Pope Francis Asks "Are we happy to say that Jesus loves us, that he saves us or...do we allow ourselves to be caged by the fear of what people will think?
At 12 today, the Holy Father Francis looked out of the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square.
These are the words of the Pope:
Before the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today the Gospel shows us Jesus who restores sight to a man blind from birth (cf. Jn 9:1-41). But this marvel is not well received by various people and groups. Let's see in detail.
But first I would like to tell you: today, take John's Gospel and read this miracle of Jesus yourself, the way John tells it is beautiful. Chapter 9, in two minutes you read. He shows how Jesus proceeds and how the human heart proceeds: the good human heart, the lukewarm human heart, the fearful human heart, the courageous human heart. Chapter 9 of the Gospel of John.
Do it today, it will help you a lot. And how do people welcome this sign?
First of all there are the disciples of Jesus, who end up in chatter when faced with the man born blind: they wonder if the fault lies with the parents or with him (cf. v. 2). They are looking for a culprit; and we often fall into this which is so convenient: looking for a culprit, instead of asking challenging questions in life. And today we can say: what does the presence of this person mean to us, what does he ask of us? Then, after healing, the reactions increase. The first is that of the neighbours, who are sceptical: "This man has always been blind: it is not possible that he sees now, it cannot be him! is another”: skepticism (cf. vv. 8-9). For them it is unacceptable, it is better to leave everything as it was before (cf. v. 16) and not get into this problem. They are afraid, they fear the religious authorities and do not pronounce themselves (cf. vv. 18-21). In all these reactions, closed hearts emerge in front of the sign of Jesus, for different reasons: because they are looking for a culprit, because they don't know how to be surprised, because they don't want to change, because they are blocked by fear. And many situations look like this today. When faced with something that is really a message of testimony from a person, it is a message from Jesus, we fall into this: we look for another explanation, we don't want to change, we look for a more elegant way out than accepting the truth.
The only one who reacts well is the blind man: happy to see, he bears witness to what happened to him in the simplest way: "I was blind and now I can see" (v. 25). He tells the truth. Before him he was forced to beg for a living and suffered the prejudices of the people: "he is poor and blind from birth, he has to suffer, he has to pay for his sins or for those of his ancestors". Now, free in body and spirit, he bears witness to Jesus: he invents nothing and hides nothing. "I was blind and now I see." He is not afraid of what others will say: he has already known the bitter taste of marginalization, throughout his life, he has already felt the indifference and contempt of passers-by, of those who considered him a waste of society, useful at most for the piety of some almsgiving. Now, healed, he no longer fears those contemptuous attitudes, because Jesus has given him full dignity. And this is clear, it always happens: when Jesus heals us, he restores dignity to us, the full dignity of Jesus' healing, a dignity that comes from the depths of the heart, which takes over our whole life; and on Saturday, in front of everyone, he freed him and gave him his sight without asking him for anything, not even a thank you, and he bears witness to it. This is the dignity of a noble person, of a person who knows he is healed and recovers, is reborn; that rebirth into life, which was spoken of today in “A Immagine di lui”: to be reborn.
Brothers, sisters, with all these characters today's Gospel also puts us in the middle of the scene, so that we ask ourselves: what position do we take, what would we have said then? And above all, what are we doing today? Like the blind man, can we see the good and be grateful for the gifts we receive? I ask myself: how is my dignity? How is your dignity? Do we bear witness to Jesus or do we spread criticism and suspicion? Are we free in the face of prejudices or do we associate with those who spread negativity and gossip? Are we happy to say that Jesus loves us, that he saves us or, like the parents of the man born blind, do we allow ourselves to be caged by the fear of what people will think? The lukewarm of heart who do not accept the truth and do not have the courage to say: "No, this is it". And again, how do we welcome the difficulties and indifference of others? How do we welcome people who have so many limitations in life? Be physical, like this blind man; are they social, like the beggars we find on the street? And do we welcome this as a curse or as an opportunity to draw close to them with love?
Brothers and sisters, let us ask today for the grace to be amazed every day by God's gifts and to see the various circumstances of life, even the most difficult to accept, as opportunities to do good, as Jesus did with the blind man. May Our Lady help us in this, together with Saint Joseph, a just and faithful man.
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters!
Yesterday in Ecuador an earthquake caused deaths, injuries and extensive damage. I am close to the Ecuadorian people and I assure you of my prayers for the deceased and for all the suffering.
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from many countries – I see flags: Colombian, Argentinian, Polish… many, many countries… -. I greet the Spaniards who have come from Murcia, Alicante and Albacete.
I greet the parishes of San Raimondo Nonnato and the Canadian Martyrs in Rome, and that of Christ the King in Civitanova Marche; the Association of Salesian Cooperators; the boys from Arcore, the confirmands from Empoli and those from the parish of S. Maria del Rosario in Rome. I greet the boys of the Immaculate Conception, so good.
With pleasure I also greet the participants in the Rome Marathon! I congratulate you because, at the instigation of "Athletica Vaticana", you are making this important sporting event an occasion for solidarity in favor of the poorest.
And today we wish all the dads a happy birthday! May they find in St. Joseph the model, the support, the comfort to live their fatherhood well. And all together, for the Dads, let's pray to the Father [Our Father…].
Brothers and sisters, let us not forget to pray for the battered Ukrainian people who continue to suffer for war crimes.
I wish everyone a good Sunday. please don't forget to pray for me. Have a nice lunch and goodbye.
These are the words of the Pope:
Before the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today the Gospel shows us Jesus who restores sight to a man blind from birth (cf. Jn 9:1-41). But this marvel is not well received by various people and groups. Let's see in detail.
But first I would like to tell you: today, take John's Gospel and read this miracle of Jesus yourself, the way John tells it is beautiful. Chapter 9, in two minutes you read. He shows how Jesus proceeds and how the human heart proceeds: the good human heart, the lukewarm human heart, the fearful human heart, the courageous human heart. Chapter 9 of the Gospel of John.
Do it today, it will help you a lot. And how do people welcome this sign?
First of all there are the disciples of Jesus, who end up in chatter when faced with the man born blind: they wonder if the fault lies with the parents or with him (cf. v. 2). They are looking for a culprit; and we often fall into this which is so convenient: looking for a culprit, instead of asking challenging questions in life. And today we can say: what does the presence of this person mean to us, what does he ask of us? Then, after healing, the reactions increase. The first is that of the neighbours, who are sceptical: "This man has always been blind: it is not possible that he sees now, it cannot be him! is another”: skepticism (cf. vv. 8-9). For them it is unacceptable, it is better to leave everything as it was before (cf. v. 16) and not get into this problem. They are afraid, they fear the religious authorities and do not pronounce themselves (cf. vv. 18-21). In all these reactions, closed hearts emerge in front of the sign of Jesus, for different reasons: because they are looking for a culprit, because they don't know how to be surprised, because they don't want to change, because they are blocked by fear. And many situations look like this today. When faced with something that is really a message of testimony from a person, it is a message from Jesus, we fall into this: we look for another explanation, we don't want to change, we look for a more elegant way out than accepting the truth.
The only one who reacts well is the blind man: happy to see, he bears witness to what happened to him in the simplest way: "I was blind and now I can see" (v. 25). He tells the truth. Before him he was forced to beg for a living and suffered the prejudices of the people: "he is poor and blind from birth, he has to suffer, he has to pay for his sins or for those of his ancestors". Now, free in body and spirit, he bears witness to Jesus: he invents nothing and hides nothing. "I was blind and now I see." He is not afraid of what others will say: he has already known the bitter taste of marginalization, throughout his life, he has already felt the indifference and contempt of passers-by, of those who considered him a waste of society, useful at most for the piety of some almsgiving. Now, healed, he no longer fears those contemptuous attitudes, because Jesus has given him full dignity. And this is clear, it always happens: when Jesus heals us, he restores dignity to us, the full dignity of Jesus' healing, a dignity that comes from the depths of the heart, which takes over our whole life; and on Saturday, in front of everyone, he freed him and gave him his sight without asking him for anything, not even a thank you, and he bears witness to it. This is the dignity of a noble person, of a person who knows he is healed and recovers, is reborn; that rebirth into life, which was spoken of today in “A Immagine di lui”: to be reborn.
Brothers, sisters, with all these characters today's Gospel also puts us in the middle of the scene, so that we ask ourselves: what position do we take, what would we have said then? And above all, what are we doing today? Like the blind man, can we see the good and be grateful for the gifts we receive? I ask myself: how is my dignity? How is your dignity? Do we bear witness to Jesus or do we spread criticism and suspicion? Are we free in the face of prejudices or do we associate with those who spread negativity and gossip? Are we happy to say that Jesus loves us, that he saves us or, like the parents of the man born blind, do we allow ourselves to be caged by the fear of what people will think? The lukewarm of heart who do not accept the truth and do not have the courage to say: "No, this is it". And again, how do we welcome the difficulties and indifference of others? How do we welcome people who have so many limitations in life? Be physical, like this blind man; are they social, like the beggars we find on the street? And do we welcome this as a curse or as an opportunity to draw close to them with love?
Brothers and sisters, let us ask today for the grace to be amazed every day by God's gifts and to see the various circumstances of life, even the most difficult to accept, as opportunities to do good, as Jesus did with the blind man. May Our Lady help us in this, together with Saint Joseph, a just and faithful man.
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters!
Yesterday in Ecuador an earthquake caused deaths, injuries and extensive damage. I am close to the Ecuadorian people and I assure you of my prayers for the deceased and for all the suffering.
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from many countries – I see flags: Colombian, Argentinian, Polish… many, many countries… -. I greet the Spaniards who have come from Murcia, Alicante and Albacete.
I greet the parishes of San Raimondo Nonnato and the Canadian Martyrs in Rome, and that of Christ the King in Civitanova Marche; the Association of Salesian Cooperators; the boys from Arcore, the confirmands from Empoli and those from the parish of S. Maria del Rosario in Rome. I greet the boys of the Immaculate Conception, so good.
With pleasure I also greet the participants in the Rome Marathon! I congratulate you because, at the instigation of "Athletica Vaticana", you are making this important sporting event an occasion for solidarity in favor of the poorest.
And today we wish all the dads a happy birthday! May they find in St. Joseph the model, the support, the comfort to live their fatherhood well. And all together, for the Dads, let's pray to the Father [Our Father…].
Brothers and sisters, let us not forget to pray for the battered Ukrainian people who continue to suffer for war crimes.
I wish everyone a good Sunday. please don't forget to pray for me. Have a nice lunch and goodbye.
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