At noon today in Rome (7:00am EDT), the Holy Father, Pope Francis led the recitation of the Angelus from the Library in the Vatican Apostolic Palace.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
At the heart of the liturgy of this fourth Sunday of Lent is the theme of light. The Gospel (cf Jn 9: 1-41) recounts the episode of the man who was blind from birth, to whom Jesus gave the gift of sight. This miraculous sign is the confirmation of the affirmation of Jesus who says of himself: I am the light of the world (Jn 9: 5), the light that illuminates our darkness. This is how Jesus is. He enlightens us on two levels: one physical and one spiritual. First, the blind man receives physical sight and then he is led to faith in the Son of man (Jn 9: 35), that is, in Jesus. It is all a path. Today it would be nice if you all took the Gospel of John, chapter nine, and read this passage: it is so beautiful and it will do us good to read it another time, or even twice. The wonders that Jesus does are not spectacular gestures, but they have the purpose of leading us to faith through a path of inner transformation.
The doctors of the law - who were there, a group of them - persisted in refusing to admit the miracle, and they asked the healed man insidious questions. But he displaced them with the strength of reality: One thing I know: I was blind and now I see (Jn 9: 25). Between the distrust and hostility of those who surrounded him and questioned him incredulously, he created an itinerary that gradually led him to discover the identity of the One who opened his eyes and he confessed his faith in Him. At first he considered him to be a prophet (cf Jn 9: 17); then he recognized him as one who comes from God (cf Jn 9: 33); finally he welcomed him as the Messiah and prostrated himself before him (cf Jn 9: 36-38). He understood that by giving him his sight, Jesus manifested the works of God (cf Jn 9: 3).
May we also have this experience! With the light of faith he who was blind discovered his new identity. He was now a new creation, able to see his life and the world around him in a new light, because he entered into communion with Christ, he entered another dimension. He was no longer a beggar, marginalized by the community; he was no longer a slave to blindness and prejudice. His path of illumination is a metaphor for the path of liberation from sin to which we all are called. Sin is like a dark veil that covers our face and prevents us from seeing ourselves and the world clearly; the forgiveness of the Lord removes this blanket of shadow and darkness and gives us new light. Lent, which we are currently living, is an opportune and precious time to approach the Lord, asking for his mercy, in the different forms that Mother Church offers us.
The healed blind man, who now sees both with the eyes of the body and with those of the soul, is the image of every baptized person who, immersed in grace, has been torn from darkness and placed in the light of faith. But it is not enough to receive light, it is necessary to become light. Each of us is called to welcome the divine light to manifest it with our whole life. The first Christians, the theologians of the first centuries, said that the community of Christians, that is, the Church, is the mystery of the moon, because the moon gives light but not its own light, it is the light received from Christ. We too must be the mystery of the moon: sharing the light received from the sun, which is Christ, the Lord. Saint Paul reminds us today: Behave therefore as children of light; now the fruit of light consists in all goodness, justice and truth (Eph 5,8-9). The seed of new life placed within us at our Baptism is like the spark of a fire, which purifies us first of all, burning away the evil we have in our hearts, and allowing us to shine and illuminate ... with the light of Jesus.
May Holy Mary help us to imitate the blind man in the gospel, so that we may be flooded with the light of Christ and walk with Him on the path to salvation.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In these days of trial, while humanity is trembling under the threat of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians to unite their voices in prayer to Heaven. I invite all the heads of the churches and the leaders of all the Christian communities, together with all the Christians of the various confessions, to invoke the Most High, Almighty God, while simultaneously reciting the prayer that Jesus Our Lord has taught us. I therefore invite everyone to do this several times a day, but, all together, to recite the Our Father next Wednesday - 25 March - at noon, all together. On the day when many Christians remember the announcement to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord hear the unanimous prayer of all his disciples who are preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ.
With this same intention, next Friday March 27, at 6 pm, I will preside over a moment of prayer in front of Saint Peter's Basilica, in the empty Square. As of now, I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the media. We will listen to the Word of God, raise our supplication, adore the Blessed Sacrament and at the end of the period of adoration, I will give the Urbi et Orbi blessing, to which the possibility of receiving the plenary indulgence will be attached.
We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, compassion and tenderness. Let us remain united. We want to make our closeness known to the lonely and people who are being most sorely tried: ... our closeness to doctors, health workers, nurses, volunteers ... our closeness to the authorities who must implement tough measures, for our own good ... our closeness to the policemen, to the soldiers who are trying to maintain order on the road, so that the things the government asks them to do for the good of all of us are accomplished. Proximity to everyone.
I express my closeness to the people of Croatia which has been struck this morning by an earthquake. May the Lord give them strength and solidarity to face this calamity.
And let us not forget: today, let us take the gospel and read it quietly, slowly read the ninth chapter of Saint John's gospel. I too will do this. It will be good for all of us.
And I wish you all a good Sunday. Don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
As he himself affirmed during this morning's Angelus greetings, during this time of urgency for all humanity, the Holy Father, Pope Francis is inviting all Catholics throughout the world to unite spiritually in prayer with him this coming Friday, 27 March at 6:00pm local time in Rome (1:00pm EDT).
The Holy Father's prayer will be made available live via a variety of media and will conclude with the Eucharistic blessing which will be given Urbi et orbi (to the City and to the World) by means of social communication.
To all those who are spiritually united in this moment of prayer via media, the Holy Father will grant a plenary indulgence according to the conditions outlined in the recent decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
At the heart of the liturgy of this fourth Sunday of Lent is the theme of light. The Gospel (cf Jn 9: 1-41) recounts the episode of the man who was blind from birth, to whom Jesus gave the gift of sight. This miraculous sign is the confirmation of the affirmation of Jesus who says of himself: I am the light of the world (Jn 9: 5), the light that illuminates our darkness. This is how Jesus is. He enlightens us on two levels: one physical and one spiritual. First, the blind man receives physical sight and then he is led to faith in the Son of man (Jn 9: 35), that is, in Jesus. It is all a path. Today it would be nice if you all took the Gospel of John, chapter nine, and read this passage: it is so beautiful and it will do us good to read it another time, or even twice. The wonders that Jesus does are not spectacular gestures, but they have the purpose of leading us to faith through a path of inner transformation.
The doctors of the law - who were there, a group of them - persisted in refusing to admit the miracle, and they asked the healed man insidious questions. But he displaced them with the strength of reality: One thing I know: I was blind and now I see (Jn 9: 25). Between the distrust and hostility of those who surrounded him and questioned him incredulously, he created an itinerary that gradually led him to discover the identity of the One who opened his eyes and he confessed his faith in Him. At first he considered him to be a prophet (cf Jn 9: 17); then he recognized him as one who comes from God (cf Jn 9: 33); finally he welcomed him as the Messiah and prostrated himself before him (cf Jn 9: 36-38). He understood that by giving him his sight, Jesus manifested the works of God (cf Jn 9: 3).
May we also have this experience! With the light of faith he who was blind discovered his new identity. He was now a new creation, able to see his life and the world around him in a new light, because he entered into communion with Christ, he entered another dimension. He was no longer a beggar, marginalized by the community; he was no longer a slave to blindness and prejudice. His path of illumination is a metaphor for the path of liberation from sin to which we all are called. Sin is like a dark veil that covers our face and prevents us from seeing ourselves and the world clearly; the forgiveness of the Lord removes this blanket of shadow and darkness and gives us new light. Lent, which we are currently living, is an opportune and precious time to approach the Lord, asking for his mercy, in the different forms that Mother Church offers us.
The healed blind man, who now sees both with the eyes of the body and with those of the soul, is the image of every baptized person who, immersed in grace, has been torn from darkness and placed in the light of faith. But it is not enough to receive light, it is necessary to become light. Each of us is called to welcome the divine light to manifest it with our whole life. The first Christians, the theologians of the first centuries, said that the community of Christians, that is, the Church, is the mystery of the moon, because the moon gives light but not its own light, it is the light received from Christ. We too must be the mystery of the moon: sharing the light received from the sun, which is Christ, the Lord. Saint Paul reminds us today: Behave therefore as children of light; now the fruit of light consists in all goodness, justice and truth (Eph 5,8-9). The seed of new life placed within us at our Baptism is like the spark of a fire, which purifies us first of all, burning away the evil we have in our hearts, and allowing us to shine and illuminate ... with the light of Jesus.
May Holy Mary help us to imitate the blind man in the gospel, so that we may be flooded with the light of Christ and walk with Him on the path to salvation.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
In these days of trial, while humanity is trembling under the threat of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians to unite their voices in prayer to Heaven. I invite all the heads of the churches and the leaders of all the Christian communities, together with all the Christians of the various confessions, to invoke the Most High, Almighty God, while simultaneously reciting the prayer that Jesus Our Lord has taught us. I therefore invite everyone to do this several times a day, but, all together, to recite the Our Father next Wednesday - 25 March - at noon, all together. On the day when many Christians remember the announcement to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord hear the unanimous prayer of all his disciples who are preparing to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ.
With this same intention, next Friday March 27, at 6 pm, I will preside over a moment of prayer in front of Saint Peter's Basilica, in the empty Square. As of now, I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the media. We will listen to the Word of God, raise our supplication, adore the Blessed Sacrament and at the end of the period of adoration, I will give the Urbi et Orbi blessing, to which the possibility of receiving the plenary indulgence will be attached.
We want to respond to the pandemic of the virus with the universality of prayer, compassion and tenderness. Let us remain united. We want to make our closeness known to the lonely and people who are being most sorely tried: ... our closeness to doctors, health workers, nurses, volunteers ... our closeness to the authorities who must implement tough measures, for our own good ... our closeness to the policemen, to the soldiers who are trying to maintain order on the road, so that the things the government asks them to do for the good of all of us are accomplished. Proximity to everyone.
I express my closeness to the people of Croatia which has been struck this morning by an earthquake. May the Lord give them strength and solidarity to face this calamity.
And let us not forget: today, let us take the gospel and read it quietly, slowly read the ninth chapter of Saint John's gospel. I too will do this. It will be good for all of us.
And I wish you all a good Sunday. Don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Statement issued by Matteo Bruni
Director of the Holy See Press Centre
As he himself affirmed during this morning's Angelus greetings, during this time of urgency for all humanity, the Holy Father, Pope Francis is inviting all Catholics throughout the world to unite spiritually in prayer with him this coming Friday, 27 March at 6:00pm local time in Rome (1:00pm EDT).
The Holy Father's prayer will be made available live via a variety of media and will conclude with the Eucharistic blessing which will be given Urbi et orbi (to the City and to the World) by means of social communication.
To all those who are spiritually united in this moment of prayer via media, the Holy Father will grant a plenary indulgence according to the conditions outlined in the recent decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
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