(Vatican Radio) Saturday afternoon Pope Francis visited Villa Nazareth in the Pineta Sacchetti area of Rome. Villa Nazareth was founded in 1946 for orphans and poor children in order to provide the underprivileged with educational opportunities.
Today Villa Nazareth helps young people who are experiencing economic hardship but who also show great intellectual potential. It provides them with a program of Christian formation and inspiration. The institution’s charism, its mission, is to promote a “diaconate of culture” and to form people who can be role models in society as moral witnesses.
Pope Francis gave a catechesis on Luke’s gospel passage of the Good Samaritan. There are many characters in this passage, he said, but who qualifies as a neighbor? The robber, the poor man who was left for dead on the road, the priest, the doctor of the law, the lawyer? Or the innkeeper? Perhaps none of these knew how to answer such a question. The priest was in a hurry, like all priests and no doubt he’s looking at his watch and saying to himself that he must celebrate the Mass, or that he’s left the door of the church open and he must close it. The doctor of the law, a practical man, said “But if I meddle in this, tomorrow I must go to court, give my testimony, say what I’ve done, losing two, three days of work … ”
Instead, this other person, a sinner, a foreigner who was not, properly speaking, a member of the people of God, finds himself moved: “He had compassion.” And he stopped. All three – the priest, the lawyer and the Samaritan – knew well what to do. And each made their own decision.
Pope Francis said, however, that it could be of benefit to think of the situation from the perspective of the innkeeper who remains anonymous. He’s watched all of what has happened and does not understand anything, saying to himself, “But this is crazy! A Samaritan who helps a Jew? It’s crazy! And then, with his own hands he tends wounds and brings him to the hotel and tells me, ‘But you, take care of him, I will pay you if it’s something more.’ But I have never seen this! This is crazy!”
And that man, Pope Francis continued, has received the Word of God in testimony. Whose? Of the priest? No, because he didn’t even see the man. The lawyer is the same. The sinner, however: he has compassion. He was not a faithful member of the People of God but he had compassion. And he understood nothing.
This, Pope Francis said, is what qualifies as testimony. The testimony of this sinner has sowed restlessness in the heart of the innkeeper. What happened to this innkeeper the Gospel does not say – and doesn’t even record his name. But surely this man’s curiosity grew, his restlessness has been allowed to grow in his heart.
Pope Francis asked, “And why do I dwell today on this character, this person?” The testimony, he says, is to live in this way so that others “may see your works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven”, that is, to meet the Father.
Pope Francis concluded by hoping that all who see the good work of Villa Nazareth may respond in this way and not as priests who may rush away quickly or doctors who wish to present the faith of Jesus Christ with mathematical rigidity. May we be taught the wisdom of the Gospel: “to get one’s hands dirty.” May the Lord give us this grace.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Bulletin for 06/19/2016
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis held his special Jubilee Audience for the month of June in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, reflecting on Jesus’ call to conversion which was expressed not in judgment but in closeness to sinners and mercy to those in need Listen to Devin Watkins’ report:
Reflecting on the Gospel passage in which the Risen Jesus encounters his disciples on the road to Emmaus, Pope Francis said Jesus’ call to conversion is an experience of unmerited love which leads to openness to others, especially to the poor. He said the theme of conversion is present throughout the Bible, especially in the message of the prophets who continually invited people to ‘return to the Lord’. “Conversion for the prophets means changing direction and turning anew to the Lord, trusting that He loves us and that His love is always faithful.” He said Jesus focused more than the prophets on the interior dimension of conversion, making repentance the first word of his preaching ministry, as seen in the Gospel of Mark: “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1,15). The Holy Father went on to say that Jesus’ call to conversion was expressed not in judgment but in closeness to sinners and mercy to those in need. “When Jesus calls to conversion, he does not set himself up as judge of persons, but he calls from a position of nearness, because he shares in the human condition, and calls from the street, from the home, from the table… Mercy towards those who needed to change their lives took place through his lovable presence so as to involve each person in his salvation history. With this way of being, Jesus touched the depth of people’s hearts and they felt attracted by the love of God and invited to change their life.” Pope Francis concluded that the experience of God’s unmerited love in Jesus opens us to true conversion, which always entails openness to others, especially the poor. “True conversion happens when we accept the gift of grace, and a clear sign of its authenticity is when we become aware of the needs of our brothers and are ready to draw near to them. […] Let us follow, therefore, this invitation of the Lord and let us not put up resistance, because only if we open ourselves to mercy will we find true life and true joy.” Below, please find a Vatican Radio English translation of the Pope’s Audience address: Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! After his resurrection, Jesus appeared several times to the disciples before ascending to the glory of the Father. The Gospel passage which we just heard (Luke 24,45-48) tells of one of these apparitions, in which the Lord points out the fundamental content of the message which the apostles will offer to the world. We can synthesize it with two words: “conversion” and “forgiveness of sins”. These are two qualifying aspects of the mercy of God, which takes care of us in love. Today we shall consider conversion. This theme is present through the Bible and, in a special way, in the preaching of the prophets, who continually invite the people to “return to the Lord” asking them to forgive and change their style of life. Conversion, according to the prophets, means changing direction and turning anew to the Lord, trusting that He loves us and that His love is always faithful. Jesus made conversion the first word of his preaching: “Convert, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1,15). It is with this proclamation that He presents Himself to the people, asking them to accept his word as the final and definitive word of the Father for humanity (cf. Mark 12,1-11). Compared to the preaching of the prophets, Jesus insists even more on the interior dimension of conversion. Indeed, the entire person is involved in it, heart and mind, in order to become a new creature. When Jesus calls to conversion, he does not set himself up as judge of persons, but he calls from a position of nearness, because he shares in the human condition, and calls from the street, from the home, from the table… Mercy towards those who needed to change their lives took place through his lovable presence so as to involve each person in his salvation history. With this way of being, Jesus touched the depth of people’s hearts and they felt attracted by the love of God and invited to change their life. For example, the conversion of Matthew (cf. Matthew 9,9-13) and of Zacchaeus (cf. Luke 19,1-10) happened in exactly this manner, because they felt loved by Jesus and, through Him, by the Father. True conversion happens when we accept the gift of grace, and a clear sign of its authenticity is when we become aware of the needs of our brothers and are ready to draw near to them. Dear brothers and sisters, how many times have we also felt the need to effect a change which would involve our entire person! How many times do we say to ourselves: “I need to change, I can’t continue this way. My life on this path will not give fruit; it will be a useless life and I won’t be happy.” How often these thoughts come! And Jesus, who is near us, extends his hand and says, “Come, come to me. I’ll do the work: I’ll change your heart, I’ll change your life, I will make you happy.” But do we believe this, yes or no? What do you think: do you believe this or not? Less applause and more voice! Do you believe or not? ‘Yes!’ So it is. Jesus who is with us invites us to change our life. It is He, with the Holy Spirit, who seeds in us the this restlessness to change life and be a little better.Let us follow, therefore, this invitation of the Lord and let us not put up resistance, because only if we open ourselves to mercy will we find true life and true joy. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) During his special Jubilee audience in St Peter’s Square on Saturday, Pope Francis said Jesus’ call to conversion is an experience of unmerited love which leads to openness to others, especially to the poor. He said Jesus’ call to conversion was expressed in closeness to sinners and mercy to those in need, rather than in judgment, allowing sinners to feel God’s loving mercy and to open their hearts to his gift of forgiveness. Below, please find the official English-language summary of Pope Francis’ catechesis, which was delivered in Italian. ****************************************** Dear Brothers and Sisters: Appearing to the disciples in Emmaus, the Risen Jesus tells them that repentance and the forgiveness of sins are to be preached to all nations in his name (Lk 24:47). Repentance and the forgiveness of sins are at the heart of the Gospel message of God’s merciful love. The Old Testament prophets repeatedly call the people to “return to the Lord” in fidelity to his covenant of love. Jesus began his public ministry by preaching repentance, interior conversion and belief in the Gospel (cf. Mk 1:15). His call to conversion was expressed not in judgment but in closeness to sinners and mercy to those in need. As we see in the conversion accounts of Matthew and Zacchaeus, Jesus enabled sinners to feel God’s loving mercy and to open their hearts to his gift of forgiveness. As an experience of unmerited love, true conversion always entails openness to others, especially the poor. In this Holy Year of Mercy, may we recognize our own need of forgiveness and conversion, and open our hearts ever more fully to the power of the Lord’s grace to transform and renew our lives. ******************************************** I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and the United States of America. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. (from Vatican Radio)…