Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!

The Gospel parable proclaimed in this Sunday’s Liturgy speaks of Jesus’ life and sheds light on the meaning of his mission (cf. Mt 21:33-43).  He is the Son of God sent into the world, yet he is rejected by the very people who should have welcomed him with open arms.  The One who came to bring salvation is condemned; the One who wishes to give life is put to death.  While this leads us to reflect on the many cruelties that plague the world and the history of peoples, Christ’s teaching reveals the ever-greater mercy of his Father.

Indeed, the violent rejection does not thwart God’s will; in his infinite justice, he transforms evil into redemption: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Mt 21:42; cf. Ps 118:22).  Jesus himself recalls these words from the Psalm, which celebrates the marvelous work done by the Lord: it is precisely what was cast aside that becomes the foundation that sustains everything.  This is how the Almighty guides history, coming to our aid in all our falls: God never discards our lives!

According to the image used in the parable, the vineyard to be cultivated with justice is the Church, which we build up or damage through our choices.  In this regard, today — on the eighth centenary of his death — I wish to recall a laborer who worked with great fruitfulness in the Lord’s vineyard: Saint Francis of Assisi, whom Jesus himself asked to repair his Church.  Inspired by the Crucified One, Francis first and foremost built his own life upon the foundation of Christ, sharing in his poverty, joy and sufferings, even to the point of receiving the mystical sign of the stigmata.  A man of fervent prayer, full of charity toward all, he was an example to the first friars who shared his asceticism as an authentic condition for the reform of the Church.  Saint Francis repaired the Church by virtue of his faith in the Lord Jesus, healing the rifts of discord through the witness of fraternal love.

Dear friends, the charism of Saint Francis continues to bear fruit even today, after eight centuries.  This is attested to, not only by the great and vibrant Franciscan family but also by the many gifts that his spiritual legacy bestows upon the People of God.  As we celebrate the Franciscan Jubilee Year, therefore, let us perseveringly ask for the gift of peace and sincerely commit ourselves to building harmony among peoples.

May the intercession of Mary Most Holy, our Mother, always accompany us in this work.  To her we now turn, spiritually united with the faithful gathered at the Shrine of Pompeii to offer the Supplication to the Virgin of the Holy Rosary.

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After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

Last Sunday, in Lourdes, I invited everyone to pray the Rosary during this month of October, with the special intention that wars may cease and peace may be built.  Among the first to do so were the children, and they are continuing to do so: from 1 to 7 October, “Aid to the Church in Need” is promoting “A Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative for peace and unity in the world.  I wholeheartedly thank all the boys and girls who are joining in this prayer in so many parts of the world.  Let us all follow their example, invoking the intercession of the Virgin Mary so that peoples may be freed from the scourge of war.  In particular, let us pray for the Holy Land and for the innocent victims of violence.

In the coming days, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, a meeting will take place in the Vatican for which I have convoked the Heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Presidents of the world’s Episcopal Conferences.  It will be a time of synodal discernment for identifying the steps to be taken in order to proclaim the Gospel today among families and the younger generations.  I entrust this task to your prayers and, above all, the families who, with God’s help, are a sign of hope and an inestimable treasure for the Church and for society.

I am pleased by the many initiatives celebrating the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi.  In particular, I recall those that took place in Assisi, attended by the highest authorities of the Italian State.  I also greet the amateur radio operators of Assisi and Foligno who spread Saint Francis’ message of peace.

Now, I extend my greetings to all of you who are present today in Saint Peter’s Square.

I welcome the participants in the International Week of Sacred Music, organized by the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music; as well as the faithful from Puente Alto in Santiago, Chile, and the teachers and students of the Gymnasium Sankt Bonaventura in Dillingen, Germany.

I greet the confirmandi from Pinerolo; the faithful from Fasana Polesine; the young people from Val Brembana who have walked the Via Francigena from Viterbo to Rome; the FIABA Association, which promotes campaigns to improve accessibility in public places; the “Mothers who give a smile” group from Taranto; and the “Students with Stars” association from Lurago d’Erba.

I cordially bless the faithful who, today, from this Square, will set out on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Revelation on the Via Laurentina, continuing the tradition begun by Pope Pius XII.

I wish everyone a happy Sunday.