At 7:00am local time this morning (1:00am EDT), the Holy Father, Pope Francis celebrated Mass inside the chapel at the Casa Santa Marta.
Let us pray today, during this Mass, for all the people who are suffering from sadness, because they are alone or because they do not know what the future will hold, or because they cannot care for their families because they have no money, or because they have no work. Many people are suffering from sadness. Let us pray for them today.
We have heard many times how Christianity is not only a doctrine, it is not a way of behaving, it is not a culture. Yes, it is all this, but more importantly and above all, it is an encounter. A person is Christian because he or she has encountered Jesus Christ, he/she has allowed him/herself to be encountered by Him.
This passage from the Gospel of Luke, speaks to us of an encounter, in order to make it clear how the Lord works and how our way of acting should be. We were born with a seed of unease. God wanted it this way: restlessness that leads us to find fullness, restlessness that leads us to find God, many times even without knowing that we have this restlessness. Our heart is restless, our heart is thirsty: we have a thirst for the encounter with God. We seek him, many times by going down the wrong paths: we lose ourselves, then we return, we seek God ... On the other hand, God is thirsting for this encounter, so much so that he sent Jesus to meet us, to encounter our restlessness.
How does Jesus work? In this passage of the Gospel (cf Lk 24: 13-35) we see very well that He respects us, he respects our situation, he does not go on ahead of us. Only, sometimes, with those who are stubborn ... we can think of Paul when God threw him off his horse. But usually it goes slowly, He is respectful of our time. He is the Lord of patience. How much patience the Lord has with us, with each of us!
The Lord walks beside us, as we have seen here with these two disciples. He listens to our anxieties, he knows them, and at some point he tells us something. The Lord likes to hear what we have to say, so that we can understand each other well and so that he can give us the right answers to our anxieties. The Lord does not accelerate the pace, he always goes at our pace, many times slowly, but his patience is infinite.
There is an ancient pilgrim rule that says that the true pilgrim must go at the pace of the slowest person. And Jesus is capable of this, he does it, he does not push us, he waits for us to take the first step. And when the time comes, he asks us the question. In this case it is clear: What are you talking about? (cf Lk 24: 17). He becomes ignorant in order to make us talk. He likes the fact that we speak. He likes to hear this, he likes that we speak like this, to listen and respond, he makes us speak. As if he was ignorant, but with much respect. And then he answers, he explains the necessary points. Here he tells us: Didn't Christ have to suffer these things in order to enter into his glory? And, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things that referred to him (Lk 24: 26). Explain, clarify. I confess that I have the curiosity to know how Jesus explained, to do the same. It was a beautiful catechesis.
And then the same Jesus who has accompanied us, who approached us, pretends to go further along the road, in order to see the extent of our anxiety: No, come, come, stay with us for a while (Lk 24: 29). And so the meeting takes place. But the meeting is not only the moment of breaking the bread here; it is the whole journey. We meet Jesus in the darkness of our doubts, even in the ugly doubts of our sins, He is there to help us, in our anxieties ... He is always with us.
The Lord accompanies us because he wants to meet us. This is why we say that at the core of Christianity there is an encounter: the encounter with Jesus. Why are you a Christian? ... Why are you a Christian? Many people cannot explain it. Some are Christians because of tradition. Others cannot explain it, because they have met Jesus, but they did not realize that it was an encounter with Jesus. Jesus always looks for us. Always. And we have our concerns. When our restlessness meets Jesus, the life of grace begins, the life of fullness, the life of the Christian journey.
May the Lord give all of us the grace to encounter Jesus every day: to know, to really know that he is walking with us in all our moments. He is our companion on this pilgrimage.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Texto en español
My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I desire you in my soul. Since I cannot receive You sacramentally now, at least spiritually come to my heart. As you have already come, I embrace you and I join myself to you. Do not let me ever be separated from you. Amen.
A Tes pieds, ô mon Jésus, je me prosterne et je T'offre le repentir de mon cœur contrit qui demeure dans son néant et en Ta sainte présence. Je t'adore dans le Sacrement de Ton amour, l'ineffable Eucharistie. Je désire te recevoir dans la pauvre demeure que mon cœur t'offre. Dans l'attente du bonheur de la communion sacramentelle, je veux te posséder en esprit. Viens à moi, ô mon Jésus, que je vienne à Toi. Que Ton amour enflamme tout mon être, pour la vie et pour la mort. Je crois en toi, j'espère en toi, je t'aime. Ainsi soit-il.
Ai tuoi piedi, o mio Gesù, mi prostro e ti offro il pentimento del mio cuore contrito che si abissa nel suo nulla e nella tua santa presenza. Ti adoro nel sacramento del Tuo amore, l’Eucaristia. Desidero riceverti nella povera dimora che ti offre il mio cuore; in attesa della felicità della comunione sacramentale voglio possederti in spirito. Vieni a me, o mio Gesù, che io vengo da Te. Possa il tuo amore infiammare tutto il mio essere per la vita e per la morte. Credo in Te, spero in Te, ti amo. Cosi sia.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the celebration of the Mass
Let us pray today, during this Mass, for all the people who are suffering from sadness, because they are alone or because they do not know what the future will hold, or because they cannot care for their families because they have no money, or because they have no work. Many people are suffering from sadness. Let us pray for them today.
Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
during the Mass celebrated on 26 April 2020
We have heard many times how Christianity is not only a doctrine, it is not a way of behaving, it is not a culture. Yes, it is all this, but more importantly and above all, it is an encounter. A person is Christian because he or she has encountered Jesus Christ, he/she has allowed him/herself to be encountered by Him.
This passage from the Gospel of Luke, speaks to us of an encounter, in order to make it clear how the Lord works and how our way of acting should be. We were born with a seed of unease. God wanted it this way: restlessness that leads us to find fullness, restlessness that leads us to find God, many times even without knowing that we have this restlessness. Our heart is restless, our heart is thirsty: we have a thirst for the encounter with God. We seek him, many times by going down the wrong paths: we lose ourselves, then we return, we seek God ... On the other hand, God is thirsting for this encounter, so much so that he sent Jesus to meet us, to encounter our restlessness.
How does Jesus work? In this passage of the Gospel (cf Lk 24: 13-35) we see very well that He respects us, he respects our situation, he does not go on ahead of us. Only, sometimes, with those who are stubborn ... we can think of Paul when God threw him off his horse. But usually it goes slowly, He is respectful of our time. He is the Lord of patience. How much patience the Lord has with us, with each of us!
The Lord walks beside us, as we have seen here with these two disciples. He listens to our anxieties, he knows them, and at some point he tells us something. The Lord likes to hear what we have to say, so that we can understand each other well and so that he can give us the right answers to our anxieties. The Lord does not accelerate the pace, he always goes at our pace, many times slowly, but his patience is infinite.
There is an ancient pilgrim rule that says that the true pilgrim must go at the pace of the slowest person. And Jesus is capable of this, he does it, he does not push us, he waits for us to take the first step. And when the time comes, he asks us the question. In this case it is clear: What are you talking about? (cf Lk 24: 17). He becomes ignorant in order to make us talk. He likes the fact that we speak. He likes to hear this, he likes that we speak like this, to listen and respond, he makes us speak. As if he was ignorant, but with much respect. And then he answers, he explains the necessary points. Here he tells us: Didn't Christ have to suffer these things in order to enter into his glory? And, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things that referred to him (Lk 24: 26). Explain, clarify. I confess that I have the curiosity to know how Jesus explained, to do the same. It was a beautiful catechesis.
And then the same Jesus who has accompanied us, who approached us, pretends to go further along the road, in order to see the extent of our anxiety: No, come, come, stay with us for a while (Lk 24: 29). And so the meeting takes place. But the meeting is not only the moment of breaking the bread here; it is the whole journey. We meet Jesus in the darkness of our doubts, even in the ugly doubts of our sins, He is there to help us, in our anxieties ... He is always with us.
The Lord accompanies us because he wants to meet us. This is why we say that at the core of Christianity there is an encounter: the encounter with Jesus. Why are you a Christian? ... Why are you a Christian? Many people cannot explain it. Some are Christians because of tradition. Others cannot explain it, because they have met Jesus, but they did not realize that it was an encounter with Jesus. Jesus always looks for us. Always. And we have our concerns. When our restlessness meets Jesus, the life of grace begins, the life of fullness, the life of the Christian journey.
May the Lord give all of us the grace to encounter Jesus every day: to know, to really know that he is walking with us in all our moments. He is our companion on this pilgrimage.
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Texto en español
Prayer to make a spiritual communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all things and I desire you in my soul. Since I cannot receive You sacramentally now, at least spiritually come to my heart. As you have already come, I embrace you and I join myself to you. Do not let me ever be separated from you. Amen.
A Tes pieds, ô mon Jésus, je me prosterne et je T'offre le repentir de mon cœur contrit qui demeure dans son néant et en Ta sainte présence. Je t'adore dans le Sacrement de Ton amour, l'ineffable Eucharistie. Je désire te recevoir dans la pauvre demeure que mon cœur t'offre. Dans l'attente du bonheur de la communion sacramentelle, je veux te posséder en esprit. Viens à moi, ô mon Jésus, que je vienne à Toi. Que Ton amour enflamme tout mon être, pour la vie et pour la mort. Je crois en toi, j'espère en toi, je t'aime. Ainsi soit-il.
Ai tuoi piedi, o mio Gesù, mi prostro e ti offro il pentimento del mio cuore contrito che si abissa nel suo nulla e nella tua santa presenza. Ti adoro nel sacramento del Tuo amore, l’Eucaristia. Desidero riceverti nella povera dimora che ti offre il mio cuore; in attesa della felicità della comunione sacramentale voglio possederti in spirito. Vieni a me, o mio Gesù, che io vengo da Te. Possa il tuo amore infiammare tutto il mio essere per la vita e per la morte. Credo in Te, spero in Te, ti amo. Cosi sia.
No comments:
Post a Comment