From Fast to Feast - Easter Vigil

O Most Holy Night - Easter Vigil 

We arrive hungry, excited, eager after fasting, praying and waiting together. We gather in the darkness, the church as deep and silent as a tomb. The scent of Easter pervades the space as spring flowers tease us with their aroma. The allure adds to our excitement that soon, we will be swathed in the light of Christ that will give us sight to see what our other senses inform us waits in the darkness.

Light. Smoke. Story. Water. Oil. Neophyte. Scent. Bread. Wine. Prayers. Music. Blessing. Earth joins heaven through sensory symbols as people of the cross, of light, of chrism oil and church community, of feast and and banquet of bread and cup. The light of Christ leads us to Word, baptismal, chrism and banquet into the paschal mystery. We go into the tomb of darkness with Christ in his death and emerge in the light of Christ in his resurrection.

A robust fire warms us, draws us into its smokey scent as we await the Service of Light to begin. As last year's oils mingle with wood and flame and add aromatic blaze to prayer and blessing, this holy fire lends its light to the Paschal Candle, symbol of Christ, the light of the world. The candle is dated, blessed and praised, marking it as a symbol of Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all things, of all time. The procession of pilgrims follows the single Light into the dark church in hushed anticipation. 

From Christ, we become the light of the world and symbolically light our own candles from the Paschal Candle.

The Easter candle glows as the pillar of fire that honors God. Church ablaze, we hear the great hymn of praise, the Exsultet. “Rejoice, Mother Church! Let this holy building shake with joy, filled with the mighty voices of the peoples!”

By its shared light of the saving Messiah, we can hear and understand how God breaks into the loving story of life, our life throughout all of time within the readings of sacred scripture. All is retold and done this night in the light of Christ.

We sing Psalm 118 as the Alleluia breaks into the night with loud cries of the tryptich of Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord for all God has done for us! Praise God, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

We invoke all of heaven in a powerful litany, asking the saints, named and unnamed to stand with us, pray with us and for us as we go to the font and bless the waters.

There the elect are baptized through sacred water, confirmation that strengthens us with God’s love for the work ahead.

Those seeking full communion with the church become signed with the seal of the Spirit of God through the oil of sacred Chrism. 

Christians everywhere renew their own baptism promises, renouncing the darkness of evil in the full light of Easter faith, mercy and justice. 

Bolstered by our story through sacred scripture and jubilant in the baptism and anointing of neophytes, we process with confidence to the source and summit of our faith – the Eucharist in the elements of bread and wine, changed by the power of the Spirit at the feast of life into Christ’s body and blood, given completely in inconceivable love for us all through the gracious love of God. This sharing at the table of sacrifice, nourishment and reconciliation calls us to be a people aware of the vastness of God’s mercy in our lives and in our world

In this sharing of Christ’s body and blood, we become the Body of Christ in service to the world with particular attention to those who have the most need. Through this final step, our beloved elect and candidates enter the Church in full communion as the people of God and begin a new life led by the wondrous love of the Spirit of God.

We continue to pray and support our neophytes, the Church's newest daughters and sons as they enter the Church as full members. One hundred thousand welcomes, new Christians everywhere! Reborn through water and the Spirit along, they are our precious symbol of new creation within life in Christ. 

Throughout the 50 days of Easter, Mother Church rejoices in our Christian witness that centuries of disciples have professed. The joyful days are celebrated from Easter to Pentecost as one great feast day of exultation because we just cannot bring ourselves to end this feast of feasts. The Church continues to bask in memory, in mystagogia, an unfolding of the mysteries celebrated at the Vigil.

Here is our tradition: we hand on what was handed on to us. We are the yeast in the world, Christ’s body broken and poured out for others. Christians, symbol and sign of the risen Christ alive and active in the world here and now, building the reign of God in this time and place.

A generous heart

Earlier this morning, I received a message and a picture that reflected what faithful church-goers experience on holy days. "ChrEasters!!" the message read, translated: #ChristmasandEasterchurchgoers. 

While I completely understand the frustration of trying to find a place to park, a pew to sit and the presumed arrogance of people who 'stay away' for most of the liturgical year, think of the joy that Christ must feel at the return of our sisters and brothers who only show up occasionally. Perhaps the work ahead of us might be to cast the net wide and see what the catch may reap if we roll up our sleeves and find out why these people stay away and gently persuade them to return more often them once or twice a year. Mercy, generosity and 'field work' may be the task at hand as we commit to Easter discipleship. 

My favorite quote is from a homily given by St. John Chrystostom on this topic. 

 "If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let them enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.

If anyone is a grateful servant, let them, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.

If anyone has wearied themselves in fasting, let them now receive recompense.

If anyone has labored from the first hour, let them today receive the just reward.

If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let them feast.

If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let them have no misgivings; for they shall suffer no loss.

If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let them draw near without hesitation.

If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let them not fear on account of tardiness.

For the Master is gracious and receives the last even as the first; he gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first.

He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one He gives, and to the other he is gracious.

He both honors the work and praises the intention.

Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward.

O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy!

O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day!

You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today!

The table is rich-laden: feast royally, all of you!

The calf is fatted: let no one go forth hungry!

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament their poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn their transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.

All is forgiven on Resurrection Day!" 

From the Paschal homily of St. John Chrystostom (d. 407 CE) 

Wondrous signs, marvelous deeds

I celebrated Holy Thursday: The Lord's Supper at St. Anthony's in Mattapoisett, MA where I continue the privileged journey with the parish, the Elect and candidate and the Christian Initiation team. I did not want to disturb the celebration by taking a lot pictures but I did manage to catch a few key moments of several ritual moments. Thanks to the members of the assembly for your patience while I captured these precious shots. Wondrous signs, marvelous deeds. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose cross we glory. Triduum blessings to all. 

Presentation of the sacred oils

Song for the Presentation of Oils (Tune: BEACHSPRING)

Oil of the Sick

God of healing and compassion,heal us body, mind and soul. God of hope, of peace and freedom, bless the sick and make them whole. 

Refrain

Oil of healing, oil of victory, oil of wisdom, you we claim; gathered in the name of Jesus and anointed in God's name. 

Oil of Catechumens

God of wisdom, hope and freedom, God of victory, God of strength; give protection to believers, as believers we are sent. 

Sacred Chrism

Oil of joy, born of the Spirit, oil of wisdom, peace and light; give your gifts, O Spirit-Giver, we are sealed in your delight. 

So you must do. 

Mandatum"So when he had washed their feet and put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.”Jn13: 1-15

Father Paul Caron washes both feet of people who sit dispersed within the assembly and throughout the church. Their seats are marked with a wheat sheaf so that he can find them wherever they sit. 

Elect continue to reflect on word and ritual as they dismiss with their team leadersAlmost but not yet: Dismissal of the Elect

Father Caron quoted Pope Francis I in his homily tonight, saying that this night was all about love from the heart as we become Christ in service to one another. 

Actions speak. Bending low is the sign of a eucharistic people who become Christ's body in the world. These rituals that we celebrate become part of our memory. What we do here tonight is all about memory. We do this in memory of Jesus to become his active love of service, becoming eucharist enfleshed in his flesh for the life of the world.

Amen, amen, amen.  

Lent ends quietly, Triduum begins

Sleepless in New Bedford

After an attempt to sleep past 2:00 AM this morning (residual workout muscle pain can bust your chops), I gave up and left my sleeping husband and our snoring cat who sleeps at the foot of our bed. I actually felt hungry (a rare event!) and decided to munch on some fresh bread and grapes while I brewed a pot of coffee and took my morning medication. I turned the heat on to burn off the morning chill that still lingers here in Southeastern New England. The promise of warmer days may be evidenced in the flowers that continue to push their way through the topsoil of the earth's spring crust but the cold morning air gives proof to the night's low temperatures. 

Servitude with a smile

While I sipped coffee, I read several proposals from friends who asked me either to offer an opinion on a social service project or as a proposed program or retreat for the Roncalli Center. As I leafed through each one, I prioritized the order that I would respond to the requests. I want to be thoughtful and intentional to all of these projects. Each one is inspired by the Mandatum of tonight's liturgy of Holy Thursday: The Lord's Supper - service in response to Jesus' command to love one another in endless, agapic love and servitude. My heart warmed as I read each one, all different, all creative and full of God's promise to bring hope to those who hunger and thirst for Christ in efforts for the poor, the hungry, the incarcerated, the immigrant, those without clothes, victims of isolation, abuse and betrayal, children who crave life within the musical and theater arts with no one to teach them for lack of funding. "The joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well." (Guadiem et Spes, 1) My own aches and pains began to dissipate like our coastal fog burns away at sunrise as I pondered all of these inspired proposals. I am comfortable in my warm home with food and drink, a health care plan and a loving community of family and faith that bolsters me throughout my joys and hopes, grief and anguish. Perhaps this is the reason behind my sleepless nights; there's a lot of work to do in the reign of God here and now for people who are not so fortunate.  

Some of these projects will take years to develop. Others can happen tomorrow if I step away from my desk and just get out there and attend to people. I served for 45 years as a pastoral musician, associate and campus minister in several college settings. My level of frustration wasn't in the students or parishioners, whom I loved being and working with, but the endless meetings and administrative tasks that the work seem to require. "Step away from the desk and get out of your office!" I reminded myself again and again. We need to show up at the feast of life to be with people, learning from Jesus who walked from town to town on foot to be with people. In my experience, presence trumps everything when it comes to joyful witness.

For the Christian who takes tonight's celebration of the Lord's Supper to heart, there will always be the 'other' - those people who will need an embrace, an ear to listen, a glass of water to parched sick lips, someone to feed, nurture and bring Christ's joy with a smile, which persuades far more than any written rubric or legal verbage. We can catch some pretty big fish when Jesus asks us to throw out our nets for a catch. The needs exist in hearts everywhere who wait for a word that will rouse them. But we need to show up in our bodies to do that. Servitude requires action; the gesture of bowing low to wash feet without words at tonight's liturgy speaks for itself.  

Taste and see, touch and hear, feel and smell

On most mornings, I eat a bit of yogurt before heading to the gym but this morning, I took real pleasure in the doughy texture of a homemade loaf and savored the sweet juice of fresh organic red grapes of freshly baked bread and produce purchased from a local farmer's market. I felt the bread, chewed it slowly and savored its texture and earthy scent, washing my mouth with the tangy burst of the grapes. Should not the bread that we eat and the wine we drink tonight evoke the same robust tastes that satisfy the palate of our hunger for Christ in our bodiliness? Our senses allow us to taste and see, touch and feel Jesus in the breaking of bread and pouring of wine so we're satisfied and renewed to go and be his body and blood outpoured on behalf of the world. Why are we selling ourselves short when we do liturgy? "The cup of salvation I will take up and I will call upon the name of the Lord." Does your sensory experience of tonight's eucharist resonate with the words of the psalmist? My morning bread and grapes prompted prayer that prompted this tiny blog and will serve me the rest of the day as I meet Christ in the streets, in the gym, in the nursing home, at tonight's celebration of the Lord's Supper. Symbols should speak to the heart and prompt service. Will tonight's liturgical experience be that moment for you? Your assembly? Your parish?   

The Real Deal

My friend Ron Gamache belongs to the poorest parish in the Diocese of Fall River, MA. Recently, Ron created a video of Sacred Heart Church. An enormous urban and very beautiful structure, the parish struggles to meet the building's financial burdens  because of the decline in parishioners who moved to the suburbs. Many parishes understand well what it means to be a small, sustainable community that models what the Church should be like, feel like, act like in well-led pastoral leadership and robust liturgical practice that includes service beyond itself, with particular attention on the poor. However, so many of those parishes will twin with others or simply close because of lack of people in the pews. 

The parish community at Sacred Heart that gathers to pray and worship follows through in service to the poor with one of the most amazing parish food kitchens and consignment shops that operate year round through the assistance of parish volunteers. This parish is the real deal and a model of what it means to bend low in their service to the poor. Watch the inspiring and thoughtfully produced YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQYdO8Cpe3E&feature=youtu.be If you'd like to purchase a copy of the video, email Ron Gamache at rongamache@comcast.net 

Back to basics

HOLY THURSDAY: THE LORD'S SUPPER

Lent ends quietly at sundown on the evening of Holy Thursday: The Lord’s Supper. We enter the Paschal Triduum together in the glory of the cross of Jesus Christ. We listen to scriptures. We go down on our hands and knees to wash feet with pitchers of water, basin and towels, taking our lead from Jesus, who gives us this mandate to love and serve and a vision of what the church is supposed to look, feel, act and be like. This is our rehearsal for Christian life. We collect money for the poor to support our act with deeds in a real way. Later, we celebrate the eucharist, bread and fruit of the vine as the body and blood of Jesus, the Christ. We continue to pray for those who anticipate full Christian initiation, now only hours away. Cross, Word, Mandatum, Eucharist – all recall the unconditional love of God by what we do in memory of Jesus.

With holy bread and wine consumed, we strip the altar of cloth, candles and any adornment at its base. The tabernacle is empty except for the Christ the paschal victim in the form of holy bread. The presider carries the sacred corpus throughout the church. We join the procession as a symbol of going to Gethsemane, to watch and pray throughout the evening into night. The evening liturgy has no ending. We may return home for a bit of rest after Compline (Night Prayer) and continue to ponder these sacred mysteries that reveal to us who Christ is for us and who we are for Christ.

Please continue to pray for our beloved Elect and candidates who will be initiated into full sacramental life at the Easter Vigil. Deo gratias! 

What is a Chrism Mass?

Oils awaiting blessing, Diocese of Fall River, MAThe Chrism Mass is a celebration of the unity of the local church and filled with beautiful texts that honor the various orders of liturgical and ministerial service. It is at this liturgy on a day after Palm Sunday that the oils are blessed and consecrated for sacramental service by the local bishop. "Chrism" is a Greek word that means "an anointing." 

The Chrism Mass is a celebration of the unity of the local church and filled with beautiful texts that honor the various orders of liturgical and ministerial service. It is at this liturgy on a day after Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion that the oils are blessed and consecrated for sacramental service by the local bishop. 

There are three kinds of sacred oils. All of them symbolically rehearse the work of the Spirit of God in sacred oil that serves to sweeten, to strengthen and to render supple Christian disciples. The three holy oils are:

The Oil of Catechumens ("Oleum Catechumenorum" or "Oleum Sanctum") used in baptism along with water, in the consecration of churches, in the blessing of altars, in the ordination of priests. A sign of royalty, this oil marks us as a royal, chosen people of God.

The Holy Chrism ("Sanctum Chrisma") or "Oil of Gladness," which is olive oil mixed with a small amount of sweet balm or balsam. St. Paul reminds us “we are the aroma of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:15). Chrism is used in confirmation, baptism, in the consecration of a Bishop, the consecration of churches and makes sacred all of those elements that we find in churches: the door, the ambo, the altar, the font, the paschal candle…. the material elements needed for worship.

The Oil of the Sick ("Oleum Infirmorum") is used to anoint the sick, to heal and strengthen the infirmed throughout their illness and in some cases, prepare them to meet God face to face as they move from this earthly life to the next.

The sacred oils are kept in chrismatories, vessels that hold the oils and stored in a cabinet called an ambry. 

Blessing of the Oil of Catechumens

Lord God, protector of all who believe in you, bless + this oil and give wisdom and strength to all who are anointed with it in preparation for their baptism. Bring them to a deeper understanding of the gospel, help them to accept the challenge of Christian living, and lead them to the joy of new birth in the family of your Church. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Consecration of Chrism

After breathing over the open vessel of chrism and recalling scriptural images of the tradition of anointing with holy oil, the bishop and all concelebrants extend their hand toward the chrism throughout the following prayer: 

And so, Father, we ask you to bless + this oil you have created. Fill it with the power of your Holy Spirit through Christ your Son. It is from him that chrism takes its name and with chrism you have anointed for yourself priests and kings, prophets and martyrs. Make this chrism a sign of life and salvation for those who are to be born again in the waters of baptism. Make them temples of your glory, radiant with the goodness of life that has its source in you. Through this sign of chrism grant them royal priestly, and prophetic honor and clothe them with incorruption. Let this be indeed the chrism of salvation for those who will be born again of water and the Holy Spirit. May they come to share eternal life in the glory of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Custom also plays out in the renewal of priestly promises by the presbyters who celebrate Chrism Mass with their local bishop. Here's the text from that ritual:  

Renewal of Commitment to Priestly Service

Bishop: My brothers, today we celebrate the memory of the first Eucharist, at which our Lord Jesus Christ shared with his apostles and with us his call to the priestly service of his Church.  Now, in the presence of your bishop and God's holy people, are you ready to renew your own dedication to Christ as priests of his new covenant?

Priests: I am.

Bishop: At your ordination you accepted the responsibilities of the priesthood out of love for the Lord Jesus and his Church.  Are you resolved to unite yourselves more closely to Christ and to try to become more like him by joyfully sacrificing your own pleasure and ambition to bring his peace and love to your brothers and sisters?

Priests: I am.

Bishop: Are you resolved to be faithful ministers of the mysteries of God, to celebrate the Eucharist and the other liturgical services with sincere devotion?  Are you resolved to imitate Jesus Christ, the head and shepherd of the Church, by teaching the Christian faith without thinking of your own profit, solely for the well-being of the people you were sent to serve?

Priests: I am.

Then the bishop addresses the assembly:

Bishop: My brothers and sisters, pray for your priests.  Ask the Lord to blesss them with the fullness of his love, to help them be faithful ministers of Christ the High Priest, so that they will be able to lead you to him, the fountain of your salvation.

Assembly: Lord Jesus Christ, hear us and answer our prayer.

Bishop: Pray also for me that despite my own unworthiness I may faithfully fulfill the office of apostle which Jesus Christ has entrusted to me.  Pray that I may become more like our High Priest and Good Shepherd, the teacher and servant of all, and so be a genuine sign of Christ's loving presence among you.

Assembly: Lord Jesus Christ, hear us and answer our prayer.

Bishop: May the Lord in his love keep you close to him always, and may he bring all of us, his priests and people, to eternal life.

All: Amen.

To all who helped to prepare and celebrate Chrism Mass in each diocese a rich experience, thank you.

"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. One and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes." Corinthians 1: 12

And so we begin...

Early this morning as the snow fell in New England, I lit a fire in the wood stove, made some coffee and watched Pope Francis I receive the pallium and papal ring, listened to his homily and enjoyed the beauty of Vatican City throughout what looked like glorious weather in the Eternal City during the Mass. 

Some facts

The pallium is a white woolenstole worn by a bishop as a symbol of the good shepherd, the wool representing the lost, the sick or weak 'sheep' that the shepherd places on top of his shoulders to carry them to safety and well being. The woolen pallium also symbolizes Christ, the Lamb of God, crucified for humankind. 

Pope Francis I received the papal ring, a silver Fisherman’s Ring rather than a gold one — and one designed decades ago by Italian sculptor Enrico Manfrini, who died in 2004. The simple ring that Pope Francis wears on his right hand depicts St. Peter holding a pair of keys, another symbol of the papacy and based in the scriptural reference to Christ giving Peter the keys to heaven. 

The Vatican revealed Pope Francis' coat of arms and motto, the same that he used as archbishop of Buenos Aires.

The coat of arms shows three symbols on a blue background: at the top, a sun with the letters IHS in the middle — the logo of the Jesuit Society — and underneath a five-point star and a lily, symbolising the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.

The Latin motto beneath the crest is “miserando atque eligendo” — which refers to a Bible passage showing Jesus Christ’s “mercy” in choosing Matthew, a tax collector, to be one of his disciples.

Find below the full text of Pope Francis I defining homily. Horizons of hope today. Welcome, Pope Francis I!

(Vatican Radio) Homily of the Holy Father at the Inauguration of his Papal Ministry 19 March 2013:

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable predecessor: we are close to him with our prayers, full of affection and gratitude.

I offer a warm greeting to my brother cardinals and bishops, the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful. I thank the representatives of the other Churches and ecclesial Communities, as well as the representatives of the Jewish community and the other religious communities, for their presence. My cordial greetings go to the Heads of State and Government, the members of the official Delegations from many countries throughout the world, and the Diplomatic Corps.

In the Gospel we heard that “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be thecustos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church, as Blessed John Paul II pointed out: “Just as Saint Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model” (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply to his own. This is what God asked of David, as we heard in the first reading. God does not want a house built by men, but faithfulness to his word, to his plan. It is God himself who builds the house, but from living stones sealed by his Spirit. Joseph is a “protector” because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!

Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened. Tragically, in every period of history there are “Herods” who plot death, wreak havoc, and mar the countenance of men and women.

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Here I would add one more thing: caring, protecting, demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

Today, together with the feast of Saint Joseph, we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power. Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus’ three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf.Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

In the second reading, Saint Paul speaks of Abraham, who, “hoping against hope, believed” (Rom 4:18). Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope! For believers, for us Christians, like Abraham, like Saint Joseph, the hope that we bring is set against the horizon of God, which has opened up before us in Christ. It is a hope built on the rock which is God.

To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!

I implore the intercession of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, and Saint Francis, that the Holy Spirit may accompany my ministry, and I ask all of you to pray for me! Amen.

Prayer for Pope Francis I

May God grant you eyes to see as Christ would see. 

May God grant you the heart to act as Christ would act. 

May God grant you the wisdom to guide the Church on behalf of the Gospel's priority to serve those sisters and brothers with the greatest human needs. 

May God keep you safe from all harm in body, mind and soul. 

May God grant you strength of body and soul to sustain a willing spirit as you seat in the chair of the Peter the Fisherman. 

Amen.