Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Sunday!

Today’s Gospel (Mt 9:36–10:8) brings us a great gift, for it draws all who hear it into Jesus’ gaze: it is a story that bears witness to the attentiveness of this gaze, as well as telling us what the Lord sees. We read, in fact, that Christ “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless” (v. 36). Having become our brother, the Son of God looks at the people, he looks at humanity: he sees the oppression that burdens and the violence that causes strength to fade. He sees the wounds of war and the emptiness of consumerism. He sees faces reduced to masks, families torn apart by evil, and young people misled by false ideals. Jesus sees and loves. He loves and suffers for and with us: his compassion expresses not only fraternal closeness, but his desire to redeem.

For he knows our hearts and cares for us. Looking upon so many people like “sheep without a shepherd” (v. 36), Christ devotes himself to all as the Good Shepherd and, as Lord of the harvest, sends workers into the field of the world (cf. v. 38). What is their task? They must offer God’s comfort to those who suffer by bringing charity where there is misery, hope where there is affliction, faith where there is distrust.

The Gospel lists the names of the first twelve “workers:” they are disciples made apostles, that is, missionaries and preachers. Among them, the first we find is Simon, called Peter. But we also find Judas Iscariot, named last, to remind us that one can follow Jesus and betray him. Even so, the Gospel remains for all a living and true word. The Good News that spans the centuries is the same, always young, fresh, and liberating: “The Kingdom of Heaven has come near!” (Mt 10:7). Yes, it is near because in Jesus Christ, God draws near to every man and woman, to every people and nation. When this Gospel is proclaimed and lived out, evil crumbles like a disease that passes away (cf. v. 8), like a night giving way to dawn, like death conquered by the risen One.

This is how Jesus’ gaze transforms reality. Filled with love, his initiative gives birth to a new people, the Church, called to continue the mission of the apostles: “You received without payment; give without payment” (v. 8). Yes, Jesus’ gift is entirely gratis, for its value exceeds all measure: it is impossible to merit or “buy” it. This grace is the beautiful name of God’s mercy, which seeks us out wherever we are, to draw us to himself. “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38)!

14.06.26

Excerpt below, for the full transcript click on the picture link above

Dear brothers and sisters,

It is a blessing to come together on this day when the Heart of Jesus reveals itself to us as the heart of history.  I am happy to celebrate the Eucharist with you, giving thanks for the abundant witnesses of faith and charity I have experienced on this Apostolic Journey.  This is what makes the archipelago, so well known for its beauty and hospitality, a place where the Risen Lord precedes us and reveals himself to us.  The sea before us evokes the infinite, and so does the sky; but even more boundless is the infinite longing that joins the heart of God to so many human hearts, whose joys and hopes, sorrows and anxieties find an echo in the heart of the Church (cf. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 1).  No human being is an island. The geographical location of this diocese and the pastoral challenges it faces bear witness to the fact that we are born for encounter and that no obstacle, distance, danger or threat can prevent anyone from making the journey.  Whether we spend our whole lives in one place or choose — or are forced — to leave, no one remains unchanged. This is the secret of the heart: the inner call to exodus and to encounter.

But the Heart of Jesus shows us how not to get lost in a futile struggle: “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4:9).  It is in giving of ourselves that we truly live. Otherwise, we spin in a void.  Indeed, “as the Council recalled, human persons are called to communion with God and ‘can fully discover their true selves only in sincere self-giving.’  Indeed, their deepest vocation is to enter into the Trinitarian dynamic of love received” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 48).  Pope Francis likewise observed: “Many people today sense a profound imbalance which drives them to frenetic activity and makes them feel busy, in a constant hurry, which in turn leads them to ride rough-shod over everything around them. This too affects how they treat the environment” (Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, 225).  These words also challenge Tenerife in its vocation to hospitality, speaking both to the hearts of those who choose to spend their vacations here and to those of the people who live and work on the island, welcoming visitors from so many countries around the world.  What does the human heart seek?  How can we respond to its thirst in a way that is not disingenuous?  It is important, especially for those who are guided by the Gospel, not to reduce everything to commerce and profit.  “Those who enjoy more and live better each moment are those who have given up dipping here and there, always on the look-out for what they do not have. They experience what it means to appreciate each person and each thing, learning familiarity with the simplest things and how to enjoy them. So they are able to shed unsatisfied needs, reducing their obsessiveness and weariness” (Ibid., 223).  Understand your vocation to hospitality in this way, dear brothers and sisters.

Today’s Gospel seems to take this challenge to the extreme and reminds us of the wealth of the poor, a paradox that points directly to the life of Jesus, to his truth, to the path upon which he continues to ask us to follow him.  In the passage we have heard, he blesses the Father for this: that God has revealed himself to the little ones — to the least among us, to those whose thoughts and words are ignored. He has enriched them with what is hidden from those who are surrounded by admiration and success.  With the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, I wished to draw attention to the privileged place of the poor in divine Revelation and in the mission of the Church.

This mystery resonates in a unique way on these islands, at the centre of migratory routes that make them a place of initial welcome for brothers and sisters whose journey is generally exposed to unspeakable dangers and violence.  In the face of those who capitalise on despair, we Christians we can do more than exemplify the Lord who says: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).  The greatest grace is to allow ourselves to be evangelized by those we assist and to recognise the mysterious wisdom of God written in their very flesh.  “Growing up in precarious circumstances, learning to survive in the most adverse conditions, trusting in God with the assurance that no one else takes them seriously, and helping one another in the darkest moments, the poor have learned many things that they keep hidden in their hearts. Those of us who have not had similar experiences of living this way certainly have much to gain from the source of wisdom that is the experience of the poor. Only by relating our complaints to their sufferings and privations can we experience a reproof that can challenge us to simplify our lives” (Dilexi Te, 102).  The Lord, who admonishes and corrects those he loves (cf. Rev 3:19), desires to make our lives simple and joyful.

Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for who you are and for what you do, for making this island a place of encounter with the heart of Christ in the friendly and hospitable faces of people and fraternal communities.  “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us” (1 Jn 4:16): may this confession of faith, handed down in the First Letter of John, always shine forth in you and inspire you to prayer and action.  Be attentive to teenagers and young people, to the rich and the poor, to residents and guests: all of them need to be looked upon with a gaze that sees beyond appearances and recognises the depth of their restless hearts, which not infrequently are already oriented, perhaps unconsciously, toward the Kingdom of God and his justice.  May it be evident among you that “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” (Ibid.).  This is the heart of the Gospel, the heart of Christ.  Whoever immerses themselves in it no longer lives for themselves.  Open this sea of love to everyone!  This is my wish and my prayer for you and for all those who will come to know you.

I would like to express my gratitude to Your Excellency and to the people of Tenerife as well as their pastors and the civil authorities.

Dear brothers and sisters, this Eucharistic celebration marks the end of my Apostolic Journey in Spain. I give thanks to God and to all who have welcomed me and who, in countless ways, have helped prepare and carry out the various events in Madrid, Barcelona and Montserrat, and here in the Canary Islands.

I return to Rome deeply moved by the great affection I have received and comforted by the testimonies of faith and love for the Church, which are a testament to Spain’s profound Catholic spirit.

From this port, which bears the name of the Holy Cross, my thoughts turn to the whole world and its wounds, which cause entire populations to suffer. To all, I would like to offer the motto of this journey: “Lift up your gaze!”  Yes, let us turn our eyes to Christ Crucified; his Heart is the source of mercy, which alone can save humanity — which is in need of forgiveness and reconciliation — so that it may attain true and lasting peace. Let us lift up our eyes, as did Mary, the Mother of all who suffer, and guided by her, let us continue our journey with hope!

Beloved brothers and sisters, thank you from the bottom of my heart!  Let us remain united in prayer and in communion in Christ and in the Holy Church.

12.06.26