News from the Church in Malta
As Pope Francis presides at the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher of the Pontifical Household, preaches on the passage “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I Am”.
Pope Francis presided over the liturgy of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday afternoon… Read more »
During Chrism Mass in the Vatican on Holy Thursday, Pope Francis thanks priests for heroic witness, but urges them to transform shortcomings, errors, and hardened hearts into an opportunity to draw closer to Christ and start anew.
“Thank you, dear priests, for your open and docile hearts. Thank you for all your hard work and your tears. Thank you, because you bring the miracle of God’s mercy to our brothers and sisters in today’s world. May the Lord console you, strengthen you and reward you.”
Pope Francis gave this encouragement on Holy Thursday morning during the Chrism Mass in St… Read more »
At the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the women’s section of Rebibbia prison in Rome, Pope Francis reminds us to never tire of asking the Lord for forgiveness and learning to serve as He did.
Continuing his custom of celebrating the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in a prison, Pope Francis visited the female section of the Rebibbia correctional facility in Rome on Holy Thursday afternoon… Read more »
Holy Mother of God! This was the joyful acclamation of the holy People of God echoing in the streets of Ephesus in the year 431, when the Council Fathers proclaimed Mary the Mother of God. This truth is a fundamental datum of faith, but above all, it is a marvellous fact. God has a Mother and is thus bound forever to our humanity, like a child to its mother, to the point that our humanity is his humanity… Read more »
As Jesus was walking along, ten lepers met him and cried out: “Have mercy on us!” (Lk 17:13). All ten were healed, yet only one of them returned to thank Jesus. He was a Samaritan, a kind of heretic for the Jewish people. At the beginning, they were walking together, but then the Samaritan left the others and turned back, “praising God with a loud voice” (v… Read more »
Il-Mulej qed jiġborna madwar il-mejda tiegħu u jsir għalina ħobż: “Huwa l-ħobż tal-festa fuq il-mejda tal-ulied, […] joħloq il-qsim ma’ xulxin, isaħħaħ ir-rabtiet, għandu togħma ta’ komunjoni” (Innu għas-XXVII Kungress Ewkaristiku Nazzjonali, Matera 2022). Imma l-Vanġelu li għadna kemm smajna jgħidilna li mhux dejjem fuq il-mejda l-ħobż hu maqsum: dan hu minnu; mhux dejjem iħalli l-fwieħa tal-komunjoni; mhux dejjem hu miksur fil-ġustizzja… Read more »
Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem, and today’s Gospel tells us that “large crowds were travelling with him” (Lk 24:25). To travel with Jesus means to follow him, to become his disciples. Yet, the Lord’s message to those people was not exactly appealing; in fact, it was quite demanding: whoever does not love him more than his or her own family, whoever does not carry the cross, whoever remains attached to earthly goods, cannot be his disciple (cf… Read more »
In the final words of the Gospel we have just heard, Jesus says something that can offer us hope and make us think. He tells his disciples: “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all I have said to you (Jn 14:26). “Everything”, “all” – these words are striking; they make us wonder: how does the Spirit give this new and full understanding to those who receive him? … Read more »
On the 15th of May 2022, Pope Francis celebrated holy mass where 10 new saints were proclaimed: Titus Brandsma, Lazzru known as Devasahayam, César de Bus, Luigi Maria Palazzolo, Giustino Maria Russolillo, Charles de Foucauld, Maria Rivier, Maria Francesca di Gesù Rubatto, Maria di Gesù Santocanale and Maria Domenica Mantovani.
Homily by Pope Francis
We have heard what Jesus told his disciples before leaving this world and returning to the Father. He told us what it means to be a Christian: “Even as I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34). This is the legacy that Christ bequeathed to us, the ultimate criterion for discerning whether or not we are truly his disciples. It is the commandment of love. Let us stop to consider two essential elements of this commandment: Jesus’ love for us – “as I have loved you” – and the love he asks us to show to others – “so you must love one another”… Read more »
Today the risen Lord appears to the disciples. To those who had abandoned him he offers his mercy and shows his wounds. The words he speaks to them are punctuated with a greeting that we hear three times in the Gospel: “Peace be with you!” (Jn 20:19.21.26). Peace be with you! These are the words of the risen Jesus as he encounters every human weakness and error… Read more »
