The people of God with their
pastor, Pope Francis
Thousands of people send messages and pictures to thank Pope
Francis for accompanying them during these difficult months of lockdown, and
for allowing everyone to participate in the daily Masses celebrated in the Casa
Santa Marta.
By Massimiliano Menichetti
"Thank you for bringing Christ into every home" –
"Thank you for helping and supporting us" – "Thank you for the
message of hope" – "Thank you for the spiritual Communion" –
"Let us pray for an end to the pandemic, for everyone, for you, Holy
Father" – "Thank you for the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta, it
made us feel good" – "Thank you for not leaving us alone" –
"I had no faith and now I cry before the Crucifix".
From the 5 continents: personal messages, messages of
gratitude, prayers, photos, and even videos. Images and words tell the
Pope about what has happened in every part of the world as he raised the
Blessed Sacrament to bless the world each morning, imploring the intercession
of the Lord to defeat the pandemic.
Space for prayer
Everything began on Monday, March 9. Pope Francis prayed for
"the sick, for those affected by the coronavirus, for doctors, nurses,
volunteers who help so much, for family members, for the elderly who are in
care homes, for prisoners who are in prison.”
For seventy days, as the virus spread and many countries
were forced to suspend liturgical celebrations with the presence of the
faithful, as well as retreats and pilgrimages, the Pope brought us hope and
salvation in the concreteness of the Gospel, of the Word of God.
Morning Mass in the Casa Santa Marta was simple, as the
Bishop of Rome reflected briefly and simply on the Readings of the day, helping
everyone to identify with what was recounted and witnessed in the day's
readings. There were spaces for silent prayer. There were a few minutes of
Eucharistic adoration at the conclusion of the celebration.
Near during the lockdown
Millions of people gathered in prayer each day – their
geographic location and the time difference from Rome were not a problem.
Radio, TV, internet, and social networks became doors and bridges to the small
Vatican chapel. Entire communities, families, workers, children, adults, even
men and women religious followed the Mass, listened to the Word, prayed, and
rediscovered spiritual communion, while waiting to be able to physically
receive the Body of Christ once again.
Pope Francis’s morning Mass also became an appointment for
those who rarely attend Church, or not at all. Many non-believers tuned in to
follow the homilies of the Successor of Peter during the global lockdown.
Countless Mass participants
An incalculable – though certainly very high – number of
faithful around the world faced the pandemic accompanied by the Pope, who often
exhorted us not to forget "those who are most in need, the hungry,
children, and those who flee from war".
Pope Francis prayed for the leaders who "must
decide" and for the scientists seeking solutions in this difficult time.
He always thanked all those who help others, especially the weakest and most
helpless, such as the elderly and disabled, in "these days of so much
suffering" and "fear".
He prayed for the men and women religious who "give
their lives", as they remain close to those who are in pain and trial. He
prayed for all the victims of the pandemic and their families. He recalled many
categories of workers: from doctors to nurses, from pharmacists to teachers,
from cleaners to volunteers, to those assisting in the burial of the many who
have died.
He prayed for expectant mothers, and for their concerns; for
artists, for students, for those thinking about the post-pandemic and how to
solve the problems that await us.
End of an era
The live broadcast of the daily Mass ended on Monday, 18
May.
Pope Francis has expressed his hope "that the People of
God can return to communal familiarity with the Lord in the Sacraments,
participate in the Sunday liturgy, and resume – also in their churches – the
daily frequentation of the Lord and His Word".
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