By Bianca de Mattos (Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi)
September 12th, 2024 - Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center
It was Sunday, September 1st, two days ago from when I am here writing this story. Since I had an unexpected stop in Rome, I couldn't miss the chance to see Pope Francis during his weekly appearance for the Angelus prayer, his cordial greeting to pilgrims, and a brief message regularly based on the day’s Gospel.
In the heat of nearly 40 degrees Celsius, precisely at noon, his white robed figure appeared on the balcony. Immediate applause and excitement followed. His voice and words of welcome felt almost like a true "embrace" to each of us present.
Referring to the Sunday Gospel (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23), all of us in St. Peter’s Square attentively listened to the following questions delivered through a powerful microphone:
“Let us ask ourselves: Do I live my faith consistently? In my feelings, words, and actions, do I concretely reflect my closeness and respect for my brothers and sisters as I express in prayer?”
This passage from the Gospel of Mark is very interesting, as it shows the Master inviting us to reflect on the meaning of purity, explaining that it is not linked to external gestures but to inner dispositions.
“To be pure, therefore, it is not necessary to wash your hands multiple times if you harbor bad feelings like greed, envy, and pride, or bad intentions like deceit, theft, betrayal, and slander. Jesus draws attention to warn us against ritualism, which does not help us grow in goodness and, at times, may even lead to neglect or justify in ourselves and others choices and attitudes contrary to charity, which harm the soul and close the heart.”
A spontaneous question then arose in my heart: what are we ultimately made for? The Pope continued speaking:
“When we act this way, the relationship with God is reduced to external gestures, and internally we remain impermeable to the purifying action of His grace, dwelling on thoughts, messages, and behaviors without love. We are made for something else. We are made for the purity of life, for tenderness, for love.”
Extremely brief, no more than 10 minutes, my encounter with the Pope last Sunday was profound, renewing, and filled with practical applications for my life today. Before saying goodbye, the Pope expressed words of great solidarity:
“And once again, I turn my thoughts with concern to the conflict in Palestine and Israel, which threatens to spread to other Palestinian cities. I make an urgent appeal for negotiations to stop and for an immediate ceasefire, for the release of hostages, and for aid to be provided to the people of Gaza, where many diseases, including polio, are spreading. May there be peace in the Holy Land, may there be peace in Jerusalem!”
My time in Rome was, without a doubt, a moment of grace, an experience of God's paternal love that offers me His Word in Scripture and the experience of a living Church with a meaningful message to convey to all its children.
Comentários