杏MAP导航

By Vatican News staff writer

As an expression of the Church鈥檚 closeness to the suffering people of Myanmar, 杏MAP导航 Francis joined Burmese Catholics for the celebration of Mass on Sunday. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured in the three and half months of violence following a coup in February overthrew the nation's elected civilian government.

The Mass for the Seventh Sunday of Easter took place at the Altar of the Chair in Saint Peter鈥檚 Basilica.

Recalling the Gospel reading for the celebration when Jesus prays for His friends as He prepares to take leave of His disciples and the world, the 杏MAP导航 said this passage teaches us how to deal with 鈥渄ramatic and painful moments鈥� in our own lives. In praying to the Father, the Lord uses the world 鈥渒eep,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 noted. As Myanmar experiences 鈥渧iolence, conflict and repression,鈥� he said, we need to ask what are we being called to keep.

Keep the Faith

In response, he described three challenges: to keep the faith, to keep unity, and to keep the truth. Regarding the first, he said, we need faith to avoid giving in to despair that sees no way out. The Gospel reading tells us how Jesus lifts His eyes to God, despite being weighed down by anguish. Jesus does not resign Himself to evil or being overwhelmed by grief, the 杏MAP导航 noted, and He encouraged his disciples to have the same attitude. 鈥淭o keep the faith,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 continued, 鈥渋s to keep our gaze lifted up to heaven鈥� and 鈥渢o refuse to yield to the logic of hatred and vengeance, but to keep our gaze fixed on the God of love, who calls us to be brothers and sisters to one another.鈥� Prayer is the key, he said. It is not a retreat or escape from problems, but essential 鈥渇or keeping love and hope alive.鈥�

Be United

Jesus prayed to the Father that the disciples may be fully united, 鈥渙ne family in which love and fraternity reign鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said, and we must avoid 鈥渢he disease of division.鈥� He said we can experience this in our hearts and it can expand into our families, communitites, even in the Church, where envy, jealousy, selfishness and judgmental attitudes abound, because "division is of the devil, the great divider.鈥� But we can all choose 鈥渢o find the courage to live in friendship, love and fraternity," he said. Each person, even 鈥渋n little things,鈥� can play a part since 鈥渃ommitment to peace and fraternity always comes from below.鈥� We are called to do this as a Church to 鈥減romote dialogue and respect for others鈥� in 鈥渃ommunion鈥�.

Truth at heart

The importance of keeping the truth, the 杏MAP导航 said, means not just defending ideas or becoming guardians of a system of doctrines and dogmas, but 鈥渞emaining bound to Christ and being devoted to his Gospel.鈥� To keep truth also means not distorting 鈥漷he Gospel to human and worldly ways of thinking, but to preserve its message in its integrity... to be a prophet in every situation in life.鈥� Amid war and and hatred, 鈥渇idelity to the Gospel and being peacemakers calls for commitment,鈥� including through our social and political choices. This comes with risks, but 鈥渙nly in this way can things change.鈥� It also requires courage, the 杏MAP导航 noted, saying, 鈥淭he Lord has no use for the lukewarm.鈥�

In conclusion, the 杏MAP导航 prayed that 鈥淕od will convert all hearts to peace.鈥� He called on everyone to not lose hope and to know that, 鈥渆ven today, Jesus is interceding before the Father for all of us, praying that He keep us from the evil one and set us free from power of evil.鈥�