蜜桃交友

By Pope

In a sun-drenched St Peter鈥檚 Square, and before thousands of pilgrims coming from all over the world, Pope Francis proclaimed five new saints for the Church.

In his homily, he reflected on Saint Luke鈥檚 Gospel account of Jesus healing the lepers. Theirs was a 鈥渏ourney of faith鈥�, said the Pope. There are three steps in this journey, he added, all expressed in the actions of the lepers whom Jesus heals: 鈥淭hey cry out, they walk and they give thanks鈥�.

To cry out

The lepers 鈥渃ry out鈥�, said Pope Francis, both because of their disease and because they were excluded. Still, 鈥渢hey did not let themselves be paralyzed because they were shunned by society鈥�, he said. 鈥淭hey cried out to God, who excludes no one鈥�. Distances are shortened, loneliness is overcome, said the Pope, not by closing in on ourselves, but by crying out to the Lord, who 鈥渉ears the cry of those who find themselves alone鈥�.

We too need to be healed, continued Pope Francis: 鈥渉ealed of our lack of confidence in ourselves, in life, in the future; healed of our fears and the vices that enslave us, of our introversion, our addictions and our attachment to games, money, television, mobile phones, to what other people think鈥�.

鈥淭he Lord sets our hearts free and heals them if only we ask Him鈥�, said Pope Francis. The lepers call on Jesus by name, a name that means: 鈥淕od saves鈥�. To call someone by name is a sign of confidence, he said. 鈥淭hat is how faith grows, through confident, trusting prayer鈥�, said the Pope. 鈥淧rayer is the door of faith; prayer is medicine for the heart鈥�.

To walk

The second stage of faith is 鈥渢o walk鈥�, continued Pope Francis. There are several verbs of motion in today鈥檚 Gospel, he noted. 鈥淭he lepers are not healed as they stand before Jesus鈥�, only afterwards as they are walking 鈥渦phill鈥� towards Jerusalem.  On the journey of life, that is how purification happens, said the Pope. 鈥淔aith calls for journey, a 鈥榞oing out鈥� from ourselves鈥�, he said, leaving behind our 鈥渃omforting certainties鈥� and 鈥渟afe harbours鈥�. Faith increases by giving and by taking risks, added Pope Francis. 鈥淔aith advances with humble and practical steps鈥�.

The Pope went on to stress how the lepers 鈥渕ove together鈥�. The verbs in the Gospel are in the plural, he said. 鈥淔aith means walking together, never alone鈥�, added Pope Francis. Yet, once healed, nine of the lepers go on their way, and only one turns back to give thanks. 鈥淭he other nine, where are they?鈥�, asks Jesus, as though He expects the one who returned to account for the other nine.

We too are called to care for 鈥渢hose who have stopped walking, those who have lost their way鈥�, said the Pope. 鈥淲e are called to be guardians of our distant brothers and sisters鈥�.  

To give thanks

Giving thanks. This, said the Pope, is the final step. 鈥淥nly to the one who thanked Him did Jesus say: 鈥榊our faith has saved you鈥欌��. The ultimate goal is not health or wellness, said Pope Francis, but the encounter with Jesus. 鈥淗e alone frees us from evil and heals our hearts鈥�, only He 鈥渃an make life full and beautiful鈥�.  

鈥淭he culmination of the journey of faith is to live a life of continual thanksgiving鈥�, affirmed Pope Francis. 鈥淭o give thanks is not a question of good manners or etiquette, it is a question of faith鈥�, he said. 鈥淎 grateful heart is one that remains young鈥�, said the Pope. He reminded us to remember always to say thank you: 鈥淭hose words are the simplest and most effective of all鈥�, he said.

The new saints

Noting that three of the new saints canonized this Sunday were religious women, the Pope said they show us that 鈥渢he consecrated life is a journey of love to the existential peripheries鈥�. Laywoman, Marguerite Bays, on the other hand, 鈥渟peaks to us of the power of simple prayer, enduring patience and silent self-giving鈥�.

Pope Francis concluded his homily by quoting Saint John Henry Newman, who described the holiness of daily life in these words: 鈥淭he Christian has a deep, silent, hidden peace, which the world sees not... The Christian is cheerful, easy, kind, gentle, courteous, candid, unassuming; has no pretence... with so little that is unusual or striking in his bearing, that he may easily be taken at first sight for an ordinary man鈥�

Let us ask God to be like that, said Pope Francis: 鈥渒indly lights鈥� amid the encircling gloom.