At the Angelus, recalling that Corpus Christi is being celebrated in many countries today, Francis said that participation in the Eucharist "transforms" and "make us able to love even those who don't love us, to oppose evil with good, to forgive, to share, to welcome".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - A "firm condemnation" by Pope Francis for "all forms of torture". "Torturing people is a deadly sin, a very serious sin." The Pope thus reminded the 50,000 people gathered in St. Peter's square for the Angelus that next June 26 will be the United Nations' Day for Victims of Torture, which he asked Christians to support, and also to make an effort to obtain the abolition of the practice.

Before the recitation of the Marian prayer, the Pope commented on the celebration in Italy and in many other countries of Corpus Christi, saying that participation in the Eucharist "transforms" and "makes us able to love even those who don't love us, to oppose evil with good, to forgive, to share, to welcome". "The Ecclesial community," he said, "gathers around the Eucharist to worship the most precious treasure which Jesus has left her. John's Gospel presents the discourse on the 'bread of life', spoken by Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum, in which He states: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" (Jn  6:51). Jesus points out that he has not come into this world to give something, but to give himself, his life, as nourishment for those who have faith in him. Our communion with the Lord commits us, his disciples, to imitate him, making of our lives, with our attitudes, a bread broken for others, as the Master has broken the bread that is His flesh."

"Whenever we participate in the Holy Mass and we eat the body of Christ, the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit works within us, it shapes our hearts, it communicates inner attitudes that transform within us into modes of behavior according to the Gospel. Firstly, docility to the Word of God, then fraternity among Christians, the courage of Christian witness, the creativity of charity, the ability to give hope to the disheartened, to welcome the excluded. In this way the Eucharist matures a Christian lifestyle in us. Christ's charity, welcomed with an open heart, changes us, transforms us, makes us capable of loving not according to a human measure, which is always limited, but according to God's measure, and God's measure is without measure. The measure of God is without measure, God's love is without measure. And then we become able to love even those who do not love us, and it is not easy, if we know that a person does not love us we tend not to like that person, but we must love those who do not love us, to oppose evil with good, to forgive, to share, to welcome. Thanks to Jesus and his Spirit, even our life becomes 'bread broken' for our brothers. And living this way, we discover true joy! The joy of making oneself a gift, to reciprocate the great gift that we have first received, without merit. I would like to highlight these two things: the measure of God's love is to love without measure, our life with the love of Jesus; by receiving the Eucharist we make ourselves a gift just as Jesus was." 

 

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