Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Inauguration of the Jubilee of Mercy

The full text of Pope Francis’ prepared homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Inauguration of the Jubilee of Mercy can be found below:

Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Inauguration of the Jubilee of Mercy

8 December 2015

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In a few moments I will have the joy of opening the Holy Door of Mercy. We carry out this act, so simple yet so highly symbolic, in the light of the word of God which we have just heard. That word highlights the primacy of grace. Again and again these readings make us think of the words by which the angel Gabriel told an astonished young girl of the mystery which was about to enfold her: “Hail, full of grace” (Lk 1:28).

The Virgin Mary was called to rejoice above all because of what the Lord accomplished in her. God’s grace enfolded her and made her worthy of becoming the Mother of Christ. When Gabriel entered her home, even the most profound and impenetrable of mysteries became for her a cause for joy, faith and abandonment to the message revealed to her. The fullness of grace can transform the human heart and enable it to do something so great as to change the course of human history.

The feast of the Immaculate Conception expresses the grandeur of God’s love. Not only does he forgive sin, but in Mary he even averts the original sin present in every man and woman who comes into this world. This is the love of God which precedes, anticipates and saves. The beginning of the history of sin in the Garden of Eden yields to a plan of saving love. The words of Genesis reflect our own daily experience: we are constantly tempted to disobedience, a disobedience expressed in wanting to go about our lives without regard for God’s will. This is the enmity which keeps striking at people’s lives, setting them in opposition to God’s plan. Yet the history of sin can only be understood in the light of God’s love and forgiveness. Were sin the only thing that mattered, we would be the most desperate of creatures. But the promised triumph of Christ’s love enfolds everything in the Father’s mercy. The word of God which we have just heard leaves no doubt about this. The Immaculate Virgin stands before us as a privileged witness of this promise and its fulfilment.

This Extraordinary Holy Year is itself a gift of grace. To pass through the Holy Door means to rediscover the infinite mercy of the Father who welcomes everyone and goes out personally to encounter each of them. This will be a year in which we grow ever more convinced of God’s mercy. How much wrong we do to God and his grace when we speak of sins being punished by his judgment before we speak of their being forgiven by his mercy (cf. Saint Augustine, De Praedestinatione Sanctorum, 12, 24)! But that is the truth. We have to put mercy before judgment, and in any event God’s judgement will always be in the light of his mercy. In passing through the Holy Door, then, may we feel that we ourselves are part of this mystery of love. Let us set aside all fear and dread, for these do not befit men and women who are loved. Instead, let us experience the joy of encountering that grace which transforms all things.

Today, as we pass through the Holy Door, we also want to remember another door, which fifty years ago the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council opened to the world. This anniversary cannot be remembered only for the legacy of the Council’s documents, which testify to a great advance in faith. Before all else, the Council was an encounter. A genuine encounter between the Church and the men and women of our time. An encounter marked by the power of the Spirit, who impelled the Church to emerge from the shoals which for years had kept her self-enclosed so as to set out once again, with enthusiasm, on her missionary journey. It was the resumption of a journey of encountering people where they live: in their cities and homes, in their workplaces. Wherever there are people, the Church is called to reach out to them and to bring the joy of the Gospel. After these decades, we again take up this missionary drive with the same power and enthusiasm. The Jubilee challenges us to this openness, and demands that we not neglect the spirit which emerged from Vatican II, the spirit of the Samaritan, as Blessed Paul VI expressed it at the conclusion of the Council. May our passing through the Holy Door today commit us to making our own the mercy of the Good Samaritan.

Nobody

Slave In Master's House?

The Gospel reading of today's Sunday posed a valid question to ponder on in my personal reflection upon my own life and attitude. When I come for Sunday Mass to the church, do I enter it as a slave in the Master's house? Or do I enter it as a beloved son of God in the Loving and Merciful Father's House?

We have asked this question ourselves today in the Holy Mass when we reflected upon this Gospel's passage in the homily. And it appeared to many of us that we feel and act as slaves in the Master's House, trying to fulfill our duties and obligations, God's and Church commandments out of fear of God, fear of sin or pure sense of responsibility. Perhaps we have stopped in developing our living relationship with God at the point where this kind of cold, accountant-like, business-like relationship is the ultimate what we can think of.

Where is the space for love in this kind of relationship with God?

What is our treasure to which our hearts are powerfully drawn? Is it Loving and Merciful God? Or someone or something else?

What is my genuine motivation to be and live as Christian, the Child of God and the living member of His family - the Holy Church?

Is my keeping God's commandments, Church commandments and fulfilling my duties in the community based on sense of responsibility and duty rather than genuine love of God?

Food for thought.

Teaspoons Not Allowed!

Ninth Sunday of the Ordinary Time is the opportune time for our parochial community at St. Kazimierz in Kraków's Grzegórzki to give thanks to the Lord for the wonderful spiritual journey of our parochial week-long retreat which ended last evening. In front of us three special days of preparations for the visitation of the Sacred Image of Divine Mercy accompanied by the holy relics of the greatest Apostles of Divine Mercy - Saint Sister Faustina and Blessed John Paul II. I spoke about the importance of these three days in my today's homily, asking people to open up completely in trust to Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy is not a syrup which we drink in teaspoons. Nope. If you want to please the Lord, come to Him with trust the size of largest bucket you can afford to carry. The text of the homily in Polish below. Use Google translator on top of the right sidebar to read in your language, please. Have a blessed Sunday!

Retreat - Corpus Christi Solemnity - Fifth Day Texts

Today the Holy Mother Church is celebrating the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Eucharist. Here is today's text of the homily and four short reflection at four altars during the Eucharistic Procession this afternoon in our parish. Please, continue praying for me and for the whole community taking part in this important spiritual exercise in the parish. Thanks in advance!

Retreat - Sunday - First Day Texts

As promised, but a bit earlier as I've got a couple of hours of break midday, I would like to share with you the texts from today's homilies on the first day of our parochial retreat, so all of you far away from Kraków may join us and follow the path we have just taken. These are two homilies - one general and one for children's Mass (today we celebrated the first anniversary of the First Communion of children who received the First Communion in May last year). I post original texts in Polish, so please, use the Google translator to choose your language. Continue praying for us. Thank you.

Retreat Texts

In an hour our week-long parochial retreat will begin. I would like to announce that every day in the late evening around 10 P.M. (Eastern European Time - GMT+2) I will be posting daily texts of homilies and spiritual talks that I preached on that given day. Thus enabling all of you to participate in the retreat with us present in the parochial church of St. Kazimierz on Kraków's Grzegórzki district. Let us pray for each other during this time of special grace. As always, use Google Translator provided in the right sidebar to translate texts in your own language, please. God bless us all!

Pharmacists Of Kraków

Yesterday I had an opportunity to celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the community of pharmacists of the city of Kraków and Małopolska Region. The Holy Mass and the following meeting with dr Jadzia Żyłka (former doctor volunteer administering the health center in Kiabakari in the period of 2009-2010) was held in Capuching church in Loretańska street. It was a wonderful experience for me. And here is the text of my homily:

Silver Jubilee Homily

I have been asked by many people who attended the Jubilee Mass for copies of my homily. I guess the best way to share it with them and with you is to publish the text here. It is in Polish, so please, use Google translator or other software to get it in your own language.

So, here it goes. And remember, please, to pray for me and Kiabakari. God bless you all!

Two Small Coins

“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."” (Mk 12:41-44)

A couple of weeks ago a letter came for the youth of Musoma Cathedral who asked me for a retreat here in Kiabakari, in the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy. Some of those youth I worked with back in 2002-2006 when I was a pastor there. The letter brought back memories of that period and one particular moment of it, when the youth group of Musoma Cathedral asked me for a retreat day for them. I complied and we had a recollection day in the cathedral...

The Word

Just to share with Polish readers the homily of my classmate and the chairman of the new evangelization program of City of Kraków during the Jericho prayer (I wrote about it a few days ago).

Real Or Fake?

The question I raised in today’s homily was - whom actually am I following as a Christian? Do I follow Jesus of Nazareth, a real one from the Gospel, Son of God; true Jesus as He presents himself to us? Or do I follow Jesus created by my expectations, shaped by the father of the lie, nature of this world and people’s criteria which tell me what kind of leader, messiah, savior our acceptable Jesus should be? Let me explain...

 

Why?

Why is it that among all holy women and men of the Catholic Church, only Saint John the Baptist's birthday is celebrated solemnly in the liturgy of the Church? Of course, apart from Our Lord and Blessed Virgin Mary birthday celebrations. Not even Saint Joseph got his own birthday noted and celebrated in the liturgy. Weird. This speaks volumes about the importance of the life of Saint John the Baptist in the history of salvation. Apart from the birth of Jesus himself and his Mother, the birth of John the Baptist is the third most important birth in the scheme of redemption...Wow.

It Was A Wonderful Sunday

It was a wonderful Sunday yesterday. Reconnecting with my very first parish after my priestly ordination where I spent one and a half years 1988-1990. Great community, great memories, great reunions. It makes such a huge difference when the parish priest is a former missionary in Africa himself. He understands the situation of diocesan priests in the missions. He went through the same experience. He did the same rough road, left alone in the battle for too many times. I am happy that I met Fr. Edward there. He is such a fine man, gentle, understanding and caring in his unique subtle ways. Another factor - my friends in Sułkowice, in particular the family of Wojtek Bargieł. They have been such a great help to me for a few years now. I cannot thank them enough. With people like them, the life of a missionary has its sunny side. Thank you, Lord!

Back To Where It All Began

Tomorrow morning, after the Holy Mass at Sisters' chapel (my apartment block is adjacent to Sisters' Provincial house), my journey to the place where it all began will commence...

Three Crosses

Just a quick post. My homily for today's Sunday. In kiswahili language, so, please, use Google translator provided at the right sidebar of this blog to read in your native language...

Five Balls

The internet came back on Vodacom in my corner of the world, so I am able to post my yesterday's reflection / homily I gave at the conclusion of the recollection day at Resurrection Sisters convent at Buturu, some 10 km from Kiabakari. This is the full text in Polish (below). Please, use Google translator provided at the right sidebar for your language version...

Home Run

The last Sunday in Poland before I fly back to Tanzania. How proper it is that I spend it in the midst of my own folk, in my home parish. Having spent the whole month on medical checkups and treatments, taking care of this and that, visiting and planning for the imminent future, now it is time for home run...

Get Together

It was a rewarding evening. Meeting friends involved closely in the daily operations of our Foundation Kiabakari, sharing, talking about the present issues, plans for future and imminent concern in regards (in particular) to the project 'Perfect Health' which we are about to commence in a couple of weeks time in Kiabakari. I was very happy that people responded so well to the invitation. I was very grateful to Bożena in a special way for her selfless service and great help she extended to me in preparations of the meeting and the food. Thank you so much, Bożena!

Out Of Range

Through with the hectic day, as Saturdays in Kiabakari tend to be. Falling into subdued mode of reflecting upon the Gospel of tomorrow's Solemnity of Corpus Christi and Gospel read at four altars. I've just finished putting cosmetic changes to my homily I will preach on Thursday during the Holy Mass of handover of the Jubilee Cross at Butiama parochial church, coming to Kiabakari for 17-day journey through our Small Christian Communities in Kiabakari and all outstations. As my mind went into mental journey itself for the past three or four hours thinking, praying and rethinking what flowed into my soul during that mediation, I traveled throughout the whole world, beginning right here in our area and covering all continents, oceans, seas and sky...