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Next ArticleMercy “is a journey which starts in the heart in order to arrive at the hands”. This was explained by Pope Francis at
the General Audience on Wednesday, 10 August, recalling the necessity of living the Extraordinary Jubilee as an occasion to
receive God”s forgiveness in order to take it to others through the works of charity. In his remarks to the faithful gathered in Paul VI Hall regarding the Gospel passage of the resurrection of the son of the widow of Nain, the Pontiff stated that “the heart of this narrative is not
the miracle, but Jesus” tenderness toward the mother of this young man”. Indeed, Jesus had “great compassion” for that woman, so much so that he stopped the funeral procession in order to “confront the reality of death, so to speak,
face to face”. The following is a translation of the Holy Father”s Catechesis, which he gave in Italian.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning!
The passage from the Gospel of Luke that we
have listened to (7:11-17) presents us with a truly great miracle of Jesus”:
the resurrection of a young man. However, the heart of this narrative is not
the miracle, but Jesus” tenderness toward the mother of this young man. Here,
mercy takes the form of great compassion for a woman who had lost her husband
and now is accompanying her only son to the cemetery. This deep sorrow of a
mother moves Jesus and causes him to perform the miracle of resurrection.
In introducing this episode the Evangelist dwells on many details. At the gate of
the small town of Nain “ a village “ two large groups meet. They come from
opposite directions and have nothing in common. Jesus, followed by the
disciples and by a large crowd, is about to enter the residential area, while
coming out of it is a procession accompanying a dead person, with his widowed
mother and many people. At the gate the two groups brush by each other, each
going its own way, but it is then that St Luke notes Jesus” feelings: “when the
Lord saw her [the woman], he had compassion on her and said to her: “Do not
weep””. And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still” (vv.
13-14). Great compassion guides Jesus” actions: he stops the procession,
touches the bier and, moved by profound mercy for this mother, decides to
confront the reality of death, so to speak, face to face. And he will confront
it definitively, face to face, on the Cross.
During
this Jubilee, it would be a good thing if, in passing through the Holy Door,
the Door of Mercy, pilgrims were to remember this episode of the Gospel, which
occurred at the gate of Nain. When Jesus saw
this mother in tears, she entered his heart! Every one arrives at the
Holy Door carrying their own life, with its joys and suffering, plans and
failures, doubts and fears, in order to present it to the Lord”s mercy. We are
certain that, at the Holy Door, the Lord comes near to meet each one of us, to
bring and offer his powerful consoling word: “Do not weep”! (v. 13). This is
the Door of the encounter between the pain of humanity and the compassion of
God. Crossing the threshold we fulfil our pilgrimage into the mercy of God who,
as to the deceased young man, repeats to all: “I say to you, arise”! (v. 14).
To each of us he says: “Arise!”. God wants us to stand upright. He created us
to be on our feet: for this reason, Jesus” compassion leads to that gesture of
healing, to heal us, of which the key phrase is: “Arise! Stand up, as God
created you!”. Standing up. “But Father, we fall so often” “ “Onward, arise!”.
This is Jesus” word, always. In passing through the Holy Door, let us try to
feel this word in our heart: “Arise!”.
The
powerful word of Jesus can make us rise
again and can bring about in us too the passage from death to life. His word
revives us, gives hope, refreshes weary hearts, opens us to a vision of the
world and of life which transcends suffering and death. The inexhaustible
treasure of God”s mercy is inscribed for each one on the Holy Door!
Touched
by the word of Jesus, “the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him
to his mother” (v. 15). This phrase is so beautiful: it shows Jesus”
tenderness: “he gave him to his mother”. The mother recovers her son. Receiving
him from Jesus” hands she becomes a mother for the second time, but the son who
is now restored to her is not the one who received life from her. Mother and
son thus receive their respective identities thanks to the powerful word of
Jesus and to his loving gesture. Therefore, especially in the Jubilee, Mother Church
receives her children, recognizing in them the life given by the grace of God.
It is due to this grace, the grace of Baptism, that the Church becomes mother
and that each one of us becomes her child.
Before
the young man, revived and restored to his mother, “fear seized them all; and
they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has
visited his people!”” (v. 16). What Jesus does is thus not only a saving action
intended for the widow and her son, or a gesture of goodness limited to that
town. In Jesus” merciful care, God meets his people, in Him all of God”s grace
appears and will continue to appear to mankind.
Celebrating
this Jubilee, which I wished to be lived in all the particular Churches, that
is in all the churches of the world, and not only in Rome, it is as if all the
Church spread throughout the world were joined in one hymn of praise to the
Lord. Today too the Church recognizes that she is visited by God. For this
reason, by setting out for the Door of Mercy, each one is able to set out for
the door of the merciful heart of Jesus: He indeed is the true Door that leads
to salvation and restores us to a new life. Mercy, both in Jesus and in
ourselves, is a journey which starts in the heart in order to arrive at the
hands. What does this mean? Jesus looks at you, he heals you with his mercy, he
says to you: “Arise!”, and your heart is new. What does it mean to make a
journey from the heart to the hands? It means that with a new heart, with the
heart healed by Jesus I can perform works of mercy through the hands, seeking
to help, to heal the many who are in need. Mercy is a journey that starts in
the heart and arrives at the hands, namely in the works of mercy.
I
have said that mercy is a journey that goes from the heart to the hands. In the
heart, we receive the mercy of Jesus who forgives us everything, because God
forgives everything and lifts us up, gives us new life and infects us with his
compassion. From that forgiven heart and with the compassion of Jesus, the
journey to the hands begins, namely through the works of mercy. A bishop, the
other day, told me that in his cathedral and in other churches he had made
entry and exit doors of mercy. “Why did you do this?” “ “Because one door is to
enter by, to ask forgiveness, and to receive Jesus” mercy; the other is the
door of mercy to exit by, in order to take mercy to others, with our works of
mercy”. This bishop is intelligent! Let us also do the same with the journey
that goes from the heart to the hands: let us enter the church through the door
of mercy, to receive the forgiveness of Jesus, who tells us: “Arise! Go, go!”;
and with this “Go!” “ on foot “ let us leave through the exit door. It is the
Church going forth: the journey of mercy
which goes from the heart to the hands. Make this journey!
