Núncio Rino Passigato, reading the Pope's message |
Having
received the request for a blessing for the participants of the 12th
International Meeting of the Teams of Our Lady, which is taking place in Fátima,
under the theme: “The Prodigal Child”, Pope Francis sends you brotherly
greetings, reminding all of you that the Church condemns the sin, because it
must speak the truth, but at the same time graces the sinner who recognizes
himself as such, draws close to him and speaks to him of the infinite mercy of
God.
What joy
and hope we find in the parable of the Prodigal Child. It speaks not only of
welcoming and forgiveness, but also of the celebration for the child who
returns. The Holy Father invites all of us to see themselves in that lost child
who returned and whom the father does not tire of embracing and returning to his position of son.
Moved by
such goodness, let the heart speak: “It is true, Lord, I am a sinner. I feel
myself as such, and am sure of it. I let myself be fooled in thousands of
different ways, I ran from your love, but here I am again to renew my covenant
with you. I need you. Rescue me again, Lord. Receive me once more into
your redeeming arms”.
The open
arms on the Cross prove that none are excluded from the love of the father and His mercy. He neither wants, nor resigns himself, to losing anybody. Husband,
wife, parents and children, know well that in the eyes of Jesus there is no
such thing as people who are definitely lost, only people who need to be found
once more, and He encourages us to go in search of them. Because if we want to
find the Lord we must search out not in the places where He is, but where He
wishes to find us, and the shepherd can only be found by the lost sheep. By
letting them know that He is going to search for the lost sheep, he provokes the
other 99 into participating in the reunification of the flock and, if they do
so, not only the sheep carried back, but the whole flock can follow the
shepherd home to celebrate with friends and neighbors.
Hand in
hand with the Virgin Mother, and under her watchful gaze, may we come to sing
with joy the mercies of the Lord, and cry out: “My soul sings to you, Lord!”
The mercy you have shown to all your saints and all your faithful people, you
have also shown to me. Out of the pride of my heart, I went astray, following
my own ambitions and interests, without gaining any crown of glory! My one hope
of glory, Lord, is this: that your Mother will take me in her arms, shelter me
beneath her mantle, and set me close to your heart."*
Thus
consecrated to the merciful hearts of Jesus and Mary, you can count on His
grace, that same grace which one hundred and one years ago, through the Virgin
Mary, was reflected in the eyes of the three shepherd children and changed
their lives, for the salvation of sinners.
In the
hope that the passion with which they did so should fill all the couples,
parents, children and members of the Teams of Our Lady spread out through the
whole world, Pope Francis bestows on you his blessing.
*From the Pope's prayer in the chapel of the apparitions, in Fátima, during his pastoral visit, in 2017.
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