The Holy Mass of Pope Francis March 17th
We pray for all grandmothers, grandparents and all the elderly ...
Pope Francis encouraged the faithful from all over the world to welcome his invitation, during his private daily mass in his residence Casa Santa Marta, again offered for the victims and people affected by the Coronavirus, praying today especially the elderly who are alone and they are afraid.
The masses in Francis' chapel normally welcome a small group of faithful, but due to the recent measures taken by the Vatican, they are now kept private, without their participation.
It was announced in recent days that the Pope would make these masses available, in this period, to all the faithful of the world, via streaming on the Vatican media, on weekdays, at 7:00 am Rome time.
This also happens at a time when the Italian episcopal conference canceled public masses across the nation, at least until April 3, following the guidelines issued by the Italian authorities. The whole country is blocked. Many countries around the world are increasingly taking precautions against the virus.
Also during today's Mass, the Holy Father expressed his closeness to those who suffer, to the elderly and to all those who work to contain and cure the virus.
"May God", the Holy Father prayed today, similar to his intention yesterday, "to help families rediscover true affection in this difficult moment"
In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on today's readings that spoke of forgiveness, Vatican News reported.
The Jesuit pope stressed that we must always forgive, even in times when it seems more demanding.
Peter, Francis recalled, asks the question: “If my brother sins against me, he offends me, how many times do I have to forgive him? Seven times? " And Jesus replies with that word which in their language means "always": "Seventy times seven".
We must always forgive, said the Pontiff, recognizing "it is not easy", because our selfish heart is always attached to hatred, revenge, resentment.
“We have assisted everyone,” lamented Francis, “families destroyed by family hatreds that date back to generation; brothers who, in front of a parent's coffin, do not greet each other because they bring in old resentments ".
The devil, the Argentine Pope warned, is always crouched between our resentments, our hatreds and makes them grow. Francis said he keeps them there "to destroy, to destroy everything. And many times, it destroys for small things ... "
The parable of Jesus today, Francis underlines, is very clear: forgive.
"Forgiveness," he said, "is the condition for entering Heaven." The generosity of the Lord, the Holy Father reminded us, teaches us this.
"In fact, he says," Are you going to mass? "-" Yes "- but if when you go to Mass you remember that your brother has something against you, first reconcile. "
"Don't come to Me," he continued, "with love for Me in one hand and hatred for your brother in the other" - consistency of love, forgiveness, forgiveness from the heart. "
The Pope prayed that the Lord would teach us the wisdom of forgiveness.
Furthermore, he invited the faithful to watch the streaming to do the following: "when we go to confession, to receive the sacrament of reconciliation, we ask ourselves first of all:" Forgive? "
"If I feel I don't forgive," he said, "I don't have to pretend to ask for forgiveness, because I won't be forgiven; asking for forgiveness means forgiving, they are both together. They cannot be separated ... "
Pope Francis concluded by inviting all the faithful to let go of any resentment and move forward.
In addition to Santa Marta, the Vatican is taking other steps to discourage the crowd and protect people. They are broadcasting the Pope on television giving privately, from the papal library, his weekly speeches on Angelus and the general audience.
In addition, the Vatican Museums are now closed, along with other similar Vatican museums. Various guidelines have also been implemented across the Vatican to prevent the spread of the virus.
To date, one person, an external visitor, has been tested positively for Coronavirus in the Vatican. The five people the individual has had contact with are in quarantine.
Jesus has just given a catechesis on the unity of brothers and ends it with a beautiful word: "Once again I tell you, if two of you, two or three, agree and ask for a grace, it will be done for them"
When God forgives us, forget all the evil we have done. Someone said: "It is the sickness of God", has no memory; He is able to lose his memory in these cases. God loses the memory of the terrible stories of many sinners, of our sins. He forgives us and goes on. He only asks us to "do the same: learn to forgive", not to carry on this unsuccessful cross of hatred, of resentment, of "will pay for it". This word is neither Christian nor human. The generosity of Jesus teaches us that to enter Heaven we must forgive. In fact, he says, "Are you going to mass?" - "Yes" - but if when you go to Mass you remember that your brother has something against you, first reconcile. Do not come to Me with love for Me in one hand and hatred for your brother in the other "- consistency of love, forgiveness, forgiveness from the heart.
There are people who live condemning people, talking badly about people, constantly dirtying their workmates, dirtying their neighbors, their parents, because they don't forgive them for something that has been done to them, or they don't forgive something that they haven't please do them. It seems that the devil's own wealth is this: to sow love in order not to forgive, to live attached to non-forgiveness. But forgiveness is the condition for entering Heaven.
The parable that the Lord tells us is very clear: forgive. May the Lord teach us this wisdom of forgiveness, which is not easy; and we do something: when we go to Confession, to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we ask ourselves first of all: "Forgive?" If I feel I am not forgiving, I must not pretend to ask for forgiveness, because I will not be forgiven; asking for forgiveness means forgiving, they are both together. They cannot be separated. And those who ask for forgiveness for themselves - like this man whose boss forgives everything - but who do not forgive others, will end up being this man. "So will my heavenly Father for you, if each of you does not forgive his brothers from his heart."
May the Lord help us understand this and bow our heads, not be proud but be magnanimous in forgiving; forgive, at least, "for personal interest". Because? I have to forgive, because if I don't forgive, I won't be forgiven - at least so much, but I will always forgive