On Friday, before an empty and rain-covered St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis held Eucharistic adoration and gave an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing, praying for the world during the coronavirus pandemic which has killed more than 25,000 people.
The holy hour March 27 included a reading from the Gospel and a meditation by Pope Francis, who spoke about faith and trust in God during a time when people fear for their lives, as did the disciples when their boat was caught in a violent storm.
“We have an anchor: by his cross we have been saved. We have a rudder: by his cross we have been redeemed. We have a hope: by his cross we have been healed and embraced so that nothing and no one can separate us from his redeeming love,” Francis said.
Embracing Christ’s cross, he said, “means finding the courage to embrace all the hardships of the present time.”
“Embracing the Lord in order to embrace hope: that is the strength of faith, which frees us from fear and gives us hope,” the pope stated.
Pope Francis held Eucharistic adoration on an altar set up under the portico in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. Also present nearby was a miraculous crucifix which the pope visited March 15 to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic.
The crucifix, which usually hangs in San Marcello al Corso, was venerated as miraculous by Romans after it was the only religious image to survive unscathed from a fire that completely gutted the church on May 23, 1519.
An image of the Byzantine icon of Mary as Salus Populi Romani, was also brought to the square for veneration during the prayer.
At the conclusion of the prayer, Pope Francis gave an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing, and gave benediction with the Blessed Sacrament while the bells of the basilica rang….
The above comes from a March 27 story on Catholic News Agency.
The world seems no different because of it.
What is different now is that the “Miraculous Crucifix” was allowed to get rained on for two hours and is now ruined! It survived fire and plague, but alas, not this pontificate. Doubt the pagan pachamama statues would have gotten this ill treatment.
Stan, are you willing to “give it” more than 24 hours before your public analysis? What “seems” is not always what is. And, none of us see the entire world. I think our Lord hears our prayers and that His Mother’s intercession is powerful. I believe we’ll later hear stories of the Lord working this day.
I and quite a few friends are nearing the conclusion that this pandemic is exposing the hollowness of the Church and faith. Lifelong Catholics, all of us, who tolerated and trusted during the sex abuse scandal. Now God does this to the world and to the Church? What good is a God whose ways are so mysterious that there’s no evidence of him at work doing anything positive? What good is a faith that can’t point definitively to anything it does having any measurable effect? Everything is trust, trust, trust, pray, pray, pray, and when things get worse keep trusting and praying even though there isn’t any evidence that it’s having any effect. Oh, and keep giving money too. We’re going to see infections and deaths skyrocket, the global economy collapse into depression, civil unrest as there are food and work shortages, and an impoverished Church. This could very well be the last straw that does it for me and my friends about the Church. If the Church doesn’t help, if faith doesn’t help in ways that can be seen, what good is it? This weekend if Masses weren’t canceled we’d hear about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. That was something that could be seen, proof that was verifiable, something really done by Jesus that had a good effect. Let’s have something like that to restore the credibility of Catholic faith.
“Push back against the age as hard as it pushes against you. What people don’t realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross.” Flannery O’connor.
“Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be” St. Thomas More
“Sorrow can sometimes be alleviated by good sleep and a bath” – St Thomas Aquinas
Stan, books have been written about the problem of which you write. Rather than appeal to any of them, a reflection, if you don’t mind, from my own life. I will be 70 this year, but when I was 27 I converted to the Catholic Church and 28 when I tried my vocation at a Trappist monastery, a group of contemplative monks. The graces that accompanied these events was beyond measure. Indescribable. I felt as if one foot was in heaven and one on earth. I eventually became a community college math instructor where I live, and am retiring after 30 years there. Nowadays I don’t feel God’s presence as I did when younger. But I don’t have to feel consolations etc. to trust He is working in my life in ways I cannot know, regardless of the pain and suffering I endure, and much has come my way. And if I fall from this virus, may this trust endure to the end, because He has proved Himself to me once and for all time.
I do not want to minimize the grief and sadness and fear that people are going through but you have forgotten what the Church is about. Salvation! Death, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy sting?
Two of the children of Fatima who are now saints died in the flu epidemic of the early 20th century. They asked Mary to take them to Heaven. She did.
Of course, we do all things humanly possible to stop the spread of the virus and we beg God to stop the epidemic and to heal the sick and care for the dying and grant eternal rest to the dead.
Are you praying the Rosary and the Chaplet of Mercy, including the intention of gaining the plenary indulgence? Are you praying for the dying and the sick? Pray the prayer to St. Michael. It is ironic that people “lose faith” when things don’t go according to their will. What good is a God who doesn’t give us what we want? All Good. He knows what is best for every soul. Jesus, I trust in You.
Thank you Pope Francis for your earnest and heartfelt prayer. After all the controversy of your pontificate, I know I needed to hear you now and hear deep words of faith in our Lord. To Stan I say, remember the line in The Song of Bernadette where the Canon says to the city officials, “Prayer is good wherever it’s offered” or words to that effect? The evangelical song writer Don Moen has several songs whose theme is God’s working in us and blessing us when we are not aware of it.
Stan, I hear you. We should not have tolerated and trusted “leaders” during the sex abuse scandal. That said, off the top of my head, I can think of examples of evidence of God working. I know of many people being freed from a wide variety of addictions by the grace of God (and a new Catholic trauma counseling center that opened recently) and healings of depression and anxiety. I’ve seen the growth of new communities of men and women religious. I’ve seen God reconcile many who were estranged and heal marriages. I’ve seen babies, mothers and abortion clinic workers saved. I’ve seen young Catholics graduate, enter the work world, marry and baptize their children. I’ve seen a new Catholic hospital meeting the needs of some desperate children and Catholic healthcare workers “stepping up.” Many are giving generously and helping those in need. I urge you to look around carefully. I hope you can see the evidence that is there. And, my brother, may you know the peace of Christ (Philippians 4:7).
Dan, that’s like saying I’m giving you money but you can’t see it or spend it or earn interest from it. What good is my gift of money to you? Nothing. Am I even giving you any money at all or just lying about it? What’s the difference between me not giving you money or giving you money that you can’t use or benefit from? Someone please tell me what the difference is between God not existing and God bestowing blessings that have no noticeable effect? All I’m hearing from Church people is that God is at work we just can’t see it. Please stop with that and please offer some proof that faith has meaning and effect. What’s the difference between faith in something that has no noticeable result and faith that is trust in something that isn’t there or real? Jesus did good things that helped people that could be seen and had real effects in people’s lives. Where is that God now? Today?
Stan, why are you asking us? You should be asking God. I see great graces being given. My suspicion is that you do not value them. You’re example is like a kid who wants money and is mad when they are given a savings bond that will mature when he is old enough to appreciate it.
That God right now today is right beside you and right beside those who are sick and who are dying and who are recovered.(90%) and those of us who have not contracted it. He is beside the health care workers and the health department workers, the grocery store and food service workers who are heroes. He is with those who are praying. He is with the priests and deacons and bishops. He is with all the people of the world. He is with all the people who are sick and dying of other causes. He is right beside all those who are grieving and those who are anxious.
You are at a vulnerable point in your faith journey. I know of one man who’s mother told him after a disaster when he questioned where God was “Look for the helpers.” If you are staying home, you are saving lives. Thank you for your service.
Stan, God’s blessings have a noticeable effect. My point in the previous post was that the extraordinary blessings earlier in my life prepared me for life’s difficulties later on. I have seen answered prayer for spiritual, mental and physical healing. The kindnesses of other Christians toward me has been well-received and much appreciated. I would have to say sensing God’s presence in devotional exercises is something too beautiful to put into words. But it is real. You want proof that faith has meaning and effect? I offer my own life as proof.
Please convince the President that the ventilators are worth it! He and some of his advisers and supporters seem not to value the lives of others- especially the elderly and those who happen to reside in a blue state.
This is how hatred distorts one’s perception. There are not really red and blue states. This is a media construct. President Trump is trying to save the life of every American.
Stan, I think what you’re seeking is Heaven on earth. Good luck with that. Sincerely.
Anonymous: I don’t hate Trump…he is in my prayers everyday! President Trump has treated the red states and blue states differently by favoring the red ones. He is truly dividing the country by his actions.