“The Lord is a refuge for the faithful who call on Him in times of tribulation.”
Despite technically being on ‘summer break,’ Pope Francis stressed this in his homily during the Mass he celebrated for Migrants, at the Altar of the Chair, in St. Peter’s Basilica today, Monday, July 8, at 11 a.m. today.
The Mass coincides with the sixth anniversary of the visit of Pope Francis to Lampedusa in 2013.
In the past, the Vatican expressed this Mass will be a time of prayer for the dead, for the survivors and for those who assist them. While always free, participation is reserved for those with tickets.
“We repeated in the psalm: “O my God, I trust in you,” Francis said, underscoring: “He is our refuge and our strength, our shield and our armor, our anchor in times of trial.”
The Lord, the Holy Father said, “is a refuge” for all who, during times of trial, call on Him.
“For it is indeed at such moments,” he reflected, “that our prayer is made purer, when we realize that the security the world offers has little worth, and only God remains. God alone opens up heaven for those who live on earth. Only God saves.”
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Here is the full Vatican-provided English text of the Pope’s homily:
https://zenit.org/articles/popes-homily-at-mass-for-migrants-in-st-peters-basilica-full-text/
