At Mass, Pope Francis Prays for Peace in Families and Says "....all, men and women, we all have one Shepherd: Jesus."

MORNING CELEBRATION BROADCASTED LIVE
FROM THE CHAPEL OF CASA SANTA MARTA

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

"We all have one Shepherd: Jesus"

Monday, May 4, 2020

Introduction
Let's pray for families today. In this time of quarantine, the family, closed at home, tries to do many new things, a lot of creativity with the children, with everyone, to go on. And there is also the other thing, that sometimes there is domestic violence. Let us pray for the families to continue in peace with creativity and patience in this quarantine.
Homily
When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the faithful reprimanded him (cf Acts 11 : 1-8). They reproached him for having entered the home of uncircumcised men and had eaten together with them, with the pagans: this could not be done, it was a pity. The purity of the law did not allow this. But Peter did it because it was the Spirit that brought him there. There is always in the Church - and in the early Church so much, because the thing was not clear - this spirit of "we are the righteous, the others the sinners". This "we and the others", "we and the others", the divisions: "We have the right position before God", instead there are "the others" ... It is also said: "They are the condemned", already. And this is a diseaseof the Church, a disease that arises from ideologies or religious parties ... To think that at the time of Jesus, at least there were four religious parties: the party of the Pharisees, the party of the Sadducees, the party of the zealots and the party of the Essenes, and each he interpreted the law according to the idea he had. And this idea is an "out-of-law" school when it is a way of thinking, of feeling worldly that interprets the law. They also reproached Jesus for entering the house of the tax collectors - who were sinners, according to them - and for eating with them, with the sinners, because the purity of the law did not allow it (cf Mt 9,10-11); and that he did not wash his hands before lunch (cf. Mt.15, 2.20). Always that reproach that makes division: this is the important thing, which I would like to emphasize.
There are ideas, positions that make division, to the point that the division of unity is more important. My idea of ​​the Holy Spirit guiding us is more important. There is an "emeritus" cardinal who lives here in the Vatican, a good pastor, and he said to his faithful: "The Church is like a river, you know? Some are more on this side, some on the other side, but the important thing is that everyone is inside the river ". This is the unity of the Church. No one outside, all inside. Then, with the peculiarities: this does not divide, it is not ideology, it is lawful. But why does the Church have this river width? It is because the Lord wants it so.
The Lord, in the Gospel, tells us: «I have other sheep that do not come from this fence: even those I have to lead. They will listen to my voice and become one flock, one shepherd "( Jn 10:16). The Lord says: "I have sheep everywhere and I am a shepherd of all." This all in Jesus is very important. Think of the parable of the wedding feast (cf. Mt.22.1-10), when the guests did not want to go there: one because he had bought a field, one had married ..., each gave his reason not to go. And the master got angry and said: "Go now to the crossroads of the streets and all those you will find, call them at the wedding" (v. 9). All. Big and small, rich and poor, good and bad. All. This "all" is somewhat the vision of the Lord who came for all and died for all. "But did he also die from that wretch who made my life impossible?" He died for him too. "And for that brigand? ...". He died for him. For everyone. And also for people who don't believe in Him or are from other religions. He died for everyone. This does not mean that proselytism must be done, no. But He died for everyone, justified everyone.
Here in Rome there was a lady, a good woman, a teacher, Professor [Maria Grazia] Mara, who when he was in difficulty for many things, and there were parties, said: “But Christ died for everyone: go on!". That constructive ability. We have only one Redeemer, only one unity: Christ died for all. Instead the temptation ... Paul also suffered it: "I am of Paul, I am of Apollo, I am of this, I am of the other ..." (cf. 1 Cor 3: 1-9). And we think of us, fifty years ago, after the Council: the divisions that the Church has suffered. "I'm on this side, I think so, you so ...". Yes, it is lawful to think so, but in the unity of the Church , under the Shepherd Jesus.
Two things. The rebuke of the apostles to Peter because he had entered the house of the pagans. And Jesus who says: "I am shepherd of all", I am shepherd of all, and who says: "I have other sheep that do not come from this fence. I have to drive them too. They will listen to my voice and become one flock "(cf. Jn 10:16). It is the prayer for the unity of all men, because all, men and women, we all have one Shepherd: Jesus.
May the Lord free us from that psychology of division, to divide, and help us to see this of Jesus, this great thing of Jesus: that in him we are all brothers and he is the shepherd of all . That word today: everyone , everyone , to accompany us throughout the day.
Prayer to make spiritual communion
People who cannot communicate, make spiritual communion:
At your feet, O my Jesus, I bow down and offer you the repentance of my contrite heart that abysses itself in its nothingness and in your holy presence. I adore you in the sacrament of your love, the ineffable Eucharist. I wish to receive you in the poor abode that my heart offers you. In anticipation of the happiness of sacramental communion, I want to possess you in spirit. Come to me, my Jesus, that I come to you. May your love inflame my whole being for life and death. I believe in you, I hope in you, I love you.
Full Text + Image Source: Vatican.va - a Translation from Italian