On Saturday, Pope Francis held the third of his “Jubilee audiences” — a general audience that during this Year of Mercy will be held one Saturday a month.
Here is the English-language summary of his address:
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Speaker:
Dear Brothers and Sisters: As we draw near to Easter in this Holy Year of Divine Mercy, we reflect today on the Lord’s gesture of washing the feet of his disciples. In this striking act of humility, Jesus tells them, and us, to do the same for one another. He gave us a clear example of his new commandment of love. As Saint John says, just as he laid down his life for us, so we ought to lay down our lives for one another (cf. 1 Jn 3:16). Jesus shows us that love is service – lowly, quiet and hidden – of our brothers and sisters, especially those in greatest need. By bending low to wash his disciples’ feet, Jesus also invites us to acknowledge our failings, to pray for one another and to forgive each other from the heart. He shows us that to be “merciful like the Father” means to follow Jesus daily along the path of humble service.
Speaker:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including those from Ireland, the Philippines, Canada and the United States. I thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. With prayerful good wishes that the present Jubilee of Mercy will be a moment of grace and spiritual renewal for you and your families, I invoke upon all of you joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you all!
[Original text: English]
