Wow Pope Francis at Mass with 600,000 says God's closeness is through a child. “In every part of the world,” the Birth of a Child is a “shining moment of joy"
APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
TO INDONESIA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, TIMOR-LESTE, SINGAPORE
(September 2-13, 2024)
TO INDONESIA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, TIMOR-LESTE, SINGAPORE
(September 2-13, 2024)
On Tuesday, Pope Francis celebrated an open-air Mass in Taci Tolu, a coastal plain in Timor-Leste. Nearly 700,000 people – or nearly half of the country’s population – were in attendance. A traditional Timorese dance opened the celebration of Mass. Then, as evening fell, the Pope delivered a homily in Spanish, pausing to allow a Timorese priest to translate his words section by section into Tetum, one of the country’s official languages.
HOLY MASS - FULL TEXT HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER + VIDEO
Taci Tolu esplanade (Dili, Timor-Leste)
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
___________________________
“For us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Is 9:5).
These are the words with which the prophet Isaiah addresses, in the first reading, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, at a prosperous time for the city, but unfortunately also characterized by great moral decadence.
There is so much wealth, but well-being blinds the powerful, it deceives them into thinking they are self-sufficient, that they have no need of the Lord, and their presumption leads them to be selfish and unjust. For this reason, even though there are so many goods, the poor are abandoned and suffer from hunger, infidelity is rampant and religious practice is increasingly reduced to a mere formality. The deceptive facade of a world that at first glance seems perfect thus hides a much darker, much harsher and crueler reality, in which there is so much need for conversion, mercy and healing.
For this reason the prophet announces to his fellow citizens a new horizon, which God will open before them: a future of hope, a future of joy, where oppression and war will be banished forever (see Is 9:1-4).
HOLY MASS - FULL TEXT HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER + VIDEO
Taci Tolu esplanade (Dili, Timor-Leste)
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
___________________________
“For us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Is 9:5).
These are the words with which the prophet Isaiah addresses, in the first reading, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, at a prosperous time for the city, but unfortunately also characterized by great moral decadence.
There is so much wealth, but well-being blinds the powerful, it deceives them into thinking they are self-sufficient, that they have no need of the Lord, and their presumption leads them to be selfish and unjust. For this reason, even though there are so many goods, the poor are abandoned and suffer from hunger, infidelity is rampant and religious practice is increasingly reduced to a mere formality. The deceptive facade of a world that at first glance seems perfect thus hides a much darker, much harsher and crueler reality, in which there is so much need for conversion, mercy and healing.
For this reason the prophet announces to his fellow citizens a new horizon, which God will open before them: a future of hope, a future of joy, where oppression and war will be banished forever (see Is 9:1-4).
(MASS with ENGLISH Translation Starts at the 27:00 Mark on the VIDEO Below)
He will cause a great light to arise for them (see v. 1) that will free them from the darkness of sin by which they are oppressed, and he will do so not with the power of armies, weapons or riches, but through the gift of a son (see vv. 5-6).
Let us pause to reflect on this image: God makes his saving light shine through the gift of a son.
In every place, the birth of a child is a bright moment, a moment of joy and celebration, and sometimes it also arouses in us good desires, to renew ourselves in goodness, to return to purity and simplicity. In the presence of a newborn, even the hardest heart warms and fills with tenderness. The fragility of a child always brings a message so strong that it touches even the most hardened souls, bringing with it movements and intentions of harmony and serenity. It is wonderful, brothers and sisters, what happens at the birth of a child!
God's closeness is through a child. God becomes a child. And not only to amaze and move us, but also to open ourselves to the Father's love and let it shape us, so that it can heal our wounds, mend our disagreements, restore order to our existence.
In East Timor it is beautiful, because there are so many children: you are a young country where in every corner you can feel life pulsating, exploding. And this is a gift, a great gift: the presence of so many young people and so many children, in fact, constantly renews our energy and our life. But even more than that it is a sign, because making room for children, for the little ones, welcoming them, taking care of them, and also making ourselves small before God and before each other, are precisely the attitudes that open us to the action of the Lord. By making ourselves children we allow God's action in us.
Today we venerate Our Lady as Queen, that is, the mother of a King, Jesus, who wanted to be born small, to become our brother, asking the "yes" of a humble and fragile young woman (see Luke 1:38).
Mary understood this, to the point that she chose to remain small throughout her life, to make herself increasingly small, serving, praying, disappearing to make room for Jesus, even when this cost her a lot.
Therefore, dear brothers, dear sisters, let us not be afraid to make ourselves small before God, and before each other, let us not be afraid of losing our life, of donating our time, of reviewing our plans and scaling down our projects when necessary, not to diminish them, but to make them even more beautiful through the gift of ourselves and the welcome of others.
All this is symbolized very well by two beautiful traditional jewels of this land: the Kaibauk and the Belak. Both are made of precious metal. This means that they are important!
The first symbolizes the horns of the buffalo and the light of the sun, and is placed high up, as an ornament on the forehead, as well as on the top of houses. It speaks of strength, energy and heat, and can represent the power of God, who gives life. But not only that: placed at the level of the head, in fact, and at the top of the houses, it reminds us that, with the light of the Word of the Lord and with the strength of his grace, we too can cooperate with our choices and actions in the great plan of redemption.
The second, then, the Belak, which is placed on the chest, is complementary to the first. It recalls the delicate light of the moon, which humbly reflects, in the night, the light of the sun, enveloping everything in a light fluorescence. It speaks of peace, of fertility, of sweetness, and symbolizes the tenderness of the mother, who with the delicate reflections of her love makes what she touches luminous with the same light that she receives from God.
Kaibauk and Belak, strength and tenderness of Father and Mother: this is how the Lord manifests his royalty, made charity and mercy.
And so let us ask together, in this Eucharist, each of us, as women and men, as the Church, as a society, to be able to reflect in the world the strong light, the tender light of the God of love, of that God who, as we prayed in the Responsorial Psalm, "raises the weak from the dust, lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit among princes [...]" (Ps 113:7-8).
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters,
I have thought a lot: what is the best thing that Timor has? The sandal? The fishing? That is not the best thing. The best thing is its people. I cannot forget the people on the side of the road, with their children. How many children you have! The people, whose best thing is the smile of their children. And a people who teach children to smile is a people who have a future.
But be careful! Because they told me that crocodiles come to some beaches; crocodiles come swimming and have a bite stronger than we can keep at bay. Be careful! Be careful of those crocodiles who want to change your culture, who want to change your history. Stay faithful. And do not go near those crocodiles because they bite, and they bite a lot.
I wish you peace. I wish you to continue to have many children: may the smile of this people be its children! Take care of your children; but also take care of your elders, who are the memory of this land.
Thank you, thank you so much for your charity, for your faith. Go forward with hope!
And now let us ask the Lord to bless us all, and then we will sing a song to the Virgin Mary.
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He will cause a great light to arise for them (see v. 1) that will free them from the darkness of sin by which they are oppressed, and he will do so not with the power of armies, weapons or riches, but through the gift of a son (see vv. 5-6).
Let us pause to reflect on this image: God makes his saving light shine through the gift of a son.
In every place, the birth of a child is a bright moment, a moment of joy and celebration, and sometimes it also arouses in us good desires, to renew ourselves in goodness, to return to purity and simplicity. In the presence of a newborn, even the hardest heart warms and fills with tenderness. The fragility of a child always brings a message so strong that it touches even the most hardened souls, bringing with it movements and intentions of harmony and serenity. It is wonderful, brothers and sisters, what happens at the birth of a child!
God's closeness is through a child. God becomes a child. And not only to amaze and move us, but also to open ourselves to the Father's love and let it shape us, so that it can heal our wounds, mend our disagreements, restore order to our existence.
In East Timor it is beautiful, because there are so many children: you are a young country where in every corner you can feel life pulsating, exploding. And this is a gift, a great gift: the presence of so many young people and so many children, in fact, constantly renews our energy and our life. But even more than that it is a sign, because making room for children, for the little ones, welcoming them, taking care of them, and also making ourselves small before God and before each other, are precisely the attitudes that open us to the action of the Lord. By making ourselves children we allow God's action in us.
Today we venerate Our Lady as Queen, that is, the mother of a King, Jesus, who wanted to be born small, to become our brother, asking the "yes" of a humble and fragile young woman (see Luke 1:38).
Mary understood this, to the point that she chose to remain small throughout her life, to make herself increasingly small, serving, praying, disappearing to make room for Jesus, even when this cost her a lot.
Therefore, dear brothers, dear sisters, let us not be afraid to make ourselves small before God, and before each other, let us not be afraid of losing our life, of donating our time, of reviewing our plans and scaling down our projects when necessary, not to diminish them, but to make them even more beautiful through the gift of ourselves and the welcome of others.
All this is symbolized very well by two beautiful traditional jewels of this land: the Kaibauk and the Belak. Both are made of precious metal. This means that they are important!
The first symbolizes the horns of the buffalo and the light of the sun, and is placed high up, as an ornament on the forehead, as well as on the top of houses. It speaks of strength, energy and heat, and can represent the power of God, who gives life. But not only that: placed at the level of the head, in fact, and at the top of the houses, it reminds us that, with the light of the Word of the Lord and with the strength of his grace, we too can cooperate with our choices and actions in the great plan of redemption.
The second, then, the Belak, which is placed on the chest, is complementary to the first. It recalls the delicate light of the moon, which humbly reflects, in the night, the light of the sun, enveloping everything in a light fluorescence. It speaks of peace, of fertility, of sweetness, and symbolizes the tenderness of the mother, who with the delicate reflections of her love makes what she touches luminous with the same light that she receives from God.
Kaibauk and Belak, strength and tenderness of Father and Mother: this is how the Lord manifests his royalty, made charity and mercy.
And so let us ask together, in this Eucharist, each of us, as women and men, as the Church, as a society, to be able to reflect in the world the strong light, the tender light of the God of love, of that God who, as we prayed in the Responsorial Psalm, "raises the weak from the dust, lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit among princes [...]" (Ps 113:7-8).
* * *
Dear brothers and sisters,
I have thought a lot: what is the best thing that Timor has? The sandal? The fishing? That is not the best thing. The best thing is its people. I cannot forget the people on the side of the road, with their children. How many children you have! The people, whose best thing is the smile of their children. And a people who teach children to smile is a people who have a future.
But be careful! Because they told me that crocodiles come to some beaches; crocodiles come swimming and have a bite stronger than we can keep at bay. Be careful! Be careful of those crocodiles who want to change your culture, who want to change your history. Stay faithful. And do not go near those crocodiles because they bite, and they bite a lot.
I wish you peace. I wish you to continue to have many children: may the smile of this people be its children! Take care of your children; but also take care of your elders, who are the memory of this land.
Thank you, thank you so much for your charity, for your faith. Go forward with hope!
And now let us ask the Lord to bless us all, and then we will sing a song to the Virgin Mary.
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