Vatican City, 1 June 2014 (VIS) – At
midday today, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study to
pray the Regina Coeli with the faithful gathered below in St. Peter's
Square and, before the Marian prayer, he mentioned that today in
Italy and in other countries we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus
Christ, which takes place forty days after the Resurrection. On that
day, Jesus returns to His Father and commands the disciples to
proclaim His message of salvation to the world.
“Jesus leaves and goes up to Heaven”,
he explains; “He returns to the Father Who sent Him to the world.
He had finished his work and returned to His Father. But this is not
a separation, because he remains with us always, in a new form. With
His ascension, the Risen Lord lifts the gaze of the Apostles – and
also ours – to the heights of Heaven to show us that our path leads
us to the Father. However, Jesus remains present and at work in the
vicissitudes of human history with the power and gifts of His Spirit;
this accompanies each one of us, even though we do not see Him with
our eyes. He accompanies us and guides us, He gives us His hand and
lifts us up when we fall. The resurrected Jesus is close to those
Christians who are persecuted and discriminated against; He is close
to every man and woman who suffers.
“And Jesus, when He returns to
Heaven, takes a gift to His Father: his wounds. His body is
beautiful, without the wounds of flagellation, but the wounds are
still present. And when He returns to the Father, He says: Look, this
is the price of the forgiveness you give. And when the Father looks
upon Christ's wounds, He always forgives. Not because we are good:
no. Looking at Jesus' wounds, the Father becomes more merciful”.
“But Jesus is also present through
the Church, which He sent to continue His mission. Jesus' last word
to His disciples is the order to go forth: 'Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations'. It is a precise mandate – it is not
optional! The Christian community is a community that is on the move,
that goes out. More than this: the Church was born outgoing. And you
will ask me, but what about cloistered communities? Yes, it applies
to them too, as they always reach out through prayer, with their
hearts open to the world, to God's horizons. And the elderly, the
sick? They too are in prayer and union with Jesus' wounds”.
Following the Regina Coeli, the Pope
said, “It is with a heavy heart that I pray for the victims of the
continuing tension in some areas of Ukraine, and also in the Republic
of Central Africa. I renew my urgent appeals to all the parties
involved to overcome their misunderstandings and to seek patiently
dialogue and pacification. May Mary Queen of Peace help all of us by
her maternal intercession”.
He went on to mention that today is
World Social Communications Day, the theme of which this year is
communication in the service of the culture of encounter: “Social
communication media may promote a sense of unity within the human
family, solidarity and commitment to a dignified life for all. Let us
pray that communication, in every form it takes, may be effectively
at the service of encounter between people, communities, families,
nations; an encounter based on respect and mutual listening”.
Finally, he mentioned the beatification
on Saturday afternoon in Collevalenza, Italy, of Mother Maria
Esperanza of Jesus (Maria Josefa Alhama Valera), foundress of the
Congregations of the Handmaids and the Sons of Merciful Love, and
expressed his hope that “her witness may help the Church to
proclaim everywhere, with concrete daily gestures, the infinite mercy
of the heavenly Father towards every person”.
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