Pope Francis says We "implore the Sacred Heart of Jesus to touch the hearts of those who desire war, so that they may be converted to plans of dialogue and peace"
POPE FRANCIS at the ANGELUS
in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square on Sunday, June 30, 2024
________________________________________
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!
The Gospel of today's liturgy tells us two miracles that seem to be intertwined with each other. While Jesus goes to the house of Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue, because his little daughter is seriously ill, along the way a hemorrhaging woman touches his cloak and He stops to heal her. In the meantime, they announce that Jairus' daughter is dead, but Jesus doesn't stop, he arrives in the house, goes into the girl's room, takes her by the hand and raises her up, bringing her back to life (Mk 5,21-43). Two miracles, one of healing and another of resurrection.
These two healings are told in a single episode. Both occur through physical contact. In fact, the woman touches Jesus' cloak and Jesus takes the girl by the hand. Why is this “touch” important? Because these two women - one because she is bleeding and the other because she is dead - are considered impure and therefore there cannot be physical contact with them. And instead Jesus lets himself be touched and is not afraid to touch. Jesus lets himself be touched and is not afraid to touch.
Even before the physical healing, He undermines a mistaken religious conception, according to which God separates the pure on one side and the impure on the other. Instead, God does not make this separation, because we are all his children, and impurity does not come from foods, illnesses, or even from death, but impurity comes from an impure heart.
Let us learn this: in the face of suffering of body and spirit, wounds of the soul, situations that crush us, and even in the face of sin, God does not keep us at a distance, God is not ashamed of us, God does not judge us; on the contrary, He approaches to be touched and to touch us, and always raises us from death. He always takes us by the hand to tell us: daughter, son, get up! (see Mc 5,41), walk, go forward! “Lord, I am a sinner” – “Go ahead, I became a sin for you, to save you” – “But you, Lord, are not a sinner” – “No, but I suffered all the consequences of sin to save you”. This is beautiful!
Let us fix in our hearts this image that Jesus gives us: God is one who takes you by the hand and raises you up, one who lets himself be touched by your pain and touches you to heal you and give you back life. He does not discriminate against anyone because he loves everyone.
And then we can ask ourselves: do we believe that God is like this? Do we let ourselves be touched by the Lord, by his Word, by his love for him? Do we enter into relationships with our brothers by offering them a hand to get back on their feet, or do we keep our distance and label people based on our tastes and preferences? We label people. I ask you a question: Does God, the Lord Jesus, label people? Everyone answer. Does God label people? And me, do I live constantly labeling people?
Brothers and sisters, let us look at the heart of God, so that the Church and society do not exclude, do not exclude anyone, do not treat anyone as "impure", so that everyone, with their own history, is welcomed and loved without labels, without prejudices, loved without adjectives.
Let us pray to the Holy Virgin: She who is the Mother of tenderness, intercede for us and for the whole world.
__________________________________
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters,
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from different countries!
I greet in particular the children of the “Misyjna Jutrzenka” missionary club in Skoczów, Poland; and the faithful of California and Costa Rica.
I greet the Daughters of the Church nuns, who in recent days, together with a group of lay people, have experienced a pilgrimage in the footsteps of their founder, the Venerable Maria Oliva Bonaldo. And I greet the boys from Gonzaga, near Mantua.
Today we remember the Roman Protomartyrs. We too live in a time of martyrdom, even more than the first centuries. In various parts of the world many of our brothers and sisters suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith, thus making the Church fruitful. Others then face a martyrdom "with white gloves". Let us support them and be inspired by their testimony of love for Christ.
On this last day of June, we implore the Sacred Heart of Jesus to touch the hearts of those who want war, so that they may convert to projects of dialogue and peace.
Brothers and sisters, let's not forget the tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and many other places where people suffer so much due to war!
I wish everyone a good Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Have a nice lunch and see you! Thank you.
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in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square on Sunday, June 30, 2024
________________________________________
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!
The Gospel of today's liturgy tells us two miracles that seem to be intertwined with each other. While Jesus goes to the house of Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue, because his little daughter is seriously ill, along the way a hemorrhaging woman touches his cloak and He stops to heal her. In the meantime, they announce that Jairus' daughter is dead, but Jesus doesn't stop, he arrives in the house, goes into the girl's room, takes her by the hand and raises her up, bringing her back to life (Mk 5,21-43). Two miracles, one of healing and another of resurrection.
These two healings are told in a single episode. Both occur through physical contact. In fact, the woman touches Jesus' cloak and Jesus takes the girl by the hand. Why is this “touch” important? Because these two women - one because she is bleeding and the other because she is dead - are considered impure and therefore there cannot be physical contact with them. And instead Jesus lets himself be touched and is not afraid to touch. Jesus lets himself be touched and is not afraid to touch.
Even before the physical healing, He undermines a mistaken religious conception, according to which God separates the pure on one side and the impure on the other. Instead, God does not make this separation, because we are all his children, and impurity does not come from foods, illnesses, or even from death, but impurity comes from an impure heart.
Let us learn this: in the face of suffering of body and spirit, wounds of the soul, situations that crush us, and even in the face of sin, God does not keep us at a distance, God is not ashamed of us, God does not judge us; on the contrary, He approaches to be touched and to touch us, and always raises us from death. He always takes us by the hand to tell us: daughter, son, get up! (see Mc 5,41), walk, go forward! “Lord, I am a sinner” – “Go ahead, I became a sin for you, to save you” – “But you, Lord, are not a sinner” – “No, but I suffered all the consequences of sin to save you”. This is beautiful!
Let us fix in our hearts this image that Jesus gives us: God is one who takes you by the hand and raises you up, one who lets himself be touched by your pain and touches you to heal you and give you back life. He does not discriminate against anyone because he loves everyone.
And then we can ask ourselves: do we believe that God is like this? Do we let ourselves be touched by the Lord, by his Word, by his love for him? Do we enter into relationships with our brothers by offering them a hand to get back on their feet, or do we keep our distance and label people based on our tastes and preferences? We label people. I ask you a question: Does God, the Lord Jesus, label people? Everyone answer. Does God label people? And me, do I live constantly labeling people?
Brothers and sisters, let us look at the heart of God, so that the Church and society do not exclude, do not exclude anyone, do not treat anyone as "impure", so that everyone, with their own history, is welcomed and loved without labels, without prejudices, loved without adjectives.
Let us pray to the Holy Virgin: She who is the Mother of tenderness, intercede for us and for the whole world.
__________________________________
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters,
I greet all of you, Romans and pilgrims from different countries!
I greet in particular the children of the “Misyjna Jutrzenka” missionary club in Skoczów, Poland; and the faithful of California and Costa Rica.
I greet the Daughters of the Church nuns, who in recent days, together with a group of lay people, have experienced a pilgrimage in the footsteps of their founder, the Venerable Maria Oliva Bonaldo. And I greet the boys from Gonzaga, near Mantua.
Today we remember the Roman Protomartyrs. We too live in a time of martyrdom, even more than the first centuries. In various parts of the world many of our brothers and sisters suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith, thus making the Church fruitful. Others then face a martyrdom "with white gloves". Let us support them and be inspired by their testimony of love for Christ.
On this last day of June, we implore the Sacred Heart of Jesus to touch the hearts of those who want war, so that they may convert to projects of dialogue and peace.
Brothers and sisters, let's not forget the tormented Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and many other places where people suffer so much due to war!
I wish everyone a good Sunday. Please don't forget to pray for me. Have a nice lunch and see you! Thank you.
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