Pope
Francis: Thursday Mass in Santa Marta
(Vatican
Radio) The most important thing is not the grace of a physical healing, but the
fact that Jesus saves us and intercedes for us: this was the focus of Pope
Francis’ remarks following the readings of the day at Mass on Thursday morning
in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.
Commenting
on the Gospel of the day (Mark 3:7-12), which tells of great crowds rushing to
Jesus from every region, Pope Francis said that the people of God see in the
Lord “a hope, because His way of acting, teaching, touches their heart, reaches
the heart, because it has the power of the Word of God”:
“The
people feel this, and see that promises are fulfilled in Jesus, that in Jesus
there is hope. The people were a bit bored by the way of teaching the faith, by
the teachers of the Law of that time, who burdened the shoulders of the people
with so many commandments, so many precepts, but did not come to people’s
hearts. And when the people see Jesus and hear Jesus - His proposals, the
Beatitudes – they feel something moving inside – it is the Holy Spirit that is
causing people to stir – and they go to see Jesus.”
Purity
of intention in seeking God
The
crowd goes to Jesus to be healed: that is, they seek their own good. “Never,”
said Pope Francis, “can we follow God with purity of intention right from the
start: it is always a search undertaken a little for us, and a little for God –
and the journey itself purifies this intention.” The Pope went on to say,
“People go, yes, they look for God, but they also look for health, for healing
– and they threw themselves upon Him to touch Him, that some power might go out
of Him and heal them.”
Jesus
saves
The
most important thing, however, is not that Jesus healed. Those healings were a
sign of another healing, the Holy Father explained. Nor is the fact that Jesus
says words that reach the heart the most important thing – though that
certainly helps to meet God. The most important thing is in the Letter to the
Hebrews (7:25), where it is written, “Jesus is always able to save those who
approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for
them.”:
“Jesus
saves!” said Pope Francis. “These healings, these words that reach the heart,
are the sign and the beginning of salvation – the path of salvation for
many who begin to go to hear Jesus or to ask for a healing and then come back
to Him and feel salvation.” He went on to ask, “What, though, is most
important? That Jesus heals? No, that is not the most important thing. That He
teaches us? That is not the most important thing [either]. [The most important
thing] is that He saves! He is the Savior and we are saved by him: this is the
most important thing, and this is the strength of our faith.”
Jesus
intercedes
Jesus
ascended to the Father, “and from thence He continues to intercede, every day,
every moment for us.”:
“This
is relevant today. Jesus stands before the Father, offering His life – the
redemption – He shows His wounds to the Father, the price of salvation – and so
it is that every day, Jesus intercedes. When we, for one thing or the other,
are feeling a little down, let us remember that it is He who prays for us,
intercedes for us continually. So many times we forget this: ‘Jesus ... but
yes, it’s finished, he’s gone to heaven, sent us the Holy Spirit, the story’s
over.’ No! Even now, in every moment, Jesus intercedes. In this prayer: ‘Lord
Jesus, only have mercy on me,’ He intercedes for me. Turn to the Lord, asking
for this intercession.”
The
“sensitivity” of the people of God
That
Jesus is savior and intercessor is the central point, and we do well to
remember this. “Thus, the crowd seeks Jesus with that instinctive sense of hope
that is proper to the people of God, which was at that time awaiting the
Messiah, and they look to find in Him health, truth, salvation, for He is the
Savior and as Savior even now, at this moment, intercedes for us. That our
Christian life might be ever more convinced that we are saved, that we have a
Savior, Jesus at the right hand of the Father, interceding. May the Lord, the
Holy Spirit, make us understand these things.”
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