Divine Mercy Sunday 2017
Pope Francis's words at the Regina Caeli
St Peter's Square, Sunday 23 April 2017 - in Arabic, Croatian, English, French, German, Italian, http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/pl/homilies/2016/documents/papa-francesco_20160403_omelia-giubileo-divina-misericordia.htmlPortuguese & Spanish
"Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
We know that each Sunday we commemorate the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, but in this period after Easter Sunday takes on an even more illuminating significance. In the tradition of the Church, this Sunday, the first after Easter, was called “in albis”. What does this mean? The expression intended to recall the rite performed by those who had received baptism at the Easter Vigil. Each of them would receive a white garment — "alba", "bianca" — to indicate their new dignity as children of God. This is still done today — infants are offered a small symbolic garment, while adults wear a proper one, as we saw at the Easter Vigil. In the past, that white garment was worn for a week, until this Sunday, from which the name in albis deponendis is derived, which means the Sunday on which the white garment is removed. In this way, when the white garment was removed, the neophytes would begin their new life in Christ and in the Church.
There is something else. In the Jubilee of the Year 2000, Saint John Paul II established that this Sunday be dedicated to Divine Mercy. Truly, it was a beautiful insight: it was the Holy Spirit who inspired him in this way. Just a few months ago we concluded the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, and this Sunday we are invited to take up again with strength the grace which comes from God’s mercy. Today’s Gospel is the account of the Apparition of the Risen Christ to the disciples gathered in the Upper Room (cf Jn 20, 19-31). Saint John writes that after greeting his disciples, Jesus says to them: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you”. After saying this, he makes the gesture of breathing on them and adds: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven” (vv. 21-23). This is the meaning of the mercy that is presented on the very day of Jesus’ resurrection as the forgiveness of sins. The Risen Jesus passed on to his Church, as her first task, his own mission of bringing to all the concrete announcement of forgiveness. This is the first task: to announce forgiveness. This visible sign of his mercy brings with it peace of heart and joy of the renewed encounter with the Lord.
Mercy in the light of Easter enables us to perceive it as a true form of knowledge/awareness. This is important: mercy is a true form of knowledge/awareness. We know that one knows through many forms. One knows through the senses, one knows through intuition, through reason and also other forms. Well, one can also know through the experience of mercy, because mercy opens the door of the mind so as better to understand the mystery of God and our personal existence. Mercy makes us understand that violence, rancour, vengefulness have no meaning, and the first victim is the one who lives of these feelings, because he deprives himself of his own dignity. Mercy also opens the door of the heart and allows one to express closeness especially with those who are alone and marginalized, because it makes them feel as brothers and children of a single Father. It favours recognition of those who need consolation and makes one find adequate words so as to give comfort.
Brothers and sisters, mercy warms the heart and renders it sensitive to the needs of brothers and sisters with sharing and participation. Mercy, in conclusion, commits everyone to be instruments of justice, reconciliation and peace. Let us never forget that mercy is the keystone in the life of faith, and the concrete form by which we can give visibility to Jesus’ Resurrection.
May Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us to believe and to live joyfully all this."
After the Regina Coeli:
"Cari fratelli e sorelle,
ieri a Oviedo, in Spagna, è stato proclamato Beato il sacerdote Luis Antonio Rosa Ormières. Vissuto nel secolo diciannovesimo, spese le sue tante qualità umane e spirituali al servizio dell’educazione, e per questo fondò la Congregazione delle Suore dell’Angelo Custode. Il suo esempio e la sua intercessione aiutino in particolare quanti lavorano nella scuola e nel campo educativo.
Saluto di cuore tutti voi, fedeli romani e pellegrini dell’Italia e di tanti Paesi, in particolare la Confraternita di San Sebastiano da Kerkrade (Nederland), il Nigerian Catholic Secretariat e la parrocchia Liebfrauen di Bocholt (Germania).
Saluto i pellegrini polacchi, ed esprimo vivo apprezzamento per l’iniziativa della Caritas Polonia a sostegno di tante famiglie in Siria. Un saluto speciale ai devoti della Divina Misericordia convenuti oggi nella chiesa di Santo Spirito in Sassia. Come pure ai partecipanti alla “Corsa per la Pace”: una staffetta che oggi parte da questa Piazza per raggiungere Wittenberg in Germania.
Saluto i numerosi gruppi di ragazzi, specialmente cresimati o cresimandi - siete tanti! -: delle Diocesi di Piacenza-Bobbio, Trento, Cuneo, Milano, Lodi, Cremona, Bergamo, Brescia e Vicenza. E anche la Scuola “Masaccio” di Treviso e l’Istituto “San Carpoforo” di Como.
Infine ringrazio tutti coloro che in questo periodo mi hanno inviato messaggi di auguri per la Pasqua. Li ricambio di cuore invocando per ciascuno e per ogni famiglia la grazia del Signore Risorto. Buona domenica a tutti, e, per favore, non dimenticatevi di pregare per me. Buon pranzo e arrivederci!"