Pope: Easter joy "is not a masquerade! It is impressed on our hearts and shines through our actions".
Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - The joy of the Resurrection , to the amazement of the disciples and the women who bring the announcement "is impressed on our hearts, transpiring in our lives. This is not a masquerade! It comes from within, from a heart immersed in the source of this joy, like that of Mary Magdalene, who wept for the loss of her Lord and could not believe her eyes on seeing he had Risen". This was Pope Francis' message this morning in his first Regina Caeli of the liturgical season.
Speaking to a packed St. Peter's Square, the Pope said: "Dear brothers and sisters, good morning. Happy Easter!'. 'Cristòs anèsti! - Alethòs anèsti!', 'Christ is risen! - He is truly risen. 'He is among us, here in this square, this week we can continue to exchange the paschal greeting, as if it were a one single day. It is the great day that the Lord has made. The dominant sentiment that shines through in the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection is full joy of wonder; a truly great wonder, a joy that comes from within. And in the Liturgy we relive the disciples' emotions on hearing the news that the women had brought: Jesus is risen! We have seen him".
Soon after, Francis adds: "May this experience imprinted in the Gospel, become imprinted in our hearts and shines through in our lives. Let the joyous wonder of Easter Sunday radiate our thoughts, looks, attitudes, gestures and in the words ... If only we could be so bright ... But this is not a masquerade! It comes from within, from a heart immersed in the source of this joy, like that of Mary Magdalene, who wept for the loss of her Lord and could not believe her eyes on seeing that he had Risen!".
Those who have this experience, he explained, "become witnesses of the Resurrection, because in a sense, he himself is risen, she herself is risen. Thus they are able to bring a "ray" of light of the Risen Lord to different situations: to happy ones, making them even more beautiful and preserving them from selfishness; to painful ones, bringing serenity and hope. During this week, we would do well to take the book of the Gospel and read those chapters that speak of the resurrection of Jesus it would do us a lot of good: take the Book , search for those chapters and read them".
It would also do us good to think of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, of her joy: "Just as her pain was intimate enough to pierce her soul, her joy was so deep and intimate that it drew the disciples. She passed through the experience of the death and resurrection of her Son, seen through the eyes of faith, as the supreme expression of God's love, the heart of Mary has become a source of peace, comfort, hope, mercy".
All the prerogatives of our Mother, he concludes, "come from here, from her participation in the Easter of Jesus. From Friday to Sunday morning, she did not loose hope: we contemplated Sorrowful Mother but at the same time, Mother full of hope. She is the Mother of all the disciples, Mother of the Church and Mother of hope. We ask her, the silent witness of the death and resurrection of Jesus, to lead us in the joy of Easter. We'll do it now with the recitation of the Regina Caeli that during the Easter season replaces the Angelus prayer".
Immediately after the recitation of the Regina Caeli, greeted by thunderous applause, the Pope said: "I extend a cordial greeting to all of you, dear pilgrims who came from Italy and from various countries to take part in this prayer. Remember, this week, to take the Gospel, look for the chapters about the Resurrection and read every day a one of those chapters. It would do us good this week. I wish each one of you a joyful and serene Easter Monday, which prolongs the joy of the Resurrection of Christ. A happy and Holy Easter to everyone, Buon pranzo and goodbye".
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