Mama Antula, the first 100% Argentinean saintToday, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the canonization of the new Argentinean saint, Mama Antula, the Pope began his reflection on the Gospel by pointing out that the promptness with which Jesus responds to the words of the leper shows us "the style of Jesus with those who suffer: few words and concrete deeds".
"He always does it this way: he speaks little and words are followed by deeds: he bows, holds hands, he heals. He does not dwell on speeches or interrogations, much less on pietisms and sentimentality. Rather, he shows the delicacy of one who listens attentively and acts solicitously, preferably without drawing attention to himself," Francis explained.
The Holy Father then stressed the importance of loving in a concrete way: "Love needs concreteness, love needs presence, love needs an encounter, it needs time and space: it cannot be reduced to pretty words, images on a screen, selfies or hurried text messages. They are useful tools, they can help, but they are not enough to love. They cannot replace concrete presence".
Canonization of Mama Antula
After the Angelus, the Pope recalled that the canonization of Mama Antula was celebrated today and asked for a round of applause for the new saint.
In addition, today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick. "The first thing we need when we are sick is the closeness of our loved ones, of healthcare personnel and, in our hearts, the closeness of God. We are all called to be close to those who suffer, to visit the sick, as Jesus teaches us in the Gospel," Francis explained.
The Pope also recalled the wars in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel and Myanmar and concluded by asking the faithful not to forget to pray for him.
