The Pope at the Angelus: "Humility is Mary's secret".Pope Francis held his traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square this afternoon. At the height of the summer season, when many people are already enjoying their vacations, the Pope wanted to remind us that this is a good time to dedicate more time to prayer. He did so by taking his cue from the Gospel of this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which presents "a lively domestic scene," as the Pope described it, in the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
Francis wanted to recall that excessive occupation, even in good things, if it is not founded on prayer "is reduced to fatigue and agitation for many things, it is reduced to sterile activism".
For this reason, the Pope emphasized, "Mary sensed that there is a 'good part' to which we must give first place. Everything else comes later, like a stream of water flowing from the source. And so we ask ourselves: And what is this "good part"? It is listening to the words of Jesus".
Francis wanted to emphasize that "the word of Jesus is not abstract, it is a teaching that touches and shapes life, changes it, frees it from the opacities of evil, satisfies and instills a joy that does not pass away: the word of Jesus is the good part, the one Mary had chosen. That is why she gives him the first place: she stops and listens. The rest will come later".
In this regard, the Pope pointed out that one of the practices that the summer, and the slower pace of work, can favor is that of "stopping and listening to Jesus. Today it is increasingly difficult to find free moments to meditate. For many people the rhythms of work are frenetic, exhausting. The summer period can also be valuable to open the Gospel and read it slowly, without haste, a passage each day, a small passage of the Gospel".
Countries in conflict and prayer for Canada
At the end of the Angelus prayer, the Pope wanted, once again, to remember the people of Sri Lanka and implored all "parties to work together to seek a peaceful solution to the current crisis, in favor, in particular, of the poorest, respecting the rights of all.
The crisis in Ukraine, which continues to suffer from the Russian invasion, was also at the center of the Pope's final greetings, and he asked a direct question: "How is it possible not to understand that war creates only destruction and death, driving peoples apart, killing truth and dialogue? I pray and hope that all international actors really work hard to resume negotiations, not to feed the senselessness of war".
The Pope also asked the faithful to accompany him with their prayers on his next trip to Canada, "a penitential pilgrimage" where he is going "in the name of Jesus to meet and embrace the indigenous peoples. Unfortunately, in CanadaIn the past, many Christians, including some members of religious institutes, have contributed to policies of cultural assimilation that have, in various ways, seriously harmed native communities. I hope, with God's grace, I can contribute to the path of healing and reconciliation already undertaken."
