“Sorrow” for the pilgrims who were on their way to Medjugorje and died yesterday in Croatia in a traffic accident. The “blessing” to the young pilgrims to Compostela. In the reflection on the Gospel, the pontiff recalled the two exhortations that Jesus makes, “do not be afraid” and “be prepared”. An invitation to overcome the “fears” that paralyze and overcome the temptation of a “passive life”.
Vatican City () – “I wish to welcome the departure from the Ukrainian ports of the first ships loaded with cereals”, Pope Francis said today at the Angelus, referring once again to the war unleashed by Moscow against kyiv. The conflict is aggravating -with the blockade of transportation- hunger in the world because it affects a strategic reality in global production. This step, continued the pontiff, “demonstrates that it is possible to dialogue and achieve concrete results that benefit everyone”. He then expressed his wish that this be a “sign of hope” and that, “following this path”, it is possible to “end the armed confrontations” and achieve a “just and lasting” peace.
The Pope then recalled “with pain” the victims of yesterday’s traffic accident in Croatia, in which a group of pilgrims on their way to Medjugorje was involved. 12 people died and 18 were injured, some of them seriously. “May the Virgin – he added – intercede for them and for all their families”. Finally, the pontiff imparted his blessing to the participants and organizers of the European youth pilgrimage to the Compostela sanctuary, which today is experiencing the “highest day” of its journey. The pilgrimage did not take place last year due to the pandemic, although this also determined the extension of the Holy Year of Compostela to all of 2022. “Life – Francis told them – must be a journey with Jesus Christ, a journey towards God and towards the Brothers, a path of service and joy”.
Before the Marian prayer, the pontiff recalled today’s liturgy in which Jesus addresses the disciples “to reassure them of all fear and invite them to be vigilant.” The two exhortations, “fear not, little flock” and “be prepared,” are two “key words” for overcoming “paralyzing” fears and “the temptation of a passive life.” The Pope explained that Jesus wants to encourage the disciples, insisting that “there is no need to worry or fret” because “our history is firmly in the hands of God.” Sometimes, he continued, “we feel trapped by a feeling of distrust and anguish” because we are afraid of not being able to carry out our projects, of being happy, of not being recognized and loved. That is why we feel that anxiety to seek security, goods, riches, which end up making people “live in constant anxiety and worry.” But Jesus “reassures us: do not be afraid!” and “trust in the Father”, because “this is the certainty in which the heart can rest”.
However, the Pope warns that the look of the Lord “does not authorize us to sleep, to let ourselves be carried away by laziness”, but rather, on the contrary, it is an invitation to “be awake and vigilant”. “Because in fact – Francis insists -, to love means to be attentive to the other, to be aware of their needs, to be available to listen and welcome, to be prepared”, which is also “the second invitation of today”. And he remembered the passage in which Shakespeare makes Hamlet say that in the “various” situations of life “being prepared is everything”, an attitude that sums up what he calls “Christian wisdom”. Jesus repeats this invitation through three parables about the owner of the house. “In the first one, he suddenly returns from his wedding, in the second one he doesn’t want to be surprised by robbers, and in the third one he returns from a long trip. In all of them – the Pope warns – the message is the same: we must be awake, not fall asleep, that is, not be distracted, not give in to inner laziness, because the Lord comes even in situations in which we do not expect him”.
And Saint Augustine used to say “I am afraid that the Lord will pass by and I will not notice”. Watching also means, then, “being responsible” and guarding assets “with fidelity”, taking care of the heritage “that the Lord has given us”. “Brothers and sisters, let us walk without fear, with the certainty – Pope Francis concluded – that the Lord is always with us. And let us remain vigilant, so as not to fall asleep while the Lord passes by. May the Virgin Mary help us, who welcomed the visit of the Lord and, promptly and generously, told him “here I am”.
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