Before the Angelus
After the Angelus
At midday today, Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Holy Father Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus with the faithful and pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.
The following is the Pope’s introduction to the Marian prayer:
Before the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, the Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. A feast to contemplate and praise the mystery of the God of Jesus Christ, Who is One in communion with three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. To celebrate with ever-new wonder God-Love, Who offers us His life freely and asks us to spread it throughout the world.
Today’s biblical readings show us how God wishes not so much to reveal to us that He exists, but rather that He is “God with us”, close to us, Who love us, Who walks with us, is interested in our personal history and takes care of each person, starting from the smallest and most in need. He is “God in heaven above” but also “on the earth below” (cf. Dt 4: 39). Therefore, we do not believe in a faraway entity, no! In an indifferent entity, no! But, on the contrary, in the Love that created the universe and generated a people, that made Himself flesh, Who died and rose again for us, and as the Holy Spirit transforms everything and brings it to fullness.
Saint Paul (cf. Rm 8: 14-17), who experienced first-hand this transformation performed by God-Love, communicates to us His desire to be called Father, or rather “papa” – God is “our papa” – with the total confidence of a child who abandons himself to the arms of he who gave him life. The Holy Spirit – the Apostle reminds us again – acting in us ensures that Jesus Christ is not reduced to a character from the past, no, but that we feel Him close to us, as our peer, and experience the joy of being God’s beloved children. Finally, in the Gospel, the risen Lord promises to stay with us for ever. It is precisely thanks to this presence of His and the strength of His Spirit that we can fulfil with serenity the mission He entrusts to us. What is the mission? Announcing and bearing witness to all His Gospel and thus extending the communion with Him and the joy that stems from it. God, travelling with us, fills us with joy, and joy is the first language of the Christian.
So, the feast of the Most Holy Trinity makes us contemplate the mystery of God Who ceaselessly creates, redeems and sanctifies, always with love and for love, and to every creature that receives Him, He gives the gift of reflecting a ray of His beauty, goodness and truth. He has always chosen to walk with humanity and forms a people who are blessing for all the nations and for every person, excluding no-one. Therefore, the task of every baptized person is the same as that entrusted by Jesus to His disciples: “Go … and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28: 19).
A task that, if we consider the meaning of the verb “baptize,” that is, “immerse,” we can translate with the invitation to “immerse” every human being in this ocean that is the love of God; a love that raises from sin, heals the wounds of the soul and gives us salvation.
May the Virgin Mary, whom we invoke from today – resuming the Angelus prayer – help us to fulfil joyfully the mission to witness to the world, thirsty for love, that the meaning of life is indeed the infinite and concrete love of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters,
Yesterday in Piacenza Leonella Sgorbati, Missionary Sister of the Consolata, killed in hatred of the faith in Mogadishu, Somalia in 2006, was proclaimed Blessed. Her life spent for the Gospel and in the service of the poor, as well as her martyrdom, represent a pledge of hope for Africa and for the entire world. Let us pray together for Africa, that there may be peace there.
[Hail Mary…]
Our Lady of Africa, pray for us.
I greet you all, dear Romans and pilgrims: families, parish groups, and associations. In particular, I greet the faithful of Porto Sant’Elpidio, Naples, Bruzzano di Milano, Padua, the choir of Sappada and that of the young people of Vezza d’Alba. You sang well yesterday at Saint Peter’s, well done! I greet Polish pilgrims and bless the participants in the great pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Piekari Slaskie.
On the occasion of the “Day of Relief”, I greet those of you who are gathered at the “Gemelli” Hospital to promote solidarity with those affected by serious diseases. I urge you all to recognize the needs, also spiritual, of sick people and to stay close to them with tenderness.
And I wish you all a good Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch, and goodbye!
