Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Like Sts. Francisco and Jacinta, offer your lives to God

Like Sts. Francisco and Jacinta, offer your lives to God

Last updated on: May 17, 2017 at 5:16 am by CNA Daily News

Like Sts. Francisco and Jacinta, offer your lives to God 2017-05-17T05:16:09+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Fatima, Portugal, May 13, 2017 / 05:23 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Saturday, Pope Francis told those gathered at Fatima, in particular the sick and suffering, to follow the example of the newly canonized saints Francisco and Jacinta, offering their lives – both the joy and suffering – as a gift for God.

“Today the Virgin Mary asks all of us the same question that, a hundred years ago, she asked the shepherd children: ‘Do you want to offer yourselves to God?’ Their answer – ‘Yes, we do!’ – makes us able to understand and imitate their lives.”

“They lived life, with its share of joy and suffering, as an offering to the Lord. I invite those of you who are sick to live your lives as a gift. Like the shepherd children, tell Our Lady that you want to offer yourselves to God with all your heart,” Pope Francis said May 13.

The Pope’s words were said during a special greeting to the sick during Eucharistic adoration immediately following the canonization Mass of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.

Francis presided over the Mass with around 500,000 pilgrims during his two-day pilgrimage May 12-13 for the 100th anniversary of her appearance to the two shepherd children along with their cousin, Lucia.

Speaking to all of the sick and suffering present, he said they should not think of themselves just as recipients of charitable solidarity, but know that they are full participants in the Church’s life and mission.

“Your silent presence, which is more eloquent than a flood of words, your prayers, the daily offering of your sufferings in union with those of Jesus crucified for the salvation of the world, the patient and even joyful acceptance of your condition – all these are a spiritual resource, an asset to every Christian community,” he said.

“Do not be ashamed of being a precious treasure of the Church.”

Entrust your sorrows, sufferings and weariness to Jesus, he went on, who is hidden but still present in the Eucharist, just as he is also hidden in the wounds of the sick and suffering. “On the altar, we worship the flesh of Jesus; in these our brothers and sisters, we encounter the wounds of Jesus.”

“Jesus will pass close to you in the Blessed Sacrament as a sign of his closeness and love for you,” he continued. “Count on the prayers of the Church, which from every corner of the world rises up to heaven for you and with you. God is our Father, and he will never forget you.”

Jesus knows the meaning of sorrow and pain, he said, because in his passion and death, Christ took all of our suffering upon himself. He will comfort us and give us strength, just like he did for St. Francisco and St. Jacinta and for every saint, he said.
“That is the Church’s ministry: the Church asks the Lord to comfort the afflicted like yourselves, and he comforts you, even in ways you cannot see.”

Before giving his message to the sick, the Pope said in his homily for the canonization Mass that we don’t climb the cross to find Jesus, Jesus comes down to us “to dispel the darkness of evil within us, and to bring us back to the light.”

In Lucia’s account of the apparitions, he noted, the three children found themselves “surrounded by God’s light as it radiated from Our Lady. She enveloped them in the mantle of Light that God had given her.”

“According to the belief and experience of many pilgrims, if not of all,” he continued, “Fatima is more than anything this mantle of Light that protects us, here as in almost no other place on earth.”

All we need to do, he explained, is to “take refuge” in the protection of the Virgin Mary, asking her, as it says in the Salve Regina prayer, to ‘show unto us…Jesus.’”

The Pope thanked everyone for being with him in Fatima, saying that he “could not fail” to come and venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary and entrust them all to her. Under her mantle, we are not lost, he said, and “from her embrace will come the hope and the peace” that we require.

“Confirmed in this hope, we have gathered here to give thanks for the countless graces bestowed over these past hundred years,” he said.

Newly canonized, we take St. Francisco and St. Jacinta as our examples. They were taught by Mary to adore Jesus and this became their strength in suffering. “God’s presence became constant in their lives, as is evident from their insistent prayers for sinners and their desire to remain ever near ‘the hidden Jesus’ in the tabernacle.”

Therefore, “with Mary’s protection,” he concluded, “may we be for our world sentinels of the dawn, contemplating the true face of Jesus the Savior, resplendent at Easter.”

“Thus may we rediscover the young and beautiful face of the Church, which shines forth when she is missionary, welcoming, free, faithful, poor in means and rich in love.”

Europe

Previous Post

May 13, 2017

Francisco and Jacinta have officially been declared saints!

Next Post

May 13, 2017 Pope Francis: I am suspicious of ongoing Medjugorje apparitions

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where did Moses strike a rock and water came out?

Select your answer to see how you score.

At Jordan At Kadesh At Horeb At Marah