杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

On Thursday morning, 杏MAP导航 Francis offered Mass at the Casa Santa Marta for prisoners. 鈥淲e pray today for our brothers and sisters who are in prison鈥�, he said. 鈥淭hey suffer a lot鈥�, he continued, 鈥渂ecause of the uncertainty of what's happening inside the prison. They are also thinking of their families and how they are doing, some of them are sick, wondering if they need anything. Let鈥檚 be near those in prison today. They are suffering a lot during this uncertain and painful moment鈥�.

His homily focused on the saint whose Solemnity the Church celebrates today: St Joseph.

Joseph, the just man

杏MAP导航 Francis began his homily characterizing Joseph as a 鈥渏ust man鈥�. He was 鈥渏ust鈥� not only because he believed, but because he lived 鈥渢hat faith鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said.

Chosen to educate God

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 words about Joseph鈥檚 vocation were truly touching:

鈥淗e was chosen to educate a man who was true man, but who was also God. Only God could have educated such a person, but there wasn't someone like that. The Lord chose a just man, a man of faith, a man who was capable of being a man, and also capable of speaking with God, of entering into God's mystery. This was Joseph's life.鈥�

Joseph and God鈥檚 mystery

The 杏MAP导航 reminded us how Joseph was a very precise man. In his profession as a carpenter, he was so precise that he could shave wood, or adjust an angle within a millimeter of perfection. 杏MAP导航 Francis said that he 鈥渆ntered into the mystery鈥� with the same precision and naturalness with which he approached his carpentry.

鈥淗e was precise, but also able to enter into the mystery that he could not control. This is Joseph鈥檚 holiness.鈥�

Even when the 鈥淕ospel talks about Joseph鈥檚 dreams鈥� it makes us 鈥渦nderstand that he had entered into the mystery鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis added.

Entering the mystery

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 thoughts then turned to the Church of which St Joseph is the Patron. Are the members of the Church, including 杏MAP导航s, 鈥渃apable of entering into the mystery?鈥� he asked. 

"Are they capable of entering into the mystery, or do they need to be in control through rules and regulations which defend them against what they cannot control? When the Church loses the possibility of entering into the mystery, she loses the ability to adore. 鈥�Adoration happens only when one enters into God's mystery鈥�.

The 杏MAP导航 said that without entering into the mystery, there is only 鈥渉alf a Church, a pious association that operates with rules and regulations鈥�.

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 prayer

鈥淟et's ask the Lord for this grace鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis prayed at the conclusion of his homily.

鈥淢ay the Church live in the concreteness of everyday life and also in that 鈥榗oncreteness鈥� of the mystery. Entering into the mystery is not about dreaming. Entering into the mystery is precisely this: to adore. Entering into the mystery is doing today what we will do in the future. When we will have arrived in God's presence: adore. May the Lord grant His Church this grace.鈥�