At noon today in Rome (6:00am EDT), the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study inside 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 (cf Lk 12:13-21) opens with the scene of a man who rises in the crowd and asks Jesus to settle a legal question about his family inheritance. But Jesus does not address the question in his answer; instead, he urges us to stay away from greed, that is, from the greed to possess. To divert his listeners from this frantic search for wealth, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who believes he is happy because he has had the fortune of an exceptional year and feels secure because of his accumulated assets. It would be good if you read it today; it is in the twelfth chapter of Saint Luke, verse 13. It is a beautiful parable that teaches us so much. The story comes alive when the contrast between what the rich person designs for himself and how much God shows him emerges.
The rich person puts before his soul, that is before himself, three considerations: many assets piled up, many years while these goods seem to assure him and thirdly, unrestrained tranquility and well-being (cf Lk 12:19). But the word God addressed to him cancels these projects of his. Instead of many years, God indicates the immediacy of tonight; you will die tonight; in place of the enjoyment of life God presents him with creating life; you will give life to God, with consequent judgment. As for the reality of the many accumulated goods on which the rich had to base everything, it is covered by the sarcasm of the question: And what has he prepared, whose will it be? (Lk 12:20). We think of struggles for inheritance; many family struggles. And so many people, we all know some story, as the time of death approaches: grandchildren, the grandchildren come to see: But what will I get?, And they take everything away. It is in this contrast that justifies the appellation of fool - because he thinks of things he believes to be concrete but they are a fantasy - with which God turns to this man. He is a fool because in practice he denied God, he did not make space for Him in his life.
The conclusion of the parable, formulated by the evangelist, is of singular effectiveness: This is true of him who accumulates treasure for himself and does not get rich in the eyes of God (Lk 12:21). This is a warning that reveals the horizon towards which we are all called to look. Material goods are necessary - they are good! -, but they are a means of living honestly and sharing with the most needy. Today, Jesus invites us to consider that riches can bind the heart and divert it from the true treasure that is in heaven. Saint Paul also reminds us of this in today's second reading. He says: Seek the things from above. ... turn your thoughts to things above, not to those of the earth (Col 3: 1-2).
This - we understand - does not mean to get away from reality, but to look for things that have real value: justice, solidarity, acceptance, fraternity, peace, all of which constitute the true dignity of mankind. It is a matter of striving for a life realized not according to the worldly style, but according to the evangelical style: to love God with our whole being, and to love one's neighbour as Jesus loves us, that is, in service and in the gift of ourselves. Greed for goods, the desire to have goods, does not satisfy the heart, rather it causes more hunger! Greed is like good candies: you take one and say: Ah! It is so good, and then you take the other one; and one pulls the other. This is covetousness: it is never satisfied. Be careful! Love understood and lived in this way is the source of true happiness, while the disproportionate search for material goods and riches is often a source of anxiety, adversity, lies and war. Many wars begin because of greed.
May the Virgin Mary help us not to allow ourselves to become fascinated with temporary security, but every day to be credible witnesses of eternal gospel values.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am spiritually close to the victims of the episodes of violence which in these days have bloodied Texas, California and Ohio, in the United States, involving defenceless people. I invite you to unite your prayers with mine. Let us pray for those who have lost their lives, for the wounded and for their families.
Hail Mary ...
One hundred sixty years ago today, the holy Curé of Ars died; he was a model of goodness and charity for all priests. On this significant anniversary, I wanted to send a Letter to the priests of the whole world, to encourage them in fidelity to the mission to which the Lord has called them. The testimony of this humble and totally dedicated parish priest, helps us to rediscover the beauty and importance of the ministerial priesthood in contemporary society.
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries: families, associations and single faithful.
Today, there are a number of groups of children and young people. I greet you all with great affection! Wherever there are young people, there is chaos and this is a grace. In particular, I greet the female basketball teams from the American Universities of New Mexico and Nebraska; the group of youth ministers from Verona; the young people from Ponte di Brenta, Entratico and Cerese; and the seminarians from the Minor Seminary in Bergamo.
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel (cf Lk 12:13-21) opens with the scene of a man who rises in the crowd and asks Jesus to settle a legal question about his family inheritance. But Jesus does not address the question in his answer; instead, he urges us to stay away from greed, that is, from the greed to possess. To divert his listeners from this frantic search for wealth, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who believes he is happy because he has had the fortune of an exceptional year and feels secure because of his accumulated assets. It would be good if you read it today; it is in the twelfth chapter of Saint Luke, verse 13. It is a beautiful parable that teaches us so much. The story comes alive when the contrast between what the rich person designs for himself and how much God shows him emerges.
The rich person puts before his soul, that is before himself, three considerations: many assets piled up, many years while these goods seem to assure him and thirdly, unrestrained tranquility and well-being (cf Lk 12:19). But the word God addressed to him cancels these projects of his. Instead of many years, God indicates the immediacy of tonight; you will die tonight; in place of the enjoyment of life God presents him with creating life; you will give life to God, with consequent judgment. As for the reality of the many accumulated goods on which the rich had to base everything, it is covered by the sarcasm of the question: And what has he prepared, whose will it be? (Lk 12:20). We think of struggles for inheritance; many family struggles. And so many people, we all know some story, as the time of death approaches: grandchildren, the grandchildren come to see: But what will I get?, And they take everything away. It is in this contrast that justifies the appellation of fool - because he thinks of things he believes to be concrete but they are a fantasy - with which God turns to this man. He is a fool because in practice he denied God, he did not make space for Him in his life.
The conclusion of the parable, formulated by the evangelist, is of singular effectiveness: This is true of him who accumulates treasure for himself and does not get rich in the eyes of God (Lk 12:21). This is a warning that reveals the horizon towards which we are all called to look. Material goods are necessary - they are good! -, but they are a means of living honestly and sharing with the most needy. Today, Jesus invites us to consider that riches can bind the heart and divert it from the true treasure that is in heaven. Saint Paul also reminds us of this in today's second reading. He says: Seek the things from above. ... turn your thoughts to things above, not to those of the earth (Col 3: 1-2).
This - we understand - does not mean to get away from reality, but to look for things that have real value: justice, solidarity, acceptance, fraternity, peace, all of which constitute the true dignity of mankind. It is a matter of striving for a life realized not according to the worldly style, but according to the evangelical style: to love God with our whole being, and to love one's neighbour as Jesus loves us, that is, in service and in the gift of ourselves. Greed for goods, the desire to have goods, does not satisfy the heart, rather it causes more hunger! Greed is like good candies: you take one and say: Ah! It is so good, and then you take the other one; and one pulls the other. This is covetousness: it is never satisfied. Be careful! Love understood and lived in this way is the source of true happiness, while the disproportionate search for material goods and riches is often a source of anxiety, adversity, lies and war. Many wars begin because of greed.
May the Virgin Mary help us not to allow ourselves to become fascinated with temporary security, but every day to be credible witnesses of eternal gospel values.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am spiritually close to the victims of the episodes of violence which in these days have bloodied Texas, California and Ohio, in the United States, involving defenceless people. I invite you to unite your prayers with mine. Let us pray for those who have lost their lives, for the wounded and for their families.
Hail Mary ...
One hundred sixty years ago today, the holy Curé of Ars died; he was a model of goodness and charity for all priests. On this significant anniversary, I wanted to send a Letter to the priests of the whole world, to encourage them in fidelity to the mission to which the Lord has called them. The testimony of this humble and totally dedicated parish priest, helps us to rediscover the beauty and importance of the ministerial priesthood in contemporary society.
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries: families, associations and single faithful.
Today, there are a number of groups of children and young people. I greet you all with great affection! Wherever there are young people, there is chaos and this is a grace. In particular, I greet the female basketball teams from the American Universities of New Mexico and Nebraska; the group of youth ministers from Verona; the young people from Ponte di Brenta, Entratico and Cerese; and the seminarians from the Minor Seminary in Bergamo.
I wish you all a good Sunday. Please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
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