Angelus of the Pope: “Let us ask for the grace to love to overcome fear and prejudice”

Sofia Lobos – Vatican City

On February 14, the 6th Sunday in ordinary time, Pope Francis made the prayer of the Marian Angelus, which is finally emerging from the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace in the presence of the faithful, because due to the Covid-19 pandemic , the Holy Father has celebrated, in recent weeks, his Sunday appointment from the library of the Apostolic Palace.

Jesus heals the leper

Reflecting on today’s Gospel (Mk 1: 40-45) which tells of the moment when Jesus healed a man suffering from leprosy, the Pope recalled that at that time, “Lepers were considered unclean and, according to the prescriptions of the law, they were to stay outside inhabited places.

“They have been excluded from all human, social and religious relations. Jesus, on the other hand, lets this man approach him, he is moved, he even extends his hand to him and touches him”says the Pontiff, emphasizing that in this way the Son of God puts into practice the Good News that he announces:

God is the Father of compassion and love

In addition, the Pope underlined that in this episode we see that there are two “transgressions”: the leper who approaches Jesus and Jesus who, moved by compassion, touches him to heal him.

The first transgression – explains François – is that of the leper:

Likewise, the Pope stressed that this man “He comes out of his isolation, because in Jesus he finds God who shares his pain. Jesus’ attitude attracts him, pushes him to come out of himself and entrusts to him his story of pain.”

A round of applause for the “merciful confessors”

At this point Francis directed a special thought for “so many good confessor priests who have this attitude,” to attract people.

“They attract so many people who feel nothing, who feel” on the ground “for their sins … and they do it with tenderness, with compassion … Well are these confessors who are not whip in hand, but that they are only to receive, to listen and to say that God is good and that God always forgives, that God does not tire of forgiving ”, declared the Bishop of Rome, asking the faithful present in the square Saint-Pierre to applaud these “merciful confessors. “

God is not indifferent to our Pain

The second transgression – continued the Holy Father – is that of Jesus:

But … What does this not only physical but also spiritual approach between the Master and the leprosy patient mean?

For Francis, this gesture of Jesus shows that God is not indifferent, that he does not keep a “safe distance”; on the contrary, “he approaches with compassion and touches our life to heal it”.

Don’t fall for social prejudices

Before concluding his speech, the Pope recalled that even today, in the world, there are so many brothers and sisters suffering from leprosy, “or other diseases and conditions with which, unfortunately, social prejudices are associated” andIn some cases, there is even religious discrimination.

A suffering from which no one is totally exempt – indicated the Successor of Peter – since each of us can experience throughout his life, “wounds, failures, sufferings, a selfishness which closes us to God and to others “.

The one who is “contaminated” by wounded humanity

Faced with all this, “Jesus announces to us that God is not an idea or an abstract doctrine, but the One who is” contaminated “by our wounded humanity and who is not afraid to come into contact with our wounds”, Francisco stressed, warning against the risk of silencing our pain by “wearing masks” to “respect the rules of good reputation and social customs”, or by giving in directly to our selfishness and our internal fears so as not to “getting too involved” in the suffering of others. “

Before concluding, the Pope invited the faithful to ask the Lord for the grace to live these two “transgressions” of the Gospel:

“May the Virgin Mary accompany us on this journey, which we now invoke in the prayer of the Angelus”, concluded the Holy Father.