Commentary of the day : Pope Francis Homily of 07/04/2013, Mass for the possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana) "Jesus began to show his disciples that he must... suffer greatly... and be killed and on the third day be raised" God’s patience has to call forth in us the courage to return to him, however many mistakes and sins there may be in our life. Jesus tells Thomas to put his hand in the wounds of his hands and his feet, and in his side. We too can enter into the wounds of Jesus, we can actually touch him. This happens every time that we receive the sacraments with faith. Saint Bernard, in a fine homily, says: "Through the wounds of Jesus I can suck honey from the rock and oil from the flinty rock , I can taste and see the goodness of the Lord" (cf. Dt 32:13; Ps 34[33],9). It is there, in the wounds of Jesus, that we are truly secure; there we encounter the boundless love of his heart. Thomas understood this. Saint Bernard goes on to ask: “But what can I count on? My own merits?” No, "My merit is God’s mercy. I am by no means lacking merits as long as he is rich in mercy... This is important: the courage to trust in Jesus’ mercy, to trust in his patience, to seek refuge always in the wounds of his love... Maybe someone among us here is thinking: my sin is so great, I am as far from God as the younger son in the parable, my unbelief is like that of Thomas; I don’t have the courage to go back, to believe that God can welcome me and that he is waiting for me, of all people... For God, we are not numbers, we are important, indeed we are the most important thing to him; even if we are sinners, we are what is closest to his heart.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 01:10:46 +0000
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