“It is true that nowadays, to some extent, everyone, including our
young people, feels attracted by the many idols which take the place of God
and appear to offer hope: money, success, power, pleasure. Often a growing
sense of loneliness and
emptiness in the hearts of many people leads them to seek satisfaction in
these ephemeral idols. Dear brothers and sisters, let us be lights of hope!
Let us maintain a positive outlook on reality. Let us encourage the generosity
which is typical of the
young and help them to work actively in building a better world. Young people
are a powerful engine for the Church and for society. They do not need
material things alone; also and above all, they need to have held up to them
those non-material values
which are the spiritual heart of a people, the memory of a people. In this
Shrine, which is part of the memory of Brazil, we can almost read those
values: spirituality, generosity, solidarity, perseverance, fraternity, joy;
they are
values whose deepest root is in the Christian faith”.
Moving on to the second attitude, openness to being surprised by God, the
Pope said, “Anyone who is a man or a woman of hope – the great
hope which faith gives us – knows that even in the midst of difficulties
God acts and he
surprises us. The history of this Shrine is a good example: three fishermen,
after a day of catching no fish, found something unexpected in the waters of
the Parnaiba River: an image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Whoever
would have thought
that the site of a fruitless fishing expedition would become the place where
all Brazilians can feel that they are children of one Mother? God always
surprises us, like the new wine in the Gospel we have just heard. God always
saves the best for us. But
he asks us to let ourselves be surprised by his love, to accept his surprises.
Let us trust God! Cut off from him, the wine of joy, the wine of hope, runs
out. If we draw near to him, if we stay with him, what seems to be cold water,
difficulty, sin, is changed into the new wine of friendship with
him”.
Finally, the third attitude relates to living in joy. “If we walk in
hope, allowing ourselves to be surprised by the new wine which Jesus offers
us, we have joy in our hearts and we cannot fail to be witnesses of this joy.
Christians are
joyful, they are never gloomy. God is at our side. We have a Mother who always
intercedes for the life of her children. ... Jesus has shown us that the face
of God is that of a loving Father. Sin and death have been defeated.
Christians cannot be
pessimists! They do not look like someone in constant mourning. If we are
truly in love with Christ and if we sense how much he loves us, our heart will
'light up' with a joy that spreads to everyone around us”.
“We have come to knock at the door of Mary’s house”,
Francis concluded. She has opened it for us, she has let us in and she shows
us her Son. Now she asks us to 'do whatever he tells you'. Yes, dear Mother,
we are committed to doing
whatever Jesus tells us! And we will do it with hope, trusting in God’s
surprises and full of joy”.
After the Holy Mass, the Pope appeared on the balcony of the sanctuary to
bless the faithful present, and to greet the thousands of faithful and
pilgrims who were unable to enter and who followed the ceremony outside under
pouring rain. He added a
few improvised words in Spanish, promising at the end that he would return to
Aparecida for the 300th anniversary of the discovery of the statue of
Maria.
“Irmaos e Irmas … Irmaos e Irmas, eu nao falo br
sileiro” (“Brothers and sisters, I don't speak Brazilian,
ed.”). Forgive me, I will speak to you in Spanish. Obrigado (thank you,
ed.) for being here. I thank you from my
heart, with all my heart, and I ask that the Virgin, Our Lady of Aparecida,
bless you, that she bless your families, that she bless your children, that
she bless your parents, that she bless your homeland. Let's see, now I will
know if you understand
me. I have one question – does a mother forget her children? She does
not forget us: she loves and cares for us. Now we ask for the blessing, the
blessing of God Almighty. May the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
descend upon you, forever. I
ask a favour of you – pray for me, pray for me, I need your prayers. May
God bless you, and may Our Lady of Aparecida care for you. Until 2017, when I
will return”.
The Holy Father then proceeded by Popemobile to the Missionary Seminary of
Bom Jesus, a distance of three kilometres, to have lunch with the bishops of
the province and the seminarians. Upon arrival he blessed an image of Frei
Galvao (St. Antonio de
Santana Galvao, canonised by Pope Benedict XVI in Sao Paulo during his
apostolic trip in 2007), which is located in the sanctuary dedicated to the
saint in the town of Guaratingueta.
After lunch, the Pope returned to the heliport near Aparecida and from
there, returned by helicopter to Rio de Janeiro to visit the San Francisco de
Asis Hospital.
___________________________________________________________
REACH OUT TO THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN IN THE ABYSS AND SAY: YOU CAN STAND
AGAIN
Vatican City, 25 July 2013 (VIS) – At 6.30 p.m., local time, Pope
Francis arrived at the Hospital Sao Francisco de Assis na Providencia de Deus
(St Francis of Assisi of the Providence of God Hospital) of the Venerable
Third Order of St.
Francis, a centre dedicated to drug- or alcohol-dependent patients and which
provides free medical and surgical assistance for indigenous peoples. The
hospital has approximately five hundred beds and is managed by the eponymous
Association, founded in
1985 by Brother Francis. Upon arrival Pope Francis was received by the
director of the Association and by the secretary of State for health, and
proceeded directly to the chapel where he was welcomed with songs, prayers,
greetings and the profound
testimony of two patients.
“God has willed that my journey, after the Shrine of Our Lady of
Aparecida, should take me to a particular shrine of human suffering –
the St. Francis of Assisi Hospital”, said the Pope, who went on to speak
of the saint's
conversion: “the young Francis abandoned the riches and comfort of the
world in order to become a poor man among the poor. He understood that true
joy and riches do not come from the idols of this world – material
things and the possession
of them – but are to be found only in following Christ and serving
others”.
In his address, the Holy Father emphasised that we all have to learn to
embrace those in need, as Saint Francis did. “There are so many
situations in Brazil, and throughout the world, that require attention, care
and love, like the fight
against chemical dependency. Often, instead, it is selfishness that prevails
in our society. How many 'dealers of death' there are who follow the logic of
power and money at any cost! The scourge of drug-trafficking, that favours
violence and sows the
seeds of suffering and death, requires of society as a whole an act of
courage. A reduction in the spread and influence of drug addiction will not be
achieved by a liberalization of drug use, as is currently being proposed in
various parts of Latin
America. Rather, it is necessary to confront the problems underlying the use
of these drugs, by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the
values that build up life in society, accompanying those in difficulty and
giving them hope for the future. We all need to look upon one another with the
loving eyes of Christ, and to learn to embrace those in need, in order to show
our closeness, affection and love”.
The Pope continued, “We must hold the hand of the one in need, of the
one who has fallen into the darkness of dependency perhaps without even
knowing how, and we must say to him or her: You can get up, you can stand up.
It is difficult, but it
is possible if you want to. Dear friends, I wish to say to each of you, but
especially to all those others who have not had the courage to embark on our
journey: You have to want to stand up; this is the indispensible condition!
You will find an
outstretched hand ready to help you, but no one is able to stand up in your
place. But you are never alone! The Church and so many people are close to
you. Look ahead with confidence. Yours is a long and difficult journey, but
look ahead, there is a
sure future, set against a different horizon with regard to the illusory
enticements of the idols of this world, yet granting new momentum and strength
to our daily lives”.
He urged all of those present, “Do not let yourselves be robbed of
hope! And not only that, but I say to us all: let us not rob others of hope,
let us become bearers of hope!”, and continued, “I believe that
here, in this hospital,
the parable of the Good Samaritan is made tangible. Here there is no
indifference, but concern. There is no apathy, but love”.
Finally, the Pope thanked all medical professionals and their associates
working in the hospital: “Your service is precious; undertake it always
with love. It is a service given to Christ present in our brothers and
sisters. As Jesus says to
us: 'As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to
me'”.
He also emphasised to all those “who struggle against drug addiction,
and to those family members who share in your difficulties” that
“the Church is not distant from your troubles, but accompanies you with
affection. The Lord is
near you and he takes you by the hand. Look to him in your most difficult
moments and he will give you consolation and hope. And trust in the maternal
love of his Mother Mary. … Where there is a cross to carry, she, our
Mother, is always there
with us, by our side”.
At the end of his visit, the Holy Father addressed some words to the young
Italians who followed the proceedings live from Maracanazinho, exhorting them
to “Trust Christ, listen to him, follow in his footsteps. He never
abandons us, not even in
the darkest moments of our lives. He is our hope. Tomorrow in Copacabana we
will have an opportunity to explore this truth more deeply, in order to shine
his light on our lives. See you tomorrow!”
___________________________________________________________
THE POPE PRAYS FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE RAIL ACCIDENT IN COMPOSTELA
Vatican City, 26 July 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a telegram
to Archbishop Julian Barrio Barrio of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to convey
his condolences for the 78 dead and more than 140 casualties due to the
derailment of a train in
the city station yesterday evening. The full text of the telegram is given
below:
“Profoundly saddened by the serious rail accident near Santiago de
Compostela, which has claimed numerous victims and many further casualties, I
raise fervent prayers to the Almighty for all those killed and injured in this
tragic event. With
great suffering I ask your excellency to kindly convey my spiritual closeness,
affection and sincere fraternal solidarity to those who have suffered in this
tragedy and to their families. I assure them of my prayers for the eternal
repose of the souls
of the dead, and for all those afflicted in their time of grief, in the hope
of their speedy and complete recovery.
“On this day, in which the Church is entrusted to the intercession of
St. James, the celestial patron of Spain and witness to the Risen Christ, I
wish to express my support to all the sons of this noble land, and impart a
heartfelt apostolic
blessing, bearer of the hope that comes from faith and the consolation offered
by authentic love”.
___________________________________________________________
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