Vatican City, 17 January 2016 (VIS) –
Today, World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Pope appeared at the
window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the
Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, including
seven thousand people from various ethnic communities on a pilgrimage
to pass through the Holy Door, and to hear the Holy Father speak.
Before the Marian prayer Francis spoke
about the day's Gospel reading, which narrates Jesus' first miracle,
the transformation of water into wine during the wedding party at
Cana. "Miracles, then, are extraordinary signs that accompany
the preaching of the Good News, and are intended to kindle or
strengthen faith in Jesus. In the miracle at Cana, we can see an act
of kindness by Jesus towards the newly-weds, a sign of God’s
blessing of the marriage. The love between man and woman is therefore
a good way to live the Gospel, that is, to walk with joy on the path
of holiness".
"But the miracle of Cana is not
just about the bride and groom", he added. "Every person is
called to meet the Lord in his life. The Christian faith is a gift we
receive in Baptism, which enables us to meet God. Faith passes
through times of joy and sorrow, light and darkness, as in any
authentic experience of love. The story of the wedding at Cana
invites us to rediscover that Jesus does not come to us as a judge
ready to condemn our sins, nor as a commander demanding we blindly
follow His orders. He appears as the Saviour of humanity … as the
One who answers the expectations and promises of joy that dwell in
the heart of every one of us".
"Do I truly know the Lord in this
way?" asked the Pope. "Do I feel Him next to me, in my
life? … This means becoming aware that Jesus searches for us and
invites us to make room for Him deep in our heart. And in this
journey of faith, with Him, we are not alone: we have received the
gift of the Blood of Christ. The large stone jars that Jesus filled
with water to transform it into wine are a sign of the passage from
the Old to the New Covenant: instead of water used for the
purification ritual, we received the Blood of Jesus, poured in a
sacramental way in the Eucharist and in a brutal way in the Passion
and on the Cross. The Sacraments, which flow from the Paschal
Mystery, imbue us with supernatural strength and allow us to enjoy
God's infinite mercy".
"May the Virgin Mary, model of
meditation on the words and gestures of the Lord, help us to
rediscover faith with the beauty and richness of the Eucharist and
the other Sacraments, which manifest God's faithful love for us. In
this way we may deepen our love for the Lord Jesus, our Spouse, and
go towards Him with lamps lit with our joyous faith, thus becoming
His witnesses in the world", he concluded.
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