Displaying items by tag: Pope Francis

When Pope Francis, on the evening of March 27, summoned us all for a silent prayer, with Eucharistic adoration, he put in the blessing with the monstrance all the faith of the Church, which was able to receive the plenary indulgence from Jesus, God with us in the Eucharist. Even in these difficult times the Eucharist is celebrated in the world, but sacramentally it cannot easily reach the faithful.

Yet there were also those who then protested the absence of the technical formula for plenary indulgence. Come to think of it, I find that Pope Francis simply reminded us of his function as vicar of the One who through the sacraments makes us partakers of His life.

The intensity of the vicar's plea carried the pain and love, bewilderment and needs of the world before the Lord, and granting the faithful "plenary indulgence in the form established by the Church" - as was announced by the voice of card. Comastri - made the gift of mercy to be shared with others flow directly from the heart of Christ: "Freely you have received, give freely" (Mt 10: 8).

Jesus also says to us, as to the Samaritan woman: "It is I who speak to you!" (Jn 4,26). Let's not stop at the external forms, at the places to which we are affectionately linked ("is it here or there that we have to worship?", Cf. v. 20): we might lose sight of the Savior, who wants to speak to us and looks for places and circumstances through which to be close to us even in the anxieties of this time.

The silence of the Eucharist makes to hush up the chatter and the controversies that intoxicate energies and waste time, urges us to be more collaborative in the daily worries and dramas caused by social distancing and more alert in recognizing the voice of Christ in amazing solidarity and self-denial of many heroes of daily duty: "It is I who speak to you!" Indeed, he himself is the "hour" of the meeting "in spirit and truth"; in which, beyond human schemes and words, adoration puts us face to face with the Father, as the Father wants (Jn 4:23): "This is my Son, the beloved: listen to him" ( Mk 9,7).

From the very beginning of the human existence God keeps asking the question: “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9).

Lent is given us as the time to restore the connection from “God’s passionate will to dialogue with his children”, as the Pope Francis tells us in his Message for Lent 2020.It is all about giving our answers and revitalise our questions.

God’s Word provokes us and shows His expectations and projects. He gives us questions which aim is to overcome our fears, distrusts and laziness. The answers are not all written in the Bible, but they have to be given by each person him or herself. “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear” (Mrk 4:9): only the one who makes space for the other who speaks, can give such answers.

Looking at the circumstances of a personal and collective life we can see that they urge us to restore our relations with the whole humanity, which is made in the image of God Trinity. We are called to become similar to Him, being able to use our liberty to create dialogue, which is not homologating, but open to the other.

40 days of Israel walking through the desert become the metaphor of our life. Sometimes it is contorted and very difficult, sometimes, though, it is driven by the experience of love which seems to be all around.

“The fact that the Lord once again offers us a favourable time for our conversion should never be taken for granted. This new opportunity ought to awaken in us a sense of gratitude and stir us from our sloth. Despite the sometimes tragic presence of evil in our lives, and in the life of the Church and the world, this opportunity to change our course expresses God’s unwavering will not to interrupt his dialogue of salvation with us” (pope Francis, Message for Lent 2020).