La Vang – “As a pilgrim – also on behalf of our Missionary Congregation – I beg of Mary her protection for the work of evangelization throughout the world: she who bore Jesus, the living Gospel, the Word of God, and who has accompanied the Church from the Day of Pentecost, being thus the Mother of countless children of the Church, especially in the Continent of Asia. For this reason, I bring you the gift today of three silver roses as a perpetual memorial of this request to her”. This is what Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples said during the Mass he presided on 22 January, at the National Marian Shrine of La Vang. Beating heart of faith and Marian spirituality in Vietnam, the Shrine of La Vang, about 60 km from Hue, is linked to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the forest near Quang Tri to a group of Vietnamese Catholics fleeing persecution, who had taken refuge there. The first apparition took place in 1798, which was followed by many others. In 1886, when the persecutions ended, a small wooden church was built on-the-spot, which became a place of intense pilgrimages. Subsequently burnt by the persecutors, the church was replaced by a brick building which was inaugurated in 1901 when Our Lady of La Vang was proclaimed “Patroness of Vietnamese Catholics”. To contain the ever-increasing flow of devotees, several chapels were built. But the various constructions of La Vang were demolished completely in 1972, during the war between the North and the South. Only after the reunification of the country , the Bishops of Vietnam gathered in Hanoi on 1 May 1980 and solemnly renewed the recognition of La Vang as “National Marian Centre”. Today the Marian Shrine is one of the best known and popular Shrines not only in Vietnam, but in the entire Asian continent. In his homily, the Cardinal invited those present to go back to the foot of the Cross, where “Jesus has made a gift of Mary to us, he stressed – and not a gift that is far away from us, because, over the course of two thousand years, Mary has often appeared in our midst… You know the beautiful story of the first persecuted Christians, who found refuge, encouragement, and protection in this place. One could say that Mary lives here, and the Bishops have rightly declared this place to be the National Marian Shrine”. The Cardinal, therefore concluded thanking Mary for this, her “gift”, which is her presence among you; “She is here with us today, and together with you, I renew the Act of Entrustment to her for the Evangelization of this Land and of the whole Asian Continent”. Link correlati : The full text of the Cardinal’s speech, in Italian
The full text of the Cardinal’s speech, in English
The full text of the Cardinal’s speech, in French…
(Vatican Radio) The most important thing is not the grace of a physical healing, but the fact that Jesus saves us and intercedes for us: this was the focus of Pope Francis’ remarks following the readings of the day at Mass on Thursday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.
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Commenting on the Gospel of the day (Mark 3:7-12), which tells of great crowds rushing to Jesus from every region, Pope Francis said that the people of God see in the Lord “a hope, because His way of acting, teaching, touches their heart, reaches the heart, because it has the power of the Word of God”:
“The people feel this, and see that promises are fulfilled in Jesus, that in Jesus there is hope. The people were a bit bored by the way of teaching the faith, by the teachers of the Law of that time, who burdened the shoulders of the people with so many commandments, so many precepts, but did not come to people’s hearts. And when the people see Jesus and hear Jesus – His proposals, the Beatitudes – they feel something moving inside – it is the Holy Spirit that is causing people to stir – and they go to see Jesus.”
Purity of intention in seeking God
The crowd goes to Jesus to be healed: that is, they seek their own good. “Never,” said Pope Francis, “can we follow God with purity of intention right from the start: it is always a search undertaken a little for us, and a little for God – and the journey itself purifies this intention.” The Pope went on to say, “People go, yes, they look for God, but they also look for health, for healing – and they threw themselves upon Him to touch Him, that some power might go out of Him and heal them.”
Jesus saves
The most important thing, however, is not that Jesus healed. Those healings were a sign of another healing, the Holy Father explained. Nor is the fact that Jesus says words that reach the heart the most important thing – though that certainly helps to meet God. The most important thing is in the Letter to the Hebrews (7:25), where it is written, “Jesus is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.”:
“Jesus saves!” said Pope Francis. “These healings, these words that reach the heart, are the sign and the beginning of salvation – the path of salvation for many who begin to go to hear Jesus or to ask for a healing and then come back to Him and feel salvation.” He went on to ask, “What, though, is most important? That Jesus heals? No, that is not the most important thing. That He teaches us? That is not the most important thing [either]. [The most important thing] is that He saves! He is the Savior and we are saved by him: this is the most important thing, and this is the strength of our faith.”
Jesus intercedes
Jesus ascended to the Father, “and from thence He continues to intercede, every day, every moment for us.”:
“This is relevant today. Jesus stands before the Father, offering His life – the redemption – He shows His wounds to the Father, the price of salvation – and so it is that every day, Jesus intercedes. When we, for one thing or the other, are feeling a little down, let us remember that it is He who prays for us, intercedes for us continually. So many times we forget this: ‘Jesus … but yes, it’s finished, he’s gone to heaven, sent us the Holy Spirit, the story’s over.’ No! Even now, in every moment, Jesus intercedes. In this prayer: ‘Lord Jesus, only have mercy on me,’ He intercedes for me. Turn to the Lord, asking for this intercession.”
The “sensitivity” of the people of God
That Jesus is savior and intercessor is the central point, and we do well to remember this. “Thus, the crowd seeks Jesus with that instinctive sense of hope that is proper to the people of God, which was at that time awaiting the Messiah, and they look to find in Him health, truth, salvation, for He is the Savior and as Savior even now, at this moment, intercedes for us. That our Christian life might be ever more convinced that we are saved, that we have a Savior, Jesus at the right hand of the Father, interceding. May the Lord, the Holy Spirit, make us understand these things.”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis, in an audience with Vatican security personnel Thursday, thanked officers and agents for their service, saying the new year brings many expectations and hopes. Speaking to officers and agents of the Inspectorate of Public Security, State Police and chaplains for the security services, Pope Francis observed the new year also brings “darkness and dangers that worry humanity.” The Pope also said he wished in particular, to recall in prayer one of their Italian colleagues who recently passed away and offered a fond embrace to the man’s wife and son, also present at the audience.
Listen to our report:
As Christians, the Pope said, “we are called not to lose heart and not to be discouraged.”
He reminded security officials of the human and Christian values they represent in “guarding and monitoring places that have great importance for the faith and the life of millions of pilgrims.” The Pope recalled the many people who come to visit the “heart of Christian Rome” and the times they turn to security personnel for assistance. “May each of them feel helped and guarded by your presence and your thoughtfulness,” he said, adding that the Lord holds us all accountable for the good and bad we have done towards others while carrying out our duties.
Below, please find Vatican Radio’s unofficial translation of the original text in Italian:
Mr. Chief of Police,
Mr. Prefect,
Mr Commissioner,
Dear Officers and Agents,
I am pleased to welcome you on the occasion of the exchange of good wishes for the new year, which marks the 70th anniversary of your activity. This traditional meeting gives me the opportunity to extend a personal greeting to you and to express my grateful appreciation for the work you carry out daily with professionalism and dedication.
My greeting and my wishes go first to Dr. Maria Rosaria Maiorino, whom I thank for the kind words addressed to me on behalf of all. I cordially greet the members of the Inspectorate of Public Security at the Vatican, as well as other managers and officials of the State Police and Chaplains led by the National Coordinator. I assure a special remembrance in prayer for your colleague Alessandro, who recently passed away, fondly embracing his wife and son who are here.
We have just started a new year, and many are our expectations and our hopes. On the horizon we also see darkness and dangers that worry humanity. As Christians we are called not to lose heart and not to be discouraged. Our hope rests on an unshakable rock: the love of God, revealed and given to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord. We remember the comforting words of the apostle Paul: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? … But in all these things we are more than conquerors thanks to Him who loved us “(Rom 8,35.37).
Dear officers and agents, in the light of this firm hope, your work takes on a different meaning, which involves human and Christian values. For you, in fact, have the task of guarding and monitoring places that have great importance for the faith and the life of millions of pilgrims. Many people who come to visit the heart of Christian Rome often turn [to you for assistance]. May each of them feel helped and guarded by your presence and your thoughtfulness. Yes, dear brothers and sisters, we are all called to be stewards of our neighbor. The Lord will call us to account for the responsibilities entrusted to us, for the good or bad that we have done towards our neighbor.
We entreat the maternal protection of the Virgin Mother at the beginning of this new year. We entrust to her every concern and hope, so that in all circumstances of life we can love, rejoice and live in the faith of the Son of God who became man for us.
I ask you to please pray for me and offer you my heartfelt blessing.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis, in an audience with Vatican security personnel Friday, thanked officers and agents for their service, saying the new year brings many expectations and hopes. Speaking to officers and agents of the Inspectorate of Public Security, State Police and chaplains for the security services, Pope Francis observed the new year also brings…
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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis told an ecumenical delegation from Finland Thursday that Catholics and Lutherans can do much together “to bear witness to God’s mercy.” The delegation’s visit to Rome coincides with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Feast of St. Henry, the patron saint of Finland. In his discourse to the…
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