At 80, Pope Francis prays his old age be "quiet, religious and fruitful,” as well as “joyful"
On the day of his birthday, Pope Francis had breakfast with eight homeless people who gave him sunflowers. A gift and a dessert was given on the pontiff’s behalf at the end of lunch in many canteens in Rome. The pope co-celebrated Mass with the cardinals in the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican. “It is characteristic of love to watch history,” he said. “We also see that in history and in our life there were wonderful moments of fidelity and bad times of sin.” Greetings poured in from around the world, in all sorts of languages.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis spoke at the end of the Mass co-celebrated at 8 am this morning with scores of cardinals in the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace. Today, his 80th birthday, the Holy Father cited the poet Friedrich Hölderlin, calling on the faithful to pray for him so that his “Old age may be quiet, religious and fruitful,” and, after a pause, “joyful” as well.
The pope’s day began early. The Vatican Press Office announced that this morning the pontiff had breakfast with eight homeless people who usually stay under the colonnade of St Peter. They included two women and six men from Italy, Moldova, Romania and Peru, who gave the pontiff three bouquets of sunflowers, which the pontiff placed in St Martha chapel.
The Vatican Press Office also announced that today, "a birthday dessert will be offered on the pope’s behalf in many canteens in Rome, at the end of lunch or dinner. Guests at various dormitories will also receive an envelope with a small gift and a memento depicting Holy Christmas.”
After the birthday wishes of Card Angelo Sodano on behalf of the cardinals, the pope delivered his homily. In it, the pontiff focused on the season of Advent as a time when the Church calls on the faithful to remember. “Stop, and remember. Look back, [and] look at the road. Memory: This deuteronomic attitude that gives the soul such force" and allows us to "never forget."
"It is characteristic of love,” he added, “not to forget; it is the characteristic of love to have always before one’s yes all the goodness we have received; it is characteristic of love to watch history: where we come from, our parents, our ancestors, the path of faith."
Turning to the Gospel passage in today's liturgy (Matthew 1: 1-17), which recounts the genealogy of Jesus Christ, he said. "When we listen to this Gospel passage, there is a story, a story of grace, so great; but also a story of sin. On the road we always find grace and sin.”
“Here, in the history of salvation there are great sinners, in this genealogy (cf. Mt 1.1 to 17), and there are saints. We too, in our lives, shall find the same: moments of great fidelity to the Lord, with joy in service, and some bad moments of infidelity, of sin that makes us feel the need for salvation. And this is also our safety, because when we need salvation, we confess the faith, we make a confession of faith: 'I am a sinner, but you can save me, you bring me forward. And so we go forth in the joy of hope."
"We also see that in history and in our life there are wonderful moments of fidelity and bad moments of sin. But the Lord is there, with his outstretched hand to pull us up and say: 'Go ahead!'"
"May the Lord help us take this grace of memory,” said the pope in concluding. “’But it is hard, boring, there are so many problems . . .'. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews has a beautiful phrase for our complaints, very beautiful: 'In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood' (12:4). This is also a bit of humour, by that inspired author, to help us move forward. May the Lord give us this grace."
Tens of thousands of people have sent their greetings from many parts of the world in all sorts of languages.
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