Pope Francis presided over the Eucharist to open the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. In his homily at the Mass, the Pope focused on the Gospel of the Mass and discussed the blessing and hospitality of Jesus, inviting the Church to see the world through these two eyes.
(Vatican News Network) Pope Francis presided over the Eucharist in St. Peter’s Square on the morning of October 4, officially opening the 16th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. This day is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. 490 priests and bishops concelebrated with the Pope, 370 of whom were priests attending this synod. All the new cardinals, members of the College of Cardinals and 25,000 faithful were present to attend the ceremony.
A priority for the Synod of Bishops
In his homily at Mass, the Pope stated, “We are not here to hold a parliamentary meeting or discuss a reform program.” We are here to “walk together with the eyes of Jesus, who praises the Father and accepts those who labor and are burdened. We are therefore to begin with the eyes of Jesus, which are the eyes of blessing and hospitality.”
“This is the priority of the Synod: to refocus our eyes on God and to become a Church that looks compassionately on humanity. A Church that unites and fraternizes, or at least seeks unity and fraternity, listens and dialogues; a Church that blesses and encourages people A Church that helps those who seek the Lord, shakes the hearts of the indifferent with goodwill, and opens the way for people to accept the beauty of faith. A Church that is centered on God, so it does not create divisions internally and is never harsh externally. A Church that is centered on God. A church that takes risks with Jesus. This is the church that Jesus wants.”
The Church and Today’s Cultural and Pastoral Challenges
At the center of the Pope’s reflections are events narrated in the Gospel of the Mass, which reveal Jesus’ “look that sees far away”. John the Baptist had doubts about Jesus’ identity. Jesus “went through many cities, but despite the miracles they performed, the cities did not repent. People accused him of being gluttonous and drunkards, but not long ago they had complained that John the Baptist was too much. control”. (See: Mt 11:2-24) But Jesus did not grieve because of this, but praised God because He revealed it to children and the poor (cf. Ibid. 25).
Jesus, the pope explained, “is able to see that hidden goodness grows, that the seeds of the Word are received by simple people, that the light of the Kingdom of God shines even in darkness.” At the same time, Jesus’ eyes are also “turned toward the weakest, the suffering and the outcast.” “This welcoming look of Jesus also invites us to be a hospitable Church without closing its doors.”
“In a complex era like ours, which presents new cultural and pastoral challenges, it requires us to maintain a kind and gentle attitude in our hearts so that we can communicate without fear. In this dialogue with colleagues, in this In the wonderful ‘journey of the Holy Spirit’ we walk together as the People of God, able to grow in unity and friendship through the Lord, to see the challenges of our time with the eyes of the Lord; in the beautiful words of St. Paul VI To express oneself through words is to be a Church “in the form of conversation.” (Encyclical Letter No. 67, His Church).
Walk in the footsteps of St. Francis
The Pope warned that today’s difficulties and challenges cannot cause the Church to “rigid and become a customs”, to arm itself “against the world” and to wait and see “backward”, to become “lukewarm” and to succumb to “the world.” Fashion” and looking out for yourself. Instead, what we need is to walk “in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi” to restore the Church of Christ.
“The Synod is convened to remind us that our Church is constantly in need of purification, of ‘restoration’, because we are all a people of forgiven sinners, forgiven sinners, and always need to return to Jesus, the source, retakes the path of the Holy Spirit to preach his Gospel to everyone.”
The Synod is a place of grace and communion
The Pope once again asked all Christians to imitate St. Francis, who “in an age full of contention and division, between secular power and religious power, between the hierarchical Church and heretical trends, and between Christians and other believers, did not criticize or criticize Refuting anyone”, he “used only the weapons of the Gospel, humility and unity, prayer and charity”.
The Pope concluded by stating that it is the Holy Spirit who “often breaks our expectations in order to create something new that transcends our foreknowledge and our negative emotions” and who is the protagonist of the Synod. “Let us open our hearts to Him, cry out to Him, and walk with Him in trust and joy.”
Link URL:www.vaticannews.cn
#Pope #presides #opening #mass #Synod #Bishops #walk #Holy #Spirit #Vatican #News
2023-10-04 13:41:25
