(Vatican Radio) Rivalry and vainglory are two worms that weaken the Church; instead we must act in a spirit of humility and harmony, without seeking our own interests said Pope Francis Monday morning at Mass in Casa Santa Marta. Taking a cue from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, the Pope noted that…
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(Vatican Radio) At sunset on Sunday, Pope Francis descended into the grottoes beneath the high altar of St Peter’s basilica to pray, as is tradition on the Feast of All Souls, before the tombs of his predecessors.
The moment of prayer began at 6pm Rome time with a reading from Scripture and the recitation of the prayer for the dead by Pope Francis.
The Pope then paused for a moment of silent prayer before the tombs of his predecessors beginning with that of St. Peter.
Positioned just below the Renaissance basilica and above Constantine’s 4th century basilica, the grottos contain chapels dedicated to various saints and tombs of kings, queens and popes, dating from the 10th century.
The holiest place is Peter’s tomb, containing the “memory”, built in the 4th century by the Emperor Constantine, on the spot were the Apostle’s tomb is venerated.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) At sunset on Sunday, Pope Francis descended into the grottoes beneath the high altar of St Peter’s basilica to pray, as is tradition on the Feast of All Souls, before the tombs of his predecessors. The moment of prayer began at 6pm Rome time with a reading from Scripture and the recitation of…
Read more
(Vatican Radio) Rivalry and vainglory are two worms that weaken the Church; instead we must act in a spirit of humility and harmony, without seeking our own interests said Pope Francis Monday morning at Mass in Casa Santa Marta.
Taking a cue from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, the Pope noted that a bishop’s joy lies in seeing love, unity and harmony in his Church. “This harmony – he said – is a grace, which the Holy Spirit creates, but we must do our part, we must do everything to help the Holy Spirit to create this harmony in the Church”. This is why St. Paul calls the Philippians to do nothing “out of selfishness or out of vainglory” or “fight against each other, just to be seen, to give themselves the air of being better than others”. “You see – he noted – this is not just something new to today”, but “goes way back”.
” And how often in our institutions, in the Church, in the parish, for example, in schools, do we find that, no? Rivalry; the need to be seen; vainglory. We see that there are two worms that eat the fabric of the Church, weakening her. Rivalry and vainglory go against this harmony, this agreement. Instead of rivalry and vainglory, what does Paul recommend? ‘ Rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves’ . He felt this himself. He qualifies himself as ‘not worthy to be called an apostle,’ the least [among others]. He even strongly humbles himself there. This was his sentiment: He thought others were superior to him “.
The Pope then quoted St. Martin de Porres, a “humble Dominican friar,” whom the Church remembers today: “His spirituality was in service, because he felt that all the others, even the greatest sinners, were superior to him. He really felt this”. St. Paul then urges everyone not to look out for his own interests:
” Look for the good of others. Serving others. But this is the joy of a bishop, when he sees his Church like this: the same sentiment, the same charity, being in unanimous accord. This is the air that Jesus wants in the Church. You can have a different opinion, that’s fine, but always within this air, this atmosphere: humility, charity, without despising anyone”.
Referring to the Gospel of the day, Pope Francis added:
“It’s bad, when we find people who seek their own interests not service, not love, in Church institutions, in dioceses, in parishes. And this is what Jesus says in the Gospel: Do not seek your own interests; do not take the road of seeking repayment. ‘Look, I have done this for you, but you have to do this for me’. And, with this parable, of inviting to dinner those who cannot repay you with anything. This is gratuity. When there is harmony in a Church, there is unity, no one seeks his or her own interests, and there is an attitude of gratitude. I do good; I don’t strike a deal with good “.
In conclusion, the Pope invited everyone to examine their conscience, “what is my parish like … my community? Does it have this spirit? What is my institution like? Is this spirit, this sentiment of love, unanimity, concord, without selfishness or vainglory, of humility, is this vision that others are superior to us, in our parish, in our community … and perhaps we will find that there is something to improve. Now, how can I help to improve this?
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) On the Feast of All Souls, Pope Francis has asked people to pray for the world’s forgotten dead, “those who no one remembers”, the “victims of war and violence; the many “little ones” of the world crushed by hunger and poverty” and “the anonymous who rest in common graves”.
Above all he has asked people to offer prays of suffrage and the celebration of the Eucharist for those “our brothers and sisters killed because they are Christians; and those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have left over the last year”.
Emer McCarthy reports, Listen:
Below a Vatican Radio translation of the Holy Father’s Angelus address:
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good day!
Yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints, and today the liturgy invites us to commemorate the faithful departed. These two occurrences are intimately linked to each other, just as joy and tears find a synthesis in Jesus Christ, that is the foundation of our faith and our hope. On the one hand, in fact, the Church, a pilgrim in history, rejoices through the intercession of the saints and blessed who support her in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel; on the other, she, like Jesus, shares the tears of those who suffer the separation from loved ones, and like Him and through Him echoes thanks to the Father who has delivered us from the dominion of sin and death.
Yesterday and today many people visit the cemetery, which, as the word itself implies, is the “place of rest”, as we wait for the final awakening. It is lovely to think that it will be Jesus who will awaken us. Jesus himself revealed that the death of the body is like a sleep from which he awakens us. With this faith we stop – even spiritually – at the graves of our loved ones, those who have loved us and have done good deeds for us. But today we are called to remember everyone, to remember everyone, even those who no one remembers. We remember the victims of war and violence; the many “little ones” of the world crushed by hunger and poverty. We remember the anonymous who rest in common graves. We remember our brothers and sisters killed because they are Christians; and those who sacrificed their lives to serve others. We especially entrust to the Lord, those who have left over the last year.
Church tradition has always urged prayer for the dead, in particular by offering the celebration of the Eucharist for them: it is the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to the most abandoned ones. The foundation of prayers in suffrage of souls is in the communion of the Mystical Body. As the Second Vatican Council reiterates, “fully conscious of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the pilgrim Church from the very first ages of the Christian religion has cultivated with great piety the memory of the dead” (Lumen Gentium, 50 ).
Remembering the dead, caring for their graves and prayers of suffrage, are witness of confident hope, rooted in the certainty that death is not the last word on human fate, death is not the last word, because man is destined to a life without limits, which has its roots and its fulfillment in God. Let us raise this prayer to God:
God of infinite mercy,
we entrust to Your immense goodness all those who have left this world for eternity, where you await all humanity, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ Your Son, who died to save us from our sins.
Look not Lord, at our poverty, misery and human weaknesses when we present ourselves before You to be judged in happiness or condemned.
Gaze upon us with pity, born of Your tender heart and help us to walk the path of purification.
May none of your children be lost to the eternal fires of hell, where repentance is no more.
We entrust to You Lord, the souls of our beloved departed, of those who died without the comfort of the Sacraments or who did not have the opportunity to repent, not even at the end of their life.
May no one fear the encounter with You at the end of their earthly pilgrimage, in the hope of being welcomed within the embrace of your infinite mercy. May sister death find us in prayerful vigilance, and full of all the good we have done during our existence, be it long or short.
Lord, may nothing distance us from you on this earth, may everything and everyone support us in our ardent hope to serenely and eternally rest in You.
Amen
With this faith in man’s supreme destiny, we now turn to the Virgin Mary, who suffered the drama of Christ’s death under the Cross and participated in the joy of His resurrection. May she, Gate of Heaven, help us to understand more and more the value of prayers for the dead. They are close to us. May she support us in our daily pilgrimage on earth and help us not to lose sight of the ultimate goal of life which is Heaven. And we with this hope that never disappoints we move forward!
AFTER ANGELUS
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I greet all the families, church groups, associations and pilgrims who have come from Rome, Italy, from many parts of the world. In particular, I greet the faithful of the Diocese of Sevilla (Spain), those from the Casa Finali in Cesena and volunteers of Oppeano and Granzette who offer clown therapy in hospitals.
I hope you all have a good Sunday, in the Christian memory of our deceased loved ones. Do not forget to pray for me.
Buon pranzo e arrivederci!
(from Vatican Radio)…