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.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel (Mt 15:21-28) presents a particular example of faith in the encounter Jesus had with a Canaanite woman, a stranger to Jews. The scene takes place while He is travelling toward the cities of Tyre and Sidon, to the north-west of Galilee: in this place, the woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter who - according to the gospel - is very tormented by a demon (Mt 15:22). At first, the Lord seems not to hear this cry of pain, but it continues so much so that it arouses the intervention of the disciples who intercede on her behalf. Jesus' apparent disinterest does not stop the mother , who insists upon her invocation.
This woman's interior conviction, which permits her to overcome every obstacle, is rooted in her maternal love and in her trust that Jesus can fulfill her request. This makes me think of the strength of women. With their strength, they are able to obtain great things. We have encountered many such cases! We can say that it is love that motivates faith and faith, for its part, becomes the reward for love. It is her love for her daughter that drives her to cry out: Have pity on me, Lord, son of David! (Mt 15:22). Her persevering faith in Jesus allows her not to become discouraged, even when faced with the initial rejection; instead, the woman knelt before him saying: Lord, help me! (Mt 15:25).
In the end, as a result of her perseverance, Jesus admires, is almost astonished by the faith of a pagan woman. Therefore, he agrees to say: Woman, great is your faith! May it be done for you as you have asked. And at that instant her daughter was healed (Mt 15:28). This humble woman is praised by Jesus as an example of unshakable faith. Her insistence in begging for Jesus intervention is for us a source of motivation for us not to become discouraged, not to despair when we are oppressed by difficult trials in life. The Lord does not turn his back on our needs, and if at times he seems insensitive to our prayers for help, it is in order to test and strengthen our faith. We should continue calling out to him like this woman: Lord, help me! Lord, help me! Like that, with perseverance and courage. That is the courage we all need in our prayer.
This gospel account helps us to understand that we all need to grow in our faith and to strengthen our trust in Jesus. He can help us to find our way back when we have lost our way on our journey; when the path does not appear to be flat but rather hard and difficult; when we find it difficult to remain faithful to our commitments. It is important that we take time to nourish our faith every day, with attentive listening to the Word of God, with the celebration of the Sacraments, with personal prayer that cries out to Him: Lord, help me!, and with an attitude of charity toward our neighbours.
Let us confide ourselves to the Holy Spirit, that He may help us to persevere in faith. The Spirit infuses audacity into the hearts of believers: he gives our lives and our Christian witness the strength of conviction and persuasion; he encourages us to overcome the temptation to disbelief in God and indifference toward our brothers and sisters.
May the Virgin Mary make us always more aware of our need for the Lord and for his Spirit; may she obtain for us a strong faith, full of love, and a love that can intercede, intercede courageously to God.
After the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In our hearts, we feel the pain of the terrorist attacks which, during these past few days, have claimed numerous victims in Burkina Faso, in Spain and in Finland. Let us pray for all those who have died, for those who have been wounded and for their families; and let us implore the Lord, God of mercy and peace, to free the world from this inhuman violence. Let us pray together in silence, then, we will pray to Our Lady.
Hail Mary ...
I extend a cordial greeting to all of you, dear Italian pilgrims and those who have come from various other countries. In particular, I greet the members of the French Roulons pour l'Espoir Association, who have come here on bicycles from Besançon; the new seminarians and the Superiors from the North American College in Rome; the clerics from Rivoltella (Brescia) and the boys and girls from Zevio (Verona).
I wish you all 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 Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel (Mt 15:21-28) presents a particular example of faith in the encounter Jesus had with a Canaanite woman, a stranger to Jews. The scene takes place while He is travelling toward the cities of Tyre and Sidon, to the north-west of Galilee: in this place, the woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter who - according to the gospel - is very tormented by a demon (Mt 15:22). At first, the Lord seems not to hear this cry of pain, but it continues so much so that it arouses the intervention of the disciples who intercede on her behalf. Jesus' apparent disinterest does not stop the mother , who insists upon her invocation.
This woman's interior conviction, which permits her to overcome every obstacle, is rooted in her maternal love and in her trust that Jesus can fulfill her request. This makes me think of the strength of women. With their strength, they are able to obtain great things. We have encountered many such cases! We can say that it is love that motivates faith and faith, for its part, becomes the reward for love. It is her love for her daughter that drives her to cry out: Have pity on me, Lord, son of David! (Mt 15:22). Her persevering faith in Jesus allows her not to become discouraged, even when faced with the initial rejection; instead, the woman knelt before him saying: Lord, help me! (Mt 15:25).
In the end, as a result of her perseverance, Jesus admires, is almost astonished by the faith of a pagan woman. Therefore, he agrees to say: Woman, great is your faith! May it be done for you as you have asked. And at that instant her daughter was healed (Mt 15:28). This humble woman is praised by Jesus as an example of unshakable faith. Her insistence in begging for Jesus intervention is for us a source of motivation for us not to become discouraged, not to despair when we are oppressed by difficult trials in life. The Lord does not turn his back on our needs, and if at times he seems insensitive to our prayers for help, it is in order to test and strengthen our faith. We should continue calling out to him like this woman: Lord, help me! Lord, help me! Like that, with perseverance and courage. That is the courage we all need in our prayer.
This gospel account helps us to understand that we all need to grow in our faith and to strengthen our trust in Jesus. He can help us to find our way back when we have lost our way on our journey; when the path does not appear to be flat but rather hard and difficult; when we find it difficult to remain faithful to our commitments. It is important that we take time to nourish our faith every day, with attentive listening to the Word of God, with the celebration of the Sacraments, with personal prayer that cries out to Him: Lord, help me!, and with an attitude of charity toward our neighbours.
Let us confide ourselves to the Holy Spirit, that He may help us to persevere in faith. The Spirit infuses audacity into the hearts of believers: he gives our lives and our Christian witness the strength of conviction and persuasion; he encourages us to overcome the temptation to disbelief in God and indifference toward our brothers and sisters.
May the Virgin Mary make us always more aware of our need for the Lord and for his Spirit; may she obtain for us a strong faith, full of love, and a love that can intercede, intercede courageously to God.
After the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In our hearts, we feel the pain of the terrorist attacks which, during these past few days, have claimed numerous victims in Burkina Faso, in Spain and in Finland. Let us pray for all those who have died, for those who have been wounded and for their families; and let us implore the Lord, God of mercy and peace, to free the world from this inhuman violence. Let us pray together in silence, then, we will pray to Our Lady.
Hail Mary ...
I extend a cordial greeting to all of you, dear Italian pilgrims and those who have come from various other countries. In particular, I greet the members of the French Roulons pour l'Espoir Association, who have come here on bicycles from Besançon; the new seminarians and the Superiors from the North American College in Rome; the clerics from Rivoltella (Brescia) and the boys and girls from Zevio (Verona).
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
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