During the “Lord’s Supper” Mass at the Reformatory for Young People in Rome, Pope Francis reminded us that the Lord Jesus, when he washed the feet of his disciples, taught us the importance of humility and service, which spring from a noble heart.
(Vatican News Network)On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis went to the Juvenile Reformatory on the outskirts of Rome to preside over the “Lord’s Supper” Mass and performed the traditional washing of feet for 12 young people. The group was very diverse, ranging in age from 14 to 25, and included 10 young men and 2 young women, two of whom were Sinti and others from Croatia, Senegal, Romania and Russia representing different belief tradition.
The Pope had previously visited the Rome Youth Reformatory in 2013, when he had just been elected Pope, and chose to celebrate Holy Thursday’s “Lord’s Supper” Mass there.
a noble heart
In his unscripted homily, the pope focused his attention on the liturgical Gospel, which tells of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples in a gesture of humility and service the day before his crucifixion, which in an era This work should have been done by slaves.
Life would be so beautiful, the Pope explained, if we could emulate this gesture and spirit in our daily lives, helping each other instead of following worldly ways of deceiving or taking advantage of each other. He pointed out that helping each other, even through simple relationships, comes from a nobility of heart, and Jesus wants to teach us and encourage us to have this “nobility of heart” today.
We may be frustrated or ashamed of what’s inside of us, but Jesus knows all about us and “loves us just as we are,” washing the feet of us all, the pope said. We should never be afraid of our fragility, the Pope said, but trust that the Lord is willing to accompany us on our journey, “holding our hand and making life less difficult for us.”
appeal to help each other
In the end, the Pope explained that his act of washing the feet of the 12 young people present was not just a sign of folk tradition, but a sign telling us how we should treat each other, that is, to help and care for each other, Respect for the great dignity of every human being, even when we are vulnerable as sinners. If we adopt this attitude and spirit of service, we can reduce many injustices in the world, the Pope said.
Losing a job, breaking up a family, struggling to survive, succumbing to our weaknesses, these things can happen to each of us at any time, the Pope went on to say. By washing our feet, the Lord Jesus reminds us that no matter our situation or how weak we are, He loves us forever, because He is always by our side and will never abandon us.
After the Mass, the Pope blessed the plaque of the chapel named after Blessed Father Pino Puglisi. Pino Prissi was a Sicilian parish priest who was killed for his opposition to the Mafia. The Pope greeted the young people in the reformatory, receiving crosses they made during carpentry lessons, as well as some cookies and pasta they made. The pope returned rosaries and chocolate Easter eggs to the young men, as well as to the director and staff of the reformatory, as is an Italian tradition.
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn
