Pope Francis at Sunday Mass says "...ask the Lord for this grace.." to "..cry with your people who are suffering at the moment." FULL Video + Homily

MORNING CELEBRATION BROADCAST LIVE
FROM THE CHAPEL OF CASA SANTA MARTA

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

"Sunday of tears"

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Introduction

I think of so many people crying: isolated people, people in quarantine, the elderly alone, people hospitalized and people in therapy, parents who see that, as there is no salary, they will not be able to feed their children . Many people cry. We too, from our heart, accompany them. And it won't hurt us to cry a little with the Lord's weeping for all his people.

Homily

Jesus had friends. He loved everyone, but he had friends with whom he had a special relationship, as one does with friends, of more love, more confidence ... And many, many times he stayed at the house of these brothers: Lazarus, Martha, Mary ... And Jesus he felt pain for his friend's illness and death. He arrives at the sepulcher and is deeply moved and very upset he asked: "Where did you place it?" (Jn 11.34). And Jesus burst into tears. Jesus, God, but man, wept. Another time in the Gospel it is said that Jesus cried: when he cried over Jerusalem (Lk 19: 41-42). And with how much tenderness Jesus cries! He cries from the heart, cries with love, cries with his who cry. The cry of Jesus. Perhaps, he cried other times in life - we don't know -; certainly in the Garden of Olives. But Jesus cries for love, always.

He was deeply moved and very upset he cried. How many times have we heard in the Gospel this commotion of Jesus, with that phrase that is repeated: "Seeing, he had compassion" (Cf Mt 9,36; Mt 13,14). Jesus cannot see people and feel no compassion. His eyes look with the heart; Jesus sees with the eyes, but also he sees with the heart and is capable of crying.

Today, in front of a world that suffers so much, to so many people who suffer the consequences of this pandemic, I ask myself: am I capable of crying, as surely Jesus would have done and Jesus is doing it now? Does my heart resemble that of Jesus? And if it is too hard, even if I am able to speak, to do good, to help, but the heart does not enter, I am not able to cry, I must ask the Lord for this grace. Lord, may I cry with you, cry with your people who are suffering at the moment. Many cry today. And we, from this altar, from this sacrifice of Jesus, of Jesus who was not ashamed to cry, ask for the grace to cry. May it be for all of us today like the Sunday of tears.

Prayer for spiritual communion

My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. I love you above all and desire you in my soul. Since I cannot receive you sacramentally now, at least spiritually come to my heart. As already come, I embrace you and I join everything with you. Don't let it ever separate me from you.

FULL TEXT + Image Source: Vatican.va - Unofficial Translation

************ Vatican News explained following the Mass there was a brief period of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, after which the Pope gave Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. The liturgy ended with the intonation of the ancient Marian antiphon Regina Caelorum (Hail, O Queen of Heaven).