Pope Francis wants to change the Lord Prayer

Pope Francis has proposed changing the text of the Lord's Prayer to make it a little less confusing for some. The change has already caught on.

October 2017 Prayer Intentions ~ Pope Francis

Workers and the Unemployed ~ That all workers may receive respect and protection of their rights, and that the unemployed may receive the opportunity to contribute to the common good.

Acts 20:35 �In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, �It is more blessed to give than to receive.��

In any case we clearly see, and on this there is general agreement, that some opportune remedy must be found quickly for the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class.... 

source: RERUM NOVARUM, Encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII on Capitol and Labor

Pope Francis' prayer for Fatima's 100th Anniversary

The pope composed a special prayer for for Fatima's 100th Anniversary, which he recited at the Little Chapel of the Apparitions on 12 May, 2017 during his visit to Portugal for the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. Below is the prayer.

Prayer

Hail Queen,

Blessed Virgin of Fatima,

lady of the Immaculate Heart,

refuge and path that leads to God!

Pilgrim of the Light that radiates from your hands,

I give thanks to God the Father who,

at all times and in all places,

acts within human history;

pilgrim of the peace that you announce in this place,

I praise Christ, our peace,

and I pray for harmony

among all peoples in this world;

pilgrim of the hope that the Spirit encourages,

I want to be a prophet and messenger to wash the feet of all,

at the same table that unites us.

Hail o clement, hail o loving! 

Hail Queen of the Rosary of Fatima. 

Hail o clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

Hail Mother of Mercy,

lady dressed in white!

In this place where, 100 years ago,

you showed us all

the plans of mercy of our God,

I look at your garment of light

and, as a bishop dressed in white,

I remember all those who,

dressed in their white baptismal robes,

want to live in God

and pray the mysteries of Christ

to achieve peace.

Hail o clement, hail o loving! 

Hail Queen of the Rosary of Fatima. 

Hail o clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

Hail, our life and sweetness,

Hail, our hope,

o pilgrim Virgin, o universal Queen!

From the depths of your being,

in your immaculate heart,

you see the joys of human beings

when they journey toward the heavenly homeland.

From the depths of your being,

in your immaculate heart,

you see the sorrow of the human family

that mourns and weeps in this valley of tears.

From the depths of your being,

in your immaculate heart,

adorn us with the radiance

of all the jewels in your crown and make us pilgrims as you were a pilgrim.

With your virginal smile,

strengthen the joy of Christ's church.

With your sweet gaze,

strengthen the hope of God's children.

With your prayerful hands that you raise to the Lord,

unite us all into one human family.

Hail o clement, hail o loving! 

Hail Queen of the Rosary of Fatima. 

Hail o clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

O clement, o loving,

o sweet Virgin Mary,

Queen of the Rosary of Fatima!

Help us follow the example of

Blessed Francisco and Blessed Jacinta,

and all those who give themselves

for the Gospel message.

Thus, we will travel all the roads,

we will be pilgrims on all paths,

we will tear down all walls

and overcome all boundaries,

going to all peripheries,

there revealing God's justice and peace.

We will be, in the joy of the Gospel,

a church dressed in white,

in whitened robes washed in the blood of the Lamb

still pouring out in all the wars

that destroy the world in which we live.

And thus, we will be like you,

the image of the luminous pillar

that lights the paths of the world,

showing to all that God exists,

that God is here,

that God dwells in the midst of the poor

yesterday, today and for all eternity.

Hail o clement, hail o loving! 

Hail Queen of the Rosary of Fatima. 

Hail o clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

Hail, Mother of the Lord,

Virgin Mary, Queen of the Rosary of Fatima!

Blessed among all women,

you are the image of the church dressed in the Easter light,

you are the honor of our people,

you are the triumph over the mark of evil.

Prophecy of the Father's merciful love,

teacher of the son's Good News,

sign of the Holy Spirit's burning fire,

teach us, in this valley of joys and sorrows,

the eternal truths

that the Father revealed to the little ones.

Show us the strength of your protective mantle.

In your immaculate heart,

be the refuge of sinners

and the path that leads to God.

United with my brothers and sisters

in faith, hope and love,

I give myself to you.

United with my brothers and sisters,

I consecrate myself to God,

O Virgin of the Rosary of Fatima.

And finally, wrapped in the light

that comes from your hands,

I will give glory to the Lord

for ever and ever.

Amen.

Hail o clement, hail o loving! 

Hail Queen of the Rosary of Fatima. 

Hail o clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

Pope Francis saddened by 'perfect' Catholics who despise others

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God did not choose perfect people to form his church, but rather sinners who have experienced his love and forgiveness, Pope Francis said.

The Gospel of Luke's account of Jesus forgiving the sinful woman shows how his actions went against the general mentality of his time, a way of thinking that saw a "clear separation" between the pure and impure, the pope said Aug. 9 during his weekly general audience.

"There were some scribes, those who believed they were perfect," the pope said. "And I think about so many Catholics who think they are perfect and scorn others. This is sad."

Continuing his series of audience talks about Christian hope, the pope reflected on Jesus' "scandalous gesture" of forgiving the sinful woman.

The woman, he said, was one of many poor women who were visited secretly even by those who denounced them as sinful.

Although Jesus' love toward the sick and the marginalized "baffles his contemporaries," it reveals God's heart as the place where suffering men and women can find love, compassion and healing, Pope Francis said.

"How many people continue today in a wayward life because they find no one willing to look at them in a different way, with the eyes -- or better yet -- with the heart of God, meaning with hope," he said. But "Jesus sees the possibility of a resurrection even in those who have made so many wrong choices."

Oftentimes, the pope continued, Christians become accustomed to having their sins forgiven and receiving God's unconditional love while forgetting the heavy price Jesus paid by dying on the cross.

By forgiving sinners, Jesus doesn't seek to free them from a guilty conscience, but rather offers "people who have made mistakes the hope of a new life, a life marked by love," the pope said.

The church is a people formed "of sinners who have experienced the mercy and forgiveness of God," Pope Francis said. Christians are "all poor sinners" who need God's mercy, "which strengthens us and gives us hope."

source: Catholic News Service (CNS)

By Junno Arocho Esteves

Carrying out our mission with Mary, Mother of Evangelization ~ Pope Francis

Dear brothers and sisters, in carrying out our mission, let us draw inspiration from Mary, Mother of Evangelization. Moved by the Spirit, she welcomed the Word of life in the depths of her humble faith. May the Virgin Mother help us to say our own �yes�, conscious of the urgent need to make the Good News of Jesus resound in our time. May she obtain for us renewed zeal in bringing to everyone the Good News of the life that is victorious over death. May she intercede for us so that we can acquire the holy audacity needed to discover new ways to bring the gift of salvation to every man and woman.

by Pope Francis

Vatican, 4 June 2017

Solemnity of Pentecost

Prayer for the Pope ~ Pope Francis

V. Let us pray for Francis, our Pope. 

R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. [Psalm 40:3] 

** Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary. 

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Francis, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to Mary, the Immaculate Conception ~ Pope Francis

~ *~ You are all-beautiful, O Mary! ~*~

�Virgin most holy and immaculate, 

to you, the honour of our people, 

and the loving protector of our city,

do we turn with loving trust.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!

In you there is no sin.

Awaken in all of us a renewed desire for holiness:

May the splendour of truth shine forth in our words, 

the song of charity resound in our works, 

purity and chastity abide in our hearts and bodies,

and the full beauty of the Gospel be evident in our lives.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!

In you the Word of God became flesh.

Help us always to heed the Lord�s voice:

May we never be indifferent to the cry of the poor,

or untouched by the sufferings of the sick and those in need;

may we be sensitive to the loneliness of the elderly and the vulnerability of children, 

and always love and cherish the life of every human being.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!

In you is the fullness of joy born of life with God.

Help us never to forget the meaning of our earthly journey:

May the kindly light of faith illumine our days,

the comforting power of hope direct our steps,

the contagious warmth of love stir our hearts;

and may our gaze be fixed on God, 

in whom true joy is found.

You are all-beautiful, O Mary!

Hear our prayer, graciously hear our plea:

May the beauty of God�s merciful love 

in Jesus abide in our hearts,

and may this divine beauty save us, our city 

and the entire world.

Amen.�

The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy ~ 8 December 2015 to 20 November 2016

Jesus Christ 

is the face of the Father�s mercy.

Seek the Face of JESUS,

His Divine Mercy 

will NEVER be exhausted.

JESUS is our source of 

the Father's MERCY and LOVE.

After the solemn inauguration of the Holy Year of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy on 8 December 2015 (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception), the Holy Father Pope Francis open the Holy Door Mercy of Saint Peter�s Basilica on the same day. All other Roman Catholic Churches around the world will open their own Doors of Mercy in communion with the Church of Rome as part of the Eucharistic celebration of the Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday).

Approach the Door of Mercy 

with humility and repentance 

and encounter the 

merciful embrace of the Father

upon entering it.

The motto and the logo come together to offer a synthesis of the ideal underlying the Jubilee Year. The motto Merciful Like the Father (taken from the Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of the Father who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure (cfr. Lk 6:37-38). The logo�the work of Jesuit Father Marko I. Rupnik�is in itself a concentrated summa theologiae of the theme of mercy. It represents, in fact, an image very dear to the early Church, i.e. the love of Christ who brings the mystery of his incarnation to fulfillment with the redemption. The logo has been conceived in such a way that the Good Shepherd touches humanity�s flesh so deeply and with such love as to bring about a radical change. One feature of the logo which cannot fail to emerge is how, having raised humanity onto his shoulders in a gesture which demonstrates extreme mercy, the eyes of the Good Shepherd and those of Adam become united so that Christ sees through the eyes of Adam, and vice-versa. Every man and woman thus discovers in Christ, the new Adam, his or her own humanity and the future to come, contemplating in the eyes of Christ the Father�s love. The scene is set within a mandorla (an almond shape), a device dear to early and medieval iconography, which underlines the presence of the two natures�divine and human�in Christ. The three concentric ovals, progressively lighter in color as they extend towards the outer edge, suggests the dynamic by which Christ carries humanity out of the night of sin and death. Conversely, the depth of the darker color suggests the impenetrability of the love of the Father who forgives all.

Jubilee Year of Mercy ~ MERCIFUL LIKE THE FATHER

Across the rich pages of Misericordae Vultus itself a true theological synthesis on mercy. Pope Francis outlines the very course and direction of the Jubilee. Click on link below to view the Misericordae Vultus.

~ Misericordiae Vultus ~

BULL OF INDICTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY

Wake Up the World ~ Pope Francis

�Religious life ought to promote growth in the Church by way of attraction. The Church must be attractive. Wake up the world! Be witnesses of a different way of doing things, of acting, of living! It is possible to live differently in this world,� Pope Francis said in conversation with the Union of Superiors General of Men 29 November 2014 in the Vatican. Italian Jesuit journal, La Civilt� Cattolica is publishing an article on the dialogue between the Catholic Church�s first Jesuit Pope and the Union of Superiors General of Men. 

�It is possible to live differently in this world. We are speaking of an eschatological outlook, of the values of the Kingdom incarnated here, on this earth. It is a question of leaving everything to follow the Lord. No, I do not want to say �radical�. Evangelical radicality is not only for religious: it is demanded of all. But religious follow the Lord in a special way, in a prophetic way. It is this witness that I expect of you. Religious should be men and women who are able to wake the world up,� Pope Francis said. �Life is complicated,� Pope Francis recalled. �It consists of grace and sin.� �He who does not sin is not human. We all make mistakes and we need to recognise our weakness. A religious who recognises himself as weak and a sinner does not negate the witness that he is called to give, rather he reinforces it and this is good for everyone. What I expect of you therefore is to give witness. I want this special witness from religious.�

The 15-page article (available in English at the La Civilt� Cattolica website) documents the views of Pope Francis on religious life.

2016 ~ Holy Year of Mercy

On 13 March, 2015, Pope Francis has declared an extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy which will highlight the Catholic Church's mission to be a witness of mercy. It will begin on 8 December 2015, on the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the Ecumenical Vatican Council II and will run until the Feast of Christ the King on 20 November 2016. The theme of the year will be "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful� (cfr. Luke 6:36). The logo for the year is as below, where we see Christ Jesus carrying a man sideways on His shoulders (instead of a lamb), and there are three eyes visible, the centre one clearly being shared between Christ and the man.

* * The logo has been registered in the international forum in order to safeguard its rights and to prevent any inappropriate use. It is obvious that permission must be granted by the Pontifical Council for any non-religious use of the logo and that any infringement will be duly prosecuted.

....not to condemn anyone for eternity.� Rather, �It is to pour out the balm of God�s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart. The way of the church is precisely to leave her four walls behind and to go out in search of those who are distant, those essentially on the �outskirts� of life; to adopt fully God�s own approach; to follow the Master who said: �Those who are well have no need of the physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call, not the righteous but sinners to repentance.�

�Jesus� call encourages each of us to look underneath the surface of things,� the Pope explained, "particularly when we are face to face with a person. We are called to look beyond and to focus on the heart in order to see how much generosity one is capable of. No one can be excluded from God�s mercy; everyone knows how to access it and the Church is a home that welcomes all and rejects no one. Its doors remain wide open so that those who are touched by grace can find the certainty of forgiveness. The greater the sin, the deeper Church�s love must be for those who convert.�

Pray to the Holy Spirit every day .... to open our hearts to Jesus

Let us try asking ourselves: am I open to the action of the Holy Spirit? Do I pray him to give me illumination, to make me more sensitive to God�s things?

This is a prayer we must pray every day: 

�Holy Spirit, make my heart open to the word of God, make my heart open to goodness, make my heart open to the beauty of God every day�.

I would like to ask everyone a question: how many of you pray every day to the Holy Spirit? There will not be many but we must fulfil Jesus� wish and pray every day to the Holy Spirit that he open our heart to Jesus.

Let us think of Mary who �kept all these things, pondering them in her heart� (Lk 2:19, 51). Acceptance of the words and truth of faith so that they may become life is brought about and increases under the action of the Holy Spirit. In this regard we must learn from Mary, we must relive her �yes�, her unreserved readiness to receive the Son of God in her life, which was transformed from that moment. Through the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son take up their abode with us: we live in God and of God. Yet is our life truly inspired by God? How many things do I put before God?

Dear brothers and sisters, we need to let ourselves be bathed in the light of the Holy Spirit so that he may lead us into the Truth of God, who is the one Lord of our life.

source: Pope Francis, General Audience,

Saint Peter's Square, 

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

�the Holy Spirit is the inexhaustible source of God�s life in us.�

�the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Risen One who dwells in us, 

purifies us, illuminates us, renews us, transforms us 

because he makes us participants 

in the very life of God that is Love.�



The Holy Spirit teaches us to see 
with the eyes of Christ, 
to live life as Christ lived, 
to understand life as Christ understood it. 
Let us hear the Holy Spirit, 
let us listen to the Holy Spirit 
and may we move forward 
on this path of 
love, mercy and forgiveness.



�The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, 

the Spirit of his Son, is truly God. 

Consubstantial with the Father and the Son, 

the Spirit is inseparable from them.� (CCC 689)

1 Corinthians 12:3

no one can say �Jesus is Lord� 

except by the Holy Spirit.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Renew our relationship with the Spirit

and

increase our devotion to the Holy Spirit.

"God always forgives!" ~ Pope Francis

Pope Francis again encourages us to go to confession. Some times it is hard, but that is part of the remedy.

Pope Francis said confession is not a judgement but a meeting with God who forgives all our sins, without exception. Basing his reflections on an extract from St Paul�s letter to the Hebrews, the Pope said our God forgives all our sins, always and without exception and He rejoices when somebody asks him for pardon. This God who pardons us, he continued, choose Jesus to set up a new pact with humanity and the cornerstone of this pact is forgiveness for our sins. 

�First of all, God always forgives us. He never tires of this. It�s we who get tired of asking for forgiveness. But He does not tire of pardoning us. When Peter asked Jesus: �How many times must I forgive? Seven times?� � �Not seven times: seventy times by seven.� Namely always. That�s how God forgives us: always. But if you have lived a life full of so many sins, so many bad things, but in the end, a bit repentant, you ask for forgiveness, He will immediately pardon you! He always pardons us.�

Pope Francis said a doubt can arrive in a person�s heart over how far God is prepared to forgive us. But, he stressed, all you have to do is repent and ask for forgiveness and you don�t have to pay because Christ has already paid on our behalf.

The Pope went on to describe how God rejoices when somebody asks for forgiveness and at the same time He �forgets� or wipes out from his memory our sins. The reason for this, he explained, is because what matters for God is for us to meet with him. Confession is not a judgement but a meeting with God.

Love ~ the secret of Christian living

Only LOVE fills the empty spaces caused by evil. 

~ Pope Francis @Pontifex

Mary, Our Lady Undoer of Knots

A favorite devotion of Pope Francis,"Mary .... is the mother who patiently and lovingly brings us to God, so that he can untangle the knots of our soul ...".

Mother of the Rising Sun, Immaculate, our Advocate, Helper in moments of affliction, Mother of God and made by Him our Mother, this is how Mary, Undoer of Knots is presented. Above all, She comes as the Queen of Mercy, the one who knows all about us, who has compassion for us and hurries to rescue us, praying for each one of us to Her beloved Jesus.

The Knots of Our Lives

Our lives have knots that can seem impossible to untie: Marriage troubles, money problems, unemployment, illness, loneliness, fears, and worries of all kinds. When we find ourselves facing challenges and seem to have no solutions, there is a devotion we can turn to that unties the knots for us so that we might, in the words of 

Pope Francis, �better unite with God and serve him always.� The devotion to Mary as �Undoer of Knots� is recent; it�s only been around for about thirty years. Pope Francis is credited with bringing it to Argentina. From there, the devotion spread to Brazil and is now spreading throughout the Catholic world.

Prayer to Our Lady Undoer of Knots

Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the Evil One himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with Your Son and My Liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot. 

(mention your petition here)

I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, O safe refuge! Amen.

Prayer intentions of Pope Francis for April 2013

Pope Francis prayer intentions announced by the Vatican Information Services on 30 March 2013, being the first of his pontificate.

General intention, April 2013

"That the public, prayerful celebration of faith may give life to the faithful."

Missionary intention, April 2013

"That mission churches may be signs and instruments of hope and resurrection.�

Homily of Pope Francis for Palm Sunday (25 March 2013)

Celebration of Palm Sunday 

of the Passion of our Lord 

Homily of Pope Francis

Saint Peter's Square

XXVIII World Youth Day

Sunday, 24 March 2013

1. Jesus enters Jerusalem. The crowd of disciples accompanies him in festive mood, their garments are stretched out before him, there is talk of the miracles he has accomplished, and loud praises are heard: �Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!� (Lk 19:38). 

Crowds, celebrating, praise, blessing, peace: joy fills the air. Jesus has awakened great hopes, especially in the hearts of the simple, the humble, the poor, the forgotten, those who do not matter in the eyes of the world. He understands human sufferings, he has shown the face of God�s mercy, and he has bent down to heal body and soul. 

This is Jesus. This is his heart which looks to all of us, to our sicknesses, to our sins. The love of Jesus is great. And thus he enters Jerusalem, with this love, and looks at us. It is a beautiful scene, full of light - the light of the love of Jesus, the love of his heart - of joy, of celebration. 

At the beginning of Mass, we too repeated it. We waved our palms, our olive branches. We too welcomed Jesus; we too expressed our joy at accompanying him, at knowing him to be close, present in us and among us as a friend, a brother, and also as a King: that is, a shining beacon for our lives. Jesus is God, but he lowered himself to walk with us. He is our friend, our brother. He illumines our path here. And in this way we have welcomed him today. And here the first word that I wish to say to you: joy! Do not be men and women of sadness: a Christian can never be sad! Never give way to discouragement! Ours is not a joy born of having many possessions, but from having encountered a Person: Jesus, in our midst; it is born from knowing that with him we are never alone, even at difficult moments, even when our life�s journey comes up against problems and obstacles that seem insurmountable, and there are so many of them! And in this moment the enemy, the devil, comes, often disguised as an angel, and slyly speaks his word to us. Do not listen to him! Let us follow Jesus! We accompany, we follow Jesus, but above all we know that he accompanies us and carries us on his shoulders. This is our joy, this is the hope that we must bring to this world. Please do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let hope be stolen! The hope that Jesus gives us. 

2. The second word. Why does Jesus enter Jerusalem? Or better: how does Jesus enter Jerusalem? The crowds acclaim him as King. And he does not deny it, he does not tell them to be silent (cf. Lk 19:39-40). But what kind of a King is Jesus? Let us take a look at him: he is riding on a donkey, he is not accompanied by a court, he is not surrounded by an army as a symbol of power. He is received by humble people, simple folk who have the sense to see something more in Jesus; they have that sense of the faith which says: here is the Saviour. Jesus does not enter the Holy City to receive the honours reserved to earthly kings, to the powerful, to rulers; he enters to be scourged, insulted and abused, as Isaiah foretold in the First Reading (cf. Is 50:6). He enters to receive a crown of thorns, a staff, a purple robe: his kingship becomes an object of derision. He enters to climb Calvary, carrying his burden of wood. And this brings us to the second word: Cross. Jesus enters Jerusalem in order to die on the Cross. And it is precisely here that his kingship shines forth in godly fashion: his royal throne is the wood of the Cross! It reminds me of what Benedict XVI said to the Cardinals: you are princes, but of a king crucified. That is the throne of Jesus. Jesus takes it upon himself� Why the Cross? Because Jesus takes upon himself the evil, the filth, the sin of the world, including the sin of all of us, and he cleanses it, he cleanses it with his blood, with the mercy and the love of God. Let us look around: how many wounds are inflicted upon humanity by evil! Wars, violence, economic conflicts that hit the weakest, greed for money that you can�t take with you and have to leave. When we were small, our grandmother used to say: a shroud has no pocket. Love of power, corruption, divisions, crimes against human life and against creation! And � as each one of us knows and is aware - our personal sins: our failures in love and respect towards God, towards our neighbour and towards the whole of creation. Jesus on the Cross feels the whole weight of the evil, and with the force of God�s love he conquers it, he defeats it with his resurrection. This is the good that Jesus does for us on the throne of the Cross. Christ�s Cross embraced with love never leads to sadness, but to joy, to the joy of having been saved and of doing a little of what he did on the day of his death. 

3. Today in this Square, there are many young people: for twenty-eight years Palm Sunday has been World Youth Day! This is our third word: youth! Dear young people, I saw you in the procession as you were coming in; I think of you celebrating around Jesus, waving your olive branches. I think of you crying out his name and expressing your joy at being with him! You have an important part in the celebration of faith! You bring us the joy of faith and you tell us that we must live the faith with a young heart, always: a young heart, even at the age of seventy or eighty. Dear young people! With Christ, the heart never grows old! Yet all of us, all of you know very well that the King whom we follow and who accompanies us is very special: he is a King who loves even to the Cross and who teaches us to serve and to love. And you are not ashamed of his Cross! On the contrary, you embrace it, because you have understood that it is in giving ourselves, in giving ourselves, in emerging from ourselves that we have true joy and that, with his love, God conquered evil. You carry the pilgrim Cross through all the Continents, along the highways of the world! You carry it in response to Jesus� call: �Go, make disciples of all nations� (Mt 28:19), which is the theme of World Youth Day this year. You carry it so as to tell everyone that on the Cross Jesus knocked down the wall of enmity that divides people and nations, and he brought reconciliation and peace. Dear friends, I too am setting out on a journey with you, starting today, in the footsteps of Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI. We are already close to the next stage of this great pilgrimage of the Cross. I look forward joyfully to next July in Rio de Janeiro! I will see you in that great city in Brazil! Prepare well � prepare spiritually above all � in your communities, so that our gathering in Rio may be a sign of faith for the whole world. Young people must say to the world: to follow Christ is good; to go with Christ is good; the message of Christ is good; emerging from ourselves, to the ends of the earth and of existence, to take Jesus there, is good! Three words, then: joy, Cross, young. 

Let us ask the intercession of the Virgin Mary. She teaches us the joy of meeting Christ, the love with which we must look to the foot of the Cross, the enthusiasm of the young heart with which we must follow him during this Holy Week and throughout our lives. May it be so.

� Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,  �Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, �Why are you untying it?� say, �The Lord needs it.�� 

Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, �Why are you untying the colt?� 

They replied, �The Lord needs it.� 

They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 

�Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!�

�Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!�

Luke 19:38

Homily by Pope Francis at His Inauguration Mass

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE FRANCIS

Saint Peter's Square

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Solemnity of Saint Joseph

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that �Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife� (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: �Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ�s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ�s Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model� (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God�s presence and receptive to God�s plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a �protector� because he is able to hear God�s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God�s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

The vocation of being a �protector�, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God�s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God�s gifts!

Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are �Herods� who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be �protectors� of creation, protectors of God�s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be �protectors�, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus� three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God�s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf.Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, �hoping against hope, believed� (Rom4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!

I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.

� Copyright 2013 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pope Francis - Homily at Mass of Inauguration