During his weekly catechesis distributed by streaming, the pope reflected on the meaning of Christian 'blessing.' He said that it is a very characteristic quality of God, who blessed the Earth when it was created and who blesses every person.
POPE FRANCIS
God's blessing and his benevolence towards us is the reason for our hope. God always loves us.
Pope Francis said that God loves each person regardless of their faults. As an example of His love, he recalled the mothers he could see lining up in front of the prisons.
POPE FRANCIS
They lined up to see their son in jail. They kept loving their son and knew that people passing by on the bus would say: 'This is the mother of the prisoner.' They weren't ashamed, and if they were embarrassed, they would go on. The son is more important than shame. It's the same with us. We are more important to God than all the sins we may commit. God is father, He is also mother, and He is pure love. He has blessed us forever. He will not fail to bless us.
In the end, the pope recalled the latest violent episode in Nigeria, where a group of armed people cold-bloodedly massacred more than a hundred farmers.
POPE FRANCIS
I wish to assure my prayers for Nigeria, still stained with blood from the terrorist attack. May God welcome them in His peace and comfort their families, and convert the hearts of those who commit such horrors.
The pope also recalled that this Sunday, a Day of Prayer and Help for the Eastern Church, is celebrated in Poland. He also recalled that on this day, 40 years ago, four American missionaries were killed in El Salvador. They were laywoman Jean Donovan, and the three nuns Maura Clarke, Ita Ford, and Dorothy Kazel.
Javier Romero
Translation: Christian Campos
