At midday today the Holy Father Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

The following is the Pope’s introduction to the Marian prayer:

Before the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters, good day!

This Sunday’s Gospel reading (see Mt 11:25-30) is divided into three parts: first of all, Jesus raises a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father, because He revealed to the poor and to the simple the mystery of the Kingdom of heaven; then He reveals the intimate and unique relationship between Himself and the Father; and finally He invites us to go to Him and to follow Him to find solace.

In the first place, Jesus praises the Father, because He has kept the secrets of His Kingdom, of His truth, hidden from “from the wise and the learned” (v. 25). He calls them so with a veil of irony, because they presume to be wise, learned, and therefore have a closed heart, very often. True wisdom comes also from the heart, it is not only a matter of understanding ideas: true wisdom also enters into the heart. And if you know many things but have a closed heart, you are not wise. Jesus says that the mysteries of His Father are revealed to the “little ones”, to those who confidently open themselves to His Word of salvation, who open their heart to the Word of salvation, who feel the need for Him and expect everything from Him. The heart that is open and trustful towards the Lord.

Then, Jesus explains that He has received everything from the Father, and He calls Him “my Father”, to affirm the unique nature of His relationship with Him. Indeed, there is total reciprocity only between the Son and the Father: each one knows the other, each one lives in the other. But this unique communion is like a flower that unfurls, to reveal freely its beauty and its goodness. And here, then, is Jesus’s invitation: “Come to me…” (v. 28). He wishes to give what He receives from the Father. He wants to give us the Truth, and Jesus’ Truth is always free: it is a gift, it is the Holy Spirit, the Truth.

Just as the Father has a preference for the “little ones”, Jesus also addresses those “who labour and are burdened”. Indeed, He places Himself among them, because He is “meek and humble of heart” (v. 29): this is how He describes Himself. It is the same in the first and third Beatitudes, that of the humble and poor in spirit, and that of the meek (see Mt 5:35): the meekness of Jesus. In this way Jesus, “meek and humble”, is not a model for the resigned, nor is He simply a victim, but rather He is the Man Who lives this condition “from the heart” in full transparency to the love of the Father, that is, to the Holy Spirit. He is the model of the “poor in spirit” and of all the other “blesseds” of the Gospel, who do the will of God and bear witness to His Kingdom.

And then, Jesus says that if we go to Him, we will find refreshment. The “refreshment” that Christ offers to the weary and oppressed is not merely psychological solace or a lavish handout, but the joy of the poor who are evangelised and are builders of the new humanity: this is solace. Joy. The joy that Jesus gives us. It is unique. It is the joy that He Himself has. It is a message for all of us, for all people of good will, which Jesus still conveys today in the world that exalts those who become rich and powerful … But how many times do we say, “Ah, I would like to be like him, like her, who are rich, have a lot of power, lack nothing…”. The world exalts those who are rich and powerful, no matter by what means, and at times tramples upon the human being and his or her dignity. And we see this every day, the poor who are trampled underfoot… And it is a message for the Church, called to live works of mercy and to evangelise the poor, to be meek and humble. This is how the Lord wants His Church, that is, us, to be.

May Mary, the humblest and highest of creatures, implore from God wisdom of the heart for us – the wisdom of the heart – that we may discern its signs in our lives and be sharers in those mysteries which, hidden from the proud, are revealed to the humble.

Taken from the website of Vatican News, Bullettiono – The Pope’s words at the Angelus prayer, 05.07.2020

Vatican News

Bollettino – The Pope’s words to the Angelus recitation, 28.06.202

At 12 noon today, the Holy Father Francis appeared at the office window in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

These are the words of the Pope in introducing the Marian prayer (Before the Angelus):

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

On this Sunday, the Gospel (cf Mt 10: 37-42) makes the invitation to live our adherence to the Lord fully and without hesitation. Jesus asks his disciples to take gospel needs seriously, even when it requires sacrifice and effort.

The first demanding request that he addresses to those who follow him is to place love towards him above family affections. He says: “Whoever loves father or mother, […] son ​​or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (v. 37). Jesus certainly does not intend to underestimate the love for parents and children, but he knows that kinship ties, if they are placed first, can deviate from true good. We see it: some corruption in governments comes precisely because love of kinship is greater than love of the homeland, and they put relatives in charge. The same with Jesus: when love [for family members] is greater than [that for] He is not good. We could all bring many examples in this regard. Not to mention those situations in which family affections are mixed with choices opposed to the Gospel. When, on the other hand, love for parents and children is animated and purified by the love of the Lord, then it becomes fully fruitful and produces fruits of good in the family itself and far beyond it. In this sense Jesus says this phrase. We also remember how Jesus reproaches the doctors of the law who make parents lack the necessary with the pretense of giving it to the altar, of giving it to the Church (cf.Mk 7,8-13). He scolds them! True love for Jesus requires true love for parents, for children, but if we seek family interest first, this always leads us on a wrong path.

Then, Jesus says to his disciples: “Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (v. 38). It is a question of following him on the path that he himself has followed, without looking for shortcuts. There is no true love without a cross, that is, without a price to pay in person. And so many mothers say, so many dads who sacrifice themselves so much for their children and endure real sacrifices, crosses, because they love. And carried with Jesus, the cross is not frightening, because He is always at our side to support us in the hour of the toughest test, to give us strength and courage. You don’t even need to get excited to preserve your life, with a fearful and selfish attitude. Jesus warns: “Whoever has kept his life for himself will lose it, and whoever has lost his life for my sake – that is, for love, for love of Jesus, for love of neighbor, for the service of others – he will find it “(v. 39). It is the paradox of the Gospel. But also, of this we have, thank God, many examples! We see it these days. How many people, how many people, are carrying crosses to help others! He sacrifices himself to help others in need in this pandemic. But, always with Jesus, it can be done. The fullness of life and joy is found by giving yourself for the Gospel and for your brothers and sisters, with openness, welcome and benevolence.

In doing so, we can experience the generosity and gratitude of God. Jesus reminds us of this: «Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, […]. Whoever gives one of these little ones a drink of fresh water […] will not lose their reward” (vv. 40; 42). The generous gratitude of God the Father takes into account even the smallest gesture of love and service rendered to the brothers. In these days, I heard a priest who was moved because a child approached him in the parish and said to him: “Father, these are my savings, a small thing, it is for his poor, for those who today need to the pandemic “. Small thing, but big thing! It is contagious gratitude, which helps each of us to have gratitude to those who take care of our needs. When someone offers us a service, we must not think that everything is due to us. No, many services are done for free. Think of volunteering, which is one of the greatest things that Italian society has. The volunteers … And how many of them left their lives in this pandemic! It is done out of love, simply out of service. Gratitude, gratitude, is, first of all, a sign of good education, but it is also a badge of the Christian. It is a simple but genuine sign of the kingdom of God, which is a kingdom of gratuitous and grateful love. but it is also a badge of the Christian. It is a simple but genuine sign of the kingdom of God, which is a kingdom of gratuitous and grateful love. but it is also a badge of the Christian. It is a simple but genuine sign of the kingdom of God, which is a kingdom of gratuitous and grateful love.

Most Holy Mary, who loved Jesus more than her own life and followed him to the cross, help us to always put ourselves before God with an open heart, letting his Word judge our behaviors and our choices.

[00836-IT.02] [Original text: Italian]