杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

The first Congolese Catholic Chaplaincy was established in Rome exactly 25 years ago. To mark this anniversary, 杏MAP导航 Francis celebrated Holy Mass, according to the Congolese rite, at the Altar of the Chair in St Peter鈥檚 Basilica, on Sunday morning. Members of the Congolese Community from Rome and beyond animated the celebration with their singing.

The meaning of Advent

This Sunday is also the first Sunday of Advent. In his homily, the 杏MAP导航 highlighted the verb that recurs three times in this week鈥檚 First Reading, and again in the Gospel: the verb 鈥渢o come鈥�.

Advent means coming, said 杏MAP导航 Francis: 鈥淭he Lord is coming. This is the root of our hope: the certainty that God鈥檚 consolation comes to us in the midst of the troubles of the world. Not a consolation of words, but of His presence among us.鈥�

God鈥檚 invitation

鈥淭oday the verb to come is not only for God but also for us鈥�, continued the 杏MAP导航. Turning to the First Reading from Isaiah, he indicated how the prophet offers a wonderful vision of people coming together to the mountain of the Lord. Isaiah sends us an invitation from God to come to His home.

"Come鈥�, says God, 鈥渂ecause in my home there is room for everyone. Come, because in my heart there is not just one people, but everyone."

Never strangers to God

Addressing the Congolese Community directly, the 杏MAP导航 recognized how they have come from far away: many have left their homes and their loved ones. He acknowledged the difficulties they have had to face. 鈥淗owever, with God you are always welcome鈥�, he said. 鈥淔or Him we are never strangers.鈥�

Refusing God鈥檚 invitation

The Lord comes and invites us to go to Him, continued 杏MAP导航 Francis, but some say 鈥渘o鈥� to His invitation. It is the 鈥渘o鈥� about which Jesus warns us in the Gospel, urging us not to do as in the "days of Noah".

All people could think about then was eating and drinking. In other words, said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渢hey reduced their lives to their needs, they were content with a flat, horizontal life, without momentum.鈥� They were content to consume.

The virus of consumerism

杏MAP导航 Francis described consumerism as 鈥渁 virus that attacks the faith at the roots鈥�, because it makes us believe that life depends only on what we have, so we forget about God. 鈥淓ven if the Lord comes, you just follow the appetites that come to you鈥�, he said. The real danger is that which anesthetizes the heart, added the 杏MAP导航, letting ourselves be burdened and dissipated by our needs.

Things are never enough

Things are never enough, said 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淥ur houses are filled with things but empty of children鈥�, he said. 鈥淭his is the demographic winter we are suffering鈥�, he added. We have no time for God or for others. Our greed grows and others become obstacles, so we end up feeling threatened, always dissatisfied and angry, raising the level of hatred.

鈥淲e see it today where consumerism reigns鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis: 鈥淭he world is full of weapons that cause death, yet we do not realise that we too continue to arm our hearts with anger.鈥�

The verb 鈥渢o watch鈥�

Jesus wants to awaken us, continued the 杏MAP导航, with the verb "to watch". In order to keep watch, we must have hope that the night will not last forever, that dawn will soon come.

鈥淲e must overcome the temptation that the meaning of life is accumulation鈥�, he said. We must 鈥渞esist the dazzling lights of consumption, which will shine everywhere this month.鈥� Prayer and charity, he added, are truly 鈥渢he greatest of treasures.鈥�

The gift of peace

When we open our hearts to the Lord and to our brothers and sisters, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, we gain the most precious gift that material things can never give us. The gift Isaiah announces in the First Reading: peace. This makes us think of your homeland (the Democratic Republic of Congo), said 杏MAP导航 Francis.

鈥淭oday we pray for peace which is seriously threatened in the east of the country鈥�, especially in the territories ridden by conflicts that are fueled from outside, 鈥渁nd with the complicit silence of many鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淐onflicts that are fueled by those who enrich themselves selling arms鈥�, he added.

A prayer for peace

The 杏MAP导航 concluded by recalling Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta who, like Jesus, forgave her executioner.

Through her intercession, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, we pray for combatants to give up their weapons, for a future that no longer puts one against another, but one together with another. We pray for conversion from an economy that makes use of war, to an economy that serves peace.