POPE FRANCIS SUNDAY ANGELUS MESSAGE 6th April 2014, St. Peters Square. Lets say it together : THERE IS NO LIMIT TO GODS MERCY TO OFFER EVERYONE ! The Lord is always ready to raise the tombstone of our sins, that separates us from Him , the light of the living. Dear brothers and sisters , The Gospel of this Fifth Sunday of Lent tells us about the resurrection of Lazarus. And the culmination of the signs that Jesus performed miraculous : it is a gesture too big, too divine to be clearly tolerated by the high priests , who , learning the fact , took the decision to kill Jesus (cf. Jn 11:53 ) . Lazarus had been dead for three days, when Jesus came ; and sisters Martha and Mary, he said words that are etched forever in the memory of the Christian community . So Jesus says : I am the resurrection and the life ; Whoever believes in me , though he die , yet shall he live and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (Jn 11:25) . On the Lords word , we believe that the life of those who believe in Jesus and follow his commandment , after death will be transformed into a new life, full and immortal. As Jesus was resurrected with his body , but did not return to earthly life , so we will be resurrected with our bodies that will be transformed into glorious bodies . He is waiting for us with the Father , and the power of the Holy Spirit, who raised him, will also raise up those who are united to Him Before the sealed tomb of his friend Lazarus , Jesus cried with a loud voice, Lazarus , come forth . And the dead man came out , his feet and hands bound with bandages , and his face wrapped in a shroud (vv. 43-44 ) . This cry is imperative addressed to all men, because we are all marked by death , all of us ; is the voice of the One who is the master of life and wants everyone to have it abundantly (Jn 10:10). Christ is not resigned to the tombs that we have built with our choices of evil and death , with our mistakes , with our sins. He is not resigned to this ! He invites us , as we sort of get out of the tomb in which our sins have collapsed. We insistently called out of the darkness of the prison in which we are confined , to be content with a life of false, selfish , mediocre. Come out , he says, Come out . And all an invitation to true freedom , to let us grasp these words of Jesus who says to each of us today . An invitation to let ourselves free from the bandages , from the bandages pride. Because pride makes us slaves , slaves of ourselves , slaves of many idols , many things. Our resurrection begins here: when we decide to obey this command of Jesus coming to light, to life; when they fall on our face masks - masked by the many times we sin , the masks are falling! - And we find the courage of our original face, created in the image and likeness of God. The act of Jesus raising Lazarus shows how far he can get the power of Gods grace , and thus far can our conversion , our change. But look : there is no limit to Gods mercy to offer everyone! There is no limit to Gods mercy to offer everyone! well remember this sentence . And we can put it all together : There is no limit to Gods mercy to offer everyone. Lets say it together : There is no limit to Gods mercy to offer everyone. The Lord is always ready to raise the tombstone of our sins, that separates us from Him , the light of the living. After the Angelus : Rwanda will be held tomorrow in the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994. On this occasion I would like to express my paternal closeness to the people of Rwanda , encouraging him to continue with determination and hope , the process of reconciliation that has already manifested its fruits , and the commitment of human and spiritual reconstruction of the country. To all I say : Do not be afraid ! On the rock of the Gospel build your company , love and harmony, so the only way to create a lasting peace ! I invoke upon all the beloved nation of Rwanda the maternal protection of Our Lady of Kibeho . I remember with affection the Rwandan bishops who were here at the Vatican last week. And invite all of you , now, to pray to the Virgin Mary , Our Lady of Kibeho . Greetings: I greet all the pilgrims present, especially those taking part in the Congress of the Movement for Educational Commitment of Italian Catholic Action . Invest in education means investing in hope! I greet the groups of children who have received or are preparing for Confirmation , youth from various parishes and numerous students. Its been exactly five years after the earthquake that struck L Aquila and its surroundings . At this time we want to join a community that has suffered so much , who are still suffering , struggle, and hopefully, with a lot of confidence in God and the Virgin Mary. We pray for all the victims : they live forever in Gods peace. And let us pray for the path of the resurrection of the people of LAquila : solidarity and spiritual rebirth are the strength of the material reconstruction . We also pray for the victims of the Ebola virus that has developed in Guinea and neighboring countries . The Lord may sustain the efforts to combat this epidemic and to ensure early care and assistance to all those in need. And now I would like to make a simple gesture to you. In the past few Sundays I have suggested to all of you to get a little Gospel , to carry with you during the day to read it often. Then I thought back to the ancient tradition of the Church, during Lent , to deliver the Gospel to the catechumens , those preparing for baptism. So today I want to offer to you that you are in Piazza - but as a sign for everyone - a pocket Gospel - will be distributed for free. There are places in the square for this distribution. I see them there, there, there ... Get closer to places and take the Gospel. Take it , take it with you , and read it every day : it is Jesus who speaks to you there! And the word of Jesus : This is the word of Jesus! And as I say to Him : freely ye have received, freely give , give the message of the Gospel! But maybe some of you do not believe this is free . But how much does it cost? How much do I pay for, Father ? . We do one thing: in exchange for this gift , make a charitable act , an act of selfless love , a prayer for enemies , reconciliation , something ... Today you can read the Gospel with many technological tools . You can bring the whole Bible in a mobile phone, a tablet. The important thing is to read the Word of God, by all means , but read the Word of God is Jesus who speaks to us there! And welcome it with open heart. Then the good seed bears fruit !
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 08:16:45 +0000
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