POPE FRANCIS ANGELUS: 'Jesus calls us to change our heart' (FULL TEXT: English)

Feb. 28, 2016

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

Every day, unfortunately, the chronicles report bad news: murders, accidents, disasters .... In today's Gospel passage, Jesus refers to two tragic events which at that time had caused quite a stir: a bloody crackdown by Roman soldiers inside the temple; and the collapse of the tower of Siloam in Jerusalem, which had caused eighteen victims (cf. Lk 13.1 to 5).

Jesus knows the superstitious mentality of his listeners, and knows that they interpret that kind of events in a wrong way. In fact, they think that if those men have died so cruelly, it is a sign that God has punished them for some grave offense they had committed; as saying: "they deserved it". But the fact that they had been spared by the disaster was tantamount to feel "okay". They "deserved it"; I'm "okay".

Jesus clearly rejects this view, because God does not allow the tragedy to punish the sins, and says that those poor victims were not worse than others. Rather, He invites us to draw from these painful events a warning that concerns everyone, because we are all sinners; He says to those who had asked him: "Unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way" (v. 3).

Even today, in the face of certain misfortunes and tragic events, it can come the temptation to "unload" the responsibility on the victims, or even about God himself. But the Gospel invites us to reflect: what idea of ​​God we made? We just believe that God is so, or that are not rather create our projection, a god made "in our image and likeness"? Jesus, by contrast, calls us to change the heart, to make a radical change in the journey of our life, abandoning the compromises with evil - and this we all do, the compromises with evil - the hypocrisy - I believe that almost all we have at least a piece of hypocrisy - to decisively take the path of the Gospel. But here again the temptation to justify ourselves: "But what should we convert? We are not all in all good people? ". How many times have we thought this: "But all in all I am a good one, I'm a good - is not it? - We are not believers, even practicing enough? ". And we believe that we are well justified.

Unfortunately, each of us looks a lot like a tree that, for years, has given many proofs of his sterility. But, fortunately for us, Jesus is like the peasant who, with limitless patience, still gets an extension to the barren fig tree: "Let it alone this year - says the master - [...] We will see if they bear fruit for the ' come "(v. 9). A "year" of grace: the time of Christ's ministry, the time of the Church before his glorious return, the time of our lives, punctuated by a number of Fasts, which are offered to us as opportunities for repentance and salvation, the time of a Jubilee Year of Mercy. The invincible patience of Jesus! Have you thought, you, to God's patience? Have you also thought about his unyielding concern for sinners, as they should provoke impatience against ourselves! It's never too late to convert, never! Until the last moment: the patience of God lies ahead. Remember that little story of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, when he prayed for the man condemned to death, a criminal, he did not receive the comfort of the Church, the priest refused, he did not: he wanted to die as well. And she was praying in the convent. And what man was there, just at the time he was killed, he turns to the priest, takes the crucifix and kisses him. God's patience! It does the same with us, with all of us! How many times - we do not know, we will know in Heaven - how many times we are there, there ... [about to fall], and the Lord saves us, saves us because it has a lot of patience for us. And this is his mercy. Never too late to repent, but it is urgent, it is now! Let's start today.

May the Virgin Mary sustain us, so that we may open our hearts to God's grace, His mercy; and help us never to judge others, but to let us lead by the daily misfortunes to make a serious examination of conscience and repent.

After the Angelus:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

my prayer, and yours, has always present the plight of refugees fleeing wars and other inhuman situations. In particular, Greece and other countries that are on the front line are paying them a generous aid, which requires the cooperation of all nations. A choral response can be effective and distribute the weight evenly. For this we need to focus firmly and unreservedly on the negotiations. At the same time, I welcomed with hope the news about the cessation of hostilities in Syria, and I invite all to pray so that this window of opportunity can give relief to the suffering people, encouraging the necessary humanitarian aid, and open the way to dialogue and much desired peace .

I also want to assure you of my closeness to the people of the Fiji Islands, hit hard by a devastating cyclone. I pray for the victims and for those engaged in relief operations.

I address a cordial greeting to you all pilgrims in Rome, Italy and other countries.

I greet the faithful from Gdansk, the indigenous people of Biafra, students in Zaragoza, Huelva, Córdoba and Zafra, the young people of Formentera and the faithful of Jaén.

I greet the groups of Poles resident in Italy; the faithful of Cascia, Desenzano del Garda, Vicenza, Castiglione d'Adda and Rocca di Neto; as well as the many young people of Tent City of San Gabriel, led by the Passionist Fathers; the boys of Rho Speakers, Cornaredo and Pero, and those of Buccinasco; and the Sisters Daughters of Mary Immaculate School Dimesse of Padua.

I greet the group came on the occasion of the "Day for Rare Diseases", with a special prayer and encouragement to your mutual aid associations.

I wish you all a good Sunday. Do not forget to pray for me. Good lunch and goodbye!

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