Pope Francis: GA focus on Triduum, appeal for Brussels
(Vatican Radio) Pope
Francis held his weekly General Audience on Wednesday
in St. Peter’s Square. The Holy Father dedicated his catechetical remarks to
the Paschal Triduum – the three-day liturgical action
that makes the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord present to the
faithful each year in every generation.
Pope Francis explained that
on Holy Thursday, Jesus gives himself to us as food and, in the
washing of feet, teaches us the necessity of serving others, as we prepare to
contemplate the supreme act of loving service, which Christ accomplishes for
all humanity on the Cross.
Good Friday is the commemoration of Christ’s death on the
Cross, during which we contemplate the undying divine love that embraces all
mankind and summons us in turn to love one another in the power of the Spirit.
Holy Saturday is a day of silent, prayerful vigil: it invites
us not only to solidarity with all who are abandoned and alone, but also to
trust in that faithful love which turns death into life.
Citing the great 14th century
mystic, St. Julian of Norwich, who, in one of her visions heard the
Lord say that He rejoices eternally because he was able to suffer for our sake
out of love, Pope Francis departed from his prepared remarks and said, “This is
our Jesus, who says to each and every one of us, ‘If I could suffer more for
you, I would.’”
The Triduum,
explained Pope Francis, “Is all one great mystery of love and
mercy: our words are poor and insufficient to express it fully.”
Pope Francis concluded his
remarks with an exhortation to us all, that we prepare ourselves to celebrate
the coming days with gratitude for this great mystery of God’s mercy, poured
out for us on the Cross of our salvation.
Following the main
catechesis, the Holy Father offered greetings to pilgrims and
tourists of various languages, including Arabic, in which he said, “TheMercy of God and
His love is fully embodied, for each of us, in the face of Jesus who loved us
to the end and offered Himself, so that whoever believes in the power of His
Cross should not perish.” The Pope went on to say, “We pray for all who suffer
for the Lord, that He might turn their sorrows into joys, their suffering into
salvation and their crosses into Resurrection.” He concluded,
saying, “May the Lord bless you all and protect you from the Evil One!”
At the close of the Audience, Pope
Francis promised prayers for the victims of Tuesday morning’s
terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium, and called on the international community and on people of good
will everywhere to condemn terrorism. "I once again appeal to all
people of good will to unite in the unanimous condemnation of these cruel
abominations that are causing only death, terror and horror,” Pope
Francis said. “I ask everyone to persevere in prayer and to ask the
Lord in this Holy Week to comfort the hearts afflicted and
convert the hearts of these people blinded by this cruel fundamentalism,” he
added, before leading the gathered faithful in a Hail Mary and
a moment of silent prayer for the victims of the Brussels attacks,
their families, and the whole Belgian nation.
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