At noon today, Sunday, June 30, 2024, Holy Father Francis looked out of the window of the study of the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the approximately 15,000 faithful and pilgrims present in St. Peter’s Square.
In Pope Francis’ Sunday message, he reflects on the evangelical narrative that recounts the miraculous healing of a woman with hemorrhages and the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter.
The Pope highlighted that God loves everyone without discrimination, based on the two miracles of the day’s Gospel.
He emphasized the importance of physical contact in both stories, which involved people considered impure. Jesus challenged the idea of separating the pure from the impure, inviting the faithful to remember that God takes us by the hand, lifts us, touches us to heal us, and gives us life again.
Despite suffering and sin, God does not push us away but comes closer to touch us and resurrect us.
The Pope urged us to look at the heart of God to build an inclusive Church and society, where each person is welcomed and loved without prejudice.
These were the words of the Pope when introducing the Marian prayer:
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Pope’s words
Dear brothers and sisters, happy Sunday!
The Gospel of today’s liturgy tells us about two miracles that seem to be connected to each other. As Jesus is on His way to the house of Jairus, one of the synagogue leaders whose daughter is gravely ill, a woman suffering from hemorrhages touches His cloak along the way. He stops to heal her. Meanwhile, we are told that Jairus’ daughter has died, but Jesus does not stop. He arrives at the house, goes into the girl’s room, takes her by the hand, and raises her, bringing her back to life (Mk 5:21-43). Two miracles, one of which is a healing and the other a resurrection.
These two healings are told in the same episode. Both occur through physical contact. Indeed, the woman touches Jesus’ cloak, and Jesus takes the girl by the hand. Why is this physical contact important? It is because these two women are considered impure and cannot, therefore, be physically touched—one because she suffers from blood loss and the other because she is dead. Yet, Jesus allows Himself to be touched and is not afraid to touch. Jesus allows Himself to be touched and is not afraid to touch. Even before He carries out a physical healing, He challenges the false religious belief that God separates the pure, placing them on one side, from the impure on another. Instead, God does not make this kind of separation, because we are all His children. Impurity does not come from food, illness, or even death; impurity comes from an impure heart.
Let us learn this lesson: in the face of bodily and spiritual sufferings, of the wounds our souls bear, of the situations that crush us, and even in the face of sin, God does not keep us at a distance. God is not ashamed of us; God does not judge us. On the contrary, He draws near to let Himself be touched and to touch us, and He always raises us from death. He always takes us by the hand to say: daughter, son, arise! (cf. Mark 5:41). Walk forward; strive ahead! “Lord I am a sinner”—
“Strive forward; I became sin for you, to save you” – “But you, O Lord, are not a sinner” – “No, but I have endured all the consequences of sin to save you.” This is beautiful!
Let us fix the image that Jesus offers us in our hearts. It is God who takes you by the hand and raises you up again. It is He who lets Himself be touched by your pain and touches you to heal you and give you life again. He does not discriminate against anyone because He loves everyone.
Thus, we can ask ourselves: do we believe that God is like this? Do we let ourselves be touched by the Lord, by His Word, by His love? Do we relate to our brothers and sisters by offering them a hand to lift them up, or do we keep our distance and label people based on our tastes and preferences? We label people. Let me ask you a question: Does God, the Lord Jesus, label people? May everyone answer this question. Does God label people? And do I live by constantly labelling people?
Brothers and sisters, let us look to the heart of God, so that the Church and society may neither exclude nor treat anyone as “impure,” so that each person, with their own particular past, is welcomed and loved without labels, prejudices, or adjectives.
Let us pray through the Holy Virgin. May She who is the Mother of tenderness intercede for us and for the whole world.
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After the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters,
I greet you all, Romans and pilgrims from Italy and various countries!
I especially greet the children of the “Misyjna Jutrzenka” Missionary Circle from Skoczów, Poland; and the faithful from California and Costa Rica.
I greet the religious sisters of the Daughters of the Church, who in these days have been on a pilgrimage following in the footsteps of their foundress, Venerable Maria Oliva Bonaldo, together with a group of lay people. I also greet the young people from Gonzaga, near Mantua.
Today we remember the Roman Protomartyrs. We too live in a time of martyrdom, one that is even more so than in the early centuries. Many of our brothers and sisters in various parts of the world suffer discrimination and persecution because of their faith; they thus bring fecundity to the Church. Others face a “white-glove” martyrdom. Let us support them and be inspired by their testimony of love for Christ.
On this last day of June, let us implore the Sacred Heart of Jesus to touch the hearts of those who desire war, that they may be converted to plans of dialogue and peace.
Brothers and sisters, let us not forget martyred Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar, and many other places where there is so much suffering due to war!
I wish everyone a good Sunday. Please, do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch and arrivederci! Thank you.
