is the enemy who represents Satan and sows weeds.

With the passage of time, these weeds grow along with and amongst the good grain, and faced with this problem, the owner of the field and his servants have differing attitudes.  The servants want to intercede, to pull out the weeds; but the owner, who is concerned above all about saving the grain, is opposed to their plan.  He says: It may happen that while you pull the weeds, the good grain may be uprooted with it (Mt 13:29).  With this image, Jesus tells us that in this world, good and evil are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate one from the other and remove all the evil.  Only God can do that, and he will do it at the time of the final judgement.  With its ambiguity and complex character, the present situation is a field of freedom, a field of Christian freedom in which the difficult task of discerning between good and evil is carried out.

In this field, it is a question of combining two attitudes which appear to be opposed (decisiveness and patience) with great trust in God and in his providence.  The decision we must make is to want to be good grain - we all want this - and to work toward this with all our strengths, while keeping our distance from evil and temptation.  Patience signifies a preference for a Church that is yeast in the dough, not afraid to dirty her hands while she washes the hands of her children, rather than a Church that is pure, that pretends to pronounce judgement ahead of time about who belongs in the Kingdom of God and who doesn't.

The Lord who is Wisdom incarnate, helps us today to understand that good and evil cannot be identified with differing territories or be the determining factors for groups of people: These ones are good and those ones are not.  He tells us that the defining limit between good and evil passes through the heart of every person, passes through the heart of every one of us: We are all sinners.  I want to ask you: Who among us is not a sinner, raise your hands.  No one!  We all are, we are all sinners.  Jesus Christ has freed us from slavery to sin and given us the grace to walk in a newness of life through his death on the cross and his resurrection; but along with Baptism, he has also given us Confession, because we always need to be forgiven for our sins.  If we are only watching out for the evil that exists outside of us, it means that we do not want to recognize the sin that is also within us.

Jesus teaches us a different way to look at the field that is the world, to observe reality.  We are called to learn God's ways - which are not our ways - and also to look at the world like God does: thanks to the beneficial influence of his infinite patience, even that which was a weed, or seemed to be a weed ca become something good.  This is the reality of conversion, the prospect of hope!

May the Virgin Mary help us to understand this reality that surrounds us: not only that which is dirty and evil but also that which is good and beautiful; may she help us to expose the work of Satan, but above all to entrust ourselves to the will of God who enriches our lived history.



After the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am following with much concern the serious tensions and violence occurring these days in Jerusalem.  I feel the need to express a heartfelt call for moderation and dialogue.  I invite you all to be one with me in offering our prayers, that the Lord may inspire us all to undertake the work of reconciliation and peace.

I greet all of you, the faithful of rome and pilgrims who have come from various parts of the world: families, parish groups and associations.  In particular, I greet the faithful from Munster (Ireland); the Franciscan Sisters of Elizabeth Bigie; the symphonic choir from Enna; and the children from Casamassima who have been volunteering here in Rome.

My thoughts and my encouragement go out to the boys who are participating in the Hombre Mundo workshop, they are committed to bearing witness to the joy of the gospel in the most disadvantaged peripheries on various continents.

I wish you all a good Sunday.  And please, don't forget to pray for me.  Enjoy your lunch and good bye!

Colombia is waiting for Pope Francis

Bogotà, Colombia

Colombians are hoping that when Pope Francis visits there later this year, he will bring with him a word of encouragement for evangelization, for reconciliation and not to ever go back.  This was the advice of the President of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, His Excellency, Oscar Urbina Ortega, in an interview with Vatican Radio.  He said this in regard to the Pontiff's forthcoming international trip, which is scheduled to take place from 6 to 11 September 2017.  After a half century of civil war and the Peace Agreement which was signed in 2016, that South American country is now attempting a difficult reconstruction and a process of reconciliation.

The ECC President said that Columbia is in a phase of giving birth, namely of undergoing a new birth.  I believe that it is this nascent creature that the Pope must find and encourage so that it can develop well in the light of the Gospel and of his witness.

According to the Archbishop of Villavicencio, where Pope Francis will proclaim the new Blesseds on 8 September, the Church has possibilities to contribute to the country's reconstruction because she has the Word of the Gospel, the word of papal teaching on all this aspect of reconciliation and peace and she has the instruments for reconciliation.  A person reconciled with God can reconcile himself with the other and can reconcile himself with Creation.

In a video-message published on the ECC's website, on the occasion of the 207th anniversary of Colombia's Independence, the Archbishop of Villavicencio exhorted his fellow countrymen to take the first step towards reconciliation with God, with our brothers and with Creation.



In the interview with Vatican Radio, the Colombian Bishop reflected briefly on the issue of safeguarding the environment in his country.  The Pope will also visit the centre of Colombia, a privileged scenario to develop the whole discourse on the common home.