Here and Now with Francis 1/22/16 (pilgrimage, encounter, faith, envy, jealousy, mercy)

By Anonymous
From an address
It would be an error to hold that one who goes on pilgrimage lives not a personal but a “mass” spirituality. In reality, the pilgrim bears within him his history, his faith, the lights and shadows of his life. Everyone has in his heart a special desire and a particular prayer. [...] A shrine is really a privileged place to encounter the Lord and to touch His mercy with the hand. To go to confession in a shrine is to have the experience of touching God’s mercy with the hand. Therefore, the key word that I want to stress today together with you is welcome: to welcome pilgrims. With welcome, so to speak, we stake all — an affectionate, festive, cordial and patient welcome. Patience is also necessary! The Gospels present Jesus to us always welcoming those who approach Him, especially the sick, the sinners and the marginalized. And we recall His expression: “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me” (Matthew 10:40). [...]
Thus, on returning home, he will feel nostalgia for all that he experienced and will want to return, but above all he will want to continue the journey of faith in his ordinary life. [full text]

From the homily
I too, thinking and reflecting on this passage, invite myself – and everyone – to see if, in my heart, there is any jealousy, any envy, which always leads to death and doesn’t make me happy; because this sickness always leads us to regard the good others possess as if it were against us. And this is an ugly sin. It is the beginning of many, many crimes. Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace not to open the heart to jealousy, not to open the heart to envy, because these things always lead to death. [...] Let us also ask the Lord the grace never, because of envy, to hand over to death a brother, a sister of the parish, of the community, or even someone in our neighbourhood. Everyone has their sins, everyone has their virtues. They are specific to each individual. Look at the good, and do not kill with gossip through envy or jealousy. [link]

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