At noon today in Rome, the III Sunday of Ordinary 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.
Present today, among others, were young people from Catholic Action within the Diocese of Rome who have concluded the month of January, which they traditionally dedicate to the virtue of peace, with the Caravan of Peace. At the conclusion of the Angelus, two youth from two different Roman parishes, who were invited to join him in the papal apartment, read a message in the name of Catholic Action Rome.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel (cf Mt 4:12-23) presents the beginning of Jesus' public mission. This took place in Galilee, a land on the outskirts of Jerusalem; people were looking at him with suspicion because he was mixing with the pagans. Nothing good or new was expected from that region; however, it was precisely in that place that Jesus, who had grown up in Nazareth, in Galilee, began his preaching.
He proclaimed the central message of his preaching which can be summarized in the call: Change your hearts, because the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 4:17). This proclamation is like a powerful beam of light that pierces the darkness and penetrates the clouds, evoking the prophecy of Isaiah that is proclaimed on Christmas eve night: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who walked in the darkened earth, a light has dawned (Is 9:1). With the coming of Jesus, who is the light of the world, God our Father demonstrated his closeness to and his care for all humanity. These gifts are freely given to us, even beyond the limits of our merits. God's closeness and God's friendship are not things that we have earned: they are free gifts given by God. We must care for these gifts.
The call to conversion, which Jesus offers to all men of good will, is fully understood precisely in the light of the manifestation of the Son of God, on which we have meditated on past Sundays. Many times, it is impossible to change your life, to abandon the path of selfishness, of evil, to abandon the path of sin because the commitment to conversion focuses only on ourselves and on our own strength, and not on Christ and his Spirit. But our adherence to the Lord cannot be reduced to a personal effort, no. It would also be a sin of pride for us to believe this. Our belonging to the Lord cannot be reduced to a personal effort, instead it must be expressed in a confident opening of the heart and mind to welcome the Good News of Jesus. It is this - the Word of Jesus, the Good News of Jesus, the Gospel - that changes the world and changes our hearts! We are therefore called to trust the word of Christ, to open ourselves to the Father's mercy and to allow ourselves to be transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
It is here that the true path of conversion begins, just as it happened in the case of the first disciples: the encounter with the divine Master, who with his gaze, with his word ... gave them the impetus to follow him, to change their lives by putting themselves concretely at the service of the Kingdom of God. The surprising and decisive encounter with Jesus was the beginning of the disciples' journey, transforming them into heralds and witnesses of God's love for his people. In imitation of these first heralds and messengers of the Word of God, each of us can take steps in the footsteps of the Saviour, in order to offer hope to those who are thirsty for it.
May the Virgin Mary, to whom we turn in this prayer of the Angelus, sustain these plans and encourage their fulfillment with her maternal intercession.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, for the first time, we celebrate the Word of God Sunday which was established in order to celebrate and to welcome more and more the gift that God gave us, the gift of His Word that He gives to His people every day. I thank the Dioceses, I thank the communities who have proposed various initiatives to recall the central role of Holy Scripture in the life of the Church.
Tomorrow will mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. In the face of this huge tragedy, this atrocity, indifference is not admissible and memory is a must. Tomorrow we are all invited to spend a moment in prayer and recollection, saying each one in his own heart: never again, never again!
Today, we celebrate the World Day of Hansen's Disease. We are close to all people who have been affected and to all those who in many ways are caring for them.
I also wish to be close in prayer to those who are sick and suffering from the virus which is being spread in China. May the Lord welcome all those who have died into his peace; may He comfort the families and support the great commitment of the Chinese community which has already been put into action in order to combat this epidemic.
I greet all of you, who have come from Italy and from various other countries, in particular the pilgrims from Valencia, Salamanca, Burgos, Santander and Valladolid; the students and the teachers from Murcia, Cuenca, Badajoz, and those who have come from Panama.
I greet the faithful from Tursi and the UNITALSI group from the Lazio region (of Italy) who are facilitating the participation of disabled people here at the General Audiences and at the Angelus gatherings, and also those who are distributing the Messaline with the Word of God for every day.
Now, my companions have arrived (two young people from Catholic Action Rome stand beside the Pope). I affectionately greet the young boys and girls from Catholic Action, from the parishes and from the Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Rome! You are also accompanied this year by Auxiliary Bishop Selvadagi, your parents and teachers and the priests who work with you. You have come in great numbers at the completion of the Caravan of Peace. I thank you all for this initiative. And now, let us listen together to the message that your friends, here beside me, will read for us.
Reading of the message, concluding with the release of balloons.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Present today, among others, were young people from Catholic Action within the Diocese of Rome who have concluded the month of January, which they traditionally dedicate to the virtue of peace, with the Caravan of Peace. At the conclusion of the Angelus, two youth from two different Roman parishes, who were invited to join him in the papal apartment, read a message in the name of Catholic Action Rome.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today's gospel (cf Mt 4:12-23) presents the beginning of Jesus' public mission. This took place in Galilee, a land on the outskirts of Jerusalem; people were looking at him with suspicion because he was mixing with the pagans. Nothing good or new was expected from that region; however, it was precisely in that place that Jesus, who had grown up in Nazareth, in Galilee, began his preaching.
He proclaimed the central message of his preaching which can be summarized in the call: Change your hearts, because the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 4:17). This proclamation is like a powerful beam of light that pierces the darkness and penetrates the clouds, evoking the prophecy of Isaiah that is proclaimed on Christmas eve night: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who walked in the darkened earth, a light has dawned (Is 9:1). With the coming of Jesus, who is the light of the world, God our Father demonstrated his closeness to and his care for all humanity. These gifts are freely given to us, even beyond the limits of our merits. God's closeness and God's friendship are not things that we have earned: they are free gifts given by God. We must care for these gifts.
The call to conversion, which Jesus offers to all men of good will, is fully understood precisely in the light of the manifestation of the Son of God, on which we have meditated on past Sundays. Many times, it is impossible to change your life, to abandon the path of selfishness, of evil, to abandon the path of sin because the commitment to conversion focuses only on ourselves and on our own strength, and not on Christ and his Spirit. But our adherence to the Lord cannot be reduced to a personal effort, no. It would also be a sin of pride for us to believe this. Our belonging to the Lord cannot be reduced to a personal effort, instead it must be expressed in a confident opening of the heart and mind to welcome the Good News of Jesus. It is this - the Word of Jesus, the Good News of Jesus, the Gospel - that changes the world and changes our hearts! We are therefore called to trust the word of Christ, to open ourselves to the Father's mercy and to allow ourselves to be transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
It is here that the true path of conversion begins, just as it happened in the case of the first disciples: the encounter with the divine Master, who with his gaze, with his word ... gave them the impetus to follow him, to change their lives by putting themselves concretely at the service of the Kingdom of God. The surprising and decisive encounter with Jesus was the beginning of the disciples' journey, transforming them into heralds and witnesses of God's love for his people. In imitation of these first heralds and messengers of the Word of God, each of us can take steps in the footsteps of the Saviour, in order to offer hope to those who are thirsty for it.
May the Virgin Mary, to whom we turn in this prayer of the Angelus, sustain these plans and encourage their fulfillment with her maternal intercession.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, for the first time, we celebrate the Word of God Sunday which was established in order to celebrate and to welcome more and more the gift that God gave us, the gift of His Word that He gives to His people every day. I thank the Dioceses, I thank the communities who have proposed various initiatives to recall the central role of Holy Scripture in the life of the Church.
Tomorrow will mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. In the face of this huge tragedy, this atrocity, indifference is not admissible and memory is a must. Tomorrow we are all invited to spend a moment in prayer and recollection, saying each one in his own heart: never again, never again!
Today, we celebrate the World Day of Hansen's Disease. We are close to all people who have been affected and to all those who in many ways are caring for them.
I also wish to be close in prayer to those who are sick and suffering from the virus which is being spread in China. May the Lord welcome all those who have died into his peace; may He comfort the families and support the great commitment of the Chinese community which has already been put into action in order to combat this epidemic.
I greet all of you, who have come from Italy and from various other countries, in particular the pilgrims from Valencia, Salamanca, Burgos, Santander and Valladolid; the students and the teachers from Murcia, Cuenca, Badajoz, and those who have come from Panama.
I greet the faithful from Tursi and the UNITALSI group from the Lazio region (of Italy) who are facilitating the participation of disabled people here at the General Audiences and at the Angelus gatherings, and also those who are distributing the Messaline with the Word of God for every day.
Now, my companions have arrived (two young people from Catholic Action Rome stand beside the Pope). I affectionately greet the young boys and girls from Catholic Action, from the parishes and from the Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Rome! You are also accompanied this year by Auxiliary Bishop Selvadagi, your parents and teachers and the priests who work with you. You have come in great numbers at the completion of the Caravan of Peace. I thank you all for this initiative. And now, let us listen together to the message that your friends, here beside me, will read for us.
Reading of the message, concluding with the release of balloons.
I wish you all a good Sunday. And please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
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