A153

1. בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ
2. והארץ היתה תהו ובהו וחשך על־פני תהום ורוח אלהים מרחפת על־פני המים׃
3. ויאמר אלהים יהי אור ויהי־אור׃

1. In principio creavit Deus cælum, et terram.
2. Terra autem erat inanis et vacua, et tenebræ erant super faciem abyssi: et Spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas.
3. Dixitque Deus: Fiat lux. Et facta est lux.

1. In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth—
2. and the earth was without form or shape, with darkness over the abyss and a mighty wind sweeping over the waters—
3. Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light.

Εν αρχη ην ο λογος, και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον, και θεος ην ο λογος

In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Now consider God, supreme reality. The Father can produce an image that is perfect, a perfect reproduction of his own being, possessing the mind, will, personality, freedom, power, love, simplicity of the Father. So indeed we say in that same Creed that the Son is God from God, light from light, true God from true God. The Son is an utterly perfect imago, image of the Father, we say indeed consubstantial with the father, one in being.

Now from all eternity the Father looks at the Son, the Son looks back at the Father, what do they see? Each sees the utter perfection, beauty, goodness, and truth of the other. So they naturally, necessarily, automatically, fall in love with each other. To use Fulton Sheen's beautiful phrase they sigh their love for each other. That sigh, that holy breath, we call the Spiritus Sanctus, the Holy Breath, the Holy Spirit. God is a communio, a communion, a family of image making and communication.

All of creation reflects and is a mirror of, if you want, this white-hot intensity of the divine love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

All that is beautiful leads us to God. Because God is good, God is beautiful, God is true. Thank you all those who have offered their witness. And for the presence of all of you, that is also great witness... real witness that it is worth being a family.

[Very emphatic]: Once a child asked me—you know that kids ask difficult questions—he asked me Father, what did God do before creating the world?

I assure you, I found real difficulty in answering the question. So I said what I am now going to say to you: Before creating the world, God loved. Because God is love.

He had so much love: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It was so overflowing. I don't think this is very logical, but you will understand—it was so big, this love, he could not be egoistic. It had to be poured out of him. So as to share that love with those out of himself. And then God created the world. God made this marvelous world in which we live.

And because sometimes we are a bit confused, we are destroying it. But the most beautiful thing that God did, says the Bible, was the family.

Let us go back further. All of the love that God has in himself, all the beauty that he has in himself, he gives it to the family. And the family is really family when it is able to open its arms and receive all that love.

Of course, it is not quite earthly paradise. There are still problems. Men and women, through the astuteness of the devil, have learned unfortunately how to divide themselves. And all that love that God gave, almost was lost.

In a little period of time—the first crime. The first instance of fratricide. A brother kills another brother. And war. Love, beauty and truth of God [gestures with one hand] and destruction and war [gestures with other hand]. And between those: we walk ahead. It's up to us to choose. It's up to us to decide which path we want to take forward.

Let's go back. When man and his wife made a mistake, God did not abandon them. So great was His love, that He began to walk with humanity, with His people, until the right moment came, and He made the highest expression of love—His own Son. And where did He send his son—to a palace? To a city? No. He sent him to a family. God sent him amid a family. And He could do this, because it was a family that had a truly open heart. The doors of their heart opened.

Mary, she could not believe it. How can this happen? When the angel explained it to her, she agreed. Joseph. He finds himself in a surprising situation that he doesn't understand, and he accepts. He obeys. In Mary and Joseph, there is a family in which Jesus is born.

God likes to give his love to open hearts. Do you know what he loves most? To knock on the door of families, and find families who love each other, who bring up their children to grow, and help them move forward. To create and develop a society with truth, goodness and beauty.

We are celebrating the Feast of the Family. Families have a citizenship which is divine. The identity card that they have is given to them by God. So that within the heart of the family, truth, goodness and beauty can truly grow.

Some of you might say, “Father, you speak like that because you are single. Families have the difficulties. Families, we quarrel, and sometimes plates can fly. And children bring headaches. I won't speak about mother-in-laws [laughs].

[EMPHATIC]: Forgive me, but I have to say, the family is like a factory of hope. It's a factory of resurrection. God opened this path, this possibility.

And children, yes they bring their challenges. And we also are the cause of work and worry. Sometimes at home, I see some of my helpers, they come to work and they look tired. They have a one-month-old baby, and I ask them did you sleep? And they say I couldn't sleep, Holiness, because they were crying all night.

In the family, indeed, there are difficulties. But those difficulties are overcome with love. Hatred is not capable of dealing with any difficulty and overcoming any difficulty. Division of hearts cannot overcome any difficulty. Only love. Only love is able to overcome. Love is about celebration, love is joy, love is moving forward.

I don't want to speak too much. Because it could be late. But I would like just to offer two points about the family. To take special care of these two points. Some things we really need to take care of: the children, and grandparents. Children, whether young or older, they are the future, the strength that moves us forward. We place our hope in them.

Grandparents are the living memory of the family. They passed on the faith, they transmitted the faith, to us. To look after grandparents, to look after children, is the expression of love. A people that doesn't know how to look after its children or grandparents is a people that has no future. Because it doesn't have strength or the memory to go forward.

Family is beautiful but there is effort involved and there are problems. In families there are inimicable relationships. Husbands and wives quarrel, can end up badly, separated. Never let the day end without making peace. In a family, you can't finish the day off not being in peace.

May God bless you. May God give you hope, the strength to move forward, let us look after the family. Let's protect the family. Because it's in the family that our future is at play.

Thank you. God bless you. And please, pray for me.

[Andrea Bocelli sings Our Father.]

Pope Francis: We'll see each other at Mass tomorrow. What time is Mass tomorrow, Archbishop? At 4:00?

The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ’s spirit dwells. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group.

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.

After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to feel sorrow and distress. Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me.” He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he released Barabbas to them, but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull).

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. [Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”] They divided his garments by casting lots. The people stood by and watched; the rulers, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.” Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out, “If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.” Above him there was an inscription that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” and when he had said this he breathed his last.

But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

“Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

1. After this, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way.
2. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee's sons, and two others of his disciples.
3. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”
6. So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish.
7. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea.
8. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish.
9. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread.
10. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.”
11. So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
12. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord.
13. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish.
14. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
15. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16. He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17. He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” (Jesus) said to him, “Feed my sheep.
18. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
19. He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
20. Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?”
21. When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
22. Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.”
23. So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? (What concern is it of yours?)”
24. It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
25. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.