Christ, who intercedes for us to the Father, shows his wounds as the price of our justification. This was the theme of the Pope Francis’ homily during morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta today.
In today’s Gospel, which recounted Christ going up to the mountain to pray before choosing the twelve apostles, the Holy Father highlighted the three different rapports that Jesus has: with the Father, with his Apostles and with the people. It is Christ who intercedes for us, who prays for us and who has justified us.
“Jesus is not a spirit! Jesus is a person, He is a man, with flesh like ours, but in glory. Jesus has the wounds on His hands, His feet, on His side and when He prays, He shows the Father the price of justification, and prays for us, as if He is saying, ‘Father, that these may not be lost,’” the Holy Father said.
The Holy Father said that Christ is like our brother, a man like one of us, who is the first who prays for us to God. After denying Christ, he said, Peter realized that Christ’s words were true and that He knew Christ prayed for him. Thus, he was able to weep and repent. Pope Francis invited the faithful to also come to this realization that Christ continuously prays for us.
“He prays for me; He prays for all of us and prays courageously because he shows the Father the price of our justice: His wounds,” the Pope said. Concluding his homily, Pope Francis invited those gathered to contemplate on this aspect of Christ and to thank God for having “a brother who prays with us, who prays for us, who intercedes for us.”
