Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with pilgrims and tourists gathered in St Peter's Square this Sunday. Ahead of the traditional prayer of Marian devotion, Pope Francis spoke of the common missionary mandate of all the baptized, as well as the special way in which those called to priesthood and religious life respond to the common Christian vocation. The Holy Father also praised the courage of those discerning vocations, and asked for the prayers of all the faithful in their behalf. After the Angelus, Pope Francis returned to discuss his Encyclical, Lumen fidei, which he released this past Friday. Below, please find the English translation of his remarks.
Dear brothers and sisters!
First of all I want to share with you the joy of having encountered, yesterday and today, a special Year of Faith pilgrimage: that of seminarians & novices. Please pray for them, that their love for Christ might mature more and more in their lives and that they might become true missionaries of God's Kingdom.
This Sunday's Gospel (Lk 10:1-12.17-20) speaks to us precisely of this: of the fact that Jesus is not an isolated missionary, does not want to fulfill his mission alone, but involves his disciples. Today we see that, in addition to the Twelve Apostles, He calls seventy-two others, and sends them into the villages, two by two, to announce that the Kingdom of God is near. This is very beautiful! Jesus does not want to act alone, He has come to bring to the world the love of God and wants to spread that love with a style of communion and fraternity. For this reason, he forms immediately a community of disciples, which is a missionary community. Iright from the start, He trains them for the mission, to go [on the mission].
Beware, however: the purpose is not to socialize, to spend time together – no, the purpose is to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and this is urgent! There is no time to waste in small talk, no need to wait for the consent of all – there is need only of going out and proclaiming. The peace of Christ is to be brought to everyone, and if some do not receive it, then you go on. To the sick is to be brought healing, because God wants to heal man from all evil. How many missionaries do this! They sow life, health, comfort to the peripheries of the world.
These seventy-two disciples, whom Jesus sent ahead of him, who are they? Whom do they represent? If the Twelve are the Apostles, and therefore also represent the Bishops, their successors, these may represent seventy-two other ordained ministers - priests and deacons - but in a wider sense we can think of other ministries in the Church, catechists and lay faithful who engage in parish missions, those who work with the sick, with the various forms of discomfort and alienation, but always as missionaries of the Gospel, with the urgency of the Kingdom that is at hand.
The Gospel says that those seventy-two returned from their mission full of joy, because they had experienced the power of the Name of Christ against evil. Jesus confirms this: to these disciples He gives the strength to defeat the evil one. He adds, though: “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20)” We should not boast as if we were the protagonists: the protagonist is the Lord [and] His grace. Our joy is only this: [in] being His disciples, His friends. May Our Lady help us to be good servants of the Gospel.
After the Angelus, Pope Francis returned to discuss his Encyclical On the Light of Faith
Dear brothers and sisters,
As you know, two days ago was published the Encyclical Letter on the subject of faith, entitled Lumen fidei, “The light of faith”. For the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI had started this Encyclical, which follows on from those on charity and hope. I picked up this project and I have finished it. I offer it with joy to the whole People of God: in fact, especially today, we need to go to the essentials of the Christian faith, to deepen it, and to measure current issues by it. But I think that this encyclical, at least in some parts, can also be useful to those who are searching for God and for the meaning of life. I put it in the hands of Mary, the perfect icon of faith, that it may bring in the fruits that the Lord wants.
I address my cordial greeting to all of you, dear faithful of Rome and pilgrims. I greet in particular the youth of the Diocese of Rome who are preparing to leave for Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. Dear young people, I too am preparing! Let us walk together towards this great celebration of faith! May Our Lady accompany us.
I greet the Franciscan Sisters and the Rosminian Angeline Sisters, who are holding their General Chapters, and the leaders of the Community of Sant'Egidio come from different countries for the training course. To all, a happy Sunday!
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