What is most important is to remain in Jesus….

Pope Francis stressed this today, April 1, as he offered his private daily Mass at his residence Casa Santa Marta for the victims of Coronavirus, reported Vatican News.

The Holy Father noted that when we remain in the Lord and in His word, that is when we are really His disciples. The Jesuit Pope pointed out that the Lord does not say what is necessary is learning or studying, as He takes that for granted.

When we remain in Christ, Francis underscores, we become free again, we are no longer consumed by other things and priorities.

Discipleship, he stressed, makes us free. And this remaining in the Lord, is what constitutes our identity in Christians. He observed that if we are well educated in the faith and doctrine, that is important, but you are not entirely with Christ, you are not really a disciple.

Today, the Holy Father prayed for all “who work in the media, who work to communicate.”

“They are working,” he said, “so that people are not so isolated; for the education of children, to help us to bear this time of isolation.”

In today’s homily, the Holy Father reflected on the struggle between Jesus and the Doctors of the Law over His identity. When Jesus in the end backs them into a corner, the Pope suggested, the Doctors resort to blasphemy and insults.

Before concluding, the Pope exhorted faithful to partake in Spiritual Communion in this difficult time, and ended the celebration with Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction.

Here are the Holy Father’s words, followed by the prayer for Spiritual Communion:

I prostrate myself at your feet, O my Jesus, and I offer you the repentance of my contrite heart, which abases itself in its nothingness in Your Holy Presence. I adore you in the Sacrament of Your Love; I desire to receive You in the poor abode that my heart offers You. While waiting for the happiness of a Sacramental Communion, I want to possess You in spirit. Come to me, O my Jesus, that I may come to You. May Your Love inflame my whole being, in life and in death. I believe in You, I hope in You, I love You. Amen.

The Masses in Francis’ chapel normally welcome a small group of faithful, but due to recent measures’ taken by the Vatican, are now being kept private, without their participation.

It was announced this month that the Pope would have these Masses, in this period, be available to all the world’s faithful, via streaming on Vatican Media, on weekdays, at 7 am Rome time.

The Vatican has also published the Pope’s Holy Week and Easter schedule, confirming this year’s events will not welcome the physical presence of the faithful, and the events will be made available via streaming.

This comes at a time too when the Italian bishops’ conference has canceled public Masses throughout the nation, following guidelines put out by Italian authorities.

In addition to Santa Marta, the Vatican has taken other steps to keep people safe and to stay close to the Pope, even if from a distance. They are televising the Pope giving privately, from the papal library, his weekly Angelus and General Audience addresses.

The Vatican Museums are now closed, along with the Vatican’s other similar museums. There have also been various guidelines implemented throughout the Vatican, to prevent the spread of the virus.

For anyone interested, the Pope’s Masses at Santa Marta can be watched live and can be watched afterward on Vatican YouTube. Below is a link to today’s Mass. Also, a ZENIT English translation of the Pope’s full homily will be made available below in the very near future:

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FULL HOMILY / TO BE PUBLISHED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

The post What’s Most Important Is Remaining in Jesus, Reminds Pope (Morning Homily) appeared first on ZENIT – English.