Pope Francis at Mass: ‘by
welcoming little ones we welcome Jesus'
 |
| Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Kaunas, Lithuania.-ANSA |
Reflecting on the Gospel for the XXV Sunday of Ordinary time,
Pope Francis says during his homily at Mass in Santakos Park in Kaunas,
Lithuania, that we too welcome Jesus when we welcome the little ones.
By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp
Pope Francis began the second day of his 25th Apostolic
Journey to the Baltic States by celebrating Mass in Sàntakos
Park, in Kaunas, Lithuania. His homily was
inspired by the Gospel of the day from the liturgy of the XXV Sunday in
Ordinary Time (Mk 9:30-37).
Jesus with his disciples
Jesus is at “at the halfway point of his journey to
Jerusalem, Pope Francis began. Since he knows that the finale “would entail
moments of trial and grief,” Jesus wants to prepare his disciples and “wanted
them to renew their choice to follow him”, Pope Francis said.
Lithuania’s disciples
Pope Francis then compared what Jesus’ disciples faced with
what Lithuania's disciples faced during their "experience of the cross”.
Earlier generations still bear the scars of the period of
the occupation, anguish at those who were deported, uncertainty about those who
never returned, shame for those who were informers and traitors.
The First Reading (Wisdom 2:10-12), “speaks of the just who
are persecuted…for their goodness”, Pope Francis continued.
How many of you can identify first hand, or in the
history of some family member, with that passage which we just read?
the Pope asked. He then said that the people of Lithuania,
who still shudder when they hear the word “Siberia”, can say with James in the
Second Reading: “they covet, they murder…” (see 4:2).
Memories of the past
Seeking power, like the disciples did, “is the sign of those
who fail to heal the memories of the past,” the Pope continued. Focusing only
on those who were better, “who acted with greater dignity” in the past, denies
that history, the Pope said. He called that past “glorious”, because it was
filled with “sacrifice, hope and struggle with lives spent in service and
fidelity to work”.
Jesus’ antidote
Jesus gives an antidote to remedy this "struggle for
power" and the "rejection of the sacrifice", Pope Francis
explained. Jesus, the teacher, puts in their midst a “child who would earn a
penny” doing what no one else wanted to do. “Who would Jesus place in our midst
today, on this Sunday morning?” the Pope asked —the ethnic minorities, the
unemployed, migrants, the elderly, the lonely, rootless young people?
The Church is called to place these people in the midst of
the present-day disciples, Pope Francis said. Thus, no one can give the excuse
that they haven’t seen them. Being on the move, going out, also means stopping
at times, “to set aside our worries…to notice…to listen…to accompany those left
on the side of the road”, the Pope said. Thus we learn, like the disciples did,
“that in welcoming a little child, we welcome Jesus himself”.
Pope Francis concluded saying, that such a welcome allows
Jesus “to heal our memory”, and “we make it known to all that Jesus Christ is
our true hope”.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét