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Pope reflects on need for humility and generosity


Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square on Sunday to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis. Before the prayers, the Holy Father reflected on the Gospel reading of the day, from the Gospel of St Luke, in which Jesus dines as the guest of a leading Pharisee, and teaches a hard truth about pride and the Kingdom of God and issues a challenge to all present to focus their thoughts and order their actions to the promise of the Resurrection.

As often happens, Jesus taught the Gospel lesson through parables, the first of which regarded the behaviour of guests at a banquet. When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honour. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say: "Give your place to this man," and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say: "My friend, move up to a higher position." Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

The Second, equally famous lesson regarded the attitude and behaviour of the one, who gives the banquet. When you hold a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your wealthy neighbours, in case they may invite you back and you have repayment. Rather, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you. For you will be repaid at the Resurrection of the righteous.

Remarking on the lessons, Pope Francis offered words of praise for the many people who have heeded the call and offer their assistance at shelters and soup kitchens, feeding the hungry and performing many other works of mercy.

"Let us ask the Virgin Mary, who was humble all her life, to lead us every day on the way of humility," he said, "so that we are capable of making our own gestures of welcome toward and solidarity with the marginalized, seeking nothing in return, so that we might become worthy of the divine reward."

After the Angelus, Pope Francis offered words of encouragement to the people of the quake-damaged areas of central Italy, renewing his appeal for prayerful and concrete solidarity, and expressing the desire to visit the stricken places as soon as possible.

Pope Francis said: "Dear Brothers and Sisters, I wish to renew my spiritual closeness to the inhabitants of Latium, the Marches and Umbria, hard hit by the earthquake in these past days.

The Holy Father went on to make specific mention of the towns, which suffered the most grievous loss of life and the most extensive damage. "I think in particular the people of Amatrice, Accumoli, Arquata del Tronto, Norcia. Again I say to those dear people that the Church shares their suffering and their worries."

"She prays for the dead and for the survivors. The care with which civil authorities, police, civil protection and volunteers are operating, shows how important solidarity is in order to overcome such painful trials," he added.

"Dear brothers and sisters. I hope to come to see you as soon as possible, to bring you in person the comfort of the Faith, the embrace of a father and a brother, and the support of Christian hope."

Immediately following these words, the Holy Father led all the gathered faithful in praying a Hail Mary for the victims, their families, and for everyone affected by the deadly quake.

Source: Vatican Radio

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