At noon today in Rome (6:00am EST), 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 who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, which we are celebrating today, is is set at the end of the liturgical year and recalls the fact that the life of creation does not advance by chance, but rather proceeds towards a final goal: the definitive manifestation of Christ, Lord of history and of all creation. The conclusion of the story will be its eternal kingdom. Today's Gospel passage (cf Jn 18,33b-37) tells us about this kingdom, the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of Jesus, recounting the humiliating situation in which Jesus was found after being arrested in Gethsemane: bound, insulted , accused and brought before the authorities of Jerusalem. And then, he is presented to the Roman governor, as one who is seeking political power, to become the king of the Jews. Pilate then conducts his inquiry and in a dramatic interrogation, asks him twice if he is a king (cf Jn 18:33-37).
First, Jesus responds that his kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36). Then he says: You say so: that I am king (Jn 18:37). It is evident from his whole life that Jesus has no political ambitions. We recall that after the multiplication of the loaves, the people, who were enthusiastic about the miracle, wanted to proclaim him king, to overthrow the Roman power and restore the kingdom of Israel. But for Jesus the kingdom is something else, and certainly not achieved with revolt, violence and the strength of arms. Therefore he withdrew alone to the mountain to pray (cf Jn 6:5-15). Now, responding to Pilate, he points out that his disciples did not fight to defend him. He says: If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought because I was not handed over to the Jews (Jn 6:36).
Jesus wants to make it clear that beyond the political power there is another much greater one, which is not achieved by human means. He came to earth to exercise this power, which is love, bearing witness to the truth (cf Jn 6:37). This is the divine truth that is ultimately the essential message of the Gospel: God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and he wants to establish his kingdom of love, justice and peace in the world. And this is the kingdom of which Jesus is the king, a kingdom that extends to the end of time. History teaches us that the kingdoms founded on the power of arms and on untruths are fragile and sooner or later collapse. But the kingdom of God is founded on his love; it is rooted in our hearts - the kingdom of God is rooted in our hearts - it is given to those who welcome peace, freedom and fullness of life. We all want peace, we all want freedom and we all want fulfillment. How do we do this? Let the love of God, the kingdom of God, the love of Jesus take root in your heart and you will have peace, you will have freedom and you will have fulfillment.
Today, Jesus asks us to let him become our king. A king who with his word, his example and his life - surrendered on the cross - has saved us from death, and indicates - this king - the way to the lost man, gives new light to our existence marked by doubt, by fear and from the tests of every day. But we must not forget that the kingdom of Jesus is not of this world. Jesus is able to give a new meaning to our life, sometimes also to put us to the test through our mistakes and our sins, only on condition that we do not follow the logic of the world and its kings.
May the Virgin Mary help us to welcome Jesus as the king of our lives and to defend his kingdom by bearing witness to the truth which is love.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Yesterday Ukraine commemorated the anniversary of the Holodomor, a terrible famine caused by the Soviet regime which claimed millions of victims. This image is painful. This wound from the past is a call for all of us so that such tragedies are never repeated again. We pray for that dear country and for much desired peace.
I greet all of you pilgrims who have come from Italy and from different countries: families, parish groups, associations. In particular, I greet the numerous choirs that came for their Third International Conference here at the Vatican, and I thank them for their presence and for their precious service to the liturgy and to evangelization. Thank you very much!
I greet the participants taking part in the Congress on fertility, promoted by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart on the 50th anniversary of Saint Paul VI's Encyclical Humanae vitae; as well as university law students from the Roma Tre University, and the faithful from Pozzuoli, Bacoli and Bellizzi. I greet the members of the Ranchibile Institute of Palermo. And congratulations, because you have been brave! Coming here in the midst of this rain! You are brave! Brave!
And I wish all of you a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
(Original text in Italian)
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, which we are celebrating today, is is set at the end of the liturgical year and recalls the fact that the life of creation does not advance by chance, but rather proceeds towards a final goal: the definitive manifestation of Christ, Lord of history and of all creation. The conclusion of the story will be its eternal kingdom. Today's Gospel passage (cf Jn 18,33b-37) tells us about this kingdom, the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of Jesus, recounting the humiliating situation in which Jesus was found after being arrested in Gethsemane: bound, insulted , accused and brought before the authorities of Jerusalem. And then, he is presented to the Roman governor, as one who is seeking political power, to become the king of the Jews. Pilate then conducts his inquiry and in a dramatic interrogation, asks him twice if he is a king (cf Jn 18:33-37).
First, Jesus responds that his kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36). Then he says: You say so: that I am king (Jn 18:37). It is evident from his whole life that Jesus has no political ambitions. We recall that after the multiplication of the loaves, the people, who were enthusiastic about the miracle, wanted to proclaim him king, to overthrow the Roman power and restore the kingdom of Israel. But for Jesus the kingdom is something else, and certainly not achieved with revolt, violence and the strength of arms. Therefore he withdrew alone to the mountain to pray (cf Jn 6:5-15). Now, responding to Pilate, he points out that his disciples did not fight to defend him. He says: If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have fought because I was not handed over to the Jews (Jn 6:36).
Jesus wants to make it clear that beyond the political power there is another much greater one, which is not achieved by human means. He came to earth to exercise this power, which is love, bearing witness to the truth (cf Jn 6:37). This is the divine truth that is ultimately the essential message of the Gospel: God is love (1 Jn 4:8) and he wants to establish his kingdom of love, justice and peace in the world. And this is the kingdom of which Jesus is the king, a kingdom that extends to the end of time. History teaches us that the kingdoms founded on the power of arms and on untruths are fragile and sooner or later collapse. But the kingdom of God is founded on his love; it is rooted in our hearts - the kingdom of God is rooted in our hearts - it is given to those who welcome peace, freedom and fullness of life. We all want peace, we all want freedom and we all want fulfillment. How do we do this? Let the love of God, the kingdom of God, the love of Jesus take root in your heart and you will have peace, you will have freedom and you will have fulfillment.
Today, Jesus asks us to let him become our king. A king who with his word, his example and his life - surrendered on the cross - has saved us from death, and indicates - this king - the way to the lost man, gives new light to our existence marked by doubt, by fear and from the tests of every day. But we must not forget that the kingdom of Jesus is not of this world. Jesus is able to give a new meaning to our life, sometimes also to put us to the test through our mistakes and our sins, only on condition that we do not follow the logic of the world and its kings.
May the Virgin Mary help us to welcome Jesus as the king of our lives and to defend his kingdom by bearing witness to the truth which is love.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
Yesterday Ukraine commemorated the anniversary of the Holodomor, a terrible famine caused by the Soviet regime which claimed millions of victims. This image is painful. This wound from the past is a call for all of us so that such tragedies are never repeated again. We pray for that dear country and for much desired peace.
I greet all of you pilgrims who have come from Italy and from different countries: families, parish groups, associations. In particular, I greet the numerous choirs that came for their Third International Conference here at the Vatican, and I thank them for their presence and for their precious service to the liturgy and to evangelization. Thank you very much!
I greet the participants taking part in the Congress on fertility, promoted by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart on the 50th anniversary of Saint Paul VI's Encyclical Humanae vitae; as well as university law students from the Roma Tre University, and the faithful from Pozzuoli, Bacoli and Bellizzi. I greet the members of the Ranchibile Institute of Palermo. And congratulations, because you have been brave! Coming here in the midst of this rain! You are brave! Brave!
And I wish all of you a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
(Original text in Italian)
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