I express my closeness to the populations of Vietnam and Myanmar, who are suffering as a result of the floods caused by a violent typhoon. I pray for the deceased, the injured and the displaced. May God sustain those who have lost their loved ones and their home, and bless those who are coming to their aid.

Yesterday, Moisés Lira Seraphin was beatified in Mexico City. A priest and founder of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity of Mary Immaculate, he died in 1950, after a life spent helping people to advance in faith and in love of the Lord. May his apostolic zeal encourage priests to give themselves unreservedly, for the spiritual good of the holy people of God. A round of applause for the new Blessed! I can see the Mexican flags over there…

Today marks World Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Day in Italy. I assure remembrance in prayer for sufferers and their families; I encourage research work on this pathology, and volunteer associations.

And let us not forget the wars that are causing bloodshed in the world. I think of tormented Ukraine, Myanmar, I think of the Middle East. How many innocent victims. I think of the mothers who have lost their sons in war. How many young lives cut short! I think of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, found dead in September, along with five other hostages in Gaza. In November last year, I met his mother, Rachel, who impressed me with her humanity. I accompany her in this moment. May the conflict in Palestine and Israel cease! May the violence cease! May hatred cease! Let the hostages be released, let the negotiations continue, and let peaceful solutions be found!

I wish you all a good Sunday. And please, do not forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch, and arrivederci.

15.09.24

Pope Francis  Angelus   15.09.24

Who Jesus is for me? 

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

The Gospel of today’s Liturgy tells us that Jesus, after asking the disciples what the people thought of Him, directly asks them: “But who do you say that I am?” (Mk 8:29). Peter answers on behalf of all the group, saying. “You are the Christ” (v. 30), that is, you are the Messiah. However, when Jesus starts to talk about the suffering and death that await Him, the same Peter objects, and Jesus harshly rebukes him: “Get behind me, Satan!” – He says Satan – For you are not on the side of God, but of men” (v. 33).

Looking at the attitude of the apostle Peter, we too can ask ourselves what it means to truly know Jesus. What does it mean to know Jesus?

In fact, on the one hand Peter answers perfectly, saying to Jesus that He is the Christ. However, behind these correct words there is still a way of thinking that is “of men”, a mentality that imagines a strong Messiah, a victorious Messiah, who cannot suffer or die. So, the words with which Peter responds are “right”, but his way of thinking has not changed. He still has to change his mindset, he still has to convert.

And this is a message, an important message for us too. Indeed, we too have learned something about God, we know the doctrine, we recite the prayers correctly and, perhaps, we respond well to the question “Who is Jesus for you?”, with some formula we learned at catechism. But are we sure that this means really knowing Jesus? In reality, to know the Lord, it is not enough to know something about Him, but rather to follow Him, to let oneself be touched and changed by His Gospel. It is a matter of having a relationship with Him, an encounter. I can know many things about Jesus, but if I have not encountered Him, I still do not know who Jesus is. It takes this encounter that changes life: it changes the way of being, it changes the way of thinking, it changes the relationships you have with your brothers and sisters, the willingness to accept and forgive, it changes the choices you make in life. Everything changes if you have truly come to know Jesus! Everything changes.

Brothers and sisters, the Lutheran theologian and pastor Bonhoeffer, victim of Nazism, wrote: “What is bothering me incessantly is the question of what Christianity really is, or indeed who Christ really is, for us today” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and papers from prison). Unfortunately, many people no longer pose themselves this question and remain “unbothered”, slumbering, even far from God. Instead, it is important to ask ourselves: do I let myself be bothered, do I ask who Jesus is for me, and what place He occupies in my life? Do I follow Jesus only in word, continuing to have a worldly mentality, or do I set out to follow Him, allowing the encounter with Him to transform my life?

May our mother Mary, who knew Jesus well, help us on this question.

15.09.24

Pope Francis  Interreligious Meeting with Young People 13.09.24

Apostolic Journey to Singapore

Pope Francis General Audience 18.09.24  

Watch Live from 8.55 Rome Time

Pope Francis  Holy Mass  12.09.24

Apostolic Journey to Singapore

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

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor 8:1). Saint Paul addresses these words to the brothers and sisters of the Christian community at Corinth. In his letters to this community, which was rich in many charisms (cf. 1 Cor 1:4-5), the Apostle often recommends that it cultivate communion in charity.

Let us listen to those words of Paul as together we thank the Lord for the Church in Singapore, which is also rich in gifts, a Church that is vibrant, growing and engaged in constructive dialogue with the various other Confessions and Religions with which it shares this wonderful land.

For this reason, then, I would like to reflect on Paul’s words, taking as a starting point the beauty of this city and its great and bold architecture, especially this impressive National Stadium complex, which contribute to making Singapore so famous and fascinating. First, let us remember that, in the end, at the origins of these imposing buildings, as with any other undertaking that leaves a positive mark on our world, while people may think that they are primarily about money, techniques or even engineering ability, which are certainly useful, very useful, what we really find is love, precisely the “love that builds up”.

While some may think this is a naive statement, by reflecting on it we see that this is not the case. Indeed, while good works may have brilliant, strong, rich and creative people behind them, there are always fragile women and men, like us, for whom without love there is no life, no impetus, no reason to act, no strength to build.

12.09.24 me

Pope Francis  Meeting with Authorities  12.09.24

Apostolic Journey to Singapore

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

I thank the President for his kind words of welcome, and I renew my appreciation for his recent visit to the Vatican. Furthermore, I am grateful to all the Authorities for the cordial welcome to this City-State, a commercial crossroads of primary importance and a place where different peoples meet.

Those arriving here for the first time cannot fail to be impressed by the mass of ultra-modern skyscrapers that seem to rise from the sea. They are a clear testimony to human ingenuity, the dynamism of Singaporean society and the acumen of the entrepreneurial spirit, which have found fertile ground here for their expression.

Singapore’s story is one of growth and resilience. From humble beginnings, this nation has reached an advanced level of development, which can only stem from rational decisions and not by chance. Indeed, it is the result of an unwavering commitment to carry out projects and initiatives that are well thought-out and in tune with the specific characteristics of the place. In these days you are celebrating the one hundred and first anniversary of the birth of Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, who held this office from 1959 to 1990 and gave a strong impetus to the country’s rapid growth and transformation.

12.09.24 mae

Pope Francis  Meeting with Young People  11.09.24

Apostolic Journey to Dili, Timor Leste

How do we receive the Word of God? The response is clear: As one receives Jesus Christ. The Church tells us that Jesus is present in the Scripture, in His Word.

Always carry a small Gospel with you in your purse, in your pocket, and read a passage from the Gospel during the day. Not so much to learn something, but mostly to find Jesus, because Jesus actually is in His Word, in His Gospel.  Every time I read the Gospel, I find Jesus.  - Pope Francis 01.09.14

Daily Readings - read the entire New Testament over a 2 year period (reading plan courtesy of Gideon International)

The Bible Online

Pope Francis  Holy Mass  10.09.24

Apostolic Journey to Dili, Timor Leste

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

“A child has been born for us, a son given to us” (Is 9:6).

With these words, in the first reading, the prophet Isaiah addresses the inhabitants of Jerusalem. It was a prosperous time for that city, but sadly also characterized by great moral decadence.

We see much wealth there, but this affluence blinds the powerful, seducing them into thinking that they are self-sufficient, with no need for the Lord, and their conceit leads them to be selfish and unjust. For this reason, despite so much prosperity, the poor are abandoned and go hungry, infidelity is rampant, and religious practice is increasingly reduced to mere formalism. This deceptive façade of a world that at first sight appears to be perfect hides a reality that is much darker, harsher and more cruel. A reality where there is much need for conversion, mercy and healing.

10.09.24 me

Pope Francis  Meeting with Clergy and Catechists   10.09.24

Apostolic Journey to Dili, Timor Leste

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

Many of the youngest – seminarians, young religious – remained outside. And now, when I saw the bishop, I told him that he has to enlarge the cathedral because it is a grace to have so many vocations! Let us thank the Lord and let us also thank the missionaries who came before us. When we saw this man [Florentino de Jesús Martins, 89 years old, to whom the Pope said that he “had competed with the apostle Paul”], who was a catechist his whole life, we can understand the grace of the mission entrusted to him. Let us thank the Lord for this blessing to this Church.

I am happy to be with you during this journey in which I am a pilgrim in the lands of the East. I thank Bishop Norberto de Amaral for his words, and for reminding me that Timor-Leste is a country “at the edge of the world”. I also come from the ends of the world, but you more than me. And I like to say it – precisely because it is at the edge of the world, it is at the centre of the Gospel! This is a paradox that we have to learn: in the Gospel, the peripheries are the centre and a Church that has no capacity for peripheries and that hides in the centre is a very ill Church. Instead, when a Church thinks beyond, sends out missionaries, it goes into those peripheries that are the centre, the Church’s centre. Thank you for being at the peripheries, for we know well that in the heart of Christ the “existential peripheries” are the centre. Indeed, the Gospel is full of people, figures and stories that are on the margins, on the borders, but are called by Jesus to become protagonists of the hope that he came to bring us.

10.09.24 mbce

Pope Francis September 2024

For the cry of the Earth

Let us pray that each of us listen with our hearts to the cry of the Earth and of the victims of environmental disasters and the climate crisis, making a personal commitment to care for the world we inhabit.

Let us pray for the cry of the Earth.

If we took the planet’s temperature, it will tell us that the Earth has a fever. And it is sick, just like anyone who’s sick.

But are we listening to this pain?

Do we hear the pain of the millions of victims of environmental catastrophes?

The ones suffering most from the consequences of these disasters are the poor, those who are forced to leave their homes because of floods, heat waves or drought.

Dealing with the environmental crisis caused by humans, such as climate change, pollution or the loss of biodiversity, begs responses that are not only ecological, but are also social, economic and political.

We must commit ourselves to the fight against poverty and the protection of nature, changing our personal and community habits.

Let us pray that each of us listen with our hearts to the cry of the Earth and of the victims of environmental disasters and climate change, making a personal commitment to care for the world we inhabit.

September 2024

Pope Francis Apostolic Journey to Singapore 12.09.24

HOLY MASS