Meditation

“Who can understand the will of the Lord?” (Wis 9:13).

This question from the Book of Wisdom, which we heard in the first reading, presents our life as a mystery, the key to whose interpretation is not in our possession. The protagonists of the story are always two: God on the one hand and humankind on the other. We have the task of perceiving God's call and then accepting his will. But to accept it without hesitation, let us ask ourselves: what is God's will?

In the same passage from the Book of Wisdom, we find the answer: “This is how people have learned what pleases you” (v. 18). To authenticate God’s call, we must ask ourselves and understand what pleases him. Prophets often proclaim what pleases the Lord. Their message finds an admirable summary in the expression: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6; Mt 9:13). Every work of mercy pleases God because in the brother or sister we help, we recognize the face of God that no one else can see (cf. Jn 1:18). And every time we attend to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we give food and drink to Jesus; we clothe, support, and visit the Son of God (cf. Mt 25:40). In short, we touch the flesh of Christ.

We are therefore called to translate into concrete action what we invoke in prayer and profess in faith. There is no alternative to charity: those who place themselves at the service of their brothers and sisters, even unknowingly, are those who love God (cf. 1 Jn 3:16-18; Jas 2:14-18). The Christian life, however, is not simply aid provided in times of need. If it were, it would certainly be a beautiful sentiment of human solidarity that brings immediate benefit, but it would be sterile, because it would be without roots. The commitment that the Lord asks of us, on the contrary, is the commitment of a vocation to charity, by which every disciple of Christ places their own life at his service, in order to grow each day in love.

We heard in the Gospel that “great crowds were traveling with Jesus” (Lk 14:25). Today, these “great crowds” are represented by the vast world of volunteering, gathered here for the Jubilee of Mercy. You are that crowd that follows the Master and makes his concrete love for each person visible. I repeat to you the words of the Apostle Paul: “Your love has already brought me joy and comfort, for through you… the hearts of the faithful have found rest” (Phm 7). How many hearts volunteers comfort! How many hands they support! How many tears they wipe away! How much love is put into hidden, humble, and selfless service! This praiseworthy service manifests faith—manifests faith—and expresses the mercy of the Father who draws near to those in need.

Following Jesus is a serious and joyful commitment; it demands radicalism and courage to recognize the divine Master in the poorest and most marginalized of people and to place oneself at his service. Therefore, volunteers who, out of love for Jesus, serve the least and the destitute expect no recognition or reward, but renounce all of that because they have discovered authentic love. And each of us can say: "Just as the Lord came to me and looked after me in my time of need, so too I go to him and look after those who have lost faith or live as if God did not exist, young people without values or ideals, families in crisis, the sick and prisoners, refugees and migrants, the weak and those who are defenseless both physically and spiritually, minors left to fend for themselves, and the elderly left alone." Wherever there is an outstretched hand asking for help to get back on their feet, our presence, as well as the presence of the Church that supports and gives hope, must be felt. And this must be done with the living memory of the Lord's hand reaching out to me when I was on the ground.

Throughout her life, Mother Teresa was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available through the welcoming and defense of human life, life in the womb as well as life abandoned and rejected. She devoted herself to the defense of life, tirelessly proclaiming that "he who is not yet born is the weakest, the smallest, the most wretched." She looked down upon the downtrodden left to die by the roadside, recognizing the dignity God had bestowed upon them; she raised her voice to the powerful of the earth, so that they might acknowledge their guilt in the face of the crimes—the crimes—of the poverty they themselves had created. Mercy was for her the "salt" that gave flavor to each of her works, and the "light" that illuminated the darkness of those who no longer even had tears to weep for their poverty and suffering.

Her mission in the margins of cities and in the existential margins continues to this day as an eloquent testimony to God's closeness to the poorest of the poor. Today, I present this emblematic figure of a woman and consecrated person to the world of volunteering: may she be your model of holiness! I believe it will be somewhat difficult for us to call her Saint Teresa; her holiness is so close to us, so tender, and so fruitful that we will spontaneously continue to call her "Mother Teresa." May this tireless craftsman of mercy help us to understand ever more clearly that our sole criterion for action is unconditional love, free from all ideology and all ties, and offered to all without distinction of language, culture, race, or religion. Mother Teresa liked to say, "I may not speak their language, but I can smile." Let us carry her smile in our hearts and offer it to those we meet on our path, especially to those who are suffering. In this way, we will open up horizons of joy and hope to so many discouraged people, who need both understanding and tenderness.

CANONIZATION MASS OF BLESSED MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA

JUBILEE OF THE OPERATORS AND VOLUNTEERS OF MERCY

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER

Place Saint-Pierre, Sunday, September 4, 2016

[ Multimedia ]