At Mass, Pope Francis says "The crucifix is ​​precisely the great book of God's love." Full Text + Video

MORNING CELEBRATION BROADCAST LIVE
FROM THE CHAPEL OF CASA SANTA MARTA

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

"To let the light of God enter us
not to be like bats in the dark "

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Introduction

In this time in which so much unity is needed among us, among nations, we pray for Europe today: for Europe to have this unity, this fraternal unity that the founding fathers of the European Union dreamed of.

Homily

This passage from the Gospel of John, chapter 3 (cf. Jn 16-21), the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus, is a true treatise on theology: there is everything here. Kerygma, catechesis, theological reflection, parenesis ... there is everything in this chapter. And every time we read it, we encounter more wealth, more explanations, more things that make us understand the revelation of God. It would be nice to read it many times, to get closer to the mystery of redemption. Today I will take only two points of all this, two points that are in today's step.

The first is the revelation of God's love. God loves us and loves us - as a saint says - like madness: God's love seems like madness. He loves us: "he loved the world so much that he gave the only-begotten Son" (Jn 3:16). He gave his Son, sent his Son and sent him to die on the cross. Whenever we look at the crucifix, we find this love. The crucifix is ​​precisely the great book of God's love. It is not an object to be put here or put there, more beautiful, not so beautiful, older, more modern ... no. It is precisely the expression of God's love. God loved us thus: he sent his Son, he annihilated himself until the death of the cross for love. "He loved the world so much, God, to give his Son" (cf. v. 16).

How many people, how many Christians spend time looking at the crucifix ... and there they find everything, because they understood, the Holy Spirit made them understand that there is all science, all the love of God, all Christian wisdom. Paul talks about this, explaining that all the human reasoning that he does serves up to a certain point, but the true reasoning, the most beautiful way of thinking, but also that the most explaining everything is the cross of Christ, is "Christ crucified who it is scandal ”(cf. 1 Cor 1:23) and madness, but it is the way. And this is the love of God. God "loved the world so much that he gave the only-begotten Son" (Jn 3:16). And why? "So that anyone who believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life" (v. 3,16). The love of the Father who wants his children with him.

Looking at the crucified in silence, looking at the wounds, looking at the heart of Jesus, looking at the whole: Christ crucified, the Son of God, annihilated, humiliated ... for love. This is the first point that today makes us see this treatise on theology, which is Jesus' dialogue with Nicodemus.

The second point is a point that will help us, too: "Light came into the world, but men loved darkness more than light, because their works were evil" (Jn 3:19). Jesus also takes this of the light. There are people - we too, many times - who cannot live in the light because they are used to darkness. The light dazzles them, they are unable to see. They are human bats: they only know how to move in the night. And we too, when we are in sin, are in this state: we do not tolerate light. It is more comfortable for us to live in darkness; the light slaps us, shows us what we don't want to see. But the worst is that the eyes, the eyes of the soul from so much living in the darkness get used to such a point that they end up ignoring what light is. Losing the sense of light, because I get used to the darkness more. And so many human scandals, so many corruptions tell us this. The corrupt don't know what light is, they don't know. We too, when we are in a state of sin, in a state of estrangement from the Lord, we become blind and feel better in the darkness and go like this, without seeing, like the blind, moving as we can.

Let the love of God, who sent Jesus to save us, enter us and "the light that brings Jesus" (cf. v. 19), the light of the Spirit enter us and help us to see things with light of God, with the true light and not with the darkness that the lord of darkness gives us.

Two things today: the love of God in Christ, in the crucifix, in everyday life. And the daily question we can ask ourselves: “Do I walk in the light or walk in the darkness? Am I a child of God or did I end up being a poor bat? ”.

Prayer to make spiritual communion

People who cannot 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.

Full Text + Image Source: Vatican.va Unofficial Translation -