The Pope: witnesses who help God keep his promises of peace

Vatican News

On his second day in Iraq, the last public activity of the Holy Father was the celebration of Mass in Saint Joseph’s Chaldean Cathedral in Baghdad at 6 p.m. local time.

Chaldean Cathedral of San José

The building was built to meet the needs of the Chaldean community which in the 1950s had abandoned the old Agd al-Nasara neighborhood – where the Cathedral of Mary Mother of Sorrows is located – to settle in the modern district of Karrada. . The first stone was laid by the Patriarch of the Chaldeans Yusef VII Ghanima on September 14, 1952, the day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. And it was consecrated and inaugurated by the Patriarch himself in 1956. It can accommodate more than 400 faithful. Built in an oriental style, its reinforced concrete structure is crowned by a sloping roof and is adorned with stained glass windows. The interior is organized respecting the three conventional parts of the churches of eastern Syria, but with a modern style: the part reserved for the assembly, the choir and the altar with a carved wooden ornament in the center. In the right side nave is the icon of Our Lady Hodegetria, in the left side nave is the icon of Saint Joseph with the place of the carpenter, symbol of his justice, and the lily, symbol of his purity, with the adolescent Jesus.

Eucharistic celebration

This Eucharistic celebration, centered on Saint Thomas, took place according to the Chaldean rite, and in Italian, Chaldean and Arabic. While the prayers of the faithful were read in Arabic, a dialect of Aramaic, Kurdish, Turkmen and English. In addition, His Beatitude Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako, Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon, addressed his liturgical greeting to the Holy Father. In his homily, Pope Francis began by recalling that:

Of wisdom the Holy Father recalled that it had been “cultivated in these lands since ancient times”. And his research has always fascinated man; “However – he added – often those with more resources can acquire more knowledge and have more opportunities, while those with less are relegated.” What constitutes – he said – “an unacceptable inequality, which has widened today”. And he added:

In addition, the Pope went on to say: “Jesus, Wisdom in person, completes this turnaround in the Gospel, not at any time, but at the beginning of the first discourse, with the Beatitudes”. And “the change is total”:

Is Jesus’ proposal worth it?

However, the Pontiff added that at this point, the doubt could arise that to live as Jesus asks, no profit is obtained, nor even the risk of others trampling who lives thus, and even if “The proposal of Is Jesus Worth It? Or is he a loser?

Love is our strength

The Pope underlined that Jesus “is not a loser but a wise man”, and that his proposal “is wise because love, which is the heart of the Beatitudes, although it seems weak in the eyes of the world, l ‘take away’. What he demonstrated on the cross, conquer sin and in the grave, conquer death.

Testify of the love of Jesus

After having evoked the way of practicing the Beatitudes, they ask us to do “extraordinary things”, or “actions which are beyond our capacities”, but rather “a testimony daily life ”, the Pope affirmed that“ witness is the means of embodying the wisdom of Jesus ”:

He who loves does not close in on himself

Regarding charity, which is magnanimous, Francis also said that “love seems to be synonymous with goodness, generosity, good works, but Paul says that charity is above all. magnesium. And he went on to explain that “the patience to start over is the first characteristic of love, because love is not indignant, but always starts over. He is not saddened, but gives new strength; He is not discouraged, but remains creative. In the face of evil, he does not surrender, he does not resign. He who loves does not shut himself up when things turn out badly, but responds to evil with good, remembering the victorious wisdom of the cross ”.

In the face of adversity, there are two temptations

After wondering how we react to situations that are not going well, the Pope stressed that in the face of adversity there are always two temptations:

Jesus changed history

And he recalled that Jesus changed history with “the humble power of love, with his patient testimony. This is what we are called to do; this is how God keeps his promises ”.

Divine promises

Regarding the promises, Francis said that the wisdom of Jesus requires the testimony and offers the reward, contained in the divine promises. In other words, “God’s promises guarantee unparalleled joy and do not disappoint.” And they are accomplished “through our weaknesses”.

God wants to do wonders

As an example, he proposed the Patriarch Abraham to whom God had promised great offspring who will arrive in his patient and confident old age. Or Moses, whom God promises to free the people from slavery and therefore asks them to speak with Pharaoh. Moses tells him that he cannot speak, because he stutters; however, God will fulfill the promise with his words.

He also invited to observe that “in the Virgin who, according to what is established in the law, cannot have children, and is called to be a mother. And let us see Peter, who denies the Lord, and Jesus calls him to confirm his brothers ”.

Everyone’s name is written in the heart of God

For this reason, the Pope said that “whatever the world takes from us is nothing compared to the tender and patient love with which the Lord fulfills his promises”.

At the end of his homily, the Holy Father assured the faithful that the Lord promises each one that his name is written in his heart, in the heavens.