Watch: Pope at Casa Santa Marta - Without entering into the mystery we only have half a Church

Pope at Casa Santa Marta

Source: Vatican News

On the Solemnity of St Joseph, Pope Francis offered his morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta for prisoners.

He said: "We pray today for our brothers and sisters who are in prison.. They suffer a lot because of the uncertainty of what's happening inside the prison. They are also thinking of their families and how they are doing, some of them are sick, wondering if they need anything. Let's be near those in prison today. They are suffering a lot during this uncertain and painful moment."

Pope Francis began his homily describing Joseph as a "just man." He was "just" not only because he believed, but because he lived "that faith," the Pope said.

"He was chosen to educate a man who was true man, but who was also God. Only God could have educated such a person, but there wasn't someone like that. The Lord chose a just man, a man of faith, a man who was capable of being a man, and also capable of speaking with God, of entering into God's mystery. This was Joseph life."

The Pope reminded us how Joseph was a very precise man. In his profession as a carpenter, he was so precise that he could shave wood, or adjust an angle within a millimeter of perfection. Pope Francis said that he "entered into the mystery" with the same precision and naturalness with which he approached his carpentry.

"He was precise, but also able to enter into the mystery that he could not control. This is Joseph's holiness."

Even when the "Gospel talks about Joseph's dreams" it makes us "understand that he had entered into the mystery," Pope Francis added.

The Pope's thoughts then turned to the Church of which St Joseph is the Patron. Are the members of the Church, including Popes, "capable of entering into the mystery?" he asked.

"Are they capable of entering into the mystery, or do they need to be in control through rules and regulations which defend them against what they cannot control? When the Church loses the possibility of entering into the mystery, she loses the ability to adore. …Adoration happens only when one enters into God's mystery."

The Pope said that without entering into the mystery, there is only "half a Church, a pious association that operates with rules and regulations."

"Let's ask the Lord for this grace," Pope Francis prayed at the conclusion of his homily.

"May the Church live in the concreteness of everyday life and also in that 'concreteness' of the mystery. Entering into the mystery is not about dreaming. Entering into the mystery is precisely this: to adore. Entering into the mystery is doing today what we will do in the future. When we will have arrived in God's presence: adore. May the Lord grant His Church this grace."

Watch today's Mass HERE:

Throughout the Coronavirus crisis, Pope Francis has cancelled public appearances, but instead his Morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta is being livestreamed, especially for those who are sick and those caring for them. Recordings are also being posted up by Vatican Media so people around the world can see them later.