Pope: Coronavirus, prayers for families to safeguard peace during difficult moment

Doctors of the Law "believe themselves self-sufficient": I went to university, I did a doctorate, no, two doctorates. I know well, very well indeed, what the law says; in fact, I know it all, everything all of the explanations, all the cases, all the case studies". And they believe themselves self-sufficient and they despise people, they despise sinners: It is contempt for sinners”.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis continues to dedicate the Mass he celebrates every morning at Casa Santa Marta to people affected by the coronavirus and this morning he invited prayers for families, so that at this difficult moment they may safeguard peace, joy and fortitude. A special prayer also for people with disabilities.

“We continue to pray - his words - for people sick in this pandemic. Today I would like to ask for a special prayer for families, families who from one day to the next found themselves with their children are at home because schools are closed for safety and must manage a difficult situation and manage it well, peacefully and joyfully. In a special way I think of families with some people with disabilities. Day care centers for people with disabilities are also closed and the person remains in the family. Let us pray for the families so that they do not lose peace at this moment and are able to carry on the whole family with fortitude and joy”.

During his homily, commenting on the Gospel passage of the prodigal son (Lk 15, 1-3. 11-32) he underlined that "Jesus tells this parable in a special context: 'All the tax collectors and sinners approached him to listen to him' . The Pharisees and scribes murmured saying: 'He welcomes sinners and eats with them'. And Jesus answered him with this parable. What do they say? People, sinners approach in silence, they cannot say, but their presence says many things, they wanted to listen. What do the doctors of the law say? They criticize. "They murmured," says the Gospel, trying to erase the authority that Jesus had with people. This is the great accusation: 'He eats with sinners, he is impure."

“The people - Francis said - feel the need for salvation. The people cannot distinguish intellectually: 'I need to find my Lord, who fills me', a guide, a pastor. And the people approach Jesus because they see a pastor in him, and they need help to navigate life. They feel this need. I went to university, I did a doctorate, no, two doctorates. I know well, very well indeed, what the law says; in fact I know it all, everything all of the explanations, all the cases, all the case studies". And they believe themselves self-sufficient and they despise people, they despise sinners: It is contempt for sinners ”.

"In the parable, the son says to the father: 'Give me the money and I'm leaving.' The father gives him the money, but says nothing because he is a father ”. "A father knows how to suffer in silence".

"The other son rebukes his father: 'You have been unfair'."

“What do these people hear from parable? The boy feels the desire to swallow the world, to go further, to leave the house, and maybe for him it is like a prison and he also has that enough to say to his father: 'Give me what is mine. He feels the courage, strength. What does the father feel? The father feels pain, tenderness and a lot of love. Then when the son says that other word: 'I will get up - when he returns to his senses - I will get up and go to my father', he finds the father waiting for him, sees him from afar. A father who knows how to wait for his children. " The eldest son "was outraged".

“These are the things that are said in this passage of the Gospel, the things that are heard. but what is the problem? The problem - let's start with the eldest son - the problem is that he was at home, but he never realized what it meant to live at home: he did his duties, he did his job, but he didn't understand the relationship of love with his father. 'The son was outraged and didn't want to go in.' 'But isn't this already my home?' ... he thought. The same as the doctors of the law. "There is no order, this sinner came here and they celebrated him, and what about me?" The father says with clear words: 'Son, you are always with me and everything that is mine is yours'. The son had not noticed this, he lived at home as if he were a hotel, without feeling that paternity ... There are so many 'hotels' and convinced owners in the Church. Interestingly, the father does not say a word to the son who returns from sin, he only kisses him, embraces him and celebrates him; To the other, he has to explain to him, to enter his heart: his heart was armored by his preconceptions of fatherhood, sonship, way of life ".

“Many things tell us this parable of the Lord which is the answer to those who criticized him because he went with sinners. But also many today criticize, people of Church, those who approach people in need, humble people, people who work, even those who work for us”.

Pope Francis concluded. “May the Lord give us the grace to understand what the problem is. The problem is living at home but not feeling at home, because there is no relationship of paternity, of brotherhood, only of co-workers".