Pope: The most serious disease is ‘the lack of love’
In his Angelus address, a couple of days before the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Francis called on the faithful to pray for the pontiff “who needs it very much”. “May the Lord support the efforts of those who work for dialogue and fraternal coexistence in the Middle East” where Christians today pray for peace and consecrate the region to the Holy Family.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – In his Angelus address, Pope Francis said that at a time when disease is still at the centre of the news, our gaze should focus on the “healing that matters the most, that of affections”.
Speaking to faithful from different countries gathered in St Peter's Square, the pontiff asked them to pray for the pope, “who greatly needs your prayers”, adding, “I know you will.”
Speaking a couple days before the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, Francis focused on the Gospel passage about the healing of Jairus’s daughter and the bleeding woman in today’s liturgy, noting that “Jesus comes across our two most dramatic situations, death and disease”.
At a time marked by COVID-19, Francis focused on the second of the two, namely the woman’s condition. The disease “of this unnamed woman, in which we can all see each other” came in fact a social ill, that of marginalisation because she was considered impure.
“She lived alone with a wounded heart,” the Pope said, which shows that “the lack of love, not being able to love” is the most serious disease, not cancer, tuberculosis or the pandemic. “The healing that matters the most is that of the affections”.
We all live in this condition. Like this woman, we are tempted to “spend all our money” looking for the wrong remedies. Indeed, “We think that success and money will make us happy, but love is not bought,” the pontiff added.
“We might seek refuge in the virtual, but love is real. We do not accept ourselves as we are and hide behind the tricks of externality, but love is not appearance. We look for solutions from magicians and holy men, and then find ourselves without possessions and without peace, like that woman”.
Instead, the personal encounter with Jesus heals that woman. During the pandemic, “we understood how important staying in touch, relationships are. The same goes for Jesus. Sometimes we settle for observing some precepts and repeating prayers, but the Lord waits for us to meet him, to open our heart, so that, like that woman, we touch his cloak to heal, for, by growing in intimacy with Jesus, we are healed in our affections.”
The Gospel invites people to do the above. “Sister, brother, let Jesus look at your heart and heal it,” said Francis. “If you have already experienced his tender gaze on you, imitate him, do as He does. Look around and you will see that many people who live next to you feel wounded and alone and need to feel loved. Jesus asks you for a gaze that does not stop at what is outside, but goes to the heart, a non-judgmental welcoming gaze – let's stop judging others – because only love heals life.”
Following the Angelus prayer, Francis mentioned today’s Day for Peace promoted by the Patriarchs of the Middle East with the consecration of the region to the Holy Family.
“I invite everyone to implore God's mercy and peace. May the Lord support the efforts of those who work for dialogue and fraternal coexistence in the Middle East, where the Christian faith was born and is alive, despite suffering. May God always grant those dear peoples fortitude, perseverance and courage”.
The Pope ended his address, turning his thoughts to the people of south-eastern Czechia (Czech Republic) who were recently hit by a major tornado.
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26/04/2018 09:53
