(Vatican Radio) Speaking to pilgrims gathered in a freezing St Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Francis asked for prayers for all those living and dying on the streets at this time of year.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s report:
The Pope’s words came during his Angelus address at the end of Mass marking the feast of Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan. As Jesus came to be baptised, the Pope said, John the Baptist tries to stop him, saying he is the one who should be baptised by Jesus. But, the Pope continued, Jesus came down to earth to close the gap between God and man, to fulfill God’s will and to show that God remains close to us, his children.
Christians must be humble servants
As Jesus was baptized, the voice of God was heard saying “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” and a dove was seen as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Pope said that was the moment when Jesus began his public mission, in the style of a humble servant. All disciples of Christ, he said, must use that same missionary style, not shouting or scolding people, not with arrogance or imposition, but firmly and gently with the example of their own lives.
After praying the Angelus prayer, the Pope remembered the homeless and especially those who’ve died during the extreme cold weather. May the Lord warm our hearts to be able to help those who live on the streets, he said.
Practical support for homeless
The Pope’s almoner, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, told Vatican Radio yesterday that the three hostels run by the Vatican, close to St Peter’s and to Termini train station, will remain open 24 hours a day while the cold weather continues. He said a number of cars have also been made available as a place to sleep for those who wish to remain on the streets, while special thermal sleeping bags and gloves are being provided to try and protect the homeless from the freezing temperatures.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday baptised 28 babies during Mass in the Sistine chapel, telling their families that Jesus’ first sermon was the sound of his crying in the stable at Bethlehem.
Surrounded by the sounds of baby noises, the Pope gave a short, off-the-cuff homily on the faith which is given to children in Baptism. Faith, he said, does not just mean reciting the Creed on Sundays, but rather it means believing in the truth, trusting in God and teaching others with the example of our lives.
Faith, the Pope continued, is also the light which grows in our hearts – that’s why a lighted candle is given to every person being baptized. In the early years of the Church, he noted, baptism was called ‘illumination’ to show the way in which faith helps us see things in a different light. To the parents who had brought their children to be baptized, he said “you have the task of making that faith grow, of nurturing it, so that it may bear witness to others”.
As the sounds of crying grew louder, the Pope joked that the concert had begun. The babies are crying, he said, because they are in an unfamiliar place, or because they had to get up early, or sometimes simply because they hear another child crying. Jesus did just the same, Pope Francis said, adding that he liked to think of Our Lord’s first sermon as his crying in the stable. And if your children are crying because they are hungry, the Pope told the mothers present, then go ahead and feed them, just as Mary breastfed Jesus.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Bulletin for 01/08/2017
(Vatican Radio) “We learn from the Magi not to devote only spare time and some thoughts every now and then. Like the Magi, let us set out, clothe ourselves in the light following the star of Jesus, and love the Lord with all our might”. Those were Pope Francis’ words to the thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus of the Epiphany, to which he donated a book on Mercy distributed by the poor attendance.
Like the Magi chose to be guided by the star of Jesus – said the Pope, “even in our life there are several stars. It’s up to us to choose which to follow.”
“There are flashing lights that come and go, like the small pleasures of life: although good, they are not enough… “
The Magi invite us to follow the true light that is Lord – said Pope Francis – “a light that does not dazzle, but it accompanies and gives a unique joy. Follow today, among the many shooting stars in the world, the bright star of Jesus! Following it, we will have the joy, like that of the Magi. ”
“I would like, the Pope said, to invite everyone not to be afraid of this light and open up to the Lord. Above all I would say to those who have lost the strength to look, to those who, are dominated by the darkness of life, …Courage, the light of Jesus can overcome the darkest darkness. ”
“We learn from the Magi not to devote to Jesus only spare time and some thoughts every now and then…”
Concluding the Angelus, Pope Francis donated to those present in St Peter’s Square a small booklet on Mercy which was distributed by more than 300 poor people present in St Peter’s Square to whom the Pope offered lunch.
“The Magi offered their gifts to Jesus, And speaking of gifts, I thought I’d give you a little gift: The “Icons of mercy” booklet. The gift of God is Jesus, the Father’s mercy; and so, to remember this gift of God, I will give this gift that will be distributed by the poor, the homeless and refugees along with many volunteers and religious whom I cordially greet and thank you wholeheartedly. ”
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Friday celebrated Mass for the feast of the Epiphany telling the faithful in St Peter’s Basilica the Magi personify all those who believe and long for God.
Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report:
The 6th of January is synonymous with the Magi who, following a star are led to the Christ child in Bethlehem. And it was next to a manger containing the baby Jesus in St Peter’s Basilica that Pope Francis in his homily spoke about these three Kings who, he said, “personify all those who believe, those who long for God, who yearn for their home, their heavenly homeland.”
They reflect, he added, “the image of all those who in their lives have not let their hearts become anesthetized.”
Like these kings, the Pope explained, “a holy longing for God helps us keep alert in the face of every attempt to reduce and impoverish our life. That longing keeps hope alive in the community of believers, which from week to week continues to plead: “Come, Lord Jesus”.”
Longing for God, continued the Holy Father, “has its roots in the past yet does not remain there: it reaches out to the future. Pope Francis said, “believers who feel this longing are led by faith to seek God, as the Magi did, in the most distant corners of history, for they know that there the Lord awaits them. They go to the peripheries, to the frontiers, to places not yet evangelized, to encounter their Lord.”
But the Pope noted, “an entirely different attitude reigned in the palace of Herod, … He slept, anesthetized by a cauterized conscience. He was bewildered, afraid. It is the bewilderment which, when faced with the newness that revolutionizes history, closes in on itself and its own achievements, its knowledge, its successes.” A bewilderment, the Holy Father stressed, “born of fear and foreboding before anything that challenges us, calls into question our certainties and our truths, our ways of clinging to the world and this life.”
The Magi, underlined Pope Francis, “had to discover that what they sought was not in a palace, but elsewhere, both existentially and geographically. There, in the palace, they did not see the star guiding them to discover a God who wants to be loved. For only under the banner of freedom, not tyranny, the Pope said, “is it possible to realize that the gaze of this unknown but desired king does not abase, enslave, or imprison us.”
It is a merciful gaze, noted the Pope, that heals, forgives, and comforts those who suffer.
What the Magi found in Bethlehem concluded Pope Francis. “was a promise of newness. There something new was taking place. The Magi were able to worship, because they had the courage to set out. And as they fell to their knees before the small, poor and vulnerable Infant, the unexpected and unknown Child of Bethlehem, they discovered the glory of God.”
(from Vatican Radio)…