杏MAP导航 at Angelus: A Church and a society that excludes no one
By Christopher Wells
鈥淕od does not discriminate against anyone because He loves everyone,鈥 杏MAP导航 Francis said at the Angelus on Sunday morning.
The Holy Father based his reflection on the two 鈥渋ntertwined鈥 miracles in the day鈥檚 Gospel: the healing of a woman with a haemorrhage when she touched Jesus鈥 cloak, and Jesus taking the hand of Jairus鈥 daughter as He raised her from the dead.
God鈥檚 touch
杏MAP导航 Francis emphasized the significance of physical touch in the two stories, both of which involved people who were considered ritually unclean. 鈥淓ven before the physical healing,鈥 the 杏MAP导航 said, Jesus 鈥渃hallenges a religious misconception, according to which God separates the pure on one side and the impure on the other.鈥
And he invited the faithful to fix this image in their hearts: 鈥淕od is one Who takes you by the hand and lifts you up, one Who lets Himself be touched by your pain and touches you in order to heal you and give you life again,鈥
A Church and a society that excludes no one
Despite all the sufferings of this life, the 杏MAP导航 said, and 鈥渆ven in the face of sin, God does not keep us at a distance.鈥 Instead, 鈥淗e draws near to let Himself be touched and to touch us, and He always raises us from death.鈥
杏MAP导航 Francis invited the faithful to 鈥渓ook to the heart of God鈥 precisely because 鈥渨e need a Church and a society that does not exclude anyone, that does not treat anyone as 鈥榠mpure,鈥 so that everyone, with their own story, is welcomed and loved without labels or prejudices.鈥
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