Celebrating the 9th Passover of his pontificate, Pope Francis delivered a homily at the Easter Eve Mass, reflecting on what it means to go to Galilee, where the risen Lord would precede his disciples.
By Robin Gomes
In times of darkness, when humanity faces the pandemic and other evils, Christians must heed the angel’s Easter message so as not to be afraid, assured that in Galilee where the Lord precedes them, their expectations will be met, their tears will dry up, and their fears will be replaced by hope. Pope Francis noted his homily at Easter Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday night.
Reflecting on the Easter episode of the women in the tomb, the Pope drew attention to what the angel told them. “It’s wonderful to hear the words, ‘Don’t be afraid!’ said the Pope. “Look for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen. ‘ And a message: ‘You will advance in Galilee; there you will see him ».
It is always possible to start again
After the initial rite of blessing the fire and the Easter candle inside the basilica, Pope Francis and the concelebrants proceeded to the altar of the chair, with a deacon carrying the lit Easter candle. . During the procession to the darkened church, the candle flame was first transmitted to the Pope and then to the concelebrants and the limited number of faithful. After the Pope went up the main corridor, the lights of the basilica were turned on.
Beginning of the 9thth During the Holy Week of his pontificate, the 84-year-old pontiff in his homily reflected on what it means to go to Galilee. First, it means starting over. Galilee was the place of the first meeting of the disciples with the Lord, their first love. It was here that he was heard preaching and performing miracles. It was also where they misunderstood his words and in front of the cross they abandoned him and fled.
Nevertheless, the Lord invites them to start again from where they began. “In this Galilee,” said the Pope, “we learn to be amazed at the infinite love of the Lord, who opens new paths for the way of our defeats.”
So, he said, the first Easter message to return to Galilee is that “it is always possible to start again despite all our failures. “From the ruins of our hearts,” said the Pope, “God can create a work of art; from the ruined remains of our humanity, God can prepare a new story.” of the pandemic, “the Pope urged everyone to” listen to the risen Lord as he invites us to start again and never lose hope. “
Jesus surprises, makes faith live
Going to Galilee also means take new paths moving away from the grave. For many, the Pope said, faith is made up of habits, things from the past, beautiful memories of childhood, but it is no longer a faith that moves me or challenges me. On the other hand, going to Galilee means living the faith and getting back on the road. We must renew daily the surprise of the first encounter and humbly let ourselves be amazed by the ways of God. “God,” said the Pope, “cannot be archived among the memories of our childhood, but is alive and full of surprises. Risen from the dead, Jesus never ceases to amaze us.”
Therefore, Pope Francis ’second Easter message is that Christ is alive here and now. According to him, “Faith is not an album of past memories; Jesus is not obsolete. “Walk by your side every day, in every test you have to endure, with your deepest hopes and dreams. Even if you think everything is lost, let yourself be opened by the surprise of the novelty that Jesus brings: it will surely surprise you.
The Galilee of the Peripheries
Going to Galilee also means going to the peripheries. Galilee, an advanced place further away from the ritual purity of Jerusalem, was where Jesus began his mission. There, he conveyed his message to “those who struggle to live day to day, excluded, vulnerable and poor.”
It is in the peripheries that God tirelessly seeks the discouraged or the lost. He goes to the “peripheries of existence, for in his eyes no one is less important, no one is excluded.” Thus, the risen Lord asks his disciples to go to the stages of daily life, to the streets we walk every day, to the corners of our cities. “There the Lord goes before us and becomes present in the lives of those around us, of those who share our day, our home, our work, our difficulties and our hopes.” The Pope said: “We will be amazed at the way in which the greatness of God is revealed in smallness, as his beauty shines in the poor and simple.”
The third message of Easter, therefore, is that the risen Lord loves us without limits and is there at every moment of our lives. “It invites us to overcome barriers, banish prejudice and get closer every day to those around us to rediscover grace of everyday life“” Let us recognize him here in our Galilee, in everyday life, “the Pope urged.” Beyond all defeats, evil and violence, beyond all suffering and death, ”the Pope said,“ the Risen One lives and guides history. ”