Pope Francis says "We continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and in the whole world. I appeal to the heads of nations and international organizations...The world needs peace."
POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
St. Peter's Square
Sunday, July 3, 2022
___________________________
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In this Sunday's Gospel of the Liturgy we read that "the Lord appointed seventy-two other [disciples] and sent them two by two in front of him to every city and place where he was about to go" (Lk 10: 1). The disciples were sent two by two, not individually. Going on a mission two by two, from a practical point of view, would seem to have more disadvantages than advantages. There is a risk that the two do not get along, that they have a different pace, that one gets tired or sick along the way, forcing the other to stop too. On the other hand, when you are alone, it seems that the journey becomes faster and smoother. However, Jesus does not think so: in front of him he does not send solitary people, but disciples who go two by two. But let us ask ourselves a question: what is the reason for this choice of the Lord?
The task of the disciples is to go forward in the villages and prepare the people to welcome Jesus; and the instructions that He gives them are not so much about what they must say as about how they must be: that is, not about the “booklet” they must say, no; on the testimony of life, the testimony to be given more than on the words to say. In fact, he defines them as workers: that is, they are called to work, to evangelize through their behavior. And the first concrete action with which the disciples carry out their mission is precisely that of going two by two.
ANGELUS
St. Peter's Square
Sunday, July 3, 2022
___________________________
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
In this Sunday's Gospel of the Liturgy we read that "the Lord appointed seventy-two other [disciples] and sent them two by two in front of him to every city and place where he was about to go" (Lk 10: 1). The disciples were sent two by two, not individually. Going on a mission two by two, from a practical point of view, would seem to have more disadvantages than advantages. There is a risk that the two do not get along, that they have a different pace, that one gets tired or sick along the way, forcing the other to stop too. On the other hand, when you are alone, it seems that the journey becomes faster and smoother. However, Jesus does not think so: in front of him he does not send solitary people, but disciples who go two by two. But let us ask ourselves a question: what is the reason for this choice of the Lord?
The task of the disciples is to go forward in the villages and prepare the people to welcome Jesus; and the instructions that He gives them are not so much about what they must say as about how they must be: that is, not about the “booklet” they must say, no; on the testimony of life, the testimony to be given more than on the words to say. In fact, he defines them as workers: that is, they are called to work, to evangelize through their behavior. And the first concrete action with which the disciples carry out their mission is precisely that of going two by two.
The disciples are not "free beaters", preachers who do not know how to give the word to another. It is above all the very life of the disciples that proclaims the Gospel: their knowing how to be together, their mutual respect, their unwillingness to demonstrate that they are more capable than the other, the unanimous reference to the one Master.
Perfect pastoral plans can be elaborated, well-done projects implemented, organized down to the smallest detail; you can summon crowds and have many means; but if there is no availability to fraternity, the evangelical mission does not advance. Once, a missionary told of having left for Africa with a confrere. After some time, however, she separated from him, stopping in a village where he successfully carried out a series of building activities for the good of the community. Everything worked fine. But one day he had a start: he realized that his life was that of a good businessman, always in the midst of construction sites and accounting papers! But ... and the "but" remained there. Then he left the management to others, to the laity, and joined his brother. Thus he understood why the Lord had sent the disciples "two by two": the evangelizing mission is not based on personal activism, that is, on "doing" but on the witness of brotherly love, also through the difficulties that living together entails.
So we can ask ourselves: How do we share the good news of the gospel with others? Do we do it with a fraternal spirit and style, or in the manner of the world, with leadership, competitiveness and efficiency? Let us ask ourselves if we have the ability to collaborate, if we know how to make decisions together, sincerely respecting those around us and taking into account their point of view, if we do it in community, not alone. In fact, it is above all in this way that the life of the disciple reveals that of the Master, really announcing him to others.
May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, teach us to prepare the way for the Lord with the witness of fraternity.
____________________________________
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters!
Yesterday in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina, Pedro Ortiz de Zárate, diocesan priest, and Giovanni Antonio Solinas, presbyter of the Society of Jesus were beatified. These two missionaries, who dedicated their lives to the transmission of the faith and the defense of indigenous peoples, were killed in 1683 because they carried the message of peace of the Gospel. May the example of these martyrs help us to bear witness to the Good News without compromise, dedicating ourselves generously to the service of the weakest. A round of applause to the new blessed!
We continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and in the whole world. I appeal to the heads of nations and international organizations to react to the tendency to accentuate conflict and opposition. The world needs peace. Not a peace based on the balance of armaments, on mutual fear. No, this is not right. This means making history go back seventy years. The Ukrainian crisis should have been, but - if desired - it can still become a challenge for wise statesmen, capable of building a better world in dialogue for the new generations. With God's help, this is always possible! But it is necessary to pass from the strategies of political, economic and military power to a global peace project: no to a world divided between conflicting powers; yes to a world united between peoples and civilizations that respect each other.
I greet you all, dear Romans and pilgrims! In particular, I greet the readers and altar servers of Dobra, Poland; the students of Slavonski Brod, Croatia; the Albanian faithful with their parish priests and the itinerant team of the Neocatechumenal Way in Albania. I greet the faithful from Naples, Ascoli Piceno, Perugia and Catania, and the Confirmation boys of Tremignon and Vaccarino, diocese of Vicenza.
I wish you all a happy Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and goodbye!
Perfect pastoral plans can be elaborated, well-done projects implemented, organized down to the smallest detail; you can summon crowds and have many means; but if there is no availability to fraternity, the evangelical mission does not advance. Once, a missionary told of having left for Africa with a confrere. After some time, however, she separated from him, stopping in a village where he successfully carried out a series of building activities for the good of the community. Everything worked fine. But one day he had a start: he realized that his life was that of a good businessman, always in the midst of construction sites and accounting papers! But ... and the "but" remained there. Then he left the management to others, to the laity, and joined his brother. Thus he understood why the Lord had sent the disciples "two by two": the evangelizing mission is not based on personal activism, that is, on "doing" but on the witness of brotherly love, also through the difficulties that living together entails.
So we can ask ourselves: How do we share the good news of the gospel with others? Do we do it with a fraternal spirit and style, or in the manner of the world, with leadership, competitiveness and efficiency? Let us ask ourselves if we have the ability to collaborate, if we know how to make decisions together, sincerely respecting those around us and taking into account their point of view, if we do it in community, not alone. In fact, it is above all in this way that the life of the disciple reveals that of the Master, really announcing him to others.
May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, teach us to prepare the way for the Lord with the witness of fraternity.
____________________________________
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters!
Yesterday in San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, Argentina, Pedro Ortiz de Zárate, diocesan priest, and Giovanni Antonio Solinas, presbyter of the Society of Jesus were beatified. These two missionaries, who dedicated their lives to the transmission of the faith and the defense of indigenous peoples, were killed in 1683 because they carried the message of peace of the Gospel. May the example of these martyrs help us to bear witness to the Good News without compromise, dedicating ourselves generously to the service of the weakest. A round of applause to the new blessed!
We continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and in the whole world. I appeal to the heads of nations and international organizations to react to the tendency to accentuate conflict and opposition. The world needs peace. Not a peace based on the balance of armaments, on mutual fear. No, this is not right. This means making history go back seventy years. The Ukrainian crisis should have been, but - if desired - it can still become a challenge for wise statesmen, capable of building a better world in dialogue for the new generations. With God's help, this is always possible! But it is necessary to pass from the strategies of political, economic and military power to a global peace project: no to a world divided between conflicting powers; yes to a world united between peoples and civilizations that respect each other.
I greet you all, dear Romans and pilgrims! In particular, I greet the readers and altar servers of Dobra, Poland; the students of Slavonski Brod, Croatia; the Albanian faithful with their parish priests and the itinerant team of the Neocatechumenal Way in Albania. I greet the faithful from Naples, Ascoli Piceno, Perugia and Catania, and the Confirmation boys of Tremignon and Vaccarino, diocese of Vicenza.
I wish you all a happy Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and goodbye!
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