Remembering the gesture of Pius XII on July 19, 1943, when he went to the San Lorenzo neighborhood to visit the affected families, Francis renewed his invitation to pray for peace in the Ukraine at the Angelus. He commented on the parable of the sower and urged everyone not to get tired of sowing the Word of God generously.
Vatican City () – “May the Lord free the human family from the scourge of war”, Pope Francis repeated today at the end of the Angelus, addressing the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square. Francis recalled that this week marks the anniversary of July 19, 1943, when some neighborhoods in Rome, especially San Lorenzo, were bombed and the venerable Pope Pius XII wanted to be present to accompany the frightened people. Unfortunately – continued the pontiff – these tragedies are still repeated. How is it possible? Have we lost our memory? The Lord have mercy on us. And let us ask above all for the dear Ukrainian people, who are suffering so much”.
In his reflection prior to the Marian prayer, Francis commented on the parable of the sower (Mt 13:1-23) that the liturgy proposes today, underlining the importance of the Christian never getting tired of sowing the Word of God generously. In the first place, he gave the example of parents who “sow goodness and faith in their children, and are called to do so without being discouraged, even though sometimes they seem not to understand them or appreciate their teachings, or if the mentality of the world “rows in against”. He also reminded young people who dedicate time to those in need: “it may seem lost,” he commented, “nevertheless it is holy time, while the apparent satisfactions of consumerism and hedonism leave your hands empty.” He urged priests, religious and lay people who work in the proclamation of the Gospel not to forget that “even where it seems that nothing is happening, in reality the Holy Spirit is working and the kingdom of God is already growing, through and beyond our efforts.”
And he invited each one to ask themselves: “Do I sow well? Am I only concerned with reaping for myself or also with sowing for others? Do I sow some seeds of the Gospel in daily life: study, work, free time? Do I Do I get discouraged or, like Jesus, do I keep planting, even if I don’t see immediate results?
Finally, he greeted the groups of pilgrims who were in Saint Peter’s Square and addressed a particular thought to the parishes that at this time of year carry out summer activities with children and young people: “in the Vatican there is also one that is very popular,” he recalled. For this concrete witness to the Gospel, the pontiff thanked the priests, nuns, animators and families.
