ANGELUS 21 June 2020 In this Sunday’s Gospel (cf. Mt 10:26-33) the invitation that Jesus addresses to His disciples resonates: to have no fear, to be strong and confident in the face of life’s challenges, as he forewarns them of the adversities that await them. Today’s passage is part of the missionary discourse, with which the Teacher prepares the Apostles for their first experience of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus persistently exhorts them to “have no fear”. Fear is one of the most terrible enemies of our Christian life. Jesus exhorts: “have no fear”, “fear not”. And Jesus describes three tangible situations that they will find themselves facing.
First and foremost the hostility of those who would like to stifle the Word of God, by sugar-coating it, watering it down, or by silencing those who proclaim it. In this case, Jesus encourages the Apostles to spread the message of salvation that He has entrusted to them. For the moment, He has transmitted it cautiously, somewhat covertly, among the small group of disciples. But they will utter his Gospel “in the light”, that is, openly; and will proclaim it “upon the housetops” — as Jesus says — that is, publicly.
The second difficulty that Christ’s missionaries will encounter is the physical threat against them, that is, direct persecution of them personally, to the point of being killed. This prophesy by Jesus is realized in every age: it is a painful reality, but it attests to the faithfulness of witnesses. How many Christians are persecuted even today throughout the world! They suffer for the Gospel with love, they are martyrs of our days. And we can say with confidence that they are more numerous than those of the earliest times: so many martyrs, just for the fact of being Christians. Jesus advises these disciples of yesterday and today who suffer persecution: “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (v. 28). We should not allow ourselves to be frightened by those who seek to extinguish evangelizing power with arrogance and violence. Indeed, they can do nothing against the soul, that is, against communion with God: no one can take this away from disciples, because it is a gift from God. The only fear that a disciple should have is that of losing this divine gift, closeness, friendship with God, giving up living according to the Gospel, thereby acquiring moral death, which is the effect of sin.
Jesus indicates as the third type of test that the Apostles will have to face, the sensation, which some may feel, that God himself has abandoned them, remaining distant and silent. Here too, Jesus exhorts them not to fear, because even while experiencing these and other pitfalls, the life of disciples lies firmly in the hands of God who loves us and looks after us. They are like three temptations: to sugar-coat the Gospel, to water it down; second: persecution; and third: the feeling that God has left us alone. Even Jesus suffered this trial in the Garden of Olives and on the Cross: “Father, why have you forsaken me?”, Jesus asks. At times one feels this spiritual barrenness; we must not fear it. The Father takes care of us, because our value is great in His eyes. What matters is frankness, the courage of our witness, our witness of faith: “recognizing Jesus before men” and going forth doing good.
May Mary Most Holy, model of trust and abandonment in God in the hour of adversity and danger, help us never to surrender to despair, but rather always to entrust ourselves to Him and to his grace, because God’s grace is ever more powerful than evil.
S. FAUSTI - "Do not fear, says Jesus to the Apostles, after sending them as sheep among the wolves. Fear is the first engine of human action, it should instead be only the brake! Avoiding the dangers of life is right, but do not become the worry that distracts from all occupation. The instinct of self-preservation in itself is healthy. It serves to avoid evil. But it is an insufficient principle to live, if at the same time there is no confidence in good. Without trust man is blocked and desperate, without fear he is foiled and reckless, only the unconscious, besides dictators, are not afraid; but there is to be afraid for them and of them! Trust and fear are two antagonistic principles, both necessary. The second principle abounds, the first, however, is in short supply. The Lord has come to give us a confidence in Him that frees us from the fear of death, with which the enemy keeps us in slavery for the rest of our lives (Heb 2:15). Death is a natural event . It is not evil, even if, because of sin, we live it badly! It is right not to seek it, but it is demonic to reject it. We are mortal, but our limit is not the end of ourselves, as our selfishness fears, but the beginning of the Other and of our communion with Him. The beginning and the end of our life is not the nothing we fear, but the Father who loves us and that we love. Perfect love drives out all fear (1 Jn 4:18). As long as we live our love is not yet perfect. That is why we are also afraid, but we are not dominated by it. The Apostle, although feeling fear and uncertainty (1 Cor 2:3), does not permit himself to be guided by them, but by the Spirit of the One who gave His life for all (2 Cor 5:14). Fear of death should not become a philosophy of life. Let our "philosophy" be the "love of wisdom" of the Father. Man is always contended between two loves: that of the wisdom of the flesh, which closes in fear of death, and that of the wisdom of the Spirit, which opens to trust and life. Each time he must decide which one to marry. The passage is marked by three imperatives. "Do not fear", followed by motivations. Fear makes one do what one fears, only trust makes one do what one wishes. God's judgment I do myself here on earth. If, in the quotidian nature of actions and in the extraordinary nature of persecutions, I recognize the Son as a brother, I am recognized by the Father. I recognize Him as a gratitude of love. He first loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal 5:20); and I, in my youngest brother, recognize Him (18:5) who, in order to recognize all, became the last and servant of all (Mk 9:35). My eternal future before the Father depends on my now recognizing before men the Son, who, in the flesh of the last, will be present until the end of the world to save us: God's "tremendous" judgment, the only thing that counts and remains of history, is placed in my hands, entrusted to my responsibility. I am the judge of him, and therefore of myself! Recognizing is not just a matter of lips. It is to belong to Him with heart and with life. "Whoever recognizes me in front of men" I myself carry out God's judgment here on earth: if, in the daily actions and in the extraordinariness of persecutions, I recognize the Son as my brother, I am recognized by the Father. I recognize Him through gratitude of love.
-->He first loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal 5:20); and I, in my youngest brother, recognize Him who, in order to recognize all, became the last and servant of all (Mk 9:35). My eternal future before the Father depends on my now recognizing before men the Son, who, in the flesh of the last, will be present until the end of the world to save us. To recognize is not only a matter of lips: it is to belong to Him with the heart and with life "Who will deny me..." To deny is to say you don't know, like Peter (26,70...) Whoever denies the Son is not His brother and denies being a son, loses himself! "Certain is this word: if we die with Him, we will also live with Him; if we persevere with Him, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He too will deny us." (2Tim. 2.11). Thanks be to God, He who denies us is the One who gave His life for us sinners, from whose Love nothing can separate us (Rom 8:38). For "if we lack faith, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim 2:13). His faithfulness without end is the reason why our Amen rises to God (2 Cor 1:20). Even if we deny Him, like Peter we can always count on His fidelity to us, which never fails. This is our faith, certain and sure.
In today’s Gospel (cf. Mt 10:26-33) the Lord Jesus, after having called and sent the disciples on mission, teaches them and prepares them to face the trials and persecutions they will have to endure. Going on mission is not like tourism, and Jesus cautions them: “you will find persecutions”. So he exhorts them: “have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed.... What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light.... And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (vv. 26-28). They can only kill the body; they do not have the power to kill souls: do not fear this. Jesus’ dispatch [of the disciples] on mission does not guarantee their success, just as it does not protect them from failure and suffering. They have to take into account both the possibility of rejection and that of persecution. This is somewhat frightening but it is the truth.
The disciple is called to conform his life to Christ who was persecuted by men, knew rejection, abandonment and death on the cross. There is no Christian mission marked by tranquility! Difficulties and tribulations are part of the work of evangelization and we are called to find in them the opportunity to test the authenticity of our faith and of our relationship with Jesus. We must consider these difficulties as the opportunity to be even more missionary and to grow in that trust toward God, our Father who does not abandon his children during the storm. Amid the difficulties of Christian witness in the world, we are not forgotten but always assisted by the attentive concern of the Father. For this reason, in today’s Gospel, a good three times Jesus reassures the disciples, saying: “Do not fear!”.
Even in our day, brothers and sisters, persecution against Christians is present. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted and we praise God because, in spite of this, they continue to bear witness to their faith with courage and faithfulness. Their example helps us to not hesitate in taking the position in favour of Christ, bearing witness bravely in everyday situations, even in apparently peaceful contexts. In effect, a form of trial can also be the absence of hostility and tribulation. Besides [sending us out] as “sheep in the midst of wolves”, the Lord even in our times sends us out as sentinels in the midst of people who do not want to be woken from their worldly lethargy which ignores the Gospel’s words of Truth, building for themselves their own ephemeral truths. And if we go to or live in these contexts, and we proclaim the Words of the Gospel, this is bothersome and they will look at us unkindly.
But in all this, the Lord continues to tell us, as he did to the disciples of his time: “Do not fear!”. Let us not forget these words: always, when we experience any tribulation, any persecution, anything that causes us to suffer, let us listen to the voice of Jesus in our hearts: “Do not fear! Do not fear! Go Forth! I am with you!”. Do not fear those who mock you and mistreat you and do not fear those who ignore you or respect you “to your face”, but fight the Gospel “behind your back”. There are so many who smile to our face, but fight the Gospel behind our backs. We all know them. Jesus does not leave us all alone, because we are precious to him. That is why he does not leave us all alone. Each one of us is precious to Jesus and he accompanies us.
May the Virgin Mary, example of humility and courageous adherence to the Word of God, help us to understand that success does not count in the witness of faith, but rather faithfulness, faithfulness to Christ, recognizing in any circumstance even the most problematic, the inestimable gift of being his missionary disciples.
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS 21 June 2020
In this Sunday’s Gospel (cf. Mt 10:26-33) the invitation that Jesus addresses to His disciples resonates: to have no fear, to be strong and confident in the face of life’s challenges, as he forewarns them of the adversities that await them. Today’s passage is part of the missionary discourse, with which the Teacher prepares the Apostles for their first experience of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus persistently exhorts them to “have no fear”. Fear is one of the most terrible enemies of our Christian life. Jesus exhorts: “have no fear”, “fear not”. And Jesus describes three tangible situations that they will find themselves facing.
First and foremost the hostility of those who would like to stifle the Word of God, by sugar-coating it, watering it down, or by silencing those who proclaim it. In this case, Jesus encourages the Apostles to spread the message of salvation that He has entrusted to them. For the moment, He has transmitted it cautiously, somewhat covertly, among the small group of disciples. But they will utter his Gospel “in the light”, that is, openly; and will proclaim it “upon the housetops” — as Jesus says — that is, publicly.
The second difficulty that Christ’s missionaries will encounter is the physical threat against them, that is, direct persecution of them personally, to the point of being killed. This prophesy by Jesus is realized in every age: it is a painful reality, but it attests to the faithfulness of witnesses. How many Christians are persecuted even today throughout the world! They suffer for the Gospel with love, they are martyrs of our days. And we can say with confidence that they are more numerous than those of the earliest times: so many martyrs, just for the fact of being Christians. Jesus advises these disciples of yesterday and today who suffer persecution: “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (v. 28). We should not allow ourselves to be frightened by those who seek to extinguish evangelizing power with arrogance and violence. Indeed, they can do nothing against the soul, that is, against communion with God: no one can take this away from disciples, because it is a gift from God. The only fear that a disciple should have is that of losing this divine gift, closeness, friendship with God, giving up living according to the Gospel, thereby acquiring moral death, which is the effect of sin.
Jesus indicates as the third type of test that the Apostles will have to face, the sensation, which some may feel, that God himself has abandoned them, remaining distant and silent. Here too, Jesus exhorts them not to fear, because even while experiencing these and other pitfalls, the life of disciples lies firmly in the hands of God who loves us and looks after us. They are like three temptations: to sugar-coat the Gospel, to water it down; second: persecution; and third: the feeling that God has left us alone. Even Jesus suffered this trial in the Garden of Olives and on the Cross: “Father, why have you forsaken me?”, Jesus asks. At times one feels this spiritual barrenness; we must not fear it. The Father takes care of us, because our value is great in His eyes. What matters is frankness, the courage of our witness, our witness of faith: “recognizing Jesus before men” and going forth doing good.
May Mary Most Holy, model of trust and abandonment in God in the hour of adversity and danger, help us never to surrender to despair, but rather always to entrust ourselves to Him and to his grace, because God’s grace is ever more powerful than evil.
S. FAUSTI - "Do not fear, says Jesus to the Apostles, after sending them as sheep among the wolves. Fear is the first engine of human action, it should instead be only the brake! Avoiding the dangers of life is right, but do not become the worry that distracts from all occupation. The instinct of self-preservation in itself is healthy. It serves to avoid evil. But it is an insufficient principle to live, if at the same time there is no confidence in good. Without trust man is blocked and desperate, without fear he is foiled and reckless, only the unconscious, besides dictators, are not afraid; but there is to be afraid for them and of them!
RispondiEliminaTrust and fear are two antagonistic principles, both necessary. The second principle abounds, the first, however, is in short supply.
The Lord has come to give us a confidence in Him that frees us from the fear of death, with which the enemy keeps us in slavery for the rest of our lives (Heb 2:15).
Death is a natural event . It is not evil, even if, because of sin, we live it badly! It is right not to seek it, but it is demonic to reject it. We are mortal, but our limit is not the end of ourselves, as our selfishness fears, but the beginning of the Other and of our communion with Him.
The beginning and the end of our life is not the nothing we fear, but the Father who loves us and that we love. Perfect love drives out all fear (1 Jn 4:18).
As long as we live our love is not yet perfect.
That is why we are also afraid, but we are not dominated by it.
The Apostle, although feeling fear and uncertainty (1 Cor 2:3), does not permit himself to be guided by them, but by the Spirit of the One who gave His life for all (2 Cor 5:14).
Fear of death should not become a philosophy of life. Let our "philosophy" be the "love of wisdom" of the Father. Man is always contended between two loves: that of the wisdom of the flesh, which closes in fear of death, and that of the wisdom of the Spirit, which opens to trust and life. Each time he must decide which one to marry. The passage is marked by three imperatives. "Do not fear", followed by motivations.
Fear makes one do what one fears, only trust makes one do what one wishes.
God's judgment I do myself here on earth. If, in the quotidian nature of actions and in the extraordinary nature of persecutions, I recognize the Son as a brother, I am recognized by the Father. I recognize Him as a gratitude of love. He first loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal 5:20); and I, in my youngest brother, recognize Him (18:5) who, in order to recognize all, became the last and servant of all (Mk 9:35).
My eternal future before the Father depends on my now recognizing before men the Son, who, in the flesh of the last, will be present until the end of the world to save us: God's "tremendous" judgment, the only thing that counts and remains of history, is placed in my hands, entrusted to my responsibility. I am the judge of him, and therefore of myself! Recognizing is not just a matter of lips. It is to belong to Him with heart and with life. "Whoever recognizes me in front of men" I myself carry out God's judgment here on earth: if, in the daily actions and in the extraordinariness of persecutions, I recognize the Son as my brother, I am recognized by the Father.
I recognize Him through gratitude of love.
-->He first loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal 5:20); and I, in my youngest brother, recognize Him who, in order to recognize all, became the last and servant of all (Mk 9:35).
RispondiEliminaMy eternal future before the Father depends on my now recognizing before men the Son, who, in the flesh of the last, will be present until the end of the world to save us.
To recognize is not only a matter of lips: it is to belong to Him with the heart and with life
"Who will deny me..." To deny is to say you don't know, like Peter (26,70...)
Whoever denies the Son is not His brother and denies being a son, loses himself!
"Certain is this word: if we die with Him, we will also live with Him; if we persevere with Him, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He too will deny us." (2Tim. 2.11).
Thanks be to God, He who denies us is the One who gave His life for us sinners, from whose Love nothing can separate us (Rom 8:38).
For "if we lack faith, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim 2:13). His faithfulness without end is the reason why our Amen rises to God (2 Cor 1:20).
Even if we deny Him, like Peter we can always count on His fidelity to us, which never fails. This is our faith, certain and sure.
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS 25 June 2017
In today’s Gospel (cf. Mt 10:26-33) the Lord Jesus, after having called and sent the disciples on mission, teaches them and prepares them to face the trials and persecutions they will have to endure. Going on mission is not like tourism, and Jesus cautions them: “you will find persecutions”. So he exhorts them: “have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed.... What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light.... And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (vv. 26-28). They can only kill the body; they do not have the power to kill souls: do not fear this. Jesus’ dispatch [of the disciples] on mission does not guarantee their success, just as it does not protect them from failure and suffering. They have to take into account both the possibility of rejection and that of persecution. This is somewhat frightening but it is the truth.
The disciple is called to conform his life to Christ who was persecuted by men, knew rejection, abandonment and death on the cross. There is no Christian mission marked by tranquility! Difficulties and tribulations are part of the work of evangelization and we are called to find in them the opportunity to test the authenticity of our faith and of our relationship with Jesus. We must consider these difficulties as the opportunity to be even more missionary and to grow in that trust toward God, our Father who does not abandon his children during the storm. Amid the difficulties of Christian witness in the world, we are not forgotten but always assisted by the attentive concern of the Father. For this reason, in today’s Gospel, a good three times Jesus reassures the disciples, saying: “Do not fear!”.
Even in our day, brothers and sisters, persecution against Christians is present. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted and we praise God because, in spite of this, they continue to bear witness to their faith with courage and faithfulness. Their example helps us to not hesitate in taking the position in favour of Christ, bearing witness bravely in everyday situations, even in apparently peaceful contexts. In effect, a form of trial can also be the absence of hostility and tribulation. Besides [sending us out] as “sheep in the midst of wolves”, the Lord even in our times sends us out as sentinels in the midst of people who do not want to be woken from their worldly lethargy which ignores the Gospel’s words of Truth, building for themselves their own ephemeral truths. And if we go to or live in these contexts, and we proclaim the Words of the Gospel, this is bothersome and they will look at us unkindly.
But in all this, the Lord continues to tell us, as he did to the disciples of his time: “Do not fear!”. Let us not forget these words: always, when we experience any tribulation, any persecution, anything that causes us to suffer, let us listen to the voice of Jesus in our hearts: “Do not fear! Do not fear! Go Forth! I am with you!”. Do not fear those who mock you and mistreat you and do not fear those who ignore you or respect you “to your face”, but fight the Gospel “behind your back”. There are so many who smile to our face, but fight the Gospel behind our backs. We all know them. Jesus does not leave us all alone, because we are precious to him. That is why he does not leave us all alone. Each one of us is precious to Jesus and he accompanies us.
May the Virgin Mary, example of humility and courageous adherence to the Word of God, help us to understand that success does not count in the witness of faith, but rather faithfulness, faithfulness to Christ, recognizing in any circumstance even the most problematic, the inestimable gift of being his missionary disciples.