Pope Francis at Angelus: vigilance, solicitude as we await the coming Lord
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis prayed the Angelus on Sunday with people gathered in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square, beneath the window of the Papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace.
In remarks to the pilgrims and tourists on hand, which he delivered ahead of the traditional noonday prayer of Marian devotion, the Holy Father focused on the Gospel reading of the day, which on this Sunday was from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (Lk. 12:32-48), in which Jesus tells the disciples once again not to mind the things of the world, but to work for the kingdom of God and store up treasure in heaven. “For,” he tells them, “where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
Jesus goes on in the passage to relate three short parables regarding the Second Coming, the unifying theme of which is vigilance.
The unexpected return of the Master of the House, the thief in the night, and the behavior of the steward in the wake of his Master’s departure each in its own way point us to the need for sober watchfulness, keen awareness, and careful attention to our duty under justice and tireless solicitude for our fellows in charity, as we await the Lord, whose coming is certain, but whose hour we cannot know.
“Jesus,” said Pope Francis, “today reminds us that the expectation of eternal beatitude does not dispense us from our responsibility to work for a more just and more habitable world. Indeed, it is precisely this, our hope of possessing the Kingdom in eternity, which encourages us to work towards improving the conditions of life on earth, especially those of our weakest brothers and sisters.”