The youth patrons of WYD Lisbon 2023Today's Angelus had quite different themes. In his commentary on the Gospel of the day, Pope Francis stressed the importance of humility. We must not think ourselves superior to others or be self-referential. To gloss this idea, the Pontiff referred to a priest who spoke so much about himself that his faithful said that he was continually incensing himself.
Referring to the parable of the tax collector and the sinner who go up to pray in the temple, he encouraged the faithful to apply it to themselves, checking "whether in us, as in the Pharisee, there is 'the intimate presumption of being righteous' that leads us to despise others. It happens, for example, when we seek compliments and always enumerate our merits and good works, when we worry about appearing instead of being, when we allow ourselves to be trapped by narcissism and exhibitionism. We watch out for narcissism and exhibitionism, based on vainglory, which lead us Christians, priests, bishops to always have on our lips the word 'I': 'I did this, I wrote this, I wrote that. I said, 'I understood', and so on. Where there is too much 'I', there is too little God".
World Mission Day
The Pope also recalled that today "is the celebration of the World Mission Daywhich has as its motto 'You will be witnesses of me'. It is an important occasion to awaken in all the baptized the desire to participate in the universal mission of the Church through the witness and proclamation of the Gospel. I encourage everyone to support the missionaries with prayer and concrete solidarity, so that they can continue the work of evangelization and human promotion throughout the world".
WYD in Lisbon
The funny anecdote of the morning came when Francisco encouraged two young Portuguese to join him on the balcony and signed up himself in the WYD 2023 via a tablet. He then invited the young people to join "this meeting in which, after a long period of absence, we will rediscover the joy of the fraternal embrace between peoples and between generations, which we need so much!"
Beatifications in Spain
Finally, he also referred to the beatification that took place yesterday in Madrid, which raised to the altars Vincenzo Nicasio and eleven companions of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, killed during the Spanish Civil War. "The example of these witnesses of Christ, even to the shedding of blood, pushes us to be consistent and courageous; their intercession sustains those who today struggle to sow the Gospel in the world."
