(Vatican Radio) Jesus’ first miracle, at the Wedding Feast of Cana, was the focus of Pope Francis’ catechesis at the General Audience Wednesday 8 June 2016. Following on from his earlier reflections on parables of mercy during this Jubilee Year, the Pope said Christ’s miracles were not performed so that people would “marvel” at them, but rather, through them, Christ revealed the Father’s love for us. They are also, he said, an invitation for the renewal of our faith.
Below, please find Pope Francis’ remarks to English speaking pilgrims:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: In our continuing catechesis for this Holy Year of Mercy, we now consider the first of Jesus’ miracles, the changing of water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. Saint John fittingly calls these miracles “signs”, for by them the Lord reveals the Father’s merciful love. Jesus’ choice of a wedding feast points to the deeper meaning of this miracle. It is a sign of the new covenant that he came to inaugurate, the messianic banquet promised for the end times, where he is the Bridegroom and the Church his bride. By changing the water kept for ritual purification into new wine, Jesus signals that he is the fulfilment of the Law and the prophets. Mary’s command to the servants – “Do whatever he tells you” – can serve as a programme of life for the Church. We are called constantly to renew our love for the Lord, and to draw new wine, new life, from his saving wounds. The miracle at Cana reminds us that we are invited, as members of the Lord’s family, the Church, to draw near to him in faith, and thus to share in the joy of the wedding feast of the new and eternal covenant.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Scotland, France, the Netherlands, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, 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)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has sent his greetings to the 11th National Eucharistic Congress of Argentina, currently taking place in Tucuman.
In a Message sent through the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy Father gave urged all the faithful to “continue in deepening their love for the Eucharist, which is the daily food which strengthens faith, as well as nourishing fraternity and the commitment to those most in need.”
The Message concluded by asking participants to pray for the Pope, while also invoking the maternal protection of the Virgin of Lujan.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged believers to be true Christians and give flavor to the life of others, not to be tempted to shine light upon themselves but to bring the light of faith to their neighbors and to mankind.
The Pope was speaking on Tuesday morning during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta .
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni :
Drawing inspiration from the Gospel reading of the day, Pope Francis spoke of when Jesus told his disciples “you are the salt of the earth”, “you are the light of the world”.
Christians, he said, must be salt and light, but never self-serving: salt must add flavor and light must illuminate the other.
The Pope continued his homily with the question: “what must a Christian do in order for the salt not to run out, so that the oil to light the lamp does not come to an end?”
The “battery” a Christian uses to generate light, the Pope explained, is simply prayer.
“There are many things one can do, many works of charity, many great things for the Church – a Catholic University, a college, a hospital – you may even be rewarded as a benefactor of the Church with a monument, but if you do not pray, it will be dark and dimly lit” he said.
Prayer, the Pope said, is what lights up Christian life, and he highlighted the fact that prayer is a “serious” matter: “a prayer of adoration to God the Father, a prayer of praise to the Holy Trinity, a prayer of thanksgiving, a prayer to request to God… prayer must come from the heart”.
As regards the salt that Christians are called to be: it becomes salt when it is given to others.
This, Pope Francis explained, is another Christian attitude: “to give of oneself, to give flavor to the lives of others, to give flavor to many things with the message of the Gospel”.
Salt is something to be used, not to keep for oneself – Francis elaborated – but to give to others.
“It’s curious – he continued – both salt and light are for others, not for oneself: salt does not give flavor to itself; light does not illuminate itself”.
Of course, he noted, you may be wondering how long salt and light can last without running out if we continue to give of ourselves relentlessly.
“That’s where the power of God comes in, the Pope explained, because the Christian is salt given to us by God during Baptism, it’s a gift that never ends”.
And reflecting on the reading from Kings in which Zarephath’s widow trusts the prophet Elijah and thus, her flour and her oil never run out, Pope Francis urged Christians to shine brightly and always overcome the temptation to shine light upon themselves.
And calling it ‘mirror spirituality’ he said “it is a bad thing” to want to shine light onto oneself: “Be light to illuminate, be salt to give flavor and to preserve”.
“May your light shine before men, the Pope concluded, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has urged Christians to follow the indications provided in the Beatitudes in order to avoid taking the path of greed, vanity and egoism.
Speaking on Monday morning during Mass at the Casa Santa Marta the Pope drew inspiration from the Gospel of Matthew and said the Beatitudes can be used as “navigators” that shine the light on the pathway of Christian life.
Reflecting on the famous Sermon on the Mount, Pope Francis said Jesus’ teaching on that occasion did not erase the old law; rather it ‘perfected’ it bringing it to its fullness:
“This is the new law, the one we call ‘the Beatitudes’. It’s the Lord’s new law for us”.
He described it as the roadmap for Christian life which gives us the indications to move forward on the right path.
The Pope continued his homily commenting on the words of the evangelist Luke who also speaks of the Beatitudes and lists what he calls the ‘four woes’: ‘Woe to the rich, to the satiated, to those who laugh now, to you when all speak well of you’.
And recalling the fact that many times he has said that riches are good, what’s bad the Pope reminded us is ‘the attachment to riches’ which becomes idolatry.
“This is the anti-law, the wrong navigator. The three slippery steps that lead to perdition, just as the Beatitudes are the steps that take us forward in life” he said.
And elaborating on that thought the Pope said the three steps that lead to perdition are:
“the attachment to riches, because I need nothing;”
“Vanity – that all must speak well of me, making me feel important, making too much of a fuss… and I am convinced to be in the right” he said, referring also the parable of the self-righteous Pharisee and the Tax Collector: “O God I thank you that I am such a good Catholic, not like my neighbor…”
“The third – he said – is pride, the satiation and the laughter that closes one’s heart”.
Of all the Beatitudes – the Pope said there is one in particular: “I’m not saying it is the key to all of them, but it induces us to much reflection and it is: Blessed are the meek. Meekness”.
“Jesus says of himself: ‘learn from me for I am meek of heart’, I am humble and gentle at heart. To be meek is a way of being that brings us close to Jesus” he said.
“The opposite attitude, Pope Francis concluded, always causes enmities and wars…lots of bad things that happen. But meekness, meekness of heart which is not foolishness, no: it’s something else. It’s the capacity to be deep and to understand the greatness of God, and worship Him”.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis met with delegations from Sweden and Poland on Sunday morning, ahead of the Mass at which the Holy Father canonized one new saint from each country: Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczyński, and Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda led his country’s delegation, accompanied by his wife, Agata Kornhauser-Duda. The Swedish delegation was headed by the country’s Culture Minister, Alice Bah Kuhnke. The Holy Father also met with the Catholic Archbishop of Stockholm, Anders Arborelius, and with the Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala, Antje Jackelen. (from Vatican Radio)…