At Sunday Mass, Pope Francis says "The moment that our restlessness meets Jesus, there begins the life of grace..." FULL TEXT Homily + Video

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FROM THE CHAPEL OF CASA SANTA MARTA

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

Jesus is our pilgrim companion

Sunday, April 26, 2020


Introduction

We pray today, in this Mass, for all the people who suffer from sadness, because they are alone or because they do not know what future awaits them or because they cannot carry on the family because they have no money, because they have no work. So many people suffering from sadness. We pray for them today.

Homily

Many times we have heard that Christianity is not just a doctrine, it is not a way of behaving, it is not a culture. Yes, it is all of this, but more important and first, it is a meeting. A person is Christian because he met Jesus Christ, he allowed himself to be "met by him".

This passage from Luke's Gospel tells us about an encounter, the way of understanding well how the Lord works, how it is our way of acting. We were born with a seed of unease. God wanted it this way: restlessness to find fullness, restlessness to find God, many times even without knowing that we have this restlessness. Our heart is restless, our heart is thirsty: thirst for the encounter with God. He seeks him, many times on the wrong paths: he loses himself, then he returns, he seeks him ... On the other hand, God is thirsty for the encounter, to so much that he sent Jesus to meet us, to meet this concern.

How does Jesus work? In this passage of the Gospel (cf. Lk 24: 13-35) we see well that He respects, respects our own situation, does not go on. Only, sometimes, with the stubborn, we think of Paolo, don't we? When he throws him off the horse. But usually it goes slowly, respectful of our times. He is the Lord of patience. How much patience the Lord has with each of us! The Lord walks next to us.

As we have seen here with these two disciples, listen to our concerns - know them! - and at some point tells us something. The Lord likes to hear how we speak, to understand each other well and to give the right answer to that anxiety. The Lord does not accelerate the pace, he always goes at our pace, many times slow, but his patience is like this.

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 accelerate, 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 v.17), he becomes ignorant to make us speak. He likes 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 were ignorant, but with much respect. And then he answers, he explains, to the point necessary. Here he tells us that: "" Didn't Christ have to suffer these sufferings to enter his glory? " And, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures what referred to him "(v. 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 accompanied us, who approached us, pretends to go further to see the extent of our anxiety: "No, come, come, stay with us for a while" (v. 29). So the meeting takes place. But the meeting is not only the moment of breaking the bread here, but it is the whole journey. We meet Jesus in the dark of our doubts. Even in the ugly doubt 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 the core of Christianity is an encounter: it is the encounter with Jesus. Why are you a Christian? Why are you a Christian? And many people cannot say it. Some, traditionally but others cannot say it: because they met Jesus, but they did not realize that it was an encounter with Jesus. Jesus always looks for us. Always. And we have our concern. The moment that our restlessness meets Jesus, there begins the life of grace, the life of fullness, the life of the Christian journey.

May the Lord give us all this grace to meet Jesus every day, to know, to know precisely that he walks with us in all our moments. He is our pilgrim companion.

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 came, I embrace you and I join you all. Don't let it ever separate me from you.

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