Pope: Those who want to 'see Jesus' must look at the crucifix
During the Angelus, Pope Francis highlighted the Cross of Jesus as a sign of “love, service, unreserved self-giving”. In order to “see Jesus”, “We too must respond with the witness of a life that is given in service.” The pontiff remembered the innocent victims of the mafias. “Organised crime goes against the Gospel, swapping faith for idolatry.” Tomorrow is World Water Day.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Today, in his reflection before the Angelus, Pope Francis said that “Even today those who wish to 'see Jesus', perhaps coming from countries and cultures where Christianity is not well-known”, must look to the crucifix, which expresses “love, service, unreserved self-giving”, and to the life of Christians who give themselves “in service”.
Speaking from the Apostolic Library to avoid gatherings in St Peter's Square because of anti-COVID restrictions, the pontiff commented on this Sunday’s Gospel (5th of Lent, B, John 12:20-33), starting from the request of “some Greeks” who wanted to see Jesus.
In his response, Jesus spoke of the “hidden seed ready to die in order to bear much fruit. It is as if to say: if you wish to know me and understand me, look at the grain of wheat that dies in soil, look at the cross.”
“Even today, those who wish to ‘see Jesus’, perhaps coming from countries and cultures where Christianity is not well-known, what do they see first? What is the most common sign they encounter? The Crucifix. In churches, in the homes of Christians, even worn on their persons. The important thing is that the sign be consistent with the Gospel: the cross cannot but express love, service, unreserved self-giving: only in this way is it truly the ‘tree of life’, of overabundant life.
“Today too, many people, often without saying so, implicitly would like to ‘see Jesus’, to meet him, to know him. This is how we understand the great responsibility we Christians and our communities have. We too must respond with the witness of a life that is given in service. It means sowing seeds of love, not with fleeting words but through concrete, simple and courageous example. Not with condemnations or resounding gestures.”
“Then the Lord, with his grace, makes us bear fruit, even when the soil is dry due to misunderstandings, difficulty or persecution. Precisely then, in trials and in solitude while the seed is dying, that is the moment in which life blossoms, to bear ripe fruit in due time. It is in this intertwining of death and life that we can experience the joy and true fruitfulness of love.”
After the Marian prayer, Francis noted that today Italy commemorates “the innocent victims of the mafias.” The Mafia, he said, operates in many countries, and is currently “exploiting the pandemic” to enrich itself through corruption. “Organised crime goes against the Gospel, confusing faith for idolatry.”
Before the final greetings, Francis said that tomorrow is World Water Day, established by the United Nations since 1992. “Sister water, “ he said, “is a universal symbol for believers.” In a world where so many people are without water or have to use polluted water, he called for everyone to have access to “drinking water and sanitation.” The pontiff also mentioned “the Water University, in my homeland”, Argentina, among the groups and people who care about the fate of water.
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29/06/2021 13:06
