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!
On this Sunday that follows Christmas, we celebrate the Holy Family of Nazareth, and the gospel invites us to reflect on the experience that Mary, Joseph and Jesus had while they grew together as family in mutual love and placing their trust in God. Trust is expressed through the rite that is carried out by Mary and Joseph as they offer their son Jesus to God. The gospel says: They brought the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (Lk 2:22), as the law of Moses required. Jesus' parents went to the temple to witness to the fact that their son belonged to God and that they were the custodians, not the owners of his life. This makes us reflect. All parents are custodians of their children's lives, not owners, and they should help them to grow, to mature.
This gesture underscores the truth that only God is the Lord of individual or family history; everything comes from Him. Every family is called to recognize this primacy, to protect it and to teach their children to open themselves to God as the source of their very lives. This is the point from which comes the secret to interior youth, paradoxically witnessed in the gospel by two elderly people, Simeon and Anna. The elderly Simeon especially, inspired by the Holy Spirit says of the child Jesus: He is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign of contradiction ... so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Lk 2:34-35).
These prophetic words reveal the truth that Jesus came to bring down the false images that we have of God and of ourselves; in order to contradict the worldly security that we like to believe is our source of support; to raise us up to a truly authentic human and Christian journey, founded on gospel values. There is no family situation that can be excluded from this new journey of rebirth and of resurrection. Every time that families - even those who are wounded and marked by fragility, failure and difficulty, return to the source of the Christian experience, new paths and unimagined possibilities open.
Today's gospel account tells us that Mary and Joseph, when they had fulfilled all things according to the Law, returned to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth. The child grew - the gospel says - and was strengthened, full of wisdom and the grace of God was upon him (Lk 2:39-40). One of the greatest joys for a family is to watch their children grow; we all know this. They are destined to develop and to strengthen themselves, to acquire wisdom and to receive grace from God, just as it was for Jesus. He is truly one of us; the Son of God becomes a child, agrees to grow, to be strengthened, and the fullness of God's wisdom and grace is upon Him. Mary and Joseph have the joy of seeing all this in their son; and this is the mission to which all families are destined: to create favourable conditions for the harmonious and full growth of their children, so that they can live good lives, worthy of God and contributing to the betterment of the world.
This is the wish I offer to all families today, along with the invocation of Mary, the Queen of all families.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I express my closeness to the Coptic Orthodox faithful in Egypt, who have been wounded by two attacks: one of which took place in a church and the other in a shop on the outskirts of Cairo. May the Lord welcome the souls of those who have died, support those who have been wounded, their families and the entire community ... and convert the hearts of those who have perpetrated this violence.
Today, I send a special greeting to all families who are present here, and also to those who are participating from home. May the Holy Family bless you and guide you along your journey.
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims; in particular, the parish groups, associations and young people. Don't forget to thank God for the year that is drawing to a close and for every blessing that you have received. And it would be good - for each of us - to take a little time to think about the good things that we have received from the Lord during this past year, and to thank Him for them. And if there have been trials, difficulties, let us thank him also for those, for he has helped us to survive them. Today is a day for giving thanks.
I wish you all a good Sunday and a peaceful end to the calendar year. I thank you once again for your good wishes and your prayers; and please continue 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!
On this Sunday that follows Christmas, we celebrate the Holy Family of Nazareth, and the gospel invites us to reflect on the experience that Mary, Joseph and Jesus had while they grew together as family in mutual love and placing their trust in God. Trust is expressed through the rite that is carried out by Mary and Joseph as they offer their son Jesus to God. The gospel says: They brought the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (Lk 2:22), as the law of Moses required. Jesus' parents went to the temple to witness to the fact that their son belonged to God and that they were the custodians, not the owners of his life. This makes us reflect. All parents are custodians of their children's lives, not owners, and they should help them to grow, to mature.
This gesture underscores the truth that only God is the Lord of individual or family history; everything comes from Him. Every family is called to recognize this primacy, to protect it and to teach their children to open themselves to God as the source of their very lives. This is the point from which comes the secret to interior youth, paradoxically witnessed in the gospel by two elderly people, Simeon and Anna. The elderly Simeon especially, inspired by the Holy Spirit says of the child Jesus: He is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign of contradiction ... so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Lk 2:34-35).
These prophetic words reveal the truth that Jesus came to bring down the false images that we have of God and of ourselves; in order to contradict the worldly security that we like to believe is our source of support; to raise us up to a truly authentic human and Christian journey, founded on gospel values. There is no family situation that can be excluded from this new journey of rebirth and of resurrection. Every time that families - even those who are wounded and marked by fragility, failure and difficulty, return to the source of the Christian experience, new paths and unimagined possibilities open.
Today's gospel account tells us that Mary and Joseph, when they had fulfilled all things according to the Law, returned to Galilee, to their city of Nazareth. The child grew - the gospel says - and was strengthened, full of wisdom and the grace of God was upon him (Lk 2:39-40). One of the greatest joys for a family is to watch their children grow; we all know this. They are destined to develop and to strengthen themselves, to acquire wisdom and to receive grace from God, just as it was for Jesus. He is truly one of us; the Son of God becomes a child, agrees to grow, to be strengthened, and the fullness of God's wisdom and grace is upon Him. Mary and Joseph have the joy of seeing all this in their son; and this is the mission to which all families are destined: to create favourable conditions for the harmonious and full growth of their children, so that they can live good lives, worthy of God and contributing to the betterment of the world.
This is the wish I offer to all families today, along with the invocation of Mary, the Queen of all families.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I express my closeness to the Coptic Orthodox faithful in Egypt, who have been wounded by two attacks: one of which took place in a church and the other in a shop on the outskirts of Cairo. May the Lord welcome the souls of those who have died, support those who have been wounded, their families and the entire community ... and convert the hearts of those who have perpetrated this violence.
Today, I send a special greeting to all families who are present here, and also to those who are participating from home. May the Holy Family bless you and guide you along your journey.
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims; in particular, the parish groups, associations and young people. Don't forget to thank God for the year that is drawing to a close and for every blessing that you have received. And it would be good - for each of us - to take a little time to think about the good things that we have received from the Lord during this past year, and to thank Him for them. And if there have been trials, difficulties, let us thank him also for those, for he has helped us to survive them. Today is a day for giving thanks.
I wish you all a good Sunday and a peaceful end to the calendar year. I thank you once again for your good wishes and your prayers; and please continue to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
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