“I have no more words for you… We have Jesus who cries with us” Francis in Tacloban(©Ap) (©AP) FRANCIS IN TACLOBAN At Tacloban airport which was lashed by heavy rain and strong winds as a tropical storm brewed up, Francis left aside the text that had been prepared for the homily and spoke to survivors of Typhoon Yolanda from the heart: “When I saw from Rome that catastrophe I had to be here. And on those very days I decided to come here” ANDREA TORNIELLI IN TACLOBAN “We have a Lord who cries with us and walks with us in the most difficult moments of life. So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you.” The rain is pouring down and there are strong gusts of wind. This is the first time the Pope celebrates mass wearing the pilgrims’ yellow raincoat over his vestments. But what really marked the mass celebrated at Tacloban airport was the emotion and tears of hundreds and thousands of people who defied the bad weather to gather around the Bishop of Rome. Francis wanted to be here, in the very place where just over a year ago Typhoon Yolanda claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people and destroyed cities and villages. The Pope did not want to have to cancel the visit so he set off an hour ahead of schedule because of the approaching tropical storm “Amang”. Francis exited the aircraft without even wanting an umbrella but minutes later his white cassock was soaking. On the popemobile he wore a yellow raincoat which he continued to wear throughout the mass at the altar that had been positioned on a stage, exposing him to the elements. When it came to the homily, Francis did not even begin reading the English text that had been prepared beforehand. He wanted to speak from the heart and he did so in Spanish, with an interpreter beside him who translated. “Jesus is like us. Jesus lived like us and is the same us in every respect, except sin because he was not a sinner. But to be more like us he assumed our condition and our sin. He made himself into sin. This is what St Paul tells us. And Jesus always goes before us and when we pass an experience, a cross, he passed there before us. And if today we find ourselves here 14 months afterwards, 14 months precisely after the Typhoon Yolanda hit, it is because we have the security of knowing we will not weaken in our faith because Jesus has been here before us. In his Passion he assumed all our pain.” “I’d like to tell you something close to my heart,” Francis said. “When I saw from Rome that catastrophe I had to be here. And on those very days I decided to come here. I am here to be with you – a little bit late, but I’m here. I have come to tell you that Jesus is Lord. And he never lets us down. Father, you might say to me, I was let down because I have lost so many things, my house, my livelihood. It’s true if you say that and I respect those sentiments. But Jesus is there, nailed to the cross, and from there he does not let us down.” “He was consecrated as Lord on that throne,” the Pope said pointing to the cross, “and there he experienced all the calamities that we experience. Jesus is Lord. And the Lord from the cross is there for you. In everything the same as us. That is why we have a Lord who cries with us and walks with us in the most difficult moments of life. So many of you have lost everything. I don’t know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you have lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silence and walk with you all with my silent heart. Many of you have asked the Lord – why Lord? And to each of you, to your heart, Christ responds with his heart from the cross.” “I have no more words for you. Let us look to Christ. He is the lord. He understands us because he underwent all the trials that we, that you, have experienced. And beside the cross was his Mother,” Francis said pointing at the statue of Mary holding the baby Jesus. “We are like a little child in the moments when we have so much pain and no longer understand anything. All we can do is grab hold of her hand firmly and say “Mommy” - like a child does when it is afraid. It is perhaps the only words we can say in difficult times – “Mother”, “Mummy”!” “Let us respect a moment of silence together and look to Christ on the cross. He understands us because he endured everything. Let us look to our Mother and, like a little child, let us hold onto her mantle and with a true heart say – “Mother”. In silence, tell your Mother what you feel in your heart…” After a moment of silent prayer, he said: “We are not alone. We also have many brothers who in this moment of catastrophe came to help. And we too, because of this, we feel more like brothers and sisters because we helped each other. This is what comes from my heart. Forgive me if I have no other words to express myself. Please know that Jesus never lets you down. Know that the tenderness of Mary never lets you down. And holding onto her mantle and with the power that cones from Jesus’ love on the cross, let us move forward and walk together as brothers and sisters in the Lord.” At the end of the mass, before the final blessing, Francis spontaneously pronounced the following prayer: “Thank you Lord for being here with us today, thank you for sharing our pain; thank you Lord for giving us hope, thank you Lord for your great mercy… Thank you Lord for giving us hope! Lord, do not allow our hope to be taken away from us! Thank you Lord for remembering us in the darkest moment of your life, on the cross, and for giving us a Mother, your Mother. Thank you Lord for not letting us be orphans!”
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 11:36:18 +0000
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