Pope at Angelus: Do We Have Our Priorities Straight?
During Angelus Address, Francis Reminds Faithful of Mission to Evangelize the Poor, Imitate Jesus
To proclaim the Gospel with words, but even more importantly, with one’s life, is what all Christians are called to do.
During his Angelus address today at noon, Pope Francis stressed this to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, reminding them, “that to be a Christian and to be a missionary, is the same thing.”
Different Approach, Worthy of Imitation
Reflecting on
today’s Gospel from Luke, the Pope observed how Jesus is different from the teachers of His time. “Jesus,” he said, “didn’t open a school for the study of the Law, but went about everywhere to preach and teach,” including in the synagogues, in the streets, in the houses, and differed from his cousin, John the Baptist, who proclaimed God’s imminent judgement, by instead proclaiming God’s forgiveness.
Our Mission
To evangelize the poor, Francis stressed, is Jesus’ mission–‘according to what He Himself says’–, but also is that of the Church and all baptized people.
“To be Christian and to be a missionary is the same thing,” he said, stressing, “To proclaim the Gospel, with words, and, even before that, with one’s life, is the principle end of the Christian community and of each of its members.”
The Holy Father reminded those gathered how Jesus addresses the Good News to everyone, without excluding anyone, and reaches out to those who are furthest away, the suffering, the sick, and those discarded by society.
The Pontiff urged the faithful to consider what it means to evangelize the poor. “It means,” he responded, “above all, being close to them, having the joy of serving them, freeing them from oppression, and all this in the name of and with the Spirit of Christ.”
Francis also encouraged those in the Square to think about the various aspects of their own lives, including in parish communities and associations, and ask themselves: “Are we faithful to the program of Christ?”
“Is the evangelization of the poor, bringing to them the good news, the priority?”
Don’t be confused
“Be attentive,” the Pontiff warned, pointing out, “This isn’t about giving social assistance, much less about political activity.”
Rather, he highlighted, “It has to do with the strength of the Gospel of God, Who converts hearts, heals the wounded, transforms human and social relationships according to the logic of love.”
At the heart of center of the Gospel, Francis reaffirmed, are the poor.
Pope Francis concluded, greeting the various groups present, wishing everyone a good lunch and Sunday, and asking them to pray for him.
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
http://zenit.org/articles/angelus-address-jan-24-on-our-mission/
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ANGELUS ADDRESS Jan. 24: On Our Mission
‘To proclaim the Gospel, with words, and, even before that, with one’s life, is the principle end of the Christian community and of each of its members.’
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Below is a Vatican Radio-provided translation of Pope Francis’ Angelus address today at noon in St. Peter’s Square:
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Dear brothers and sisters, good day!
In the Gospel of today, Luke the evangelist, before presenting the programmatic discourse of Jesus at Nazareth, briefly summarizes the work of evangelization. It is a work that He accomplishes with the power of the Holy Spirit: His word is original, because it reveals the sense of the Scripture; it is an authoritative word, because He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey (cf. Mk 1:27). Jesus is different from the teachers of His time. For example, Jesus didn’t open a school for the study of the Law, but went about everywhere to preach and teach: in the synagogues, in the streets, in the houses. Jesus also differs from John the Baptist, who proclaims the imminent judgement of God, while Jesus proclaims the forgiveness of God.
And now we enter, we imagine, into the synagogue of Nazareth, the village where Jesus lived until He was about thirty years old. What happened there is an important event, which delineates the mission of Jesus. He stood up to read the Holy Scripture. He opens the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and takes the passage where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” Then, after a moment of silence full of expectation on the part of everyone, He says, to general amazement: “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
To evangelize the poor: This is the mission of Jesus, according to what He Himself says; this is also the mission of the Church, and of every person baptized in the Church. To be Christian and to be a missionary is the same thing. To proclaim the Gospel, with words, and, even before that, with one’s life, is the principle end of the Christian community and of each of its members.
It is known that Jesus addresses the Good News to everyone, without excluding anyone; and yet, He privileges those who are furthest away, the suffering, the sick, those discarded by society.
But let us ask ourselves a question. What does it mean to evangelize the poor? It means above all being close to them, having the joy of serving them, freeing them from oppression, and all this in the name of and with the Spirit of Christ, because He is the Gospel of God, He is the Mercy of God, He is the liberation of God. It is He Who was made poor in order to enrich us with His poverty. The text of Isaiah, reinforced by some small adaptations introduced by Jesus, indicates that the messianic proclamation of the Kingdom of God that has come amongst us is addressed in a preferential way to the marginalized, to prisoners, to the oppressed.
Probably in the time of Jesus these people were not at the centre of the community of faith. And we can ask ourselves: today, in our parish communities, in the associations, in the movements, are we faithful to the program of Christ? Is the evangelization of the poor, bringing to them the good news, the priority? Be attentive: this isn’t about giving social assistance, much less about political activity. It has to do with the strength of the Gospel of God, Who converts hearts, heals the wounded, transforms human and social relationships according to the logic of love. The poor, in fact, are at the heart of centre of the Gospel.
May the Virgin Mary, Mother of evangelizers, help us to feel strongly the hunger and thirst for the Gospel that exists in the world, especially in the heart and the flesh of the poor – and obtain for each and every one of us, the whole Christian community, to bear concrete witness to the mercy that Christ has given to us.
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by Vatican Radio]
After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I greet with affection all of you who have come from different parishes of Italy and other countries, as well as associations and families.
In particular, I greet the students of Zafra and the faithful of Cervello (Spain); Participants at the conference sponsored by the “World Community for Christian Meditation”; and groups of faithful from the Archdiocese of Bari-Bitonto, from Tarcento, Marostica, Lawn, Abbiategrasso and Pero-Cerchiate.
I wish you all a good Sunday and good lunch. Please do not forget to pray for me. See you soon!
[Original text: Italian] [Translation by Deborah Castellano Lubov]
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Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,
and news of him spread throughout the whole region.
He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
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