Vatican City, 26 July 2014 (VIS) –
More than two hundred thousand people attended the Mass celebrated by
the Holy Father in the square in front of the Royal Palace of Caserta
at 6 p.m. yesterday.
The Pope spoke in his homily about the
“kingdom of Heaven”, based on the parables of the hidden treasure
and the pearl. In the first, the “kingdom” is similar the
treasure hidden in a field, that the farmer finds and hides again,
full of joy, then sells everything he has to buy the field. In the
second, a merchant who seeks fine pearls encounters one of great
value and sells everything he owns in order to buy it.
The farmer and the merchant, explains
the Pope, have the same sentiment in common: the surprise and joy of
the fulfilment of their desires and, through these two parables,
“with simple words that everyone can understand”, Jesus explains
what the kingdom of heaven is, how it is found and what one can do to
obtain it.
Jesus does not concern Himself with
describing the “kingdom”, although He has announced it since the
beginning of His Gospel; however, He shows it indirectly, through
reflection. “He prefers to let it be understood through parables
and similarities, especially by revealing its effects: the kingdom of
Heaven is able to change the world, like the leaven concealed in the
dough”. Both parables help us understand that the kingdom of God is
present in the person of Jesus Himself. He is the hidden treasure and
the valuable pearl. The joy of the farmer and the merchant are
comprehensible – they have found what they sought! It is the joy of
each one of us when we discover the closeness and the presence of
Jesus in our life. His is a presence that transforms our existence
and opens us to the needs of our brethren; a presence that invites us
to welcome every other presence, even that of the foreigner or the
immigrant”.
To encounter the kingdom of God, each
one of us takes his or her own path. For some, the encounter with
Jesus is awaited, hoped for and long sought, as we see in the parable
of the merchant who travels the world seeking something of value. For
others it happens unexpectedly, almost by chance, as in the parable
of the farmer. This reminds us that God lets us meet Him anyway, as
it is He Who is the first to wish to meet us. ... He came in order to
be 'God with us'. … It is He Who seeks us out, it is He Who lets
Himself be found even by those who are not looking for Him, at times
in unusual places and at unexpected moments. When we find Jesus we
are fascinated, we are won over, and it is a joy to leave behind our
usual way of life, often arid and apathetic, to embrace the Gospel,
and to allow ourselves to be guided by the new logic of love”.
Jesus is very clear that when He refers
to the possession of the “kingdom”, enthusiasm and the joy of
discovery are not enough. “It is necessary to place the precious
pearl of the kingdom before all other earthly goods; it is necessary
to put God in first place in our life. According primacy to God means
having the courage to say no to evil, to violence, to oppression; to
live a life of service to others and in favour of legality and the
common good. … One must be a friend of God, love one's brothers,
and be committed to the protection of their lives and health, also
respecting the environment and nature”. Francis emphasised, “This
is particularly important in this beautiful land, which needs to be
protected and preserved; it takes courage to say no to every form of
corruption and illegality – and we all know the name of these forms
of corruption and illegality. It requires that everyone is a servant
to the truth and assumes in every situation an evangelical lifestyle,
which is manifested in the gift of the self and care for the poor and
excluded”.
The Pope went on to speak about the
festivity of St. Ann, the patron saint of Caserta, which brought
together in the square several components of the diocesan community,
the bishop, the civil authorities and the representatives of various
social sectors. “I would like to encourage al of you to experience
the festivity of your patron saint free of preconceived ideas, as a
pure expression of the faith of a people who recognise themselves as
the family of God and strengthen the bonds of fraternity and
solidarity. St. Ann perhaps heard her daughter pronounce the words of
the Magnificat: 'He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but
has lifted up the humble; He has filled the hungry with good things'.
May she help you to find the only treasure, Jesus, and teach you to
discover the criteria of God's action: He turns worldly judgements on
their head, coming to the aid of the poor and the least among us, and
brings abundance to the humble, who entrust their existence to Him.
Have hope, hope does not disappoint. And I like to repeat to you: do
not let yourselves be robbed of hope!”
Following the Mass and before the final
blessing, Francis gave thanks to all those present for their warm
welcome, and to Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, archbishop of Naples,
adding, “I have heard that the Neapolitans are a little jealous of
this visit, but I wish to assure them them that this year I will
certainly visit them too”.
After the Eucharistic celebration, the
Pope transferred to the military airport and left for Rome by
helicopter.
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