(Vatican Radio) Below, please find Vatican Radio’s translation of the full text of Pope Francis’ address at the Regina Coeli on Sunday:
Pope Francis
Regina Coeli
17 April 2016
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno !
The Gospel of today (Jn 10:27-30) offers us some expressions pronounced by Jesus during the feast of the dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem, which is celebrated at the end of December. He is found in the area of the Temple, and perhaps that enclosed sacred space suggested to Him the image of the sheepfold and the shepherd. Jesus is presented as ‘the Good Shepherd,’ and says, ‘My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one can take them out of My hand’ (vv. 27-28). These words help us to understand that no one can call himself a follower of Jesus, if he does not listen to His voice. And this “listening” should not be understood in a superficial way, but in an engaged manner, to the point of making possible a true mutual comprehension, from which one can come to a generous following, expressed in the words, ‘and they follow me’ (v. 27). It concerns a listening not only of the ears, but a listening of the heart!
And so, the image of the shepherd and the sheep indicates the close relationship that Jesus wants to establish with each one of us. He is our guide, our teacher, our friend, our model, but above all He is our Saviour. In fact, the following expressions from the Gospel passage affirm, ‘I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one can take them out of My hand’ (v. 28). Who can say that? Only Jesus, because the ‘hand’ of Jesus is one single thing with the ‘hand’ of the Father, and the Father is ‘greater than all’ (v. 29).
These words communicate to us a sense of absolute security and of immense tenderness. Our life is fully secure in the hands of Jesus and the Father, which are one single thing: one unique love, a unique mercy, revealed once for all in the sacrifice of the Cross. To save the lost sheep which we all are, the Shepherd is made a lamb, and is allowed to be immolated to take upon Himself and to take away the sin of the world. In this way He has given us life, life in abundance (cfr. Jn 10:10)! This mystery is renewed, in an always surprising humility, on the Eucharistic table. It is there that the sheep are gathered to nourish themselves; it is there that they become one thing, between themselves and with the Good Shepherd.
Because of this we are no longer afraid: our life is now saved from perdition. Nothing and no one can take us from the hands of Jesus, because nothing and no one can overcome His love. The love of Jesus is invincible. The evil one, the great enemy of God and of His creatures, attempts in many ways to take eternal life from us. But the evil one can do nothing if we ourselves do not open to him the doors of our hearts, following his deceitful enticements.
The Virgin Mary has listened to and followed docilely the voice of the Good Shepherd. May she help us to welcome with joy the invitation of Jesus to become His disciples, and to live always in the certainty of being in the paternal hands of the Father.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated the World Day of Prayer for Vocations by ordaining eleven men to the priesthood at St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday.
In his homily, based on the sermon for ordinations found in the Italian edition of the Roman Pontifical, the Holy Father asked the new priests to “remember your history, the gift of the Word of the Lord given to you by your mothers, your grandmothers – as Saint Paul says – by the catechists and by the whole Church.”
He called them “to bear within” themselves “the death of Christ, to walk with Christ in newness of life,” and he reminded them that “without the Cross you will never find the true Jesus; and a Cross without Jesus makes no sense.” The Pope implored the new priests, “in the name of that same Jesus Christ, the Lord, and in the name of the Church… to be merciful, so very merciful.”
Finally, Pope Francis reminded the priests that they are chosen. “Chosen, don’t forget this. Chosen! And the Lord has called you, one by one.”
Later, following the Regina Coeli prayer in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis once again called to mind the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, in which “we are invited to pray for vocations to the priesthood and to consecrated life.” Once again he greeted the newly-ordained and their families and friends, and he invited all priests and seminarians to take part in their upcoming Jubilee during the first three days of June.
And he called on young people, both young men and young women, to consider whether they are being called by the Lord to consecrate their lives “to His service, whether in the priesthood, or in the consecrated life.”
(from Vatican Radio)…