At Easter Monday Mass, Pope Francis says "Today's Gospel presents us with an option....between joy, the hope of the resurrection of Jesus, and ..." Full Text/Video

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FROM THE CHAPEL OF CASA SANTA MARTA

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

"Choose the ad not to fall into our sepulchres"

Monday, April 13, 2020

Introduction

We pray today for the rulers, the scientists, the politicians who have begun to study the way out, the post-pandemic, this "after" that has already begun: to find the right way, always in favor of the people, always in favor of the peoples.

Homily

Today's Gospel presents us with an option, an everyday option, a human option that has held since that day: the option between joy, the hope of the resurrection of Jesus, and the nostalgia for the sepulcher.

Women go ahead to make the announcement (cf. Mt 28.8): God always begins with women, always. They open roads. They don't doubt: they know; they saw him, they touched him. They also saw the empty tomb. It is true that the disciples could not believe it and said: "But these women are perhaps a little too imaginative" ... I don't know, they had their doubts. But they were sure and they eventually carried on this path until today: Jesus is risen, he is alive among us (cf. Mt 28, 9-10). And then there is the other: it is better not to live, with the tomb empty. So many problems will bring us, this empty tomb. And the decision to hide the fact. It is as always: when we do not serve God, the Lord, we serve the other god, money. Recall what Jesus said: they are two lords, the Lord God and the lord money. You cannot serve both. And to get out of this evidence, from this reality, the priests, the doctors of the Law have chosen the other path, the one that the god offered them money and they paid: they paid for silence (cf. Mt 28, 12-13) . The silence of the witnesses. One of the guards had confessed, as soon as Jesus died: "Really this man was the Son of God!" (Mk 15:39). These poor people do not understand, they are afraid because life is going ... and they went to the priests, to the doctors of the Law. And they paid: they paid for silence, and this, dear brothers and sisters, is not a bribe: this is pure corruption, pure corruption. If you do not confess Jesus Christ the Lord, think why: where is the seal of your tomb, where there is corruption. It is true that many people do not confess Jesus because they do not know him, because we have not consistently announced him and this is our fault. But when we take this path in front of the evidence, it is the devil's path, it is the path of corruption. You pay and be quiet.

Even today, faced with the next - hopefully soon - next end of this pandemic, there is the same option: either our bet will be for life, for the resurrection of peoples or it will be for the god of money: to return to the tomb of the hunger, slavery, wars, arms factories, children without education ... there is the sepulcher.

The Lord, both in our personal life and in our social life, always help us to choose the announcement: the announcement that is horizon, is open, always; lead us to choose the good of the people. And never fall into the tomb of the money god.

Prayer to make spiritual communion:

People who do not have the opportunity to communicate now make 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 already come, I embrace you and I join everything with you. Don't let it ever separate me from you.