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PopesHomilyatMassonDivineMercySundayZENITEnglish

Pope sHomilatMassonDivine
Mercunda

InGod smerc allofourinrmitiesndhealing

(https://zenit.org/articles/popeshomilyatmassondivinemercysunday/)
HereisaVaticantranslationofthehomilyPopeFrancisgaveatMassthismorning.
__
Jesusdidmanyothersignsinthepresenceofthedisciples,whicharenotwrittenin
thisbook(Jn20:30).TheGospelisthebookofGodsmercy,tobereadandreread,
becauseeverythingthatJesussaidanddidisanexpressionoftheFathersmercy.Not
everything,however,waswrittendowntheGospelofmercyremainsanopenbook,in
whichthesignsofChristsdisciplesconcreteactsofloveandthebestwitnessto
mercycontinuetobewritten.WeareallcalledtobecomelivingwritersoftheGospel,
heraldsoftheGoodNewstoallmenandwomenoftoday.Wedothisbypracticingthe
corporalandspiritualworksofmercy,whicharethehallmarksoftheChristianlife.By
meansofthesesimpleyetpowerfulgestures,evenwhenunseen,wecanaccompany
theneedy,bringingGodstendernessandconsolation.Thuscontinuesthegreatwork
ofJesusonEasterday,whenhepouredintotheheartsofhisfearfuldisciplesthe
Fathersmercy,bringingthemtheHolySpiritwhoforgivessinsandbestowsjoy.
Atthesametime,thestorywehavejustheardpresentsanevidentcontrast:there
isthefearofthedisciples,whogatheredbehindcloseddoorsandthenthereisthe
missionofJesus,whosendsthemintotheworldtoproclaimthemessageof
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forgiveness.Thiscontrastmayalsobepresentinus,experiencedasaninterior
strugglebetweenaclosedheartandthecalloflovetoopendoorsclosedbysin.Itisa
callthatfreesustogooutofourselves.Christ,whoforloveenteredthroughdoors
barredbysin,deathandthepowersofhell,wantstoenterintoeachoneofustobreak
openthelockeddoorsofourhearts.Jesus,whobyhisresurrectionhasovercomethe
fearanddreadwhichimprisonus,wishestothrowopenourcloseddoorsandsendus
out.ThepaththattheRisenMastershowsusisaonewaystreet,itgoesinonlyone
direction:thismeansthatwemustmovebeyondourselvestowitnesstothehealing
poweroflovethathasconqueredus.Weseebeforeusahumanitythatisoften
woundedandfearful,ahumanitythatbearsthescarsofpainanduncertainty.Before
theanguishedcryformercyandpeace,wehearJesusinspiringinvitation:Asthe
Fatherhassentme,evensoIsendyou(Jn20:21).
InGodsmercy,allofourinfirmitiesfindhealing.Hismercy,infact,doesnotkeepa
distance:itseekstoencounterallformsofpovertyandtofreethisworldofsomany
typesofslavery.Mercydesirestoreachthewoundsofall,tohealthem.Beingapostles
ofmercymeanstouchingandsoothingthewoundsthattodayafflictthebodiesand
soulsofmanyofourbrothersandsisters.Curingthesewounds,weprofessJesus,we
makehimpresentandaliveweallowothers,whotouchhismercywiththeirown
hands,torecognizehimasLordandGod(Jn20:28),asdidtheApostleThomas.
Thisisthemissionthatheentruststous.Somanypeopleasktobelistenedtoandto
beunderstood.TheGospelofmercy,tobeproclaimedandwritteninourdailylives,
seekspeoplewithpatientandopenhearts,goodSamaritanswhounderstand
compassionandsilencebeforethemysteryofeachbrotherandsister.TheGospelof
mercyrequiresgenerousandjoyfulservants,peoplewholovefreelywithoutexpecting
anythinginreturn.
Peacebewithyou!(Jn20:21)isthegreetingofJesustohisdisciplesthissame
peaceawaitsmenandwomenofourownday.Itisnotanegotiatedpeace,itisnotthe
absenceofconflict:itishispeace,thepeacethatcomesfromtheheartoftheRisen
Lord,thepeacethathasdefeatedsin,fearanddeath.Itisapeacethatdoesnotdivide
butunitesitisapeacethatdoesnotabandonusbutmakesusfeellistenedtoand
loveditisapeacethatpersistseveninpainandenableshopetoblossom.This
peace,asonthedayofEaster,isborneveranewbytheforgivenessofGodwhich
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calmsouranxioushearts.Tobebearersofhispeace:thisisthemissionentrustedto
theChurchonEasterday.InChrist,weareborntobeinstrumentsofreconciliation,to
bringtheFathersforgivenesstoeveryone,torevealhislovingfacethroughconcrete
gesturesofmercy.
IntheresponsorialPsalmweheardthesewords:Hisloveenduresforever
(Ps117/118:2).Truly,Godsmercyisforeveritneverends,itneverrunsout,itnever
givesupwhenfacedwithcloseddoors,anditnevertires.Inthisforeverwefind
strengthinmomentsoftrialandweaknessbecausewearesurethatGoddoesnot
abandonus.Heremainswithusforever.Letusgivethanksforsogreatalove,which
wefindimpossibletograspitisimmense!Letusprayforthegracetonevergrowtired
ofdrawingfromthewelloftheFathersmercyandbringingittotheworld.Letusask
thatwetoomaybemerciful,tospreadthepoweroftheGospeleverywhere,andto
writethosepagesoftheGospelwhichJohntheApostledidnotwrite.
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