At noon today in Rome (6:00am EDT), the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful who were gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
The gospel passage for this Sunday (cf Mt 11: 25-30) is composed of three parts: first, Jesus raises a hymn of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father, for he has revealed to the poor and to the simple the mystery of the Kingdom of heaven; then he reveals the intimate and singular relationship that exists between himself and the Father; and finally, he invites us to go to him and to follow him in order to find relief.
In the first place, Jesus praises the Father because he has kept the secrets of his Kingdom, of his truth, hidden from the wise and learned (Mt 11: 25). He speaks of them in this way with a veil of irony, because they presume to be wise, wise, and therefore have a closed heart, many times. True wisdom also comes from the heart, it is not just understanding ideas: true wisdom also enters the heart. And if you know many things but have a closed heart, you are not wise. The mysteries of his Father, Jesus says, are revealed to the little ones, to all who open themselves with confidence to his Word of salvation, open their hearts to the Word of salvation, feel the need for Him and expect everything from Him. The open and confident heart that is turned towards the Lord.
Then, Jesus explains that he received everything from the Father, and calls him my Father, in order to affirm the uniqueness of his relationship with him. In fact, only between the Son and the Father there is total reciprocity: the one knows the other, one lives in the other. But this unique communion is like a blooming flower, revealing its beauty and goodness for free. And here is Jesus' invitation: Come to me ... (Mt 11: 28). He wants to give what he draws from the Father. He wants to give us the truth, and Jesus' truth is always free: it is a gift, it is the Holy Spirit, the Truth.
Just as the Father has a preference for the little ones, so too Jesus addresses the tired and oppressed. Indeed, he puts himself among them, because he is meek and humble of heart (Mt 11: 29), so he claims to be. As in the first and third beatitudes, that of the humble or poor in spirit; and that of myths (cf Mt 5: 3, 5): the meekness of Jesus. Thus Jesus, meek and humble, is not a model for the resigned nor simply a victim, but he is a Man who lives from the heart, his condition in full transparency to the love of the Father, that is, to the Holy Spirit. He is the model of the poor in spirit and of all the other blessed of the Gospel, who do the will of God and testify to his Kingdom.
And then, Jesus says that if we go to him, we will find refreshment: the refreshment that Christ offers to the fatigued and oppressed is not only a psychological relief or a handout, but the joy of the poor to be evangelized and builders of the new humanity. This is the relief: the joy, the joy that Jesus gives us. It is unique, it is the joy that He has himself. It is a message for all of us, for all men of good will, which Jesus still addresses today in the world, which exalts those who make themselves rich and powerful. How many times do we say: Ah, I would like to be like that, like that, who is rich, has so much power, nothing is missing! The world exalts the rich and powerful, no matter by which means, and sometimes it tramples on the human person and his dignity. And we see this every day, the poor who are trampled. And it is a message for the Church, called to live the works of mercy and to evangelize the poor, to be meek, humble. The Lord wants this for his Church, that is us.
Mary, the humblest and highest among creatures, implore the wisdom of the heart from God for us, so that we can discern his signs in our life and be part of those mysteries which, hidden from the proud, are revealed to the humble.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father said:
Dear brothers and sisters,
This week the United Nations Security Council adopted a Resolution which prepares some measures to deal with the devastating consequences of the Covid-19 virus, particularly for areas already subject to conflict. The request for a global and immediate ceasefire, which would allow the peace and security necessary to provide the urgently needed humanitarian assistance, is commendable. I hope that this decision will be implemented effectively and promptly for the good of many people who are suffering. May this Security Council Resolution become a bold first step towards a peaceful future.
I warmly greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries. I greet in particular the Poles: welcome !, and I bless the great pilgrimage of the Radio Maria family to the Częstochowa Shrine, which will take place next Saturday, on the centenary of the birth of Saint John Paul II, with the motto: I entrusted everything to Mary. A blessing on that pilgrimage.
And 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!
The gospel passage for this Sunday (cf Mt 11: 25-30) is composed of three parts: first, Jesus raises a hymn of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father, for he has revealed to the poor and to the simple the mystery of the Kingdom of heaven; then he reveals the intimate and singular relationship that exists between himself and the Father; and finally, he invites us to go to him and to follow him in order to find relief.
In the first place, Jesus praises the Father because he has kept the secrets of his Kingdom, of his truth, hidden from the wise and learned (Mt 11: 25). He speaks of them in this way with a veil of irony, because they presume to be wise, wise, and therefore have a closed heart, many times. True wisdom also comes from the heart, it is not just understanding ideas: true wisdom also enters the heart. And if you know many things but have a closed heart, you are not wise. The mysteries of his Father, Jesus says, are revealed to the little ones, to all who open themselves with confidence to his Word of salvation, open their hearts to the Word of salvation, feel the need for Him and expect everything from Him. The open and confident heart that is turned towards the Lord.
Then, Jesus explains that he received everything from the Father, and calls him my Father, in order to affirm the uniqueness of his relationship with him. In fact, only between the Son and the Father there is total reciprocity: the one knows the other, one lives in the other. But this unique communion is like a blooming flower, revealing its beauty and goodness for free. And here is Jesus' invitation: Come to me ... (Mt 11: 28). He wants to give what he draws from the Father. He wants to give us the truth, and Jesus' truth is always free: it is a gift, it is the Holy Spirit, the Truth.
Just as the Father has a preference for the little ones, so too Jesus addresses the tired and oppressed. Indeed, he puts himself among them, because he is meek and humble of heart (Mt 11: 29), so he claims to be. As in the first and third beatitudes, that of the humble or poor in spirit; and that of myths (cf Mt 5: 3, 5): the meekness of Jesus. Thus Jesus, meek and humble, is not a model for the resigned nor simply a victim, but he is a Man who lives from the heart, his condition in full transparency to the love of the Father, that is, to the Holy Spirit. He is the model of the poor in spirit and of all the other blessed of the Gospel, who do the will of God and testify to his Kingdom.
And then, Jesus says that if we go to him, we will find refreshment: the refreshment that Christ offers to the fatigued and oppressed is not only a psychological relief or a handout, but the joy of the poor to be evangelized and builders of the new humanity. This is the relief: the joy, the joy that Jesus gives us. It is unique, it is the joy that He has himself. It is a message for all of us, for all men of good will, which Jesus still addresses today in the world, which exalts those who make themselves rich and powerful. How many times do we say: Ah, I would like to be like that, like that, who is rich, has so much power, nothing is missing! The world exalts the rich and powerful, no matter by which means, and sometimes it tramples on the human person and his dignity. And we see this every day, the poor who are trampled. And it is a message for the Church, called to live the works of mercy and to evangelize the poor, to be meek, humble. The Lord wants this for his Church, that is us.
Mary, the humblest and highest among creatures, implore the wisdom of the heart from God for us, so that we can discern his signs in our life and be part of those mysteries which, hidden from the proud, are revealed to the humble.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father said:
Dear brothers and sisters,
This week the United Nations Security Council adopted a Resolution which prepares some measures to deal with the devastating consequences of the Covid-19 virus, particularly for areas already subject to conflict. The request for a global and immediate ceasefire, which would allow the peace and security necessary to provide the urgently needed humanitarian assistance, is commendable. I hope that this decision will be implemented effectively and promptly for the good of many people who are suffering. May this Security Council Resolution become a bold first step towards a peaceful future.
I warmly greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from various countries. I greet in particular the Poles: welcome !, and I bless the great pilgrimage of the Radio Maria family to the Częstochowa Shrine, which will take place next Saturday, on the centenary of the birth of Saint John Paul II, with the motto: I entrusted everything to Mary. A blessing on that pilgrimage.
And 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
No comments:
Post a Comment