Posted on 10/13/2013 6:13:00 AM PDT by markomalley
The Pope celebrated mass in St Peter’s square this morning in honour of the Marian Day, an event organised as part of the Year of Faith on the anniversary of the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima (13th of October 1917).
Please find below the full text of Pope Francis’ homily in English translation.
In the Psalm we said: “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things” (Ps 98:1). Today we consider one of the marvelous things which the Lord has done: Mary! A lowly and weak creature like ourselves, she was chosen to be the Mother of God, the Mother of her Creator.
Considering Mary in the light of the readings we have just heard, I would like to reflect with you on three things: first, God surprises us, second, God asks us to be faithful, and third, God is our strength.
First: God surprises us. The story of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram, is remarkable. In order to be healed of leprosy, he turns to the prophet of God, Elisha, who does not perform magic or demand anything unusual of him, but asks him simply to trust in God and to wash in the waters of the river. Not, however, in one of the great rivers of Damascus, but in the little stream of the Jordan. Naaman is left surprised, even taken aback. What kind of God is this who asks for something so simple? He wants to turn back, but then he goes ahead, he immerses himself in the Jordan and is immediately healed (cf. 2 Kg 5:1-4). There it is: God surprises us. It is precisely in poverty, in weakness and in humility that he reveals himself and grants us his love, which saves us, heals us and gives us strength. He asks us only to obey his word and to trust in him.
This was the experience of the Virgin Mary. At the message of the angel, she does not hide her surprise. It is the astonishment of realizing that God, to become man, had chosen her, a simple maid of Nazareth. Not someone who lived in a palace amid power and riches, or one who had done extraordinary things, but simply someone who was open to God and put her trust in him, even without understanding everything: “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). That was her answer. God constantly surprises us, he bursts our categories, he wreaks havoc with our plans. And he tells us: trust me, do not be afraid, let yourself be surprised, leave yourself behind and follow me!
Today let us all ask ourselves whether we are afraid of what God might ask, or of what he does ask. Do I let myself be surprised by God, as Mary was, or do I remain caught up in my own safety zone: in forms of material, intellectual or ideological security, taking refuge in my own projects and plans? Do I truly let God into my life? How do I answer him?
In the passage from Saint Paul which we have heard, the Apostle tells his disciple Timothy: remember Jesus Christ. If we persevere with him, we will also reign with him (cf. 2 Tim 2:8-13). This is the second thing: to remember Christ always – to be mindful of Jesus Christ – and thus to persevere in faith. God surprises us with his love, but he demands that we be faithful in following him. We can be unfaithful, but he cannot: he is “the faithful one” and he demands of us that same fidelity. Think of all the times when we were excited about something or other, some initiative, some task, but afterwards, at the first sign of difficulty, we threw in the towel. Sadly, this also happens in the case of fundamental decisions, such as marriage. It is the difficulty of remaining steadfast, faithful to decisions we have made and to commitments we have made. Often it is easy enough to say “yes”, but then we fail to repeat this “yes” each and every day. We fail to be faithful.
Mary said her “yes” to God: a “yes” which threw her simple life in Nazareth into turmoil, and not only once. Any number of times she had to utter a heartfelt “yes” at moments of joy and sorrow, culminating in the “yes” she spoke at the foot of the Cross. Here today there are many mothers present; think of the full extent of Mary’s faithfulness to God: seeing her only Son hanging on the Cross. The faithful woman, still standing, utterly heartbroken, yet faithful and strong.
And I ask myself: am I a Christian by fits and starts, or am I a Christian full-time? Our culture of the ephemeral, the relative, also takes its toll on the way we live our faith. God asks us to be faithful to him, daily, in our everyday life. He goes on to say that, even if we are sometimes unfaithful to him, he remains faithful. In his mercy, he never tires of stretching out his hand to lift us up, to encourage us to continue our journey, to come back and tell him of our weakness, so that he can grant us his strength. This is the real journey: to walk with the Lord always, even at moments of weakness, even in our sins. Never to prefer a makeshift path of our own. That kills us. Faith is ultimate fidelity, like that of Mary.
The last thing: God is our strength. I think of the ten lepers in the Gospel who were healed by Jesus. They approach him and, keeping their distance, they call out: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Lk 17:13). They are sick, they need love and strength, and they are looking for someone to heal them. Jesus responds by freeing them from their disease. Strikingly, however, only one of them comes back, praising God and thanking him in a loud voice. Jesus notes this: ten asked to be healed and only one returned to praise God in a loud voice and to acknowledge that he is our strength. Knowing how to give thanks, to give praise for everything that the Lord has done for us.
Take Mary. After the Annunciation, her first act is one of charity towards her elderly kinswoman Elizabeth. Her first words are: “My soul magnifies the Lord”, in other words, a song of praise and thanksgiving to God not only for what he did for her, but for what he had done throughout the history of salvation. Everything is his gift. If we can realise that everything is God’s gift, how happy will our hearts be! Everything is his gift. He is our strength! Saying “thank you” is such an easy thing, and yet so hard! How often do we say “thank you” to one another in our families? These are essential words for our life in common. “Excuse me”, “sorry”, “thank you”. If families can say these three things, they will be fine. “Excuse me”, “sorry”, “thank you”. How often do we say “thank you” in our families? How often do we say “thank you” to those who help us, those close to us, those at our side throughout life? All too often we take everything for granted! This happens with God too. It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but to go and thank him: “Well, I don’t need to”.
As we continue our celebration of the Eucharist, let us invoke Mary’s intercession. May she help us to be open to God’s surprises, to be faithful to him each and every day, and to praise and thank him, for he is our strength. Amen.
Someone here has "dirtied" her name? Please. Noone has disrespected her in any way. We just don't idolize her, that's all.
I'm sure you're trying to make a point here but it escapes me. Because I'm not in Catholicland don't assume everyone knows what you are talking about.
You don’t use chapter and verse, so what do you care? You clearly worship at the alter of your own interpretation of both chapter and verse, master of your own ignorance. I don’t use sacred scripture for a pin ball machine any more, as protestants to the Church are quite willing to do, but I do know my Bible, chapter and verse.
I was where you were. It’s a climb to get serious about the facts, but your “church” is not remotely like the Old Testament pre-figurment of the coming Church. Your adherence to the New Testament priesthood is zero, and your faith stopped cold with the last sentence of the last chapter of the Bible, as if God evaporated, leaving His people with only each other in charge. The Blessed Mother is simply a pedestrian you pop out at Christmas with no appreciation, because you have no clue of Jewish historical context anyway.
It takes a seeker to do his homework. We aren’t gonna do it for you. So, you can stay ions behind the curve, from the fullness of the Church, the faith, and the truth, by your own choice.
"You clearly worship at the alter of your own interpretation of both chapter and verse, master of your own ignorance. "
Based on my challenge to your interpretation?
" The Blessed Mother is simply a pedestrian you pop out at Christmas "
I despise plastic nativity scenes.
"because you have no clue of Jewish historical context anyway."
Untrue allegation my accuser of the brethren. I'm in touch with Jewish context. Does that surprise you or make you angry?
You’re digging again. Happy in the hole? Enjoy.
No chapter and verse? Only baseless accusations for a comeback. Let me guess, you weren’t captain of the debate team were you?
Keep in mind most people aren’t Catholics, and so we’re not brainwashed into thinking that kneeling before altars, offering incense, praying to and exalting people up to the throne of heaven, and pleading for her to save you, is something other than worship.If you knew the beauty of the Catholic faith, you would most likely become a Catholic yourself. Your viewpoint of the faith is misleading. A correct version is spelled out here: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
“If you knew the beauty of the Catholic faith, you would most likely become a Catholic yourself. Your viewpoint of the faith is misleading.”
Actually I was a Catholic, and I came out of Babylon some time ago. Nice try anyway, though. If it quacks, it’s a duck. If it kneels before an idol of Mary, it’s a Catholic.
My Lord, your commentary is ugly. Is that what your new faith has taught you?
The “issue”, here, is anti-Catholic protestants and former Catholics with a grudge, swarming a thread to cast unmerited insults onto Catholics, their faith and practices (of which they are vastly ignorant), got some push back for it instead of hand holding, and I assume shall be permitted to do so without effect.
A testimony experience of a well formed, but former, protestant to a current one is not “mind reading”. It’s a fact.
Your post was "making it personal" in this statement:
“My Lord, your commentary is ugly. Is that what your new faith has taught you?”
Yes, and praise be to God, that I am as ugly towards your blasphemous practices as I am!
Thank you for the clarification.
I get the picture.
Posting ANY Catholic news without the “caucus” designation is, obviously, begging for an anti-Catholic attack, like a dog whistle, which leads one to wonder if that isn’t the purpose for posting without the designation.
It’s still a little shocking that one can’t give as good as they get on the subject, given the the colossal ignorance of the attackers and the gravity of the attacks.
Yes, and praise be to God, that I am as ugly towards your blasphemous practices as I am!Do you draw anyone to your current faith via your venom? Do you think it's the proper way to encourage Christianity?
“Do you draw anyone to your current faith via your venom? Do you think it’s the proper way to encourage Christianity?”
Keep in mind that just because the heathen rages, doesn’t mean that we have to be worried about offending their sensibilities. If I’m speaking the truth, it’ll always be called ugly by somebody. All I have to do is obey God, and it is God, not man, who converts the soul.
“But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”
(Joh 6:64-65)
...given the the colossal ignorance of the attackers and the gravity of the attacksMy husband used to help me with defending the faith on some of these threads, but he eventually said, "These people don't want to learn anything; if they did, I'd help them out." Then he suggested I stop wasting my time [in the Religion Forum]. Good advice, and I sometimes heed it. :)
The religion forum is no place for a practicing Catholic, I’ve learned that. These people need protected status and apparently they’ve got it.
Outside a caucus thread, a fine bait trap works as well. The whole affair calls for a shower. Nice of you to reply and thank you for it.
Pope John Paul II, "united with all the pastors of the Church in a particular bond whereby we constitute a body and a college," consecrates "the whole world, especially the peoples for which by reason of their situation you have particular love and solicitude." Both the Pope and Sr. Lucia initially seemed uncertain that the consecration has been fulfilled, but shortly thereafter Sr. Lucia tells the papal nuncio to Portugal that the Consecration is fulfilled.
May 13, 1984 One of the largest crowds in Fatima history gathers at the shrine to pray the Rosary for peace.
May 13, 1984 An explosion at the Soviets’ Severomorsk Naval Base destroys two-thirds of all the missiles stockpiled for the Soviets’ Northern Fleet. The blast also destroys workshops needed to maintain the missiles as well as hundreds of scientists and technicians. Western military experts called it the worst naval disaster the Soviet Navy has suffered since WWII.
December 1984 Soviet Defense Minister, mastermind of the invasion plans for Western Europe, suddenly and mysteriously dies.
March 10, 1985 Soviet Chairman Konstantin Chernenko dies
March 11, 1985 Soviet Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev elected
April 26, 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident
May 12, 1988 An explosion wrecked the only factory that made the rocket motors for the Soviets’ deadly SS 24 long-range missiles, which carry ten nuclear bombs each.
August 29, 1989 Sr. Lucia affirms in correspondence that the consecration "has been accomplished" and that "God will keep His word."
November 9, 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
Nov-Dec 1989 Peaceful revolutions in Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania
1990 East and West Germany are unified
December 25, 1991 Dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
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