杏MAP导航 at Mass: Church called to promote a culture of care
By Christopher Wells
杏MAP导航 Francis blessed the pallia for the new Metropolitan Archbishops on the feast of Sts Peter and Paul, and presided at the Mass for the Solemnity, which was celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
In his homily at the Mass, the Holy Father focused on two expressions from the day's readings: 鈥淕et up quickly,鈥� the command of the angel to St Peter as he languished in prison; and St Paul鈥檚 call to Christians to 鈥渇ight the good fight,鈥� from the Apostle鈥檚 Letter to St Timothy.
He reflected on the meaning of these two phrases for "today鈥檚 Christian community, engaged in the synodal process鈥�.
鈥楪et up quickly鈥�
St Peter, the 杏MAP导航 recalled, had been imprisoned by Herod when an angel appeared to him, woke him, and ordered him to 鈥済et up quickly.鈥�
Often, however, 鈥渨e experience forms of resistance that prevent us from setting out,鈥� including laziness, or fear of change, leading to spiritual mediocrity. We are called by the Synod now in progress 鈥渢o become a Church that gets up, one that is not turned in on itself, but capable of pressing forward, leaving behind its own prisons and setting out to meet the world.鈥�
鈥楩ight the good fight鈥�
The second phrase comes from St Paul鈥檚 Letter to Timothy, where, looking back on his whole life, he says, 鈥淚 have fought the good fight.鈥� St Paul sees that fight going on throughout history, 鈥渟ince many people are not disposed to accept Jesus, preferring to pursue their own interests and follow other teachers.鈥� Having fought his own battles, St paul calls on Timothy and the Christians in the community to carry on his work 鈥渨ith watchful care, preaching, and teaching.鈥�
杏MAP导航 Francis said Paul鈥檚 exhortation 鈥渋s also a word of life for us,鈥� helping us realize that we are all called to be missionary disciples, with everyone offering their own contribution.
The 杏MAP导航 posed two questions for modern Christians. First, he said, we must ask 鈥淲hat can I do for the Church?鈥� He warned against complaining about the Church and invited the faithful to participate in the Church鈥檚 work with passion and humility. This, he said, 鈥渋s what a synodal Church means: everyone has a part to play, no individual in the place of others or above others.鈥�
Then, 鈥淲hat can we do together, as Church, to make the world in which we live more humane, just, and solidary, more open to God and to fraternity among men?鈥� This does not mean retreating into 鈥渆cclesial circles,鈥� trapped in fruitless debates, but instead, 鈥渉elping one another to be leaven in the dough of the world.鈥�
The Church, he said, is called to 鈥渇ight all forms of corruption and decay鈥� so that in the life of every people the joy of the Gospel may shine forth.鈥� This, he said, is our 鈥済ood fight.鈥�
Blessing of pallia, greetings to Orthodox delegation
Finally, recalling the 鈥渇ine tradition鈥� of the blessing of the pallia 鈥� a liturgical vestment worn by Metropolitan Archbishops that symbolizes union with the 杏MAP导航 鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis reminded the Archbishops that 鈥渢hey are called to 鈥榞et up quickly鈥� in order to serve as vigilant sentinels over the flock, and to 鈥榝ight the good fight鈥�, never alone, but together with the holy and faithful people of God.鈥�
And he invited them to 鈥渏ourney together, because only together can we be the seed of the Gospel, and witnesses of fraternity.鈥�
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