At noon today (6:00am EDT), 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!
This Sunday's gospel (cf Mk 9:38-43; 45; 47-48) presents us with one of those very instructive details about Jesus' life with his disciples. They had seen that a man, who was not part of the group who followed Jesus, was casting out demons in the name of Jesus, and for this reason they wanted to prevent him from doing so. John, with the zealous enthusiasm that is typical of youth, refers the matter to Jesus, seeking his approval; but on the contrary, Jesus responds: Do not stop him, for there is no one who performs a miracle in my name who will then be able to speak against me: whoever is not against me is for me (Mk 9:39-40).
John and the other disciples demonstrate an attitude of closure in the face of an event that does not fit into their schemes, in this case, the actions - though good - of a person outside the circle of followers. Instead, Jesus appears to be very free, fully open to the freedom of the Spirit of God, who in his actions is never limited by any confines or by any enclosures. Jesus wants to teach his disciples, and even us today, about this interior freedom.
It would be good for us to reflect on this discussion, to make and examination of conscience. The attitude of Jesus' disciples was very human, very common and we can recognize it in Christian communities of every era, probably also in our own times. In good faith, even with zeal, people want to protect the authenticity of a certain experience, protecting the founder or the leader from false imitators. But at the same time, there is a fear of competition - and this is terrible: fear of competition - that someone might be able to steal away new followers, and then we would not succeed in appreciating the good that the others are doing: this is not good because they don't belong to us, they say. This is a form of self-reference. Indeed, this is the root of proselytism, and the Church - Pope Benedict said - does not grow through proselytism, it grows through attraction, which is to say that it grows through the witness of others and the strength of the Holy Spirit.
The great freedom of God in giving himself to us is a challenge and an exhortation to change our attitudes and our relationships. This is the invitation that Jesus offers to us today. He calls us to not think in terms of friends and enemies, us and then, who is in and who is out, mine and yours, but to go further, to open our hearts in order to recognize his presence and the action of God even in unusual and unpredictable areas and in persons who are not part of our circles. It is a matter of being more attentive to the genuineness of the good, the beautiful and the true that is accomplished, than to the name and provenance of those who do it. And - as the rest of the Gospel of today suggests - instead of judging others, we must examine ourselves, and cut away without compromise everything that can scandalize the weaker people in the faith.
May the Virgin Mary, a model of docile reception of God's surprises, helps us to recognize the signs of the Lord's presence in our midst, discovering Him wherever He shows Himself, even in the most unthinkable and unusual situations, teach us to love our community without jealousy and closures, and to be always open to the vast horizons of the action of the Holy Spirit.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I express my closeness to the people of the Island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, who were struck by a strong tsunami. I am praying for all those who have died - unfortunately there are many -, for those who have been wounded and for those who have lost their homes and their work. May the Lord console them and support the efforts of those who are trying to bring relief. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters on the island of Sulawesi: Hail Mary ...
Today, in Marseille, Jean-Baptiste Fouque, a diocesan priest who was Associate Pastor all his life, was proclaimed Blessed. He was a beautiful example for climbers! He lived between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, promoting the efforts of many welfare and social work efforts in favour of young people, the elderly, the poor and the sick. May the example and the intercession of this apostle of charity support us in our commitment to welcome and to share with those who are weak and disadvantaged. Let us all applaud Blessed Jean-Baptiste!
With affection, I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries. In particular, I greet the faithful from Calpe (Spain), a group of mayors and administrators from the region of Salzburg and the international delegation of deaf persons who are here to celebrate the World Day of the Deaf.
I greet the members of the Sant'Egidio Community, the youth who are part of the Shalom Movement from Fucecchio and the faithful from Foggia and from Rapallo.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
This Sunday's gospel (cf Mk 9:38-43; 45; 47-48) presents us with one of those very instructive details about Jesus' life with his disciples. They had seen that a man, who was not part of the group who followed Jesus, was casting out demons in the name of Jesus, and for this reason they wanted to prevent him from doing so. John, with the zealous enthusiasm that is typical of youth, refers the matter to Jesus, seeking his approval; but on the contrary, Jesus responds: Do not stop him, for there is no one who performs a miracle in my name who will then be able to speak against me: whoever is not against me is for me (Mk 9:39-40).
John and the other disciples demonstrate an attitude of closure in the face of an event that does not fit into their schemes, in this case, the actions - though good - of a person outside the circle of followers. Instead, Jesus appears to be very free, fully open to the freedom of the Spirit of God, who in his actions is never limited by any confines or by any enclosures. Jesus wants to teach his disciples, and even us today, about this interior freedom.
It would be good for us to reflect on this discussion, to make and examination of conscience. The attitude of Jesus' disciples was very human, very common and we can recognize it in Christian communities of every era, probably also in our own times. In good faith, even with zeal, people want to protect the authenticity of a certain experience, protecting the founder or the leader from false imitators. But at the same time, there is a fear of competition - and this is terrible: fear of competition - that someone might be able to steal away new followers, and then we would not succeed in appreciating the good that the others are doing: this is not good because they don't belong to us, they say. This is a form of self-reference. Indeed, this is the root of proselytism, and the Church - Pope Benedict said - does not grow through proselytism, it grows through attraction, which is to say that it grows through the witness of others and the strength of the Holy Spirit.
The great freedom of God in giving himself to us is a challenge and an exhortation to change our attitudes and our relationships. This is the invitation that Jesus offers to us today. He calls us to not think in terms of friends and enemies, us and then, who is in and who is out, mine and yours, but to go further, to open our hearts in order to recognize his presence and the action of God even in unusual and unpredictable areas and in persons who are not part of our circles. It is a matter of being more attentive to the genuineness of the good, the beautiful and the true that is accomplished, than to the name and provenance of those who do it. And - as the rest of the Gospel of today suggests - instead of judging others, we must examine ourselves, and cut away without compromise everything that can scandalize the weaker people in the faith.
May the Virgin Mary, a model of docile reception of God's surprises, helps us to recognize the signs of the Lord's presence in our midst, discovering Him wherever He shows Himself, even in the most unthinkable and unusual situations, teach us to love our community without jealousy and closures, and to be always open to the vast horizons of the action of the Holy Spirit.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I express my closeness to the people of the Island of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, who were struck by a strong tsunami. I am praying for all those who have died - unfortunately there are many -, for those who have been wounded and for those who have lost their homes and their work. May the Lord console them and support the efforts of those who are trying to bring relief. Let us pray for our brothers and sisters on the island of Sulawesi: Hail Mary ...
Today, in Marseille, Jean-Baptiste Fouque, a diocesan priest who was Associate Pastor all his life, was proclaimed Blessed. He was a beautiful example for climbers! He lived between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, promoting the efforts of many welfare and social work efforts in favour of young people, the elderly, the poor and the sick. May the example and the intercession of this apostle of charity support us in our commitment to welcome and to share with those who are weak and disadvantaged. Let us all applaud Blessed Jean-Baptiste!
With affection, I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries. In particular, I greet the faithful from Calpe (Spain), a group of mayors and administrators from the region of Salzburg and the international delegation of deaf persons who are here to celebrate the World Day of the Deaf.
I greet the members of the Sant'Egidio Community, the youth who are part of the Shalom Movement from Fucecchio and the faithful from Foggia and from Rapallo.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
No comments:
Post a Comment