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Dear brothers and sisters,

Before concluding the celebration, I wish to greet you all, who have brought to life this Jubilee pilgrimage of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Forces. I thank the distinguished civil authorities for their presence, and the military Ordinaries and Chaplains for their pastoral service. I extend my greeting to all military personnel throughout the world, and I would like to recall the teaching of the Church in this regard. The Second Vatican Council says: “Those too who devote themselves to the military service of their country should regard themselves as the agents of security and freedom of peoples” (Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 79). This armed service is to be exercised only for legitimate defence, never to impose dominion over other nations, always observing the international conventions on matters of conflict (cf. ibid.), and before that, in sacred respect for life and creation.

Brothers and sisters, let us pray for peace, in tormented Ukraine, in Palestine, in Israel and throughout the Middle East, in Myanmar, in Kivu, and in Sudan. Let arms be silent everywhere, and let the cry of the peoples, who are asking for peace, be heard!

Let us entrust our prayer to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace.

09.02.25 a

Jesus’ actions at the Lake of Gennesaret are described by the Evangelist with three verbs: he saw, he went aboard and he sat down. Jesus saw, Jesus went aboard and Jesus sat down. Jesus is not concerned with showing off to the crowds, with doing a job, with following a timetable in carrying out his mission. On the contrary, he always makes it his priority to encounter others, to relate to them, and to sympathize with the struggles and setbacks that often burden hearts and take away hope.

That is why Jesus, on that day, saw, went aboard and sat down.

First, Jesus saw. He has a discerning gaze that, even amid the great crowd, makes him able to spot two boats approaching the shore and to see the disappointment on the faces of those fishermen, now washing their empty nets after a night of fruitless labour. Jesus looks with compassion at those men. Let us never forget this: the compassion of God. God’s three attitudes are closeness, compassion and tenderness. Let us not forget: God is near, God is tender and God is always compassionate. Jesus looks with compassion at the expressions of those men, sensing their discouragement and frustration after having worked all night and caught nothing, their hearts as empty as the nets they haul.

(Excuse me, I will now ask the Master [of Liturgical Celebrations] to continue reading due to my difficulty in breathing.)

Seeing their discouragement, Jesus went aboard. He asks Simon to put out a little way from the shore and he climbs aboard the boat. In this way, he enters into Simon’s life and shares in his sense of disappointment and futility. This is significant: Jesus does not simply stand by and watch as things go wrong, as we often do, and then complain bitterly. Rather, taking the initiative, he approaches Simon, spends time with him at that difficult moment and chooses to board the boat of his life, which that night had seemed fraught with failure.

Then, once aboard, Jesus sat down. In the Gospels, this is typical of a master, of one who teaches others. Indeed, the Gospel states that Jesus sat down and taught. Glimpsing in those fishers’ eyes and hearts the frustration of a night of fruitless toil, Jesus boards the boat in order to proclaim the good news, to bring light to the dark night of disappointment, to tell of the beauty of God even amid the struggles of life, and to reaffirm that hope endures even when all seems lost.

Then the miracle happens: when the Lord gets into the boat of our lives to bring us the good news of God’s love that constantly accompanies and sustains us, then life begins anew, hope is reborn, enthusiasm revives, and we can once again cast our nets into the sea.

Brothers and sisters, this message of hope accompanies us today as we celebrate the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel. I thank all of you for your service, and I greet all the Authorities present, the military associations and academies, and the military Ordinaries and chaplains. All of you have been entrusted with a lofty mission that embraces numerous aspects of social and political life: defending our nations, maintaining security, upholding legality and justice. You are present in penitentiaries and at the forefront of the fight against crime and the various forms of violence that threaten to disrupt the life of society. I think too of all those engaged in relief work in the wake of natural disasters, the safeguarding of the environment, rescue efforts at sea, the protection of the vulnerable and the promotion of peace.

The Lord also asks you to do as he does: to see, to go aboard and to sit down. To see, because you are called to keep your eyes ever open, alert to threats to the common good, to dangers menacing the lives of your fellow citizens, and to environmental, social and political risks to which we are exposed. To go aboard, because your uniforms, the discipline that has shaped you, the courage that is your hallmark, the oath you have taken — all these are things that remind you of the importance not only of seeing evil in order to report it, but also of boarding the storm-tossed boat and working to ensure that it does not run aground. For that too is part of your mission in the service of the good, freedom, and justice. Then, finally, to sit down, because your presence in our cities and neighbourhoods to uphold law and order, and your taking the part of the defenceless, can serve as a lesson for all of us. They teach us that goodness can prevail over everything. They teach us that justice, fairness and civic responsibility remain as necessary nowadays as ever. They teach us that we can create a more human, just and fraternal world, despite the opposing forces of evil.

In carrying out your work, which embraces your whole life, you are accompanied by your chaplains, an important priestly presence in your midst. Their job is not — as has at times unfortunately happened in history — to bless perverse acts of war. No. They are in your midst as the presence of Christ, who desires to walk at your side, to offer you a listening and sympathetic ear, to encourage you to set out ever anew and to support you in your daily service. As a source of moral and spiritual support, they accompany you at every step and help you to carry out your mission in the light of the Gospel and in the pursuit of the common good.

Dear brothers and sisters, we are grateful for what you do, at times at great personal risk. Thank you because by boarding our storm-tossed boats, you offer us protection and encourage us to stay our course. At the same time, I would encourage you never to lose sight of the purpose of your service and all your activity, which is to promote life, to save lives, to be a constant defender of life. And I ask you, please, to be vigilant. Be vigilant against the temptation to cultivate a warlike spirit. Be vigilant not to be taken in by the illusion of power and the roar of arms. Be vigilant lest you be poisoned by propaganda that instils hatred, divides the world into friends to be defended and foes to fight. Instead, be courageous witnesses of the love of God our Father, who wants us all to be brothers and sisters. Together, then, let us set out to be artisans of a new era of peace, justice and fraternity.

09.02.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Today we will contemplate the beauty of Jesus Christ our hope in the mystery of the Visitation. The Virgin Mary visits Saint Elizabeth; but it is above all Jesus, in His mother’s womb, who visits His people (cf. Lk 1:68), as Zechariah says in his hymn of praise.

After the astonishment and wonder at what has been announced to her by the Angel, Mary gets up and sets out on a journey, like all those who are called to in the Bible, because “the only act with which man can respond to God who is revealed to him is that of unlimited readiness” (H.U. von Balthasar, Vocation, Rome 2002, 29). This young daughter of Israel does not choose to protect herself from the world; she does not fear dangers and the judgements of others, but goes out towards other people.

When we feel loved, we experience a force that sets love in motion; as the apostle Paul says, “the love of Christ impels us” (2Cor 5:14), it drives us, it moves us. Mary feels the push of this love, and goes to help a woman who is her relative, but also an elderly woman who, after a long wait, is welcoming an unhoped-for pregnancy, difficult to deal with at her age. But the Virgin also goes to Elizabeth to share her faith in the God of the impossible and her hope in the fulfilment of His promises.

The encounter between the two women produces a surprising impact: the voice of Mary, “full of grace”, who greets Elizabeth provokes the prophecy in the child the older woman is carrying in her womb, and inspires in her a dual blessing: “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk 1:42). And also a beatitude: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (v. 45).

Faced with the recognition of the messianic identity of her Son and her mission as mother, Mary does not speak of herself but of God, and raises a praise full of faith, hope and joy, a song that resounds every day in the Church during the prayer of Vespers: the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55).

This praise to God the saviour, which gushed forth from the heart of his humble servant, is a solemn memorial that synthesizes and fulfils the prayer of Israel. It is interwoven with biblical resonances, a sign that Mary does not want to sing “out of the choir” but to tune in with the forefathers, exalting her compassion for the humble, those little ones whom Jesus in his preaching will declare “blessed” (cf. Mt 5:1-12).

The prominent presence of the paschal motif also makes the Magnificat a hymn of redemption, which has as its backdrop the memory of the liberation of Israel from Egypt. The verbs are all in the past, imbued with a memory of the love that lights up the present with faith and illuminates the future with hope: Mary sings of the grace of the past, but she is the woman of the present who carries the future in her womb.

The first part of this canticle praises God’s action in Mary, a microcosm of the people of God who adhere fully to the covenant (vv. 46-50); the second ranges from the work of the Father in the macrocosm of the history of His son (vv. 51-55), through three key words: memory, mercy, promise.

The Lord, who bowed down to the humble Mary to fulfil “great things” in her and make her the mother of the Lord, began to save His people starting from the exodus, remembering the universal blessing promised to Abraham (cf. Gen 12:1-3). The Lord God who is the faithful for ever, showered an uninterrupted stream of merciful love “from age to age” (v. 50) upon the people loyal to the covenant, and now manifests the fullness of salvation in His Son, sent to save the people from their sins. From Abraham to Jesus Christ and the community of believers, the Passover thus appears as the hermeneutical category for understanding every subsequent liberation, up to that realized by the Messiah in the fullness of time.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us ask the Lord today for the grace to be able to wait for the fulfilment of every one of His promises; and to help us to welcome Mary’s presence in our life. By following her example, may we all discover that every soul that believes and hopes “conceives and begets the Word of God” (Saint Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel according to Luke 2, 26).

05.02.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Today the Gospel of the liturgy (Lk 2:22-40) tells us about Mary and Joseph who take the infant Jesus to the Temple of Jerusalem. In accordance with the Law, they present Him in God’s dwelling, to recall that life comes from the Lord. And while the Holy Family carries out what was always done among the people of Israel, from generation to generation, something happens that had never occurred before.

Two elders, Simeon and Anna, prophesy about Jesus: they both praise God and talk about the child “to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem” (v. 38). Their heartfelt voices resound among the ancient stones of the Temple, announcing the fulfilment of Israel’s expectations. Truly God is present in the midst of His people: not because He dwells within the four walls, but because He lives as a man among men. And this is the novelty of Jesus. In Simeon and Anna’s old age, the novelty takes place that changes the history of the world.

For their part, Mary and Joseph were amazed at what they heard (cf. v. 33). Indeed, when Simeon holds the child in his arms, he calls him in three beautiful ways, which are worthy of reflection. Three ways, three names that he gives Him. Jesus is salvation, Jesus is light; Jesus is a sign of contradiction.

First of all, Jesus is salvation. Simeon says, praying to God, “my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples” (vv. 30-31). This always leaves us astounded: universal salvation concentrated in just one! Yes, because in Jesus dwells the fullness of God, of His Love (cf. Col 2:9).

Second aspect: Jesus is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles” (v. 32). Like the sun that rises over the world, this child will redeem it from the darkness of evil, pain and death. How much we need light, this light, even today!

Finally, the child embraced by Simeon is a sign of contradiction, “so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (v. 35). Jesus reveals the criterion for judging the whole of history and its drama, and also the life of each one of us. And what is this criterion? It is love: those who love, live; those who hate, die.

Jesus is salvation, Jesus is light, and Jesus is the sign of contradiction.

Enlightened by this encounter with Jesus, we can then ask ourselves: what do I expect in my life? What is my great hope? Does my heart wish to see the face of the Lord? Do I await the manifestation of His plan of salvation for humanity?

Let us pray together to Mary, mother most pure, that she may accompany us through the lights and shadows of history, that she may always accompany us to the encounter with the Lord.

02.02.25

“See… I have come to do your will, O God” (Heb 10:7). With these words, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews describes Jesus’ complete obedience to the Father’s plan. We read those words on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the World Day for Consecrated Life, in this Jubilee of Hope and in a liturgical setting marked by the symbolism of light. All of you, dear sisters and brothers who have chosen the path of the evangelical counsels, have devoted yourselves, like a “Bride before her Spouse... surrounded by his light” (SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata, 15); you have devoted yourselves to that same luminous plan of the Father, which goes back to the origins of the world. It will be fully accomplished at the end of time, but even now it is made visible through “the marvels wrought by God in the frail humanity of those who are called” (ibid., 20). Let us reflect, then, on how, through the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience that you have professed, you can bring its light to the women and men of our time.

First: by the light of your poverty, which is rooted in the very life of God, in the eternal and total mutual gift of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (ibid., 21). By the practice of poverty, consecrated persons, by their free and generous use of all things, become bearers of blessing for them. They manifest the goodness of those things in the order of love, rejecting everything that can obscure their beauty – selfishness, greed, dependence, violent use and misuse for the purpose of death and destruction – and embracing instead all that can highlight that beauty: simplicity, generosity, sharing and solidarity. And Paul says: “All [things] belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Cor 3:22-23). This is poverty.

Second, by the light of your chastity. This too has its origin in the Trinity and is “a reflection of the infinite love which links the three divine Persons” (Vita Consecrata, 21). The embrace of poverty, in renouncing conjugal love and following the path of continence, reaffirms the absolute primacy of God’s love, to be received with an undivided and spousal heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:32-36), and points to it as the source and model of every other love. We know that we are living in a world often marked by distorted forms of affectivity, in which the principle of pleasure - that principle - drives people to seek in others the satisfaction of their own needs rather than the joy born of a fruitful encounter. It is true. In relationships this gives rise to superficial and unstable attitudes, selfishness and hedonism, immaturity and moral irresponsibility. The chosen spouse of a lifetime is replaced by the “partner” of the moment, while children freely accepted as a gift are replaced by those demanded as a “right” or eliminated as “unwanted”.

Sisters, brothers, in light of this situation, and the “growing need for inner honesty in human relationships” (Vita Consecrata, 88) and greater human bonds between individuals and communities, consecrated chastity shows us and points out to the men and women of the twenty-first century a way to heal the malady of isolation through the exercise of a free and liberating way of loving. A way of loving that accepts and respects everyone, while coercing or rejecting no one. What a balm it is for the soul to encounter religious women and men capable of a mature and joyful relationality of this kind! They are a reflection of God’s own love (cf. Lk 2:30-32). To this end, however, it is important that our communities provide for the spiritual and affective growth of their members, already during initial formation as well as in ongoing formation. In this way, chastity can truly reveal the beauty of a self-giving love, and avoid such harmful phenomena as the souring of the heart or questionable choices that are a symptom of unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and lead at times, in more fragile individuals, to living “double lives”. Daily there is a battle against the temptation of a double life. It is every day.

Third, by the light of your obedience.The reading we have heard also speaks of this, since it shows us, in the relationship between Jesus and the Father, the “liberating beauty of a dependence which is filial and non-servile, marked by a deep sense of responsibility and animated by mutual trust” (Vita Consecrata, 21). It is precisely in the light of God’s word that your obedience becomes a gift and a response of love, and a sign for our society. Today we tend to talk much but listen little, in our families, our workplaces and especially on social networks, where we can exchange floods of words and images without really encountering others, since we do not truly interact with them. This is something interesting. Many times, in everyday dialogue, before one finishes speaking, an answer already comes out because the other does not listen. We need to listen before responding. Welcome the other person’s word as a message, as a treasure, even as a help for me. Consecrated obedience can act as an antidote to this isolated individualism, for it promotes an alternative model of relationship marked by active listening, where “speaking” and “listening” are followed by the concreteness of “acting”, even at the cost of setting aside our own tastes, plans and preferences. Only in this way, in fact, can a person fully experience the joy of gift, overcoming loneliness and discovering the meaning of his or her existence in God’s greater plan.

I would like to conclude by mentioning something further. Nowadays in consecrated life there is much talk about “returning to the origins”. But not a return to the origin as in going back to a museum, no. A return to the very origin of our life. The word of God that we have heard reminds us that the first and most important “return to the origins” in every consecration and for every one of us, is the return to Christ and to his “yes” to the Father. It reminds us that renewal, even before meetings and “round tables” – which must be done, they are useful – takes place in front of the tabernacle, in adoration. Sisters, brothers, we have somewhat lost the sense of adoration. We are too practical, we want to do things, but…adore. Adore. There must be the capacity for adoration in silence. And in this way we come to appreciate our Founders above all as women and men of deep faith, repeating with them, in prayer and in oblation: “See… I have come to do your will, O God” (Heb 10:7).

Thank you very much for your witness. It is a leaven in the Church. Thank you.

01.02.25 v

Dear brothers and sisters!

The Jubilee is for people and for the Earth a new beginning; it is a time when everything must be rethought within the dream of God. And we know that the word “conversion” indicates a change of direction. Everything can be seen, at last, from another perspective, and so our steps also go towards new goals. This is how hope, which never disappoints, arises. The Bible tells of this in many ways. And for us too, the experience of faith has been stimulated by encounters with people who have been able to change in life and have, so to speak, entered into God's dreams. For even though there is much evil in the world, we can distinguish who is different: their greatness, which often coincides with littleness, wins us over.

In the Gospels, the figure of Mary Magdalene stands out above all others for this. Jesus healed her with mercy (cf. Lk 8:2), and she changed: sisters and brothers, mercy changes, mercy changes the heart, and for Mary Magdalene, mercy brought her into God’s dreams and gave new purpose to her journey.

The Gospel of John tells of her encounter with the Risen Jesus in a way that makes us think. It is repeated several times that Mary turned around. The Evangelist chooses his words well! In tears, Mary looks first inside the tomb, then she turns around: the Risen one is not on the side of death, but on the side of life. He can be mistaken for one of the people we encounter every day. Then, when she hears her name spoken, the Gospel says that again Mary turns around. And this is how her hope grows: now she sees the tomb, but not like before. She can dry her tears, because she has heard her own name: only the Master pronounces it in this way. The old world still seems to be there, but it is no more. When we feel that the Holy Spirit is acting in our heart, and we feel that the Lord is calling us by name, do we know how to distinguish the voice of the Master?

Dear brothers and sisters, from Mary Magdalene, whom tradition calls “the apostle of the apostles”, we learn hope. One enters the new world by converting more than once. Our journey is a constant invitation to change perspective. The Risen One takes us into His world, step by step, on the condition that we do not claim to know everything already.

Let us ask ourselves today: do I know how to turn around to see things differently, with a different outlook? Do I have the desire for conversion?

An overconfident ego that is too proud prevents us from recognizing the Risen Jesus. Even when we weep and despair, we turn our back on Him. Instead of looking into the darkness of the past, into the emptiness of a tomb, from Mary Magdalene we learn to turn towards life. There our Master awaits us. There our name is spoken. For in real life there is a place for us, always and everywhere. There is a place for you, for me, for everyone. No one can take it, because it has always been meant for us. It is bad, as they say in the common parlance, it is bad to leave an empty seat: “This place is for me; if I don't go...”. Everyone can say: I have a place, I am a mission! Think about this: what is my place? What is the mission that the Lord gives us? May this thought help us to take a courageous attitude in life. Thank you.

01.02.25 a

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Today we will continue to contemplate Jesus our hope in the mystery of His origins, as narrated by the infancy Gospels.

Whereas Luke lets us do so from the perspective of the mother, the Virgin Mary, instead Matthew takes the perspective of Joseph, the man who assumes the legal paternity of Jesus, grafting him onto the trunk of Jesse and linking him to the promise made to David.

Indeed, Jesus is the hope of Israel which is fulfilled: He is the descendent promised to David (cf. 2 Sam 7:12; 1Cr 17:11), who makes his home “blessed for ever” (2 Sam 7:29); He is the shoot that buds from the trunk of Jesse (cf. Is 11:1), the “righteous Branch, [who] shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (cf. Jer 23:5; 33:15).

Joseph enters the scene in the Gospel of Matthew as Mary’s betrothed. For the Hebrews, betrothal was a full legal bond, which prepared for what would happen around a year later, the celebration of marriage. It was then that the woman passed from the father’s custody to that of her husband, moving into his home and making herself willing to the gift of motherhood.

It is precisely during this time that Joseph discovers Mary’s pregnancy, and his love is harshly put to the test. Faced with a similar situation, which would have led to the termination of the betrothal, the Law suggested two possible solutions: either a legal act of a public nature, such as the convocation of the woman in court, or a private action such as giving the woman a letter of repudiation.

Matthew defines Joseph as a “righteous” man (zaddiq), a man who lives according to the Law of the Lord, and who draws inspiration from this in every occasion of his life. Thus, following the Word of God, Joseph acts thoughtfully: he does not let himself be overcome by instinctive feelings and fear of accepting Mary with him, but prefers to be guided by divine wisdom. He chooses to part with Mary quietly, privately (cf. Mt 1:19). And this is Joseph’s wisdom, which enables him not to make mistakes and to make himself open and docile to the voice of the Lord.

In this way, Joseph of Nazareth brings to mind another Joseph, son of Jacob, dubbed the “lord of dreams” (cf Gen 37:19), greatly beloved by his father and much loathed by his brothers, whom the Lord raised up by having him sit in the Pharaoh’s court.

Now, what does Joseph of Nazareth dream of? He dreams of the miracle that God fulfils in Mary’s life, and also the miracle that he works in his own life: to take on a fatherhood capable of guarding, protecting and passing on a material and spiritual inheritance. The womb of his bride is pregnant with God's promise, a promise that bears a name in which the certainty of salvation is given to all (cf. Acts 4:12).

As he sleeps, Joseph hears these words: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:20-21). Faced with this revelation, Joseph does not ask for further proof; he trusts. Joseph trusts in God, he accepts the God’s dream of his life and that of his betrothed. He thus enters into the grace of one who knows how to live the divine promise with faith, hope and love.

Joseph, in all of this, does not utter a word, but he believes, hopes and loves. He does not express himself with “idle words”, but with concrete deeds. He belongs to the lineage of those who, according to the apostle James, “put the Word into practice” (cf. James 1:22), translating it into deeds, flesh, life. Joseph trusts in God and obeys: “His inner watchfulness for God … leads quite spontaneously to obedience” (Benedict XVI, The Infancy Narratives, Milan-Vatican City 2012, 57).

Sisters, brothers, let us, too, ask the Lord for the grace to listen more than we speak, the grace to dream God’s dreams and to welcome responsibly the Christ who, from the moment of our baptism, lives and grows in our life. Thank you!

29.01.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

This Sunday, the Evangelist Luke presents Jesus to us in the synagogue in Nazareth, the town where He grew up. He reads the passage from the prophet Isaiah announcing the Messiah's evangelizing and liberating mission. He then says, in the general silence: ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled’ (cf. Lk 4:21).

Let us Imagine the surprise and dismay of Jesus' fellow citizens, who knew Him as the carpenter Joseph's son and would never have imagined that He could present himself as the Messiah.

It was bewildering. Yet this is precisely how it was: Jesus proclaims that, by His presence, ‘a year acceptable to the Lord’ (v. 19) has come. It is the glad tidings for all and in a special way for the poor, for the captives, for the blind, for the oppressed (cf. v. 18).

That day, in Nazareth, Jesus confronted His interlocutors with a choice about His identity and mission. No one in the synagogue could help but wonder: is He only the carpenter's son who arrogates to Himself a role that does not belong to Him, or is He truly the Messiah, sent by God to save the people from sin and all evil?

The Evangelist tells us that the Nazarenes failed to recognize the Lord's anointed one in Jesus. They thought they knew Him too well, and this, instead of facilitating the opening of their minds and hearts, prevented them from doing so, like a veil obscuring the light.

Sisters and brothers, this event, with the due analogies, also happens for us today. We too are challenged by the presence and words of Jesus; we too are called to recognize in Him the Son of God, our Saviour. But it may happen to us, as it did to His countrymen, to think that we already know Him, that we already know everything about Him, that we have grown up with Him, in school, in the parish, in catechism, in a country with a Catholic culture... And so, for us too, He is a Person who is close, indeed perhaps even ‘too’ close.

But let us try to ask ourselves: do we sense the unique authority with which Jesus of Nazareth speaks? Do we recognize that He is the bearer of a proclamation of salvation that no one else can give us? And I, do I feel in need of this salvation? Do I feel that I too am in some way poor, imprisoned, blind, oppressed? Then, only then, ‘the year of grace’ will be for me!

Let us turn confidently to Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, to help us recognize Jesus.

26.01.25 a

The Gospel we have heard tells of the fulfilment of a prophecy overflowing with the Holy Spirit. It is fulfilled by the One who comes “with the power of the Spirit” (Lk 4:14): Jesus, the Saviour.

The Word of God is alive: down the centuries, it accompanies us and by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is at work in every age. For the Lord is always faithful to his promise, which, in his love for humanity, he always keeps. This is exactly what Jesus says in the synagogue in Nazareth: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).

Sisters and brothers, what a happy coincidence! On the Sunday of the Word of God, at the beginning of this Jubilee Year, we proclaim this page of Luke’s Gospel, in which Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah, “anointed” (v. 18) and sent to “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (v. 19)! Jesus is the living Word in whom all the Scriptures find their fulfilment. In the today of the sacred Liturgy, we are his contemporaries; we too, filled with amazement, open our hearts and minds to listen to him, for “it is he himself who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read in the Church” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 7). I said a word: amazement. When we hear the Gospel, the words of God, it is not simply a matter of listening to or understanding them, no. They must reach our hearts and bring about what I said, “amazement”. The word of God always amazes us; it always renews us. It enters our hearts and always renews us.

In this spirit of exultant faith, we are invited to accept the ancient prophecy as coming from the very Heart of Christ, and to reflect on five actions that characterize the unique and universal mission of the Messiah. A unique mission, because he alone can fulfil it; a universal mission, because he wants to involve everyone in it.

First, Jesus was anointed “to bring good news to the poor” (v. 18). This is the “gospel”, the good news, which Jesus proclaims: the Kingdom of God is at hand! When God reigns, we are saved. The Lord comes to visit his people, caring for the lowly and the wretched. The Gospel is a word of compassion; it calls us to exercise charity, to forgive our neighbour’s debts and to be generous in serving others. Let us not forget that the Lord is close, merciful and compassionate. God’s style is one of closeness, mercy and compassion.

Christ’s second action is to “proclaim release to the captives” (v. 18). Brothers, sisters, evil’s days are numbered, because the future belongs to God. With the power of the Spirit, Jesus redeems us from all guilt and liberates our hearts from all that holds them in bondage, for he brings the Father’s forgiveness into the world. The Gospel is a word of mercy, which calls us to become passionate witnesses of peace, solidarity and reconciliation.

The third action with which Jesus fulfils the prophecy is to grant “recovery of sight to the blind” (v. 18). The Messiah opens the eyes of our heart, all too often dazzled by the allure of power and vain things: the diseases of the soul that prevent us from acknowledging God’s presence and hide from our gaze the weak and the suffering. The Gospel is a word of light, which beckons us to the truth and calls us to bear witness to our faith and to be consistent in its practice.

Jesus’ fourth action is to “let the oppressed go free” (v. 18).  No form of bondage can resist the work of the Messiah, who makes us brothers and sisters in his name. The prisons of persecution and the dungeons of death are flung full open by the passionate power of God. The Gospel is a word of freedom, calling us to conversion of heart, integrity of mind and perseverance in trial.

Lastly, the fifth action: Jesus was sent “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (v. 19). That year is a new age, an age that does not devour life, but regenerates it. It is a “Jubilee”, and in this sense, like the one we now celebrate as a way of preparing in hope for our definitive encounter with the Redeemer. The Gospel is a word of joy, summoning us to mutual acceptance and fellowship, as we make our pilgrim journey towards the Kingdom of God.

By these five actions, Jesus even now fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy. By releasing us from our captivity, he tells us that God draws close to us in our poverty, redeems us from evil, enlightens our eyes, breaks the yoke of oppression, and brings us into the joy of a time and greater history in which he makes himself constantly present, to walk beside us and to guide us to eternal life. True, the salvation he bestows on us is not yet fully realized. We know this. Yet wars, injustice, pain and death will not have the final word. The Gospel never disappoints.

Brothers and sisters, on the Sunday devoted in a special way to the word of God, let us thank the Father for having spoken to us by his own Word, made flesh for the salvation of the world. All the Scriptures, which have human writers and the Holy Spirit as their true authors (cf. Dei Verbum, 11), point to this event. The whole Bible speaks of Christ and his work, which the Spirit makes present and active in our lives and in history. When we read the Scriptures, when we pray and study them, we do not simply receive information about God; we receive his Spirit, who reminds us of all that Jesus said and did (cf. Jn 14:26). In this way, our hearts, inflamed by faith, wait in hope for the coming of God. Brothers, sisters, we must become more familiar with reading the Scriptures. I would like to suggest that all of us get a small, pocket-sized copy of the Gospels or the New Testament. We could always have it with us in a bag so that we can read it at various points throughout the day. One verse, two verses so that throughout the day we will have contact with the Lord. A small copy of the Gospels is enough.

Let us respond with enthusiasm to the good news of Christ! For the Lord has not spoken to us as silent listeners, but as his witnesses, called to evangelize at all times and in every place. Today, forty brothers and sisters from various parts of the world have come to receive the ministry of Lector. Thank you! We are grateful to them and we pray for them. We are all praying for you. Let us commit ourselves to bringing the good news to the poor, proclaiming release to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, letting the oppressed go free and announcing the year of the Lord’s favour. Then yes, sisters and brothers, we will transform the world in accordance with the will of God, who created it and redeemed it in his immense love. Thank you!

26.01.25

Jesus arrives at the home of his friends Martha and Mary four days after the death of their brother Lazarus. Having apparently lost all hope, Martha’s first words express her grief and her regret that Jesus had arrived too late: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn 11:21). At the same time, however, Jesus’ presence kindles the light of hope in Martha’s heart and leads her to a profession of faith: “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him” (v. 22). It is an attitude of always leaving the door open, never closed! Jesus speaks to her about the resurrection of the dead not only as an event that will take place at the end of time, but as something already present, because he himself is the resurrection and the life. And then he asks her a question: “Do you believe this?” (v. 26). That question is also meant for us, for you, for me: “Do you believe this?

Let us also consider this same question: “Do you believe this?” (v. 26). It is a short but challenging question.

This tender encounter between Jesus and Martha from the Gospel teaches us that even in times of desolation, we are not alone and we can continue to hope.  Jesus gives life even when it seems that all hope has vanished. Hope can falter following difficult experiences such as a painful loss, an illness, a bitter disappointment or a sudden betrayal. Although each of us may experience moments of despair or know people who have lost hope, the Gospel tells us that Jesus always restores hope because he raises us up from the ashes of death. Jesus always raises us up and gives us the strength to go on, to begin anew.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us never forget that hope does not disappoint! Hope never disappoints! Hope is like a rope anchored on the shore that we cling to; it never disappoints. This is also important for the life of Christian communities, our churches and our ecumenical relationships. At times, we are overwhelmed by fatigue and discouraged by the results of our labours. It can even seem as if the dialogue and the efforts made on both sides are hopeless, almost doomed to failure. All of this makes us experience the same anguish as Martha, but the Lord comes to us. Do we believe this? Do we believe that he is the resurrection and the life? That he rewards our efforts and always gives us the grace to continue our journey together? Do we believe this?

This message of hope is at the heart of the Jubilee we have begun. The Apostle Paul, whose conversion to Christ we commemorate today, declared to the Christians of Rome, “hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). We have all received the same Spirit, all of us, and this is the foundation of our ecumenical journey. The Spirit guides on this journey. There are no practical things that help us understand it better. No, there is the Spirit, and we have to follow the Spirit’s lead.

The Jubilee Year of Hope celebrated by the Catholic Church coincides with an anniversary of great significance for all Christians: the 1700th anniversary of the first great ecumenical council: the Council of Nicaea. This Council sought to preserve the unity of the Church at a very difficult time, and the Council Fathers unanimously approved the Creed that many Christians still recite each Sunday at the celebration of the Eucharist. This Creed is a common profession of faith that transcends all the divisions that have riven the Body of Christ over the centuries. The anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is therefore a year of grace, an opportunity for all Christians who recite the same Creed and believe in the same God. Let us rediscover the common roots of the faith; let us preserve unity! Let us always move forward! May the unity we all are searching for be found. What comes to mind is something that the great Orthodox theologian Ioannis Zizioulas used to say: “I know the date of full communion: the day after the final judgment! In the meantime, we must walk together, work together, pray together, love together. And this is something very beautiful!  

Dear brothers and sisters, this faith we share is a precious gift, but it is also a task. The anniversary should be celebrated not only as a “historical memory”, but also as a pledge to bear witness to the growing communion between us. We must take care not to let it slip away, but rather to build solid bonds, cultivate mutual friendship, and be instruments of communion and fraternity.

In this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, we can also draw from the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea a call to persevere in the journey towards unity. This year, the celebration of Easter coincides in both the Gregorian and Julian calendars, a circumstance that proves providential as we commemorate the anniversary of the Ecumenical Council. I renew my appeal that this coincidence may serve as an appeal to all Christians to take a decisive step forward towards unity around a common date for Easter (cf. Bull Spes Non Confundit, 17). The Catholic Church is open to accepting the date that everyone wants: a date of unity.

I am grateful to Metropolitan Polycarp, representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate, to Archbishop Ian Ernest, who represents the Anglican Communion and is concluding his valuable service for which I am very appreciative – I wish him the best as he returns to his home country – and to the representatives of other Churches who are participating in this evening sacrifice of praise. It is important to pray together, and your presence here this evening is a source of joy for everyone. I also greet the students supported by the Committee for Cultural Collaboration with the Orthodox and the Oriental Orthodox Churches at the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, the students from the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Institute at Bossey and the many other ecumenical groups and pilgrims who have come to Rome for this celebration. I thank the choir, who provided us with a very beautiful atmosphere for praying. May each of us, like Saint Paul, find our hope in the incarnate Son of God and offer it to others wherever hope has been lost, lives broken or hearts overwhelmed by adversity (cf. Homily Opening of the Holy Door and Midnight Mass, 24 December 2024).

In Jesus, hope is always possible. He also sustains our hope as we journey towards him in unity. And so we return again to the question asked of Martha and asked of us this evening: “do you believe this?”. Do we believe in communion with one another? Do we believe that hope does not disappoint?

Dear sisters, dear brothers, this is the time to confirm our profession of faith in the one God and to find in Christ Jesus the way to unity. As we wait for the Lord to “come again in glory to judge the living and the dead” (Nicene Creed), let us never grow tired of bearing witness, before all peoples, to the only-begotten Son of God, the source of all our hope.

25.01.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

In these our times, characterized by disinformation and polarization, as a few centres of power control an unprecedented mass of data and information, I would like to speak to you as one who is well aware of the importance – now more than ever – of your work as journalists and communicators. Your courageous efforts to put personal and collective responsibility towards others at the heart of communication are indeed necessary.

As I reflect on the Jubilee we are celebrating this year as a moment of grace in these troubled times, I would like in this Message to invite you to be “communicators of hope”, starting from a renewal of your work and mission in the spirit of the Gospel.

24.01.25

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Today we will resume the catecheses of the Jubilee cycle on Jesus Christ our hope.

At the beginning of his Gospel, Luke shows the effects of the transforming power of the Word of God, which reaches not only the halls of the Temple, but also the poor dwelling of a young woman, Mary, who, betrothed to Joseph, still lives with her family.

After Jerusalem, the messenger of the great divine annunciations, Gabriel, is sent to a village never mentioned in the Hebrew Bible: Nazareth. At that time, it was a small village in Galilee, in a remote area of Israel, a border area with the pagans and their contamination.

It is there that the angel brings a message of an entirely unheard-of form and content, so much so that Mary’s heart is shaken, disturbed. In the place of the classic greeting, “Peace be with you”, Gabriel addresses the Virgin with the invitation “Hail!”, “rejoice!”, an appeal dear to sacred history, because the prophets use it when they announce the coming of the Messiah (cf. Zeph 3:14; Joel 2:21-23, Zec 9:9). It is the invitation to the joy that the Lord addresses to His people when the exile ends and the Lord makes His living and active presence felt.

In addition, God calls Mary with a loving name unknown in biblical history: kecharitoméne, which means “filled with divine grace”. Mary is full of divine grace. This name says that God’s love has already for some time inhabited, and continues to dwell in Mary’s heart. He says how “gracious” she is, and above all how God’s grace has accomplished in her an inner engraving, making her His masterpiece: full of grace.

This loving moniker, which God gives only to Mary, is immediately accompanied by reassurance: “Do not be afraid!”, “Do not be afraid!”: the presence of the Lord always gives us this grace of not fearing, and so He says to Mary: “Do not be afraid!”. God says “Do not be afraid” to Abraham, Isaac and Moses in history: “Do not be afraid!” (cf. Gen 15:1; 26:24; Dt 31:8; Joshua 8:1). And He says to us too: “Do not be afraid, keep going; do not be afraid!”. “Father, I am afraid of this”; “And what do you do when…”. “I am sorry, Father, I will tell you the truth: I go to the fortune teller”. “You go to the fortune teller!”. “Ah yes, I have my palm read…”. Please, do not be afraid! Do not be afraid! Do not be afraid! This is good. “I am your travelling companion”: and He says this to Mary. The “Almighty”, the God of the “impossible” (Lk 1:37) is with Mary, together with and beside her; He is her companion, her principal ally, the eternal “I-with-you” (cf. Gen 28:15; Ex 3:12; Jdg 6:12).

Then Gabriel announces to the Virgin her mission, making echo in her heart numerous biblical passages referring to the kingship and messianic nature of the child that must be born of her, and that the child will be presented as the fulfilment of the ancient prophesies. The Word that comes from on High calls Mary to be the mother of the Messiah, that long-awaited Davidic Messiah. She is the mother of the Messiah. He will be king, but not in the human and carnal manner, but in the divine, spiritual manner. His name will be “Jesus”, which means “God saves” (cf. Lk 1:31; Mt 1:21), reminding everyone forever that it is not man who saves, but only God. Jesus is the One who will fulfil these words of the prophet Isaiah: “It was not an envoy or a messenger, but His presence that saved them [with] His love and pity” (Is 63:9).

This motherhood shakes Mary to the core. And as the intelligent woman she is, thus capable of reading into events (cf. Lk 2:19,51), she tries to understand, to discern what is happening to her. Mary does not look outside, but within. And there, in the depths of her open and sensitive heart, she hears the invitation to trust in God, who has prepared for her a special “Pentecost”. Just as at the beginning of creation (cf. Gen 1:2), God wants to nurture Mary with His Spirit, a power capable of opening what is closed without violating it, without encroaching on human freedom; He wants to envelop her in the “clouds” of His presence (cf. 1 Cor 10:1-2) because the Son lives in her, and her in Him.

And Mary is illuminated with trust: she is “a lamp with many lights”. Mary welcomes the Word in her own flesh and thus launches the greatest mission ever entrusted to a woman, to a human creature. She places herself in service: she is full of everything, not like a slave but as a collaborator of God the Father, full of dignity and authority in order to administer, as she will do at Cana, the gifts of divine treasure, so that many will be able to draw from it with both hands.

Sisters, brothers, let us learn from Mary, Mother of the Saviour and our Mother, to let ourselves open our ears to the divine Word and to welcome it and cherish it, so that it may transform our hearts into tabernacles of His presence, in hospitable homes where hope grows. Thank you!

22.01.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

The Gospel of today’s liturgy (Jn 2:1-11) tells us about Jesus’ first sign, when He turns water into wine during a wedding feast in Cana, in Galilee. It is an account that foreshadows and encapsulates the whole of Jesus’ mission: on the day of the coming of the Messiah – so said the prophets – the Lord will prepare “a feast of … choice wines” (Is 25:6) and “the mountains shall drip with the juice of grapes” (Am 9:13); Jesus is the Bridegroom who brings the “good wine”.

In this Gospel we can find two things: lack and superabundance. On the one hand, there is a shortage of wine and Mary tells Her Son: “They have no wine” (v.3); on the other hand, Jesus intervenes, filling six large jars and, in the end, the wine is so abundant and exquisite that the master of the banquet asks the groom why He has kept it until the end (v. 10). Thus, our sign is always lack, but “the sign of God is superabundance”, and the superabundance of Cana is its sign (cf. Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, vol. I, 294). How does God respond to man’s lack? With superabundance (cf. Rom 5:20). God is not mean! When He gives, He gives a lot. He does not give you a little bit, He gives you a lot. The Lord responds to our shortcomings with His superabundance.

In the banquet of our life – we might say – at times we realize that the wine is missing: that we lack the strength and many things. It happens when the worries that plague us, the fears that assail us or the overwhelming forces of evil rob us of the taste for life, the exhilaration of joy and the flavour of hope. Take note: in the face of this lack, when the Lord gives, He gives in superabundance. It seems to be a contradiction: the more that is lacking in us, the greater the Lord’s superabundance. Because the Lord wants to celebrate with us, in a feast without end.

Let us pray, then, to the Virgin Mary. May She, who is the “woman of the new wine” (cf. A. Bello, Maria, donna dei nostri giorni), intercede for us and, in this Jubilee year, help us to rediscover the joy of the encounter with Jesus.

19.01.25

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In the last audience we spoke about children, and today too we will talk about children. Last week we focused on how, in his work, Jesus repeatedly spoke of the importance of protecting, welcoming and loving the little ones.

Yet, even today in the world, hundreds of millions of minors, despite not being of the minimum age to undergo the obligations of adulthood, are forced to work and many of them are exposed to particularly dangerous work; not to mention the boys and girls who are slaves to trafficking for prostitution or pornography, and forced marriages. And this is rather bitter. In our societies, unfortunately, there are many ways in which children are abused and mistreated. Child abuse, of whatever nature, is a despicable act, it is a heinous act. It is not simply a blight on society, no, it is a crime! And it is a gross violation of God’s commandments. No child should be abused. Even one case is already too many. It is therefore necessary to awaken our consciences, to practice closeness and genuine solidarity with abused children and young people, and at the same time to build trust and synergies between those who are committed to offering them opportunities and safe places in which to grow up serenely. I know a country in Latin America, where a special fruit grows, very special, which is called arándano [a species of cranberry]. Harvesting the arándano requires tender hands, and they make children do it, they enslave them as children to harvest it.

Widespread poverty, the shortage of social support tools for families, the increased marginality in recent years along with unemployment and job insecurity are factors that burden the youngest with the highest price to pay. In the metropolises, where the social divide and moral decay “bite”, there are children engaged in drug dealing and the most diverse illicit activities. How many of these children have we seen fall as sacrificial victims! Sometimes tragically they are induced to become “executioners” of their peers, as well as damaging themselves, their dignity and humanity. And yet, when on the street, in the neighbourhood of the parish, and these lost lives present themselves before our eyes, we often look the other way.

There is also a case in my country: a boy called Loan has been abducted and his whereabouts are unknown. And one of the theories is that he has been sent to have his organs removed, for transplants. And this happens, as you well know. This happens! Some return with a scar, others die. This is why today I would like to remember this boy Loan.

It pains us to recognize the social injustice that drives two children, perhaps living in the same neighbourhood or apartment block, to take diametrically opposed paths and destinies because one of them was born into a disadvantaged family. An unacceptable human and social divide: between those who can dream and those who must succumb. But Jesus wants us all free and happy; and if He loves every man and woman as His son and daughter, He loves the little ones with all the tenderness of His heart. That is why He asks us to stop and listen to the suffering of the voiceless, the uneducated. Fighting exploitation, especially child exploitation, is the way to build a better future for the whole of society. Some countries have had the wisdom to put children’s rights in writing. Children have rights. Look yourselves on the internet to find out what children’s rights are.

And so, we can ask ourselves: what can I do? First of all, we must recognize that, if we want to eradicate child labour, we cannot be complicit in it. And when is this the case? For example, when we purchase products that involve child labour. How can we eat and dress, knowing that behind that food and those garments there are exploited children, who work instead of going to school? Find out where those products come from. Awareness of what we purchase is a first act in order not to be complicit. Some will say that, as individuals, we cannot do much. True, but each one can be a drop that, together with many other drops, can become a sea. However, institutions, including church institutions, and companies must also be reminded of their responsibility: they can make a difference by shifting their investments to companies that do not use or permit child labour. Many states and international organizations have already enacted laws and directives against child labour, but more can be done. I also urge journalists – there are some journalists here – to do their part: they can help raise awareness of the problem and help find solutions. Do not be afraid, denounce, denounce these things.

And I thank all those who do not turn away when they see children forced to become adults too soon. Let us always remember the words of Jesus: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40). Saint Teresa of Calcutta, a joyful worker in the vineyard of the Lord, was a mother to the most disadvantaged and forgotten girls and boys. With the tenderness and attention of her gaze, she can accompany us to see the invisible little ones, the too many slaves of a world that we cannot abandon to its injustices. Because the happiness of the weakest builds the peace of all. And with Mother Theresa, let us give voice to the children:

“I ask for a safe place where I can play.

I ask for a smile from someone who knows how to love.

I ask for the right to be a child, 

to be the hope  of a better world.

I ask to be able to grow as a person.

Can I count on you?’ (Saint Teresa of Calcutta)

Thank you.

15.01.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

The feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which we celebrate today, makes us think of many things, including our own Baptism. Jesus joins His people, who are going to receive baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I like to recall the words of a hymn of today’s liturgy: Jesus goes to be baptized by John, “with a bare soul and bare feet”. A bare soul and bare feet.

And when Jesus receives baptism, the Spirit manifests Himself and the Epiphany of God occurs; He reveals His face in the Son and makes His voice heard, which says: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (v. 22). The face and the voice.

First of all, the face. In revealing Himself to be the Father through the Son, God establishes a special space for entering into dialogue and communion with humanity. It is the face of the beloved Son.

In second place, the voice. Face and voice. “You are my beloved Son” (v. 22). This is another sign that accompanies the revelation of Jesus.

Dear brothers and sisters, today’s feast makes us contemplate the face and the voice of God, which are manifested in Jesus’ humanity. And so, let us ask ourselves: do we feel loved? Do I feel loved and accompanied by God, or do I think that God is distant from me? Are we capable of recognizing His face in Jesus and in our brothers and sisters? And are we accustomed to listening to His voice?

I will ask you a question: does every one of you remember the date of your Baptism? This is very important! Think: on what day was I baptized? And if we do not remember, when we arrive home, let us ask our parents or our godparents the date of our Baptism. And let us celebrate this date as if it were a new birthday: that of our birth in the Spirit of God. Do not forget! This is our homework: the date of our Baptism.

Let us entrust ourselves to the Virgin Mary, invoking Her help. And do not forget the date of your Baptism!

12.01.25 a

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Many of you are here in Rome as “pilgrims of hope”. This morning, we are starting the Saturday Jubilee audiences, which will ideally welcome and embrace all those who are coming from all over the world in search of a new beginning. Indeed, the Jubilee is a new beginning, the possibility for everyone to start anew from God. With the Jubilee we start a new life, a new phase.

On these Saturdays I would like to highlight, from time to time, some aspects of hope. It is a theological virtue, the Catechism tells us. And in Latin, virtus means “strength”; thus, it is a strength that comes from God. Hope, therefore, is not a habit or a character trait – that you either have or you don’t – but a strength to be asked for. That is why we make ourselves pilgrims: we come to ask for a gift, to start again on life’s journey.

We are about to celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, and this makes us think about that great prophet of hope, John the Baptist. Jesus said something wonderful about him: that he is the greatest among those born of women (cf. Lk 7:28). We understand then why so many people flocked to him, longing for a new beginning, longing to start over. And the Jubilee helps us in this. The Baptist appeared truly great, he appeared credible in his personality. Just as we today pass through the Holy Door, so John proposed to cross the river Jordan, entering the Promised Land as Joshua had done the first time. To begin again, to receive the land all over again, like the first time. Sisters and brothers, this is the word: begin again. Let us put this in our heads and let us all say together: “begin again”. Let us say it together: begin again! [all repeat several times] There, don't forget this: begin again

Jesus, however, immediately after that great compliment, adds something that makes us think: “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (v. 28). Hope, brothers and sisters, is everything in this qualitative step. It does not depend on us, but on the Kingdom of God. Here is the surprise: welcoming the Kingdom of God leads us to a new order of greatness. Our world, all of us, we need this! And us, what must we do? [Everyone: “Begin again!”]. Do not forget this.

When Jesus utters those words, the Baptist is in jail, full of questions. We too bring many questions on our pilgrimage, because there are many “Herods” who still oppose the Kingdom of God. Jesus, however, shows us the new path, the path of the Beatitudes, which are the surprising law of the Gospel. Let us ask ourselves, then: do I have within me a true desire to start again? Think about it, each one of you: inside myself, do I want to begin again? Do I want to learn from Jesus who is truly great? The least, in the Kingdom of God, is great. Because we must … [Everyone: “Begin again!”].

From John the Baptist, then, we learn to recreate ourselves. Hope for our common home – this Earth of ours, so abused and wounded – and the hope for all human beings resides in the difference of God. His greatness is different. And let us start again from this originality of God, which shone in Jesus and which now binds us to serve, to love fraternally, to acknowledge ourselves as small. And to see the least, to listen to them and to be their voice. Here is the new beginning, our Jubilee. And so we must… [Everyone: “Begin again!”]. Thank you.

11.01.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

I wish to dedicate this and the next catechesis to children, and to reflect in particular on the scourge of child labour.

Nowadays we want to turn our gaze towards Mars or towards virtual worlds, but we struggle to look in the eyes of a child who has been left at the margins and who is exploited or abused. The century that generates artificial intelligence and plans multiplanetary existences has not yet reckoned with the scourge of humiliated, exploited, mortally wounded childhood. Let us think about this.

First of all, let us ask ourselves: what message does the Sacred Scripture give us about children? It is curious to note that the word that occurs most frequently in the Old Testament, after the divine name of Jahweh, is the word ben, that is, “son”: almost five thousand times. “Certainly, sons (ben) are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward” (Ps 127:3). Children are a gift from God. Unfortunately, this gift is not always treated with respect. The Bible itself leads us through the streets of history where songs of joy resound, but also the cries of victims are raised. For example, in the book of Lamentations we read: “The tongue of the infant cleaves to the roof of its mouth in thirst; children beg for bread, but no one gives them a piece” (4:4); and the prophet Nahum, recalling what had happened in the ancient cities of Thebes and Nineveh, writes: “Even her little ones were dashed to pieces at the corner of every street” (3:10). Think of how many children, today, are dying of hunger and destitution, or torn apart by bombs.

The storm of the violence of Herod, who slaughters the infants of Bethlehem, erupts immediately even on the newborn Jesus. A dismal tragedy that repeats in other forms throughout history. And here, for Jesus and His parents, is the nightmare of becoming refugees in a foreign country, as still happens today to many people, to many children (cf. Mt 2:13-18). Once the storm has passed, Jesus grows up in a village never named in the Old Testament, Nazareth; He learns the carpenter’s trade from His legal father, Joseph (cf. Mk 6:3; Mt 13:55). In this way, “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon Him” (Lk 2:40).

In His public life, Jesus went preaching from village to village together with His disciples. One day, some mothers approached Him and presented Him their children to bless; but the disciples rebuked Him. So Jesus, breaking with the tradition according to which children were considered simply as passive objects, calls the disciples to Him and says: “Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. And He thus indicates the little ones as a model for adults. And He solemnly adds: “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (Lk 18:16-17).

In a similar passage, Jesus calls to a child, places him among the disciples, and says: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). And then He cautions: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Mt 18:6).

Brothers and sisters, the disciples of Jesus Christ must never allow children to be neglected or mistreated, to be deprived of their rights, not to be loved or protected. Christians have the duty to earnestly prevent and firmly condemn violence or abuse against children.

Today too, in particular, there are too many children forced to work. But a child who does not smile, a child who does not dream cannot know or nurture his or her talents. In every part of the globe there are children who are exploited by an economy that does not respect life; an economy that, in so doing, consumes our greatest store of hope and love. But children occupy a special place in God’s heart, and whoever harms a child will have to account to Him.

Dear brothers and sisters, those who recognize themselves as children of God, and especially those who are sent to bring the glad tidings of the Gospel to others, cannot remain indifferent; they cannot accept that our little sisters and brothers, instead of being loved and protected, are robbed of their childhood, of their dreams, victims of exploitation and marginalization.

Let us ask the Lord to open our minds and hearts to care and tenderness, and for every boy and every girl to be able to grow in age, wisdom and grace (cf. Lk 2:52), receiving and giving love. Thank you.

08.01.25

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Dear brothers and sisters, happy Feast of the Epiphany!

Today the Church celebrates the manifestation of Jesus, and the Gospel concentrates on the Magi, who at the end of a long journey reach Jerusalem to adore Jesus.

If we look closely, we will discover something a bit stranger: while these wise men from far away come to find Jesus, those who were close by do not take one step towards the grotto in Bethlehem. Drawn and guided by the star, the Magi face enormous expenses, make their time available, accept the many risks and uncertainties of which there was no shortage in those times. And yet they overcome every difficulty to get to see the King Messiah, because they know that something unique is happening in the history of humanity, and they do not want to miss the event. They had inspiration within, and they followed it.

Instead, those who live in Jerusalem, who should be the happiest and the most prompt to rush, stay still. The priests and theologians correctly interpret the Sacred Scriptures and provide directions to the Magi about where to find the Messiah, but they do not move from their “desks”. They are satisfied with what they have, and they do not go seeking; they do not think it is worth the effort to leave Jerusalem.

This fact, sisters and brothers, makes us reflect and in a certain sense provokes us, because it raises a question: to what category do we, I, belong today? Are we more similar to the shepherds, who on the very night itself go in haste to the grotto, and the Magi from the east, who set out confidently in search of the Son of God made man; or are we more similar to those who, despite being physically very close to Him, do not open the doors of their heart and their life, remaining closed and insensitive to Jesus’ presence? Let us ask ourselves this question. To which group of people do I belong? According to a story, a fourth King arrives late in Jerusalem, precisely during Jesus’ crucifixion – this is a beautiful story; it is not historical, but it is a beautiful story – because he stopped along the way to help those in need, giving them the precious gifts he had brought for Jesus. Finally, an old man arrived and said to him: “In truth I say to you, all that you have done for the least of your brothers, you have done it for me”. The Lord knows everything that we have done for others.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary to help us so that, imitating the shepherds and the Magi, we are able to recognize Jesus close by, in the poor, in the Eucharist, in the abandoned, in our brother, in our sister.

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“We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage” (Mt 2:2).  This is the testimony that the Magi gave to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, announcing to them that the king of the Jews was born.

The Magi testified that they had set out in a different direction in their lives because they had seen a new light in the sky. Let us pause to reflect on this image as we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord during this Jubilee of hope. I would like to highlight three characteristics of the star about which Matthew the Evangelist speaks: it is bright, it is visible to all and it points the way.

First of all, the star is bright. Many rulers at the time of Jesus called themselves “stars” because they felt important, powerful and famous. Yet the light that revealed the miracle of Christmas to the Magi was not any of these “lights”. Their artificial and cold splendour, arising from their scheming and power games, could not satisfy the needs of the Magi who were searching for newness and hope. Instead, they were satisfied by a different kind of light, symbolized by the star, which illumines and warms others by allowing itself to burn brightly and be consumed. The star speaks to us of that unique light that can show to all people the way to salvation and happiness, namely that of love. This is the only light that can make us happy.

Above all, this light is the love of God, who became man and gave himself to us by sacrificing his life. As we reflect, then, we can see that this light likewise calls us to give ourselves for one another, becoming, with his help, a mutual sign of hope, even in the darkest nights of our lives. Let think about this: are we radiant with hope? Are we able to give hope to others with the light of our faith?

The star led the Magi to Bethlehem by its brightness. We too, by our love, can bring to Jesus the people that we meet, enabling them to see in the Son of God made man the beautyof the Father’s face (cf. Is 60:2) and his way of loving, which is through closeness, compassion and tenderness. Let us never forget this: God is close, compassionate and tender. This is love: closeness, compassion and tenderness. Moreover, we can do this without the need for extraordinary means or sophisticated methods, but simply by making our hearts bright with faith, our gazes generous in welcome, our gestures and words full of gentleness and kindness.

Thus, as we reflect on the Magi, who fixed their eyes on heaven in searching for the star, let us ask the Lord that we might be bright lights that can lead one another to an encounter with him (cf. Mt 5:14-16). How sad it is when someone is not a light for others.

Now we come to the second of the star’s characteristics: it is visible to all.  The Magi were not following the clues of a secret code, but a star that they saw shining in the sky. While they observed it, others – such as Herod and the scribes – were not even aware of its presence. Yet the star is always there, accessible to those who raise their glance to heaven in search of a sign of hope. Are we a sign of hope for others?

This too holds an important message. God does not reveal himself to exclusive groups or to a privileged few. God offers his companionship and guidance to those who seek him with a sincere heart (cf. Ps 145:18). Indeed, he often anticipates our own questions, coming to seek us even before we ask (cf. Rom 10:20; Is 65:1). For this reason, in Nativity scenes, we portray the Magi with the features of all ages and races: a young person, an adult, an elderly person, reflecting the different peoples of the earth. We do this in order to remind ourselves that God seeks everyone, always. God seeks everyone, everyone.

We do well to meditate on this today, at a time when individuals and nations are equipped with ever more powerful means of communication, and yet seem to have become less willing to understand, accept and encounter others in their diversity!

The star, which shines in the sky and offers its light to all, reminds us that the Son of God came into the world to encounter every man and woman on earth, whatever ethnic group, language or people to which they belong (cf. Acts 10:34-35; Rev 5:9), and that he entrusts to us that same universal mission (cf. Is 60:3). In other words, God calls us to reject anything that discriminates, excludes or discards people, and instead to promote, in our communities and neighbourhoods, a strong culture of welcome, in which the narrow places of fear and denunciation are replaced by open spaces of encounter, integration and sharing of life; safe spaces where everyone can find warmth and shelter.

The star is in the sky, then, not in order to remain distant and inaccessible, but so that its light may be visible to all, that it may reach every home and overcome every barrier, bringing hope to the most remote and forgotten corners of the planet. It is in the sky so that it can tell everyone, by its generous light, that God does not refuse or forget anyone (cf. Is 49:15). Why? Because he is a Father whose greatest joy is to see his children returning home, gathered together from all parts of the world (cf. Is 60:4). He delights to see his children building bridges, clearing paths, searching for those who are lost and carrying on their shoulders those who struggle to walk, so that no one is left behind and all may share in the joy of the Father’s house.

The star speaks to us of God’s dream that men and women everywhere, in all their rich variety, will together form one family that can live harmoniously in prosperity and peace (cf. Is 2:2-5).

This brings us to the third of the star’s characteristics: it points the way. This too is a helpful insight, especially in the context of the Holy Year that we are celebrating, in which one of the main features is pilgrimage.

The light of the star invites us to undertake an interior journey that, as Saint John Paul II wrote, frees our hearts from all that is not charity, in order to “encounter Christ fully, professing our faith in him and receiving the abundance of his mercy” (Letter concerning Pilgrimage to the Places linked to the History of Salvation, 29 June 1999, 12).

Walking together is “traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life” (cf. Spes Non Confundit, 5). By looking at the star, we can also renew our commitment to be women and men of “the Way”, as Christians were referred to in the first years of the Church (cf. Acts 9:2).

Thus may the Lord make us lights leading others to himself; may he make us generous, like Mary, in giving of ourselves, welcoming and humble in walking together, so that we may meet him, recognize him and do him homage. Renewed by him, may we go out to bring the light of his love into the world.

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Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Today the Gospel (cf. Jn 1:1-18), talking to us about Jesus, Word incarnate, tells us that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5). It reminds us, then, how powerful is God's love, which is not overcome by anything and which, despite obstacles and rejections, continues to shine and illuminate our path.

We see it at Christmas, when the Son of God, made man, overcomes so many walls and so many divisions. He confronts the closed minds and hearts of the “great” of His time, who are concerned more with defending power than seeking the Lord (cf. Mt 2:3-18). Then, he shares the humble life of Mary and Joseph, who welcome Him and raise Him with love, but with the limited possibilities and the hardships of those without means: they were poor. He offers Himself, fragile and defenceless, to the encounter with the shepherds (cf. Lk 2:8-18), men whose hearts are marked by the harshness of life and the disdain of society; and then with the Magi (cf. Mt 2:1) who, driven by the desire to know Him, face a long journey and find Him in a home of ordinary people, in great poverty.

Faced with these and many other challenges, which seem contradictions, God never stops – let us listen to this clearly, God never stops. He finds a thousand ways to reach everyone, each and every one of us, wherever we are, without calculation and without conditions, opening even in the darkest nights of humanity windows of light that the darkness cannot obscure (cf. Is 9:1-6). It is a reality that consoles us and encourages us, especially in a time such as ours, a time that is not easy, where there is a great need for light, for hope, and a need for peace, a world where men at times create situations so complicated that it seems impossible to get out of them. It seems impossible to get out of them, from many situations. But today the Word of God tells us that it is not so! Rather, it calls us to imitate the God of love, opening up glimmers of light wherever we can, with whomever we meet, in any context: family, social, international. It invites us not to fear taking the first step – this is the Lord’s invitation today – not to fear taking the first step. It takes courage to do it, but let us not be afraid to throw open bright windows of closeness to those who are suffering, of forgiveness, of compassion and reconciliation: these are the many first steps we must take to make the journey clearer, safer and possible for all. And this invitation resounds in a particular way in the Jubilee Year that has just begun, urging us to be messengers of hope with a simple but concrete “yes” to life, with choices that bring life. Let us do this, all of us, this: this is the way of salvation!

And so, at the beginning of a new year, we can ask ourselves: how can I open a window of light in my environment and in my relationships? Where can I be a glimmer of light that lets God’s love pass through? What is the first step I should take today?

May Mary, star that leads to Jesus, help us to be shining witnesses of the Father’s love for everyone.

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Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

The surprise and the joy of Christmas continue in today’s Gospel (Lk 2:16-21), which narrates the arrival of the shepherds in the grotto in Bethlehem. Indeed, after the proclamation of the angels, “they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger” (v. 16). This encounter fills everyone with wonder, because the shepherds “made known the message that had been told them about this child” (v. 17): the newborn is the “saviour”, the “Messiah”, the “Lord” (v. 11)!

Let us reflect on what the shepherds saw in Bethlehem, namely, the infant Jesus, and also on what they did not see, that is, the heart of Mary, who kept and reflected on all these things (cf. v. 19).

First and foremost, the infant Jesus: this Hebrew name means “God saves”, and this is precisely what He will do. Indeed, the Lord came into the world to give us His very life. Let us think about this: all men are sons, but none of us chose to be born. Instead, God chose to be born for us. God chose. Jesus is the revelation of His eternal love, which brings peace into the world.

The heart of Mary, the Virgin Mother, corresponds to the newborn Messiah, who manifests the mercy of the Father. This heart is the ear that listened to the proclamation of the Archangel; this heart is the hand of the bride given to Joseph; this heart is the embrace that enveloped Elizabeth in her old age. Hope beats in the heart of Mary, Our Mother; hope beats for the redemption and salvation of every creature.

Mothers! Mothers always have their children at heart. Today, on this first day of the year, dedicated to peace, let us think of all the mothers who rejoice in their heart, and of all the mothers who have a heart full of suffering, because their children have been taken away by violence, by arrogance, by hatred. How beautiful is peace! And how inhuman is war, which breaks the hearts of mothers!

In the light of these reflections, we can each ask ourselves: do I know how to remain in silence to contemplate the birth of Jesus? And do I try to cherish in my heart this Advent, its message of goodness and salvation? And how can I reciprocate such a great gift with a gratuitous gesture of peace, forgiveness, reconciliation? Each one of us will find something to do, and this will do us good.

May Mary, the Holy Mother of God, teach us to keep the joy of the Gospel in our hearts and bear witness to it in the world.

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Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace

At the dawn of this New Year given to us by our heavenly Father, a year of Jubilee in the spirit of hope, I offer heartfelt good wishes of peace to every man and woman. I think especially of those who feel downtrodden, burdened by their past mistakes, oppressed by the judgment of others and incapable of perceiving even a glimmer of hope for their own lives. Upon everyone I invoke hope and peace, for this is a Year of Grace born of the Heart of the Redeemer!

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At the beginning of this new year which the Lord has granted us, we do well to lift our eyes and hearts to Mary. For, like a Mother, she points us to her Son. She brings us back to Jesus; she speaks to us of Jesus; she leads us to Jesus. The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, immerses us once more in the mystery of Christmas. In Mary’s womb, God became one of us, and we, who have opened the Holy Door to inaugurate the Jubilee, are reminded today that “Mary is the door through which Christ entered this world” (SAINT AMBROSE, Ep. 42, 4: PL, VII).

The Apostle Paul sums up this mystery by telling us that “God sent forth his Son, born of a woman” (Gal 4:4). Those words – “born of a woman” – echo in our hearts today; they remind us that Jesus, our Saviour, became flesh and is revealed in the frailty of the flesh.

Born of a woman. Those words bring us back to Christmas, for the Word became flesh. The Apostle Paul, in saying that Christ was born of a woman, almost senses the need to remind us that God became truly man through a human womb. There is a temptation, which many people today find attractive, but can also mislead many Christians, to imagine or invent a God “in the abstract”, associated with some vague religious feeling or fleeting emotion. No. God is tangible, he is human, he was born of a woman; he has a face and a name, and calls us to have a relationship with him. Christ Jesus, our Saviour, born of woman, has flesh and blood. Coming from the bosom of the Father, he takes flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. From the highest heaven, he comes down to earth. Son of God, he becomes the Son of man. The image of the Almighty God, Christ came among us in weakness; though he was without blemish, “for our sake, God made him to be sin” (2 Cor 5:21). He was born of woman; he is one of us. For this reason, he is able to save us.

Born of a woman. Those words also speak to us of the humanity of Christ, to tell us that he is revealed in the frailty of flesh. Born of woman, he comes to us as a tiny infant. That is why the shepherds who went to see what the Angel had proclaimed find not extraordinary signs or great displays, but “Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger” (Lk 2:16). They found a tiny, helpless child in need of his mother’s care, clothing and milk, caresses and love. Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort tells us that divine Wisdom “while certainly able to, did not want to give himself directly to men, but chose to do so through the Blessed Virgin. Nor did he want to come into the world as a full-grown man, with no need of others, but as a small child, in need of a Mother’s care and nourishment” (Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, 139). In the life of Jesus, we see that this is how God chooses to act: through littleness and hiddenness. Jesus never yielded to the temptation of performing great signs and imposing himself on others, as the devil had suggested. Instead, he revealed God’s love in the beauty of his humanity, dwelling in our midst, sharing our daily life, our efforts and our dreams, being merciful to those suffering in body and spirit, giving sight to the blind and strength to the disheartened. The three attitudes of God are mercy, closeness and compassion. God comes near to us and is merciful and compassionate. Let us not forget this. By the frailty of his humanity and his concern for the weak and vulnerable, Jesus shows us the face of God.

Sisters and brothers, it is indeed good for us to reflect on how Mary, the young woman of Nazareth, constantly brings us back to the mystery of Jesus, her Son. She reminds us that Jesus came in the flesh, and that we encounter him above all in our daily life, in our own frail humanity and that of all those whom we encounter each day. In praying to Our Lady as the Mother of God, we proclaim that Christ was begotten of the Father, yet also truly born of a woman. We proclaim that he is the Lord of time, yet dwells in our time, indeed this new year, with his loving presence. We proclaim that he is the Saviour of the world, yet we are able to encounter him and are called to seek him in the face of every human being. If he, who is the Son, became so small as to be held in a mother’s arms, cared for and nursed, this means that today too he comes among us in all those who need similar care: in every sister and brother we meet, in everyone who needs our attention and tender care.

Let us entrust this new year to Mary, Mother of God. May we learn, like her, to discover God’s greatness in the little things of life. May we learn to care for every child born of a woman, above all by protecting, like Mary, the precious gift of life: life in the womb, the lives of children, the lives of the suffering, the poor, the elderly, the lonely and the dying. Today, on this World Day of Peace, all of us are invited to take up the summons that flows from the maternal heart of Mary: to cherish life, to care for wounded lives – there are so many wounded lives –, to restore dignity to the lives of everyone “born of woman”, for this is the basis for building a culture of peace. For this reason, “I ask for a firm commitment to respect for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, so that each person may cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to the future” (Message for the LVIII World Day of Peace, 1 January 2025).

Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, awaits us there, at the crib. She points out to us, as she did to the shepherds, the presence of the God who always surprises us, who does not come in the majesty of the heavens, but in the littleness of a manger. Let us entrust to her this new Jubilee Year. Let us entrust to her our questions, our worries, our sufferings, our joys and all the concerns that we bear in our hearts. She is our mom, our mother! Let us entrust to her the whole world, so that hope may be reborn and peace may finally spring up for all the peoples of the earth.

History tells us that in Ephesus, when the bishops entered the church, the faithful who were present, with clubs in their hands, cried out: “Mother of God!”. Surely the clubs were a promise of what would happen if the bishops did not declare the dogma of the “Mother of God”. Today we do not have clubs, but we have the hearts and voices of children. Therefore, all together, let us acclaim the Holy Mother of God. Let us say all together, emphatically: “Holy Mother of God!”, three times. Together: “Holy Mother of God! Holy Mother of God! Holy Mother of God”!

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