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Pope Francis Masses 2022:
2 November 2022 Holy Mass for deceased Cardinals and Bishops Holy Mass Video, Video (American Sign Language). Homily Text (English) not uploaded yet on 10 November 2022, 13:38 SGT.
Apostolic Journey to the Kingdom of Bahrain: Holy Mass at Bahrain National Stadium (Awali, 5 November 2022) Holy Mass Video (Homily starts at 38:00/1:56:34). Homily Text. Extracts: First, Jesus’ words today (cf. Matthew 5:38-48) invite us to love always, that is, to always remain in his love, to cultivate that love and to put it into practice, whatever the situation in which we live. Notice, though, that Jesus’ vision is completely practical; he does not say it will be easy, and he is not talking about sentimental or romantic love, as if in our human relationships there will not be any moments of conflict or grounds for hostility among peoples. Jesus is not idealistic, but realistic: he speaks explicitly of “evil” and “enemies” (vv. 38, 43). He knows that within our relationships there is a daily struggle between love and hatred. Within our hearts too, there is a daily clash between light and darkness: between our many resolutions and desires, and the sinful weakness that often takes over and drags us into doing evil. He also knows that, for all our generous efforts, we do not always receive the good we expect and indeed sometimes, incomprehensibly, we suffer evil. What is more, he suffers when he sees in our own day and in many parts of the world, ways of exercising power that feed on oppression and violence, seeking to expand their own space by restricting that of others, imposing their own domination and restricting basic freedoms, and in this way oppressing the weak. And so, Jesus says, conflict, oppression and enmity exist among us.
… That is what the Lord asks of us: not to dream idealistically of a world of fraternity, but to choose, starting with ourselves, to practice universal fraternity, concretely and courageously, persevering in good even when evil is done to us, breaking the spiral of vengeance, disarming violence, demilitarizing the heart. The Apostle Paul echoes Jesus when he writes, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
Now we come to the second aspect: to love everyone… It is important, then, to embrace Jesus’ challenge: “If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:46). If we want to be children of the Father and build a world of brothers and sisters, the real challenge is to learn how to love everyone, even our enemies: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (vv. 43-44). Concretely, this means choosing not to have enemies, choosing to see in others not an obstacle to be overcome, but a brother or sister to be loved. To love our enemies is to make this earth a reflection of heaven; it is to draw down upon our world the eyes and heart of the Father who does not distinguish or discriminate, but “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (v. 45).
Brothers and sisters, the power of Jesus is love. Jesus gives us the power to love in this way, which for us seems superhuman. This ability, though, cannot be merely the result of our own efforts; it is primarily the fruit of God’s grace. A grace that must be implored insistently: “Jesus, you who love me, teach me to love like you. Jesus, you who forgive me, teach me to forgive like you. Send your Spirit, the Spirit of love, upon me.” Let us ask for this grace. So often we bring our requests before the Lord, but what is essential for us as Christians is to know how to love as Christ loves. His greatest gift is the ability to love, and that is what we receive when we make room for the Lord in prayer, when we welcome his presence in his transforming word and in the revolutionary humility of his broken Bread. Thus, slowly, the walls that harden our hearts tumble, and we find our joy in carrying out works of mercy towards everyone. Then we come to realize that happiness in life comes through the Beatitudes and consists in our becoming peacemakers (cf. Matthew 5:9). Pope Francis I (Homily, 5 November 2022)
October 15 2022 Meeting of Pope Francis with Communion and Liberation, centennial of the birth of Luigi Guissani Profile of Servant of God Luigi Guissani, Priest.
60th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council (short video) Memorial of Saint John XXIII, Pope - Holy Mass, 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (11 October 2022) Mass Readings from EWTN, USCCB, Universalis. Extracts: Do you love me? Feed my sheep. With that second verb, feed, Jesus expresses the kind of love that he desires from Peter. So let us now reflect on Peter. He was a fisherman whom Jesus made a fisher of men (cf. Luke 5:10). Jesus assigns him a new role, that of a shepherd, something entirely new to him. This was in fact a turning point in Peter’s life, for while fishermen are concerned with hauling a catch to themselves, shepherds are concerned with others, with feeding others. Shepherds live with their flocks; they feed the sheep and come to love them. A shepherd is not “above” the nets – like a fisherman – but “in the midst of” his sheep. A shepherd stands in front of the people to mark the way, in the midst of the people as one of them, and behind the people in order to be close to the stragglers. A shepherd is not above, like a fisherman, but in the midst.
This is the second way of looking at the Church that we learn from the Council: looking around. In other words, being in the world with others without ever feeling superior to others, being servants of that higher realm which is the Kingdom of God (cf. Lumen Gentium, 5); bringing the good news of the Gospel into people’s lives and languages (cf. Sacrosanctum Concilium, 36), sharing their joys and hopes (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 1). Being in the midst of the people, not above the people, which is the bad sin of clericalism that kills the sheep rather than guiding them or helping them grow. How timely the Council remains! It helps us reject the temptation to enclose ourselves within the confines of our own comforts and convictions. The Council helps us imitate God’s approach, which the prophet Ezekiel has described to us today: “Seek the lost sheep and lead back to the fold the stray, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak” (cf. Ezekiel 34:16).
…The Council rediscovered the source of love, not to remain on mountain heights, but to cascade downwards as a channel of mercy for all. Let us return to the Council and move beyond ourselves, resisting the temptation to self-absorption, which is a way of being worldly. Once more, the Lord tells his Church: feed! And as she feeds, she leaves behind nostalgia for the past, regret at the passing of former influence, and attachment to power. For you, the holy People of God, are a pastoral people. You are not here to shepherd yourselves, or to be on the climb, but to shepherd others – all others – with love. And if it is fitting to show a particular concern, it should be for those whom God loves most: the poor and the outcast (cf. Lumen Gentium, 8; Gaudium et Spes, 1). The Church is meant to be, as Pope John put it, “the Church of all, and particularly the Church of the poor” (Radio Message to the faithful worldwide a month prior to the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, 11 September 1962).
Do you love me? The Lord then says: “Feed my sheep”. He does not mean just some of the sheep, but all of them, for he loves them all, affectionately referring to them as “mine”. The Good Shepherd looks out and wants his flock to be united, under the guidance of the Pastors he has given them. He wants us – and this is the third way of looking at the Church – to see the whole, all of us together. The Council reminds us that the Church is a communion in the image of the Trinity (cf. Lumen Gentium, 4.13). The devil, on the other hand, wants to sow the darnel of division. Let us not give in to his enticements or to the temptation of polarization. How often, in the wake of the Council, did Christians prefer to choose sides in the Church, not realizing that they were breaking their Mother’s heart! How many times did they prefer to cheer on their own party rather than being servants of all? To be progressive or conservative rather than being brothers and sisters? To be on the “right” or “left”, rather than with Jesus? To present themselves as “guardians of the truth” or “pioneers of innovation” rather than seeing themselves as humble and grateful children of Holy Mother Church. All of us are children of God, all brothers and sisters in the Church, all of us making up the Church, all of us. That is how the Lord wants us to be. We are his sheep, his flock, and we can only be so together and as one. Let us overcome all polarization and preserve our communion. May all of us increasingly “be one”, as Jesus prayed before sacrificing his life for us (cf. John 17:21). And may Mary, Mother of the Church, help us in this. May the yearning for unity grow within us, the desire to commit ourselves to full communion among all those who believe in Christ. Let us leave aside the “isms”, for God’s people do not like polarization. The people of God is the holy faithful people of God: this is the Church. It is good that today, as during the Council, representatives of other Christian communities are present with us. Thank you! Thank you for being here, thank you for your presence! Pope Francis I (Homily, 11 October 2022)
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 9 October 2022 HOLY MASS AND CANONIZATION: GIOVANNI BATTISTA SCALABRINI AND ARTEMIDE ZATTI. Holy Mass Video (original sound). Homily Text. Extracts: See “Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus”.
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Holy Mass during the Pastoral Visit to Matera Holy Mass Video, Video (American Sign Language). Homily starts @ 35:00/1:52:16. Homily Text (not uploaded yet on 26 September 2022, 19:06 SGT). Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus Extracts by Pope Francis (please view his tweets https://twitter.com/Pontifex ): Today is World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Let us renew our commitment to building a future that puts migrants, refugees, displaced persons and victims of human trafficking at the centre. The Kingdom of God is built together with them. #WDMR2022 @M_RSection #TodaysGospel tells us that bread is not always shared on the world table; the fragrance of communion does not always emanate; it is not always broken in justice: on one side a rich man clothed in purple, on the other a poor man covered in sores. The rich man does not even have a name; instead the poor man has a name, Lazarus, which means “God helps”. Despite his marginalised condition, his dignity is intact because he lives in a relationship with God, the unshakeable hope of his life. The #Eucharist invites us to conversion: from indifference to compassion, from waste to sharing, from individualism to fraternity, because there is no true Eucharistic worship without compassion for the many “Lazaruses” who walk beside us even today. Let us return to the taste of bread, because while injustice and discrimination against the poor continue in the world, Jesus gives us the Bread of Sharing and sends us out daily as apostles of fraternity, justice and peace.
Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 14 September 2022. Mass Readings from EWTN, USCCB, Universalis. Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan: Holy Mass in the “Expo grounds” (Nur-Sultan, 14 September 2022) Extracts: …Peace is never achieved once and for all; like integral development, social justice and the harmonious coexistence of different ethnic groups and religious traditions, it must be achieved anew each day. Commitment is demanded on the part of all if Kazakhstan is to keep growing in “fraternity, dialogue and understanding… building bridges of solidarity and cooperation with other peoples, nations and cultures” (SAINT JOHN PAUL II, Address at the Welcome Ceremony, 22 September 2001). Yet even before that, we need to renew our faith in the Lord: to look upwards, to look to him and to learn from his universal and crucified love.
And so we come to the second image: the serpent that saves. As the people are dying from the fiery serpents, God hears Moses’ prayer of intercession and tells him: “Make a fiery serpent and put it on a pole. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live” (Numbers 21:8). And indeed, “if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived” (v. 9). Yet, we might ask: Why did God not simply destroy those poisonous serpents instead of giving these detailed instructions to Moses? God’s way of acting reveals to us his way of dealing with evil, sin and distrust on the part of humanity. Then, as now, in the great spiritual battle that continues throughout history, God does not destroy the vile and worthless things that men and women choose to pursue. Poisonous serpents do not disappear; they are always there, lying in wait, ever ready to bite. What has changed then, what does God do?
Jesus tells us in the Gospel: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). This is the decisive shift: the serpent that saves has now come among us. Jesus, lifted up on the pole of the cross, does not allow the poisonous serpents that attack us to cause our death. Confronting our misery, God gives us a new horizon: if we keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, the sting of evil can no longer prevail over us, for on the cross he took upon himself the venom of sin and death, and crushed their destructive power. That was the Father’s response to the spread of evil in the world: he gave us Jesus, who drew near to us in a way we could never have imagined. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Such is the infinite grandeur of divine mercy: Jesus “became sin” for our sake. Jesus, we could say, on the cross “became a serpent”, so that by gazing upon him we might resist the poisonous bites of the evil serpents that assail us.
Yes, for on the wood of the cross Christ removed the venom from the serpent of evil. Being a Christian, then, means living without venom: not biting one another, not complaining, blaming and backbiting, not disseminating evil, not polluting the earth with the sin and distrust that comes from the evil one. Brothers and sisters, we have been reborn from the pierced side of the crucified Jesus. May we be free of the poison of death (cf. Wisdom 1:14), and pray that by God’s grace we can become ever more fully Christian: joyful witnesses of new life, love and peace. Pope Francis I (Homily, 14 September 2022)
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 4 September 2022 Holy Mass of Beatification of Pope Blessed John Paul I and Angelus Video, Video (American Sign Language). (Homily starts at 39:00/1:53:57). Homily Text. Extracts: See “Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus”.
HOLY MASS WITH THE NEW CARDINALS AND THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS St Peter's Basilica, Tuesday, 30 August 2022 Extracts: Brothers and sisters, this kind of wonder is a way to salvation! May God keep it ever alive in our hearts, for it sets us free from the temptation of thinking that we can “manage things”, that we are “most eminent”. Or from the false security of thinking that today is somehow different, no longer like the origins; today the Church is big, solid, and we occupy eminent positions in its hierarchy – indeed they address us as “Your Eminence”… There is some truth in this, but there is also much deception, whereby the Father of Lies always seeks to make Christ’s followers first worldly, then innocuous. This can lead you to the temptation of worldliness, which step by step takes away your strength, takes away your hope; it prevents you from seeing the gaze of Jesus who calls us by name and sends us out. Those are the seeds of spiritual worldliness…
This, dear brothers and sisters, is what it is to be a minister of the Church. One who experiences wonder before God’s plan and, in that spirit, passionately loves the Church and stands at the service of her mission wherever and however the Holy Spirit may choose. This was the case with the Apostle Paul, as we see from his letters. His apostolic zeal and the concern for the community was always accompanied, and indeed preceded, by words of blessing filled with wonder and gratitude: “Blessed be God…”, and full of wonder. This is perhaps the measure, the thermometer of our spiritual life. I repeat the question, dear brother, dear sister, all of here together: how is your ability to be amazed? Or are you used to it, so used to it that you have lost it? Are you able once again to be amazed? Pope Francis I (Homily, 30 August 2022)
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 28 August 2022 PASTORAL VISIT OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS TO L’AQUILA Extracts: See “Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus”.
ORDINARY PUBLIC CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW CARDINALS AND FOR THE VOTE ON SOME CAUSES OF CANONIZATION on 27 August 2022 Extracts: Dear brother Cardinals, by the light and in the strength of this fire walk the holy and faithful people from whom we were taken – we, taken from the people of God – and to whom we have been sent as ministers of Christ the Lord. What does this twofold fire of Jesus, a fire both vehement and mild, say in a special way to me and to you? I think it reminds us that a man of apostolic zeal is impelled by the fire of the Spirit to be concerned, courageously, with things great and small, for “non coerceri a maximo, contineri tamen a minimo, divinum est”. Remember: Saint Thomas, in the Prima Pars, says: Non coerceri a maximo, not to be confined by the greatest, contineri tamen a minimo, yet to be contained within the smallest, divinum est, is divine.
A Cardinal loves the Church, always with that same spiritual fire, whether dealing with great questions or handling everyday problems, with the powerful of this world – which he often has to do –,or those ordinary people who are great in God’s eyes…
…let us once more contemplate Jesus. He alone knows the secret of this lowly grandeur, this unassuming power, this universal vision ever attentive to particulars. The secret of the fire of God, which descends from heaven, brightening the sky from one end to the other, and slowly cooking the food of poor families, migrant and homeless persons. Today too, Jesus wants to bring this fire to the earth. He wants to light it anew on the shores of our daily lives. Jesus calls us by name, each one of us, he calls us by name: we are not a number; he looks us in the eye – let us each allow ourselves to be looked at in the eye – and he asks: you, who are a new Cardinal – and all of you, brother Cardinals –, Can I count on you? That is the Lord’s question. Pope Francis I (Homily, 27 August 2022)
VESPERS WITH BISHOPS, PRIESTS, DEACONS, CONSECRATED PERSONS, SEMINARIANS AND PASTORAL WORKERS IN THE CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME IN QUÉBEC (28 July 2022) Video. Scripture Readings. Homily Text. Extracts: …Saint Peter urged us: “Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly” (1 Peter 5:2). Gathered here as the People of God, let us remember that Jesus is the Shepherd of our lives, who cares for us because he truly loves us. We, the Church’s pastors, are asked to show that same generosity in tending the flock, in order to manifest Jesus’ concern for everyone and his compassion for the wounds of each.
Precisely because we are a sign of Christ, the Apostle Peter urges us to tend the flock, to guide it, not to let it go astray while busy about our own affairs. Care for it with devotion and tender love. Peter tells us to do this “willingly”, not perforce, not as a duty, not as “professional” religious personnel, sacred functionaries, but zealously and with the heart of a shepherd. If we look to Christ, the Good Shepherd, before looking to ourselves, we will discover that we are ourselves “tended” with merciful love; we will feel the closeness of God. This is the source of the joy of ministry and above all the joy of faith. It is not about all the things that we can accomplish, but about knowing that God is ever close to us, that he loved us first, and that he accompanies us every day of our lives. Pope Francis I (Homily, 28 July 2022)
Holy Mass at the National Shrine of Saint Anne de Beaupré (28 July 2022) Video. Scripture Readings. Homily Text.
PARTICIPATION IN THE “LAC STE. ANNE PILGRIMAGE” AND LITURGY OF THE WORD (27 July 2022) Video. Scripture Readings. Homily Text.
Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, 26 July 2022. Holy Mass celebrated @ "Commonwealth Stadium" in Edmonton Holy Mass Video. Scripture Readings. Homily Text. Extracts: …In addition to being children of a history that needs to be preserved, we are authors of a history yet to be written. Each of us can recognize ourselves for who and what we are, marked by both light and shadows, and by the love that we did or did not receive. This is the mystery of human life: we are all someone’s children, begotten and shaped by another, but as we become adults, we too are called to give life, to be a father, mother or grandparent to someone else. Thinking about the people we are today, what do we want to do with ourselves? The grandparents who went before, the elderly who had dreams and hopes for us, and made great sacrifices for us, ask us an essential question: what kind of a society do we want to build? We received so much from the hands of those who preceded us. What do we, in turn, want to bequeath to those who come after us? “Rose water”, that is a diluted faith, or a living faith? A society founded on personal profit or on fraternity? A world at war or a world at peace? A devastated creation or a home that continues to be welcoming? Pope Francis I (Homily, 26 July 2022)
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 3 July 2022 Holy Mass for the Congolese Community Mass video (Homily starts at 28:10/1:33:58). Mass video (American Sign Language), Text. Extracts: See this page “Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus.”
Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul, 29 June 2022 Extracts: See this page on Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus.
X WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Homily, 25 June 2022 Extracts: See this page on Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus
Holy Mass for Pentecost, Homily, 5 June 2022 Video, Video (American Sign Language) Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Regina Caeli
5th Sunday of Easter, Year C 15 May 2022, Holy Mass with Canonization and Regina Coeli Pope Francis Video (Homily starts at 48:18/2:25:41), Video (American Sign Language). Homily Text. Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Regina Caeli Extracts: Holiness does not consist of a few heroic gestures, but of many small acts of daily love. “Are you called to the consecrated life? So many of you are here today! Then be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters, by fighting for justice for your comrades, so that they do not remain without work, so that they always receive a just wage. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Tell me, are you in a position of authority? So many people in authority are here today! Then be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain” (Gaudete et Exsultate, 14). This is the path of holiness, and it is so simple! To see Jesus always in others. Pope Francis I (Homily, 15 May 2022)
2nd Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday), 24 April 2022, Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Regina Caeli Extracts: Jesus makes us see the wounds of our brothers and sisters. In the midst of our own crises and our difficulties, divine mercy often makes us aware of the sufferings of our neighbour. We think that we are experiencing unbearable pain and situations of suffering, and we suddenly discover that others around us are silently enduring even worse things. If we care for the wounds of our neighbour and pour upon them the balm of mercy, we find being reborn within us a hope that comforts us in our weariness. Let us ask ourselves whether of late we have helped someone suffering in mind or body; whether we have brought peace to someone suffering physically or spiritually; whether we have spent some time simply listening, being present, or bringing comfort to another person. For whenever we do these things, we encounter Jesus. From the eyes of all those who are weighed down by the trials of life, he looks out at us with mercy and says: Peace be with you! In this regard, I think of Our Lady’s presence with the Apostles. I also recall that we commemorate her as Mother of the Church on the day following Pentecost and as Mother of Mercy on the Monday following Divine Mercy Sunday. May she help us move forward in our very beautiful ministry. Pope Francis I (Homily, 24 April 2022)
URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS Easter, 17 April 2022
17 April 2022, Easter Sunday
April 16 2022, Easter Vigil Video (Homily starts at 1:15:00/2:36:31), Video (American Sign Language). Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus/Regina Caeli
April 15 2022, Celebration of the Passion of the Lord Video (Homily starts at 58:00/1:58:28), Video (American Sign Language). Homily Text (Italian). Mass Readings, Past Homilies and Angelus/Regina Caeli
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