In the silence of worship we receive God’s grace, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, July 21, 2024 / 07:30 am

Do not be consumed by “anxiety to do” but spend time resting and praying quietly to receive God’s grace, Pope Francis said on Sunday.

The Pope told Catholics, especially those in ministry, to be aware of the “tyranny of doing” during his weekly reflection and Angelus on July 21.

The Angelus is a Marian prayer traditionally recited at three different hours throughout the day: at 6am, noon and 6pm.

“It is only possible to have a compassionate vision, which knows how to respond to the needs of others, if our hearts are not consumed by the worries of doing, if we know how to stop and receive God’s grace in silence of worship,” Pope Francis said on a hot and humid day at the height of summer in Rome.

When he spoke to the large crowd that had gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said that we are often “taken prisoner.” He said it was an important warning, especially for those engaged in the ministry and ministry of the Church.

“Can I stop my periods? Am I able to take time to be with myself and with the Lord, or am I always in a hurry to do things?” he said from the window of the House of Apostles.

He added that sometimes families are forced to live in a fixed way; for example, when a father has to work from morning to night to put food on the table. But this is social injustice, he said, and we should help families in this situation.

The pope’s brief remarks drew attention to the Gospel part of the day, which shows how Jesus is able to combine rest and compassion for others.

In the Gospel, Jesus invites his apostles to ‘leave alone in a deserted place and rest a little,’ and when they come out of the cave, they find a crowd already waiting for them.

“The heart of[Jesu]moved by pity for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things,” says the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6.

“These may sound like two things that don’t go together – relaxation and compassion – but in fact they go together,” Pope Francis emphasized.

Jesus is concerned about the fatigue of his disciples, the pope said, because he is aware of the danger in our ministry and life of being overly concerned with “things to be done and results.”

He stressed: “We get confused and lose sight of what is important.

Francis also explained that the rest mentioned by Jesus is not “running away from the world, retreating to personal comfort,” but it is a rest that helps us to be more compassionate to others.

He said: “Only when we learn to relax can we have compassion.

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After leading the Angelus, the pope spoke about the Summer Olympics, which will begin in Paris on July 26, and the Paralympics, which will follow in August.

He said that sports have “great social power, capable of uniting people of different cultures in peace.”

“I hope that this event can be a reflection of the universal world that we want to build and that the athletes, through their sporting testimony, will be ambassadors of peace and good examples for the youth ,” he added.

Francis also recalled the ancient Greek tradition of the “Olympic Presentation,” saying that such a step would be an opportunity to “show a sincere desire for peace.”